Highly acclaimed scholar Robert Dauber will be delivering a talk on Carracks in general focusing especially on those of the Knights of Malta.
Heritage Malta, together with the Friends of the Maritime Museum, are organising a talk by Prof Magisteur Robert l. Dauber, an eminent scholar who has done extensive research on the Gran Carracks of the Order of St. John. Prof Dauber will be giving a talk entitled “Carracks in general & especially those of the Hospitallers of Rhodes & of Malta”.
Prof Dauber’s talk will be followed by a presentation by Joseph Abela, Keeper of Models at the Malta Maritime Museum, who is currently working on a model of the Sant’ Anna, a grand carrack of the Hospitallers used during the first years of the Order in Malta. The St. Anna carrack was the largest warship built specifically for the Navy of the Order of St. John in Nice in 1522. Work began last year.
The initial phase of this project included extensive research work followed by the 
preparation of the hull plans. “As no plans of this ship exist, it was a challenge to produce such plans from the limited reliable sources available. Besides other information, these sources included the ship’s principle dimensions, and so an academic and an authentic plan could be produced. Owing to the numerous heavy items that were carried aboard, plus its large sails, the hull needed to be very sturdy” stated Joseph 
Abela. To obtain a satisfactory result he redesigned the hull three times, consequently the hull planks were removed twice and the frames were altered accordingly. The third and final attempt gave the required results. The model is being built to a 1:24 scale and when completed it will measure about 2.5 metres in overall length.
This activity will be held at the Malta Maritime Museum, Vittoriosa on Saturday the 20th April 2013 commencing at 10.30 a.m. The general public is invited to attend and admission will be free of charge. Facebook Event
