Model Ship Kits

HMS Victory 1765

Dave — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 23:25:48 +0000

Back in 1758 the Royal Navy ordered a new first-rate new ship from the commissioner of the Chatham Dockyard. This seemed strange at the time because the Royal Navy went for smaller faster ships that were very maneuverable.

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The ships plans were based on the HMS Royal George and were presented in June 1759. The George was launched from the Woolwich Dockyard in 1756. Sir Thomas Slade was appointed Surveyor of the Navy and chosen to build the new ships. The new ship was to carry 100 guns and after her launching in practice she carried 104 to 106 guns and carronades.

The name was chosen in October 1760 to commemorate Annus Mirbilis (Year of Victories) or 1759. It was though that Victory was not a good name because the first Victory of 1744 was lost with all hands. The Seven Years War was won at Quebec, Minden and other naval battles of Lagos and Quiberon Bay all contributed to the year of victories.

The frame of the ship was built and then left for almost three years and work did not restart on her until autumn of 1763. This added to the ships longevity allowing the frame to season. The ship was finally completed May 7th of 1765, 90% of oak with some elm, pine and fir and they also used a small amount of Lignum Vitae to complete construction.

The Victory had no reason to be used at the time so she was moored in the Medway River for 13 years dismasted and roofed over and placed under general maintenance. She remained there until France joined the American War of Independence.

John Lindsay appointed as her first captain ended up transferred to the HMS Prince George in May of 1778. The Honorable Augustus Keppel Admiral raised his flag in Victory. The HMS Victory was finally commissioned under the command of Rear Admiral John Campbell and Captain Jonathan Faulknor under the flag of Admiral Keppel.

The HMS Victory’s armaments consisted of smooth bore cannons. She started out with thirty 42 pounders on the lower deck, 28 24 pounder on the mid deck and thirty 12 pounder on the upper deck. The quarterdeck and forecastle held twelve 6 pound guns. Later on some of the sizes were changed out and 2 carronade guns were added that would fire 68 lb shot.

The Victory was stationed at Chatham if February 1798 under the command of Lieutenant J. Rickman. Declared unfit for service as a warship in December she was ordered converted to a hospital ship. The idea was to treat French and Spanish prisoners of war.

After the loss of the HMS Impregnable off Chichester the on the way back from Portsmouth the Admiralty planed the recondition the Victory which turned out to a costly undertaking and extensive reconstruction.

They replaced her figurehead and paint scheme from red to black and yellow. The pattern was called the (Nelson Chequer) adopted by Royal Navy ships after the Battle of Trafalgar. With new masts and paint scheme completed April 11th 1803 under her new captain Samuel Sutton she left for Portsmouth.

(Order Today!) HMS Victory 1765

HMS Victory The Oldest Commissioned Warship

The HMS Victory is due to undergo complete restoration to the tune of $25 mil. Britain’s maritime power legacy centers around this awesome battleship built 246 years ago. The Victory will undergo the most extensive restoration she has ever had. The last extensive restoration was after the Battle of Trafalgar due to her extensive damage.

BAE Systems was awarded a five year contract to rebuild the HMS Victory. The major construction contract has a unique option to extend for a second five years if needed. The project manager John O’Sullivan thinks the ship is really always a “work-in-progress”. No matter how intensive the restoration a ship of this class needs continuous work to keep it from wasting away so restoration work must continue forever.

No much of the original ship that stands at Portsmouth is from the original ship. The ship was and still is a work of art built 246 years ago that make the experts of today marvel at the workmanship. Even O’Sullivan believes the ship is a true work of art.

Mr. O’Sullivan says that shipwrights would struggle duplicating the craftsmanship today of the HMS Victory. The restoration will require re-planking the entire outside hull. The masts will be repaired and considerable work will be carried out on the interior. Since the battle of Trafalgar the Victory has only undergone maintenance no complete refit of this magnitude has ever been carried out.

The real exciting part is that the restoration will be performed by specialist that still has the skills of doing the work by hand. The very best work can only be carried out by hand when it comes to shaping and carving wood. One goal that O’Sullivan has is to train new apprentices. The art of old tall ship restoration are skills that the world does not want to lose.

The HMS Victory was in service for 30 years, commissioned back in 1778. This great warship is the only one that survived the American War of Independence, French Revolutionary War and Napoleonic wars.

This is one amazing looking ship and would make a great addition to any collection. She is one well armed lady!

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USS Yorktown

Dave — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 17:13:30 +0000

USS Yorktown (CV/CVA/CVS-10)

USS Yorktown CV-10 (Order Today)

One of the distinguished Essex-class aircraft carries the USS Yorktown was built during the II World War for the U.S. Navy. The USS Yorktown is the forth ship to carry the name for the United States Navy. While under construction her planned name was to be Bon Homme Richard. But it was agreed to re-name her Yorktown after the USS Yorktown (CV-5) that was lost during the battle of Midway.

USS Yorktown CV-10 Commissioned April 1943

Her distinguished years of service include; eleven battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation. The Yorktown was involved in several campaigns in the Pacific.

Not too long after the end of World War II the Yorktown was decommissioned. She was re-commissioned and modernized in the early 1950s CVA or as an attack aircraft carrier. Not long after her designation became CVS or anti-submarine aircraft carrier. Her commission came a little late for the Korean War. After the Korean War she served for many years in the Pacific. During the Vietnam War the Yorktown earn 5 battle stars.

She most likely is most remembered for her service as a recovery ship for the Apollo 6 mission. The USS Yorktown was also used in the movie Tora! Tora! Tora! That recreated the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese.

