Posted: February 09, 1999 at 09:07:27: by Olorin
The size limitations imposed on 'our' wooden ships is a function of the properties of the materials used - i.e. the wood.We know that there were trees in Middle-Earth unknown to modern-day shipwrights, eg. Mallorn. It is possible that wood with a greater tensile strength than oak was used by the Numenoreans, thus allowing them to build larger, stronger vessels. In this case, the number of refugees could have been more than your estimate. But all very interesting nontheless. Does Tolkien mention anywhere exactly what wood was used in the construction of Numenorean ships?
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