The sailing beam trawler Erycina from Vanguard Models [COMPLETED BUILD]

Jack Jäger

Jack Jäger

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My next build was to be the POF. HMS Blandford 1720 - 20 Gun 6th rate Frigate, but she will now wait until the long dark nights of winter. Having ordered Blandford through Dry-Dock Models & Parts, (first class service btw.),and as the kit was coming from China I expected it to take several weeks arriving I cast around for something small to keep myself busy and when my eye fell on the beautiful lines of Vanguard Models sailing beam trawler Erycina 1882 I could not resist. So with July being my favourite month due to the fantastic Tour de France, for which time all nonessential work stops I decided to spare two or three hours a day and build this lovely little boat. As for Blandford arriving I should not have worried as she turned up after around eight days in perfect condition and looking fantastic.

First impressions suggest that despite being a kit for novices, Erycina is up to VM usual high standards, even the lime first planking is so good it could be used as a finish. My only reservation the keel and bulkheads being MDF (not my favourite) turned out to be a two-edged sword.

So how to make this build interesting? Well luckily and unlike Napoleonic ships there are plenty of photographs of Victorian sailing trawlers

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The above show Erycina on the dry having her hull cleaned. I hope for the sake of the two swimmers that the magic that is holding her upright remains strong! And this one is of her returning to Plymouth September 1934. She looks light so no catch aboard. Compared to a RN ship her deck look like chaos!

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So let the fun begin.

Here are some pics. I started the build on the first of July and so far I have encountered no real problems.


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The black on the sub deck is due to experimenting with the true deck colour.




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The first deviation from the plans is to cut two ‘post box’ type scuppers through the bulkheads.

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Here I am adding the keel proper, but I think this keel holds a trick in the future.


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This is the first spray coat of the real deck, under the spray booth light it looks blue, but in fact it is more a brown/fawn colour.

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While letting the pva dry I have started making some of the deck furniture.


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Today I have started the first planking.
Back soon JJ.
 
Very interesting project for "in between" - I am looking forward for this one and the Blandford in near future
(in ship modelers time scheduling - some months are already "soon" !)
 
Uwek said:
Very interesting project for "in between" - I am looking forward for this one and the Blandford in near future
(in ship modelers time scheduling - some months are already "soon" !)
Click to expand...
Thanks Uwek,
True 'soon' is a flexible word but the truth is Blandford is a big step for me and I am happy sitting back and observing the logs of Wang, Keef and of course your build of HMS Granado. But first I am really looking forward to Erycina.

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I always feel that getting the first planking on and rubbed down is the first significant step completed. Now you are starting to get a feel of the beautiful lines of this little trawler and they would not be out of place on a racing yacht.
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Some observations regarding the first planking, first of all, as I have said all the bulkheads and false keel are laser cut MDF and it is quite delicate,(2mm thick), particularly around the stern. However VM supply nails that are thinner than normal and work perfectly pushed into MDF, the same cannot be said trying to push them into birch ply-wood as was required with the Speedy kit. The fairing of any hull is always important, but particularly with regards to the really fine lines seen here. You have to be quite ruthless with the shaping of both bow and stern. VM have line marks on the bulkheads indicating where to rub down to but you still need to do a lot more after assembly. You also have to be ruthless in scraping and sanding the planking. As you can see at the stem where the planks are laid almost flat.
Next up is to finish the stern then start the second layer of planking, the kit supplies 0.8mm x 4mm pear strips and I see no reason not to use them.
 
Hi folks I found this bit of old Pathe' news showing a ketch rigged beam trawler, very like Erycina, called Torbay Lass competing for and winning the Kings cup in 1936. Take a look at the last few seconds, a beautiful yacht breezes across in front of TL only to finish third behind her, then take a look at TL the skipper who usually would have a fishing crew of no more than three looks like he has the whole family on board far a day out. Look closely and you will see he hasn't even bothered to drop of the beam trawl ! this is the link, hope it works if not google Torbay Lass
 
Jack
She is coming along very nicely, I can’t wait to see those sets of sails.
From the movie clip it looks that these vessels used some kind of brown for the sails.
Is that what you are planning to do?
 
Bluebeard said:
Jack
She is coming along very nicely, I can’t wait to see those sets of sails.
From the movie clip it looks that these vessels used some kind of brown for the sails.
Is that what you are planning to do?
Click to expand...
Hi Bluebeard, Thank you for your interest, I think the sails where mostly a dirty red colour as that was the colour they turned when an anti-rot treatment was applied to the canvas by boiling the sails in a tannins solution extracted from oak bark. Trawler men working for themselves would want the sails to last as long as possible. Although the kit comes with a set of made up cotton sails, I am planning to make my sails out of silkspan and spray them in shades of red. I think silkspan sits more natural than cloth sails that always look too thick to my eye. Its a great wee kit and I am really enjoying building her.
 
Erycina. Interesting name. Turns out that in the ancient world Venus was the goddess of ‘pure love’. No ‘sex workers’ welcome in her temples. Venus Erycina was the goddess of ‘impure love’. So that’s where they were permitted to worship…. Fishing boat owners had a sense of humor, didn’t they?
 
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