FRAGATA COLOMBIA NEW INFO

[marinero]

AFTER YEARS OF SEARCHING AND A TRIP TO ECUADOR I FINALLY FOUND THE LOCATION OF THE REMAINING CANNONS BELONGING TO FRAGATA COLOMBIA BUILT IN NEW YORK BY HENRY ECKFORD IN 1825. THIS DISCOVERY ALSO CLEARS THE RECORD FOR THE CANNONS MATERIAL FOR WHICH A LOT OF SPECULATION HAD BEEN BUILT WITH NO EVIDENCE TO CORROBORATE IT. EVEN THE ECUADOREAN NAVY Instituto de Historia Marítima (INHIMA) IN GUAYAQUIL DOS NOT KNOW THE ORIGIN OR MATERIAL USED IN THE CANNONS. MY FIRST LEAD WAS A COURT RECORD IN THE CITI OF NEW YORK WHERE ECKFORDS DECENDANTS WERE BEING SUED FOR A DEBT HE SUSTAINED WITH A SUPPLIER. IN THE DOCUMENTS I FOUND THE REFERENCE TO WEST POINT FOUNDRY, AS ONE OF THE SUPPLIES GIVEN TO ECKFORD FOR THE SHIP AROUND THOSE YEARS. THIS PROVED ECKFORD DID BUSSINESS WITH WEST POINT FOUNDRY. THIS SET MY COURSE OF THE INVESTIGATION. THE NAVY HISTORIAN FOR INHIMA HAD TOLD ME ABOUT THE EXISTENCE OF THE CANNONS IN THE CITI. MY TRIP CONCLUDED WITH MY VISIT TO GUAYAQUIL, ECUADOR TWO MONTHS AGO. THE CANNONS ARE SCATTERED AROUND THE CITI AND SOME ARE BEING HELD BY PRIVATE PERSONS. THE FIRST TWO CANNONS I SAW , ARE LOCATED NEXT TO CERRO SANTA ANA AND HAVE BEEN DETERIORATED OVER THE YEARS DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE, THE INITIALS WPF(WEST POINT FOUNDRY) ON THE TRUNIONS WERE NOT THERE.
I TOOK DETAILED DIMENTIONS AND PICTURES FOR THE CANNONS AND ARE IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING TECHNICAL DRAWINGS. THEY ARE 10 FT 2IN LONG,BORE SIZE IS 6.625 WHICH MAKES IT A 32 POUNDER.
I WENT TO SECOND SITE AND FOUND TWO MORE CANNONS AND OH BOY WAS I HAPPY TO SEE THE WPF MARKS.
AFTER SEARCHING WITHOUT SUCCESS FOR YEARS I FINALLY FOUND THE MISSING LINK. BUT THERE IS NO POINT IN ME KNOWING THIS HSTORICAL FACT WITHOUT SHARING IT WITH OTHERS. SO HERE ARE THE PICTURES AND HOPE YOU CAN GIVE ADDITIONAL INFO ON THE CANNONS. ANY THOUGHTS ON DESIGNER, MAYBE AMSTRONG OR BLOOMFIELD? ANY IDEAS ON THIS ARE WELLCOME.

[mtaylor]

Excellent detective work. 

 

Are you working on the plans for this ship?  Or is the research serving a different purpose?   If you're drawing plans or building this ship, please feel free to share this adventure with us.

[marinero]

HELLO I AM MAKING SHIP DRAWINGS BUT HAS TAKEN ME THREE YEARS ALREADY TO GET INFO ON SHIP LITLE AT A TIME. INFO IS VERY SCARCE AND FOR SHIP DESIGN I HAVE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION SHIPS MADE BY HENRY ECKFORD AND OTHER DESIGNS OF THAT TIME. HOPEFULLY I WILL BUILD A MODEL. WOODS ARE VERY CHEAP HERE BUT I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TYPE TO USE. SHIP MODEL MAKERS ARE MOSTLY IN EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA WHERE MATERIALS ARE DIFFERENT. I WILL HAVE TO MAKE ALMOST EVERYTHING.  SUGESTIONS AS TO WHAT TYPE OF WOOD I CAN USE THAT IS INDIGINOUS TO SOUTH AMERICA WOULD BE GREAT.

OH WHY SO MUCH WORK JUST FOR A SHIP?. IT IS A FAMILY AFFAIR THAT BEGAN FROM ALL FAMILIY HAVING HEARD STORIES ABOUT OUR ANCESTORS BUT IT WAS ONLY STORIES. THIS IS THE REASON I BEGAN TO INVESTIGATE HISTORY AND IT HAS BEEN A WONDERFULL LESSON. I NEVER IMAGINED IT WOULD GET ME THIS FAR. MY OBJECTIVE IS TO WRITE A BOOK FOR THE FAMILY AND FOR ALL INTERESTED IN SOUTH AMERICAN HISTORY. I WOULD LOVE TO GET SHIP PLANS FOR HENRY ECKFORD DESIGNS.

[mtaylor]

A very noble and wonderful project.  I wish you luck on getting all the information you need.

 

A lot of the woods that we use for our ships comes from South America.  Such as boxwood.   Have a look here: http://www.dlumberyard.com/wood.html Scroll down to "Wood Samples" and click on the individual woods. You will probably see some woods you are familiar with.

[AvM]

Dear marinero!

 

We were in contact some time ago regarding frigates for Bolivar.

 

I have some new illustrations for you.

 

Unfortunately I have not more any photos of the model you have found in Ecuador.

regards

 

avm

PS. The below ship is Brazilian frigate IMPERATRIZ a sistership to COLOMBIA