Perseus by Thukydides - 1:64 - 1776 20-gun 6th rate

[Thukydides]

Introduction

Welcome to my log for HM Post Ship Perseus. I began research on the project in late 2023 and started construction in January 2025. Below you can find links to log entries as well as the latest version of my monograph on Perseus and other primary sources I have transcribed.


Links

Coming Soon


Table of Contents

Coming Soon

 

[Thukydides]

Log #1 - Construction of the Bulkheads

My build log was lost in the 2026 MSW crash and rather than try to reconstruct it, I have attempted to summarize the work up until the time of the crash in a few posts. I will be focusing on the actual construction of the model in these summary posts as the research is available in my monograph. Once I have brought the log up to date I will continue from that point in more detail.

HM Post Ship Perseus was a 20 gun 6th rate that was launched in 1776 and so service during both the American and French revolutionary wars. She was converted to a bomb ship in 1798 and then broken up in 1805. I will be attempting to depict her as she looked around 1780-1781 when she was under the command of Captain Richard Dacres.

The plans for the model were developed based on a combination of the contract for Perseus, Sphinx (the lead ship of the class) plans I purchased from Alex M, as well as plans for Perseus available online at the National Maritime Museum.



The construction method for the model is broadly based on the Winchelsea instructions published by the Syren Ship Model Company. A build board was constructed and the bulkheads cut out of plywood. Hex nuts were glued in the centre bulkhead to allow the ship to be secured to a base.







The Stem, knee of the head and keel were cut from pear wood and attached to the centre bulkhead.







The bulkheads were glued in place.

 

[Bryian]

Nice work.

 

[AllanKP69]

I love that you are building POB but including the correct keel, head, and post assemblies, including the taper at the knee of the head. I am sure that there are those that will disagree but to me this shows that a fantastic and accurate model can be built POB as well as POF.
Allan

 

[Thukydides]

I love that you are building POB but including the correct keel, head, and post assemblies, including the taper at the knee of the head. I am sure that there are those that will disagree but to me this shows that a fantastic and accurate model can be built POB as well as POF.
Allan

Thanks Allan, the idea is to make everything you can ultimately see as accurate as possible (with a few small cheats that will be pretty much impossible to notice).

Also lots of unknowns with Perseus so I will be making a few decisions on an “artistic basis”, a model is a piece of art after all so it is important to understand the composition of what you are making.