Last 1700s England - Binnacle Vent?

[Moonbug]

Hello all - I've rooted around a bit in both my books and here and I think I've got a decent idea of what I'd like to do for the binnacle on Peg.  My question is this - When and in what cases did the vent start to appear on binnacles to account for the lamp?   Was this more regional than dated?

[druxey]

There were always vents, but not a funnel or chimney. The latter seems to be a 19th century development. An Amazon class model in the NMM collection shows the form used in the 1770's:

 

https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-66276

 

Hard to see in the photo, but the sides of the central raised portion have several vent holes (five in a diamond pattern, one hole in the middle, if memory serves me correctly).

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[Moonbug]

Thanks Drux for digging up the resource.

 

    Given a peripheral discussion in another forum, I'm pretty tempted to chastise you and sulk for providing me with information that differs from my expectation - but I'll resist.   😆

[druxey]

Oooh! See if I help you out again, Moonbug. Seriously, you'll have to post a photo or two of your own completed binnacle as reparation.

[Moonbug]

On 11/8/2021 at 5:32 AM, druxey said:

you'll have to post a photo or two of your own completed binnacle as reparation.

  More to come in the log Drux - but here’s a tease of my interpretation of the binnacle:  

 

[Gregory]

Very nice.

 

If you have any thoughts about embellishing it further, here are some ideas from Mondfeld.

 

[druxey]

The lower left one in the illustration above is strange: normally there are two compasses, one on either side with the lamp in the center compartment. Why two compasses? One can be seen no matter whether the helmsman stands to the left or right of the wheel. Also, as planned redundancy, should one compass fail.

[Gregory]

Mondfeld says:

 

 

He agrees that two compasses would have been more common.

[Moonbug]

  Thanks @Gregory and @druxey - really appreciate the input.   I have Mondfeld's book also and I looked through his info as well as "The Sailing Frigate" by Robert Gardiner and the pretty popular shot of the binnacle from the Victory that's floating around.  I finally decided on a lamp in the middle, a compass on the left, and a 'boxed' compass on the right.  

 

    Here's what I ended up with - posted over in my build:  

 

https://modelshipworld.com/topic/30091-hms-pegasus-1776-by-moonbug-victory-models-164/page/2/#comment-863975

 

 

[Blue Ensign]

I followed Greg Herbert's example in Volume 111 of the ffm.

This is also a simplified version, lacking a chimney, and is very similar to the style you decided upon.

 

Regards,

 

B.E.

[druxey]

Here is a photo of a binnacle based on the Amazon class model's example.

 

[Moonbug]

  Man - that's a nice looking one @druxey!   

 

   Thanks @Blue Ensign - I was a little cautious of it being too elaborate; as you also noted in your build.  I wanted a nice touch, but not necessarily something that looked out of place for the rest of the ship.

 

Seriously - thanks to you two and everyone else.  Hopefully this thread will serve as a good reference for others look for binnacle options and research.  

Edited November 12, 2021 by Moonbug

[Nipper]

Bug

I've been browsing MSW for ideas on binnacles for my Sphinx - and yours is so helpful!

I've learned from MSW members (thanks to yourself, Blue Ensign, et al) that the binnacle on the Amazon is the most likely design to copy in order to match the Sphinx date of 1775, and your content here will enable me to do just that.

So thanks very much for providing this.

Nipper