USS Yorktown Construction

The construction of the Yorktown began on the first of December 1941 by Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia. Her sponsor was Eleanor Roosevelt and she was launched in January of 1943. At command of the USS Yorktown Captain Joseph J. Clark received her commission in April of 1943.

USS Yorktown Awards

The Yorktown received a total of 16 battle stars during her distinguished service. Eleven from World War II along with the Presidential Citation and five more battle stars for service during Vietnam.

In June of 1970 the USS Yorktown was berthed with the Atlantic Reserve Fleet the Philadelphia Group. After about three years the USS Yorktown was struck from the naval ship registry. The Yorktown was donated to Patriot’s Point Development Authority in Charleston, South Carolina in 1974. On the 200th anniversary of the Navy she was dedicated as a memorial in October 1975.

As of 1986 the Yorktown was declared as a National Historic Landmark. She was decommissioned in 1970 and by 1975 became a museum ship Patriot’s Point, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

Late in 2009 the Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum was notified by the U.S. Navy to make repairs to the great ship or dispose of her. The final outcome of the Yorktown still in question because disposing of the ship costs much more than repairing her.

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The History of the 7 Ships Named USS Enterprise

Dave — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 18:27:39 +0000

USS Enterprise (CVN 65) Order Today You Save: 49.06 (22%)

The famous and historic name Enterprise dates back to the Revolutionary War. The 7 Naval predecessors have carried the famous name to date. To date the most decorated of the 7 is the aircraft carrier nick named “The Big E”. During all the battles and damage she received in World War II she never became inoperative during her 4 years in the Pacific. The Big E was the only ship in U.S. Naval history to ever receive both the Navy and Presidential Unit Citations.

The Big E served as the flag ship for Admiral W.F. Halsey one of the many heroes of World War II. The aircraft carrier earned 20 battle stars out of a possible 22 during World War II.

The very first ship to carry the famous name Enterprise went to a sloop-of-war. The ship was captured from the British in 1775 and refitted for service in Lake Champlain. She was commanded by Captain Dickenson attached to General Benedict Arnold’s squadron. She joined in the engagement with the British in October of 1776 on Lake Champlain where the American forces were defeated. In this Battle the British destroyed or captured 10 American ships. The Enterprise managed to escape.

The second ship the carried the name Enterprise was a 135 ton schooner. This ship was known as “The Lucky Enterprise”. She carried 70 men and 12 guns built in Baltimore, Maryland in 1979. Sometime later she was refit and converted to a brig of 165 tons. The rebuilt ship then carried 90 men and 14 guns. On one of cruises at sea that lasted 8 months in the war with France she had 5 battle actions and captured 19 vessels. The only small cruiser retained by the Navy after the French War. She was rebuilt again and protected our coast from 1811 through 1814. Serving up through July of 1823 when she was lost Little Curacao.

USS Enterprise CV-6 Order This Piece of History Today!

The third ship to carry the name Enterprise was a 194 ton schooner with 10 guns and built in New York in 1831. She cruised on Brazil station from 1832 to 1833 and Brazil and East India stations from 1834 to 1844. In 1845 she was sold in Boston.

The forth ship carrying the name Enterprise was a 10 gun schooner that served the Navy from 1831 through 1845. Her primary duty was suppressing the African slave trade.

The fifth ship carrying the name Enterprise was a formidable ship of 1,375 tons with 14 guns. She was built for the U.S. Navy in Portsmouth Navy Yard by John H. Griffith. After taking 2 years to build her she was launched in June of 1874. The ship did not receive her commissioned until March of 1877. In 1891 after many years of service she was detached to become a cadet training ship. Turned over to Massachusetts as a school ship in Boston until 1909 when she was returned to the Navy and stricken from the Naval register and sold later in October.

The sixth ship to carry the name Enterprise was a 16 ton motor patrol boat bought in 1917. She had a one pound gun and a machine gun mounted on her deck. She carried a crew of eight men. She served as a patrol ship in the Second Naval District for two years until being sold to the Bureau of Fisheries in 1919.

The seventh ship The Big E CV-6 successfully serving through World War II was placed out of commission and in reserve in 1947. She was stricken from the Naval Registry in 1956. The eight and her successor The Big E CVN-65 was the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier also built by Newport News.

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USS Missouri BB-63

Dave — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 12:26:19 +0000

Battleship BB-63 Missouri Order Today!

USS Missouri an Iowa class battleship and the forth ship to be named in honor of the U.S. state of Missouri. BB-63 Missouri Iowa class battleship was the very last battleship built in this class. She also hosted the signing of surrender of the Empire of Japan that brought an end to World War II.

Great nick names for this mighty battleship were “Might Mo” and “Big Mo”, she was ordered in 1940 and commissioned in 1944. The USS Missouri has a long and distinguished service history for the last Iowa class battleships ever built. Some of which we will touch on here. But by all means the documented history of this great battleship is available through many sources that provide some great reading. It would be worth your time to check some of them out.

During World War II in the Pacific Theater she fought in Iwo Jima and Okinawa also shelling the home islands of Japan. Later she served in the Korean War for 3 years 50 to 53.

By 1955 the Missouri was decommissioned and placed in the U.S. Navy reserve Mothball Fleet. By 1984 refit and modernized to be part of the Navy’s plan 600 ship Navy. Later in January and February of 1991 she joined in the Operation Desert Storm.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

Having enjoyed assembling ship models since 1953 and seeing much change in the industry in those years, I can only say that This model ship is one of the best created. In recent years 1/350 scale ships have increased in the model market and there are now several excellent ships available by Tamiya and Trumpet among others. The "mighty Mo" is just one of several models produced by this Japanese model maker and even though it was created in the 1970's still is one of the best models in this scale.

