mikegerber

Hello Michael Thank you for your interest and follow. With great interest I am studying your log of the Bristol pilot for months and i will of course pursue it. Question: In a French magazine called Chasse-Marée (nr. 34, march 1988), it is a magazine about maritime history and ethnology, i found a detailed article about the pilot of Bristol. The article is in French but includes very much historical photos and plan material. Is this article known? For an official posting on the NRG-page i am something troubled because of the copyright. For your personal use, i am however calm. If you're interested in it, i could create scans and email. Is there a possibility to Exchange personal e-mail address on the NRG-page? Regards Mike

Hello again Well, i like to tell you something more about Colin Archer’s rescue cutter. The Norwegian name for these boats was Redningskoites, which was abbreviated to the initials RS preceding their names. The seaworthiness of these boats is legendary. They are designed to resist the toughest conditions. Their area of action extends far into the Arctic Circle to protect the fishermen of the Lofoten-islands. This is a region where the average annual temperature exceeds hardly the zero degrees. It is really hard to imagine to sail with these small boats under such extrem conditions. A extract from John Leather, Colin Archer and seaworthy double-ender: ... What were the basic features of Colin Archer’s sailing rescue ships? The ability to ride seas and lie-to without attention in the worst conditions were amongst the principal requierements, but speed to windward was unimportant, though ability to make to windward in very bad sea conditions was naturally necessary. Generally, Colin Archer’s designs for the rescue ships were notable for considerable beam at the deck, often with an overall hull lenght 2.5 times the beam. They had pronounced flare in the bows and quarters, and some flare carried through amidships, which provided reserve buoyancy. A long, straight keel and raking sternpost that curved forward at ist head were other distinctive features. The rudder was narrow and ran the full depth of the sternpost. The staysail was large and the mizzen smaller than is usual with a ketch rig. The mainsail and mizzen were loose-footed, and double reef cringles were fitted in the leech of the mainsail. The staysail foot was cut high to relieve its pressing effect, and so it did not hold water going to windward in bad weather. There were three shrouds on each side, set up with deadeyes and lanyards, but no runners or backstays were fitted – an advantage oft he pole-masted rig. The mizzen was supported by a single shroud on each side, led down unusually forward of the mast. The outer planking was all oak to withstand the scour of floating ice in winter at sea and in harbor. A stout rail (the strict English term is “rough tree rail“) ran from forward to aft on the heads of Stanchions side-bolted to the heads of the frames. The resulting open “bulwark“ allowed water on deck to flow overboard quickly when seas were shipped. Stout bitts aft were intended for towing small fishing boats caught out in bad weather. A wooden davit was fitted on each side oft he bowsprit to lead the anchor chain clear of the bow. The redningskoites carried a lapstrakeplanked Norwegian pram of the original longbowed type ... The pram was stowed upside-down on deck amidships ... A small line-throwing gun could be mounted on a deck pedestal amidships to fire a strong, light line to a distressed vessel, by which a tow line could be sent across. In bad weather, the rescue ships were very lively but comparatively dry, were never fast to windward or on other points of sailing, but were craft that inspired and deserved the full confidence of their crews in the worst gales. ... Main dimensions and other data: Designer: Colin Archer Shipyard: Colin Archer, Larvik (Norway) Type: Rescue cutter Build: 1901 Class: Svolvaer Name: RS14 „Stavanger“ Years of service: 38 (1901-1938) Saved sailors (from certain death): 53 Assisted operations: 2996 Length outside stem and stern: 14.35m Length of waterline: 12.5m Beam: 4.65m Draught: 2.35m Displacement: approximate 27to Main mast: ø34cm; 13.00m Main boom: ø14-16.5cm; 6.32m Main gaff: ø14-10cm; 6.08m Mizzen mast: ø19cm; 7.30m Mizzen boom: ø8.5-10cm; 3.30m Mizzen gaff: ø9,5-8cm; 2.60m Jib boom: ø21-14cm; 6.60m Sail area (incl. Topsail): 107.2m2 Jib: 20.7m2 Staysail: 19.1m2 Main: 43.4m2 Top: 13.3m2 Mizzen: 10.7m2 Storm jib: 8m2 Regards Mike Below: Some more impressions

Hello Jim Thank you for your feedback and the hint to 'Kathleen Gillett' what interested me of course. Regards Mike

Hello Dimitris Thank you for the good wishes and interest. I wish you also all the best for the new year. Regards Mike

Hello everyone Below, I will continue with my introduction to the subject. ... A short historical summary about the RS14 you will find in an article of the classic boot magazine, may 2012, Page 29-38: "Stavanger's thousand-mile farewell tour" by Nic Compton (see link). http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1wcz6/ClassicBoatMay2012/resources/3.htm For my part, the research and the creation of my own drawings about RS14 lasted months and even today still not completed. This investment was necessary, so that I could be trusted with "Stavanger". To do this, the Book Colin Archer and seaworthy double-ender by John Leather was one of my main sources. Regards Mike Below: - Book cover. - Original drawings of the Svolvear class 1901 (RS14 was the third boat of this series). - Some of my studies of RS14

Hy Christian Thank you for your feedback. Regards Mike

I want to begin my log with a description of the project. The RS14 "Stavanger" (built 1901) is a rescue cutter of the NSSR (Norwegian Society of Sea Rescue). She is one oft he last Colin Archer-designed rescue boat in existence and in her state she is the most original. After a moving life in use she will be exhibited in the Norwegian National Maritime Museum in Oslo alongside the legendary „Fram“, also designed by Colin Archer. Mike Image below: - Colin Archer 1905 - Reconstructed rescue operation, RS14 "Stavanger"

Hello everyone Today is a good day to start my scratch build log. Maybe this Tableboat would be something for a scratch build log ... Seriously, i wish you all a happy new year! Cheers : ) Mike