Batavia by *Hans* - FINISHED

[*Hans*]

Thank you.

 

If you want to see her in real - this week saturday - the 19th - we have a modelbouw-meeting in het Dorpshuis in Duizel - near to Eindhoven, Netherlands. There - together with many other builders - we are showing our work.

 

Dorpshuis de Smis - Duizel 11.00 - 17.00 h - your very welcome - entrance is free.

 

 

This weekend I have painted the mermen in yellow ocre to let it look gold (no real gold - that was too expencive in the 17th century).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NAZGÛL]

Your colors are really close to the replica. Good eye Hans!

 

 

/Matti

[mobbsie]

She's coming along nicely Hans, I think she will be a big hit at the meeting.

 

Enjoy the day.

 

Be Good

 

mobbsie

[*Hans*]

Hey guys,

 

we had a great day last saturday - lots of craftmanship and good fun. And my Batavia could nicely cope with all the other great models.

 

If you want to have a glimps of what was to be seen:

 

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/6479-modelshipbuilders-meeting-in-the-netherlands-on-saturday-april-19th/

 

With thanks to Sjors

[*Hans*]

Your colors are really close to the replica. Good eye Hans!

 

 

/Matti

Thank you.

 

To be honest - I spent a lot time in mixing and stirring and trying again before the grey-green did match good enough....

 

But that is also part of the hobby :-)

Edited April 20, 2014 by *Hans*

[Sjors]

Hi Hans,

 

Found you !!!!!!!

And i will follow you closely from now on !!!!

 

[*Hans*]

 

Hi Hans,

 

Found you !!!!!!!

And i will follow you closely from now on !!!!

 

 

Sjors,

 

Not posting so much on this forum. But people over here are very enthiouastic - like on our Dutch Forum. 

 

And it is nice to get reactions from fellow builders out of Australia f.i. - the Batavia does link us a bit.

[Bedford]

The Batavia may link us more than you realise.

Among the punishment handed out to the mutineers was the sentence of being put ashore on mainland Australia and left here.

This happened to a few of the mutineers so they were the first penal colonists of this country, long before the English started sending there criminals here.

 

It is said that when the English colonists reached the central western coast (around what is now Geraldton) they encountered a few blonde aboriginals. Descendants no doubt.

 

On a side note, although it would have been very hard going for the early convict settlers I think we got the better deal in the long run. Sun, sand, good weather, gold. Thanks England

[Klaas]

Aha, i found you on MSW

 

I promisse, i will make no jokes here

[*Hans*]

Aha, i found you on MSW

 

I promisse, i will make no jokes here

 

As long as you bring some chicken with you - ok 

[*Hans*]

Slowly but steady whe're moving on.  The VOC retourships had an average speed of 6 up to 8 or 10 knots - which is roughly 12 up to 18 kilometers per hour.

 

A man (or woman) riding a bicycle has about the same speed.

 

Imagine: traveling on your bike to the far east!  

 

After our modeller-meeting last saturday I had to go on with the standing rigging of the lower parts of the masts.  Besides that I have put a layer of patinated varnish (clear varnish with some drops of black and brown paint in it) on the upper part of the hull. This gives a nice "mature" look to the ship.

 

It is although quitte difficult to get the rigging nicely on film.

 

 

 

Edited April 22, 2014 by *Hans*

[mobbsie]

Nice touch with the varnish Hans and your shrouds look really good with all the deadeyes being even.

 

Next step, RATLINES,    

 

I wish you the very best of luck with these mate, take your time with them.

 

Be Good

 

mobbsie

[*Hans*]

To be honest - I think i'll wait with the ratlines.    

With them not yet put on it it'll be easier to do some more ropework around the mast.

 

Sjors supplied me with a nice drawing how to do the ratlines. I already did calculate a distance of 5 mm between them to be on scale (1:72 makes 5 mm roughly 36 cm)

 

[*Hans*]

I tried to count the ratlines on the original Batavia, but my photos are to low in resolution...

 

But I found out another thing which I'm not sure if it is correct - the crowfeet. On the big Bata I can see crowfeet - but in one of the books which I got from GermtKlaas it was stated that these did not appear before 1660...

[JanV]

Maybe Dirk(Amazone) knows this, otherwise I can ask this to the captain you have met last Saturday

[Klaas]

According to my count there should be 48 ratlines on the main mast.

 

 

About the crowfeet; i have to look it up

[*Hans*]

48 times 5 mm makes 24 cm.

 

I only do have 20 cm - so less ratlines or 20 divided by 48 makes ca. 4,2 mm.

[Klaas]

To me , 4,2 mm seems oké.

Your scale 1:72, makes the original distance between the ratlines 30 cm.

Keeping in mind that the people in that age were about 1.65 m.

[*Hans*]

Somewhere I read another discussion where was said that the space between the ratlines lied between 14 and 18 inches - this is ca. 35 up to 45 cm.

 

I guess for people in hight between 1.60 and 1,75  a step of ca. 40 cm should be no problem.

 

 

There's always the point that people should climb very quickly onto the sails - and then bigger steps are quicker steps 

 

Like us going upstairs with two steps per time...

