Donald McKay 1855 by rwiederrich - medium clipper

[rwiederrich]

Now I’ll begin with the new aft deck house front.   It begins much closer to the main mast.  
 

The front will contain 4 entry doors and space for 2 ladders and the catwalk 

This will have the poop deck on top and it will wrap around the mizzenmast and be a flush weather deck…….much like the forecastle. 
 

Lots to do….but I’ll begin with the front being built and dry fitted. 

The gunwales was 7”, making the deck flush with it. 

Rob

[BANYAN]

You don't muck around once you commit do you Rob?  Nice clean removal.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[druxey]

This was a surprise to me, Rob!

[rwiederrich]

2 hours ago, BANYAN said:

You don't muck around once you commit do you Rob?  Nice clean removal.

 

cheers

 

Pat

I guess I don’t.   I wanted to make things as clean as possible.    I hate fixin stuff that gets broke.

I’ll get all the deck supports laid across the old deck from fantail to cabin forward.  
 

Here is a before and after. 
 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

2 hours ago, druxey said:

This was a surprise to me, Rob!

Surprise….possibly so,  but, I’ve waited many years to finally get to finishing up my Donald McKay open water build.  Getting back to her is exciting.  She was the second largest clipper ever made, and she will make a great addition to my McKay clipper collection. 
 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

Oh boy...research reveals a load of info, if you're willing to dig for it.   My current front carriage house mod...is not correct at all....even though Crothers deck drawing shows the poop extended...or what is called a *full* poop deck.  

Information derived from an article found in the *Boston Daily Atlas*...claims there is a cabin forward of the poop deck that runs forward toward the main mast, and is in close proximity to it.   This means the poop deck is flush with the roof of that aft cabin.  Permitting side decking of the waist main deck to be available for working the mast and pumps.

There is an additional house that rests on the flush poop deck that the mizzen mast  runs through,(similar to Glory), and there is an additional house for the helm.

Like the Lightning before her....McKay utilizes extensive flush deck plate glass skylights to illuminate the waist deck state rooms.  McKay also uses extensive *box* type ventilators to bring fresh air into the cabins.....very similar to those on the Lightning.

 

This flush poop deck runs forward over the aft cabin.....along a catwalk(past the main mast) that meets flush with the main cabin deck that is flush with the forecastle deck.

This, (Like the Lightning) permitted crewmen to easily access stem to stern without having to descend into the waist.

 

With all this new knowledge, I have to make mods to my mods.  The rail on the flush poop deck will be turned posts as will be the poop cabin roof.....however, the rail that extends along the catwalk forward to the main cabin and onto the forecastle will be iron stanchions and rail.

 

Rob

[druxey]

Oh, my. Doing all that amidst the rigging.... Good on you!

[rwiederrich]

7 hours ago, druxey said:

Oh, my. Doing all that amidst the rigging.... Good on you!

Yeah …… that’s like pouring the foundation after the house is built.  Wait…….I’ve actually done that to an old house my brother in law owned.   
 

I’ve redrawn the deck plan based on this new data and it will be fun to construct.  This clipper was designed and built for passenger service, so she will have lots of conveniences. Plus, she had 6 boats.  
 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

Sorry for the lack of work , but I’m on holiday in Las Vegas and  Arizona this week.  
 

I’ll begin posting next Monday.  
 

Thanks everyone 

 

Rob

[Keith Black]

 Enjoy!

[rwiederrich]

Here is the deck plan of the Donald McKay.   From Crothers. 
 

Rob

Edited June 7, 2023 by rwiederrich

[gak1965]

9 hours ago, rwiederrich said:

Here is the deck plan of the Donald McKay.   From Crothers. 
 

Rob

Wow. Six capstans. Is the helm in that aftermost house on the poop? Given the skylights I assume there are some kind of cabins in the after 1/3 of the ship whose overheads make up the poop deck?

 

She must have been a bear to unload with only two hatches, both in the waist.

 

Regards,

George K

[rwiederrich]

3 hours ago, gak1965 said:

Wow. Six capstans. Is the helm in that aftermost house on the poop? Given the skylights I assume there are some kind of cabins in the after 1/3 of the ship whose overheads make up the poop deck?

 

She must have been a bear to unload with only two hatches, both in the waist.

Yep, six of -em.  Yes, again......the helm was in the helm house aft.  She had 5 main deck sky lights...and (not depicted)...she also had flush deck plate glass skylights...all along her deck...both on the port and starboard(Along the gunwales').

 

One, item I'm wrestling with,  is that Crothers does not indicate the large aft cabin on the full poop deck...that the mizzen mast runs through(Like Glory of the Seas)....with skylights on its roof.

