Galway Hooker 1/12 scale, built by Patrick, renovated by neptune

A great restoration project Neptune on a model of a fantastic hard working craft from the West Coast of Ireland and quite a few examples still afloat these days. Patrick had a good friend.
I have a fibreglass molded hull shell on the bench ready for a winter project.
Out of interest what name did Patrick give his vessel?
 
Interesting project! Hookers are a favorite of mine. Do you have any plans for this model? (The figures with the model appear way out of scale.) The biggest challenge it seems this rebuild will pose is depicting the unique structure of the hookers. The frames are made up of alternating partially overlapping futtocks and the wales are uniquely framed with the caprail carrying the distinctive washboards. Also characteristic are the hookers' three massive thwarts which tie into the hookers' distinctive "box" shelf and clamp structure. Unfortunately, there are very, very few construction drawings of the hooker type. Owing to the antiquity of these vessels, they were built by "rule of thumb" rather than to plans, other than three molds, and the transom and stem patterns, which were proprietary to the several hooker-building families. If you haven't obtained a copy as yet, I'd urge you to obtain a copy of Richard Scott's The Galway Hooker, (1983) Ward River Press. ISBN 0-907085-58-X. It contains the only description of the scantling "rules of thumb" which dictate the construction details of the hookers. Also, you will find Húicéirí - Galway Hookers by Liam Dossena and Eilís Petroni, (Seanchaí Editions 2016), to be valuable. This small bilingual English/Irish book contains a video CD documenting the present day construction of a gleoiteog and a full set of modernly drawn construction plans, the only such resource of which I am aware. These books should be available from the Galway Hooker Association: https://www.galwayhookers.ie/en/resources/publications. You'll need them to create an accurate rendition of the traditional partially decked open hooker.

I can see why he built her with a deck. (A small number of prototypes have been decked when refitted as yachts.) As a sailing model, the deck provided buoyancy which would otherwise be absent when the added ballast keel was attached, as necessary for a sailing model. (I wouldn't think inboard ballast, as in the prototypes, would be as effective in a sailing model as the attached bottom ballast which provides greater stability. Remember that stability doesn't translate to scale in sailing models!) If you are going to rebuild her as only decked forward of the mast, as the prototype, you will have to provide buoyancy perhaps foam in the enclosed forepeak, to prevent the loss of the sailing model if it is hit with a gust of wind and swamps. Otherwise, it will sink like a stone. (I'm presuming it will not be radio controlled, of course.
 
Interesting project! Hookers are a favorite of mine. Do you have any plans for this model? (The figures with the model appear way out of scale.) The biggest challenge it seems this rebuild will pose is depicting the unique structure of the hookers. The frames are made up of alternating partially overlapping futtocks and the wales are uniquely framed with the caprail carrying the distinctive washboards. Also characteristic are the hookers' three massive thwarts which tie into the hookers' distinctive "box" shelf and clamp structure. Unfortunately, there are very, very few construction drawings of the hooker type. Owing to the antiquity of these vessels, they were built by "rule of thumb" rather than to plans, other than three molds, and the transom and stem patterns, which were proprietary to the several hooker-building families. If you haven't obtained a copy as yet, I'd urge you to obtain a copy of Richard Scott's The Galway Hooker, (1983) Ward River Press. ISBN 0-907085-58-X. It contains the only description of the scantling "rules of thumb" which dictate the construction details of the hookers. Also, you will find Húicéirí - Galway Hookers by Liam Dossena and Eilís Petroni, (Seanchaí Editions 2016), to be valuable. This small bilingual English/Irish book contains a video CD documenting the present day construction of a gleoiteog and a full set of modernly drawn construction plans, the only such resource of which I am aware. These books should be available from the Galway Hooker Association: https://www.galwayhookers.ie/en/resources/publications. You'll need them to create an accurate rendition of the traditional partially decked open hooker.

I can see why he built her with a deck. (A small number of prototypes have been decked when refitted as yachts.) As a sailing model, the deck provided buoyancy which would otherwise be absent when the added ballast keel was attached, as necessary for a sailing model. (I wouldn't think inboard ballast, as in the prototypes, would be as effective in a sailing model as the attached bottom ballast which provides greater stability. Remember that stability doesn't translate to scale in sailing models!) If you are going to rebuild her as only decked forward of the mast, as the prototype, you will have to provide buoyancy perhaps foam in the enclosed forepeak, to prevent the loss of the sailing model if it is hit with a gust of wind and swamps. Otherwise, it will sink like a stone. (I'm presuming it will not be radio controlled, of course.
G'day Bob, thanks for the input, I have no plans, I am just working off Patrick's photo's and some plans and photo's I have found on the net, so its a case of trial and experiment, Pat originally built her with only the fore decked planked, then changed to having a large cabin, he was in the process of converting her back to a working boat when he took ill, as for buoyancy I'm not too worried about that as the pond we sail on is only three feet deep at the deepest. The photo's that I posted are 48 years old and he brought the model out with him when moved here from England 57 years ago, it was one of the first models he built as a pond sail boat, so that could make the model over sixty years old, so we will see what she ends up looking like, she will be Radio Controlled,

best regards John.
 
Last edited:
50.jpg
have removed the fore deck as it was split and the planks were lifting also attached the first of the strengthening planks to the top of the bulwarks, and also cleaned out the transom area,

51.jpg
This one's for Uwe, I used to drink but gave it up back in 1998, I found this Alchol Free beer at Woolworths and it tastes just like real beer without the complications of the Alchol,

52.jpg
another view adding the top inside plank,

53.jpg
Finished the top inside planking, and added the Fore deck beams,

54.jpg
close up of the beams,

55.jpg
adding a plank down the middle so when the sub deck is applied there will be some camber,

.thanks for looking in,

best regards John.
 
