Hi Folks!

I have a rather different question.

Is anyone interested in collaborating on a long term model project? By that, I mean everything from the initial research through to design and building process. I think it would prove to be a great learning experience for everyone involved as well as fun collaborating with others interested in building the same model.

Anyone interested drop me a PM or leave a note here and I'll get in touch.

Intriguing... What project were you thinking of? POF or POB? Kit or scratch?

Dave

Those are good questions Dave, and at this point I don't really have any specific answers too. Perhaps a little of everything, which would be dependent on the persons experience level.

My main thinking was, (thinking out loud here) we could pool our resources so that regardless of what experience level you are at there is a project in there for you. The idea being that it be unique and not something that is already so abundantly available as a model as some kits are today.

Perhaps if we threw some names out there for potential projects it might arouse some interest???

One that I can think of off hand is "The Matthew" (www.matthew.co.uk to see the replica).

http://www.matthew.co.uk/home/home.html

Actually, here's a better link.

Hey Crew

If you do a America schooner count me in,have a good library on them.

Bill
Athens Ga.

Hi Bill,

Any suggestions for which one????

When it comes to schooners, I only know of one, and that's Canadian, the Bluenose. I don't ever recall hearing of any others, though I know there were many many of them. I guess because I lived in the area where the Bluenose was built I guess you could say they brainwashed me! LOL

Seriously though, is there any one or two in particular that you were thinking of? I think if we get some names out there we may arouse some interest with people who for one reason or another don't normally like to speak up.

I think John Cabot´s Matthew would be an excellent choice, plank-on-frame construction of course! All we need is a good set of plans and the question is how to get it? From Bristol?

Hi Olavi,

That is one possibility.

Also, the town of Bonnivista Newfoundland, where John Cabot is believed to have originally landed has also recently built a replica. This is something that has only recently come to my attention.

For that particular project go here
http://www.matthewlegacy.com/english/index.html.

For this one I have four pages of Outboard Profiles of the ship by an engineering firm in Newfoundland. I haven't done much research at this point so I don't know if they were used in the construction of the Newfoundland Replica or not.

The Bluenose is a great one,or any of the fishng schooners that raced her.The yacht America is a good one,and has a long history. The three mast schooner Atlantic would be great not many models of it. How about a Baltimore Clipper.Any one of the US Revenue Cutters,with the one canon. The CSS Water Witch has a wooden hull ,with the Baltimore clipper shape and is a paddlewheel.

Guess you would have to pick a time in history or just one that you like.

I have all of Howard Chapelle,s books so I can research most any American ship for the group.

But it does sound like a good long term project to do.

Schoonerbill

I already have two kits waiting to be done, but I would be interested in the Matthew. It is a neat looking ship and has some historic interest for the US.


Here is an interesting link with pictures of the replica under construction:

http://www.k12.nf.ca/discovery/grassroots/Matthew/construction2/construction21.htm

The ship's drawings:

http://www.k12.nf.ca/discovery/grassroots/Matthew/shipsdrawing/gallerydraw.html

Thanks Clayton,

That particular replica is the one that was built in Bonnavista, Newfoundland. As well, the second link leads to the four Outboard Drawings for this ship that I have a copy of.

If one compares the two replicas (Bristol and Bonnavista) there are differences that are quite noticeable. I'll sort through the pics I have of both and upload them so you can see the immediate differences.

Today I received an email from someone who advised me that the Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England has a copy of the original plans for the Matthew (I thought none existed based on what I had learned to date).

This is one model that I would definitely like to build myself, eventually, because of its historical significance alone.

Hi Winston,
Did your corespondent share the provenance of the original plans for the Matthew with you? I would be gob-smacked if they exist. Are they, perhaps, the plans of the reconstruction?

On the subject of a subject for a forum project, has anyone considered cross-forum collaboration? There are quite a few members here who are members of others forums (fora?), and other forums have community builds in mind, or on the go. It strikes me that having several community builds might be spreading the members available to take part a bit thinly. Can anyone think of a way forums might pool resources, or should we even try? After all, we are all in the same boat. (sorry!)

