Companionway - Fair American

[wallyh]

I would like to replace the 3' (scale) door with a companionway. I believe the Syren has a companionway. Would this style be appropriate for the Fair American? If so could someone out there give me the dimensions?

Also, it seems to me that there should be a longboat. Again, if this is correct, what would be it's length?

Thanks in advance - hope this post is in the right place.

Wally

[Maury S]

Wally, What set of plans are you using?  FA is not a real ship so there are lots of variations. 

Maury

[wallyh]

Hi Maury,

I'm not sure I understand (forgive me, I'm rather new to this) about the FA not being a real ship. I thought that it was.

This is a Model Expo 1:48 scale model.

Thanks, Wally

[russ]

The Fair American was a real ship. The Annapolis model upon which the Model Shipways kit is based may or may not be that ship.

 

As for the companionway, if you want to make a new one it will need to be up against the cabin bulkhead just like the existing door. The difference might be that the new door could be taller than the cabin bulkhead.

 

On the real ship, the cabin deck was probably a bit lower than the main deck, sort of a half deck aft of the main deck. Thus you open that short door and step down into the cabin. There is not an absolute need for a larger door.

 

Russ

[wallyh]

Thank you Russ, I think you've convinced me to go with the model door size.

Wally

[wilnatp]

Wallyh,

 

It looks like you may have already made up your mind, but i just came across this post from KenW this week, and though I would share. 

 

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/2546-fair-american-by-kenw-model-shipways-148-scale/?p=168829

 

As you see in post #121 from his Fair American build, he added a companion way. I really like the way it looks and am considering doing the same on mine.

 

Cheers!

Nathan

[wallyh]

Thanks so much Nathan,

I haven't done anything yet! You're right, it does look good and seems to me that this would be the way to go. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't bend down to go through that short door on the real ship.

Wally

[wq3296]

Greetings Wally,

 

You are correct in your reasoning that the door is too short for actual use. I believe that the original model copied by Model Shipways to make its kit is probably lacking in detail. Another item that I think is missing is a skylight on the quarter deck. Skylights were provided to introduce natural light into the great cabin. In my opinion, it makes more sense to build a model that is accurate rather than to blindly follow someone else's build. I have this kit and will be adding the companionway, skylight, smoke stack in the main deck for the oven that would have been located below the main deck, an elevated cradle for a longboat, among other things. Yes, see KenW's build log for his solution for a companionway. Also, see the build logs for the Constructo Enterprise elsewhere on this site for other options. My companionway will be centered on the cabin wall and will have a door about 4' scale height. This makes far more sense than to think a captain would crawl through a door that is 2'-3' high.

 

wq3296  

[Chuck]

Here are some photos of the contemporary model of FA in teh rogers collection...

 

 

 

and dont forget this link with even more photos of the model.  It was in fact an actual ship.....

 

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/gallery/album/448-fair-american-rogers-collection-annapolis/