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[sinjon]

I am building a Deans Marine boat,  HMS Sentinel 1905,  @ 1/96.
Got it via fleabay - plans rubbish, instructions incomprehensible, parts seem to be from another kit.
Its going to take time and a lot of patience.
My first query is deck planking, anyone any idea of the length of a deck plank (model) and the stagger repeat ?

Colin

[victorian]

any idea of the length of a deck plank (model) and the stagger repeat ?

A very good question. The best source on this is Brian King's "Modelling late Victorian battleships", now completely unobtainable unless anyone knows different. I use 20' lengths with a stagger repeating every 4th row. Unfortunately the builder's models fail to show any overlap detail and very few contemporary photos have sufficient resolution to make it out. This image of Niobe's quarterdeck taken about 1910 seems to bear out the general idea but the actual planking is more complicated than the neat serried rows imagined by model makers!



Sentinel was built at Barrow and it would be worth a call to the curator at the Barrow Dock Museum to see if they know anything of the builder's model. I've not noticed one, but I haven't been looking for it either. They have a few models in storage and may know of others. Incidentally I don't know if Sentinel ever appeared in 'ordinary' (Victorian) colours as depicted on the Deans model - all the photos I've seen show her in grey. But she might have comissioned in the traditional scheme - one way to find is ask PRO if they have the official comissioning photos (they seem to have a set for most ships).

[sinjon]

Thanks Victorian - will give it a try

Colin

[linux]

Victorian livery seems to have been phased out around 1903, two years before Sentinel and Skirmisher were completed.

[victorian]

Regarding images in the PRO, I was looking for something else and noted there indeed 6 photos dating from 1904. I don't know if this link will work for you:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=481604&CATLN=6&accessmethod=5

All the ship's photos are in ADM 176 and Sentinel is ADM 176/630. You can order copies online for downloading at a very reasonable price but the PRO's (Sorry, National Archives) website is deeply, profoundly unintuitive and it's probably better to ring up and ask the very helpful staff.

If you do get them, I'd be interested to know which colour scheme she is in.

[linux]

Here is a postcard showing the launch of HMS Sentinel, 19th April 1904:

[kodak001]

Hi,
My Grandfather served on HMS Skirmisher during world war I . He took some pictures ( 5 in total that I have ) . These two might be of interest to you regarding the planking. Hope they can be seen okay.

[linux]

Wow! Very nice and unusual photographs. I would love to see the other three.

[kodak001]

Hi linux ,
Two of the three were also of the aft of the ship (same angle) . Here is the other one of HMS Skirmisher looking good with all flags on show.
Tried to brighten it up with photoshop as it was alot more faded than the others I posted (nearly 100yrs old ) . Enjoy.

[pugwash]

Great photos of Corinth Canal-   Been through a couple of times - once on a frigate and
once on a yacht with SWMBO on the helm worried in case she would hit the sides.
Strange bridge at eastern end - we were sitting in a cafe looking at this ship heading  for the
canal and there is a low bridge with no sign of any lifting or swinging apparatus when it just
starts to sink to the bottom of the canal.

Geoff

[triumphjon]

re planking , talking to my father a couple of weeks ago he recalled delivering a whole artic truck load of planks for the restoration of hms victory several years ago . each plank was as long as the trailor ie 40 ft long ! hope this may help ?