Cristiano

Hello, As I can see, in the suggeted book "vascelli e fregate della Serenissima" you can find a lot of drawings for making a "Leon Trionfante" class ship of the line, which owned around 66 cannons and dated 1793 (including hull drawings). The above one has front and rear original perspective drawings, too. In addition many drawing (hull included) for various classes. There is also the complete list of the ship manufactured by the Venezia Shipyard and the hystory of each ship. There is another book, focused mainly on galleys, but it has the complete drawings of the "Aquila Valiera", which was an admiral ship of 70 cannons, dated 1698 (including hull drawings). below the link: http://www.ibs.it/code/9788890251108/ercole-guido-zzz99-chist-e/duri-i-banchi-le.html in the above book you will find plenty of drawings of galleys and xebec. So, before doing everything, it should be better for you to purchase the above mentioned books (the second one is more hard to find). Are Italian written, but I can help you.

Hello Mike, glad to help you, if I can. Below the stern. I added colours, in order to exalt the differences in the various figures, but the colours are just to exalt the figures. The jumping fishes (two or one?) on left should be dolphins, since a dolphin was a symbol of Poseidon. I "completed" some line, in order to show better the figures. So, basically the stern represent two mitological gods and their related symbols...

Hello Mike, my though regarding the stern: the crowned man on the left should be Poseidon, the god of sea. Theirs symbols should be three (or two) jumping fishes placed on the extreme left. The naked woman on the right should be Hera, the sister of Poseidon, since effectively in mythology her simbol is a peacock, which is the bird on the extreme right of the stern. Everything is more clear if you edit with Photoshop (or something similar) the drawing of the stern, changing contrast.

Hello Maris Stella, The three Venetian ships that you asked for have never sailed under the Venetian flag. When Napoleon conquered the Venice Republic, the above ships were still in the shipyard, under construction. When terminated, they received French names (La Carrere, Le Stengel, Le Beyrand) and started their duty under French flag. In anycase the Stengel and Beyrand belonged to the "FAMA" class and were twin ships (hydentical). La Carrere belonged to the "44 cannoni" class. in the attached foto there is the drawing of the FAMA class. Of the FAMA class exist many drawings. I have their complete history, but I don't think they can really interest you. The above FAMA frigates were armed with 64 cannons (26 of 18 lb, 26 of 12 lb, 12 of 6 lb). If you plan to create a model of a Venetian frigate, I suggest to study the last of the FAMA class that sailed under the Venetian Flag, which was "GLORIA VENETA", which came out from the shipyard on 1794. armed with 66 cannons (26 of 40 lb, 26 of 30 lb, 12 of 14 lb). La Carrere was armed with 44 cannons (28 of 18 lb and 16 of 6). The informations available in terms of drawings and history can be found in the following book: http://www.ibs.it/code/9788890565144/ercole-guido-zzz99-chist-e/vascelli-e-fregate-della.html Since you live in Croatia, shipping to Croatia will not be so expensive (they ship outside Italy, too.) There surely you will find: -sail plan of FAMA class, -various drawings of FAMA class -hull drawings "44 cannoni" class -detailed hystory of the above ships. a lot of drawings and informations of many other ships. The following person sells technical drawings of venetian ships: http://www.veniceboats.com/it-progetti-piani-navi-grosse.htm Last but not least: the book in the following link (Austrian), explain the detailed restoration of a FAMA class half hull model, with lenght of 5 metres, razed by the austrians and bringed to Austria when they conquered Venice. The book is complete with detailed drawings. http://www.veniceboats.com/das-erbe-der-serenissima.htm If you need additional informations, let me know, I more than happy to help you if you want to re-create a small piece of Mediterranean History!!

Very interesting! I have a Unicorn Corel kit on the shelf, and I planned too, the modifications that you decided to make (3,4,5). The only difference will be the painting, since probably I will try to match more closely the Royal Navy colours of those early period. I will follow (quietly) your log with a lot of interest!

Well, I didn't make a build log in this forum (I arrived too late). But I made it a couple of years ago in an Italian forum: http://www.modellismo.net/forum/navi-e-velieri-work-progress/103078-endeavour-di-loki-corel-ma-non-molto.html maybe the photos can be of help on the running rigging phase (and save you some of the headhaches that I had ). But you should consider that the Corel Endeavour is a very old project, made many years before the project of you kit, and many years before the making of the Australian floating replica. So my manufacturing problems were sometime different, since my starting kit was a bit different.

