USS Kearsarge

[Pathfinder]

I’ll be starting the Sterling kit soon,and the rigging deck details and such are abysmal at best.
 

Is there a good source for good details and correct rigging. I’ve already bought the replacement guns from cottage industries.
 

The Revell Kearsarge was the first model kit my Father bought me AAAALLLLL those years ago. 

When this guy is finished,the Cutty Sark is next. I have Longridge’s books to guide me there,but I can’t seem to find info on Civil War era Warships,and how they would have differed from Civilian ships of similar size. 
 

Thanks in advance for any info and help. 
 

                                                            Ted. 

[Pathfinder]

Not getting much response,sooooo,I’ll wing it using common sense and practices. 
 

May use known Clipper type rigging. Only a bit beefier. And what little photographic evidence there is.  
 

The cottage industries cannon set is for post war. I know the bow and stern decks were rebuilt,and a few other changes,do the Smithsonian plans include these changes?  
 

I’ll get them anyway,plus,a VERY kind gentleman sent me some plans and info,and Illst the return address. Are you listening?

 

gona be a great ride!

[Nunnehi (Don)]

Pathfinder,

 

Bluejacket Shipcrafters has a set of plans for the Kearsarge that you can get separately from their kit. They are an NRG supporter and highly recommended. I bought a set of their Constitution plans to guide me on the Revell kit and have found them very useful. 

 

Good luck,

Don

[wefalck]

I gather specific rigging plans and details are difficult to find, as they were to a great extent ‚shop practice‘. However, there are various textbooks and seamenship manuals that cover mid-19th century practices also for steamships from which one could reconstruct the rigging.

[BANYAN]

Hi Pathfinder (do you have a nick/preferred name please? )

 

I am in a similar situation as I am building a ship that was built in on the Thames River (1855) for the Colony of Victoria.  There is not much published about the specific rigs of this time, especially about rigs in steam powered ships.  If you need something as a guide right now, then there is a good book about the Confederate raider 'CSS Alabama - Anatomy of a Confederate Raider' by Andrew Bowcock; a ship which is contemporary to Kearsage, and the book includes a good belaying and rigging plan that was well researched by the author - yours may differ a little, HMCSS Victoria's does.  It would probably be a good investment for your needs.

 

After struggling quite a bit with the rigging, I decided to research and develop my own plan.  I am in the process of trying to make sense of it at the moment, and here is what I know.  Small and medium steam / sail vessels of this period were generally fitted with a modified form of a Barque rig.   That is, three masts, usually with lower masts taller than in other rigs, and no square sails/yards on the Mizen.

 

Robert Kipping and John Fincham were the two acknowledged authors (both Naval Shipwrights) of this period and while not naming the rig, discussed the various elements of the rigging under loose sub-headings of steam vessels.   There are many common elements in the rigs of vessels powered by steam whether as the auxiliary or the primary means of propulsion, or, whether screw or paddle driven.  The RN also tended to rig their larger ships of the period as 'ship rigged'.    As this was a period of rapid evolution of all matters relating to shipbuilding, this rig differed over time and between builders/Captain's needs.  For example, in one letter from the ship build superintendent reporting back to the Governor of the Colony, he states that while he would have preferred a rig more aligned with Service practices (he was an RN officer); he had allowed the designated Captain of the ship to modify the rig to align with Merchant ship practices of the day, specifically those he was more familiar with.  This resulted in lighter sails, more automation etc.

 

I have taken the liberty of calling this rig "Steamer Rig' with due acknowledgement to the two primary sources named above and I supplemented their data with information from Underhill, McCann, Macgregor, Campbell, Cruthers etc.   I am not at a point where I have completely developed a rigging plan, yet alone a belaying plan, but I am getting there.  If you are not in a desperate hurry, I am happy to provide some of the basic information once it is completed (probably quite a few months away yet).   I say basic information, as Victoria's rigging will be a little different to Kearsage and you will need to modify it, and the belaying points etc to suit.  The plan I am developing basically conforms to the general rigging practices for the "Steamer Rig' with some specific modifications as outlined in HMCSS Victoria's Contract and Rigging Warrant.  For example, Victoria had steel wire rope standing rigging, many ships did not, so the belaying was different (Victoria used 'Rigmaiden' Lanyards),  but the general rigging practice (i.e, number of shrouds, their leads, fittings etc) were common to the general Steamer Rig conventions.

 

cheers

 

Pat

Edited March 15, 2020 by BANYAN
general edit

[Roger Pellett]

A number of years ago there was a 3 or 4 part series in the Nautical Research Journal about a model of Kearsarge.  It includes considerable research material.  Call the Guild office about ordering reprints.

 

Roger

[uss frolick]

The smithsonian has a ten sheet set of plans in 1/4 inch scale of the USS Hartford . It was drawn up to make a rigged solid hull model for their collection

[Pathfinder]

Thanks Guys!  And yes,Pathfinder is my preferred name. Come from my Muzzleloading life. Muzzleloading/Ships= 70/30. 
 

I did purchase the Blue Jacket plans. 
 

And Pat,I’ll take you up on your offer!!

 

as a side note,Did you guys see the Kearsarge a guy built with a complete below decks engine room?  I lost the link,but it was an in incredible scratch build! 

[BANYAN]

Pathfinder, no worries, but as I mentioned, I am some ways of completing this research; and also, only the basic rig details will be applicable.  You will need to refine my results for your own belaying plan especially. 

 

Do you have much in the way of imagery to help?  Please PM me if you wish a little more detail of what I have done as it is far too large to post the details here and I wish to preserve copyright for some of it.   For example, do you know if she used wire or natural cordage for her shrouds, stays etc.?

 

cheers

 

Pat

[wefalck]

There is at least one quite good book on her foe, which might give some transferrable details:

 

BOWCOCK, A. (2002): CSS Alabama. Anatomy of a Confederate Raider.- 191 p., Rochester, Kent (Chatham Publishing).

 

Rigging practices may have differed somewhat between the RN and USN, but the various books on HMS WARRIOR might also provide insights into warship fitting out and rigging details of the 1860s.

 

Plus of course the huge amount of research Pat has done ...

[tomwilberg]

On 3/15/2020 at 4:35 PM, Pathfinder said:

...as a side note,Did you guys see the Kearsarge a guy built with a complete below decks engine room?  I lost the link,but it was an in incredible scratch build! 

 

Hi,

it was a guy nicknamed "LtGarp" in the Wettringer Forum (German Language), living in Stuttgart.

https://www.wettringer-modellbauforum.de/forum/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=28444&pageNo=58&highlight=kearsarge

For example page 58....

 

In fact, that build is almost incredible.

 

Greetings

Thomas

 

[alanroy]

Good evening,

Not a member yet, but soon!

William Blackmore, owner/operator of Cottage Industries, also does a wartime set of cannons.

Best regards,

Alan