21 ft Yawl Longboat for a Sixth Rate by vaddoc - FINISHED - Scale 1:10 - Plans from the National Maritime Museum

[Wintergreen]

Apologies to Vaddoc for temporarily hi-jacking his thread.

Chapmans Architectura Navalis don't show that level of detail. But I found a couple of other leads.

1. Underhills "Plank on frame models" vol 2, plate 3, shows a ships boat (probably from a merchant man from the looks of it) and it has double knees on every thwart.

2. Short story first. A long while ago my wife saw a brown book about model ship building and thought "well that is a brown meager looking book, lets buy it for hubby". As it turns out it was a joy to read. Lovely language and descriptions. The book in question is "Ship model builders assistant" by Charles G Davis. First edition was 1926. Anyway, in chapter 17 "Boats" Davis refers to a publication from US Gvt called "Standard Boats of the US Navy" and he describes it as details as down to the last nail and screw. Then Davis goes on to refer to a French publication as "In one of the six volumes of ship's plans, published in France and compiled by Admiral de Paris, there is a set of plans showing the shape of each sized boat used in the French navy at the time". Unfortunately there is no reference list in the book so I don't have any more information about that publication.

 

If not exactly what you are looking for it is at least something. Glad to help 🙂 

[vaddoc]

@allanyed  Allan, you are probably very correct, and I say probably because I simply do not know; I had the lines of the boat but I could not find any plans or info how these boat were actually put together. I searched the net and the few books I have but I did not come up with anything helpful, apart from some dimensions in May's book. So, I improvised and decided to have fun and make it look "busy" to the ignorant eye, knowing it is very probably not historically accurate.

Now, as for the grating, the answer is very simple: I really wanted to try and make grating just for the fun of it, I originally intended to put it in the floor but then surfing the net I saw the photo bellow and changed my mind.

I am afraid the depth of my knowledge is skin-deep being a landsman that strangely happens to love boats!

 

Best wishes

Vaddoc

[vaddoc]

2 hours ago, Wintergreen said:

Underhills "Plank on frame models" vol 2, plate 3, shows a ships boat (probably from a merchant man from the looks of it) and it has double knees on every thwart.

Phew! That was close! Many thanks Hakan!

[Gregory]

Here is a drawing from Lavery's 'Arming & Fitting -etc.. '

 

[vaddoc]

Thanks Greg! I guess this settles it then, although the drawing shows less brackets and probably removable thwarts - Alan is right. 

[iMustBeCrazy]

11 hours ago, Gregory said:

Here is a drawing from Lavery's 'Arming & Fitting -etc.. '

Which is a copy of HIL210 from the RMG.

 

This is a drawing by a shipbuilder not the Admiralty which might explain some differences.

 

 

[allanyed]

15 hours ago, Wintergreen said:

Underhills "Plank on frame models" vol 2, plate 3, shows a ships boat (probably from a merchant man from the looks of it) and it has double knees on every thwart.

Thanks Hakan.  My very first modeling book the Ship model builders assistant" by Charles G Davis.   

 

Gregory and Craig

Yep that drawing shows double knees on the center thwart .   My fault for missing this as I have the book.  I wonder if the same could be said for launches and long boats et al.   No matter, this is interesting and a help.  Thanks guys

Allan

[shipman]

I think vaddoc's model is a fine representation of the subject.

 

It is my understanding that many ships boats were farmed out to 'private' builders.

I have never seen a 'contract' drawing or instructions, the experienced small yards were probably given the basic size of the type of boat required.

Each yard would have its individual idosyncracies, which would include detail variations.

 

All the boat drawings I've seen are of a particular finished examples.

My humble opinion is that no two boats were ever the same in this period, so detail differences should be allowed.

The important thing would have been the work should be reliably functional.

Just seems logical to me.

[allanyed]

11 hours ago, shipman said:

I have never seen a 'contract'

Hi Shipman,

I am pretty sure private yards always had contracts to build ships and boats based on those contracts.  Two samples below of contracts including an original for a 30 foot long boat and a  transcribed contract for two yawls.   