 

I agree with most of Crothers interpretation, but, written first hand accounts vary slightly...especially when describing the waist house abaft of the main mast as a full house extending off the flush poop deck....and the catwalk extends to the main cabin/forecastle from that.

 

I'm doing more research and triple checking....but I think my version may vary from Crothers(we'll see) He's rarely wrong....  She had similar structures as Lightning....so I am gleaning from her structures to aid me.

 

Rob

[BANYAN]

Some interesting conundrums you are dealing with here Rob, I follow with interest.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[rwiederrich]

Several accounts claim she had Forbes rig, and others claim she had Howes.  
 

Anyway… I’m not changing the rig.  
 

I worked on several things today.  I had to add the blue waterway that was missing 

 

I began the forward cabin and the new forecastle.  
 

Here are some pics. 

[rwiederrich]

I’m reworking her forecastle.  She was fuller forward then extreme clippers.   
 

Cutting the pattern and resting it, taking measurements.  
Lots of reworking.

 

Im going to be removing and replacing all the head gear as well……..

The new decking will be a dark grey… weathered like the main deck at her waist.  

 

Rob

[druxey]

A floating anchor? How novel! Sorry - I couldn't resist.

[Javelin]

They're called sea anchors and are commonly used on lifeboats, so nothing new... Using them for such a ship on the other hand. 

 

Gorgeous build Rob, love what you did with that sea base. 

[Rick310]

WOW Rob!!  Nicely done!!  Can’t imagine building with the rigging in place.  I have enough trouble as it is!!

Rick

[rwiederrich]

10 hours ago, druxey said:

A floating anchor? How novel! Sorry - I couldn't resist.

Drux....I expect nothing less then the highest forms of criticism, sarcasm, tomfoolery, blovinating, and every other form of flattery, while I run amok.  It is a right, one must endure while  passing  through these waters. 

 

Rob  (aka...Runamoker)

 

[rwiederrich]

6 hours ago, Javelin said:

They're called sea anchors and are commonly used on lifeboats, so nothing new... Using them for such a ship on the other hand. 

 

Gorgeous build Rob, love what you did with that sea base. 

There is another on the starboard side too.....

Thanks Javelin.  As it is my habit.....I like to display my models in unique ways.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

45 minutes ago, Rick310 said:

WOW Rob!!  Nicely done!!  Can’t imagine building with the rigging in place.  I have enough trouble as it is!!

Rick

Rick....it has been fun...and I haven't installed the new pin rails yet, either.

I'm working one side at a time currently...before I install the forward forecastle bulkhead and the forecastle decking.

 

The real trick will come when I then install the decking over the forward cabin and the poop deck aft......  Both need to be split and cut away to pass around the masts...then reassembled.

I've chosen to stain the decks a grey...because the McKay was built for the Australian passenger trade, where she saw lower latitudes where her decks would become greyed by the boiling sun and airy weather...not to mention the hundreds of passengers traversing her decks.

 

Rob 

Edited June 8, 2023 by rwiederrich

[rwiederrich]

Spent some time working the McKay today.  I finished adding the pin rail and pins and I flipped her and added the blue waterways to her port side. 
 

Rob

Edited June 9, 2023 by rwiederrich

[rwiederrich]

I added additional mast bands to correct a previous oversight ……as I was fixin stuff.  Easy to do with less stuff in the way.  
 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

Lastly, I began the addition of the new forecastle deck beams.  
 

They’re just test fitted for now.  
 

I removed the rest of the head gear and the old figurehead.    I refashioned the McKay clan figurehead and will add it after the new forecastle deck and new hull strakes are installed.  
 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

Worked a bit tonight.  
 

I finished adding the port pin rail and pins. 
 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

I added the framing for the forecastle decking and I began more work on the main forward cabin, and off bench I’m working on the 6 capstans and deck vents. 
 

Rob

[BANYAN]

Great progress and looking good Rob; up to your usual very high standards.  Kudos for working around the rigging, you really like a challenge don't you

 

cheers

 

Pat

[rwiederrich]

3 hours ago, BANYAN said:

Great progress and looking good Rob; up to your usual very high standards.  Kudos for working around the rigging, you really like a challenge don't you

 

cheers

 

Pat

We’ll Pat, my options were limited if I wanted to make it work for me.  Thanks for the kudos. 
Im so excited to create this version of the Donald McKay.   Her comparison will be hard to find.  I don’t know any current models of her.  
 

Thanks for the fine compliments. 
 

Rob

[Wawona59]

Well, it looks like I'm late to the party again, as usual.  When I followed your latest Glory of the Seas build, I often wondered about the ship on the sea in the background.  Now I know.  I assume it is your first Glory of the Seas based on the Revell Cutty Sark hull.  Your multi media builds are interesting and I'll be following this one.

 

Wawona59