uss frolick

The USS Maryland, 24 gun subscription-built ship-sloop of war, was built in Baltimore. Since she too was named after the state that built her, we should note that she sports the coat of arms of her state on her central taffrail. The description comes from the Federal Gazette and Baltimore Daily Register, June 4, 1799: "On the Taffrail is the Seal of Maryland, representing the figure of Justice and Peace with proper insignia; It is supported on the right by a Genius with a book and pen preparing to record the honors the ship may confer on her country, while on the left the Genius of Music is ready to strike his lyre in celebration of the rising greatness of America."

I'll cut and paste from an earlier post: The Frigates President, Adams and New York were all building at the same time in New York yards. Stern carvings of the other two survive: USS Adams, 28 gun frigate launched in in New York from the New Hampshire Gazette, June 4, 1799: "On the stern in the centre of the taffrail, are the arms of the U. States, supported by Sybele and Neptune - the latter with his left hand resting on his Trident and his right extended over our "Infant Navy", with some Attributes of Commerce. The former reclining on a sheaf of wheat with a septre in her right hand, in her left is the Key of the Earth and Supporting a Cornucopia ..." USS President, 44-gun frigate, built in New York, from Claypole's American Daily Advertiser, Philadelphia, April 14, 1800. "Stern: In the center of the taffrail, the figure of America the right arm resting on the base of a monument and three books representing the three branches of government; in the right hand a pen, to record the heroic actions of her sons; in her left, the Constitution of the United States; at her feet, the American Fasces erect, supported by the standards of the Army and the Navy. On her right the figure of Wisdom, and the left the figure of Strength, both inclined, and looking to the center; in the right hand of Wisdom, a spear, the left resting against the port, and the bird of vigilence at her feet.; the left hand of Strength resting on a herculean club, the right hand resting against the port as the grand supporters of America ..."

The most heavily decorated ship of the American Navy was the USS President. When launched in 1800, she had a triple figure head, consisting of the bust of George Washington sitting on a rock, supported on either side by two full length female figures, each representing an important virtue.

Boston fought three battles: One against the 24-gun French Corvette Le Berceau (which she captured, but was returned to France) , one against several Tripolitan gunboats, one of which she sank, and finally, she engaged a squadron armed French barges off Haiti, in an all day battle, where she sank one or two of those as well, wherein the Boston actually emptied her shot locker! The real Le Berceau appears in the Patrick O'Brien novel, "HMS Surprise", as one of Admiral Linoirs's squadron. You know Dan, if you wanted to sell copies of your Boston plans, you would have many takers, especially since you have lofted off all the frames. For those of you looking for something unique, there is always the 1799-1814 Frigate USS New York. She was the flagship of Commodore Morris's squadron, and she fought two battles against Tripolitan gunboats and shore batteries. She was a double-banked frigate throughout her whole lifetime. There was a plan to tow her hulk out of Washington and rebuild her in 1813, but she was burned the following year, alongside the Boston, to prevent her falling into the hands of the British. Her lines survive, as does an inboard profile, both of which Chapelle used to reconstruct her. The New York begs to be built. Her stern and carvings need to be reconstructed, but that gives one's imagination a chance to soar !

A hero, eh, Charlie? Well, I guess I'll need a moniker. Nap Man? The Grey Hornet? Flabbio?

Mr. Bruckshaw's model is of the c. 1749 Boston, the earliest known plan of an American-built warship.

Hegner blades are not hard to change,but maybe I'm used to them. But the old Delta's Jack-the-Ripper Stabber-Blades ...

My first cheap scroll saw was a Delta. It shook so hard and broke so many blades, I called it "The Delta Saw of Death." Since then , I picked up a used Hegner Scroll Saw, from Switzerland, or Germany, or somewhere mountainous and cold, I forget. It is very expensive, especially if new, but it was used a lot by jewelers, and it is smooth and almost vibration free. Roman Barzana, the Tampa-based discoverer of Loquat Wood [snap! ], turned me on to the bright-orange Hegner saws.

Matrim, you have one nice library!

It gives you a clue as to what the interior of the Titanic might have looked like, after only one year, in 1913.

That looks like a first post to me ... Welcome !!!!

I agree. We should always interpret the lines of a ship from a small 2D photograph of a model at our peril! Ditto unusual winkie placement.