Hello Bob, theoretically you are right, since for some of those boats the adaptation of the plans can be more complex. But you should consider that for many of them these are the only drawings available for a modeller. For ancient merchant ships and fishing ships there is often a lack of technical informations, since they were made by small shipyards and their projects were never considered strategic since were of no military use. So sometimes books like that are the only source of informations regarding some specific ship or boat, and can make the difference between existing or disappearing completely from history...

Hello Pat, you are doing a very very good work, very clean. usually I don't make any comment on the build logs, since I prefer to simply watch. But since you, as I did in the past, are making a kit bashed Endeavour, I want to warn you about the boomkins problem. Following the drawings of the book, I installed the boomkins, with related rigging. Unfortunately, the rigging of the boomkin don't allows a "free" movement of the anchor. The anchor is "trapped" between the boomkin rigging. The final result is rather "false" if evaluated by an expert sailor. I didn't find a good solution, since it was too late to make modifications on the boomkins, as you can see in the photos made during the model making. Probably a different bending angle was needed or a different lenght of the boomkin. So, since you are still in time, check the theoretical rigging position of the boomkins! Beware of the boomkins! they are tricky!

For the modellers that appreciate scratchbuilding of merchant ships and boats, this can be a very interesting book. Name: Vele Italiane della Costa Occidentale Authors: Bellabarba - Guerreri Editor: Hoepli link: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/192-8547206-5481540?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=vele%20costa%20occidentale It is Italian written, but its content is intersting not only for the written part. It provides full informations of about 45 small merchant sailing ships and boats (max 25 metres of lenght). The historic period varies from the late medieval age up to the end of XIX century. For each ship there is a complete description, use and historic background. Almost all the ships are complete with full color sail plan and the frames drawings. In other words it contain all the informations needed to "rather expert" modellers for scratchbuilding the ship. The ships described in the book doesn't belong only to the Italian History, since there was a blending of the various mediterranean cultures (Italy, France, Spain, North African countries, Greece, Turkey) during the centuries. The result is that many of the ships described are typical of many other Mediterranean Countries. The book is divided in three parts: 1-History and evolution of the Italian merchant fleets and generally of the Mediterranean ones. 2-Technical/historical description of the above mentioned merchant boats/ships. Some type: xebec, pinco, Cutter, feluca, goletta, leudo, tartana, gozzo, bovo, liuto, sacoleva, corallina... 3-Technical terms dictionary and ancient boats construction engineering. Attached some photos.

Hello cwboland, I am currently making the Mamoli Halifax. The hull is already done and I am preparing the rigging and masts. In my opinion is not a difficult model. The Mamoli drawings appears to me rather good and clear. I don't know Constructo as a manufacturer, so I can only compare some design difference in the two models. You probably know that the schooner Halifax is rather well knew, as original drawings are available in an UK museum, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Halifax_%281768%29 By comparision, I think each model appears to have some hystorical errors: The constructo Halifax: -Wrong cabin design; -Wrong windlass position, which generate absence of enough space for the tender boat (which is present in the Mamoli one); -"suspect" presence of many belaying-pins; The Mamoli Halifax: -wrong figurehead; -too small windows in the stern. Then you must compare the quality of the materials. The Mamoli wood quality is not so high, but I don't know the Constructo one. But consider the above ones as my personal opinions and I hope that my nautical english terms are corrects. In the forum are present other modelbuilders that can surely provide you more informations regarding Constructo models.

Hello Andy, look at http://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/ if you look for a Victory period model, look at the "Victory models" in the above website. The Victory models are made by Amati. Regarding noise: I too, live in a condominium and have problems with noise made during model making. I have made several "plank on frame" models and my only help is a Dremel drill. With some accurate programming of your duty, you can concentrate the noisy part of the model making only on some specific days and hours of the week, leaving the rest of the time for assembly or caring of other parts of the ship more "quiet".

Hello, Probably the English translation of the plans is present, since they have an US distributor: http://www.agesofsail.com/ecommerce/ccv-model.html The box is written double language Italian/English. The lenght, as wrote in the boxes is: 55 cm for the Roman Warship, 50 cm for the carthaginian penthera, 40 cm for the sardinian ship, 55 cm for the bilancella carlofortina. Regarding the "horned ship", it cause some confusion in many people, since it is a very specific type of ship of the county were that model kits manufacturer is based (Sardegna Island). It is an ancient ship of the pre-roman population of the Sardegna Island. It is a project based on some statues found in archeologicl excavations in Sardegna and probably other material. In the attached photos, some examples of those Sardinian ships statues. If you are looking for an Egyptian ship, the one made by Amati it seems a good representative model of that type.

