The Elusive Hulc by woodrat - FINISHED - 1:32 - plank-on-frame - a speculative reconstruction of a mediaeval merchantman

[druxey]

Well, darn! Just like the real thing! How long did it take for you to find that particular branch?

[woodrat]

On 3/15/2021 at 7:57 PM, druxey said:

Well, darn! Just like the real thing! How long did it take for you to find that particular branch?

Well, dang it! I just wrestled it off the dog. Plenty of fallen wood around the place. Just needed a tad of whittlin'.

Dick

[druxey]

So, you have a canine collector?

[Louie da fly]

What kind of wood is that? It looks like it might be off a fruit tree.

 

Steven

[woodrat]

On 3/20/2021 at 7:34 AM, Louie da fly said:

What kind of wood is that? It looks like it might be off a fruit tree.

I don't know. There are no fruit trees in the park but a range of native australian trees. The canine collector did not tell me from which tree it derived.

Dick and Maggie🐕

[Louie da fly]

Well, it's a very attractive piece of wood - and much more likely to be a good representation of what was actually used than a smooth, machined piece bought from Bunnings(!)

 

Steven

[woodrat]

Yes, indeed, Steven. Following along the nordic theme. Here is the central part of the varmint framed loosely based on Skuldelev 1. The framing is providing some much needed stiffening to the hull but I suspect that the hull would have "worked' a fair bit in a heavy sea. Note that three of the beams are through beams. These through beams are seen on many of the hulc seals.

 

 

 

 

Cheers

Dick

 

 

 

Edited March 24, 2021 by woodrat

[Louie da fly]

Beautiful work (as usual), Dick.

 

Steven

[bolin]

Seeing your keelson makes me wonder if I should reconsider how I plan to do it in my long ship. Beautiful work.

[woodrat]

On 3/26/2021 at 12:59 AM, bolin said:

Seeing your keelson makes me wonder if I should reconsider how I plan to do it in my long ship. Beautiful work.

I cant tell from available information if the keelson/mast-step was preserved in the wreck of Helga Holm. If not then the reconstruction keelson has similarities to the skuldelev wrecks:

 

I would think that a chap of your skill would make short work of carving one from a nice piece of scandinavian wood

Cheers

Dick 

 

[bolin]

Only a small piece was preserved of the keelson, so the reconstruction used Skuldelev 2 as a reference and comparison.

[woodrat]

As there seems to be some discussion around nordic mast-steps, here is my take on it. The mast foot is introduced into the step slot at an angle then raised upright between the guides. The lower part of the mast abuts the vertical branch of the keelson. A rectangular timber is inserted behind the mast and wedged in place to hold and lock the mast . The mast is then lashed to the upper beam.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheerio

Dick

 

 

[Louie da fly]

That should make it very secure, Dick, and your take on it seems very logical.

 

Steven

[woodrat]

Hull framing nears completion with all frames trenailed to shell. The decks will be next. I plan to have a central cargo area which could transport horses if required.

 

 

 

 

 

The scandinavian influence is obvious but the barge-like shape of the hull would increase cargo carrying capacity. The reverse-clinker leads to an increased resistance to leeway which makes it less necessary to have a deep keel. The side rudder however will need to be wide and deep in the water to add more lateral resistance. Also note that the reverse clinker creates a channel in the midline beneath the keelson where water can pool. There is no need then for limber holes in the frames and less likelihood of rot. Evacuation of water is simply done either by bailing or a log pump. I think I will install the latter.There is plenty of room beneath the keelson for water to move side to side as well as end to end. As there seem to be so many advantages to reverse clinker, I would be surprised if the clever shipwrights of the time did not at least try it.

 

 

Cheers

Dick

[woodrat]

Framing complete and the hull is stained to imitate the likely colour of the beast.

 

 

 

 

I hope you approve of the effect

Cheers

Dick

[druxey]

Looks terrific! I can almost imagine the ship as preserved in a museum.

[Louie da fly]

Beautiful execution as always.

 

But I can't get over the look of that planking. Curiouser and curiouser 

 

Steven

[woodrat]

Why,sometimes  I've believed  as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

[Louie da fly]

Boom - tish!

