HMS Bounty and coppering..

[twintrow]

I notice that most all of the Bounty builds are not copper bottomed.    Yet her refit description says it was one of the first things done to the begin the Bethia refit?

I'm in the process of rebuilding a Bounty model done several years ago. I was asked to be as authentic as possible.  I want to turn it out correctly.

 

Comments?

 

thanks 

Tom

[AJohnson]

Yes she was copper bottomed.

[bruce d]

Hello Tom,

In case it affects your decision, she was sheathed with wood in the first part of her career when known as Bethia. She was then sold and renamed Bounty and refitted to prepare her for the breadfruit mission. She went straight to the refit after purchase. So, Bounty was coppered but during her time as Bethia she was not.

 

HTH

Bruce

[chris watton]

If you are building her as commissioned by the Royal Navy, Bounty would be coppered for such a voyage.

 

It is an unfortunate fact (for those who hate copper plating), that the vast majority of English vessels (and a little later, French vessels) would have copper bottoms from the 1780's onwards.

 

Blame Charles Middleton...

[glbarlow]

That’s a bit of historical fact I won’t care to relive on my models. After several thousand plates on Vanguard after which I quit building for three years I coppered my last ship model. Aside from the tedium I just don’t think it looks all that great, accurate or not. 

[hornet]

Check out my build. Posted yesterday. Copper bottom.