56.jpg
Next up was the capping timbers, I worked out the width they needed to be, then laid them on top of the bulwarks and drew a line along the underside on the outside of the hull, see next pic,

58.jpg


57.jpg
then using a craft knife I pared it back to the line and glued them in place,

59.jpg
all the after capping rails attached,

60.jpg
the fore ones attached as well, and after planing and sanding,

61.jpg
close up,

best regards John.
.
 
Last edited:
View attachment 469410
have removed the fore deck as it was split and the planks were lifting also attached the first of the strengthening planks to the top of the bulwarks, and also cleaned out the transom area,

View attachment 469411
This one's for Uwe, I used to drink but gave it up back in 1998, I found this Alchol Free beer at Woolworths and it tastes just like real beer without the complications of the Alchol,

View attachment 469412
another view adding the top inside plank,

View attachment 469413
Finished the top inside planking, and added the Fore deck beams,

View attachment 469414
close up of the beams,

View attachment 469415
adding a plank down the middle so when the sub deck is applied there will be some camber,

.thanks for looking in,

best regards John.
This is globalisation - german beer down under
=> Enjoy the taste of a good, a real good beer.
 
When I was doing all this work I just had the hull loose on the work table, first mistake, I should have made a cradle for her and checked that everything was square, so I was just rolling her side to side, after capping all the bulwarks and adding the fore deck beams I then realized something was not right, Patrick had told me some things might not be right as it was so long ago that he built her and she was one of his first, anyway after setting the hull up straight I viewed along her from the transom and there it was, she was higher on the starboard side than on the port side, you can see the very last bulkhead tilted at an angle. I also had to cut away all the Fore deck beams,

SHELL BE ALRIGHT INT MORNING,

62.jpg
now what to do, I had two choices, lower the starboard side or raise the port side, I decided to raise the port side, all the damage to the after bulheads was done when Pat changed her to having the cabin on the deck,

63.jpg
Close up view, I've made similar mistakes on some of my first boats and Pat did warn me,

64.jpg
So I determined that the Transom was square and made a gantry that held her square and screwed it to the bench so the hull couldn't move, and removed the top piece that was out of wack,

65.jpg
I made another movable gantry and at intervals along the hull I did measurements on starboard side and transferred them to the port side, and cut small tabs of wood to sit under the gantry to give me a guide when it was time to raise the bulwark,

66.jpg
after filling in between the tabs and smoothing everything down,

67.jpg
View from the side,

68.jpg
view along the boat, still needs a little bit of adjusting, its the angle of the phone camera I must go back to a proper camera, a Lesson relearned, CHECK CHECK and CHECK again,

best regards john.




.
 
Last edited:
When I was doing all this work I just had the hull loose on the work table, first mistake, I should have made a cradle for her and checked that everything was square, so I was just rolling her side to side, after capping all the bulwarks and adding the fore deck beams I then realized something was not right, Patrick had told me some things might not be right as it was so long ago that he built her and she was one of his first, anyway after setting the hull up straight I viewed along her from the transom and there it was, she was higher on the starboard side than on the port side, you can see the very last bulkhead tilted at an angle. I also had to cut away all the Fore deck beams,

SHELL BE ALRIGHT INT MORNING,

View attachment 469424
now what to do, I had two choices, lower the starboard side or raise the port side, I decided to raise the port side, all the damage to the after bulheads was done when Pat changed her to having the cabin on the deck,

View attachment 469425
Close up view, I've made similar mistakes on some of my first boats and Pat did warn me,

View attachment 469426
So I determined that the Transom was square and made a gantry that held her square and screwed it to the bench so the hull couldn't move, and removed the top piece that was out of wack,

View attachment 469427
I made another movable gantry and at intervals along the hull I did measurements on starboard side and transferred them to the port side, and cut small tabs of wood to sit under the gantry to give me a guide when it was time to raise the bulwark,

View attachment 469428
after filling in between the tabs and smoothing everything down,

View attachment 469429
View from the side,

View attachment 469450
view along the boat, still needs a little bit of adjusting, its the angle of the phone camera I must go back to a proper camera, a Lesson relearned, CHECK CHECK and CHECK again,

best regards john.




.
That’s a nice re-do of that railing renovation, John. Just in time!
Regards, Peter
 
I have no plans, I am just working off Patrick's photo's and some plans and photo's I have found on the net, so its a case of trial and experiment,
Do yourself a favor and get the book(s) I suggested if it's an accurate rendition of a hooker that you're after. Many construction details of these vessels are distinctly characteristic of the type. You don't want to get too far down the road and discover you've "painted yourself into a corner" on that score. Here's a mess of photos from my files illustrating the construction details of the "basket" framing method, the unique "alternating futtocks" frame construction, and the unique box girder shelf and clamp and cap and washboard gunwales. Maybe you've seen some and perhaps not. I hope some may be helpful. Particularly as you say you intend to portray her as an open boat, accuracy would demand that these details be shown where visible, if that's a concern.

Good luck with her!


1725578357475.png
1725578407340.png
1725578469399.png
1725578609001.png
1725578643885.png
1725578678718.png
1725578744023.png
1725578774297.png
1725578831851.png
1725578859216.png
1725579276317.png
1725579924581.png



From Dixon Kemp's A Manual of Yacht and Boat Sailing ... I think. Or one of his other books: lines taken off by T.B. Horner, Commander, RN, in late 1800s's.
1725579789435.png
 
Back
Top