Mike Dowling

Cathead:
Thanks for starting this topic.  I will be following and hopefully contributing.
Kurt

Note: I altered the title and topic of this post later on, to be more inclusive of rivercraft from all parts of the world. I'd started it as a topic on river craft of western American rivers in the nineteenth century, because that's what I know most about and what most of the models here seem to be of. But the burst of interest in other regions and periods led me to think it'd be best to open this up to a broader set of interests. Below is my original starting post.
 
Many unique and interesting watercraft developed along the interior and western rivers of the United States, especially the Mississippi River system and its major components such as the Ohio, Missouri, Arkansas, and Red rivers. The most recent issue of the Nautical Research Journal (spring 2016) has several good articles about early, unpowered craft on these rivers, like the keelboats, flatboats, and barges that were poled/rowed/sailed up the rivers and floated down again. Once steam power developed in the 1830s, a unique class of steamboats developed along these river systems.
 
There seem to be a number of folks with an interest in western river craft on MSW, judging from the interest in recent projects like my own sternwheeler Bertrand (1865), ggrieco's sidewheeler Heroine (1838), gerhardvienna's USS Cairo (1862), chborgm's Mississippi riverboat (1870), and so on. It's easy for general questions and discussions to take over such build logs, so I thought perhaps we should have a discussion/question forum for this topic in general. Perhaps it'll take root, perhaps not. I'll kick off with two topics.
 
One, I was delighted to see the articles on keelboats and such in the latest NRJ, as a few years ago I build models of a Missouri River keelboat and Lewis & Clark's barge when I was first getting into maritime modelling. As a Missouri resident and river buff, I never expected to see my inland maritime empire so prominently featured. Here are the models I built based on the research I was able to do from home:
 

 

 
I thought some folks who read the NRJ articles might be interested in seeing models of the subject matter.
 
Two, although steamboat wrecks were exceedingly common in western US rivers, very few boats have ever been found, recovered, and studied. Thus, there was some great news recently when the team that excavated the Arabia (and displayed its cargo in a beautiful museum in downtown Kansas City, Missouri) announced its discovery of the steamboat Malta in central Missouri. The town of Malta was named for the boat, as the wreck was well-known when it happened in 1841, but the location was long-lost as the river's course shifted dramatically over time and left the wreck buried somewhere beneath miles of farm fields, as was the fate for many such wrecks. Here's a news story about the discovery; this should be especially exciting because we have almost no information about early steamboats from the 1830s and 40s; the Heroine is a rare exception. If this team does end up excavating Malta, we'll have a lot more information about this period. I drive through the town of Malta whenever I go to Kansas City, and it's really neat that its namesake craft has been found.

Only three of my ships are in glass cases David. I use a compressed air can and a makeup brush, couple of times per year, to keep the others clean. Too much trouble removing them when I occasionally take them to show.

Hello folks.
 
Well, Lady Smith is finished !! Once I has completed the hull it was a matter of putting on all the bits and pieces I hade made whilst waiting for the various stages of the hull to dry etc. The rigging turned out to be more complex than it looked and I did cheat in one or two places. The deadeyes could have been better but the thread I used was too strong for the fixings really and therefore on this scale they look a bit loose.
Anyway, for my first ever scratch build I am not too displeased and I think she looks OK although varying somewhat from the real ship methinks ! Such are the joys of model making.
 
Anyway some pics for you all to enjoy or not but I hope you will like them.
 
 
 
 

She looks great. Well done. Your build brings back fond memories of an enjoyable build. In hindsight the kit is not great quality, but Ladysmith is a wonderful and unusual ship.

She looks great! Congratulations!

Thank you both for your kind comments.

Hello folks.
 
Well, Lady Smith is finished !! Once I has completed the hull it was a matter of putting on all the bits and pieces I hade made whilst waiting for the various stages of the hull to dry etc. The rigging turned out to be more complex than it looked and I did cheat in one or two places. The deadeyes could have been better but the thread I used was too strong for the fixings really and therefore on this scale they look a bit loose.
Anyway, for my first ever scratch build I am not too displeased and I think she looks OK although varying somewhat from the real ship methinks ! Such are the joys of model making.
 
Anyway some pics for you all to enjoy or not but I hope you will like them.
 
 
 
 

Nice build,congrtulations

Thank you both for your kind comments.

You just made Lady Smith an option as a future kit! Well done.

lovely steam trawler Mike
 
Nils

Hello folks.
 
Well, Lady Smith is finished !! Once I has completed the hull it was a matter of putting on all the bits and pieces I hade made whilst waiting for the various stages of the hull to dry etc. The rigging turned out to be more complex than it looked and I did cheat in one or two places. The deadeyes could have been better but the thread I used was too strong for the fixings really and therefore on this scale they look a bit loose.
Anyway, for my first ever scratch build I am not too displeased and I think she looks OK although varying somewhat from the real ship methinks ! Such are the joys of model making.
 
