This is the first John McCann ever built – 67 years ago.
John McGann built this model from a kit in 1944 when he was 16. It was his first. Since then, John has lost count of the number of models he has built, but it has been a continuous avocation for 67 years.
The Bounty was a collier purchased by the British Royal Navy and converted to an armed transport. It’s mission was to collect bread fruit seedlings in Tahiti and transport them to Jamaica to feed the slaves on the sugar plantations there. The crew mutinied and cast Captain Bligh and 18 loyal crew members adrift in a small launch. After an epic voyage of 3,618 miles, Bligh landed at Timor, while the Bounty sailed to Pitcairn Island with a partially native crew where their descendents live to this day.
Period: 1789 Model length: 24”, height: 22” Scale: 1=48
John McGann is building this model of a Roman troop ship, Navis Lusoria, from scratch
Modeler’s Name: John R. McGann Period: circa 300 AD Scale: 3/8”=1” Type of Model: Scratch built Build Time: 200 hours so far
Build Materials: The Model is entirely scratch built and under construction using beech wood to replicate oak. The photograph is of a full sized reproduction of a “Navis Lusoria” displayed in the Mainz Museum
Ship’s Story: The Navis Lusoria (Dancing Ship) was a riverine troop ship that was used by the Roman Legions to patrol the Northern Border of the Empire. The Rhine, Moselle, Main, and Danube marked this Northern Boundary. In 1981 during the excavation for an extension of the Hilton Hotel at Mainz, Germany the remains of five of the vessels were discovered. The wrecks have been salvaged and are displayed at The Museum of Antique Shipping, Mainz.
Modeler’s Bio: Retired commercial construction general superintendent. First ship model completed 1944
This Baltimore Clipper from a kit named Harvey is being modified and built by Martin Jelsema
Modeler’s Name: Martin Jelsema Period: Early 19th Century Scale: 1:50 Type of Model: Modified kit – plank on frame Build Time: 250 hrs so far
Build Materials: This modified plank on bulkhead kit by Artisania Latina contains several wood types and will be complemented by brass and rigging cord of various sizes. Cherry wood was substituted for the walnut strips provided by the manufacturer. The entire deck layout will adhere to actual ship plans instead of the inaccurate deck plan supplied.
Ship’s Story: There was no ship named Harvey from the time or the design of this model. Therefore, much research from several books will make it an authentic Baltimore Clipper fitted as a privateer in service of the U.S. during the War of 1812. The ship will be rigged as a topsail schooner.
A scratch-built model of the Great Lakes schooner, Lizzie Metzner by Ralph Buckwalter
Modeler’s Name: Ralph Buckwalter Period: 1888 Scale: 7/64 in. per ft. Type of Model: scratch built solid hull Build Time: not estimated
Build Materials: No plans were available for this ship. Based on the plans for a similar ship which was 46 ft longer than the Lizzie I reduced the plans so the overall length was equivalent to the 81 ft of the Luzzie. I built the hull based on these plans modifying the hull based on the photos I had of the Lizzie. . The hull was done using the bread and butter method which consists of multiple thin lifts of wood cut to lines taken from the plans . I was intrigued by the triangular sail on the fore mast. I sewed all of the sails and bent them on as shown in the photos.
Ship’s Story: The Lizzie Metzner was a typical Great Lakes Schooner which was used to carry various cargos on the great lakes. She was built in 1888 Rand and Burger in Manitowoc Wisc. for the firm of Mashek and Metzner of Kewaunee Wisc., who owned the south pier in Manitowoc. Wisc. The Lizzie Metzner was 81 ft. in length, had a beam of 21ft 8 in. and a depth of 6ft 9 in. Her gross tonnage was 77. She was built from blue oak and cost $1200 when delivered. The Lizzie Mitzner had a shallow draft,less than 3 ft.,and had a centerboard that could be used to take advantage of this shallow draft. She had a Raffee sail, a triangular top sail, on the foremast. These Raffee sails were the trademark of many Great Lake schooners.
Modeler’s Bio: Ralph Buckwalter, a retired Mechanical Engineer has been modeling for about 14 years. He joined the Rocky Mountain Shipwrights in 2000. His first model was a pirate ship.
A kit of the Le Hussard was modified and constructed by Ralph Buckwalter
Modeler’s Name: Ralph Buckwalter Period: 1845 Scale: ¼” = 1’ Type of Model: modified plank on bulkhead kit Build Time: not estimated
Build Materials: Build Materials: This model was built from an Artesania Latina kit that has been modified to more closely represent the description listed in the “Global Schooner”. I also used some information from “Souvenirs De Marine” by Admiral Paris which had better details than those of the kit. This included rigging and deck furniture. All sails were hand machine sewn and not the ones supplied with the kit. I also used a product named “Quicken” to stiffen and shape the sails.
Ship’s Story: Le Hussard is identified as a French Brigantine built in 1845 in the kit, although she is described in the “Global Schooner” by Karl Heinz as a French Schooner. She was larger than her American and British counterparts. She has the following measurements: L – 98’ 6”, W – 27’ 11”, Depth in hold 9’ 2”. Her main feature was her armament. She carried two rotating carronades, 18 pounders, one in the bow and one in the stern. These rotating carronades were supposed to make Le Hussard a foe to fear but I don’t think this was the case. The bow panels would drop down so the carronade could be aimed at vessels low in the water close to the ship.
Modeler’s Bio: Ralph Buckwalter, a retired Mechanical Engineer has been modeling for about 14 years. He joined the Rocky Mountain Shipwrights in 2000. His first model was a pirate ship, Black Falcon
Martin Jelsema modified this vintage kit to represent a detailed and relatively accurate rigging plan.
Martin Jelsema took a vintage kit and modified it to better represent the real ship which resides at Mystic Seaport, CN. It’s a solid hull model from the early 1970’s. Other materials include balsa and basswood, fine wire, thread and metal fittings. Rigging was derived from photos and published materials about whaling ship construction, rigging and operation. Martin spent 9-months on this project of which 2-months involved research and drawing plans for the rigging.
The Charles W. Morgan still exists. It is a major fixture at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut. It is the only surviving American wooden whaling ship. The Morgan was launched in 1841, and during her 80-year career at sea she made 37 voyages, several lasting four or more years while hunting whales from the arctic circle to the south seas.
Period: last half of the 19th-Century Model length: 16” Height: 13” Scale: 1:128
