Fairland by portchieboy - RESTORATION - old wooden model presumed to be Clipper from late 19thC

[portchieboy]

I have the honour to have been asked to restore an old, and very tired model thought to date from the late 19th Century. Nothing is known about the ship, bar it's name, so I can only work with what I have been given. You will see that it is 3 masted, and there are 21 yards. The rigging that is left on the ship is wire, and some has been snipped off rather than undone.

 

I will follow advice given me so far and thoroughly record and clean the model first. I also will be measuring and recording the rigging to try to work out where it went, and what more is required. I have some experience of building, though minimal compared to many on this forum. I will therefore be very interested and grateful for any advice along the way.

 

Thanks Stewart for your faith in me, I will do my best.

 

Builds to date

 

Panart Royal Caroline 1/47 Completed 2011

Jotika HMS Vistory 1/72 Started 2008, still to finish ships boats

[portchieboy]

[Keith Black]

 Seven yards per mast? A rigging nightmare. I love restoration projects so I'll be following along. It appears at some point in the past there was a cosmetic restoration attempted which looks like it did more damage than good, IMHO. 

[Roger Pellett]

From the pictures that you have posted, it looks like the furled sails are, carved and painted pieces of wood.  Am I correct?

 

If That’s what they are, they are a distinctive feature of this piece of folk art.

 

Roger

[portchieboy]

Thanks folk. 

 

Keith....Yes indeed, some work to do! I am thinking that the wires are in such a state that I am tempted to leave the standing rigging, but lose all the elements of running rigging. Also leave the ratlines. I can then get to the masts and deck better to clean them. The masts need taking apart anyway, as there are several breaks. I can ultimately re rig using ropes instead, and proper blocks etc. I intend to get hold of a copy of Cutty Sark's rigging plans to get the gist of rigging a Clipper.

 

Roger.....Yes, the furled sails are carved wood. I am sure I can make a better job of the painting. There are also a number of loose pieces of the same carvings as shown on the photo's. Not sure yet where those go!

 

Out of interest I notice that the 'yoke' on the yards is in some cases on the aft of the yard, and some are on top? That is a little confusing I have to admit.

[Keith Black]

 Were it I, I'd remove the standing rigging as well and start with fresh rigging including ratlines. You'll be able to remove the mast and repair them properly and it'll give you access to the entire deck to clean, make repairs, and add those elements that are missing. With seven yards per mast you're going to want to be able to work off model rigging all those yards. On one hand replacing all the rigging is a large task but in the long run it's going to make restoration much easier, IMHO. 

[rwiederrich]

7 yards per mast....mmmmm.  Do you have an original photo of her before you began the restoration?

 

Being Howes rigged, She either had a single main, upper and lower topsails, upper and lower topgallants a royal and a skysail....or..

Her main, double topsails a single topgallant, a royal, a sky sail and a moon sail.

 

Do you know....Is this model  suppose to replicate an actual vessel or is she fictitious?(I know you probably already answered this)  *Fairland*...interesting.

She was most likely British...she appears to be of that pedigree.

No American clipper was rigged with 7 yards per mast.  Still trying to figure out what British vessels did, if any.  I do think I recall, a ship having 7 yards on her main....but I'm not sure of her origins....I'll do some research.

 

Rob

[portchieboy]

Thanks Rob, very illuminating.

 

Stewart, the ships owner is not certain about the provenance.It was his Great (I think) Grandfather who built the model, and S in unsure whether it was fictional or otherwise. He has tried Lloyds Register who can find nothing, but I think he would like it to be a 'real' ship. He does admit to an earlier intent to restore the model, hence its' deconstruction, but this was never continued. At that time he drew the model prior to its demise, but sadly those drawings have long since dissappeared.

 

I admit I am a total newbie to this kind of project, and not being a sailing man have to look up all these terms. So as to Howes rigging, I gather this is where the lower sail is in a fixed position and others can come down over it. Would this only apply to the 3 lower sails? Also, how can you tell this from the photos?

