Archive for April, 2009
USS Constitution
A three-masted heavy frigate had a wooden hull The USS Constitution belongs to the United States Navy. American President George Washington named her after the Constitution of the United States. She still holds the title of the oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat in the world.
The Naval Act of 1794 authorized six frigates to be built and in 1797 the Constitution was one of them. The frigates were to be the Navy’s capital ships, Designed by Joshua Humphreys. The USS Constitution and her sister ships were very heavily armed which made them larger than the standard frigates of the day.
Edmund Hartt’s shipyard in Boston, Massachusetts built the USS Constitution. With the newly formed United States Navy her first duty was providing protection for American merchant shipping. This occurred during the Quasi War with the France defeating the Barbary pirates in the first Barbary war.
The War of 1812 against Great Britain was her most famous era of naval warfare. The USS Constitution defeated five British warships; HMS Cyane, HMS Guerriere, HMS Levant and the HMS Java. It was the battle with the HMS Guerriere that she earned the nickname of “Old Ironsides”.
The USS Constitution served as the Nations Flagship. She circled the world in the 1840s. She served as a training ship during the American Civil War for the United States Naval Academy. In 1881 she retired from active service and served as a receiving ship until she got the designation as a museum ship in 1907. She made a 90 port tour over three years in 1931 and then again in 1997 she sailed again for her 200th birthday under her own power.
To this very day she still has the mission to promote understanding of the Navy’s role in peace and war time. She does this through educational outreach, active participation in public events and historic demonstrations.
To this very day the USS Constitution is still a fully commissioned US Navy ship. She carries a crew of 60 officers and sailors that participate in special events, ceremonies and educational programs. They also provide free tours year round keeping her open to visitors. All the crew and officers are all active duty US Navy special duty.
She is still a real beauty to this very day. We have located a number of wonderful reproductions and models of the USS Constitution to add to or start a collection.
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 Handmade Model Ship USS Constitution Old Ironsides  US $4,999.99
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 USS Constitution Wood Ship Model Kit by Model Shipways US $729.00
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 USS Constitution 44 Wooden Ship Model 185 Sail Boat US $699.00
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 Mamoli wood ship kit USS constitution model MV 31 US $615.00
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 USS Constitution Limited 38 MUSEUM Model Ship Replica US $599.99
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 USS Constitution Limited 38 Scale Ship Model 1812 War US $599.99
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 USS Constitution Wood Tall Ship Model Sailboat 38 Boat US $576.99
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 MODEL SHIPWAYS USS Constitution wood ship model kit NEW US $489.99
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 USS CONSTITUTION WOOD SHIP MODEL OLD IRONSIDES 31 BOAT US $461.99
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RMS Titanic
An Olympic class passenger liner the RMS Titanic was owned by the White Star Line. She was constructed at Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland. She was the largest passenger ship in the world in her day.
The RMS Titanic was designed to compete with Cunard Line’s Lusitania and Mauretania. The grand plan was for The Titanic with her sister ships the Olympic and to build soon Britannic, were to be the largest, most luxurious ships to ever set sail.
The most advanced technology of the day was used to build The RMS Titanic. She was believed to have been described and an unsinkable ship.
It was during The TMS Titanic’s maiden voyage she hit an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the Atlantic two hours and forty minutes later. 1517 souls were lost from the 3547 on board due to her sinking. The shipping regulations of the time did not require lifeboats for everyone on board.
Real media frenzy ensued after the sinking of The RMS Titanic because of all the famous victims. Many legends spawned about the sinking. So good did come out of it though. Many changes to maritime law concerning safety of passengers have been added to the books since.
Since Dr. Robert Ballard’s discovery September 1, 1985 of the wreck much interest in the fame of The RMS Titanic lives on today.
The Construction of The RMS Titanic was funded by American J.P. Morgan and his International Mercantile Marine Company. The Hull of the Titanic was launched May 31, 1911 and she was completely outfitted by the following year. Her dimensions were 882 feet and 9 inches long and 92 feet wide. She topped the scales with a register tonnage of 46,328 tons. From the water line she reached into the sky 59 feet.
