How to start a hobby

[indiesteve]

Hello, everyone. This is my first post so please excuse my stupidity.

 

I just love ships. Anytime I see a picture of a sailing ship (are they called tall ships?), a documentary about ships, or a movie with ships in them like "Pirates of the Caribbean", and even video games, I get goose bumps.

 

Being a moron, I can't describe the feeling I get when I see these ships. I don't understand why, I don't come from a nautical family, been on a cruise only once, and worked for a tug boat company as a software developer (I love tugs too).

 

Although I  did live in Portsmouth (small town in England) where they had something called the Victory (goose bumps), and my uncle drew these incredibly paintings of real ships (I think).

 

So I decided to merge this love of ships with my love of ancient and midevial history and start a little hobby. I want to go slow. Here is what I thought my hobby could contain:

 

Learning and reading about every nautical term ever invented, and the history of ships from around Egyptian times (earlier if there were ships in Mesopotamia.

 

I want to model and animate ships down to the smallest level in 3D software for both printing and making little movies out of.

 

And eventually start building these models in wood and plastic.

 

Here is my question to this talented community. Where are the resources? I can't seem to find anything but vague summaries of anything I am interested in. Forget Egyptian, I mean I can't seem to find anything from Viking ships to the H.M.S. Victory in detail.

 

I need details, and lots of them. Plans, details like how they where made, what type of wood they used, etc., etc.

 

I was lucky enough to find this site of wisdom and knowledge. What you guys do requires a brain trust, and I bet every one here has the answers to almost anything.

 

Here is hoping that 0.00002% of the knowledge in your pinkies rub off on me.

Edited March 18, 2015 by indiesteve

[mtaylor]

Welcome to MSW...

 

Resources.... well for starters:  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/forum/45-book-and-magazine-reviews-and-downloads-questions-and-discussions-for-books-and-pubs/

 

and theres museums:  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/forum/43-nautical-research-guild-news-model-ship-clubs-and-exhibitions-and-events-museums-and-museum-ships/

 

Then there's MSW.....    We're diverse enough that probably most questions can be answered or at least get you pointed to the right place. 

[trippwj]

Greetings, kindly sir, and welcome aboard!  The quest you are embarking upon may take you down some very interesting paths, with many side journeys possible!  The information you seek is, to varying degrees, out there, but may not be always in an obvious place!  Before I offer a few introductory readings, let me offer some quick tips for your search.

 

1. Google Books can be a great tool when used wisely.  Many texts from the 16th century onward can be found by searching the title, author or combinations thereof.
2. Archive.org and Hathitrust.org are also amazing repositories.
3. Mariner's Mirror (http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rmir20/current#.VQn4sOFQDcQ ), Journal for Maritime Research (http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rmar20/current#.VQn45uFQDcQ )  and American Neptune (only a few issues available on-line at http://phillipslibrarycollections.pem.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/p15928coll3 ), among other journals, can lead you to more resources.
4. Maritime Archeology journals are extremely valuable for insights into the construction and materials of older vessels.
5. Check out the collection of Theses at schools such as Texas A&M http://nautarch.tamu.edu/Also see the  Nautical Archaeology Reading List at http://nauticalarch.org/ina_quarterly/introduction
6. Academia.edu has an abundance of articles on related topics.  Membership is free.

Some recommendations for you:

 

Ferreiro, L., 2007: Ships and science the birth of naval architecture in the scientific revolution, 1600-1800. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass., http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=173439

 

Fincham, J., 1821: An Introductory Outline of the Practice of Ship-building, &c. &c. William Woodward, 348 pp. http://books.google.com/books?id=pKZWAAAAcAAJ

 

Barker, R., 1985: Fragments From The Pepysian Library. Revista da Universidade de Coimbra, XXXII, 161–178. http://home.clara.net/rabarker/Fragments83txt.htm

 

——, 1988: “Many May Peruse Us”: Ribbands, Moulds and Dodels in the Dockyards. Revista da Universidade de Coimbra, XXXIV, 539–559. http://home.clara.net/rabarker/sagres87mmpu-txt.htm.

