Good morning Robert. Great reading, a beautiful model, some history and authentic research…how our build logs should be- nice! Cheers Grant
Batavia VOC 1:72 Kolderstok by RobertD [COMPLETED BUILD]
Thank you Grant ! yes I love the historical facets too, you sometimes wonder where they all house the people on board , in the case of the Batavia it is also the sinister element , yes she was loaded with precious metals for trading hence the interest sparked .
Absolutely Heinrich , and even now that combination exists unfortunately on a world scale
Just completed the ‘Baby’ Batavia , the long boat Pelsaert and others used to travel , mind you 33 days ! to the East Indies escaping the wreck site of the Batavia , the hull made of Oak, I could add a mast and sails , thought it would be to overcrowded and left them out under the disguise as being stored away
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Way to go Robert.
Thanks Grant ! it sure is a way to go, working on the Batavia’s masts at the moment and will post some pictures once partly completed
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Work on the Masts in progress , Mizzenmast not completed , still the flag pole missing , first coat Sikkens HSL on the Fore and Main Mast followed by top coat of dark Oak , at the moment just in position so not fixed on the keel as work is still outstanding on deck , just want make sure they are all properly aligned and the yards will be next , so it will be a lot easier to at least set them up with the masts unattached
Shrouds ! more Shrouds ! anyway the long boat completed and have a space on the hatch , following the Witner instructions left the covers to keep the air flowing under decks , mind you 300+ persons on board !
Next month Rosie and I will board the ‘Westerdam’ on an excursion cruise to the Indonesian archipelago , exploring the old city of Batavia and history going back to the VOC time , in the meantime plenty of detail to be added tom the model
Next month Rosie and I will board the ‘Westerdam’ on an excursion cruise to the Indonesian archipelago , exploring the old city of Batavia and history going back to the VOC time , in the meantime plenty of detail to be added tom the model
Have a great adventure Robert. Enjoying your build!
Still working on the shrouds , a bit of history and her resting place at the Abrolhos / Houtman Islands off Western Australia , she followed the Brouwer Route on the Southern Ocean from Cape of Good Hope towards Australia but miscalculated the turn towards Sunda Strait hence her grounding , a fascinating story , the earlier Youtube videos shown gives you an insight how this unfolded ,
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The story of the Batavia and it's crew is for sure a horrible one and nothing to be proud of. Unfortunately, there are more horror stories, hidden in the shrouds of history... Having said that, the ships build in those days were true masterpieces, in terms of ingenuity, logistics and manufacturing. Your build, in combination with your research on the subject, is almost like a tribute to those men, their ships and their hardships.
Good morning Robert. The stories of these ships of old always fascinate. Shroud by shroud and she starts to transform...the only "bummer" is a multitude of ratlines eagerly await. Cheers Grant
Robert, first of all I wish you all the best and a very Happy Birthday. Enjoy your day.
Great progress on your build. She is rapidly becoming a beauty.
Great progress on your build. She is rapidly becoming a beauty.
Thank you Herman for your wishes , in a fortnight we are off to S’pore and board the Westerdam for a discovery cruise around Indonesia and visit the historical VOC sites as we go along , this was my birthday with all the trimmings ! present from my dear wife Rosie , definitely a lunch at Cafe Batavia in Jakarta , cannot wait
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I have only just found this build log. I grew up in Perth and I have visited the Batavia museum in Fremantle many times. In fact, it was that model of the Batavia in the museum that sparked off this whole ship modelling hobby for me. That museum is really something, even now you can still feel the desolation and emptiness, and how it must have been much worse for a bunch of stranded hungry Europeans. The best thing about that museum is that entry is STILL a gold coin donation (for non-Australians, an Australian gold coin is either $1 or $2) ... you can pay as much as you like or thought it was worth!
You are doing a great job with your model. I can't wait to see it finished.
You are doing a great job with your model. I can't wait to see it finished.
A wonderful present. Enjoy the cruise!
Happy birthday Robert! I was just reviewing your Batavia log, great job. I love the oak hull.
Thank you Daniel , yes Oak , yes what they used