Review paraphrased for size — view original review here.

USS Battle Ship Missouri Order Today!

The USS Missouri earned a total of 11 battle stars for service in World War II, Korea, and the Persian Gulf.

The “Mighty Mo”, was finally decommissioned on 31 March 1992, but remained on the Naval Vessel Register until her name was struck in January 1995. In 1998, she was donated to the USS Missouri Memorial Association and became a museum ship at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

The “Big Mo” or Missouri was christened by Mary Margaret Truman the daughter of Harry S. Truman a U.S. Senator from Missouri at the launching.

The design planned in 1938 by the Preliminary Design Branch at the Bureau of Construction and Repair was to be am Iowa class fast battleship.

In January of 41 she was laid down at the Brooklyn Navy yard. Launching and commissioning occurred in January of 1944 Captain William Callaghan commanding.

Her armament was amazing some of which we will describe here. The Main battery of the Missouri consisted of 9 16” Mark 7 guns that fired 2,700 lb armor piercing shells. They could hit targets at 20 miles away with a high degree of accuracy. The secondary battery included 20 5” guns built into twin turrets which had a very impressive range of about 10 miles.

The Missouri was the last of the great battleships to be completed. The USS Wisconsin received the highest designation number for a battleship but was completed before the Missouri. Of the 4 Iowa class battleships two more were ordered BB-65 and BB-71 but were cancelled.

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USS New Jersey BB-62

Dave — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 18:00:56 +0000

USS New Jersey Battleship Order Today!

The Iowa class battleship was known as the Black Dragon or Big J BB-62 USS New Jersey earned the most battle stars for combat actions of all 4 warships in her class. She was also the only battleship to serve a tour of duty in Vietnam during the war providing excellent gunfire support.

The New Jersey was born and launched from the Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia December of 1942. One year after the attack on Pearl Harbor brought America into WWII. She began her life as the Flagship on her first mission she mounted a two day mission along with her task force against the supposedly impregnable Japanese fleet based on Truk in the Carolines.

This battleship has an amazing history which we only touch on some of the highlights here. Much of the history of this battleship is well documented and provides some interesting reading.

For instance in World War II, New Jersey shelled targets on Guam and Okinawa, and provided protection for aircraft carriers conducting raids in the Marshall Islands.

By May of 1951 the New Jersey made her appearance off the coast of Korea. She served two tours of duty doing a first class job of providing the platform for mobile artillery for the troops on the ground.

The Iowa class battleships were brought into service in the final years of World War II and assigned to the Pacific. Aside from the New Jersey there were 3 other ships in the Iowa class. The USS Wisconsin (BB-64), The USS Missouri (BB-63) and The USS Iowa (BB-61).

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The Secretary of Defense in August of 1967 re-commission the New Jersey to provide gunfire support in Southeast Asia “Vietnam” as she was in the best condition as compared to her sister ships. She was modernized with new electronic warfare systems. The ship was re-commissioned again in April of 1968 at the Naval Shipyard of Philadelphia with Captain J. Edward Snyder commanding.

By the following September she sending fire from her big guns with a high degree of accuracy at targets along the coast of Vietnam coast. This was the first time her big guns fired shots in battle in 16 years. She successfully targeted Communists near the Demilitarized Zone destroying supply areas and gun positions.

Later in November the New Jersey launched the most destructive shore bombardment of her Vietnam tour. For two full days the battleship concentrated fire at Viet Cong storage areas near Quang Ngai. She destroyed 182 structures and 54 bunkers and inflicting heavy damage to 93 structures, and demolishing several tunnel complexes. Then she moved on for Point Betsy near Hue later that month to support the 101st Airborne Division.

The mighty USS New Jersey received one more reactivation and re- commissioning for service in 1983. The Lebanese Civil War of 1983, modernized with missiles she served proudly one more time participating in the U.S. operations.

Today she serves as a memorial and museum and a tribute to the sailors who served aboard her. The USS New Jersey (BB-62) also serves as an educational museum in Home Port Alliance in Camden, New Jersey, as of October 2001.

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Italian Amerigo Vespucci Tall Ship

Dave — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 18:53:42 +0000

Italian Amerigo Vespucci Tall Ship

Two training ships were ordered in 1925 by the Regia Marina and were to be designed by General Lieutenant Francesco Rotundi of the Italian Navy Engineering Corps. The ships were to be the same style used in the 18th century ships of the line that carried 74 cannons.

The first to be launched went into service as The Cristoforo Colombo in 1928. She ended up being used by the Italian Navy until 1943. The ship was given to the USSR for war reparations but was quickly decommissioned.

The second ship and the more beautiful of the two built in 1930 at the Naval Shipyard of Castellammare di Stabia Naples. Launched in 1931 and finally put into service in July.

Named in honor of the famous explorer Amerigo Vespucci The Italian Amerigo Vespucci Tall Ship of Marina Militare today makes its home port in Livorno, Italy. As the original plan she is used as a training ship.

The Amerigo Vespucci is a full rigged three-mast steel hull 270.34 ft long, with an overall length of 331 ft including the bowsprit and a maximum width of 51 ft. Her draught of about 23 ft and she has a displacement at full load of 4146 tons. She has auxiliary diesel-electric propulsion which will make the Amerigo Vespucci reach top speeds of 10 knots and cruise as far as 5450 nm at 6.5 knots.

