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[richardabeattie]

I think Comet was the RN's very first steam ship - it was used to tug George IV's yacht on his way to Edinburgh in 1822.  But are there any drawings to show what she looked like?


Will this forum continue to require me to solve verification tests every time I use it?


No..  It will end soon.  It's done as a verification system

[Klunk]

cant help with the Comet but its only the first few posts you need answer questions. Its a safety check against smart bots and to ensure people are not just coming   here to offload gear or be abusive.
also welcome to the forum!!! im off to find out the ship!! might be intersting

[richardabeattie]

Comet would have been a paddle wheeler but with a full sailing rig.  I could not find any picture on Google.

[raflaunches]

Hi and welcome to the forum


Have you seen this? Might be helpful in your build.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1848321341/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520693561&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=the+rise+of+the+comet&dpPl=1&dpID=51Pwh3%2BzcWL&ref=plSrch

[Netleyned]

She had a Boulton and Watt side
valve steam engine
Built at Deptford to help full rigged
ships in and out of the Thames.
Took Sir Humphrey Davy of miners safety
lamp fame to Norway to experiment
With zinc anodes.


Ned

[tonyH]

Need to be careful because of the 2 Comet situation.

Most of the stuff on line is about the 1812 Glasgow Comet of which a reproduction was built and is up there.

The 1822 one was, as NN covers, built on the Thames.

There appears to be a pic in the NNM archives but I need to have another look.

Tony

[Netleyned]

HMS Comet is the Thames built one.
The Glasgow one was a Hotel excursion
Vessel for the Clyde.


Ned look

[richardabeattie]

It's the 1822 RN ship I'm after.

[ballastanksian]

Welcome to the forum Richard. Hopefully you are out of the verification period of your membership now.


Do keep us informed on how your project goes, there are one or two lovely paddle steamers being built at present.

[tonyH]

I think you're going to need a real stroke of luck on this one! There's loads of conflicting text, including the 'fact' that there were two sister ships (Meteor and Lightning).
Allegedly the length of PS Comet was over 100ft and the only Meteor I could find about that size was used as a ferry (See attached)
I've checked as much I can through NMM and National Archives and the NA have early files, including drawings, from Boulton, Watts & Co.
Another doubt area is that the designer Oliver Lang had a son Oliver Lang (1807-1867) who was also a naval architect for the RN. Father and son were involved at Deptford and dad trained son. The anomaly arises in that almost all paddle tugs, before and after, appear to be considerably shorter than the 115ft. In fact most of the illustrations for the period from 1815 to 1860 or so are remarkably similar. There are a decent set of drawings on the NMM site for an 1848 tug at 72ft if you want a generic one (See attached)

Very Good Luck Indeed!

Tony

[Geoff]

As a thought some measurements are taken at the "perpendiculars" so from the rudder post at the stern to the first vertical bulkhead at the bow so the length would be very different from "overall" or even at the "gun deck" as then the prow would not be included! This may account for the differences.


Good luck


Geoff

[tonyH]

Hi Geoff,

I just thought that 40ft extra might be a tad too much of an extravagance.

Tony

[Netleyned]

She was Schooner Rigged so the
Bowsprit would be included in the
LOA.


Ned

[richardabeattie]

But where is there any kind of illustration?  Happy to try and build a near enough version but no idea what she looked like.

[tonyH]

An option. Lines from earlier posting and this is a model at Greenwich.

[richardabeattie]

Very helpful photo but your text is a bit gnomic!  Not sure what "lines from earlier posting" means. 

[tonyH]

Sorry, I mean the drawing of the tug from 1848 in an earlier post.
Also, if you google the name 'Tredgold on the Steam Engine' in google books, there are loads of drawings of the engines, paddles and some of the vessels which are contemporary since the book is from 1838 and Oliver Lang (Junior), the son of the Comet designer, was one of the contributors.

Tony