Another Airfix 1/72 Golden Hind Build Review – Part 1

[WilliamM]

Good day,

You are right about easy and rapid access to the fore and aftercastles from main deck, this could be suggested from modern point of vew I could guess ))

But absence of such ladders on the contemporary galleon pictures could be explained by contrary purpose - to make this eccess as much difficult as posible for enemy boarding team, which was very common tactics in that time of XVI th for Spanish Navy especially, to board enemy vessel after one broad artillery shot and to attempt amborcation enemy vessel and continue fighting on board to get it as prize...

In my signature there is a link to museum site with plenty galleon pictures of Dutch, Spanish and other origins... no these kind of ladders could be seen

From other point of vew, to have such details as ledders on the ship model make it more attractive for vewing...I ve heard that Mayflower II galleon replica had even steering wheel installed instead of whipstaff and ladders as well , during her cross atlantic voyage...so what... )) this is just our plastic models which we could assemble in any way we prefer with more or less artisric license...

Galleons existed first in the Northern European navies, then in Spain. English Galleons differed somewhat from those of Spain. At the time of the Golden Hind/Pelican, the English tended to avoid any situation in which Spanish soldiers were allowed or enabled to board, and soon developed stand off techniques that focused on long-range gunnery, later developing the race-built Galleons that relied on speed as well. To me, it is important to consider that each Navy that operated Galleons emphasized different qualities from each other depending on tactical thinking at the respective times.

My source is a book by the German author and historian Peter Kirsch called The Galleon: The Great Ships of the Armada Era.

 

[kirill4]

Good day Bill,
I have this book as well, and it is one of my lovely source of information about galleons , but it is not clear for me why You citated my post here?
If it is regarding to my suggestion why there are no evidances nor contemporary pictures of 16-17 th vessels which demonstrated open ladders from forecastle deck and quaterdecks to the weist as shown on dicsussed model than I do not see supported arguments to show them on galleon models , doesn't matter of their origin, England or continental Europe contries..
I understand that in that period english fleet try to avoid situation when spanish could be able to board their vessels and prefer long range gunnery but spanish fleet had contrary tactic which they prefer and how many times they were sucseed in boarding english galleons in close combat if it happened? There is well known story with Revenge as example of such success... By the way Peter Kirsch's model of english galleon has no such open ladders...
Beside english and spanish galleons fightings there were many other sea combats between other nations Navies ,or pirates > merchant galleons... when boarding enemy vessel was preferable to catch prize but not to sink vessel, in such situation abcense of easy access between open decks would be very helpfull...mybe that why we do not see such arrangement with open ladders on galleon decks on the contemporary pictures - there are a lot of them could be watching following link to Rijks museum in my signature...
All the best!

 

[WilliamM]

Kirill,

I meant no disrespect. I only cited your post to illustrate that when discussing Galleons, people automatically focus on Spanish Galleons when this is actually a much more complex topic than that. I meant to highlight that point. To add to the mix, I am working on a very old Bluejacket model of the Dutch Half Moon which does not resemble either a Spanish or an English Galleon, nor does it resemble anything from the Mediterranean. Many early Galleons from the Med were even equipped with oars, a nod to these differences. The issue of ladders must be considered a long these lines. That was all.

Again, I meant no disrespect to you at all.

Bill

 

[kirill4]

Good day Bill, gents,
I'm sorry if my message looks aggressive or whatever when You read it, this could be happend due to my poor English do not kill me for that , actualy it was absolutely neitral in meaning, no emotions involved , this is very limitited area of discussion from my side about why do we need or do not to show open type ladders on the galleon models... when I assembling my kit of spanish galleon I liked very much these ladders ,and the way how they were shown in the kit , and I reproduced them on the model without any doubts, but later on while I searching and getting more and more information about galleons , reading books and closely examing available ancient art drawings where galleons were depicted, I have more doubts that they could have right place here )) but that time it was already too late to make necessary corrections on my model due to masts and some rigging were fitted allready... but I noted this in my mind and it was triggered when I saw Steve desided to show them on his model... in this respect ,by my opinion, kit makers were quite historical accurate when they didn't show these open style ladders(doors only are OK) on the model of elizabethian galleon they called GH... as seems to me, it more looks like copy of Elizabeth Jonas galleon model (as I understood which was made according to famous shipwright Bakker's galleon drawing)model from Science Museum than actual small Frencis Dreik's galleon could be looks like.. but there is very dark area of pure suggestion and aproximations )) at least I m very glad that this plastic kit is quite big in size for making any kind of scratch build additions and it is very handy due to big scale for making accurate and full deck fittings and complete sails and rigging without scale compromises... and it very similar in siluete to this \ circled on the drawing and to famous Bakker drawing

 

[StevemacG]

Please allow me to make a small recommendation. I use hot water to correct any warps. It's easy. It's permanent, And, it works. But, you are doing a magnificent job!

Thanks for the encouragement!

I wish I had thought of using hot water to help straighten the warped deck. Instead, I left the deck part clamped in place and with weights for a couple of days. That did straighten it out, but when I came to install it later, it had warped again! I guess that using hot water would have achieved a more permanent result...

 

[WilliamM]

Steve,

Try it . . . it might work for you.

 

[WilliamM]

Kirill,

Your English is much better than my Russian! I also remember your model by Imai/Lee. etc. very well. It was outstanding! The one posted above looks to be one of the Revell kits as well (although not the large scale monstrosities!) It is also outstanding! I admire your building very much!

Bill