Colours for HMS/HMAV Bounty

[James H]

Hi all,

 

I thought I would seek the knowledgeable counsel of the good folks on MSW for this.

 

Can anyone give me a good indication as to the actual finish of Bounty? (hull, masts etc.) and colours which would be close? Are there any contemporary prints which are considered more accurate in terms of how she actually looked? It's pretty important that I get the information as close as is possible, allowing for the relative lack of technical info available.

 

Thanks,

Jim

[pontiachedmark]

Gidday James.

Here is a link to what was the replica of the Bounty built in the '70s.

I cannot vouch for the historical accuracy.

All the best.
Mark.

www.alamy.com/stock-photo/hms-bounty.html

[michaelpsutton2]

I believe that the cover of the "Anatomy of the Ship" volume on the Bounty is about as good a guess as you will get. There are no contemporary pictures are verbal descriptions. The blue color on the replica from the 60's was a complete fantasy. I would go with varnished hull. Black wale. Yellow rails and quarter badge and black quarter deck bulwarks. The current replica has the bottom most plank of the bulwarks removed and the stanchions painted red. I am not sure of that at all. The plans made when she was converted for the trip do not show that feature and seem to suggest sold bulwarks on the quarterdeck and an open rail forward of that in the waist. The  current replica is red below the waterline and that is definitely out. Look at pic's of merchant ships of the period as well as 6th rates

[michaelpsutton2]

There is a book "Mutiny on thee Bounty" br Peter Fitzsimmons. The cover painting is very close to what I would think

[michaelpsutton2]

She was copper sheathed below the waterline

[James H]

Thanks guys,

 

This is very useful. Can you identify things such as mast colour, hull demarcation and colours used?

 

Is there something which is usually regarded as reliable in this respect?

 

Thanks,

Jim

[michaelpsutton2]

The masts would have been varnished or painted in pitch. The yards, wouldings, doublings, tops, and caps black. I am not sure what you mean by demarcation.

[James H]

3 hours ago, michaelpsutton2 said:

I am not sure what you mean by demarcation.

Bounty is often showed with blue painted on the hull sides, and yellow. By demarcation, I mean how this was painted and to what extent, and also which particular colours would have been used for the time?

[michaelpsutton2]

The 1950's replica was painted blue. This is almost certainly wrong. At most maybe )just maybe and not likely) the quarter deck bulwarks were painted blue.In addition this replica was erroneously fitted with a spanker boom and a mizzen top-gallant mast. Neither of which were to be found on the original

[michaelpsutton2]

This image is much closer to correct. The only  change I might consider is changing the little bit of blue on the topsides to black. Changing the wale feom yellow ro black and changing the area below the wale to varmishd

 

Edited January 24, 2019 by michaelpsutton2

[michaelpsutton2]

Which brings us to an interesting point. If you will look at the enclosed extract from the original plan, I have marked 3 lines. As I understand them, they are" 1 upper edge of the reducing plank, 2 the upper edge of the main wale/lower edge of the reducing plank, and 3 the lower edge of the main wale. Both replicas seem to have a raised molding painted yellow and no sign of the wale. I would omit the rail as it is not shown on the plans and would paint the both wale and reducing plank black

[michaelpsutton2]

And finally... Here is a picture of one of the replicas, the later I think. I have labeled three areas I take issue with. First is the molding mentioned above. Second is the lack of a curved ornamental "badge" surrounding the quarter light (window). And number four the exposed, red painted stantions on the quarter deck are not supported by the plans. Please note that number three was a question about the channels which has been resolved by further examination of the plans

[Thunder]

One thing of note is that the figurehead is often shown as wearing a red coat but in Bligh's log he is stating as describing it as a pretty women dressed in Green riding habit. I believe this was after he painted it to amuse the Tahitians. It may of just been plain yellow before. I have read so many works on him that I am unsure where I got this from it might of been 'Captain Bligh and Mister Christian' by Richard Hough. I have just read Bligh's biography by Rob Mundle, also a very good book but nothing much about the ship. For what it is worth below is my lowly Airfix kit.

not so pretty is she with the Airfix mould!

[michaelpsutton2]

I think your lowly airfix kit has a reasonably possible color scheme. Certainly better than many I see. Congrats, nice work!

[sydneyship]

This is the HMS Bounty painted Model Ship I bought from a company in Sydney. 

 

[schiffebastler]

Hello @James H

 

as far as the colouring of the Bounty is concerned, I can't give you a definitive answer, there is no definitive description in my sources and books. But at that time a painting like the one shown in #10 was quite common. Instead of blue it could be black, green (not usual in England) or red, but also the blue paint was used and would have been possible for the Bounty. Since Prussian Blue was discovered in the 20s of the 18th century, an inexpensive blue color was available in large quantities. The costs for Prussian Blue in the middle of the 18th century were only about twice the price of the cheap red, red/yellow colors.

Of course, at that time also other blue colours had been available, but mostly Prussian Blue was used.

 

regards, Joachim

Edited February 21, 2019 by schiffebastler

[AJohnson]

On 1/26/2019 at 10:22 AM, Thunder said:

One thing of note is that the figurehead is often shown as wearing a red coat but in Bligh's log he is stating as describing it as a pretty women dressed in Green riding habit. I believe this was after he painted it to amuse the Tahitians. It may of just been plain yellow before. I have read so many works on him that I am unsure where I got this from it might of been 'Captain Bligh and Mister Christian' by Richard Hough. I have just read Bligh's biography by Rob Mundle, also a very good book but nothing much about the ship. For what it is worth below is my lowly Airfix kit.

not so pretty is she with the Airfix mould!

I just can't believe that is the Airfix kit!!! 😱  Brilliant work! 👏

[Joe100]

One thing to keep in mind when it comes to Bounty and her paint scheme is this: The Admiralty wasn’t interested in this project at all. When Bethia was taken in hand she was a relatively new ship, however the RN stepped new masts and changed all of her iron hardware to brass. Other changes were made for the greenhouse equipment etc. of course. However the civilian paint scheme was likely not altered. If a repaint was to be done, Bligh would have had to pay for it and he wasn’t exactly swimming in money. Bounty was an armed transport, not a warship, and one being run on a budget.