News and Info from MarisStella Ship Model Kits

[MarisStella.hr]

   It is the time to deck the model. You use the same 5x1,5mm laths. Use the rest of the planks wherever you can. First, glue laths 20.1 and 20.3 to the edge and then laths 20.2 and 20.4 next to them, adjusting them well to the bow and stern. These laths are the rails of the model. Do not leave any holes between them. These four laths are not easy to bend in the required form. To do this, you need to soak them in water and then gradually shape and glue them on the place. This is not easy to succeed on the first try. All you have to do is to repeat this action of soaking and bending as much times as needed to form those laths into the required form. After you succeeded this and glued them to the model, sand their inner and outside edges to the form of the hull.

[MarisStella.hr]

   Continue decking bow 21 and stern 22. Always leave laths protruding a little bit towards the middle of the model, then, when you have finished decking, level them using scalpel and abrasive paper on a wooden block.

 

   If you have planked the frames with 5x0,5mm strips (laths) before, now you have to carve the upper part of the frames to make some place for the laths 23.1 and 23.2, so they could lie tightly to the sides of the rails 20.2 and 20.4. Glue laths 23.1 and 23.2 so that they protrude 2 mm above laths 20.2 and 20.4. Bend, cut and glue laths 23.3 and 23.4. Do the same with laths 24.1 and 24.2 which should also protrude 2 mm above laths 20.1 and 20.3. Work them on the stern.

[MarisStella.hr]

   Put oar tholes 28.1 and 28.2. Make the oar tholes 28.1 and 28.2 from cut elements made from 4mm panel and 3mm round lath. Glue both parts of the oar tholes together and grind them until you get the final shape. Insert 3mm round lath into the hole. If you wish, color and varnish the oar tholes 28.1 and 28.2, glue them on their places.

[MarisStella.hr]

   In order to make your model even more beautiful and if you do not intend to color it, you can plank the keel with 5x0,5mm laths. Do this horizontally.

 

   Construct gratings 25.1, 25.2, 25.3 and 25.4, following the drawing, as well as thwart (seat) 26, made from two glued 10x2mm laths.
 

 

   If you want to color the model, now is the time. You can also varnish it, using transparent varnish, but first you have to fill every hole in the planking using wood colored putty from the front side, grind and polish everything so the wood can be seen properly. Do the same with gratings 25.1-4, thwart (bench) 26, and later with the pedestal and oars.

   So, this process of the coloring and varnishing the model is always the same, so I will repeat it:

 

   Models of ships should be painted so it does not shine. Use acrylic paint and an acrylic colorless matt varnish. Here's the procedure: first polish a model with sandpaper. Then coated a mixture of 40% linseed oil and 60% thinner and immediately wipe with a cloth. When dry, paint it as desired and let everything dry completely. Re-sand and polish as needed and paint everything one more time. When everything is dry again, spray with colorless matte varnish on two occasions, between which is enough to wait twenty minutes. So you will get perfect colored model.

 

   Rarely it happens that, after painting with colorless matte varnish, on wood the appearance of tiny fibers that protrude and look ugly. If this happens, just re-polish the element and re-spray matte varnish. Fiber will disappear.


   Put the gratings and then glue the thwart and put two girders 26.1 and 26.2 (5x1,5mm lath) under it.

[MarisStella.hr]

   Construct the model’s stand, the pedestal, using elements 32, 31 and 30.

[MarisStella.hr]

   Construct the oars from elements made of round laths glued together. Construct the lower parts of oars, the blades, by gluing the 2,5x1,5mm laths to the round parts of the oar. Make the2,5x1,5mm laths of 5x1,5mm laths. Grind the blades until you get regular shape.

[MarisStella.hr]

   Put bitts 27.1-8 . Make them from 6x6mm lath. If you wish, color and varnish the bitts 27.1-8 , glue them on their places and your model is finished.

[MarisStella.hr]

In the end, there is time for the ‘final touch’… this is very important. I have seen many ship models done beautifully, but some of them were much more beautiful than the others… Nice coloring, proper varnishing, cans, rolls of rope, fishing nets, rubber mats on the decks, lamps, lanterns, fishing gear, crates for fish ... and lots of similar things are nice to be seen on the model ... of course, they should be made well … and set to the model in the right way ... so this is the finish you should practice from the beginning…

 

 

 

 

 

[MarisStella.hr]

After completion of the Batelina the next step is the Beginner’s set Level 2 : Nina & Pinta… here you will learn even more skills including rigging. This kit is under construction right now...

 

After Level 2 is level 3 which is the Santa Maria this will set you sailing to your first full sized ship!!