She was powered by two reciprocating four-cylinder, triple-expansion, inverted steam engines and one low-pressure Parsons Turbine, which turned three propellers. She had 29 boilers fired by 159 coal burning furnaces that made a top speed of 23 knots (26 mph). Only three of the four 62 feet smoke stacks called funnels were functional. The fourth, which served only as a vent, was added to make the ship look more impressive. The ship could carry a total of 3,547 passengers and crew and, because she carried mail, her name was given the prefix RMS (Royal Mail Steamer) as well as SS (Steam Ship).
In her day, Titanic surpassed all rivals in luxury and opulence. She offered an on-board swimming pool, a gymnasium, a Turkish bath, libraries in both the first and second-class, and a squash court. First-class common rooms were adorned with ornate wood paneling, expensive furniture and other decorations. In addition, the Café Parisian offered cuisine for the first-class passengers, with a sunlit veranda fitted with trellis decorations.
With the mystery surrounding the Titanic she will make quite the conversation piece for any den or upscale Restaurant or old-world Hotel.
We have located some of the top classic RMS Titanic models to add to your collections.
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 Titanic 50 Limited Model Cruise Liner Ship Model US $899.99
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 Titanic 50 Limited Ocean Liner Model Wooden Ship US $899.99
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 TITANIC SHIP MODEL BOAT WOODEN PAINTED NEW SCALE NOT A KIT US $899.95
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Cutty Sark
The finest in a clipper ship the Cutty Sark was built in 1869 and was to serve as a merchant vessel. The very last clipper to be built as a merchant vessel and was later used as a training vessel. It is still possible to see her today preserved and in dry dock in Greenwich, London. She is the last remaining original Clipper Ship preserved from the 1800s.
Cutty Sark the ships name has quite a story to go with such a beautiful sailing vessel. What a cutty sark of the day was suppose to be was a short chemise or undergarment. In the day there was also a fictional character Nannie Dee from a Robert Burns’ 1791 comic Tam O’ Shanter. The Nannie Dee Character became the Cutty Sark’s figurehead. In the comic she wore a cutty sark from childhood that was way too small. This sight of her dancing in the small undergarment caused Tam to cry out “Weel done, Cutty-Sark”.
The Cutty Sark designed by Hercules Linton in Dumbarton Scotland by the Scott & Linton Company. The ship was built for Captain John “Jock” “White Hat” Willis. The Company Scott & Linton was liquidated and the Cutty Sark was completed by William Denny and Brothers for John Willis and Son.
The beautiful clipper ships quickly lost out to the newer steamships of the day. It was found they could deliver goods more reliably, but not as quickly. The Cutty Sark was faster than steamships and was said to be the fastest ship of her size. She once sailed 360 nautical miles in 24 hours with an average speed of 15 knots per hour.
John Willis sold her to a Portuguese firm Ferreira. They renamed her Ferreira after the Company, the crew referred to her as Pequena Camisola meaning “little shirt” which was a translation of the Scots “cutty sark”. Dismasted off the Cape of Good Hope she was re-rigged in Cape Town as barquentine and renamed The Maria Do Amparo. Captain Wilfred Dowman bought her in 1922 and restored her to her original beauty. From then on she was used as a stationary training ship in Greenhithe, Kent. They built her a custom dry dock in Greenwich, London and moved her there in 1954 which she remains today.
The Cutty Sark has quite a colorful history and being such a beautiful sailing ship under full sail. She would make a wonderful addition to anyone’s collection. We have located a few of these beauty’s for your pleasure.
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 Cutty Sark 32 Wooden Model Ship US $299.00
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 CONSTRUCTO 1 115 CUTTY SARK WOODEN WOOD MODEL SHIP BOAT US $249.99
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 SAILING SHIP CUTTY SARK 1 120 BIG MODEL KIT IMAI JAPAN US $163.00
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 Handcrafted Teak Wood Model Ship Cutty Sark 215 US $159.99
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 Cutty Sark Wooden Model Ship 22 L x 55 W x 17 H New Fully Assembled US $134.95
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 Cutty Sark 20 Tall Ship Model Wooden Ship NEW US $129.99
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