Don't you think the stern view on page 92, bottom, of Modeles Historiques, shows a more of a v-shape? Anyway, the only other frigate plans that I have seen with eight windows, or any even number of windows, is Forfait's Topaze of 1804 (HMS Alcmene, 1809), and of course Forfait's large L'Immortalitie class. Although Topaze's counter timbers have greater rake than the Renomme's model, they have less rake than the average Sane ship. Topaze and Renomme were both built in Nantes, two years apart, and I can't think of any other Nantes built 18-pounder frigates.

Thanks John! One of the unique features of the La Renomme model is the upright nature of her counter timbers - practically no rake at all. Your sail plan shows the same characteristic. Sane ships usually had a great, gracefully looking rake. One thing that I can not determine, based on the dozen or so photographs that I have seen, about the La Renomme Model, is whether she had a beak-head bulkhead, of a full bow. If anyone sees the model in person, place make note!

Hi Bava! The midship shape seen in a (kind of) head-on photo of the model clearly shows the rising V-shaped dead-rise as seen on the Forfait draughts, and not the Sane apple shape. But Many, including Boudroit, insist that Sane designed La Renomme. And the stern of the frigate shows her name beneath the windows.

JohnE, I just noticed your earlier observation that Forfait was more likely than Sane to incorporate bridle ports on the the forty-gun frigates. This would support my theory that La Renomme (later HMS Java) was a Forfait designed ship, and not a Sane, as is often claimed.

Thanks, Grsjax! I just checked your website, but they came up empty too.

I know. I wonder why that is. Bios of Hull, Porter, Decatur, Perry and Blakeley are commonly found in the usual places. I read "Ready to Hazard" on an interlibrary loan copy years ago. It was good, but not so special, as to warrant collecting or hoarding by the naval history community. Perhaps fewer than the usual number of copies were printed. Bainbridge was a real SOB too, so I don't think he has a devoted following. I am in SW Florida. WA is beautiful. You are a fortunate fellow.

I would like to buy the biography of Captain William Bainbridge, "Ready to Hazard" by Dr. David Long, 1981. If anyone would like to part with their copy, I would be grateful.

I wonder what remains of the British whale-ships burned and scuttled by Captain Porter of the Frigate Essex in the Galapagos and the Marquesas Islands in 1813.

HMS Charon was a two-decker 44, and a sister ship to Harold Hahn's HMS Roebuck, and John Paul Jones's prize, HMS Serapis.

Yep. And the Yankee blockaders too.

I checked Darcy Lever's "A Young Sea Officers Sheet Anchor", 1819, but I didn't see it depicted. So, I'll make up a suitable name. How about "Mermaid Scooper"?

When I read the word Charon, I always think of the 44-gun British ship sunk at Yorktown. When I read the word Styx, I am reminded of: "Come Sail Away ..." and "Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto ..." Oh well, sounds like I got "Too Much Time On My Hands ..."

I would go with the later armament. But I think you might have to build up a solid forecastle bulwarks, and re-space the quarterdeck and forecastle gun-ports so that they fall into the shroud spaces made by the gun deck ports. This was becoming standard practice in American, France and England by 1810. This was done as much to protect the tarred shrouds from the carronade's flash, as it was to protect the crew. Look at the Renomme model of 1806 for examples of both. American Naval Constructor Josiah Fox described the new practice in 1807: " .... All the Fore Castle and quarterdeck ports in out frigates (the Chesapeak [sic] excepted) are equally spaced between the ports on the Gun-deck; This mode (though uniform) is attended with great disadvantage to the direction of those guns, particularly Carronades, where the Ports are in the wake of the Channels; It is usual with all Nations to place their Fore Castle and quarterdeck ports in their frigates between the same Shrouds that are spaced for the Main-Deck ports, by which means the shrouds have less spread fore and aft, and being more abreast of the Mast, afford more support to the Masts than they do now; and at the same time enable the Guns to range clear of the Shrouds, and point to more advantage than in the former mode ..." I also like the French mounting better than the English, with its four casters instead of two, and the breach rope that passes all the way through the bulwarks. By 1810, the French carronade looked like a real British carronade, but back in 1793, the French 36-pounders were shorter brass howitzers (French model 1787 Obusier de Vaisseau) used mostly to toss grape and canister. In the later period, according to British Historian William James, French forty-gun 18-pounder frigates were commonly armed with fourteen 24-pounder carronades and just two long eights.