In 1749
the commander of the French navy in Toulon decided
to build four special speed ships. One of these four
ships was the Indiscret, which was launched on 24
March 1751 with a crew of 300 men.
The naval museum in Paris has a
contemporary model of the ship. It is covered with
22 photos and with extensive explanations in the
book by Jean Boudriot, "Modeles Historiques, Musée
de la Marine", A.N.C.R.E., Paris, 1997.
Indiscret had a narrow floor to achieve great speed,
but with a considerable beam to carry and extensive
sail plan. As it was very low-built, its decks were
formed with a great convexity from the middle of
their breadth towards the sides, in order to carry
off the water more readily by their scuppers.
Indiscret could be
navigated in three different methods according to
the force or direction of the wind.
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