iMustBeCrazy

While Allan created that thread with a question about oars he later realised it was more a discussion about the Bounty's launch and he changed the title and purpose of the thread. Your questions would indeed be welcome.

Allan, but it's a thread not a log. It pretty much is, we don't know much. I'll add drawings (or a link to them after I finish my build and tidy the drawings up).

Pushy pushy Not yet, gunwales to size and bent, breasthook shaped to take gunwales, gunwale glued to breasthook, frames glued to gunwales, keel glued to frames, transom glued to gunwales and keel then planking (I think).

Well, she probably doesn't look much different but the jig has been modified and glued, the transom rough shaped and the rabbet cut. Something went wrong with the printout of the notched strips for the jig and I finished up having to correct all the notches with a file which was a bummer as I was going to use them to square the moulds. Either the paper was too thin and slipped or it had excessive moisture.

So far so good? Should be all right, but you can measure the height of the step against the thickness of a plank. The next pair or two should go about the same as the last, then it gets a bit more interesting. Well done so far.

As Rodger said, seated something like this:

Still only the frames glued, still working out what I need on the jig before I glue it. I've added supports for the transom and breasthook/gunwale to the drawing and tabs to the moulds to support the frames while fairing.

All frames glued up, just need the pins cut. Everything else just sitting there, not glued. It looks a little like a boat.

I realised that by forming the frames before the jig is glued it would be easier to clamp them using the moulds to set the shape. Note that the futtocks only follow the mould as far as the floor head.

The shape of the hull Possibly the easiest way is the tape trick (see pic) the tape shouldn't have any kinks and should lay flat BUT it should approximate the outer surface of the plank you are trying to make (inner surface for clinker). Mark the edge of the previous plank at each frame and the stem and transom. Use the tape to make a template with your curves, use your calculated plank widths at each station to get the other edge.

This bit is easy to explain, the fan is just a way of marking off your divisions on your tick strip. On the fan mark your lines 0 through 8. Mark the measured distance on the tick strip. Hold one mark on line 0 and the other on line 8 (it doesn't matter how skewed it is) the other lines give your equal divisions. Remember that your planks will need to be slightly larger than that indicated by your division as you are measuring the inside arc. This is more relevant in real life but be aware.

It depends on what you are modelling. Fincham (ca1820) gives us this description. The transom in launches and clincher-built boats has its aft side on one surface, and well with the rake of the after part of the post; but in barges and pinnaces it is in general in two parts, the upper part lapping over the aft side of the lower, and projecting abaft it, to form a moulding on its lower part, well with the lower part of the land strake; and in addition to this mouldng, formed by the projection of its lower edge, one is likewise worked above by another projection, worked out of the upper piece, well with the lower part of the sheer or upper strake. The transom in launches and clincher-built boats are therefore always let in their thickness from the after part; and in barges, pinnaces, and yawls, from the fore part, it is in general fastened to the post with nails, in addition to the ring bolt and gudgeon. So the transom of almost any boat other than a Barge or Pinnace will look like one big slab but was probably made up of two or more pieces.

I've decided to make a change to the jig. Instead of just gluing it to a board as I have previously I'm going to glue a notched strip either side of the false keel and notch the moulds to fit. This should allow better access to the inside during construction. Please forgive my attempt at 3D, the false keel........:

In that case, not really. You're looking good. What does it look like inside? And good advice, I'm contemplating adding an additional mould (station i) to support the shape of the bow but it's not easy from a 2D drawing.

You are not alone. It's a very confusing subject. Sort of. I think. It won't be. Many of the descriptions you read are authors opinions stated as fact, even though there is often evidence to the contrary. Eg. there are contemporary sketches of six oared jolly boats. Function would have varied depending on the size of the ship and probably the Captains disposition. And as always, There will be exceptions. Fincham (ca1820) gives us this description. It's certainly not 100% correct but it's a start. The principal boats for attending upon ships are: launches, long boats, barges, pinnaces, cutters, yawls, jolly boats, life boats, and gigs or galleys. The launches, long boats, barges, pinnaces, and yawls, are carvel-built; and cutters, jolly boats, galleys, gigs, and life boats, are clincher-built. Launches are in general from 34 to 59 feet in length. They are for watering and carrying stores to the ship, and are sometimes armed and equipped for cruising at short distances; they are mostly fitted to carry one twelve-pounder carronnade, and sometimes fitted with swivel stocks. Long Boats are seldom or never employed for the use of British ships of war; they are sharper and wider than launches. Barges are generally 32 and 35 feet in length. These boats are for accommodation, pincipally for carrying flag officers and captains; and are lined and panelled above the thwarts, all fore and aft, that they may be richly decorated, if required. Pinnaces are 28 and 32 feet in length. These boats are for similar purposes as the barges, but to carry officers of less rank; they are not therefore fitted up in quite so neat a style, as they are lined and panelled no farther foward tnan the stern sheets. Yawls are in length 26, 25, 18, and 16 feet. These boats are for carrying light stores, provision, and passengers, to and from the ship. To the smaller class of ships,they answer all the purposes of a launch. Cutters, Jolly Boats, Galleys, Gigs, and life Boats are clincher-built, that they may be made as light as possible. Cutters are in length from 32 to 16 feet; they are used for various purposes that are common to ship's duty, though sometimes 32 foot cutters are supplied to ships instead of a barge, and used for the same purposes; and sometimes the shorter boats are called and used as jolly boats. Galleys are from 28 to 36 feet in length; they are used in enterprises and expeditions against the enemy, and against illegal trade. Gigs are in length from 16 to 27 feet; they are for swift rowing, and are supplied to ships when light boats are required. Life Boats are from 16 to 22 feet in length; they are for landing in surfs, performing enterprises and boarding ships, and for saving men that fall overboard,