To be honest, I am not impressed by the quality of the photos of the models of CCV. everything is made exclusively with wood, without any single metal accessory. If you want to try something similar, there is the greek bireme from Amati, which is surely an overall good quality kit. But is a rather simple design, so it is not so much "fascinating". The "typical roman" bireme is the one made by Mantua model. unfortunately is a beginner model, so the bow and stern are made by resin, which is a very disappointing factor. Other details are semplified, too. But the overall Mantua kit can be a starting point for making an "improved" roman bireme. in the attached file there are some photos of the Mantua roman bireme, which I "improved" a lot of time ago.... Otherwise you can buy the plans alone and start the ship from scratch. Note: Chris Watton (see a topic in the present section) is starting to develop a Roman Bireme for Amati.

The evolution from galley to galleon was slow, but the improvement in naval battles was immediately seen. As an example you can check on the web the details of the Battle of Lepanto, which was fought between the Christian fleet against the Muslim fleet. It was still a galleys naval battle, but the key factor for the victory was the presence of six "galeazze" of the Venetian Republic. These were big galleys, pretected on sides too, and armed with cannon also on both sides. the galleys usually were armed with cannons only on the bow. the "galeazza" was the first step to the evolution to the galleon. You can find many details on internet regarding this naval battle, since it is very famous. In those period existed already ships armed with some cannons, but were mainly merchant ships with some self defense arms or mechant ships converted for military use. The "galeazza" was a slow ship, so it cannot be used in the same way of the galleys and cannot withstand open sea like a galleon. The next step was the galleon, projected specifically for war and that can sail more freely in open sea. The presence of galleys in period later than 1700 is related only on specific duties on specific type of sea. For example for "patrolling" croatian coasts by venetians. their influence on naval battles ceased to exist, but still existed for coastal patrol and small escort duties along coasts.

First of all, I "warmly suggest" to download all the 90 drawings, since you will discover that are a valuable source of informations for ship modelling. Artesania Latina used a lot these drawings for its models. You will discover many models present in the Artesania Latina catalogue on this collection. There are oriental junks in the first 30 drawings of part 1 of the collection, but some is present in part 2, too. Definetly I suggest to download them all.

The best plans available regarding the above type of ships in my opinion were made last century by Admiral Paris, which made a big collection of drawings (with all the informations needed for building the models). The collection was called "Souvenir de la Marine conserves", and published in 1882. You can find without problem for free in internet, searching around. Are not anymore protected by copyright, since are not published actually by no-one and the author was of the end of 1800. An Italian museum some years ago put on the web the complete series of those drawings. Many web sites publish still them. You can find the series of drawings for example in the following page: http://www.ac-ilsestante.it/MARINERIA/museoTomAnd/piani_museo/index.html

Hello! As for as know, there are not many commercial models available of junks. Since the hull is generally not so complex, the manufacturers produce mainly junk kits of basic level. So the details level is generally kept low.it is not a matter of quality, but a commercial choice of the kits manufacturers. The most decent junk model that i saw is the pirate junk manufactured by Amati. It is a good model, but the rigging has been semplified (it is an "entry level" model).

For Spyglass: your cirillic is good, it was the Ermak (or Yermak, is good too)! For Amateur: the two icebreakers were rather similar (despite 20 years of difference), but the Krasin had at least the red stars on the stacks.

Not Krasin

It is an Icebreaker, yes. Sorry, I don't know Mr. Baumann so, if you want to try, please provide a name.

Thank you! Well, this one will be easy... Too many clues on the photo, but I liked this photo so I posted it!

John H. Amos? British steam paddle tug

Maybe the schoolship corvette "ZARAGOZA", dated 1891, of the Mexican Navy?

The hull colours and bow design are typical of early Imperial German Navy....I suppose....

Well, it was the Foca Class, but not the Foca submarine. The name of the submarine was ATROPO of the Foca submarine minelayer Class. Since it will be easy to arrive to the right one (only three submarine were made of this class), I think that no one will blame me if I consider you the winner!! In anycase I will never propose again submarines, since are definetly a niche sector and I don't want to kill the game!