[ApplegateRanch]

That "forty" sounds like a worse problem than the centipede's.

Unless the "forty" refers to some other designation that doesn't require rowers' benches in the rigging!

4,000 rowers sounds more like banks of forty oars, rather than forty banks.

2,000 per side, divide by 40 = 50, to be divided by the number of banks, minus X reserve rowers.

Maybe 2 sets of oarsmen, giving 5 banks of forty 5-man oars? That still sounds unwieldy,and makes for a loooong sweep for the inside-end oarsman. Could he even run back & forth fast enough to keep the stroke???

Any other thoughts on what exactly the "forty" be be designating?

[SunkenCiv]

It must have been a complex design. :') Alas, it hasn't survived (that we know of -- perhaps time will tell otherwise?) and it was unique. And there probably never were any drawn plans. (': A "forty" would be 100 rowers per level... yeah, complicated.

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