Jake

Hi Jake!

No he didn't. I had only alluded to the fact that I was interested in learning more about The Matthew to him and he mentioned in passing that a little while back he had received notification from them (bi-annual news letter I believe) about various plans they had available in their collection. We're checking into it now to see if we can find out exactly what plans they are.

It certainly would be amazing if they were the original, as so few have lasted this long. I suspect myself that they are of the Bristol Replica.

To some degree, I understand what you mean about spreading members thin. But I don't really think it's an issue. Certainly though, if various forum groups are working on the same project it would only make sense to get together somehow and pool their resources. Someone would have to take the initiative to do this from each of the groups to get everyone together.

Any other thoughts anyone?????

I agree that the cross-forum collaboration might be a good way to get more people involved. Perhaps once a specific project is decided upon, notices could then be posted on the other forums explaining the project and its basic tenets. I am a member of the DryDock Models Forum (http://forum.drydockmodels.com) and would be willing to volunteer to post a notice on that site.

Would communication be a problem though? For the sake of efficiency it seems like all of the information and updates would have to be posted on just one site. So how would individuals from other forums add their info to the project?

BTW Winston, nice website.

~Clayton

I agree that the cross-forum collaboration might be a good way to get more people involved. Perhaps once a specific project is decided upon, notices could then be posted on the other forums explaining the project and its basic tenets. I am a member of the DryDock Models Forum (http://forum.drydockmodels.com) and would be willing to volunteer to post a notice on that site.

Would communication be a problem though? For the sake of efficiency it seems like all of the information and updates would have to be posted on just one site. So how would individuals from other forums add their info to the project?

I'm going to do some research on the possibilites of how this could be done Clayton I know there's lots of options out there.

First though we have to get enough people seriously interested in one project and get them organized. That's really the hard part as I see it.

BTW Winston, nice website.

Thanks Clayton. It's a work in progress. I have lots of great plans for the future so check it often, you never know what you'll find. Actually, I just uploaded a great article by Philip Eisnor (Senior Marine Design Draftsman (retired) and Professional Model Builder (retired) on the values of researching your ship before building your model. As someone relatively new to building wooden ships I found it very interesting myself. :-)

Perhaps a poll of potential ship projects would be a good way to go? I see in the scuttlebutt forum someone is looking for info/ideas on the Queen Anne's Revenge. I would think that or the Matthew would be good projects.

That QAR would be an interesting project as well wouldn't it?

I'm actually taking a vacation on Ocracoke island this week and I hear that is Blackbeard's old haunt. I'll see if I can dig up any info on the QAR.

Dave

I think I may have my hands on a copy of the original set of plans for one of the Matthew Replicas.

Dave,

Were you able to dig up any information on the QAR during your time at Ocracoke?

Just a quick update on the plans for the Matthew. A copy of them is currently en-route to me. Once I get to see them I'll keep those of you interested, updated on what I receive. They are plans for the replica built in Bonavista Newfoundland.

Exciting news, Winston. I would certainly be happy to see them! You wouldn´t happen to know, where I could get drawings for the Half Moon replica?

Hi Olavi,

No I don't. But you could try contacting the museum that manages the replica today. They might be able to guide you in the right direction in acquiring a set.

The New Netherland Museum & Half Moon Visitor's Center
P.O. Box 10609
Albany NY 12201-5609
(518) 443-1609 (Main Office)
(914) 433-9747 (Ship Cell Phone)

email: info@newnetherland.org

Would it be nice if you could get all plans from the same place.. : ) I had the museum in mind at the time I ordered Corel´s Half Moon kit. It might help. Without plans it´s of course impossible to say, what the kit and the full-scale replica have in common. Not much I´m afraid.

So far, I have never seen a kit which includes a lines plan - I doubt there is one.

And add to that, sometimes not a lot of research goes into some of the kits out there to start with. At least not enough to warrant the cost they charge for them! LOL