 

Batchvarov, K. N., 2002: The framing of seventeenth-century men-of-war in England and other northern European countries /. Texas A & M University, http://nautarch.tamu.edu/anth/abstracts/batchvarov.html.

 

Bellamy, M., 1997: Danish naval administration and shipbuilding in the reign of Christian IV (1596-1648). University of Glasgow, 489 pp. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/1383/1/1997bellamyphd.pdf(Accessed March 2, 2015).

 

Falconer, W., 1784: An universal dictionary of the marine: or, A copious explanation of the technical terms and phrases employed in the construction, equipment, furniture, machinery, movements, and military operations of a ship. 420 pp. https://archive.org/details/universaldiction00falc.

 

Harpster, M., 2010: Designing the 11th-century-AD vessel from Serçe Limanı, Turkey. International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 39, 44–55, doi:10.1111/j.1095-9270.2009.00227.x. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1095-9270.2009.00227.x/abstract(Accessed February 16, 2015).

 

Loewen, B., and M. Delhaye, 2006: Oak growing, hull design and framing style. The Cavalaire-sur-Mer wreck, c. 1479. Connected by the Sea. Proceedings of the Tenth ISBSA, Roskilde 2003, L. Blue, F. Hocker, and A. Englert, Eds., Oxbow, Oxford, 99–104 https://www.academia.edu/6921643/Oak_growing_hull_design_and_framing_style._The_Cavalaire-sur-Mer_wreck_c._1479(Accessed March 2, 2015).

 

Steel, D., 1805: The shipwright’s vade-mecum [by D. Steel]. 377 pp. http://archive.org/details/shipwrightsvade00steegoog(Accessed September 1, 2014).

 

Sutherland, W., 1711: The ship-builders assistant : or, some essays towards compleating the art of marine architecture. printed for Mount, Bell, and Smith, London, 165 p., [15] leaves of plates (some folded) : ill. ; 22 cm. pp. http://echo.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/MPIWG:12RWTM5U.

 

Sutherland, William, 1748: Marine Architecture: or, the Ship-Builder’s Assistant: containing directions for carrying on a ship, from the first laying of the keel, to her actual going to sea, etc. [With a folding plate.]. W. & J. Mount & T. Page, 106 pp.  https://books.google.com/books?id=57BWAAAAcAAJ

 

There are also many modern era books that contain portions of this information.  For example,

 

Goodwin, P., 1987: The construction and fitting of the English man of war, 1650-1850. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Md, 276 pp.  ISBN 0870210165

 

Lavery, B., 1983: The Ship of the Line: Development of the Battlefleet, 1650-1850, Volume I. Conway Maritime Press, London.  ISBN 9780851772523

 

——, 1986: The Ship of the Line: Design, Construction and Fittings, Volume II. Conway Maritime Press, London, ISBN  9780851772875.

 

Pâris, E., 2013: “Selected Plates from Souvenirs de Marine” by James Hitchcock. J. Hitchcock, Ed. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, https://www.createspace.com/4276148?ref=1147694&utm_id=6026(Accessed March 15, 2015).

 

Yedlinsky, A., 2014: Scantlings of Royal Navy Ships 1719-1805. Sea Watch Books, 271 pp. ISBN 9780983753292

 

There are so many more.  If there is a more specific era or topic you would like soe guidance toward please feel free to let

me know, and HAVE FUN!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 18, 2015 by trippwj

[Ulises Victoria]

Hello and 

How old are you? 

It may take you many years to comply with just the first line of your quest : 

Learning and reading about every nautical term ever invented, and the history of ships from around Egyptian times (earlier if there were ships in Mesopotamia.

​There is so much stuff related to this hobby.

[trippwj]

Incidentally - don't rule out Mesopotamia!

 

Makela, T. T., 2002: Ships and Shipbuilding in Mesopotamia (CA. 3000-2000 B.C.). Texas A&M University, http://nautarch.tamu.edu/Theses/pdf-files/Makela-MA2002.pdf(Accessed March 18, 2015).

