Bottom paint America 1851.

[Bill Hill]

What’s a good color or what is the true color for the bottom paint (below waterline) on the America.

[Gregory]

I believe she was coppered.

[Bill Hill]

I thought that maybe she was Coppered but she was built for speed and coppering would of

slowed her down. However anti fowling may have been a bigger priority

[Gregory]

According to the book " The Low Black Schooner " by John Rousmaniere,  she was launched with copper..  

Edited June 2, 2022 by Gregory

[Bill Hill]

Thanks Gregory,  much appreciated.  I’ll have to pick up the book, sounds like a good read.

 

[allanyed]

FWIW, The models of America at the NYYC has her with a copper bottom as does the model at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical  Park.

Allan

[Stevinne]

I remember reading somewhere that when she got to England, she had to be taken out of the water to repair damage to her copper.

[Nirvana]

I have seen information she had both type of bottom treatment.

I think the copper sheathing was removed prior her race to make her lighter.

Creating realistic copper sheathing is very tricky.

 

Reading from an instruction of building America " finishing the bottom, you might well consider painting the bottom with copper paint rather than coppering with overlapping plates as was the original America.

Very few modelers have ever done coppering job that looked like the real ships coppering scaled down - and this includes many professionals.

Underhills and Davis books will good guidance if going with copper plating.
I painted my hull with copper.

 

[Bill Hill]

Thanks for the wonderful insight.  After copper

sheathing the CW Morgan I think I’m going to paint it copper