Clipper Ship Build Thoughts

[rwiederrich]

We have the first part of a 3 part series published in NRJ Spring quarter adition. Highlighting the construction of my McKay clipper, Glory of the Seas.
The article focuses on the unique bow structure McKay implamented on all of his clipper designs. His *Naval Hoods* A structure only found on McKay clippers.

Check it out.

 

[Roger Pellett]

Mary @ NRG says print addition is delayed at the printers. Certainly looking forward to your article

Roger

 

[rwiederrich]

Mary @ NRG says print addition is delayed at the printers. Certainly looking forward to your article

Roger

Thanks Roger, I was wondering what was taking my copy so long to arrive. The members digital copy can be viewed, however.
My Partner Rich Jones took up the mantle, of authoring most of the article, referencing my observations and assessments, as we collaborated. This first part delves extensively into hidden data from first hand accounts and written references....not withstanding, photographic evidence of these structures reproduced on McKay's last clipper..Glory of the Seas. Michael Mjelde, author of several volumes on the subject of Glory of the Seas, shared a host of 50 years of collected data and images with us.
Several more installments are scheduled to follow in subsequent issues. Documenting the conclusions we have made, followed with step by step images of the model's construction.

Rob

 

[DAWarden-(Jaager)]

the construction of my McKay clipper, Glory of the Seas.

Rob,

I see your logs as virtuoso performances. Getting a vessel to dance your tune at 1/8" scale is even more of an achievement.
Your present Stag Hound log is outstanding, but ( me probably being impertinent ) I wish it had remained a solo performance.

As long as I have your attention, I have a question probably better asked in the School.
In concert with the title of this thread:

Howard Chapelle redrafted the plans of many American clipper ships. They are on display as figures in his many books Those plans are available from The Smithsonian usually at 1/4" scale.
I lofted his plan for Stag Hound at 1:60 for POF. I would like to have room for me in my condo so I will forgo actually building it. One thing that I did like is how far forward the Body plan takes the stations.

David Macgregor also drafted more than a few clipper ship plans. They reside at the S.S.Great Britain website. Some or all may be PDF and available for purchase/download. I have not investigated this. I will see if I can upload the catalog PDF:
Nope - too large.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...MQFnoECBgQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1mbX5gBQOvMcgsZ7zH6LY6

My question = Is there a reason that neither of these sources seem to be considered for providing plans for clipper projects?

 

[rwiederrich]

My question = Is there a reason that neither of these sources seem to be considered for providing plans for clipper projects?

Well (Jaager).....Chapelle's rendering...according to our investigations and according to Michael Mjelde. Are problematic in the sense that he made his renderings without any peer review. Furthermore, He never consulted with Donald McKay's son's exquisite half model . that accurately represents the Staghound from McKay's actual lofting transfers. Our research also concluded that the forecastle arrangement was inaccurately represented as well....as is most of McKay's redraftings that are used by model companies, in the past and today.
I would think that these two sources are drawing from the same misunderstood conclusions. My group nearly had to redraw the entire deck aft portico house using established reasonable practices of the time. Not what was assumed from previous renderings. Every reproduceable plan out there (Of any McKay clipper) fails to include McKay's famous *Naval Hoods*...depicted in many paintings of his ships and described in first hand accounts by Duncan McLean(who was an intimate of McKay)...and also on his well documented last clipper Glory of the Seas.

I would conclude, the vast majority of models of these magnificent vessels, have no idea they are being misrepresented....and the discriminating modeler, demands the most accurate plans. this is why we drew and lofted our own, because far too many errors existed, that our research revealed.

Rob(Not sure I answered your question)

 

[Roger Pellett]

An interesting book related to this subject is David McGregor’s British and American Clippers.

In it he traces the development of these vessels as built on both sides of the Atlantic from the later 1840’s through 1959. This means that he does not cover Glory of the Seas, Thermopylae, or Cutty Sark built in the 1860’s. The book is very similar to those written by Chapelle with lots of drawings. He often refer’s to Chapelle’s work.

An interesting feature of the book is his discussion where his wonderful drawings and many by Chapelle for each ship came from and how limited are reliable sources for these vessels.

Roger

 

[rwiederrich]

An interesting book related to this subject is David McGregor’s British and American Clippers.