 

So stay onboard for more!

[MarisStella.hr]

Respected Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

in the meantime, we have done some new photos of the 'Trupa from the river Neretva' ...

... this is a typical example of what I've called the 'final touch' all the time ...

 

So, I'm really glad that I could share those photos with you...

 

Best regards,

Zoran

[mtaylor]

That makes a nice little model, Zoran. 

[MarisStella.hr]

   Dear readers, respected customers, thank you very much for visiting this site and for the likes ...
   Mark, Don, thank you for the nice comments ...

... And for all of you dear friends modelers, I am preparing a presentation of the next model now ...

Sincerely yours,
Zoran

[MarisStella.hr]

Dear Ladies and gentlemen,

   finally, after several days of thinking what to present next, I decided what to do : lets continue with the tradition…

   Lets compare something first :

   England has HMS Victory and Cutty Sark, America has USS Constitution… and there it is : Croatia has Brazzera and Trabaccolo ….

   There are many model versions of these two Croatian traditional vessels. Many ship modelers start building her skills to these two ladies… they could be found like practice for beginners, but as some very good works… MarisStella brought those models at intermediate forms, very typical , not going to any of many modulations available during centuries… no engines, just sails and oars … no cabins for tourists, just old fashion , original deck with the characteristic equipment that makes those two be exactly what they should be…

   In the beginning, there are some photos of the Brazzera and Trabaccolo, some paintings and old plans… All you should learn about them at these stage is that Brazzera has one mast and Trabaccolo has two of them … They have very similar hull. They are logical the sequence of development of the ‘round ship’ known as ‘navis rotunda’ : at the first it was Brazzera and then someone extended the hull in the middle, added some middle frames , added one mast more and get Trabaccolo … But this happened long, long time before…

… before I say something else about Brazzera, take a look at those nice paintings first, please, they are quite old ones :

[Nirvana]

Hi Zoran,

Warm thank you for the update.

That Trupa looks very nice, I would like to make that kit and use it on the table either for decoration or even maybe treating the wood and have fruits or something similar in it. I can see small grapes, dades and more being part of a fantastic model.

[Nirvana]

That makes a nice little model, Zoran. 

Mark, that model is not that small as I thought from the beginning.......

[MarisStella.hr]

Hi Nirvana,
 the Trupa is definitely a decorative simple model... she is designed for the beginners, but she is built by a very experienced modelers too, it is used for the gifts and decoration on the tables,commode and cupboards...
... yes, she is not a small model, she is 50cm long ...

 

Kind regards,

Zoran

[MarisStella.hr]

   Those are photos of the island of Brac , a very famous Croatian island… It is very important for Brazzera and this is why :

   So, here is some basic informations about Brazzera …. ( I believe many of you would rather look the photos below than reading this part of the text, but I just need to write it here )

   Bracera (Brazzera) is a Croatian sailing cargo ship, whose hull is between 15 and 17 meters long, which appears already in the sixteenth century as a logical result of the evolution of the ship round, navis rotunda, an old cargo ship. Even in the fifteenth century, some types of ships differed from the other ships of Brac in the Adriatic and brought the name of type and markings of Bracana. …In the sixteenth century there was next to the Adriatic bragagnu from Chioggia, the braganja Brac. At first our fishermen called it ćozota and the other was called brazzera by the Italian fishermen of Chioggia and Venice, from which of the name bracera today. Not always has the same features of construction and narrowly defined purpose and is not exactly defined as the most recent bracera from the eighteenth century. The term bracera is found in Kotor along up to the entire eastern Adriatic coast, across the lagoon of Venice to Ancona. The first written record of this ship on the Croatian Adriatic comes from Venetian sources, brazier, 1556 and the first Croatian sources we learn that bore a similar name, bracijera in 1878. year. There is no solid source of origin of its name. Researchers have come to different conclusions. Some of them thought that his name came from the island of Brac, where it would be born, while others named after the main propulsion system, or rowing, from brachium, braccio, the arm muscles. Others thought that it was named to the purpose of small sailing boats as the gallery, speronera, manzera etc.

   Here, below, are some old photographs of Brazzera, so you can take a look at them :

[Seventynet]

Thanks for the info on the Brazzera Zoran. That island looks like paradise!

 

Regards, Ian

[MarisStella.hr]

Thanks Ian...

complete Croatian coast looks like this, some of the places still have the natural look ...