She also has masts made from steel which are 50, 54 and 43 meters in height. Italian Amerigo Vespucci tall ship is rigged with 26 sails altogether. They consist of square sails, stay sails and jibs all made from the traditional canvas. Under full sail even with severe sea conditions she can reach a full 12 knots. She is the last of the tall ships with three decks and square rig to still survive as of today.

The style of this ship is truly a sight to behold. Black hull she has two white stripes that extenuates the original two cannon decks. Today she carries only the saluting guns mounted on pivots forward of the mainmast. Her deck planks made of teak get replaced every three years. The bow and stern have intricate ornaments and on the bow is a life size figurehead of Amerigo Vespucci.

When she sails with the midshipmen of the Naval Academy the crew totals about 450 officers and men. The standard crew configuration is 190 sailors, 70 non-commissioned officers and 16 officers.

The Amerigo Vespucci has auxiliary power since 1964 2 8 cylinder Fiat B 308 ESS diesel engines replace the older smaller power plant. The more powerful engines generate electric power for propulsion. The electric propulsion produces 2000 hp to propel the ship.

Today she has all the modern electronic navigation equipment and hydraulic assisted steering located on the bridge. But when training cadets she is steered by the manual stern rudder station. It has 4 steering wheels that require 2 men each to be manned at all times.

The Italian Amerigo Vespucci has maintained active service except during the war of World War II. She has sailed around the world in 2002 but mostly cruises in European waters when training the crew.

She maintains a full schedule entering the Tall Ship races, sailing in many parades. When racing she proves to be a good rival for the SSS Gorch Fock. Always when docked in port the public is granted tours of the vessel.

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USS Kearsarge

Dave — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 18:20:40 +0000

USS Kearsarge Civil War Ship Order Today You Save: $100.00 (20%)

The Ship from the American Civil War era was a Mohican class sloop-of-war. Named USS Kearsarge better known for her defeat of the raider CSS Alabama during the Civil War. This ship was named after the mountain Mount Kearsarge in New Hampshire. There were four other ships that were named the USS Kearsarge but were named in honor of the original ship.

In 1861 the American Civil War emergency shipbuilding program ordered construction of her at Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Main. Upon completion she was launched in September of 1861. Her sponsor was the wife of the editor of the Concord Statement Mrs. McFarland. She received her commission in January of 1862 Captain Charles W. Pickering commanding. Not long after the USS Kersarge was on duty she began hunting down Confederate raiders in European waters.

Setting sail for Spain from Portsmouth in February of 1862 and on to Gibraltar to join in on the blockade of the CSS Sumter a Confederate raider. The blockade being successful forced the abandonment of the CSS Sumter in December. The Captain of the Sumter Raphael Semmes went on to commission the Confederate raider CSS Alabama off the Azores.

The USS Kearsarge trained for battle against the Alabama from November of 1862 through March of 1863 for her battle at Cádiz. Searching for the Alabama along the coast of Northern Europe all the way to the Canaries, Madeira without success, arriving in France at Cherbourg in June of 1864, the Kearsarge found the Alabama in port. The Alabama was undergoing repairs. The result of a devastating cruise at the cost of 65 United States merchant marine ships so the Kearsarge waited at the harbor’s entrance for Captain Raphael’s next move.

Known as the Great Battle of Cherbourg on the 19th of June 1864 was the CSS Alabama’s last battle. The French and their clamed neutrality even seems to still be an issue to this very day. Captain John Winslow of the USS Kearsarge moved the sloop-of-war away from the France’s territorial waters and then turned to meet the Confederate raider in battle. Steaming in opposite courses in a southwesterly direction the ships moved in spiraling circles. The reason for this was to cross the bow of each other’s ship to deliver the crushing fire kill shot. The CSS Alabama opened fire first during which time the USS Kearsage held back saving her reply when in range for a better shot.

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USS Kearsarge Civil War Model Ship Order Today!

The plan worked and the battle turned against the Alabama rather quickly due to deteriorated shells, powder and fuses. The Kearsarge had another advantage in her favor the Captain Semmes was unaware of at the time. She had chain cable triced in her tiers installed on the starboard and port midsections for added protection.

The added armor evened the odds and gave the Kearsarge a fighting chance in the battle. The armor took only three days to install and was done just a year before the battle took place. During the battle the armor took two hits from the Alabama’s 32 pound guns and only had minor damage.

The CSS Alabama burning sinking wreck one hour after the first salvo of the USS Kearsarge’s 11” Dahlgren cannons. Captain Semmes quickly struck his colors and sent a boat over to surrender and ask for help. The Kearsarge quickly went to the rescue of the Alabama’s crew. Most of the Alabama’s crew were rescued but 41 along with Captain Semmes escaped and were picked up by the British yacht Deerhound and taken to the United Kingdom.

The Civil War streamer in honored with a battle star issued by the United States Navy and seventeen members of the crew received the Medal of Honor for valor.

The USS Kearsarge served many more years and in November of 1988 she was protecting American interests along the Central Americas, West Indies and off of Venezuela. On one of her trips departing Haiti in 1894 heading for Bluefields, Nicaragua she struck a reef off Roncador Cay. All on-board made it ashore safely officers and crew. During this time Congress provide $45,000 to salvage the Kearsarge. But the Boston Towboat Company was not able to do so but did salvage some items from the ship.

The salvage company saved the ship’s Bible and an unexploded shell from the Alabama still embedded in the hull. These artifacts are on display at the Washing Navy Yard. As of 1894 the USS Kearsarge was struck from the Naval Vessel Register.

