Albatros by Oldsalt1950 - Mantua -1:40 - a Baltimore Clipper

[Oldsalt1950]

Welcome to my build. Pull up a chair and get comfortable and follow along, as I try to fit all these pieces of wood, string and metal into a model resembling what is on the box. This is my first build in over 50 years, so I'll be dusting off some old skills and learning new ones along the way. 

Opened the box and removed the "instruction manual " and line drawings to see what I was in for. The line drawings were 1:1 for the kit, which is always a bonus as you don't have to keep trying to get measurements correct. The instruction manual left much to be desired, but the pictures sure are pretty. The parts list is on the back of each section of the manual.

Next step was acquiring to necessary tools for the build. I'll be in that process for a while. Next was removing the parts from their respective bags and labeling them so I could readily find them when needed. Small parts such as blocks, belaying pins were left sealed in the bags they came in. 

Removed keel, bulkheads and false deck from the sheets they were attached to and dry fit the parts. Unfortunately for the fairing process, I was on my own, as there are no "cheat lines" suggesting the fore to aft tapper along the bulkheads. Been there before, it just means a lot of hand fitting and sanding. That reasonably accomplished, I glued up the keel and bulkhead, and then cut the rabbet line. False deck was then added for more strength, More sanding. Marked false deck centerline and drew athwart ship lines every 20mm for reference when planking.

Hull planking began. Mantua used balsa wood for the hull planking on this kit, and it is fairly forgiving, but very thick, but narrow 50mm wide by 20mm thick, would have liked something a little wider and thinner. The kit is supposed to be double planked, but there is not enough finish wood to accomplish this. Knowing my limitations anyway, I had planned on painting the hull, so this was not a big deal. 

Here is where I am at today:

[Oldsalt1950]

The hull from deck down has been completed, sanded and filler applied where needed. More sanding to follow. Deck planking is next on the agenda, followed by more sanding.

[Oldsalt1950]

Just a quick note for anyone who is building any iteration of Albatros(s) from any of the kits available, there is no real Albatros, this is a proto-typical representation of a class of ship know as a "Baltimore Clipper". If you are ex-Navy , think of it like a class of ship, in this case the "Knox Class DE/FF". There are variations to each ship in the class, I served on two different FF's and although they were Knox Class, there were differences in the two ships. I'm not sure where my build will take me as I progress, but there will be changes from the plans provided with the kit.

[Oldsalt1950]

Started planking the deck. Cut some decking planks 80mm, 60 mm, 40mm and 20mm so i could layout the pattern. Things are finally starting to take shape.

[Oldsalt1950]

The shipyard has run into supply issues. Building on temporary hold while awaiting supplies.

[Oldsalt1950]

Slowly making progress, sanded the deck and hull some more, and worked on the bulwarks. Plenty of sanding left to do. Still waiting on supplies and some tools. Gun carriages were assembled to a point, need to be painted and the brass blackened, before more work can continue. Since there was no real Albatros, I will be re-naming my shi[ the "Nixie" and will be deviating a bit from the plans. Nothing major, but she will be a bit different.

 

Edited March 1, 2022 by Oldsalt1950

[Oldsalt1950]

Finished sanding the hull, bulwarks added and transom fitted and installed. Next up will be inner and outer planking of the bulwarks, then on to deck fittings and installing the completed gun carriages. It is starting to take shape. 

[Oldsalt1950]

 bulwarks have been planked inside and out. had to work out those details as the instructions only show a picture of the bulwarks completed in typical Mantua magic. I had planned on installing the deck furniture but ran into a small issue. If I install the hatch combings as per the plans, there is a large issue with the two aft hatches. The plans call for the capstan to be mounted between them, and the capstan arms are a scale 11 feet long. No real issue there, but if one were to try and figure out how the capstan would be operated, the crew member would have to step up and down over a scale 15" combing. That isn't going to work, so I'll need to work out that issue. The second issue is the forward hatch, but a simpler fix. That will have the grating replace with a solid hatch cover. It isn't always fair winds and following seas out in the ocean. Been there in my time in the Navy and it is no fun. Taking white water over the bridge looks good in the movies, but it sucks in real life.

