sailable, large-scale wood ship models? Yama form Austin

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Ahoy!
This is Yama, currently hailing from Austin, Texas, soon sailing from Franklin, NH.
The project that I'm looking for info, and finding too little of, is large scale, say 1/12, tall ships. Large enough, and purposefully designed to actually be able to put out in one of those, in person. Days ago I did come across one picture of one like that, but haven't been able to find it again.
If you can, 1) point me in the right direction for this kind of projects, much appreciated, and also on 2) where to place within this forum a request for assistance and/or a place to story my adventure of making this happen?
I doubt this model will get completed in 2021, but I expect to have at least a very good momentum this coming year. Oh, I do have much more to tell about this (done a LOT of due diligence. Example: wormed right-hand rope; can make it!), but the "introduce yourself" is not the place for that, right? But, as I said, I don't really know where else in the forum I should share about it.
About myself: fascinated by all things boat and marine since I was a kid, eventually did build fiberglass "canoyaks" of my own design, besides many other one-shot real-life boats, then eventually made it to captain of the Merchant Marine, then eventually life made me a landlubber, in 2014-15 I tried (and failed) at a business making wood kits for plank-on-frame models. I contributed heavily to a French maritime models forum that time, and today I discovered that hundreds of photos, hosted on Google Plus, are gone, sigh.
Nowadays I am an artisan paper maker. Yup, someone that makes paper by hand. My day job remains computers, paper don't pay :) . I am constantly amazed on how the work at the papermaking vat relies in a lot of "ingrown skills" acquired while floating on water: the innate "feeling" regarding water turbulence, currents, behavior of the liquid.
SO, circumstances are that we will be a bit closer to water soon, when in New Hampshire, and therefore I'll go back to build a few boats for the family, but then I said to myself, assuredly for no good reason, that it would be oh so much fun to make a 1/12 USS Constitution and have it manned by my half-pint nephews and nieces.
The very fact that nobody else seems to be doing this kind of large-scale is worrisome to me, maybe I'm not looking in the right places? I used to not be afraid to go in uncharted waters, I guess age (and beatings) beget wisdom? ;)
It must not be a very good idea, because I don't see many others having tried something similar? I did find this in that French forum, a few minutes ago: https://5500.forumactif.org/t2423-la-belle-1684-au-1-6eme
I don't want to go into many technicals here, as I'd rather have those in a better place in the forum, but an obvious major question is, why am I looking for 1/12? Well, for a Constitution-size ship, that ends up with a 12-foot boat, which is actually a tad large, but not too large to load in a trailer, which is necessary in places where the lakes freeze, which would be my situation in NH. Smaller scale than that, even kids would get entangled in the rigging, and we don't want that. Obviously, if I were to use La Belle as my model, and I know a huge lot about La Belle, I even have two very incomplete manuscripts for books I was writing, somewhere, I would use an even larger scale, like our colleague Stéphane is doing. Also, why the Constitution? Hmm, that one is harder. I probably should choose something simpler for my first project, right? Then, the other side is, there is heaps of documentation for this one, I can tell you it was VERY hard to find useful stuff on La Belle, and I don't want to go that research route again.
Also, Old Ironsides is totally iconic, and why not consider the bottom line, I might be able to sell the thing, even incomplete as a frame hulk if I give up, or for a nice return if I complete it. Perhaps. Or something.
Enough for now, I guess. If and when I find the right place here to start a thread for the project, I'd love to exchange ideas, hear suggestions, advice, and obviously share what I find, and do, I am all for sharing knowledge.

Good sailing!
Yama
 
sounds like an interesting but tricky project. I would imagine the lack of people doing this scale would be something to do with building space and weight of material. There's an old post on the modelboats forum about a very large paddle steamer called 'Pert' which was made of cardboard, and a video of 'sit in' warships on youtube ( I don't know how to link) but again they look like there's a lot of light foam involved.
 
I guess the world of those who make functional boats and those who make models intersects but seldom...
I'm very curious about the Pert you mention, will try to look that up, because anything paper-related is of professional interest. Indeed, many "sit-in" exist, with motor and modern, even a Youtube of Prince of Edinburg going around in one, as passenger, I believe it represented an oil tanker.
here is the link about the Pert, https://www.modelboats.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=105612&p=2 ,

plus a youtube of the constructor's apartment, with a 27' (yes, that's 27 feet) scale model, taking several rooms and blocking access to the bathroom...

Thank you, Sulaire!
 
Last edited:
The Pert, by Bill Wilkinson

642707.jpg
 
I saved a few of these on Pinterest, so I know there are people in the world doing this:
1EB61813-0E9B-49C8-844D-76E950616229.png
D213E1B9-865E-4CEF-827D-03E0FB38B737.png
7A4672E8-4F87-4287-8285-3C80624AB7D4.png
While none of those pics links to a website, I did find this discussion about the working models of the Hornblower movies:

 
Gebirgsmarine! Kluger Name! To everybody else: our colleague's pen name means roughly "mountain marine."

Well, friend, my father took the concept one notch further: Berittenegebirgsmarine, which he embroidered in sailor's hats for his grandchildren. Oh, I must ask my sister if she has a photo somewhere, of my nephews riding a donkey, in sailor attire, at 2,400 m altitude among mountains, where they live in Bolivia. (BTW, I was a Merchant Marine captain in lake Titikaka, also "Optimist" sailing instructor there, 3.800 m alt.)

Back to business: Yay! so there is this precedent of the Royal Louise, thank you!
Beautiful! I like the storage shed


Hi Yama,

look for this:


It`s in German, but it gives you an impression.
Or look for "Royal Louise " Potsdam or Havel.
Happy holidays,
Christian
 
Hey Hubac's!
Thank you, this is fabulous confirmation for me that I am not completely going on a limb :)

I particularly like and I'm inspired by the "Federalist," as it seems to be actually something fun to sail, AND a reasonably good reproduction to scale, PLUS apparently some modifications to make it sailable. Maybe the Constitution is way too much too early for me. Will be reflecting on this. There is wisdom is starting simple.

Well, it proves my limitations, it had not occurred to me this thing about scale models for movies. Doh, obvious, right? Thank you for bringing it to my attention.



I saved a few of these on Pinterest, so I know there are people in the world doing this:



While none of those pics links to a website, I did find this discussion about the working models of the Hornblower movies:

 
Gebirgsmarine! Kluger Name! To everybody else: our colleague's pen name means roughly "mountain marine."

Well, friend, my father took the concept one notch further: Berittenegebirgsmarine, which he embroidered in sailor's hats for his grandchildren. Oh, I must ask my sister if she has a photo somewhere, of my nephews riding a donkey, in sailor attire, at 2,400 m altitude among mountains, where they live in Bolivia. (BTW, I was a Merchant Marine captain in lake Titikaka, also "Optimist" sailing instructor there, 3.800 m alt.)

Back to business: Yay! so there is this precedent of the Royal Louise, thank you!
Beautiful! I like the storage shed
I got this nickname in the 90`s when I sailed on board the "Tovarish", former "Gorch Fock". I was the only trainee from a landlocked country.:)
Unfortunately I was permanently seasick, and after two further unsuccessful attempts on board of large sailing ships I gave it up.
"Gorch Fock I" now is berthed at Stralsund as a museum ship.
Would enjoy a photo of the "mounted mountain navy" staff :)
Christian
 
Also from my side a warm welcome here on board of our forum.
 
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