HMS SIRIUS By DaveRow - Scale 1:60 - POF - as she was fitted out for the "Flagship of the First Fleet" to Australia - 2nd wooden ship build

[DaveRow]

Hello to all the Ship Builder's around the world.

 

Time for me to drop anchor and build another ship "HMS Sirius" (approval from the Admiral has been gained) after nearly 5 years away from the Shipyard.

This will be my first Scratch build of a wooden ship. The first being a Kit of the HMB Endeavour (build log on this site).

 

The Sirius has held much interest to me, it is part of the Colonization story of Australia - my birth country.

This ship is going to be somewhat interesting to construct. Details of the ship is lacking, but this does not deter me to take on the task.

To my knowledge, no Kit or AOTS book is available. However, in saying this I have gathered material & information over the past 5 years to which I will refer to during the build process.

The one defining piece of material (which I now have) is the "Berwick (1781) - Technical Drawing" ZAZ5405 held at the Royal Museums Greenwich. The plan, as I was informed: "As far as is known, ZAZ5405 is the only original drawing we hold of the ship you are planning to model".

 

She was built in 1780 for trade with the Baltic States. She had a displacement of 511 tons.

Originally, she was named the HMS Berwick, an armed store ship, but prior to its departure for NSW she underwent refitting to be a 6th rate at the Deptford Yard and in 1786 renamed the "Sirius" - after the major star in the Southern sky. She carried 16 guns.

Sirius was selected to be the flag ship for the first Fleet (11 ships) - the fleet that carried the troops and convicts to Sydney. She was commanded by Captain John Hunter.

The fleet left Portsmouth on 13 May 1787, and arrived at Port Jackson on 26 January 1788. Sirius carried most if not all of the first fleet's administrators including the Governor Arthur Phillip and Major Robert Ross commander of the marines responsible for guarding the convicts in the colony.

On 19 March 1790 Sirius was wrecked on the reef at Norfolk Island while landing stores. With the settlement still on the brink of starvation this was a major catastrophe as it left the colonists with only one ship.

 

So, into the shipyard I go.

 

Dave Row