*Hans*

I have a book about the Batavia voyage written by Mike Dash. It's to my opinion a quite "romantic" version of the journey and its horrors.

Hello you Royal Highness Bindy!  :im Not Worthy:  (or should we call you Cleopatra?)
 
Thank you for your kind words!  It's been a pleasure that you could find some time to visit my humble shipyard here in the Netherlands, thank you, thank you! (Now I have to stand up again because this hurts my back and my knees).
 
As you may have read the replica of the Batavia which is in Lelystad was made as a project for unemployed to see if they could bring back alive the craftmanship of the Dutch of the 17th century.
 
I am trying to make the scalemodel as close as possible to this replica - which is not always possible. In fact she is a "normal" 17th century retourschip (which ment sailing to and from the Netherlands - Indonesian Archipel) and was named Batavia because of the horrorstory that happened after the shipwrecking of the original Batavia.
 
My model is almost finished, and I have some plans in mind to build two other 17th century ships: The Duyfken - afgter the replica in Australia (with thanks to Janos for the plans) and the "Dordrecht" which was the sistership of the Batavia. I do live in Dordrecht in NL - therefore

Joe, since you brought the theme, I´ll put my ship where it belongs on time
 
Admiral Zheng He made his exploratory journeys in behalf of China´s Emperor Yongle. First exploratory journey was in 1405 and the last ended in 1433. Between these journeys Ming Dinasty stablished commercial routes with new countries using diplomacy, routed some pirate groups and expanded knowledge on seas and oceans. To maintain those commercial routes after Zheng He´s first contact, chinese junks sailed forth, many trade ships but also official, diplomatic ships (although westerners view the junk as a type of ship, there are many types of junks, ranging from small river junks to the treasure ships, with junks builded for particular purposes as war, diplomacy, trade, fishing, transport, leisure, etc).
 
The Red Dragon from Artesania Latina is a 17th century pirate junk - most fictional on it´s shape and functions, based on western reviews and misplaced in time. There is no link to where the ship was built, neither it´s purpose (although it should be a trader).
 
To build a ship I wanted to build I researched over a lot of texts, pictures and videos to be able to fit her on time, purpose and building location. So, my ship is a fushuan type of junk, built in Nanjing between 1415 and 1420 for diplomatic travels to southern seas. That´s why the cabin is used only by one person, while the crew sleeps on the compartments - same motive for the rudder to be isolated from the cabin (on traders it would occupy the cabin). As chinese coasts and ships were constantly attacked by wako pirates (from Japan), it´s a gunned ship (first guns on chinese junks date from this period). Cannons from this earlier days were simple, mounted on small carriages and with short range.
 
Compartments also hold gifts for good relations maintenance, mostly porcelain and silk, but other treasures as seen fit by chinese bureaucrats (statues, jewerly...). Color schemes are a foggy theme. Later Ming ships are described as red and black painted (there are few depictions, though) and I found no evidence about Zheng He´s ships being painted. For that, I don´t feel obliged to paint my ship, leaving the wood to have it´s natural colors, contrasting as the ships were built with more than one type of wood. The compartment is painted, though, as the color is part of the caulking mixture applied to the bulkheads and hull´s planks.
 
Two features are still on hold, but will be installed - the stern transom painting and the eyes on the bow. There will be no dragons depicted, but a mithical landscape and chengyus (good luck phrases) on the stern transom and dragon eyes (eyes could be dragon, phoenix or tadpole) on the bow.
 
well, that´s it ^_^

Thank you, thank you!
 
The 17th century ships where very rich decorated, and this was rather a challenge for me too. Thanks to the modelling clay I could make some nice "carvings"which would otherwise have been a (maybe to) difficult part for me.
 
The ship is almost finished - two masts to go and some small stuff around her.  Then a nice standard and in the end the flags to decorate her.
 
I will try to post a few more detailled pictures within the next time.

Hey, hey, hey. Time for new pictures, some words and advices for the young at heart.
 
    I took a pause from my ship since I was waiting for the Blacken It to arrive. As it arrived, I resumed my work. For using it the Blacken It Trials topic, by E&T was used. I did follow all the steps only replacing the muriatic acid by vinegar. I was about taking lots of pictures from the process, but, that is really unecessary since the Trials´ topic shows how it works so fine it would be a waste of time. But I do took a picture from a mistake I made...
 

 
That´s how I put the metal pieces on the solution. I tried to shake the solution from time to time, but my results weren´t that great - lot´s of parts were stained - instead of a flat darkened surface, I got a stripe stained one for most of the metal parts. Even if I liked that way it wasn´t my goal they look so. Next time I´ll dump lesser metal parts on blacken it solution for a consistent result.
 