In it he traces the development of these vessels as built on both sides of the Atlantic from the later 1840’s through 1959. This means that he does not cover Glory of the Seas, Thermopylae, or Cutty Sark built in the 1860’s. The book is very similar to those written by Chapelle with lots of drawings. He often refer’s to Chapelle’s work.

An interesting feature of the book is his discussion where his wonderful drawings and many by Chapelle for each ship came from and how limited are reliable sources for these vessels.

Roger

Yes Roger. I posess that book and it is a great resourse as you suggest. However, my group has isolated a specific structure that no contemporary naval architect has captured on any of their renderings of any of McKay's clippers. As I have mentioned numerously. His unique *Naval Hoods*. Not one model ever produced from any of their plans, rightly represents the stem, cutwater and true placement of the figurehead. The figurehead is treated as an after thought...simply glued to the beak of the stem. When in fact it had clear design and structural support by the head of the *Hood*, and the head of the stem, creating a foot for the figurehead.

 

[Roger Pellett]

I’m anxious to read about the naval hood when my Journal arrives. My father’s 1940’s Flying Cloud model features the figurehead just stuck onto the stem.

To me, the interesting feature of McGregor’s book is his commentary about the sources, how seldom lines Drawings exist, and how often they were taken from half models for British ships as well as American ones.

Of course like everything with time the book becomes dated

Roger

 

[rwiederrich]

I’m anxious to read about the naval hood when my Journal arrives. My father’s 1940’s Flying Cloud model features the figurehead just stuck onto the stem.

To me, the interesting feature of McGregor’s book is his commentary about the sources, how seldom lines Drawings exist, and how often they were taken from half models for British ships as well as American ones.

Of course like everything with time the book becomes dated

Roger

It is unfortunate that so many model suppliers, who use Chapella's drawing or others, fail to represent this feature on McKay models they sell.

Many drawings are taken from half models...and if you are familiar with the subject...you would quickly know, that half models only depict the form of the hull. that form does not include the stem, the curve of the cutwater...or the keel...or pretty much any contours above the sheer line.

So if you are drawing lines from a half model of..say the Flying Cloud and you only use the outlines of the model....you only have part of the picture. you have robbed the designer his identifying stem and hence the inclusion of the *Naval Hoods*.

Rich (Clipperfan)...has done a fantastic job of outlining the evolution and, unfortunately...the exclusion of this wonderful, ingenious, McKay structure.
The outline is quite lengthy...thus there will be several installments to rightly cover the subject.

Rob

 

[ClipperFan]

Rob,

I see your logs as virtuoso performances. Getting a vessel to dance your tune at 1/8" scale is even more of an achievement.
Your present Stag Hound log is outstanding, but ( me probably being impertinent ) I wish it had remained a solo performance.

As long as I have your attention, I have a question probably better asked in the School.
In concert with the title of this thread:

Howard Chapelle redrafted the plans of many American clipper ships. They are on display as figures in his many books Those plans are available from The Smithsonian usually at 1/4" scale.
I lofted his plan for Stag Hound at 1:60 for POF. I would like to have room for me in my condo so I will forgo actually building it. One thing that I did like is how far forward the Body plan takes the stations.

David Macgregor also drafted more than a few clipper ship plans. They reside at the S.S.Great Britain website. Some or all may be PDF and available for purchase/download. I have not investigated this. I will see if I can upload the catalog PDF:
Nope - too large.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...MQFnoECBgQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1mbX5gBQOvMcgsZ7zH6LY6

My question = Is there a reason that neither of these sources seem to be considered for providing plans for clipper projects?

DAWarden-(Jaager): about a year ago I finally managed to secure the most authentic blueprints ever created of the McKay California clipper Stag Hound. They're actually drawings referred to by Cornelius McKay in his letter to Captain Arthur Clark when he turned over his large 4' scale hull model of the ship. They were created in 1:96th scale in 1850 from the lines taken off the mold loft floor as the vessel herself was under construction. It features a starboard sheer, port lower, port aft, starboard bow body and smaller sail plan all on one large sheet. None of the other conjectural plans published are accurate in comparison. I paid a nominal fee to the MIT museum which holds the original. It allowed me to get a copy but not to publish it. As long as you agree not to publish it either, send me a private message and I can send you a free copy so you can loft 100% accurate Stag Hound plans.