This ship was build in Port Elizabeth Pa. in 1848. She was 328 tons, 152 x 29 x8. She was built for the Orinoco Steam Navagation Co. head quartered in New York. It is not certain how she was shipped to Venezuela but there is a painting of her in Trinidad painted by the famous local painter Jean Michel Cazabon,1813-1888. She would sail up the Orinoco river to the town of Angostura and return to Trinidad from there cargo was transferred to ocean going sail ships who crossed the Atlantic bringing the world famous Angostura Aromatic bitters to the world. The model was build from that painting and from the information contained in Ways Packet Directory 1848-1994. It is made of wood and plastic and is currently on loan to the Angostura museum in Trinidad.
I wanted to build a model of my fathers fishing pirogue from the 1960s which was built of local cedar. Today most of the Caribbean fishing boats are made of fibreglass. It took me a few years to find an old wooden one. I spent lots of time measuring the various parts. I also built it the way the local fishermen build it upside down from the keel to the gunnel. It is is an exact copy.