[ct mike]

Reminds me of the time I was on a cruiser in the sea of Japan during a typhoon and watching from the O-10 bridge I could see the waves crashing over the bow, engulfing the whole length of the ship, 8 hundred and 25 feet, under water until we powered out just in time to meet the next wave.  14 hours of the that was not fun.  No eating or sleeping that day.  Haha. Mike

[Oldsalt1950]

My typhoon was in 72 off Vietnam on a DLG, we caught the tail end of it. Three days of semi-submarine duty. Had to strap the helmsman to the helm with a climbing harness. Fun times.

Jim

[ct mike]

At least on a submarine you have a 50% of coming back up.  Haha Mike

[Oldsalt1950]

Finally got in some supplies. All the brass has been blackened except the ships bell. Will be assembling and painting the deck furniture and the cannons. Then have to make a decision on what color the upper hull will be, along with the interior of the bulwark. I can then rig and mount the cannons and move on to tapering the masts and doing the rigging.

[Dr PR]

Looks like we are working on the same Mantua kit, except I have the 1980s "Goleta Typica di Baltimora" version. I am kit bashing it into a "typical" US revenue cutter of about 1815, although I am learning that there is very little information about what was "typical" for a revenue cutter!

 

My worst typhoon experience was a cruise from Yokosuka to Vietnam in July 1971. We went through five typhoons and a tropical storm in three weeks! There were typhoons everywhere in WESTPAC! We didn't do anything in Vietnam and after three weeks of taking a pounding dodging storms we had to return to Yoko for repairs. Our O3 bridge deck was 40 feet above the load water line and I have seen green water crashing down from above as we dove into >40 foot waves!

 

I can't imagine being out in that in an 80 foot schooner!!

[Oldsalt1950]

Typhoons are no joke. We came with 3 degrees of having equipment sheer of the ship, 45 degrees was our worst. The helmsman was in a climbing harness lashed to the ships helm. 

 

Phil, I think we have a lot of room to do what we wish with our Baltimore Clippers as they seem to have been configured in many different ways. There is no type, just a fast low riding hull with cannons and carronades wherever they fit best.

 

 

[Oldsalt1950]

The above pictures are just a trial fit of the components. The deck is going to be busy.

 

Phil, I've been following your build, very impressive.

Jim

[Oldsalt1950]

I have been struggling with the final arrangement of all the deck fittings, and since the "Albatros", was not a real ship, but just a model of one of the variations of the "Baltimore Clipper", I have some wiggle room. There is a question as to where /if to mount the capstan, the mounting of the trainable 12 pounder, and the 12 pounder hatches and what they looked like. Most models have the capstan aft, the 12 pounder sitting on the deck mid ship. Dr. PR put his 12 pounder on a modified carronade sled mounted to what is a metal ring for training about the compass. I'm torn about what to do with the capstan, but did workout and construct a mount for the 12 pounder. 

[Oldsalt1950]

This build is being put on hold while doing research and work on another project. This is going to basically be a test bed for various procedures, and will eventually be finished as a concept ship. 

 

[John Ruy]

Jim and Phil,

 

I’ll be following along on both of your builds. Between the two of you I can save a lot of research time. 🧐

 

Picked up a Mantua Albatros on eBay, I was very confused about its history until I read your logs. I’ll be watching great interest where you two take this kit. 
 

John

 

 

[Oldsalt1950]

The Baltimore Clippers in general are an interesting classification of ship. No two were alike, and trying to find the history on an particular one damn near impossible. Names changed, a lot were scuttled in and around Cuba. They were used as slave ships, fast merchants, privateers, smugglers.  

Jim

 

[Oldsalt1950]

After a long delay and much research, I'll be getting back to the Albatros. Deck furniture will be different than what the kit suggests, and I will need to place an order for wood and fittings. While I'm waiting for that , I am stripping off everything above the deck. Will smooth out the results of the de-construction, and layout the new deck plan. You may ask why I'm doing this, and I can only say that there is no standard for a "Baltimore Clipper" . No builder ever made the same ship twice, they were all individuals. Some even changed names every time they hit port. When they outlived their usefulness many were purposely sunk or scuttled. Once I finalize everything and have the materials needed I'll post pictures.