Make up your mind now as adding a rabbet will change the shape of your planks!

And it could be right. I've added ID's and dates to post 21. Yeah, you guys have bucket loads of info compared to us.

Roger, when you add the 'hole' in the seat with the hole in the transom it really looks like it. Oops, just found this one, same artist same time same rig.

Mark, I have no doubt that every shipwright had his own way of doing many things but these are Admiralty drawings presumably saying 'we want it built this way'. So the question might be 'did every draughtsman have his own way of doing things?' or was there actually a reason for the variations? I don't know. I think these eight are the only launch drawings that show any planking details and they basically fall into two groups, sheer strake and sheer wale (thicker sheer strake) with more or less detail/accuracy. As for the Bounty launch short of the wayback machine or discovering that the Tahitians had invented photography we can only make educated guesses about much of it. What we're aiming to do is get as close as we can without the commercial considerations of kit manufacturers. Ultimately it is extremely unlikely we'll get it anywhere near 100% right but hopefully we'll avoid obvious errors.

Canvas catches the wind, often in undesirable ways. I would guess the canvas screen was around a foot high with another foot below. And the rain catcher, a canvas sheet held by four men in the shape of a scoop. They probably had a low piece of canvas as a sun shield that they used to catch water when it rained.

No, it's pretty much this rig. I think the odd one out is the main thwart.

Allan, I don't think you're wrong. However there are a few strange things in the drawing. First off I think it should be titled Boys Painting a Jolly Boat given their height, second, there are two row locks missing and it probably should be single banked, third, do I see provision for three masts? But it was actually a very good fit when I overlaid my 16ft Cutter: https://modelshipworld.com/topic/33083-16ft-cutter-by-imustbecrazy-finished-small-116-bountys-small-cutter-jolly-boat/page/2/#comment-950515

I think mine will probably finish up something like this:

There are some options within Launches too. From left to right: 1/ ZAZ5298 (1795) 2/ ZAZ7344 (1779) 3/ ZAZ7450 (17??) 4/ ZAZ7452 (1798) 5/ ZAZ7453 (1798) 6/ ZAZ7459 (1798) 7/ ZAZ7462 (1799) 8/ ZAZ7467 (1814)

I guess I may as well post the rest of this: The thwarts of boats are loose, and fixed ; generally three are fixed, and are called the fore, main, and after thwarts ; those fixed are commonly kneed at each end; to carvel-built boats, in general, the main, with two iron knees, and the fore and after, with one, which have two nuts and screws or forelock bolts through the side, one of them through the gunwale, and two up-and-down bolts through the thwarts. When the knees are wood, which is most commonly the case in clincher-built boats, they are fastened with nails, which are in general rivetted on roves or washers. To strengthen the fore part, and unite the bow's, two hooks are in general placed across the bow, one on the gunwale, and one at the upper part of the wash strake; in large boats, when they are attached to the gunwale, they are generally fastened with two bolts on each side; and in others, commonly, with nails; if wood hooks are used, the nails are driven from the outside, and rivetted on roves. And abaft, to strengthen the quarters, knees are likewise brought against the transom, one on each side, commonly at the gunwale and wash strake. The internal fittings of boats are different according to their class and service. In launches, the footwaling generally extends from the keelson to the rising; to some boats, to about the height of the floor-head; while others have bottom boards, only to fix and unfix. The bow and the stern sheets are likewise not only fitted differently, according to the class of boats, but frequently according to the taste of the captain, officer, or person for whom they are intended; some times with regular platforms, and frequently with gratings only. The internal fittings of boats generally are of too trifling a nature to require description; and to explain their detail would be more extensive than important; since a very moderate attention paid to them would be sufficient to become acquainted with all the particulars relating to them, and would fully answer the requirements of the student. It's a pity he never guessed that future students would be unable study a genuine contemporary boat.