Need help finding good kit for a "customized" model of Portuguese Carrack

[Maxcapacity5]

Greetings Everyone! This will serve as my first-ever post on Ships of Scale.

Before saying anything else, I think it's important to note that I'm very new to this hobby and quite young compared to most of yall (good god, some of you guys have been building models for several times longer than I've been alive). I was inticed to venture into the modeling world primarily through a passion for building stuff, and a profound love for history. The only model kit I've built so far is Mini Mamoli's USS Constitution, which I managed to assemble with a small box of simple tools, some acrylic paint, and my mom's old clothing iron. However, I'm ready to tackle a more challenging build... and I have a LOT of ideas.

One ship that I've dreamed of building for quite some time now would be a "Black Ship" of the early-modern Portuguese Empire. For those who aren't aware, these were carracks that, starting in the early 16th century, carried bulk goods from Portuguese colonies in the Pacific to traders across East Asia, most notably to Japan. Though carracks themselves were gradually replaced by nimbler galleons, these "Black Ships" remained in use up until the middle of the 1600s due to their increased cargo capacity. Now, I think it's important to note that these ships were GIANT for their time, clocking in at 1200-1500 tons and outclassing all but the later Manila Galleons (which funnily enough were also Iberian trading ships operating in the Pacific) until the advent of large naval flagships such as the Vasa and Sovereign of the Seas, whom I know you guys are all familiar with. The reason why they were called Black Ships was due to the fact that they were entirely covered in black tar (pitch), likely to reduce maintenance costs and lessen enviornmental damage.

AFAIK, there are unfortunately - and unsurpisingly - currently no model kits of such a ship, and a very limited selection of carrack kits overall. As a beginner, I obviously can't just make my own model of plans like some of the veteran builders around here. After searching online for literal days, I found that this model of a Venetian carrack by Aeronaut was probably my best choice for these reasons: 1. It isn't very pricey for a sizeable kit 2. it looks easily customizable 3. it seems to be relatively historically accurate (unlike a certain Ragusian Carrack) and most importantly, 4. it utilizes a newbie-friendly pre-cut wooden hull. With some tweaking, I believe it might be possible to tweak this model into one which represents a Portuguese Black Ship. Since there don't seem to be surviving plans of these gargantuan carracks, I will be basing my modified build off of a few paintings and scenes from the recent TV miniseries Shogun:

I found the Black Ship from Shogun to be particularly beautiful and I plan to base my model around it.

Now, there are many things I wanted to ask you more experienced modelers before I make any further decisions. For one, Aeronaut isn't exactly a mainstream brand and I'm unsure whether or not they have high quality parts and instructions. Furthermore, I'm unsure whether or not this is far too ambitious of a project for newbie that has only scratched the surface of model shipbuilding. However, I am not afraid of a challenge as long as it is a decently feasible one. I also wanted to know if there were any kits out there that might be a better fit for the type of ship I am aiming to build.

If this works out, I plan to start a build log documenting my progress. That will also be where I ask a billion questions about literally everything so that I don't mess this up.

Love you guys,

Andrew

 

[Roger Pellett]

Movie producers are usually not concerned about historical accuracy. They build things for dramatic effect. The vessel that you have posted above looks more like a galleon from the end, not the beginning of the Sixteenth Century.

There are better images of carracks than the one that you posted. Google Carrack Pictures and you’ll find lots. Use only those from the 1500’s or earlier. They will look like cartoons with exaggerated dimensions but they will illustrate the features that define a carrack. Make a list or better yet some simple freehand sketches. This exercise will also improve your powers of observation for later ship models.

Now that you have “designed” your imaginary carrack, go shopping for a kit that looks like what you have drawn that you feel you have the ability to modify. For example there IS a kit of the English Carrack Mary Rose. Unfortunately kits like this can be very expensive for a beginner.

If you have access to woodworking tools, why not a scratch built solid hull model from ordinary lumberyard pine. Make a waterline model that does not show the underwater hull shape. Look at “Shipbuilder” posts here on the forum for some examples of waterline models. It may seem like a daunting challenge but you can throw away a lot of pine and start over without spending much money.

IMHO good ship modelers have an “eye” for what ships of various designs should look like and good models reflect this. Using old illustrations to build a model of a very old vessel for which scale drawings never existed will help you to develop this skill.

Roger

 

[Roger Pellett]

I should add that an Iberian built vessel identified as a merchant Carrack has been found and examined by archaeologists. Its remains are currently being preserved for ultimate assembly and display. Google: Newport Ship drawings. There is one reference that includes a complete set of drawings based on archaeological data.

Roger

 

[AllanKP69]

Welcome to SoS Andrew. As you are a teenager you are indeed of the youngest, if not THE youngest member currently posting here. Good luck with your build, I believe Roger is getting you started in the right direction.

Allan

 

[-Waldemar-]

.​

Since there don't seem to be surviving plans of these gargantuan carracks, I will be basing my modified build off of a few paintings and scenes from the recent TV miniseries Shogun:

Hi Andrew

The original plans of the Portuguese merchant carracks have survived to the present day (although indeed they may need some interpretation). They even include some of the ship's equipment, but most importantly they are accompanied by a detailed textual description of the construction. Look in particular for the 1616 treatise Livro de Traças de Carpintaria by Portuguese master shipwright Manoel Fernandes (but there are other Portuguese works on shipbuilding from this particular period):

​

If this doesn't satisfy you after all, you can always go back to the idea of modelling a ship basing on the movie "Shogun".

.​

 

[RussF]

Welcome to the forum! It's nice to see some young blood here. We are age indiscriminate here and as you've already seen, there is a wealth of knowledge bottled up in us old-timers that is freely given. Best of luck in the search for your dream ship!

 

[Roger Pellett]

I didn’t realize that the drawings that Waldemar posted existed, but then I defer specialized knowledge about ships of this era to him!

It is interesting that the semi-circular body plan sections closely resemble architectural evidence from the Newport ship.

Note to Andrew: A great thing about this forum is that it mines the collective knowledge of many members. It’s a great resource.

Roger

 

[-Waldemar-]

It is interesting that the semi-circular body plan sections closely resemble architectural evidence from the Newport ship.

Yes, indeed. The shape of the master frame is very similar in both ships. Perhaps this is not the place and time, but it can be briefly added that already the way of transforming the master frame to obtain all the others, may have already been different. But these are already issues for the most twisted...

I didn’t realize that the drawings that Waldemar posted existed

I think you are in good company . For indeed, it just so happens that this particular treatise, despite its enormous importance and at the same time its visual appeal, is astonishingly generally unknown and also very occasionally referred to or used in one way or another even by specialists in the field. I do not know how this circumstance can be explained, especially as this work has already been reproduced in extenso twice in modern times.

.​