Il Trabaccolo by François de Saint Nazaire - MarisStella - 1:32

[François de Saint Nazaire]

Good day,

Following the Endurance expedition in the Weddell Sea with Sir Ernest Shackleton around 1915, and the HMS Granado, a British bomb vessel in 1756, I propose we embark on a new project together: building a Trabaccolo kit from the brand MarisStella.

I hope to conclude this project with a visit to the Museo della Marineria in Cesenatico, Italy.

 

The box has arrived. I'm thrilled! Most of the parts are made of walnut, the frames are plywood, and there's also some balsa wood. It's all laser-cut. There are three 1:32 scale plans included, and the instructions are trilingual (English/Italian/Croatian). In Croatian, a 'trabaccolo' is called a 'trabakul'

 

For your information, MariStella was founded in 2008. It is an association of 7 small businesses. Located in Split, the regional capital of Dalmatia, the contact person, Zoran, is very available.

 

They have created a series of Adriatic ships at 1:32 scale: Trabaccolo, Pelig, Brazzera, and Stilac.

The first step is the construction of the keel, called by Venetians "colomba"  or "Il primo"

 

 

Edited December 21, 2024 by ccoyle
corrected log title

[gsdpic]

Oh, another MarisStella Trabaccolo build to follow.  I assume you've seen the one that @aliluke started.

 

[François de Saint Nazaire]

Hello Gary,

 

You're right. The projects of    @Aliluke and @DonRobinson are among my favorites.

[François de Saint Nazaire]

Hello,

 

The box has arrived. 😀

Most of the pieces are walnut, the frames are plywood, and there's also balsa wood. It's laser-cut.

 

 

There are 3 plans at a 1:32 scale, and the instructions are trilingual (English/Italian/Croatian). For Croatians, the Trabaccolo is called Trabakul. FYI, MariStella was founded in 2008 and is an association of 7 small businesses. It's located in Split, the regional capital of Dalmatia. The contact, Zoran, is very available. 😉

 

They've created a series of 1:32 scale Adriatic ships: Trabaccolo, Pelig, Brazzera, and Stilac.

 

Some general info from a really interesting book (Trabaccoli e Pieleghi from Mario Marzari) :

"The first step is to assemble the keel, called "colomba" or "Il primo" by the Venetians. The "colomba" was the main element, or rather the load-bearing axis of the structure, in addition to being the lower part of the hull: it was robust, heavy, and rectangular in section, with dimensions that could vary around 200 x 250 millimeters. This important structural element was composed of several pieces, closely joined together lengthwise, with scarf joints ("pallela"), to make the whole thing very solid. To build the keel, the best  oak was used, and on both lateral faces of it, a rabbet ("battura") with an angular section was made, which then extended onto the stem and sternpost. These two lateral rabbets served to fit one of the edges of the first planks of the planking called "torelli" ".

 

Keel, stem, sternpost, counter-sternpost, rabbet, transom, and counter-transom. I also create the rabbet, and it's easier to start in a flat position. It's best to use a flat surface, such as a piece of glass, to glue the different pieces. The drawing is placed under the glass to ensure proper alignment.

 

 

Nest step : build a work stand (keel clamp). This is necessary to help support the keel and to keep it straight

 

Let's go!

[François de Saint Nazaire]

Hello,

 

Reopening of the Squero with the creation of the 'keel clamp' -or - the 'work stand' 😉

 

'Usually, their construction did not take place in large shipyards, unless they were intended for the Navy, but rather in the various squeri, sometimes inside hangars, most often in the open air. In general, the term 'squero' today refers to a small shipyard, but in the 19th century, the definition was more precise, as this term designated areas located by the sea intended for shipbuilding and not exceeding 290 square meters; larger areas were rather defined as cantiere: 290 square meters was considered the minimum surface area necessary for the construction of boats of 200 tons of displacement.

