Build Materials: This model is built from a kit produced by the Imai Company of Japan about 40 years ago.  That kit, while depicting a unique old sail- and oar-driven wooden warship, is made up of molded-plastic parts. All the smooth-plastic surfaces were sanded with coarse-grit paper, to give them a wood-grain appearance. Sails are vacuum-formed thin plastic, sanded in two directions to give them a woven-fabric appearance.

Ship’s Story: The Galleass type was an expansion of the typical Mediterranean rowed galley, which were long and narrow, propelled by oars in poor wind conditions, and by triangular-shaped ‘lateen’ sails in good winds.

Galleys typically featured battering-ram extensions at their bow, just above the waterline. At the Battle of Lepanto in October 1571, the combined Christian fleets under command of Don Juan of Austria fought against the Turkish fleet commanded by Muezzenade Ali Pasha.  The loss of men on both sides was almost equal, but Turkish ship losses were close to 17-to-1 compared to the Christian fleets.  Modeler’s Bio: Mark has been making models since the 1950s.  His first sailing-ship model was a smaller-scale Old Ironsides kit by Revell.  Ships have been his favorite modeling subject since then. He has been a member of Rocky Mountain Shipwrights for over ten years.