Herzogin Cecilie 1902 by Jim Lad - Four Masted Barque

[SaltyScot]

She is a beautiful vessel to be sure, John, and coming along very nicely. That being said, and in all honesty, I am glad it's not me who has to sort that rigging out  

[Rick310]

Very nice!!

Rick

[Ian_Grant]

She's looking great, John! 

 

But I don't seem to see the scramble of unsecured rigging??  Here's a shot of my Preussen build.........😏  (paused about three years now)  😞

 

Edited March 24 by Ian_Grant

[Jim Lad]

A big day for the 'Duchess' yesterday. As you can see from the images, she now has all six yards crossed on the foremast. still some rigging to complete on the royal, but at least its there!

 

The other big news is that our Senior Curator confirmed to me yesterday that the model has now been accepted into the museum's collection in spite of still being far from completion. This is really big news, as normally only completed models are ever accepted.

 

John

 

[wefalck]

I thought that she already was part of the museum's collection and that's why you are restoring her in the museum ...

 

Excellent work anyway 👍🏻

[SaltyScot]

6 hours ago, Jim Lad said:

This is really big news, as normally only completed models are ever accepted.

 

That is spectacular news, John. It just shows that good work is appreciated. You should be proud of that achievement sir, as I'm sure you are.

[Keith Black]

 You should be extremely proud, John. The love you've put into the restoration is clearly visible. 

[Jim Lad]

Thank you all for your very kind comments.

 

Wefalck - the model had the strange legal status of being owned by the museum but not being part of the museum's collection.

 

John

[BANYAN]

Very nice work John, she is coming along very well, and I should add congratulations on getting her to the standard the Museum has accepted it. 

 

As to ownership/part of collection, I have come across this conundrum down here in Melbourne also.  Large donations of models from other organisations/authorities are passed along, but not actually part of the new owners actual collection.  Usually they only act as their custodian - we have an area (tunnels really) where there a load of models collecting dust that have not even been listed/identified yet alone curated. Victoria still remains the only State in Australia without an official 'Maritime Museum' - sorry I'll get off my soap box now - sorry to hijack your thread John.

 

cheers

 

Pat

Edited April 1 by BANYAN

[Jim Lad]

I don't consider it hijacked, Pat!

 

It's really sad that Victoria, with its rich maritime heritage, has to rely on privately run museums to conserve and display that heritage.

 

By the way, we have a 'Couta boat on display in the floating collection at the ANMM - couldn't get much more Victorian than that!

 

John

[KeithAug]

On 4/1/2025 at 5:27 AM, Jim Lad said:

As you can see from the images, she now has all six yards crossed on the foremast. still some rigging to complete on the royal, but at least its there!

Magnificent John

[Jim Lad]

Thank you for your fulsome praise, Keith!

 

John

[Jim Lad]

A big day (for me, at least) at the museum on Friday. That was the day that I finally finished fitting all the rope coils at the foremast and could get the well deck boats fitted along with the well deck gangway.  It was a bit of a struggle to get it all in around the running rigging, but it finally fitted beautifully!

 

John

 

[Keith Black]

 John, congratulations!

[Jim Lad]

Thanks, Keith.

 

John

[SaltyScot]

Congrats from me too, John. She is certainly a sight to behold! 

[Jim Lad]

Thank you, Mark.

 

John

[Zooropa]

Dear Jim,

 

It has been very quiet since I visited this site for the last time. very busy with everything like raising my son who just went to school for the very first time, so very exhausting for him

 

but you made a great progress (couldn't being said about my work on drawings, went on hold for 5 months already...)  but some details caught my attentions; first, the photo of the extension of Herzogion Cecilie poop, you posted a photo at 11 november with a clear view at the extension, I really dont think that the builders would fit the deck planking like that. one long straight seam would leak a lot of water, and she was considered a very dry ship even in her quarters. Even the steel strakes was fitted almost invisible. and second, almost all decking around extension part was removed after boiler explosion.

 

second detail which caught my attention was the gratings alongside the aft steering gear, that's rectangular. so no angled front edge.

 

I checked the original plans of Herzogin Cecilie, it shows no grates, so I think it was Harold Underhill who thought that a angled gratings would be nice. Other option was, that Herzogin Cecilie was fitted with angled gratings, but that these was replaced by rectangular ones after pooping in 1909, after which everything after the jigger mast was swept overboard.

 

your model restoration work is coming along really well!

 

Karel

Edited April 17 by Zooropa

[Jim Lad]

Karl,

 

Thank you for more photos of the 'Duchess'.

 

The straight line of planking across the poop was a result of the previous model maker, George, altering the model to conform to her later configuration of the poop with it extended on each side to form a straight bulkhead right across the ship - there was really no other way to make this alteration as the original builder (mac) had used solid timber sheets lined with ink for the decking.

 

I'm aware of the anomaly with the after gratings but have yet to do something about them.

 

That's a great photograph of Pamela at ease on the grating.

 

John

[BANYAN]

In addition to your excellent work, it is a testament to your dedication in this restoration that you are considering such corrections John, most would simply leave it as is.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Jim Lad]

Thanks, Pat. There are a few other very minor inconsistencies, but the gratings are rather obvious. There are pieces in George's 'box of bits' that I inherited that indicate he was going to add sections to square off the grating corners, but I think they's look better with new gratings.

 

john

[Zooropa]

I just like it to help you with my source of photo's 🙂

 

[Jim Lad]

Any photos of the 'Duchess' are helpful, mate, even at this late stage!

 

John

[FriedClams]

Looking so good, John!

 

Gary

[Jim Lad]

Thank you, Gary.

 

John

[Jim Lad]

Things are progressing. I now have the mizzen staysails rigged and the fore topgallant and royal braces rigged up through their lead blocks ready to attach to their yards. This was necessary as I needed to get the brace whips rigged before I start on the square sails on the mainmast.  I've also started on the fore ratlines. This will be an intermittent job in between the rigging of the mainmast, but at least I've made a start on them.

 

John

 

 

[Bedford]

Ah yes, the mindless tedium of ratlines!

She's coming up very nicely John

[Jim Lad]

Thanks, mate. Ratlines on the 'Duchess' are made more interesting by the fact that she has 6 staves across the shrouds before the rope ratlines begin. Lashing them to the shrouds is such fun!

 

John