The Sweet Rose (Rosie) has a substantial role to play in the Chronicles. Thanks to Brian Lavery’s wonderful book “The Colonial Merchantman Susan Constant”, I have been able to model Rosie on Susan Constant.

The Swallow, acquired by Isaac, is a cutter with one mast and an enormous bowsprit carrying a jib and stays’l.  It has a fore and aft rig. The cutter came into its own late in the 17th century. I have stretched that historical accuracy to provide Isaac with further opportunities for adventure.

The shallop was a small, open, coastal sailing vessel shipped in pieces in the hold of a sailing ship. Once the ship reached its destination, the shallop was reassembled and used for inshore transport and exploration.

Navigational tools. Without the ability to measure longitude, mariners had to use dead-reckoning to determine East-West distance traveled. The navigational tools they used were vital to that process.

Nautical terminology is used in the Chronicles. A glossary of the more common terms is provided