Harvey Golden

After a five-month break, it's time to work on the Gjøa's rigging. First photo shows the current stage. She's 3/8"=1', so the mast is just over 36" high when on the stand. My work space is quite small, so I've moved the work to the dining rooms table. I've begun mounting the chain plates for the backstays and shrouds. Also, I've mounted the davits after modifying their ends to have double-blocks. The shrouds are coming together nicely-- just glued now, but will be tied as well.

Hello Jackson! I build models for all of the reasons! Everything from channeling fidgetiness, keeping the brain active, fighting depression, overcoming challenges, learning about history, finding technical solutions, improving skills, and that lovely final result of a hand-made trophy rewarding my ability to not mess up something too terribly. I also build full-size watercraft (I started out doing that), and was surprised that building model is every bit as satisfying as the 'real deal,' never mind the bonus of models being a bit more practical to store and maintain than full-size vessels. The full-size craft I build could be considered models, though I've been calling them "replicas" for years. While they replicate the form and joinery methods of the originals, there are enough material substitutions that "models" may be a better term. I study hunting kayaks from Northern Cultures-- the Koryak, Chukchi, Unangan, Yup'ik, Sugpiaq, Iñupiaq, Inuit, and Kalaallit. These models are built for the above reasons but with an emphasis on trying to learn the shaping methods and nuances of joinery used in the originals. Being full-sized, they are completely usable, and there is of course a lot more to learn in their use. I see a number of builders on this forum building for research purposes-- working out ancient technical methods, building conjectural interpretations of historic craft, and even just walking well-tread paths in smaller scale to better understand how things go together and reconciling it with period 2D documentation. Briefly, modeling is a great way to wrap your head around something. I look forward to reading your thesis! (Hope you've found James Roy King's "Remaking the World" . . . someone here mentioned it, and I snapped up a copy). Best, Harvey Some of my full-size "models"...:

Thank you Ras! I'd love to get down there someday and explore it by small boat someday. The history, landscape, and the odd design of the steamers really captured my imagination. All the best, Harvey

There's another on the West Coast-- the Red Oak Victory, a museum ship in Richmond, CA. https://redoakvictory.us I had though it was the last, so am glad to hear of one on the East Coast! -H

Would it be cheating to simply replace it with a paper or cloth flag? Suppose the pattern could even be printed first.

The diorama/display case is completed! I'm still not sure about the top yet-- I may use plexiglass in the end. Hard to shoot through glass, so apologies for glare and reflection. Thank you all!

Your discretion is fine with me. Not sure when I'll get around to finishing now that summer is here. The boat is finished; just not the display. I can still drop an image of the completed display into the thread after it is marked "finished," correct?

Thank you John-- that does seem to be the problem. I just used water, but will try what you suggested for next time.

I believe Oregon's state flag is the only state to have different images on each side; name/seal/date on one, and a beaver on a log on the other.

The work on the diorama/display case is going quite well! The frame is ash, while the base of the diorama is 3/4" plywood. I've used some extra scraps of 'grass' from a previous project and for water I used Woodland Scenics "Realistic Water." The coloring beneath the water is acrylic paint, made to look like the Silver Spring River (sourced from Google Earth). The background is adequate, and will be covered by a number of cypress and palmetto-- one of each shown in the photos (sorry for spotty glass-- will clean it up for final pics). I made the cypress from wire, lichens, and wool to simulate Spanish Moss; the palmettos are purchased and plastic. . . and needed many washes of many colors to get them looking more realistic. I fussed over how to barrier off a divot for the steamer's hull-- do I create a removable dam, or cut out the footprint later? Neither seemed practical for my patience or skill/knowledge level and I wasn't feeling particularly experimental. With the scale draft being slightly under 1/8 of an inch, I decided to simply set the boat on top of the water. (Sanding the hull up to the waterline was another option, but I didn't want to compromise the boat). Ripples and wake to be added will further conceal this.

Originally published 1857. Higher-res image here: https://www.eldreds.com/auction-lot/print-private-signals-of-the-whaling-vessels-c._EFE4B748D8 My wife's family's flag is on it-- one of the Howlands.

I can't tell if "Otto" is forwards or backwards.