The Five Ships of the United States Navy That Carried the Name USS Kearsarge:

The first USS Kearsarge was named for Mount Kearsarge and the later ones were named in honor of the first.

USS Kearsarge 1861, was a sloop of war launched 11 September 1861, fought in the American Civil War and was wrecked off Central America 2 February 1894

USS Kearsarge BB-5, was a battleship launched 24 March 1898, sailed with the Great White Fleet, participated in World War I and World War II then sold for scrapping 9 August 1955

USS Kearsarge CV-12, was an Essex-class aircraft carrier renamed Hornet prior to launch

USS Kearsarge CV-33, was a long-hulled Essex-class aircraft carrier, launched 5 May 1945, served in the Korean War and Vietnam War then scrapped in 1974

USS Kearsarge LHD-3, is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship commissioned in 1993 and remains in active service, as of 2010

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USS Constellation of (1854)

Dave — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 15:52:07 +0000

1854 USS Constellation Order Today!

Our USS Constellation of 1854 is actually the second U.S. Navy ship to carry the name. The original USS Constellation a 38-gun frigate, one of the six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794. In June of 1853 she was disassembled as recorded in the U.S. Naval Registry. Our Naval sloop-of-war was built in Gosport Navy Yard of Norfolk, Virginia the same port the frigate was disassembled.

The USS Constellation of 1854 was the last warship powered by sail constructed by the U.S. Navy. And she lives on today and still sails as part of the Historic Ships in Baltimore and designated a National Historic Landmark.

Originally the sloop launched in August of 1854 and she received her commissioned in July of 1855 and with the honorable Captain Charles H. Bell in command.

During the Civil War years 1855 through 1858 the Constellation served diplomatic duties with the U.S. Mediterranean Squadron. She became the flagship of the U.S. African Squadron between 1859 through 1861. She interrupted the African slave trade catching the slave ships and releasing the African slaves.

Before World War I she was used as a practice ship for the Naval Academy. By 1894 the Constellation was converted into a training ship for the Naval Training center of Newport, Rhode Island. She assisted in the training of more than 60,000 recruits for World War I.

USS Constellation 1854 is a Beauty

USS Constellation Still Sails Today!

Sadly the Constellation was decommissioned in 1933 but in 1940 President Franklin Roosevelt re-commissioned her as a National symbol. During the second World War she served mostly as relief (i.e. reserve) flagship for the U.S. Fleet in the Atlantic. For the first six months of 1942 she served as flagship for Admiral Ernest J. King and Vice Admiral Royal E. Ingersoll.

After the war the Constellation was decommissioned again in February of 1955 and removed from the Naval Vessel Register. Not bad considering this was about one hundred years and two weeks from her first commissioning.

The USS Constellation was taken to her permanent berth in Baltimore, Maryland. She was the last American Civil War era Naval Vessel powered by sail built by the U.S. Navy.

After restoration the Constellation sailed again in October 2004 making her first trip out of Baltimore’s inner Harbor since 1955. Her first trip after 111 years was to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis that took 6 days.

The USS Constellation of 1854 is one of the four oldest sailing ships in the United States. The other three are the USS Constitution of 1797 and The Star of India 1863 along with the Charles W. Morgan.

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There have been four ships the bare the name USS Constellation for the U.S. Navy over the years. The name was given in honor according to the U.S. Congress of the “New Constellation of Stars” on the flag of the United States.

The first USS Constellation (1797), was a 38 gun frigate and the second ship to be commissioned in the United States Navy. It was the first US Navy vessel to put to sea and the first US Navy vessel to engage, defeat, and capture an enemy vessel.

Our USS Constellation (1854) was a sloop-of-war that served from 1855 to 1933, and is preserved as a National Historic Landmark in Baltimore, Maryland.

The third USS Constellation (CC-2), a battle-cruiser, was laid down in 1920 but construction was canceled in 1923.

The forth USS Constellation (CV-64), was a Kitty Hawk-class steam turbine propelled aircraft carrier which served from 1961 to 2003.

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Star of India and HMS Surprise Video

Dave — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:47:41 +0000

The Star of India, what a beautiful ship to still be sailing. As the story goes she almost did not make it. On her first cruise sailing for Calcutta from Liverpool in January of 1864 under Captain William John Storry a collision occurred at night. A Spanish brig running without lights pulled the hit and run causing considerable damage carrying off her jib-boom and rigging.

One click to play one click to stop, while in play double click for full screen.

The HMS Surprise was a 24-gun sixth rate ship of the Royal Navy. She was built to the 1741 revised specifications of the 1719 Establishment by James Wyatt and John Major at Bucklers Hard on the Beaulieu River in Hampshire and launched on 27 January 1745.

One big surprise was the aircraft carrier The USS Ronald Reagan CVN-76 in the background of the video kind of gives away the the time of the recording.

The Charles W. Morgan Ship

Dave — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 16:02:05 +0000

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The Charles W. Morgan is on exhibit today in Mystic, Connecticut at the Mystic Seaport museum. She is the world’s oldest surviving merchant vessel.

She served as a U.S. whaling ship in the 19th and early 20th century. As merchant vessel she harvested the blubber of whales for oil. Back in those days the oil was used for lamps.

Charles W. Morgan was a Quaker whaling merchant that had the ship built and named after him. He had the ship built by Jethro and Zachariah Hillman of New Bedford, Massachusetts.

The ship was first launched in September of 1941. And her first voyage was to take her around Cape Horn then cruise the Pacific Ocean.