 

I must admit from my limited research, the only clippers that I could find with 7 yards werejust an occaisional mainmast on an older vessel, or maybe all 3 on these new cruise clippers. I am afraid again that the names of the sails....Moonsail etc maen nothing to me. When it comes to the rigging, I guess so long as I know how the yards were held, and then the sails set, then I can rig accordingly. 

 

Thanks for your time, and as you will see when I have the ship cleaned up and stabilised I will be leaning very heavily on you!!!!!

 

Mike

 

 

[rwiederrich]

2 hours ago, portchieboy said:

So as to Howes rigging, I gather this is where the lower sail is in a fixed position and others can come down over it. Would this only apply to the 3 lower sails? Also, how can you tell this from the photos?

Mike....typically with Howes rig the main sail yard is fixed to the lower mast via a metal truss.  The Howes rig comes into play with the top sails.  Early clippers only had a single top sail, that could be raised and lowered the full length of the top mast.  The Howes design(actually designed by Forbes) affixed a second topsail to the lower mast cap...via a crane and iron support(the lower topsail)...permitting the upper topsail to easily be lowered down and *Over* the lower....quickly reducing sail area.  This double yard(Howes), system was also employed in the topgallant yards in similar fashion in later clippers and larger sea going carriers.  The Forbes design(Later to be adopted and improved by the Howes design)...quickly permitted the sailors to reduce sail by lowering the top yard/sail onto and over the lower sail/yard.  Quickly reducing sail area, in essence hiding it in the air shadow of the lower sail..  This method was far easier to manage then the earlier very large single topsails of earlier models.  Especially during dangerous high wind events.

 

Rob

Edited January 31, 2022 by rwiederrich

[rwiederrich]

2 hours ago, portchieboy said:

how can you tell this from the photos?

 

I failed to answer this specific question in my earlier post.

 

I can't tell from the pictures of the model if she had 6 or 7 yards per mast.  That is devised from what you said the model had when you acquired her.

My conclusions are based upon the fact the model had 7 yards per mast and from what I know about the typical arrangement on clippers.

From what I recollect there have never been a clipper with 7 yards on all three masts.  As mentioned earlier...I will do further research but I think there was one that might have had a seventh yard on her main mast only.

 

Typical clipper designs had 5~6 yards per mast.  Some, 5 on all masts...some with 6 on all masts, and still others with 5 on the foremast 6 on the main and 5 on the mizzen mast.  Generally a combination of these designs could be found.   Even on some of the largest sea going cargo carriers...the big 4 and 5 masted German vessels...only carried 6 yards per mast.

 

Rob

[druxey]

Porchie: Even though the paintwork may not be brilliant, try to keep as much of the original as possible. Resist the temptation to paint over what is there! Restoring missing patches of paint is a better solution.

 

Keith: I agree that earlier 'restorations' make life far more difficult than an untouched model.

 

Everyone: whether or not 'real' ships were rigged with seven yards per mast or not is irrelevant to this model. One doesn't try to alter things when restoring however 'inaccurate' it may be, unless it is obvious that something was not original but a later addition.

[rwiederrich]

10 minutes ago, druxey said:

Everyone: whether or not 'real' ships were rigged with seven yards per mast or not is irrelevant to this model. One doesn't try to alter things when restoring however 'inaccurate' it may be, unless it is obvious that something was not original but a later addition.

Good point Druxey.  Altering a model to *bring* her into compliance is not the restorers job....however, I am simply trying to ascertain its lineage and a possible identification to aid the restorer and most importantly the *Owner*, in any history of the models actual ship.

 

Rob

[Roger Pellett]

Rob, Mike,

 

It would seem that this is the dilemma that one is faced  with when restoring an old model, restore or correct obvious anomalies, such as the number of mast segments, yards, and sails. 

 

In this case, improving it to be an accurate “museum quality” model is not practical and would destroy Mike’s great grandfather’s work.  It seems to me that a better choice would be to put it back together, warts and all, and exhibit it as a piece of folk art.  For example, I would not add deadeyes to secure the shrouds to the hull as they are not present on the model as he found it.

 

I think that it will be more important to tie the model to Mike’s great grandfather than to try to improve it.  If he enjoys the experience, once he has restored this model then he can build a historically correct model from scratch.