Well, then I started on my ship´s hole, as it'll need some attention before rigging. I worked on taking out the planking around it so when I fix all the eletronics it´ll be easy to glue new planks over it. Now I´m waiting for some copper foil I bought to finish that part.
 

 
After that I coated a second layer of varnish on the hull and a first one over the rails and castle. That was a called step from the ship´s instructions some pages before, but I decided to postpone it while I was still using sharp tools around.
 

 
It was time for the rudder, then. I´m still thinking if I´ll set some brass stripes to it. Some old pictures shows rudders with no iron on them. Seems an obscure subject to build the rudder. So far, I followed the kit´s instructions.
 

 

 
After the rudder I fixed all the metal fittings missing before. Cannons aren´t there yet cause I´ll paint them black - I tried blacken it on them, but didn´t like the results. The following pictures are from the fittings instalation and the ship´s general look so far.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Next steps will be the lighting fix finish and rigging beginnings.

Hear ye! Hear ye! News from the realm!!
 
Vivian´s Chinese Junk got new fittings and it´s main mast - read all here!
 
So, as I said, main mast is installed. Some tackles for the rigging are there too - with some small modifications since AL instructions told me to do it differently. Let us go for the pictures.

 

 
Cannons are there too. I was a little skeptical about cannons at first (since I want a ship from about 1420 - 30). Research helped me to decide keeping them - The first guns found in junks wrecks are dated between 1400 - 1420. Laws from 1530+ dictated trade ships could carry 4 mounted guns and an assortment of small guns, for example. As chinese ships were victims of Wako pirates long before, my ship should carry guns for protection from pirate attacks.
 

 
Fixed my anchor, too. I would prefer a different anchor, to be sincere - AL gave me a 2 armed anchor but most of the chinese junk depictions shows 4 armed anchors. As I didn´t find any works regarding the 15th century chinese anchors, I´ll stay with what I´ve got.
 

 

 
And, last but not less important, my battery box for the lighting (part of the switch, too, since to light the cabin one just have to turn the box to one side)
 

 

 

 
[
 
Last picture shows where the box will be. Two copper stripes will be attached to the box botton. Two other stripes will be coming out from the hole fix - as I explained before, to turn on/off you only need to turn the box till it enchase with the copper stripes.
 

Hi again and well, I coundn´t hold myself that much. 3 days after finishing my caravel I´m beginning a new project and hope you all enjoy it. Took me 3 months and some days to my last ship to be finally complete, and, today I started a new counter ^^ (not that I want to beat it).
 
So, first thing first, I´ll say my impressions on the kit. I bought it from an e-bay auction. The box is a little bit worn, with some small scratches on the fringes. Since the kit is from the 80´s, there´s that look in it:
 

 
Opening we can see a good care with pieces and wood, all arranged in a practical manner. My last experience was a bit disappointing regarding opening the box, cause the fittings and everything else were almost thrown in the box, with no preoccupation about the pieces´ overall look. AL, in other hand, do know how to sell it´s fish.
 

 
Unboxing the fittings box I found a beaultifull set of small wooden and metal parts. Loved the distribution and care. Didn´t like the brass fittings for doors and windows, or even the lanterns - decided those will be made by me.
 

 
The wood planks with pre-cut parts are easy to cut. It´s not laser cut, since in 1989 it wasn´t that common, lol. There´s a fine selection for woods, all woods. I detached the first parts to take the false keel and mount the structure.
 

 
For this build I just designed a holder - Big change for better, for my last ship was builded almost in my lap, or on the kit´s base, which devastated my hull, as I saw sometime after the mistake. So, false keel on holder ready to receive framing.
 

 
After cutting and sanding the frames, got numbers to them so I could follow the instructions - and make no mistakes.
 

 
So, I took care to align all frames with the false keel, since some of them needed some fixing to go smooth with the keel. After that I glued them and the girders, as follows
 

 

 

 

 
I got the impression that it was a little bit crooked and drawn a line to compare, but was just an impression. Began first planking but need to buy a small hammer, so, all paused till I buy one.
 
Other consideration - after studying the plans I found it easy to give the ship some cabins. With a little modification on the castle I can put some nice furniture inside the ship and, following Doris inspiration, will let the windows and doors show the inside (after scratching my own windows and doors, of course).
 
Well, that´s it!

A great model and your build log has provided the chance to see some great conversation on Dutch practice which I know so little about.

Update!
 
Two sails of the foremast are in place. I want to make her look like she's just about to anchor. This means the sails are not complete up (or down?), but halfway.
The rigging and the decks are better visible in this way.
 

 
 

Beautiful work, hans

Hello you Royal Highness Bindy!  :im Not Worthy:  (or should we call you Cleopatra?)
 