Her first voyage took three years and 4 months, upon her return she was loaded with 800 barrels of whale oil, 1600 barrels of sperm oil and around 10,000 lbs of baleen or whalebone. The load was valued at $56,000 thousand dollars.

The ship remained in service for 80 years, during this time period it was said the she made 37 voyages. The voyages lasted anywhere from 9 months to five years. Over this time period the Charles W. Morgan brought to market 54,483 barrels of sperm whale oil and 152,934 lbs of baleen. Her voyages took the ship to the Indian and South Atlantic Oceans. Over the years she survived snow and ice storms and once a cannibal attach in the South Pacific. The Morgan’s home port was based out of San Francisco.

The Morgan ship was a working ship built to perform three jobs of a whaling ship.

The primary job was to serve as the mother ship to the smaller whale-boats and also to store them on davits when not in use.

Her secondary job was to serve as a refinery which extracted the oil from the whale blubber.

The last job but not the least she also served as an oil tanker to return the oil to market.

Over the lifetime of service the Charles W. Morgan had over 1,000 whale-men to serve aboard her. The crew was a diverse group of races and nationalities. They included not only Americans but sailors from many different places. Some came from Cape Verde, Guadeloupe, New Zealand, and Norfolk Island over the years.

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On the average voyage the ship carried around 33 men to carry out the duties of the whale-ship. Most often whale-ships of the 1800’s were the primary home to the Captain’s family.

Over the years of service there were a number of movies made the used the ship in some of their scenes. The movies were “Miss Petticoats” in 1916, “Java Head” in 1921 and “Down to the Sea in Ships” in 1922.

In June of 1924 the Sankaty steamer being on fire drifted across the Acushnet River in New Bedford harbor and collided with the Morgan. Fire spread to the ship causing some damage and just barely escaped destruction.

Thankfully the whaling days came to an end once refining petroleum was perfected. The ship was under the care of Whaling Enshrined, Inc. up to 1941. The whaling ship was transferred to Mystic Seaport where she remains to this very day. She holds the distinction of being the only surviving wooden whale-ship from the 1800 and is still sea worthy today. The ship is declared a National Historic Landmark and has a listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Charles W. Morgan is she is one of the four oldest sailing ships in the United States. The other three are the USS Constitution of 1797 and The Star of India 1863 along with the USS Constellation of 1854.

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The Star of India

Dave — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 02:00:55 +0000

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The beautiful tall sailing ship The Star of India was indeed a real ship with a real history. She launched November 14th of 1863 as The Euterpe, the muse of music. She was built of iron with three masts with square sails. She was assigned British Registry No.47617 and signal VPJK.

The Euterpe was constructed by Gibson, McDonald & Arnold, of Ramsey, Isle of Man for the purpose of Indian jute trade of the Wakefield Nash & Company of Liverpool.

The ships beginnings were fast off to a rocky start. Sailing for Calcutta from Liverpool in January of 1864 with Captain William John Storry a collision occurred at night. A Spanish brig running without lights pulled the hit and run causing considerable damage. Somewhere off the coast of Wales the Spanish brig carried off her jib-boom also damaging the other rigging.

Her crew, at this point refuses to continue on becoming mutinous The Enterpe returned to Anglesey for repairs. There were 17 members of the crew thrown in to jail in Beaumaris to serve hard labor. Later on in another unfortunate incident in the Bay of Bengal off Madras she was forced to cut away her masts in a storm. After which she limped to Trincomalee and Calcutta for more repairs. On her return to England Captain Storry died and was buried at sea.

Seemingly a bad-luck ship with two disastrous voyages under her belt The Euterpe was sold. An investor by the name of David Brown of London bought the ship and made 4 successful voyages to India. With the opening of the Suez Canal she was replaced by modern steamers. The Enterpe was sold once again to Shaw, Savill & Company of London.

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Later that year in 1871 the ship began a mission of carrying freight and passengers for the New Zealand emigrant trade. The trip took the ship to the east around the world before returning to England. The ship made the voyage 21 times and the fastest of which took only 100 days and the longest of which took 143 days. On one of the voyages a new baby was born on the route to New Zealand and received Enterpe as their middle name.

And once again after 21 trips around the world The Euterpe is sold again. She was purchased by new Hawaiian owners in 1897 and then sold again in 1899 to the Pacific Colonial Ship Company of San Francisco, California. After 4 more successful voyages hauling coal, lumber and sugar between the Pacific Northwest, Australia and Hawaii she was registered in the United States in October of 1900.

Once again the Euterpe was sold again this time to Alaska Packers’ Association of San Francisco. The Packers’ Association re-rigged her as a barque then started carrying fisherman and cannery workers, coal and canning supplies from Oakland, Ca. to Nauhagak in the Bering Sea. Each fall she would return with her holds loaded with canned salmon.

The major event of 1906 was the Association re-named her to The Star of India to be more consistent with the rest of their fleet. After making 22 voyages to Alaska and back she was laid up in 1923, in that day the new steam ships ruled the seas.

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The Star of India was not to be forgotten because the Zoological bought her in 1926 with plans to make her the centerpiece of their aquarium and museum. The plan had to be canceled because of the Great Depression and World War II. By 1957 thoughts of restoration began and a windjammer captain and author while on a lecture tour saw her decaying in the harbor. He began publicized the story and with interest from a group of citizens they formed “The Star of India Auxiliary” that supported the ships restoration.