 

Roger

Edited January 31, 2022 by Roger Pellett

[Keith Black]

 I couldn't find any photos of a clipper carrying seven yards on all three mast but did find a photo of the Mount Stewart. She carried seven on the main but only six on the mizzen and fore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 31, 2022 by Keith Black

[rwiederrich]

1 hour ago, Roger Pellett said:

Rob, Mike,

 

It would seem that this is the dilemma that one is faced  with when restoring an old model, restore or correct obvious anomalies, such as the number of mast segments, yards, and sails. 

 

In this case, improving it to be an accurate “museum quality” model is not practical and would destroy Mike’s great grandfather’s work.  It seems to me that a better choice would be to put it back together, warts and all, and exhibit it as a piece of folk art.  For example, I would not add deadeyes to secure the shrouds to the hull as they are not present on the model as he found it.

 

I think that it will be more important to tie the model to Mike’s great grandfather than to try to improve it.  If he enjoys the experience, once he has restored this model then he can build a historically correct model from scratch.

 

Roger

Interesting.

Restoration is more important then correction in this instance.  Even if Grandpa built his model inaccurately..it should be *restored* as it was originally created...to retain the actual patina of the model.   I would venture to suggest that if the main shrouds and ratlines are intact and without great damage...I would not replace them...but merely clean them.  These are original to the model...thus original material and they reflect work actually done by Great-grandpa.   It represent more folk art then an actual scale model of an actual ship.  IMO.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

1 hour ago, Keith Black said:

 I couldn't find any photos of a clipper carrying seven yards on all three mast but did find a photo of the Mount Stewart. She carried seven on the main but only six on the mizzen and fore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not to be nitpicky, but for everyone's edification,   this vessel is not a clipper.  She is an iron hulled carrier....designed more on the DownEaster model.  Probably  Scottish.  Definitely European.  I'll do more research.

 

Rob

Edited January 31, 2022 by rwiederrich

[portchieboy]

Still listening, taking everything in thanks. I have contacted Stewart, the owner and we are actively talking about the plans. Interesting comment the last one Rob, wasn't aware of the difference. Many thanks for the research. 

[Keith Black]

39 minutes ago, rwiederrich said:

Not to be nitpicky, but for everyone's edification,   this vessel is not a clipper.

 Rob, nor did  I say she was a clipper. What I said was, "I couldn't find any photos of a clipper carrying seven yards on all three mast but did find a photo of the Mount Stewart."  I'm sorry if you read in my statement that I was saying the Mount Stewart was a clipper. 

 

 The Mount Stewart was a steel hulled ship launched out of Glasgow in May of 1891 built for the Australian wool trade. 

[rwiederrich]

16 hours ago, Keith Black said:

 Rob, nor did  I say she was a clipper. What I said was, "I couldn't find any photos of a clipper carrying seven yards on all three mast but did find a photo of the Mount Stewart."  I'm sorry if you read in my statement that I was saying the Mount Stewart was a clipper. 

 

 The Mount Stewart was a steel hulled ship launched out of Glasgow in May of 1891 built for the Australian wool trade. 

I read your statement correctly Keith.   Indeed, you never did say the Mount Stewart was a clipper…(directly)…I wasn’t inferring that you did. You did say you didn’t find a clipper with 7 yards on all three masts, and that you did find one of the  Mount Stewart with 7 yards on only her main mast   That statement alone gives the impression that the Stewart was still a clipper……just not with 7 yards on all 3 masts.

 

I was simply informing the viewing audience that despite the Stewart’s sail configuration……she is in no way a clipper design. 
 

Sorry if I appeared to put words in your mouth.  When the conversation is reviewed closely, you can see that I actually did not. 
 

Your search for such a vessel, and finding an image for us to review is commendable.  
 

Rob

Edited February 1, 2022 by rwiederrich

[rwiederrich]

Upon further reflection and review of portions of my dialogue.....I wish to apologies if I gave any rash judgments concerning the previous posts.