[indiesteve]

Wow! What a response. You guys are amazing. Thanks for all the resources. I really want to focus on the ancient era right now, and I think Mesopotamia and Egypt are the place to start. I wonder if they even have physical evidence, as wood decays so quickly.

 

Anyone able to point me in the right direction?

 

I also would love to know your histories. What got you into intense research? What are your primary interests? Do all of you make physical models, or is the research enough?

 

Thanks again for all your help, I really appreciate it.

[indiesteve]

Welcome to MSW...

 

Resources.... well for starters:  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/forum/45-book-and-magazine-reviews-and-downloads-questions-and-discussions-for-books-and-pubs/

 

and theres museums:  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/forum/43-nautical-research-guild-news-model-ship-clubs-and-exhibitions-and-events-museums-and-museum-ships/

 

Then there's MSW.....    We're diverse enough that probably most questions can be answered or at least get you pointed to the right place. 

 

Thank you so much for the links. I love the Mesopotamia stuff. How on earth did you find this? I won't ask. It is like asking Superman how he flies!

[indiesteve]

Hello and 

How old are you? 

It may take you many years to comply with just the first line of your quest : 

Learning and reading about every nautical term ever invented, and the history of ships from around Egyptian times (earlier if there were ships in Mesopotamia.

​There is so much stuff related to this hobby.

 

I only sound like a kid when I get overly excited about something. That something was finding this community.

 

Sadly I am very, very, old (45 in June), and clearly at a disadvantage. Like I said earlier, I won't even dream of getting your level of knowledge, but better late than never :-)

[trippwj]

Steve (assuming that is the name) -

 

How'd I get here?  I started building wooden ship models just over 3 years ago (wow - has it been that long?), and started to gather books and downloadable documents as part of my learning.  I found that the research process itself was very satisfying for me - goes back to my education in Marine Biology, I guess - and took on a life of its own.  I have two major research endeavors I am engaged in at the moment - one related to the early US Navy (drawing heavily on the Papers of the War Department website – the wife is doing all the transcription) and the other around the pre-determination of waterlines (which led to many of the archeological references).

 

For Mesopotamia, you could start with the thesis listed above and then move through the references cited.  I am not familiar with the era (was looking at it for a different purpose) but, in general, a thesis will provide some solid leads.  As for Egyptian vessels, there is some better information out there (based on a quick look) that may also guide you along the right path.  Here are a couple for starters.

 

Belov, A., 2014: A New Type of Construction Evidenced by Ship 17 of Thonis-Heracleion. International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 43, 314–329, doi:10.1111/1095-9270.12060. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1095-9270.12060/abstract(Accessed March 5, 2015).

Geanette, M., 1983: Mast Step and Keelson: The Early Development of a Shipbuilding Technology. Texas A&M University, http://nautarch.tamu.edu/Theses/pdf-files/Geannette-MA1983.pdf(Accessed March 19, 2015).

Monroe, C., 1990: The Boatbuilding Industry of New Kingdom Egypt. Texas A&M University, 151 pp. http://nautarch.tamu.edu/Theses/pdf-files/Monroe-MA1990.pdf(Accessed March 18, 2015).

 

Belov, in particular, has a number of reports on academia.edu that you may find interesting (http://cesras.academia.edu/AlexandreBelov )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[indiesteve]

Even more great references. Thank you. I now have somewhere to begin.

 

Early U.S. Navy? Do you mean ships like the USS Constitution?  Very cool. I can't believe the War Department would have anything that far back. I assume the information is a lot better than for Mesopotamia :-)

 

Thanks again.

[indiesteve]

 P.S. I don think that ship would stand a chance against the H.M.S Victory 

[mtaylor]

I'm going to offer one overview reference... be a bit cautious as sometimes the author gets it wrong but it is a great starting reference book...   Historic Ship Models by Wolfram zu Mondfeld.  He covers all aspects and it's somewhat preachy in places and there's holes in others.  But he covers much ground.   Copies are available in all the usual places (Google is your friend for finding it) at prices ranging from very cheap to very expensive.

[indiesteve]

Thanks mark.

[AON]

Pssst...   45 is no where near old!