The restoration progress was very slow but by 1976 the fully restored Star of India was put to sea again. She has been kept sea worthy ever since and still sails at least once a year. Today she houses exhibits for the Maritime Museum of San Diego.

What makes the Star of India so great is she is the forth oldest ship in the United States. The other three is the USS Constitution of 1797 and The Charles W. Morgan of 1841 along with the USS Constellation of 1854. But The Star of India unlike the other restored ships she is still 100% original the hull cabins and equipment.

You can still see The Star of India at the San Diego Maritime Museum just south of the San Diego International Airport. She is located on the west side of North Harbor Drive. All the other ships in the Maritime Museum are docked to the north of the Star of India.

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The San Felipe

Dave — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 20:45:47 +0000

The San Felipe Tall Ship Background

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There are some interesting stories about the San Felipe Ship and some are more interesting than others.

What really makes the ship famous it that it is treasured by ship model builders? And for good reason the San Felipe is indeed a beauty and as a model ship she makes the perfect decorative display for an office lobby or restaurant.

Some of the stories say she was only built as a model ship and a lot of doubts about the ships authenticity exist.

Many articles are written about the San Felipe but no real information on whether she existed or not.

Real or only just a model she is a real beauty. The common consensus is very likely she never existed.

The story told about the San Felipe that is most repeated but most likely is made up for the models being sold. The story does a good job describing her beauty rather than the facts.

As the story goes the “San Felipe” was launched around 1690. It was said she was one of Spain’s most majestic fighting ships of the 17th century.

She was to have displaced around one thousand tons and said to be armed with 108 cannons. They built her to engage with success any of the capable ships British and French Navies.

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Artwork on the Bow was second to none!

She was said to have had a slim profile and impressive wide spread of sails. This combination gave her agility and maneuverability second to none.

Enhancing the overall beauty of this ship was the beautiful sculptures to grace her stem transom. As the story goes the San Felipe was suppose to be an integral part of the great Spanish Fleet.

When the Spanish Fleet was engaged in perennial wars with Britain and France over territory dominance in the Caribbean and South America a battle broke out.

Sometime around 1705 this battle took place and being one of 12 Spanish ships against 35 English ships. The horrific battle went on for over 24 long hours and The San Felipe was said to be captured by the English ship “Revenge”.

With the San Felipe being damaged badly ended up sinking with several tons of gold and other treasures still on board. Or so the story goes!

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More of the story of the invented life of this beautiful ship is The San Felipe real birth may have come from a Barcelona model ship builder from around the middle of the twentieth century. It is believed that he created the design based on illustration of Spanish, English and French ship of the 18th century.

The plans were republished many times by a number of different companies. This fact is believed to be what makes the San Felipe one of the most famous Spanish ships of all. Ship history even the false ships make for some very interesting stories.

The Marine Museum of Barcelona has done some extensive searches and has come to the conclusion that the “San Felipe” is and invented boat.

Even the story about the naval engagement between the English was made up.

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The battle does resemble the story that goes with the Battle of Cape Passaro in 1718 when a Spanish ship with the name “Real San Felipe” was captured and exploded while being towed.

As a model she is indeed a Beauty and makes a great conversation piece. After all was she a real ship or just a model?

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Norwegian Full Rigged Ship The Christian Radich

Dave — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 17:31:55 +0000

Class and Type: Full Rigged Ship

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When you see this beauty the class and type become clear. The Christian Radich was Norwegian and the builder was “Framnæs Mekaniske Værksted” constructed at Framnæs shipyard in Sandefjord, Norway. This beauty was delivered June 17, 1937 to the owner Christian Radich Sail Training Foundation established by a grant from an officer with that name.

She is a full rigged three masted steel hull design. Her call-sign is LJLM and her home-port is Oslo, Norway.

The Christian Radich displaces 1050 tons and her overall length is 240 feet which includes the bowsprit. Her width is 32 feet and a draught of 15 feet. Her power consists of a Caterpillar 900 HK and 27 Sails, 1,360 square meters (14,600 sq ft). Under engine power she can make 10 knots and under full sail she can make 14 knots.

The ships Complement are 18 for the permanent crew and she can accommodate up to 88 passengers. The ship became well known with the international release of the widescreen movie Windjammer. She also sailed in the United States Bicentennial Celebration of 1976. She took part is sailing in the Operation Sail parade in New York Harbor on July 4, 1976 as part of the Bicentennial Celebration. The Christian Radich appeared as her-self in the 70s BBC TV series The Onedin Line as one of James Onedin’s ships.

The ship was built for training sailors of the Norwegian merchant Navy. As of 1999 she has worked the charter market also sailing with paying trainees on summer trips. She participates in the Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race and many of the large sail events of the European ports. Some of her accolades include winning on correct time in Class A and became the only Class A ship to cross the finish line.

Just recently she won the first race of the Tall Ships Race 2010 in Class A, from Antwerp to Skagen in Denmark, a distance of 489 miles just under 2 days with an impressive average speed of 10.2 knots, with the corrected time of 1 day 4 hours 29 minutes and 44 seconds, and won the overall race 2010, making this its 5th victory in the Tall ships Race.

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HMS Surprise

Dave — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:40:22 +0000

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The first HMS Surprise was a 24-gun sixth rate ship of the Royal Navy. She was built to the 1741 revised specifications of the 1719 Establishment by James Wyatt and John Major at Bucklers Hard on the Beaulieu River in Hampshire and launched on 27 January 1745.

The designation sixth rate was used by the Royal Navy for small warships mounting between 20 and 24 nine-pounder guns on a single deck, sometimes with guns on the upper works and sometimes without.