Anyway some pics for you all to enjoy or not but I hope you will like them.
 
 
 
 

The hull is now painted, three coats of enamel. Before you all start on me I know it is very glossy but that's the way I wanted it !! I still have to do the white dividing line on each side between the red and black and put the names and number of the boat and the rudder and propeller before the hull is finally done.
 
 
 
 

Hello folks.
 
Well, Lady Smith is finished !! Once I has completed the hull it was a matter of putting on all the bits and pieces I hade made whilst waiting for the various stages of the hull to dry etc. The rigging turned out to be more complex than it looked and I did cheat in one or two places. The deadeyes could have been better but the thread I used was too strong for the fixings really and therefore on this scale they look a bit loose.
Anyway, for my first ever scratch build I am not too displeased and I think she looks OK although varying somewhat from the real ship methinks ! Such are the joys of model making.
 
Anyway some pics for you all to enjoy or not but I hope you will like them.
 
 
 
 

Greetings again fellow masochists!!
 
I have given this beast three coats of acrylic undercoat and three sandings varying from the downright brutal to the soft and gentle!! It is still not totally smooth but there is only so much I can tolerate.
 
I have drawn on the waterline ready for coloured painting and, following the plans,  stuck on some ridiculously small (1mm x 1mm ) strips on the hull. I don't know whether they are wales, rubbing strakes or guards to prevent the trawl gates damaging the sides of the hull. Anyway, they are stuck on !!
 
I have also put on the stem and the keel and the rudder post. I think the next move is to paint the beast ! It will have to be by hand as I don't have an air brush or aerosols but at least it will be my own work.
 
Some more pics for you.
 
 

I finished the deck planking and decided to put the bulwarks on. The wood I cut them from was a bit thin but I hope they will be OK. Next thing, as I can't put it off any longer is to plank the hull.
Problem is, I haven't done this for ages so can anyone tell me where to start ?
 
 

Hello folks.
 
Well, Lady Smith is finished !! Once I has completed the hull it was a matter of putting on all the bits and pieces I hade made whilst waiting for the various stages of the hull to dry etc. The rigging turned out to be more complex than it looked and I did cheat in one or two places. The deadeyes could have been better but the thread I used was too strong for the fixings really and therefore on this scale they look a bit loose.
Anyway, for my first ever scratch build I am not too displeased and I think she looks OK although varying somewhat from the real ship methinks ! Such are the joys of model making.
 
Anyway some pics for you all to enjoy or not but I hope you will like them.
 
 
 
 

Hi Capt Fisher
                      As you requested a pic of the star of this story :D
Don't tell him i posted this or else he will think he's a media star  :P

 
 

Thanks Capt Fisher and thanks Ian
 
New replacement build arrived this morning "Occre Endeavour" will start on it soon

Nice choice...to tell you the truth, if my dog got the Bounty I wouldn't build another one.      
 
And it has nothing to do with AL 

The hull is now painted, three coats of enamel. Before you all start on me I know it is very glossy but that's the way I wanted it !! I still have to do the white dividing line on each side between the red and black and put the names and number of the boat and the rudder and propeller before the hull is finally done.
 
 
 
 

The hull is now painted, three coats of enamel. Before you all start on me I know it is very glossy but that's the way I wanted it !! I still have to do the white dividing line on each side between the red and black and put the names and number of the boat and the rudder and propeller before the hull is finally done.
 
 
 
 

Greetings again fellow masochists!!
 
I have given this beast three coats of acrylic undercoat and three sandings varying from the downright brutal to the soft and gentle!! It is still not totally smooth but there is only so much I can tolerate.
 
I have drawn on the waterline ready for coloured painting and, following the plans,  stuck on some ridiculously small (1mm x 1mm ) strips on the hull. I don't know whether they are wales, rubbing strakes or guards to prevent the trawl gates damaging the sides of the hull. Anyway, they are stuck on !!
 
I have also put on the stem and the keel and the rudder post. I think the next move is to paint the beast ! It will have to be by hand as I don't have an air brush or aerosols but at least it will be my own work.
 
Some more pics for you.
 
 

Next installment folks! The poor hull has been filled and sanded to within an inch of it's life but it is now as smooth and lovely as a babies bottom !
 
I decided to wait for the acrylic undercoat for a bit longer.
 
I really did make the bulwarks out of way to thin wood which has meant a constant source of panic as they cracked and wriggled under my ministrations. They just about survived to have stantions added and the gallant rails glued on top. I did paint the bulwarks and stantions before putting the rails on which I reckon was a good idea. The scuttles and hawseholes are also cut.
The stem is drying in what I hope will be the correct shape and then I can add it and the keel.
 
Anyway - some pics for you.