bdb

The Nautical Research Guild website has posted that the 2023 and 2024 annual conferences have been canceled.

I spent the last few evenings looking thru my limited little library and didn't see a deck arrangement like Fair American, with the change of planking thickness running thru the center of the ship. I saw some ship models that were similar but the thickness change started at the main hatchway, continued past the capstan, past another hatchway, past the main mast, past the pumps and then the normal deck height resumed. Maybe someday I’ll come across what I was thinking of but for now I’m stumped. I know that mast partners are commonly several inches higher than the deck, so I checked David Steels “Naval Architecture” which gave me the following definition for “Partners: Those pieces of thick plank fitted into the mast or capstan carlings for the purpose of wedging the mast and steadying the capstan. Also, any plank that is thick, or above the rest of the deck, for the purpose of steadying of whatever passes through the deck, as pumps, bowsprit, etc.” So, I can understand a raised portion of the deck at the Fore Mast, Main mast, and capstan. Steel gives the deck thickness for a brig to be 2-1/2”. Not being a Naval Architect I suspect the thicker planking was done “for the purpose of steadying of whatever passes through the deck”. Just my guess.

Hi Allan, you make a good point. I've relied on Goodwins book for years, it's a very useful resource. I met him briefly once, on a tour of Victory, a smart man. In cross checking with David Steel's Naval Architecture, plate 5, he shows two binding strakes on either side of the main hatch for a total of four. Of course, this is a 74 gun ship, a tad bigger than Fair American. So, I checked his definition (p-8) Binding Strakes: Two strakes of oak plank, worked fore and aft upon the beams of each deck, within one strake of the coamings of the main hatchway, in order to strengthen the deck, as that strake and the midship strakes are cut off by the pumps and etc. So, it looks like I was wrong, binding strakes are outside of the main hatchway. I'll keep looking into this though as I've seen the configuration Fair American his in other models. Looks like an attempt to strengthen the deck in areas needing extra lateral support, such as the capstan, pumps, bitts, etc. I'd suspect a small ship like this would have 3" decks so adding another 1-1/2" wouldn't hurt. I'll see what I can find out.

Sorry for the late reply but perhaps this will be useful to others. Darcy Lever's "Young Sea Officers Sheet Anchor", P. 34, Fig 221 shows the lifts for the lower yards as Ronnberg drew in his instructions. Lever states that the lift would have to be leathered in the wake of the cap and sometimes a saddled was placed on the cap for the lifts to rest in. Says it is found this way in the Merchant Service to answer very well. Ronnberg has consistently tried to use rigging methods that were used for small ships and brigs rather than those of a 74 gun ship of the Line. Lever also mentions, p35, fig 229, that "ships which carry no jeers" frequently have two pair of slings (one being a preventer). He also states that "when no jeers are carried" the yard is swayed up by the hawser which hove it on board, taken to the capstern by tackles.... Point being that some ships did not carry Jeers. Once again I suspect Ronnberg is keeping things simple for small vessels. The model in the museum has single lower lifts, tarred, and fed thru blocks attached to a span at the mast cap. However, much of the original rigging was replaced in restorations by Fred Avery in 1922 and Charles Davis in 1933 (Art Herrick, NRJ), so you can run your lifts several ways and still be period correct. Nautical Research Journal (article reprints available from their website) In Search of Fair American, Art Herrick Part 1, vol 45: pp 133-140 Part 2, vol 45: pp 213-232 Part 3, vol 46: pp 3-11

You could get a copy of the articles from the Model Ship Builder CD available on the Nautical Research Guild web site. Building the Fair American, Clayton Feldman, (wheel shown in Part 7, #38: pp 34-46)

Art Herrick found some interesting info about the Fair American restorations of Fred Avery and Chas Davis i921 and 1937(?). Nautical Research Journal (article reprints available from their website) The Fair American (comments), M. Edson, vol 30: pp 206-208 Additional Comments on Fair American, E. Ronnberg Jr, vol 31: p 30 In Search of Fair American, Art Herrick Part 1, vol 45: pp 133-140 Part 2, vol 45: pp 213-232 Part 3, vol 46: pp 3-11 Fair American Sails, Sid Siegel, vol 46: pp 240

I believe it's called a binding strake. It's a structural member similar to wales planking on the sides of a ship. If the beams were oversized the binding strake could be let into the beam to keep the deck planking flush.