Ships of this design and size were manned by 150 to 240 men and were of the displacement of 450 to 550 tons. Typically a 28-gun ship had some 19 officers. The officers would include the ship’s Captain and two lieutenants. The remaining officers would be warrant officers making up the ship’s Master, Surgeon and the Purser.

Two other Quarterdeck officers would include a Chaplain and a Royal Marines lieutenant. Included in the list of warrant officers were the gunner, the bosun and the carpenter, two master’s mates, four midshipmen, an assistant surgeon and the Captain’s clerk.

The makeup of the rest of the men or crew of the “lower deck” slept in hammocks ate simple meals at tables, sitting on wooden benches.

The typical sixth rate would carry some 23 marines referred to as a strong crew or a weaker crew. In the strong crew consisted of experienced seamen with rating of “able” or “ordinary”. Weaker crews would be made up of “landsmen” adults with little or no seamanship experience.

The slightly large of the sixth rates were those that carried 28 guns plus 4 smaller guns mounted on the quarterdeck were in the class of Frigates. For the smaller sixth rates or those with 20 to 24 guns and even some vessels with flush decks were sometimes known as “post ships”. Being rated meant they were large enough to have a post Captain in command instead of just a lieutenant or commander.

Later the sixth rate frigates were found to be too small for the duties expected of a fifth rate frigate and most were phased out. Very few lasted in use as auxiliary roles up until a little after 1815. These old sixth rate frigates picked up the nick-name “jackass frigates” because they were not considered big enough for frigate dities.

The British Royal Navy has thirteen ships named HMS Surprise or HMS Surprize, including:

The first a 24-gun sixth rate launched in 1746 and sold in 1770.
The second was a 28-gun sixth rate launched in 1774 and sold in 1783.
The third, an 18-gun sloop, formerly the American privateer Bunker Hill, captured in 1778 and sold in 1783.
The forth HMS Surprise was a 10-gun cutter purchased in 1780 and sold in 1786.
The fifth HMS Surprize was a 10-gun cutter purchased in 1786 and sold in 1792.
The sixth HMS Surprise, originally the French corvette Unité (1794), captured in 1796 by HMS Inconstant and reclassified as a sixth-rate frigate. She was sold in 1802.
The seventh was a 10-gun schooner, previously the French merchantman Surprise. She was captured in 1799 by HMS Brave and sold in 1800.
The eighth, a 38-gun frigate, previously named Jacobs and launched in 1812. She was hulked as a prison ship in 1822 and sold in 1837.
The ninth was a small 2-gun schooner on the Canadian Lakes. She was formerly the American Tigress, captured in 1814 and listed in service until 1832.
The tenth, a wooden Vigilant-class screw gun-vessel, launched in 1856 and broken up in 1866.
The eleventh HMS Surprise was a dispatch vessel launched in 1885. She was renamed HMS Alacrity in 1913 and was sold in 1919.
The twelfth HMS Surprise was a Yarrow Later M class destroyer launched in 1916 and sunk in 1917.
And the thirteenth HMS Surprise (K346), was a Bay class frigate. She had been laid down as HMS Loch Carron but was renamed HMS Gerrans Bay in 1944 before being launched in 1945. She was renamed HMS Surprise and used as a dispatch vessel later that year, and was broken up in 1965.

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HMS Endeavour or HM Bark Endeavor

Dave — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 15:16:43 +0000

HMS Endeavour

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The HMS Endeavour was also known as HM Bark Endeavour, she was a British Royal Navy research vessel commanded by Lieutenant James Cook on his first voyage of discovery. The first voyage took Lieutenant Cook to Australia and New Zealand in the years 1769 to 1771.

The HMS Endeavour started out as the collier Earl of Pembroke and was launched in 1764. She was acquired by the Navy in 1768 for a scientific mission to the Pacific Ocean, and to explore the seas for the surmised Terra Australis Incognita or "unknown southern land".

The collier Earl of Pembroke was renamed and commissioned His Majesty’s Bark The Endeavour. On her first voyage as the Endeavour which began in August of 1768 she departed Plymouth and went around Cape Horn. She continued on to Tahiti and arrived in time to view the transit of Venus across the Sun in 1769.

Continuing on her voyage to the uncharted ocean to the south she made stops at the Pacific islands of Borabora, Huahine and Raiatea which allowed Cook to claim them for Great Britain.

By September of 1769 as the first European ship to reach the islands of New Zealand since the Able Tasman’s Heemskerck did 127 years earlier. By April of 1770 the HMS Endeavour became the first ship to reach the east coast of Australia. Lieutenant Cook went ashore to what is now known as Botany Bay.

The Endeavour continued along the Australian coast until she ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef. She was beached for 7 weeks while some repairs were made to her hull. By October 1770 limping into Batavia of the Dutch East Indies for more permanent repairs her crew was sworn to secrecy about the lands they discovered. After her repairs were completed she continued on her voyage westward by December she made it around the Cape of Good Hope on the 13th of March 1771. By the 12th of July she reached the port of Dover after having been at sea for almost three full years.

The HMS Endeavour largely forgotten about after her epic voyage she spent the next three years carrying Navy stores to the Falklands. By 1775 she was renamed again and sold into private hands.

The ship returned to naval service for a short time during the American Revolutionary War ferrying troops. The ship was scuttled in the blockade of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island in 1778. The wreck was never located but some of her relics are displayed in maritime museums around the world.

Today a replica of HMS Endeavour was launched in 1994 and is berthed alongside the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney Harbor.