There are drawings of a few of the boats in it, but you'll need to add a scale, baseline, etc. Definitely "buildable" drawings, though, and the author may have more available. Also, he may be the best person to ask regarding lines drawings of historic Japanese traditional vessels. H-

Hello Micha! Not sure if this will be much help, but I'd recommend Douglas Brooks' "Japanese Wooden Boatbuilding" (2015); it features a number of traditional small craft that no doubt have very ancient forms and roots. It also has a brief chapter ("The Last Shipwright") on a builder there who has made two full-size replicas of large 'ancient' Japanese ocean going vessels-- the Michinoku Maru and the Naniwa Maru. The book has lines for neither, but projects of this scope must have some serious research and drawings behind them, so perhaps they are available somewhere. The book is a superb primer on traditional Japanese boat joinery, though. The book: http://douglasbrooksboatbuilding.com/japanese_wooden_boatbuilding.html Hope this helps! -Harvey

I like the boat stand; it has a bit of a cribbing/strongback look to it. A matching colored wooden base for the stand might balance it out nicely. The contrast with the black hull works well in my opinion.

Beautifully done! I've been aboard, so this is especially nice to see. Your improvements are superb!

Well, it's back to the Gjøa again.... As I get close to the mast and rigging, I needed a good sturdy work stand for it-- one that will double as a display stand. (The stand is 7/8" thick Southern Yellow Pine--a heavy and solid foundation). The hull, as shown below, measures 27" long, and will be considerably longer once the stern davits and the bow sprit are on. My workspace is only 45" long, hemmed in by a steel file cabinet, and a bookshelf, so this will be tight work. I expect slow progress from now through the summer, but am aiming for an early '25 completion. Welcome back!

It was tippy as heck-- wanted to lay right over. It is positioned on a thin board with a long dowel stuck in the mud 😉

The "Okahumkee" is completed! The display case and diorama are in progress though.... Here's the finished vessel: The decals have a certain sheen to them, despite my going over them a few times with water-base satin varnish. Any hints on this matter? Thank you all! --Harvey

Railings are on! Life/Utility boats in place. The original davit arrangement is a mystery-- many old photos don't show them, but a picture taken of the steamer as a relic in the 1930s shows some davits in place. A number of things to finish yet including rudders, a stanchion or two on the foredecks, decals, and of course the diorama which will be about 21"x 10" and about 10" high, glass encased. The wire trees are turning out nice; I've picked up some wool strands to make Spanish moss. The lighting works great with the stack triggering the switch. For some reason the flickering of the fire LEDs has transferred the flickering to the interior lighting as well, so its a tad blinky inside(!) The running lights aren't affected by this, which perplexes me further (all are run to same switch and battery).

Very nice to see this! I, too would like to build a model of one someday (torn between these or a Trabaccolo...). Marzari's book is superb; another is Penzo's, from 1992: (They are very complimentary, with each having things the other doesn't cover; I'd say either stands alone well for model making). Lesser known than Venice of course, is Cessenatica (south of Ravenna): A superb museum there with a Bragosso in the museum, and several outside in the canal:

On the home stretch! The wheelhouse roof is on, with side-lights, bell, fire bin, firewood, fire buckets, and crewman. Got the wheel installed and a pilot. The skylights were a delicate challenge at this scale, but turned out nice. Here's the uncovered lights below: The stack and other vents are also in place now. (The stack operates the lights, with a firm push downward). Dry fit of the cabin roof: Next up are the railings and some columns, some trim work, and trying to make decals for the line and name on the sides and the name/port on the stern. As this will be a diorama, I'm also beginning a wood-framed glass case and a whole bunch of hand-made cypress trees. (I've ordered palm trees. . . not gonna try to make those). The steamer is almost done, but a lot of work ahead.

I found a cannon ball on a beach at Saltburn in '98. Who knows what ship it was from? Also found a hand grenade; definitely not from the good man Richard. Left both with a friend and local, as I thought best not to try and fly home with either. Lovely coastline there!

I compared the column protection of the FSK bridge in Baltimore (top) with our local Astoria-Megler Bridge (NW Oregon, Columbia River) on Google Earth. I think the images speak for themselves.

The stern gallery is in place, though not glazed yet. What an odd looking stern, to say the least. The windows will be a single strip of plastic, mostly held in place by bracing against stops at the forward ends of the curve; I might score them at the frames so they appear flat-paned. Getting the roof together.... The skylights are cut out; the covered section in the middle will receive the stack, which will also serve as the light-switch. The roof is made from paperboard, and covered with a scrap of book cloth to give it a nice texture. The captain's cabin and the wheelhouse are slightly taller, and will have a separate roof-- one that also supports the bell, the side lights, and the primordial head-light, which was an iron basket full of flaming pine knots. (This will be safely rendered with L.E.D.s). I'm guessing they must have had a few buckets of water close at hand.... 'Flame' L.E.D.s and side lights are ready to meet the wheelhouse roof. The flame lights are big and bulky-- I hope I can pull this off!