Sorry for the late reply. Hope this is still useful. Plans don't show any sail handling gear but are stated to have been developed from “Steels Elements of Mastmaking, Sailmaking, and Rigging”, David Steel, 1794. Cheap reprints are available and will answer all your questions. Other references with more illustrations include: “Modeling the Brig of War Irene” EW Petrejus, 1970 “The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War 1625-1860” James Lees, 1984 “Young Sea Officers Sheet Anchor” Darcy Lever, 1819 “The Fully Framed Model, Volume 4, Rigging a Sixth Rate Sloop of War 1767-1780”, David Antscherl, 2010 Also check out reprints of Model Ship Builder magazine (Articles available on CD at Nautical Research Guild website.) Completing the Fair American, Clayton Feldman, Part 1, #47: pp 13-22 Part 2, #48: pp 14-23 Part 3, #49: pp 16-26 Part 4, #50: pp 37-45 Part 5, #51: pp 3-17 Part 6, #52: pp 50-55 Part 7, #53: pp 48-56

Sails, best I can tell, were added in 1922 by Frederick Avery. But there's still some controversy. Nautical Research Journal (article reprints available from their website) In Search of Fair American, Art Herrick Part 1, vol 45: pp 133-140 Part 2, vol 45: pp 213-232 Part 3, vol 46: pp 3-11 Fair American Sails, Sid Siegel, vol 46: pp 240

Sorry for the late reply, hope this is still useful: 1. The padeye for the main stay is shown and labeled on the inboard profile, about as far forward as you can get. 2. Plans show main stay passing to port of foremast. I suspect there's some sort of chaffing piece involved but I'll have to refer to Steel's rigging book, or James Lees work. Chess trees and boomkins are for the tacks of the fore and main course's. Blocks under the tops are for the leech and buntlines. All this is sail handeling gear. The kit plans state that the rigging is based upon Steels Elements of Mastmaking Saililmaking and Rigging. Plans do not show sails or their gear but are easily added by referring to Steel. Cheap reprints are available. Also, check out, Model Ship Builder Magazine (Articles available on CD at Nautical Research Guild website.) for "Completing the Fair American", Clayton Feldman, Part 1, #47: pp 13-22 Part 2, #48: pp 14-23 Part 3, #49: pp 16-26 Part 4, #50: pp 37-45 Part 5, #51: pp 3-17 Part 6, #52: pp 50-55 Part 7, #53: pp 48-56 Other good books include: “Modeling the Brig of War Irene” EW Petrejus, 1970 “The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War 1625-1860” James Lees, 1984 “Young Sea Officers Sheet Anchor” Darcy Lever, 1819 “The Fully Framed Model, Volume 4, Rigging a Sixth Rate Sloop of War 1767-1780”, David Antscherl, 2010

Sorry for the late reply, hope this is still useful for you. Model Ship Builder Magazine (Articles available on CD at Nautical Research Guild website.) Completing the Fair American, Clayton Feldman, Part 1, #47: pp 13-22 Part 2, #48: pp 14-23 Part 3, #49: pp 16-26 Part 4, #50: pp 37-45 Part 5, #51: pp 3-17 Part 6, #52: pp 50-55 Part 7, #53: pp 48-56 Fair American Photo Album, Clayton Feldman, #58, pp 50-52 BOOKS “Steels Elements of Mastmaking, Sailmaking, and Rigging”, David Steel, 1794 “Modeling the Brig of War Irene” EW Petrejus, 1970 “The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War 1625-1860” James Lees, 1984 “Young Sea Officers Sheet Anchor” Darcy Lever, 1819 “The Fully Framed Model, Volume 4, Rigging a Sixth Rate Sloop of War 1767-1780”, David Antscherl, 2010

Sorry to contribute so late. Reference "The Low Black Schooner" by John Rousmaniere. In the back of the book is reprinted John Stearman's rigging plan of 10/1851. Notes on the following page indicate the foremast rigging as "7/8" iron rod (from jib stay) set up by a Turnbuckle to head of / mast" I'm not sure as to the exact way of fastening the rod to the mast and to the stay, but maybe others can help. Bruce Bollenbach

How was your crew experience? Did you ever get started on a model of Kalmar Nyckel? Bdb

McCann seems to have kept his models simple, for the DIY'er of the day. However in his later models, such as Constitution he includes a more prototypical rigging information, from Lever's Sheet Anchor, for those that wanted additional detail. So I don't think he would have frowned on additional detail. You'll have to decide what it is that is charming about the old model and try to preserve it. The old girl will never be accurate but can still be a looker if cleaned up!