Venetian Round Ship c. 13th century by woodrat - FINISHED - 1:32 scale - fully framed

[woodrat]

Having completed the venetian carrack or cocha, I now plan to reconstruct a merchant vessel that predated it and lasted into the 15th century.  I have based the reconstruction on the measurements given for a nave latina in Michael of Rhodes 15th century manuscript. This has been combined with the framing details of the Contarina 1 wreck excavated and fully measured at the end of the nineteenth century. The details of superstructure and planking will be loosely based on the vessel shown in the Translatio of St Mark painted by Veneziano. 

Woodrat

 

 

[shipmodel]

Happy to pull up a chair and enjoy another of your builds, especially one based on archaeology.

 

Best of success.

 

Dan

[Vivian Galad]

Wow! I'll be following for sure! Great News to know you're bringing another one to life! Briliant!

[woodrat]

This is a first draft of the nave latina. The dimensions are taken from the Michael of Rhodes manuscript and combined with the known lines of the Contarina 1 wreck. The superstructure will be based on the ships painted by Veneziano in his cover for the Pala d'oro in the Cathedrale San Marco, Venice

Cheers

Dick

[druxey]

This looks like it's going to be another fascinating reconstruction! Interesting start, Dick.

[cog]

I certainly won't miss this build, Dick. You might like to have a look here as well, I thought about it when I saw your drawing ...

[woodrat]

Thanks, Carl. Signor Penzo is a great modelmaker, historian and author documenting the many ships and boats of Venice and the Adriatic. His plans are meticulously researched and his models made using original techniques such as the sesto to reproduce the lines. I thoroughly recommend his plans. I have not yet met him and have not had a reply to emails. Maybe the language barrier? Anyone visiting Venice needs to look into his shop.

Dick

[woodrat]

The plan lines cleaned up

 

Dick

[Louie da fly]

I'll be following this with interest, Dick.

 

Steven

[woodrat]

More information has come to hand thanks to the kind assistance of prof. Mauro Bondiolo. This is a 14th century manuscript, the Libro di Navigar, which has only recently come to light. This substantiates the basic premise of my reconstruction but means a slight modification of the geometric method for constructing the master frame. However the main dimensions of my hull are consistent with the Contarina 1 hull. I will use the mezza lune technique for calculating narrowing of the hull between master and tail frames.

Cheers

Dick

Edited August 16, 2018 by woodrat

[woodrat]

The new master frame modified according to the instructions of the Libro di Navigar.  My previous depth of hold was incorrect. Interestingly the master frame now matches that of Contarini 1. 

 

 

Dick

[Louie da fly]

Very interesting, Dick. Some nice research, which seems to be reaching a good result.

 

Steven

[woodrat]

Thanks for the likes but feel free to dislike. Here is the plan for breadth and floor lines. Narrowing of floors based on the mezza lune geometric technique

 

Mezza lune 

 

Cheers

Dick

[woodrat]

the master frame modified again.. Note the flat floor amidships which is exactly 1/2 max. breadth

 

 

 

 

Edited June 23, 2018 by woodrat

[cog]

Sorry Dick, cannot dislike, as I am not educated in this field of expertise, so I'll refrain from  your kind request.

[Baker]

Very educational and interesting.
I can only like this, i would not know what to dislike on your drawings 

[Louie da fly]

As I have no idea of the mezza lune geometric technique, I can't really comment on the correctness of what you're doing, but it certainly looks good. 

 

I notice a very tight curve at bow and stern at what I take to be the level of the second wale. This looked a bit unusual to me, but having had a close look at a fairly large image of the painting your model is based on, it does have that tight curve, which is followed by the brackets supporting the sterncastle.

 

Keep up the good work. As always, very instructive.

 

Steven

 

[druxey]

mezza lune = 'half moon' or semi-circle (see Woodrat, post 359).

[Louie da fly]

Oh yes, I knew what the words meant - just don't know the ins and outs of the technique.

 

Steven

Edited June 26, 2018 by Louie da fly

[woodrat]

The mezza lune technique was used as a geometric method of calculating narrowing of floors, also in many cases rising of floors and even the cutting of curved sails.

A semicircle is drawn with a radius equivalent to the total amount of narrowing between master-frame (the frame in the centre of the keel) and tail-frame (last molded frame on each end of the keel)

the number of frames between master and tail is decided e.g. let us say 6 (inclusive of  tail, master-frame is 0)

The 90 degree arc is divided into 6 X 15 deg segments

Where the segments cross the circumference transverse lines are drawn

 

These divide the radius into a geometric progression

 

This progression is marked on a stick called a sesto and is used by the shipwright to draw out the floors with appropriate narrowing

I hope this is vaguely comprehensible. But this seems to be what they did.

Dick

 

 

 

 

Edited June 28, 2018 by woodrat

[Louie da fly]

Makes sense, Dick. The narrowing of the hull gets greater in a nice smooth curve as you approach the bow and stern. Presumably the same with the rise of floors etc.

 

Clever.

 

Steven

[woodrat]

My plan is to produce a fully framed model at 1/32 scale using the framing scheme that found in the Contarina 1 wreck. Here is my framing plan:

 

Dick

Edited March 20, 2019 by woodrat

[woodrat]

This is a jig for making the frames. The floors can be narrowed progressively as they did in the original shipyards but they used marked sticks called sesti. Hopefully this will expedite the making of frames

Dick

 

Edited July 6, 2018 by woodrat

[Louie da fly]

That's a really nice jig, Dick. Simple and effective.

 

As you're moving only one side of the jig and keeping the other side static, I take it you've arranged the graduated distances on the background to compensate for the lack of symmetry.

 

Are the second two photos above identical ? I can't see the difference between them.

 

Steven  

[woodrat]

The ruler measures the size of the flat portion of the floor. This is the only variable. All else is constant. This, the sesto method,  is a different process from later centuries but is the likely process used in galleys and round ships in the Mediterranean for several centuries prior to the 15th centuries and is still used by venetian boatbuilders to this day. (Gilberto Penzo, Mauro Bondioli. quem videtis.)

Dick

PS I put the second photo in twice, mea culpa

[Louie da fly]

So it's the millimetre rule you're working from? Not the series of vertical lines drawn on the background sheet?

 

Steven

[cog]

5 hours ago, Louie da fly said:

So it's the millimetre rule you're working from? Not the series of vertical lines drawn on the background sheet?

 

Steven

Would that be logical ... It is odd as they seem to be the result of the mezza lune technique. But how would you make a fluent hull shape if you did use them ...

[Roger Pellett]

It will be interesting to see how well the hull fairs up using this technique.

 

Roger

[woodrat]

All will be made clear.  For I have a cunning plan which cannot fail . I'm off to make the building board.

Edited July 7, 2018 by woodrat

[cog]

You have a strange building streak by keeping us in suspense ... you know what happens with cunning plans ...