The main places housing squeri that were dedicated to the construction of these types of boats were: Molfetta, Manfredonia, Porto Civitanova, Pesaro, Cattolica, Rimini, Chioggia, Trieste, Piran, Rovinj, Rijeka, Cherso, Lussinpiccolo, Split, Korčula, and Dubrovnik.' M. Marzari

 

Short film about the Squero di Cattolica:

 

https://youtu.be/l5gKbJvICgc

 

The frames (corbe) are not strictly perpendicular to the keel (colomba). There is a 1.5° angle.

 

A photo from the book "Bateaux et Batellerie de Venise" by GB Rubin de Cervin

 

Edited January 3 by François de Saint Nazaire

[François de Saint Nazaire]

hello,

 

The next step is to install the bulkheads, the keelson and the supporting strips. Some strips require some bending so you may want to soak them in warm water before installing. I did it !

The next step is  the ceiling.

 

Have a nice WE

[François de Saint Nazaire]

Good morning, 

Beginning the planking. The planks (serrette, verzene in old texts) are 7x1.5mm walnut strips placed on the frames (piana).

Installation of the 2 acajou sheerstrakes (parascusola), 7x1.5mm strips.

Beginning the planking of the bilge and cabin bulkheads.

Beginning construction of the rear cabin (camera) deck for the captain (paron), which averages only 146 centimeters in height, while the crew enjoys a height of 123 centimeters at the bow!

Beginning construction of the limewood bilge floor (paglioli) of 1.5x10mm. This floor is removable, allowing for the evacuation of bilge water. 

 

The kit plans are of high quality, as are the materials. The instructions should not be taken literally. Despite the scale, it is not easy to install the planking. Access between the frames for sanding and correcting is really tricky.

[François de Saint Nazaire]

I propose some photos of the progress.

The sailor is starting to take on brilliant colors! This sailor is from the 18th century, and this is not absurd, even if his clothe suggests that he is more of a shipowner than a simple sailor.

Mario Marzari informs us that the first reference to a Trabaccolo found so far dates back to 1667 and is attributed to Francesco Maria Appendini, even if it might be an interpretation of documents made by the author himself. The first actual documents that refer to this type of boat, found in Rimini by the historian Maria Lucia De Nicold, date from 1683.

In Venice, on the other hand, Levi mentions the presence, in 1711, of a trabaccolo and a trabaccoletto inside the Arsenal itself. The oldest reference to the trabaccolo found in Trieste dates back to 1721, while Kandler specifies that no less than three armed trabaccoli were part of the new Austro-Triestine fleet in 1733. In 1735, this same Navy purchased several trabaccoli to arm them with cannons and swivel guns.

[...]

According to the old documents consulted, it therefore appears that it is only from the 18th century onwards that reference is made to a real ship called trabaccolo.

It remains that the kit version is closer to the architectures of the 19th century.

The vaigrage (fasciame interno) is finished up to the stringers.

 

 

The mast steps of the main mast and the foremast are in place on the keelson.

The mast steps of the two mooring bitts (bitta di ormeggio) are also positioned next to their respective mast.

 

 

The captain's cabin is well advanced. I will have to refine the steps of the staircase; there are also the beds to install.

 

 

 

 

Gilberto Penzo gives us some information on the accommodations.

"The accommodations were spartan, but almost luxurious compared to those of fishing boats, due to their height and the presence of real berths. In the drawing of the Souvenirs by François Edmond Paris, in the forecastle accommodation, we can distinguish a bunk with a profiled edge, towards the bow a raised shelf that could be the third bunk and two chests or perhaps tide boxes (casse da mar). There is no hold for ropes or anchor chains. The stern one, where one could only stand between the beams, measured 240 cm long, separated from the hold with removable floorboards (palgioli) and from the stern by thin partitions (parapetti). On the wall, we see a square opening that could be the access to the bunk. The spartan furnishing is completed by a simple chest and a shelf towards the stern that could also serve as a bed.

 

 

Fig. 239. Giovanni Pascoli, interior of the forecastle accommodations.

 

Edited Saturday at 05:47 PM by François de Saint Nazaire