[Louie da fly]

18 hours ago, woodrat said:

Why,sometimes  I've believed  as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

 

(including building an impossible ship!)

 

Steven

[woodrat]

The lowest deck has been fitted. I have done this in removable panels. This would have been necessary to get access to the bilge for cleaning and repairs, especially if transporting horses.

 

Cheers

Dick

[woodrat]

The framing for the upper decks and hatches. The central area around the mast is for cargo and equine transport. Gangways will be installed.

Looking aft from bow

 

Looking forward from stern

stern showing the lower halyard block

 

Cheers

Dick

[druxey]

Frumiuoser and frumiouser, Dick!

[Louie da fly]

Beautiful work, Dick. Particularly for a vessel that may never have existed! 

[woodrat]

1 hour ago, Louie da fly said:

Particularly for a vessel that may never have existed! 

I have seen many more imaginary and fanciful "reconstructions" of famous ships that definitely existed, such as Santa Maria and the Golden Hind, but never in the strange manifestations offered by many kit manufacturers. I am at least honestly guessing at what may have been and at the end of the task will have an attractive vessel on the mantle-piece. As has been stated in this log, experimental archaeology is its own justification and can shine light on the past that shipwreck retrieval archaeology cannot always achieve.

As an example of what experimental archaeology can achieve, I would point out your excellent reconstruction of the byzantine dromon and encourage others to take on such projects which are outside the mainstream of ship-modelling. Do we really need any more imaginary models of famous ships?

 

Grumpily yours

Woodrat

 

[Louie da fly]

I hope I didn't offend you, Dick. The furthest thing from my intention. I agree completely with your comments regarding the value of experimental archaeology. Unfortunately, kit manufacturers follow what they perceive the "market" to be - so there's plenty of Santa Marias, Revenges, Golden Hinds etc based on very little and even (such as in the case of all those square-sterned Santa Marias), in direct contradiction of the available evidence. This alone is a justification for a certain amount of well-earned grumpiness.

 

OTOH, there's the occasional wild card - there was a beautiful kit on MSW awhile ago of a Liburnian from umpteen BC, based on contemporary representations, and sporting a stern rudder!

 

Personally I'm not all that interested in building a model of a ship where all the information is handed to you on a platter. I would far rather exercise my mind investigating lesser-known ships and trying to work out hwat* form they really took and how they were made. I think at least half the fun in ship modelling is in the research and speculation, and the attempt to duplicate something where the information is far from complete, or interpret the available (often obscure) information to make something that actually works.

 

And there are so many ships out there, particularly from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, that nobody has ever attempted. Like, I wouldn't mind having a go at this one, from Carpaccio's Legend of St Ursula.

 

 

or perhaps one of these, a bas-relief (probably from the 12th century) on the leaning tower of Pisa

 

 

Anyway, I'm following this build with great interest, to see how the theoretical idea turns out in the real world. Congratulations on your persistence and perspicacity, and other things beginning with per-

 

Best wishes,

 

Steven

 

 

*(that was a typo, but is also the Old English version** of the word what, so I'm leaving it in place)

**(actually it's hwaet, but what they hey . . .)

[woodrat]

2 hours ago, Louie da fly said:

I hope I didn't offend you, Dick.

No offence taken. This is one of my soapboxes that I have to get off my chest (among other mixed metaphors).

Cheers

Dick😀

[Louie da fly]

5 hours ago, woodrat said:

Do we really need any more imaginary models of famous ships?

 

Couldn't agree more.

[woodrat]

Gangways have been installed to allow easy access from the forecastle to the aft mechanisms and poop.

I have a cunning plan to suggest how the rudder can be tensioned via a withy ( a narrow flexible willow branch). The withy was used to hold the rudder against the hull and resist the lateral forces acting to push the rudder away from the hull. Rope was not used because it would tend to stretch when wet whereas the withy would remain taut. Also the withy would need to be able to be loosened to allow raising of the rudder.

 

 

 

 

cheers

Dick

[woodrat]

Gangways are installed and some carpentry at the poop. Remember that there will be castles (one for the Red Queen and one for the White Queen. May they never meet!)

 

 

 

 

Dick