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ClipperFan

NRG Member
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About ClipperFan

  • Birthday 11/15/1952

Profile Information

  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    Torrington, Connecticut
  • Interests
    All sailing vessels.
    Particularly American & British Clippers, Donald McKay's crafts being my personal favorites

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  1. @rwiederrich beautifully done name boards. Unfortunately according to Michael Mjelde, her officially registered name was two words Stag Hound, not a single word. He reminded me when I shared the fact that Cornelius W McKay used the single Staghound word in his banner for his drawing of her. Just thought I'd let you know. Still, they're lovely pieces.
  2. I literally stumbled onto another artist's depiction of our topic Stag Hound featured on Eldred's Auctions: Charles F Kenny (1919-2014) "Clipper Ship Stag Hound." It began when I came across this same artist's depiction of the lovely 1853 clipper "Belle of the West" David & Asa Shiverick Shipyards, Dennis, Mass. On the back of the frame was a card with brief artist's bio on right and a small postcard of another piece "Glory of the Seas" rounding the Horn. While searching for that work, I came across his Stag Hound piece. I'm still trying to find the Glory work....
  3. Rob, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Mass has this detailed scale model of the 1881 Down Easter Luzon, Smith & Townsend, East Boston, 1,391-tons. She has practically an identical aft portico entryway to her aft coach house which looks remarkably similar to the one we arrived at for your Stag Hound model.
  4. in the same Facebook page, there were six sections of the Newburyport Herald covering events that occurred on clipper Staghound from July 8th, 1851 through November 21st, 1861. Then there's a single entry from May 15, 1925, discussing artifacts of Donald McKay including the Cornelius W. McKay Staghound model and letter generously donated to the Old State House Marine Museum by the late Captain Arthur Clark of Newburyport, Mass. They were put on display to raise awareness of an effort to raise a memorial to the memory of Donald McKay. Wednesday, September 17th, 2024, almost exactly a century later (actually 99 years, 4 months and 2 days) I received pictures of that marvelous model and associated 4-page letter. Monday, August 25th, 2025, courtesy of the MIT Maritime Museum, I finally received the long sought after Cornelius W. McKay Staghound plans (referred to as a drawing) in his November 18th, 1896, letter to Captain Arthur H. Clark. Dating from that initial letter, it's been 127 years, 10 months and 1 day since that profound full letter has been uncovered and 128 years, 10 months and 7 days since the even more detailed Staghound plans have seen the light of day! As Spock would say "Fascinating."
  5. @rwiederrich May 10th, Customs House Museum, Newburyport, Mass shared a new acquisition. Another James E Buttersworth piece "Clipper ship Staghound with partially furled sails." I've shared the Facebook post which has a brief summary of her career. There are now at least three of these pieces, all by the same artist. I suspect the finalized version is at South Street Seaport, NYC while the other two (or possibly three) were studies leading up to that.
  6. @BANYAN Pat, in the late 70s I worked for a while clearing trees for large housing developments. Occasionally we resorted to block & tackle to make sure large trees didn't fall on homes. Being familiar with how lines can bind, I say the left center illustration with dual outside chains is definitely the safer choice. The other one with a centrally mounted hoist chain gets offset to the right. A situation which could easily lead to binding, since the central chain appears to cross over to the other line. and the right side block has to accommodate two chains. The other arrangement is simpler and cleaner with no chance of crossing eachother. Of course, it would still need Rob's wishbone thingy, since I can't remember the proper nautical term.
  7. @BANYAN Pat, where I see Rob's 50 years' experience translates to his model building prowess is in how he recreates actual working vessels and not just pretty mantlepiece decorations. We've discovered many incongruities in commercially produced plans. This latest correction by Rob is just one of many. He points out how the metal band supporting a yardarm would bind without a device to prevent it from doing so. Simple, yet overlooked. Another one is the long, wide lubbers hole on solid tops. It makes sense both for ease of rigging and to allow crew better access. Yet commercially produced plans still have tiny square openings. You'll notice too, Stag Hound has her twin navel hoods supporting her leaping dog figurehead and acting as a foundation for her bowsprit-jibboom above. It's been on McKay ships since launch but only recently been rediscovered.
  8. Rob, D'oh! I meant James Craig and in a rush, since I was distracted picking up my wife from work, typed the wrong ship....
  9. Rob, I noticed that lower and upper topsail yards on Barque James Baines have an octagonal center just afore her fore and main masts. Something I haven't seen on wooden masts before.
  10. @BANYAN 1833 Ann McKim, Baltimore, MD, 143' 493 tons 3 masts was launched. She's considered America's first clipper. 1845 clipper Rainbow, 1846 clipper Sea Witch, 1849 clipper Oriental 183' 1003 tons was first American clipper to carry tea from China after the Navigation Laws were repealed. Aberdeen packet vessel Scottish Maid 89.25' 142 tons, 2 masted topsail schooner was launched in 1839, six years later then the first American clipper. Even the British acknowledge that for a decade Yankee clippers dominated the Chinese tea trade. Regardless, British clippers, as witnessed by the svelte tea clipper Cutty Sark were incredibly beautiful. Sadly the American Civil War was responsible for ending Yankee dominance.
  11. One of my all time favorite show tunes. Thanks Johnny now I got that song stuck in my head.... 😉
  12. Stag Hound mast height differences: fore mast: total 190', deck to truck 146', 20' less then main mast main mast: total 210', deck to truck 166' mizzen mast: total 173', deck to truck 129', 17' less then fore and 37' less then main.
  13. Then again, in the immortal words of Yoda, Jedi Master "There is no try, only do!"
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