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"Flying Cloud " by Mamoli - kit bash

I found some nice brass davits in my stash complete with cleats and foot brackets. I made support brackets out of brass tubing with wood support blocks.
These are now fixed in place. Eyebolts for the boat skids on the deckhouse and attaching the three boats there as well as fitting out the quarter boat davits and rigging them are next. Then fitting out the Quarter boat and hanging it from the davits. I will display that boat open with all the oar bundles, mast and furled sail inside. I'll show the rudder mounted.20250509_115920.jpg20250509_123244.jpg20250509_124006.jpg20250509_131024.jpg20250509_131557.jpg20250509_131626.jpg
 
Rigging The davits. Fitting out the boat.
I stropped a 1/8' block but decided that the whole thing was out of scale at 3-4 feet, I decided to make the blocks out ou splitrings with the hook as one piece. The whole thing can be rigged and the "block filled in with a drop of CA gel and then painted. Closer to scale and easier to fabricate at this tiny size.
Quarter boat to be mounted next.20250513_132214.jpg20250512_131205.jpg20250512_132832.jpg20250512_132808.jpg20250513_123719.jpg20250513_125703.jpg20250513_125645.jpg20250513_125558.jpg20250513_124148.jpg20250513_123750.jpg20250513_130250.jpg20250513_131315.jpg
 
Peter Gutterman said:
Question to all clipper aficionados. Would the Quarter boat have been equipped with a mast and sail? If so, gaff rigged? :confused:
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Yes, quarter boats (often used as workboats or lifeboats stored on the quarters of larger ships, including clippers) were typically equipped with masts and sails, especially on long voyages where self-rescue and general utility were practical concerns.
If you’re detailing a quarter boat for a clipper, adding a small gaff rig would not be out of place at all; in fact, it would be historically reasonable and quite authentic. A single gaff rig (like a small yawl or sloop) was quite common, depending on the boat’s size and intended use.
 
I installed the mast and lateen yard with a furled sail in the Quarter boat. I thought a lateen rig would give the most sail area for the least rigging and simplicity of handling for such a small boat. No barrel yet, but it would be a nice touch. The sail is Shoebox tissue. Save for the barrel that finishes the Quarter boat, davits and rig.
Shown is a steel drill guide used as a draw plate.20250515_145638.jpg20250515_150709.jpg20250515_153101.jpg20250515_153158.jpg20250515_153147.jpg20250515_153243.jpg

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If the small quarter boat was rigged to sail, the mast and sail would be stowed aboard Flying Cloud, not in the boat itself.

Why? The quarter boat was hung from davits during the voyage because it served as a lifeboat. In this context the term “lifeboat” referred to saving a man overboard. This required that the boat be launched quickly, with the man in the water still in sight. There was neither need or time to rig the sail and the spar(s) and sail stowed in the boat would have to be removed before it could be lowered. The sail would also have been subject to unnecessary damage if stowed in this exposed location. If the boat were to be sailed in an anchorage there would be plenty of time to bring the sail and spars up from below.

Roger
 
Roger Pellett said:
If the small quarter boat was rigged to sail, the mast and sail would be stowed aboard Flying Cloud, not in the boat itself.

Why? The quarter boat was hung from davits during the voyage because it served as a lifeboat. In this context the term “lifeboat” referred to saving a man overboard. This required that the boat be launched quickly, with the man in the water still in sight. There was neither need or time to rig the sail and the spar(s) and sail stowed in the boat would have to be removed before it could be lowered. The sail would also have been subject to unnecessary damage if stowed in this exposed location. If the boat were to be sailed in an anchorage there would be plenty of time to bring the sail and spars up from below.

Roger
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Well. This wouldn't be the first time I've made alterations in the course of building this model. :rolleyes:
Or not, given the stimulating offering of grist for the mill above. I have read that clippers such as Flying Cloud did not use whale boats as quarter or life boats. Flying Cloud had only the one. Alas, I can't site my sources presently.
I do like that my project has stirred up so much interest and stimulating contributions!
At any rate, however she turns out she'll be fun to look at.;)

Thanks for all the fun input! Pete
 
Roger Pellett said:
Why? The quarter boat was hung from davits during the voyage because it served as a lifeboat. In this context the term “lifeboat” referred to saving a man overboard. This required that the boat be launched quickly, with the man in the water still in sight. There was neither need or time to rig the sail and the spar(s) and sail stowed in the boat would have to be removed before it could be lowered. The sail would also have been subject to unnecessary damage if stowed in this exposed location. If the boat were to be sailed in an anchorage there would be plenty of time to bring the sail and spars up from below.
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That’s a good and well-reasoned explanation, especially in the context of using the quarter boat for quick man-overboard rescues. But I think there’s room to consider other scenarios too, particularly from a seamanship and risk-management point of view: If the ship were to founder suddenly or be abandoned due to damage or fire, having the boat’s sail and mast already stowed inside could be a real advantage. Who knows how long the boat might need to remain afloat or how far from land it could end up? Even a short jury-rigged sail could make the difference between drifting aimlessly and navigating toward help.

Of course, as you mentioned, the sail and spars could be damaged by weather or spray when stored topside, but they were often tightly bundled, wrapped, or even covered to reduce exposure. And in some logs and paintings, spars are clearly visible stowed in situ inside the boats.

So while for man-overboard response, speed was the priority, for broader lifeboat utility, keeping the rigging handy could be seen as good seamanship. Maybe not universal practice, but not out of the question either.
 
This is an interesting question. In general, I believe that the “We’re sinking, man the lifeboats” beloved by writers of fictional sea stories is just that; fictional. Sailors were a fatalistic bunch whose life was full of risk. Even the use of the lifeboat to rescue man overboard was highly unlikely to succeed. By the time the ship was stopped by backing sails, and the longboat launched, the poor guy would have drowned or been out of sight. From written accounts, this is exactly what happened when Flying Cloud did lose a man overboard.

On the other hand, Flying Cloud and other Clippers carried passengers who were NOT fatalistic. The lifeboat hung in davits would provide (unfounded) assurance that in the case of an accident they could survive.

Next consider the ways that the ship could be lost:

Fire: The ship was full of fire hazards and open flames to ignite them. A fire at sea was horrific, but loss of the vessel not instantaneous. There would be time to outfit the lifeboat and maybe launch other boats stowed atop the deckhouse.

Capsize: A true capsize such as happened to Vasa or Mary Rose could cause an enormous loss of life but both of these were warships with poor initial stability. This caused the vessels to heel to the point where uncontrolled flooding occurred via open gun ports. Clippers Ships did not have open side ports in their hull and if fitted with ports for loading cargo these would have been secured and tightly caulked prior to setting sail.

These lofty ships could and were knocked down causing cargo and ballast to shift. There are numerous accounts of the crew setting the ship back on an even keel and proceeding with the voyage.

Foundering: Large ships don’t founder instantly. The horrific loss of life in the Titanic sinking occurred because there were not enough lifeboats and a number of those that she did have were not filled to capacity. IF there was any thought of sailing one of these small boats with low freeboard on the open sea there was time to grab the mast and sail.

Deliberate sinking: A surprisingly common practice by owners who overloaded old leaky ships to collect insurance. Crews were expendable and Dead Men Tell No Tales! This resulted in the Plimsoll act that set freeboard standards.

And then there’s the huge number of sailing ships that simply “went missing.”

Roger
 
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