[Blue Ensign]

What a fine build Hans, I think your son will treasure this hand crafted model built by his father, I know I would.

 

Regards,

 

B.E.

[mobbsie]

Hi Hans

 

I've forgotten what it's like to go upstairs two at a time, if I tried now I'd end up injuring myself, I'd certainly drop a couple of things on the way.  

 

Cant help you with the ratline issue mate but no doubt it will be the right decision for you, but that's a ways off as yet if you plan on doing more rigging.

 

Whatever you decide to do, enjoy it.

 

Be Good

 

mobbsie

[Louie da fly]

I thought I'd mention that the replica of the Duyfken, the first European ship to land in Australia, was built in Fremantle, in sight of the Shipwreck Museum that contains the remains of the Batavia. If you visit Western Australia you might be able to get a trip on her. See her website here. I was priveleged to go on board while she was under construction. She was made of European (Scandinavian?) oak, imported specially for the job.

 

She's tiny! No bigger than a modern fishing boat. Instead of being launched from a slipway she was lowered into the water on a cradle like a yacht. A bit of a disappointment, I thought. 

 

Steven

 

PS - I've added a couple of photos of Duyfken under construction, for those who are interested.

Edited October 18, 2014 by Louie da fly

[*Hans*]

Duyfken is Dutch for  little Dove - and it was indeed not bigger than a yacht. I looked some things up on the internet, found this about her size:

 

 The Duyfken (Little Dove) was a 24 metre yacht, and was used as a scouting vessel for large spice fleets. After 13 years of service, which also saw the

boat used as a cargo ship and a warship, the Duyfken was lost after a battle with Spanish galleys in 1608.

 

She could carry about 20 to 24 men, and was first intended as a fast sailing scouting ship.

 

 

Might be a nice ship to build...

Edited April 24, 2014 by *Hans*

[*Hans*]

I built "Duyfken" in 1:40 scale, on the basis of the replica's plans. It was good fun to build and I hope the result is not that bad either. In my understanding, anyhow, Duyfken is the same for Australia as Matthew for America. 

Interesting to note that even today it is not really proven how Duyfken looked and at the time of the replica build there were disputes 'to blood' between two marine architects, Nick Burningham (who finally built her) and Karl Marquardt. They just could not agree, unfortunately.

After this 'sideways' step it is time to go back to Hans's Batavia - the original of which could have been the second European ship in Australia after Duyfken. 

Janos

 

Janos,

 

I think you did a nice job on this ship - do you have a photo of it?

I tried to find the plans via the Duyfken website in Australia - but t seems they're not available anymore..

[*Hans*]

For all the people who have Dutch roots - and all of those who haven't:

 

http://www.theadmiralthemovie.com/

 

This year in Holland the filming of the life and work of Michiel de Ruyter will start. 

 

"Wars are fought by many

              History is made by few...."

[WBlakeny]

Ooh, can't wait to see that movie... looks promising.

[Louie da fly]

By the way, an Australian TV movie was made of the Batavia wreck and massacre. Actually there were two - one that was pretty ho-hum and another, with most of the minor (and some major) parts portrayed by a bunch of friends of mine from the Grey Company re-enactment society in Perth, was much better, and filmed actually on the West Wallabi islands where Batavia came to grief. Very well done, though they had to use the Endeavour replica to stand in for Batavia, and the heroine's hair was cut modernly short. I've got it on VHS somewhere, I think. There's a brief clip from it

Edited April 25, 2014 by Louie da fly

[*Hans*]

By the way, an Australian TV movie was made of the Batavia wreck and massacre. Actually there were two - one that was pretty ho-hum and another, with most of the minor (and some major) parts portrayed by a bunch of friends of mine from the Grey Company re-enactment society in Perth, was much better, and filmed actually on the West Wallabi islands where Batavia came to grief. Very well done, though they had to use the Endeavour replica to stand in for Batavia, and the heroine's hair was cut modernly short. I've got it on VHS somewhere, I think. There's a brief clip from it

 

Nice - The Endeavour having the Dutch VOC Flag in top! (some guy in Holland I know will not be pleased by that - Klaas )

 

Is there no DVD or so available - only VHS?)

[*Hans*]

Hans,

 

Try this:

 

http://www.duyfken.com

 

They did not sell the plans on the Web. I just called them and after some hesitation they found out that they do sell it.

I you can't get the plans, send me a PM.

 

You can find a few photos about my Duyfken in the Gallery:

 

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/gallery/album/108-duyfken-by-janos/

 

I also have about 200 photos about the replica - PM me if you need them.

 

Janos

 

Janos, very nice model indeed!  I found out that an available modelship - the Half Moon - is moreless about the same size and look.  But first I'll try to find the plans - will come to you if I can't succeed in this.

[Louie da fly]

You can buy the DVD of "shipwreck Coast" at http://www.prospero.com.au/productions/91 It's $29.95 Australian plus postage. There is a "Part 2" but it's about a modern treasure hunter involved with the Batavia, nor about the shipwreck itself.

 

Steven