woodrat

you have to do it yourself. Make the pieces oversize and Dremel them to shape. Dick

I think the colour is very good - it points up many detals that would otherwise be missed in a darker vessel, and the contrast is in keeping with the original Trombetta picture - and I find it interesting that the deck beams and the wales aren't in line with each other near the bow, just as in the Trombetta picture.

The fact that the beams cross the wales confirms to me that Zorzi Trombetta drew his sketch from life and probably while the nave was in drydock( hence the unplanked area between the main wales). This is one of the reasons that I chose this sketch as a basis for a model. Most other paintings are by professional artists interested in aesthetics whereas Zorzi was primarily interested in recording the craft of shipbuilding.

Doreltomin. Thanks for the scholarly breakdown on the derivation of Carrack, with which I substantially agree. However, when you say: "The nao being primarily a merchant vessel while the carrack was primarily built for war", it does not take into account that in the late middle ages, mediterranean round ships ( naos or naves or nefs) were sometimes hired or recruited as warships even though they were built as merchant vessels. This is because it was soon realised that the high freebord of the round ship was a great protection against the low slung galleys of the corsairs. Only later were purpose built round hulled warships developed. It is a fascinating topic, isn't it?

Dick

Nice looking hull.  Well done.

 

Bob

Thanks, Bob. It has a rustic charm, I suppose! The colour may be too light. What do you think?

Dick

First I want to say thank you for your comments and your help 

 

Dick, so I need to rejuvenate the false sternpost, the sternpost and the knee, is that right? ore only the knee, I have already glued everything together.......... now I have a problem   

nil desperandum, Tom. No need to remake the knee.  Much as Karl has shown, after you have completed and fitted the transom timbers, fashion piece and last 2 frames, simply fit some timbers below the lowest transom beam and shape them in situ with your friendly Dremel drum sander. Dick

Another point. Please note there is a step at a slightly lower level for the step of the forward half of the full frame. It also has a hole for a dowel. You do not appear to have done this.

not much progress. Waterways and scuppers next, I think

Tom, the drawing shows the sternpost knee and filler from aft. On top is a plan view. This shows the progressive narrowing of the knee as you go from fore to aft towards the rabbet in order to accommodate the run of planking. I hope this helps,.

Dick

Tom, I highly recommend that you construct frames to rigidly hold the stem and stern posts. also take care that the keel is held by wood planks which go almost up to the rabbet line of the keel. here are some photos of the ones I made

stempost clamp

sternpost clamp. Note the allen key in the top of the clamp to tighten the bolt thereby holding the sternpost down.

This will reduce the risk of twisting of the hull over time :)

Dick

Tom, are you making clamps for keel, sternpost and stempost?

Dick

Many thanks, Christiano.  At your suggestion I have renamed my log. S. Penzo's nave tonda is magnificent and puts mine in the shade. I have his book. I did try to contact Signor Penzo a couple of years ago but he did not answer the email. Maybe I should try again. One of my ambitions is to work up to a fully framed nave as S. Penzo has done. But it is a massive project. Perhaps I could do the Contarina I ship. At least the plans should be available. I will soldier on with the Trombetta nave tonda. Dick

The outside planking of the hull is complete. The next step is the main deck, hawse holes and transom framing

The spaces between the protruding main deck beams will become scuppers. I have no idea what form the deck waterways will take yet.

Dick

Thanks, Tom. I have been sidetracked onto another build but I hope to resume the Gros Ventre soon. There is limited room in the workshop.

Dick

I will be watching your build with interest. I am halfway through the hull framing on my Gros Ventre. Are  you buiding it fully framed?

Dick

Sorry, Steven. I cant access that link. But I think I know the image referred to. As you allude, many models of carracks underestimate the length of the mainyard which is made of two timbers fished together like  lateen yards.

Here are some pictures showing the bracing for the transversal bitt. The bitt is not bolted in but is wedged in placed. This allows some slight movement of the bitt which protects the side timbers. It also allows removal of the bitt if required.

  the stern timbers incomplete

Dick

 

 

BTW, can you tell me the source of the carrack picture you're basing the rigging on? It's excellent!

 

 

Steven

It comes from the National Maritime Museum Collection at Greenwich. I have searched their website but cant find it.

Here is a better image

Dick

Planking progress to main wale

Dick

These pictures show the transversal bitt in place although not fixed in place. These bitts were a typical feature of the carrack and were probably not meant to be rigidly fixed to the toptimbers. They were however quite massive.

Here is a picture of the Mataro nao showing the transversal bitt.

This shows the step for the foremast

Dick

Thanks, Vivian and Steven. Here is the progress of planking to the level of the turn of the stringer at the outer end of the floors

Fitting the stealers

stealer glued in position

planking complete to first stringer

Here is another similar carrack. Note the triangular topsail and the forward positioned foremast. I will base my rig upon this illustration

Dick

Thanks Steven, useful links with good detail. The watermarks dont bother me much

The model is moving along. Having done the garboard strake and the various wales, The planking is straight forward.

Maybe will be interesting photo of  this model I take this summer in Maritime museum of Kotor, Montenegro

 

Model is based on ships used in Venetia, by famous middle age traders of Venetian republic

 

In Serbian/Croatian language, for this ship is used name "karaka" and you can google it for deeper research

 

Nenad 

Thank you for the link, Nenad. The model shown is certainly a venetian carrack and is quite old. It looks somewhat like the carracks in Jacopo de Barbari's panorama of Venice.

Good idea to get information or pictures of models from Dubrovnik, Split and Rijeka. They, as you say, were on venetian trading routes for centuries. The Trombetta nave certainly would have visited them regularly.

Cheers

Dick

The transverse deeck beams are now fitted. I have a theory that the protruding deck beams seen on carracks were used  to house the scuppers as scuppers at deck level arent seen on contemporary illustrations whereas dots or holes are sometimes seen in the end of the protruding deck beams.

Thanks Tarbrush, Bob and Nenad M. I am learning more and more about carracks. For instance, this carrack forecastle from late 15th century shows how the carpenters built the framework for their awning assymetric to allow for the foremast. This may explain the somewhat bizarre appearance of this framework on the Trombetta drawings. The position of the foremast also forced the positioning of the bowsprit to one side or other of the mast. These were no nonsense working ships and often aesthetics took second place to practicalities. also, as this illustration from the battle of Zonchio shows, round ships were often co-opted as warships in mediaeval times as their high riding hulls gave them a height advantage over galleys. Cheers, Dick

Thanks, Michael. Most kind in you. I certainly would recommend doing the longboat for your Wasa. I found the ship's boats a very satisfying part of the build and building it over a mould is easier than you think. Great work on the Wasa too.

Dick

I have finished all the bulkheads and have almost finished fairing them. I am more happy that the shape of the stern matches the original drawing and other illustrations of the period

Dick

I am unhappy with two things on my previous model:

1. the tumblehome aft of centre is insufficient

2. There is a more horizontal run of planking to the fashion piece and a more vertical run to the sternpost leading to a more complex shape to the stern.

I will modify the full hull version accordingly

Dick

 

 

I just posted this on Vivian's caravel log but I thought it might be useful to you too as a rigging reference..?

 

Dan.

Thanks, Dan. The original book is beyond my price range but there is a softcover reprint. What concerns me is that I am unsure whether my carrack had two or three masts. It was a large vessel so three seems more likely but the fact that the bowsprit is displaced to starboard suggest a foremast. However the framing for the awning on the forecastle suggests otherwise. What do you think?