 

I'm very passionate about clippers...and since their *Era* was very short and very specific, I tend to be overly corrective, when vessels of similar appearance are mistakenly assessed as clippers. 

 

Not that that is what happened, but I felt it necessary to make sure the distinction was made for the viewing public.

 

All is well and I express my deepest regrets for implying a correction when one was not needed.

 

Getting back to the original posters dilemma.....I would suggest Restoration of redeemable portions of this model be undertaken and preservation to include the natural patina which also preserves the historical integrity.  If too much of the original material....ie....shrouds, or paint are replaced and painted over...the model can be robbed of the evidence of its creators skill or original expression.   Restoration is a fine balancing line between preservation and protection.

 

Rob

Edited February 1, 2022 by rwiederrich

[portchieboy]

All is good chaps, we are all working to the same end. Equal thanks to all contributors. 

 

Mike

[Keith Black]

 Somehow the garish white paint applied on the ship's boats and furled sails in an earlier cosmetic restoration needs to be either removed or painted over, IMHO. The two furled sails yards center of the below photo appear to be untouched from original. The furled sails that have not been painted white but have been accentuated with black lines (first yard above two at center) also does not appear to be original. Mike, my hope for your sake is that the paint used was/is acrylic. 

 

 There are many views on replacing broken pieces, example the missing ear on the original top center yard, left side. Some folks only want to see original, no replacement pieces. Others want to see replacement pieces made but any replacement pieces are to be left unpainted so as not to be confused as original. Then there are folks like myself who say, fix it! Fix any broken pieces and make it look like original but when it's a valuable antique, that's an expensive mistake. 

 

 That will be Stewart's and Mike's call. 

 

 

[Keith Black]

Mike, what's the latest on the project? 

[druxey]

Old paint is usually oil based, and may contain lead. Be careful and take appropriate health and safely measures if removing any paint.

[portchieboy]

Thanks boys. Afraid things are currently delayed. We have just moved house, a messy move that has taken 3 months or so. The house will be my priority, so no work maybe until the winter 😣. I will be in touch! 

[portchieboy]

[portchieboy]

We have now settled in to the new house, and so I am starting to think about some more work on the Fairland. I have now removed the unworkable wires from the model, leaving a good representation from the original. I have kept the waste wire, and can use that in smaller runs if needs be. As you can see, I have started the clean up, and it is amazing what a difference a little spit on a cotton bud makes! Thanks for that tip. I do not think the hull will need a lot more work, just a little localised attention here and there.

 

I have loosely placed some of the railings in place, and am just awaitng some more pins to complete this. I think I have enough 'pillars' to put under the railings, but can make more if needs be. I can then identify, clean and add the rest of the deck furniture. It is my intent to finish that element before restoring and adding the 21 spars (yes, I will put them all on despite the historical inaccuracy), as that will restore things in a 'folk art' fashion.

 

Rigging, whether wire or 'rope' can then follow.

 

As ever, I shall be waiting with baited breath for your help and assistance.....please!!!!

 

[portchieboy]

We have now settled in to the new house, and so I am starting to think about some more work on the Fairland. I have now removed the unworkable wires from the model, leaving a good representation from the original. I have kept the waste wire, and can use that in smaller runs if needs be. As you can see, I have started the clean up, and it is amazing what a difference a little spit on a cotton bud makes! Thanks for that tip. I do not think the hull will need a lot more work, just a little localised attention here and there.

 

I have loosely placed some of the railings in place, and am just awaitng some more pins to complete this. I think I have enough 'pillars' to put under the railings, but can make more if needs be. I can then identify, clean and add the rest of the deck furniture. It is my intent to finish that element before restoring and adding the 21 spars (yes, I will put them all on despite the historical inaccuracy), as that will restore things in a 'folk art' fashion.

 

Rigging, whether wire or 'rope' can then follow.

 

As ever, I shall be waiting with baited breath for your help and assistance.....please!!!!

 

[portchieboy]

Thought you were a'talking of my trouble and strife then, EZ!

 

[Keith Black]

 Mike, good to see you and your family settled into your new digs and glad too see the ole girl getting some much needed attention.