I am loking for info on kits, plastic or wood, to build a late 19th century 4 masted schooner, likely a Chesapeake Bay collier. Any suggestions? I have checked witht he local hobby store to no avail. Thanks, Carter
My old man is a sail nut. He’s builds and restores sailboats. I’ll see if he’s got anything in his library. Do you have any specifics other than the Bay collier?
Edit: Also, he builds models and scratchbuilds from real plans. I’ll see if he knows anything kit wise.
I just finished the development of a 1/96 scale wood kit of the CHARLES P. NOTMAN for BlueJacket Shipcrafters (www.bluejacketinc.com). The kit is plank on bulkhead with lots of laser-cut basswood, britannia fittings, and photo-etched brass details. Finished size is approximately 41" overall. NOTMAN was built by Percy & Small at Bath, ME in 1894.
Al Ross
There is a group build going on at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NOTMAN/
There is an interesting book in my museum’s library…
The Great Coal Schooners of New England 1870-1909
Parker, Lt. W. J. Lewis
a copy of which is available at:
Harold A Underhill did a set of plans for the Helen Barnet Gring, a four master out of Portland, Me. It has been years since the last time I knew of their availability, but I believe they were from Brown, Son & Ferguson Glasgow, Scotland, who also published Underhill"s books.
The book, “This Was Chesapeake Bay” by Robert H Burgess, Cornell Maratime press Inc., has a chapter on " Sailing coal out of Hampton Roads" The following four masters are mentioned; Edward L. Swan, Doris Hamlin, Albert F. Paul, Purnell T. White( very well documented in Burgess’ book, "Sea, Sails, and Shipwreck career of the four masted schooner Purnell T. white, which includes lines drawings, and many photos),Velma Hamlin, and the Ida S. Dow.
Pete
You might want to check out Taubman’s Plan Service (www.taubmansonline.com). It carries about the biggest assortment of ship plans I’ve encountered - including the Underhill series.
I’m not aware of any kits for Chesapeake Bay schooners. Bluejacket does a fine job of keeping the memories of New England ship and boat types alive, but there doesn’t seem to be a counterpart for the Chesapeake. That’s a shame. The Bay is, and always has been, full of ships and boats that would make fine, significant model subjects.
The only kit I know of in plastic is and old Lindberg kit called The forester lumber schooner.Its and old kit and very small scale 1/500 or 1/600.It can be found on Ebay every so often.
Rod
I confess I don’t remember the Lindberg Forester, but it sounds like one of the many ex-Pyro kits that were based on old Model Shipways solid-hull wood kits. I do remember that MS made a Forester. If I’m not mistaken she was a west coast lumber schooner, operating out of either California or Oregon.
I believe there’s an Anatomy of the Ship volume on the American schooner Bertha M. Downs, but I don’t remember how many masts she had.
Four. This is an extremely useful book, as is A Shipyard in Maine. The latter has some excellent plans by Capt. Doug Lee, who has studied schooners for decades.
Al Ross