Allan

 

Contract for two Yawles

 Contracted this 24^th July  90 with  the Hono^ble Thomas Willshaw, Esq^re one of the Princip^all Officers  & Comm^rs of their  Maj^ties Navy, for & behalf of their Maj^ties, by me Robert Smith of Langstone Shipwr^ts and  doe hereby oblidge myselfe to build & deliver into their Maj^ties Stores at Ports^o: free of all charge by the latter and on Aug^st next ensueing the two Yawles undermentioned of the Dimensions and Scantlins & each fitted with the particulars foll^ing  (viz)     

                           Long              Broad                   Deepe

Yawles  of         23ft:   -----      5ft: 7:ins  ------     2ft: 5ins   ------- Two

 

Railes of the upper streakes to be made out of the wholewood up and downe Gunnels stuck, 3   Thwarts bound with Iron Knees and ye Transome w^th two Iron Knees, the Stateroom stuck an O:G. & planshier for the Gunnwales with two pannells on each side of the backboard, a locker under the after bench and lynings under the bench, Keel, thwart ships 4: ins. up and down 4½ ins. & 4 ins.  Keelson 6: ins. broade of 1½ inch plank, timbers of 1½ inch w^th 13 ins room and Space, & 10: in. Scarphs to the floor, timberheads to naile to the lower Edge of the binding Strake with bottome boards & Scarr Boards Keelbands & Iron bolts & Rings for Stem and Sterne to row w^th  6: oars each to be grav’d and primed to the Waterline and p^id in stuff in the inside to the rising at ye rate of 12 s   per foot   I doe oblidge myself that these boats shall be wrought w^th good dry well seasoned oak board of ynch thick in workmanlike manner for w^ch I am  to be paid readdy money at Portsmouth when a bill is made out and signed by the Officers at ye yard as useable.  

 

Edited October 10, 2023 by allanyed

[iMustBeCrazy]

Again, I think there were more exceptions than rules:

 

 

https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-535332

 

 

[vaddoc]

 Dear all

 

Time for another update I think.

 

The boat is almost done!

 

So, I finished all the oars, they came out fine I think with no failures. But then, I had to figure out what finish to use. Now, they are made of maple which is very white and apparently notoriously difficult to stain. I tried painting the oars white, (using the previous short oars I had made), staining and just Tang oil. I did not like the white colour, staining went really badly no matter what I tried so it had to be Tung oil. Photo bellow.

So all oars are now ready

Next, I painted the rudder and I made the tiller. Now, the tiller has a bit of story behind it. About 3 years ago, I salvaged a small piece of wood from an apricot tree in my parents summer house, now gone. I wanted to use a bit of that wood in this boat so made the tiller out of it. Very nice wood, really hard.

Then I made the hinges, secured to both the rudder and boat with CA glue and small nails, cut from brass pins, dipped again in CA glue.

 

Now, next project was the oar locks. I ve no idea what would be used back then but I decided to use double thole pins. So I made the sacrificial base and rounded off some square pear strips.

So I think really close to finishing. Of course, the whole point is the davit - this is the reason the boat was built! I need to make the sockets and finish the davit.

I also need to make a few cleats. I also have some thin soft leather, maybe it would be nice to add a strip to the oars.

 

My very best wishes to all

Vaddoc

 

[Wintergreen]

Looking good Vaddoc 🙂

 

[vaddoc]

Dear all

 

The boat is finished! 

 

After a lot of head scratching I ended up with a solution for the davit sockets that looks reasonable. The davit it self was also quite challenging to make but I think it came out fine.

Last thing to do was to install the thole pins and the cleats.

I still need to take some proper photos, make some type of cradle and order a display case. I think it is also appropriate to order the print from the National Maritime Museum or place some compact version of these plans within the case - we ll see.

This has been a very enjoyable build and I certainly learned a lot. In future I will post pictures in the gallery.

 

In the mean time however, there is another hull that has been gathering dust waiting patiently to come back into the shipyard. I do hope you will join for the Chapelle's fishing launch. 

 

I regret I have not been able to keep up with many logs I had been following - This is a period that life demands too much from me!

 

My deepest thanks for your company and support in this journey

 

Vaddoc

[JacquesCousteau]

Nice job, this looks amazing!

[Mark Pearse]

Congratulations Vaddoc,

 

A gorgeous model & one that must have been a very demanding build. You really had to build the whole boat & it's a beautiful result.

[BobG]

She's a beauty, Vaddoc! It's been a long journey but it's obvious that it was well worth all your time and effort. I look forward to your next modeling adventure!

[mbp521]

Congrats on a magnificent build. It’s been a pleasure to ride along on the journey. 
 

-Brian

[Gregory]

Do you think you could get a picture with your hand showing close to, or touching the boat?  It would be great to get a better sense of perspective.

[Thukydides]

Beautiful work

[mtaylor]

Clean, beautiful work, Vaddoc.  I hope you have a nice case for her to be displayed in.

[Mark Pearse]

Expanded polystyrene is an underrated material aesthetically, however I was wondering if you were going to do a stand, & what sort of design?

[No Idea]

Just been catching up on your build - You have made such a beautiful clean build - fantastic

[FriedClams]

Beautiful model, Vaddoc - congratulations.

 

Gary