mgdawson

Was trying to find a photo to illustrate the above and this came up in the google search. Mark

Hi Matrim I’ve seen photos of clippers & cargo ships alongside in Sydney with their lower/longer yards acockbill (canted vertically) due to the proximity of the warehouse. Hmm, that could make an interesting diorama. I believe all yards acockbill was also used as a sign of mourning, presumably when a ship was at anchor. Mark

Hi Grandpa Kevin Kenny did a video on this, it's in the ' Model Tips and Tricks and Making Jigs' section.

Thanks Kevin, I'd found lots of photos but I was after some of her out of the water to have a look at the run aft and as most model photos look down at the model, or at best a straight profile, they don't really give a clear view of the lines under the counter, so I was trying to find some of the actual ship out of the water. I thought with a project like that they'd do a doco or blog on her build hence my search was in that direction. I'll keep an eye out. Mark

I got curious about her lines :- https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Linesplan-of-the-privateer-Lynx-from-Chapelle-1967_fig3_303566120 Does anyone know of any photos or videos of her build or even just out of the water ? Mark

Hi Richmond I was about to jump in and say Spotlight have those detail knives but when I just looked online I can't find them. I know I've seen them somewhere as I was looking at them as an alternative to a leatherworkers swivel knife used in leather carving. I did however find 2 versions on Amazon.com.au, the version you pictured for $17 & a 'new' version with a rubberised fingertip in place of the knurled one for $25. Perhaps I did see them in Spotlight and they've dropped the 'old' and are waiting for the 'new'. Personally I think I'd prefer the old version, the rubberised grips they like putting on things are great when new but always seem to go manky after a couple of years. Fiskars Fingertip Swivel Knife Fiskars New Fingertip Swivel Knife Superior Control Softgrip Detail Mark

There were a few AB's around then that were very good at collecting for the SA museum, I remember we carried quite a bit of unofficial cargo that was headed that way, often forwarded via 3 or 4 ships to get there. I very much doubt that plate ever left the Aussie coast in '75.

My understanding is that it’s the oxygen level that’s important. If it’s buried in silt excluding the oxygen, it can survive quite a long time. i’ve recently seen an article about a ship something like 2000 years old of which some parts were well preseved in silt. Likewise, on land, some wooden artifacts have survived in peat bogs for thousands of years.

Hi Alan Another option for a CAD program is Fusion360, I'm only just learning it now and have only touched one other "real" CAD program, so I can't give you an objective comparison but it seems quite powerful once you get over that steep initial learning curve. I started to learn Sketch-Up a few years back but it didn't work the way my mind works, I felt like I was always looking for a way to get around the program to do what I wanted, a "proper" CAD program makes more sense to me. Instructables.com has a 3D Design class using Fusion as well as several classes on 3D printing, CNC etc which use it and on the Fusion 360 website there are extensive video tutorials. (Instructables and Fusion360 are both owned by AutoCAD) It's a professional program but free to "startups and hobbyists". Like everything the best program is the one that works for you, I'd suggest, as their both free, doing a few tutorials on SketchUp and Fusion360 and see which fits you. Mark

Hi Art I’m guessing you’re referring to the SS San Francisco 1853, wrecked on her maiden voyage, Jan 1854. As Wefalck indicated, the preferred practice in that era was a tight stow rather than relying on lashings. In my experience tight stowage is far better in a seaway, i’ve been in situations in a gale where we’ve had seamen retightening lashings every hour and the cargo working against them still snapped chains and stretched 20mm dia wire rope. A tight stow can’t move. Towards the bottom of this page (http://mcjazz.f2s.com/ClipperShipPlans.htm) is a drawing of a tea clipper being loaded. As you can see they have multiple sized tea chests to use the maximum volume and fill the nooks and crannies with stone dunnage. There’s a labourer with a large mallet to ‘encourage’ the chests into the tight stow. Not quite the cargo your SF would have carried but the theory’s there. Note :- Most if not all the drawings on the linked page were drawn by George Campbell and appeared in his book ‘China Tea Clippers’ (1974).

Another Cape Horn doco, made in 1980, 54min. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO7Om05Kt1s&t=2s My 1 trip around The Horn was as 3rd Mate on a 40,000 tonne container ship, it was dead calm.

Hi Bedford Some years ago i went to Bare Island Fort in Port Botany and a guide commented on some markings on the gun emplacement walls, possibly similar. Unfortunately I don’t remember details. I think the Harbour Trust manages Middle Head, perhaps shoot them an email. Oh, and don’t forget to let us know what they say 🙂 Mark

Hi Y.T. Looks like the trough might be a viable solution, I imagine those cannon balls could easily roll off a ‘dimpled’ shelf in a seaway, adding fiddles forming a trough would help secure them. If you’re keen on the straight shelf rather than the trough, you don’t actually need to dimple it, drill straight through, with a ball on each hole you can’t see the hole. As Jim said, start with a larger piece and finish to size after making the holes. I’d also suggest a simple jig to drill the holes, something like the one here, https://www.todayshomeowner.com/video/diy-jig-for-drilling-perpendicular-holes/ add a spacer on one arm to set the drill bit the approprite distance from the side of your shelf, put a notch on the underside of the other arm so you can slide the shelf along after each drilling operation. I’d also put a second hole in the base the appropriate distance from the corner so you can drill the first hole in the shelf, line that up over the second hole in the base and drop a dowel through to index the next hole. Mark

Hi Sandor, I've seen several drawings similar to the one Nils posted although I don't think I've ever seen one of the tackles taking a turn around an axle. I've also seen the chocks between the axles rather than outside, more seaman like IMHO, less chance of being kicked/knocked out. Greg mentions guns turned side on to the bulwarks, I've seen several models and drawings with this arrangement mainly for signal guns or on expedition ships with reduced armament to make more room on deck, I would not expect to see this on any active warship. Unfortunately I don't remember how they were lashed. Little awkward getting to my reference library at the moment but if I get a chance I'll have a hunt for you. Mark D

Hi Brian, Here's a photo I took on the Cutty Sark in the mid 80's showing the starboard head at the break of the forecastle and the capstan bars stowed in a rack on it's after side. The port head at that time had a pump on its after side. On Longridges model in his book (1933) he shows the capstan bars in the same place but 3 on each of the port and starboard heads which was based on his inspection of the ship at that time. I imagine loose equipment like these would move around the ship over its life depending on its role and equipment at the time and of course the whim of the various Captains. Mark