Thank you for your kind words!  It's been a pleasure that you could find some time to visit my humble shipyard here in the Netherlands, thank you, thank you! (Now I have to stand up again because this hurts my back and my knees).
 
As you may have read the replica of the Batavia which is in Lelystad was made as a project for unemployed to see if they could bring back alive the craftmanship of the Dutch of the 17th century.
 
I am trying to make the scalemodel as close as possible to this replica - which is not always possible. In fact she is a "normal" 17th century retourschip (which ment sailing to and from the Netherlands - Indonesian Archipel) and was named Batavia because of the horrorstory that happened after the shipwrecking of the original Batavia.
 
My model is almost finished, and I have some plans in mind to build two other 17th century ships: The Duyfken - afgter the replica in Australia (with thanks to Janos for the plans) and the "Dordrecht" which was the sistership of the Batavia. I do live in Dordrecht in NL - therefore

Update!
 
Two sails of the foremast are in place. I want to make her look like she's just about to anchor. This means the sails are not complete up (or down?), but halfway.
The rigging and the decks are better visible in this way.
 

 
 

Hello Hans!
 
I just found your log and have to say I am sorry I missed the beginning and being able to follow up to this point, but so happy to catch up!  I just bought the book about the Batavia by Peter Fitzimmons and have been very interested in this ship but had no idea she was so good looking too.
 
Your skills really do her justice though and I can't wait to see the final steps as you bring her to life again.

Before going on with the ratlines, my son (future owner of the ship) is not sure if he wants the sails fully out or lowered.
 
So I mounted one of the sails and tried both:
 

 
and lowered:
 

 
Because of the fact the sails are done with diluted glue they are a bit too stiff for this...

For the ratlines I made myself a little helper excisting of  two small pieces of wood in the right width (or almost). These two planks are clamped on the right place on the standing rigginglines and then I start to knot the ratlines onto it - this with the clove hitch I learned from Sjors.
 
(so no fun for his laughing gnomes - this works perfectly  )
 

All the standing rigging is done now (or should be done - it could be I have forgotten something) 
 
What remains are the ratlines....Nice job!
 

The lower part of the stern - in Dutch "het holle wulf" - (I couldn't find how this part is called in English) of 17th century ships was decorated with a nice painting - f.i. a heroic sea-battle which was won, or a safe return from a long journy abroad.
 
On the Lelystad Batavia it is a safe return of three ships close to a sandy coast:
 

 
I tried to copy this painting on my model, but this was quitte difficult. It has become a sort of impressionistic picture.
Unfortunately the impressionism was not knowm at that time...
 

 
 
 
 

On the front of the Batavia are some smaller statues (in fact only the heads)
 
As I don't know which people these all are I just thougt I'd work out some striking figures who'd fit quitte good in those days.
 
Only the most right one is something diffirent - this one should look a little be like me 
 

The stern with its nice carvings is a bit of a challenge.
 

 

 

 
My son doing some paintwork.
 

 

 
The shield is from the city of Amsterdam where the original Batavia was build in 1626-1627
 
 

I build this model for my eldest son who is studying to become a captain. He particularly choose this ship
 

 

 

 
 
Carving on the head

Recently I have started the scratch building of the Dutch VOC Vessel Batavia, which shipwrecked on her maiden voyage on the 4th of june 1629 - near to the australian westcoast at morning reef near Beacon Island. If you do some research on the internet you will find a lot of information about the shipwrecking of the Batavia and all that happened afterwards...
 
As there is no wooden model kit for the Batavia I bought me the plans which where made on the Dutch shipyard "Bataviawerf" in Lelystad, Netherlands - and started the model from scratch. In this topic you'll find the pictures I made during the building proces - started beginning of december 2013 up until now. I'm about halfway building the Batavia.
 
I started with plywood and a jigsaw...
 

 
Keel and frames
 

 
same
 

 
First decks planked
 

 
Hull partly planked
 
 
 
 

Update!
 
Two sails of the foremast are in place. I want to make her look like she's just about to anchor. This means the sails are not complete up (or down?), but halfway.
The rigging and the decks are better visible in this way.
 

 
 

Update!
 
Two sails of the foremast are in place. I want to make her look like she's just about to anchor. This means the sails are not complete up (or down?), but halfway.
The rigging and the decks are better visible in this way.
 

 
 

Update!
 
Two sails of the foremast are in place. I want to make her look like she's just about to anchor. This means the sails are not complete up (or down?), but halfway.
The rigging and the decks are better visible in this way.
 

 
 

Update!
 
Two sails of the foremast are in place. I want to make her look like she's just about to anchor. This means the sails are not complete up (or down?), but halfway.
The rigging and the decks are better visible in this way.