[donrobinson]

I agree with Ian, simply beautiful. Are these boats still being made? The one in the picture looks like it is relatively new as it is in such excellent condition. Looks like everyone on deck is working so I probably would never sail on one, however, put a lounge chair and a cooler of beer on deck and I'm in     

[MarisStella.hr]

   The Brazzera, the temptress of Croatian coast, unfortunately is built no more… Her place took ships with the modern lines and engines…
   Don, this one is replica built specially for the tourists and, as I can see, is not typical one, she is not completed. There are some differences built in and the way of building the hull is not old fashion way. But still, this is a good picture of her…
The photos above are showing her exactly as she was... This is Brazzera...

   Here were two types of her : Brazzera with lateen sail and Brazzera with a Lug sail , that is much more present (many people never heard of some other type of her)...

   These colored pictures will say much more than me (with my English which I do not speak well ...)
So, this lady, with two faces defied the time for centuries :

[MarisStella.hr]

   Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, before I present you the Trabaccolo and build logs of those two models, I would like to show you some parts of drawings of Brazzera, just to note variations that appeared during the centuries…

[Seventynet]

The Brazerra is a beautiful ship and I look forward to resuming my build in the next 2 weeks. I will get a build log up at that time. I've got the keel, stem and stern post and bulkheads assembled but have been on pause while I complete my Gokstad which is almost done. The materials are outstanding, the sails already stitched. However, if you had the lanteen rig available I would have gone for that in a heartbeat although I can see that it would be a less representative version.

 

Regards, Ian

[MarisStella.hr]

   Hello everyone, thanks for reading this stories and thanks a lot for the likes...

   Ian, thanks for saying nice words about our products... Regarding the lateen sail on Brazzera, it is quite possible. You could use two dowels (that usually use for the Lug sail, all You need is to trim them to the size)... When making the sail, take care of the dimensions, just use the upper picture of Brazzera, it is totaly well done... She will be nice looking that way too... use the same pins for the rope binding .

This picture below shows the typical Brazzera , her waterline and the hull shape. The modifications in practice are minor ...

[MarisStella.hr]

   So, I would like to show you some photos of Trabaccolo now…

   This old lady was the beauty of Adriatic coast… She belongs to Croat and Italian sailors and ship owners. The fact is that, many seaside families was owners of one or more Trabaccolo . The ‘head’ at the bow was the unique sign of the family who owned the ship. It was the recognition object: each family had a specific type of the ‘head’. There were no two equal heads…

 

   Italians used to colour the sails at their Trabaccolo, but the Croats were not doing this. So this was the sign of recognition of Italian and Croatian ships…

 

   Trabaccolo was always painted in many bright colors, but the hull was coated with tar very often. The upper part of the hull was painted bright. Often, there were samples composed of white, red, yellow, light blue or green colour.

 

   The sails at both Trabaccolo masts were the Lug sails. She has one or two jib sails … She had two cabins. The crew was up to four men.

[Nirvana]

Beautiful pictures, thank you for sharing. I miss visiting the area. It was easy when living in Europe, but now traveling from the West Coast of America there is so much more planning.

[donrobinson]

Great pictures, thanks. More Please

[S.Coleman]

Those yellow sails can't be missed on the ocean. The last picture I'm curious, is the stern too close to the dock or is this normal to turn around tightly for these vessels. Almost looks like he's in a bit of trouble.

[MarisStella.hr]

Thanks Nirvana, a lot of Americans move here around

 

S.Coleman, no she is not in any trouble... She was docked here in the left, then turned right at the sharpest angle and put some power on. This caused to turn right and is ready to sail away ... This is normal maneuver at the situation like this ...

 

Don Robinson, here are some more of the photos, as You wish , but do not worry, Your Trabaccolo is the best sample of her. Looking all of those pictures You could get confused because there are some unusually ways of the build present. You are building A TIPICAL TRADITIONAL NON CHANGED SORT OF HER, I am going to present her here soon...

 

Regards, Zoran

[MarisStella.hr]

   So, the last thing I would like to say about Trabaccolo before starting on description of this two kits and build logs, is something about Trabaccolo generally :

   Trabakul, trabakuo and trabakula are different names for the same vessel of the Croatian people. This is a typical two-masted sailing ship intended for sailing on the Adriatic coast, rarely seen outside the Straits of Otranto. The name itself coms from the Arabic word tabaquah, roof. It's up to 30m long, up to 6m wide and her draft is up to 2m. It can take from 60 to 200 tons. Undoubtedly a descendant of navis rotunda, round antique boats, designed exclusively for the transport of merchandise. Easy to equip, maintain and handle, was used for several purposes but these days is rarely seen, equipped with drive motor, dedicated renovated for tourism purposes.

   This picture below shows her in the real old fashion way. This is the original Trabaccolo :