Staghound...Extreme clipper 1850 by rwiederrich 1/96

ClipperFan · Jul 11, 2025

Rob,
Have a good time at the Wedding and enjoy your vacation!

ClipperFan · Jul 11, 2025

Anyone who's been following this build knows by now that I've been concentrating on developing fully realized Stag Hound plans, concentrating on the 1967 Chappelle "Search for Speed Under Sail." While we're waiting for Rob's return, I figured I'd share my latest developments. These are five digitally matched images, as close to accurate as I can get with my cell phone's editing app. Next will be to trace these, reconcile them with Vladimir's sheer & body plans based on the Cornelius McKay hull model and Crothers' plans. Then I will sketch correct deck furniture based upon McLean's description from the Boston Daily Atlas article.

ClipperFan · Jul 11, 2025

druxey from Model Ship World made a good observation, I'm sure based on the remaining "v" pattern of the scale on the stern profile that there's still serious distortion left. I went back to my original source and reworked both bow and stern profiles to minimize remaining distortion as best as possible. Here are those results.

ClipperFan · Jul 12, 2025

Considering this was the original image it appears that I've taken this as far as possible.

ClipperFan · Sunday at 8:00 AM

While Rob's away, I figured this would be a good time to share pics from the rest of the Mystic, CT "From Clippers to Containers" display. Spoiler alert: I skipped the modern Container ships and went straight to the sailing ships. First in line was the Benjamin F Packard. As a way of comparison to recognize the massive size of the long lost 1883 Bath, Maine, Downeaster Benjamin F Packard (244') I've included a couple scenes of the restored 1841 New Bedford, MA Whaler Charles W Morgan (113'). In front of the model, at her port stern there's a tan silhouette of the Whaler. It shocked me, since I've walked the deck of the Whaler on numerous occasions and it never felt small.

ClipperFan · Sunday at 10:37 AM

Next up after Ed Tosti's spectacular 1853 Webb, NY built clipper Young America (243') came the 1853 Greenman & Co, Mystic, CT clipper David Crockett (215.83') She was the largest ship ever launched in Mystic, CT. The beautiful model on display was built in 1991 by William S Quincy, Mystic Seaport Museum staff member. Although he was ill at the time, he was determined to finish her and passed away just weeks later. I deeply appreciate the craftsmanship involved but he made one noticable oversight. His vessel is missing an angled cutwater. This would have projected her David Crockett figurehead at a more dashy rake as illustrated in the large James E Buttersworth painting above. I've included a couple close ups to highlight her bow section. Mr Quincy also built the impressive Benjamin F Packard replica.
I was curious about this beautiful clipper. She was quite large, only about 10' shorter than Stag Hound but with the same 40' beam and 3 decks, similar to Glory of the Seas which was 50' longer. A little research led me to 2 more paintings which both confirm the Buttersworth piece. These other 2 works were done later, since she's now equipped with Howe's rig on her main mast in the color piece. This work also shows ornate gilded carvings running down her cutwater along the bow. This treatment is similar to that seen on the Great Admiral. She also had a larger than life Admiral Farragut figurehead which projected at a sharp rake extending her prow. Note too a complete absence of the famous McKay navel hoods. The 2nd monotype work is even later since now all three masts have Howe's rigs with 6 yards each. The Davy Crockett turned out to be a very popular vessel and had a long, successful career.

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ClipperFan · Sunday at 4:14 PM

On my way out I took one last stern shot of Ed Tosti's Young America model. I missed sharing this one before. Between both clippers, there were several large posters. One was dedicated to two wives who lived at sea with their husbands. Above was Mary Patten, remarkable lady who for 56 days at 19 years old, eight months pregnant commandeered her deathly sick husband Joshua's clipper Neptune's Car. She captained her safely around Cape Horn to her dock in San Francisco while suppressing a mutiny and attending to her sick man. The clipper was 216' long, built by Page & Allen, Portsmouth, Virginia, in 1853 and was the only clipper built in the South. Incidentally, she was patterned after the famous McKay extreme California clipper Flying Fish. Her elaborate figurehead was of King Neptune, riding in a sea shell towed by seahorses. Her intense stare in her photo is haunting. Below are a picture of "Ett" Allen with one of her young children accompanied by a copy of a routine letter written at sea. The other large display covers just two of the dozens of Mystic, CT shipyards which launched hundreds of vessels.

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ClipperFan · Sunday at 5:06 PM

'Arader' Galleries has a lovely painting of the clipper Neptune's Car. It's known as a Chinese export painting. Artists had selections of pre-painted background canvassas. They would row out to ships anchored in the harbor and sell one to the ship's captain. Then that vessel would be painted onto the chosen background. Usually these pieces would then hang in the captain's cabin. This framed work at some point most likely was on display in Neptune's Car.
At the far end of the display was a final large scale sailing ship model. It was of the beautiful 1850 Webb, NY, built Black Ball Packet ship Isaac Webb 188' long, 40' beam. Incidentally, there's a great new paperback which covers the long neglected history of businessman Enoch Train. He's the one who singlehandedly helped launch the amazing career of Donald McKay: "Transatlantic Train, The Untold Story of the Boston Merchant who Launched Donald McKay to Fame." Before he launched Stag Hound his Pioneer extreme clipper of the California fleet, McKay built many Packet Ships exclusively for Enoch Train, who financed his move to East Boston as well as his entire shipyard. FYI: I noticed black bars above & below the large Packet Ship poster, so I edited it and reposted it at the end.

ClipperFan · Sunday at 9:15 PM

Since this is Rob's McKay-centric build log on the clipper Stag Hound, and I just tied in McKay's mentor Enoch Train it reminded me of a beautiful article tie-in from Sea History, Summer 2023. "Enoch Train, Donald McKay's Best Customer." The entire magazine is available as a free pdf download on issuu.com courtesy of National Maritime Historical Society. I'm sharing just two. The Enoch Train article and one on John Stobart, one of my favorite recently passed contemporary artists. The Mystic, CT clipper David Crockett just happens to be featured in this article.