Victorian X-Boats?

[Hovtej]

Maybe timeover51 or one of the other Squid historians (I'm Air Force) could answer this question: Did the Victorian (pre-radio) or other Navies have organized courier systems for distributing orders and personal mail throughout the Empire or was it catch-as-catch-can using random ship-by-ship missions? What were the timelines associated with these systems?

 

[rancke]

Maybe timeover51 or one of the other Squid historians (I'm Air Force) could answer this question: Did the Victorian (pre-radio) or other Navies have organized courier systems for distributing orders and personal mail throughout the Empire or was it catch-as-catch-can using random ship-by-ship missions? What were the timelines associated with these systems?

Check out packet boats.


Hans

 

[Hovtej]

Tak!

Tak Hans! That's what I was looking for. Interesting that privateers were sometimes used. Another source of income for Travellers.

 

[aramis]

Tak Hans! That's what I was looking for. Interesting that privateers were sometimes used. Another source of income for Travellers.

There's a reason mail contracts are available...

 

[Hovtej]

Rather than a standing contract, I was thinking of going to the Port Master and saying we decided to head out to XYZ (off the mains) tomorrow and were wondering if there was any mail to go that way? You would need some creds with the Imperium and there would be some established rates, but it could add to the income for the jump.

 

[aramis]

Rather than a standing contract, I was thinking of going to the Port Master and saying we decided to head out to XYZ (off the mains) tomorrow and were wondering if there was any mail to go that way? You would need some creds with the Imperium and there would be some established rates, but it could add to the income for the jump.

Reread the mail rules in CT...

 

[Hovtej]

Found a table of DMs like I was looking for in MGT's Pocket Reference, page 162. If you qualify for the one-time mail run, 25K credits for a 5-ton load. Going back to my CT sources looking for the original information. Thanks!

 

[Timerover51]

Maybe timeover51 or one of the other Squid historians (I'm Air Force) could answer this question: Did the Victorian (pre-radio) or other Navies have organized courier systems for distributing orders and personal mail throughout the Empire or was it catch-as-catch-can using random ship-by-ship missions? What were the timelines associated with these systems?

One of the first ships built by the new US Navy Steam Navy in the 1880s was the dispatch ship Dolphin, to be use to carry dispatches to distant operating squadrons. It was also common in the US Navy to send mail and additional orders via relief ships to squadrons. In the Far East, typically one ship of the Asiatic Squadron would check with the US Consul at Hong Kong for dispatches sent via telegraph through the British telegraph system. Ships in the Mediterranean Squadron would check in at Naples. During the Spanish-American War, one of the uses of the civilian yachts the Navy acquired was to carry orders and dispatches, along with mail and some supplies from Key West to the ships operating off of Cuba.

The Royal Navy used the undersea telegraph system quite a bit to communicate orders to various ships, with Malta being the chief communication center for the Mediterranean.

Note, I am a Grunt, not a Squid, but I am also a reasonably good naval historian.

 

[BillDowns]

The Packet trade was not quite as Wikipedia has it, nor were dispatch vessels. The Packet trade were civilian ships carrying civilian mail while dispatch vessels carried military and diplomatic mail. The latter were usually operated by navies for the service of their countries, but sometime there simply wasn't enough ships so then privateers and specal contractors were utilized.

By 1840, give or take a few years, the Royal Mail certified ships for the packet trade and gave them the privilege of the "RMS" designation, like the RMS Titanic. Dispatch ships were still military.

The undersea telegraph was mostly later in the 19th century, and while important, did not replace mail. Couldn't, really, as most people wanted letters, not an expensive telegraph, from their relatives.

 

[creativehum]

The Packet trade was not quite as Wikipedia has it...

That said, what I do love about the Wikipedia page is that the image of the ad it features is almost a perfect old-school version of a Free Trader looking for passengers and cargo at the edge of an interstellar empire per the Classic Traveller implied setting.

 

[BillDowns]

:rofl:

 

[rancke]

The Packet trade was not quite as Wikipedia has it, nor were dispatch vessels. The Packet trade were civilian ships carrying civilian mail while dispatch vessels carried military and diplomatic mail. The latter were usually operated by navies for the service of their countries, but sometime there simply wasn't enough ships so then privateers and specal contractors were utilized.

That's what it evolved into, but originally it was just as the Wikipedia article says.

"Packet trade generally refers to any regularly scheduled cargo, passenger and mail trade conducted by ship.[1] The ships are called "packet boats" as their original function was to carry mail.[2]

A "packet ship" was originally a vessel employed to carry post office mail packets to and from British embassies, colonies and outposts. In sea transport, a packet service is a regular, scheduled service, carrying freight and passengers. The ships used for this service are called packet ships or packet boats. The seamen are called packetmen, and the business is called packet trade."[Packet trade]


"The Post Office Packet Service dates to Tudor times and ran until 1823, when the Admiralty assumed control of the service. Originally, the Post Office used packet ships to carry mail packets to and from British embassies, colonies and outposts." [Post Office Packet Service]​

The Royal Navy also used their own ships to carry dispatches, not surprisingly in the case of all those places the Packet Service didn't cover.


Hans

 

[Reban]

The Royal Navy also used their own ships to carry dispatches, not surprisingly in the case of all those places the Packet Service didn't cover.

Advice boats. Often small brigs, schooners or sloops commanded by a Lieutenant as their first command charged with carrying "Advices" or dispatches from the Admiralty.

There were only two Advice boats on the Royal Navy roster in 1802. Hired vessels and warships joining a squadron or returning to the UK also carried advices or more routine correspondence.

They were called Advices, because due to the distance and time lapse involved the Admiralty could not issue an inflexible order but could advise the Commander-in-Chief on the spot of the situation and recommend certain actions or require certain objectives be met.

 

[atpollard]

The topic is interesting ... but I have to admit that am a little disappointed.

When I read "Victorian X-Boats",
my first thought was more 'Steampunk' spacecraft.

 

[Timerover51]

The topic is interesting ... but I have to admit that am a little disappointed.

When I read "Victorian X-Boats",
my first thought was more 'Steampunk' spacecraft.

That is what I thought as well. And for Space: 1889, you really do need something like that. The orbital heliograph does not work when Mars and Earth are on opposite sides of the Sun, or when they are near alignment on the same side as the Sun. I will have to see what might be designed.

 

[Selandia]

the french navy used the term Aviso (from avis=notice) for their smaller seagoing ships, until about ww1, leaving no doubt as to their role beside flag showing and naval control of shipping. After wwi, they used it where the british used Sloop.

have fun

Selandia

 

[rancke]

That is what I thought as well. And for Space: 1889, you really do need something like that. The orbital heliograph does not work when Mars and Earth are on opposite sides of the Sun, or when they are near alignment on the same side as the Sun. I will have to see what might be designed.

They could build a heliographic relay station 60 degrees ahead in Venus orbit.


Hans

 

[Emperor Valdamir]

While the 'Packet boat" analogy for Victorian X-Boats is more accurate, I always kinda thought of the X-Boat network as being like the Pony Express.

 

[Spartan159]

While the 'Packet boat" analogy for Victorian X-Boats is more accurate, I always kinda thought of the X-Boat network as being like the Pony Express.

Poni Express even! (Grins ducks and runs for the safety of the Scout bar)

 

[BlackBat242]

Mustang class Dispatch Boats?