Hull colour.

[serpe]

I am finishing second planking for my Corel HMB Endeavour. A question has come up for me about the colour of the hull below the wales. Jotika and Victory ships show the painting of the live work to be white. However in Marquardt's book on the subject he states that the ships hull was payed with 'brown stuff' a mixture of tar pitch and sulphur. Cooks recommendation for white lead paint was applied to later ships. Does anyone know what colour or how I could replicate this colour could be done? 

[Chapman]

I don't know of a mixing formula for Brown Stuff. However, I followed the color scheme of an oil painting by John Cleveley, which shows the HMS Granado with this underwater color .

 

Edited January 16 by Chapman

[serpe]

After some further research it is noted that after paying the hull, a thin sacrificial layer of planking might be installed over the brown stuff. If tis would be hidden should I just leave the hull walnut?

[mtaylor]

Serpe, I think that's a choice you'll have make.  From what I've read, the hull color could be white, black, or brown if wasn't coppered.  It all depended on when and where the coating was re-applied.

[wefalck]

Pine-tar was commonly used on European vessels operating North of the Bay of Biscaye, as there - at the time - the risk of attack by Terredo navalis was limited and the phenols in the tar were sufficient to discourage weeds for some time. Going further South or let alone to the tropics needed stronger stuff. This is were the (off-)white concoctions come in.

 

When Marquardt was talking about a pine-tar/sulphur concoction, was he referring to ENDEAVOUR's original configuration as collier by chance ?

[François de Saint Nazaire]

Bonjour,

 

In the museum, sometimes the hulls of the models retain the natural color of the wood. If you succeed the planking, I think it's better not to paint the hull, but it's just my opinion.

 

Picture of the Aetna from the Kriegstein collection

[wefalck]

It boils down to the question, whether one wants to build a 'realistic' or 'artisanal' (as most of the museum) models.

 

[serpe]

According to the book by Marquardt, the hull of the Endeavour's hull was payed with brown stuff rather than the more expensive white stuff. Cook suggested in his journal that ships bottoms be painted with white lead to protect them in 'Countrys where these worms are'. An Admiralty order of 6 October 1771, only a few months after Cook's return it was acted upon. The band of blue paint was widely accepted naval practice at this time but it cannot be confirmed for the Endeavour. I shall probably leave the hull natural but do the blue. Or maybe not.