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Author Topic: Chapman's Bermuda Sloop, c. 1748- First RC Sailing Project  (Read 5579 times)

Clayfeld

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Chapman's Bermuda Sloop, c. 1748- First RC Sailing Project
« on: August 13, 2012, 09:12:39 pm »

Hi, Guys-
I just joined Mayhem and would like to tell you a bit about my project, as I will no doubt be pleading frequently for help. Although I am an experienced static scratchbuilder, this is my first RC sailing model, so I picked an easy one, a sloop with a square sail, to start. The Bermuda sloop is featured in Swedish naval architect F. H. Chapman's book "Architectura Navalis Mercatoria 1768". I've appended a copy of the plan. The model is a 1:40 (the biggest that will fit into my wife's SUV with the mainmast in place), built as a plank-on-former model, with former frames of 1/4" birch plywood and planking of wider-than-scale 1/16" plywood. The hull below the wales will be fiberglassed and painted, to represent a  sheathed and tallowed hull of the era. The area above the wales will be scale planked with Swiss pear. She will be reduced to eight guns to allow for a quarterdeck and a tiller, which I think I'll like better for RC than a wheel. I'll let you know how it's coming along from time-to-time if there's any interest.

Take care,
Clay
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tobyker

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Re: Chapman's Bermuda Sloop, c. 1748- First RC Sailing Project
« Reply #1 on: August 13, 2012, 11:46:24 pm »

Very interested, Clay - keep the photos coming. To give us a better impresion of size, could you put a 12" rule or something of known size in the picture? Lookinfg forward to seeing it sailing!
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Clayfeld

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Re: Chapman's Bermuda Sloop, c. 1748- First RC Sailing Project
« Reply #2 on: August 14, 2012, 12:49:00 am »

Thanks, Toby. It'll take forever to get it all done (I'm still working, albeit only half-time)...and besides, I'm more into process than product. I love things I've built, but I love building them even more. I'll try and remember the ruler next photo point. Note that the building board is 24" long and the keel tab 2 1/2" wide. The finished ship, from boom end to jibboom tip will be twice the length of the hull. Makes the almost tubby hull look absolutely slender!
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rmaddock

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Re: Chapman's Bermuda Sloop, c. 1748- First RC Sailing Project
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2012, 08:23:39 pm »

We're very interested Clay, keep the posts coming.
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hacd

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Re: Chapman's Bermuda Sloop, c. 1748- First RC Sailing Project
« Reply #4 on: August 15, 2012, 09:47:22 pm »

Hi,
I have one I am building, under the work bench, about 32 inches long.
too hot to work on it at the moment so a winter project.
Hull is from carved western red cedar, visible wood is going to be Bermuda cedar as per the real thing .

Howard Chappelle had a go at reproducing the rig , a more accurate representation
of the rig of  Chapmans 1740 drawing is by  Marquadt  in his book 18th Cent Rigs and Rigging.

Bear in mind theses boats were built not just in Bermuda , but on the East coast of the US as well
there would be variance in the rig from boat to boat depending on the wealth of the owner, where it was built, ect
The Navy would alter the rig to a more conventional  style, as in Dominic Serres print of "a sloop on the spanish main"
a small copy here-
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~bmuwgw/ships7.htm

Re the layout, apparently the decks had a lot of camber to shed water , if you look at chapmans plan the boat is very spartan, note the boom crutch, the scuppers with the decorative cut outs- common feature of  18th cent Bermudian furniture  , i have my feet resting on a  1740 chest with the same decorative scrolls.


Note the sides of the boat above the deck would not be solid,  but open on the inside .so you would see the frames on the inside .

One thing that i think is wrongly interpreted is the rudder top, on Chapmans drawing i think the tiller would be smack in the middle of the house , at waist height
so accomodation would be either side , and the front probably open , the persons operating the tiller would have some shelter.

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Clayfeld

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Re: Chapman's Bermuda Sloop, c. 1748- First RC Sailing Project
« Reply #5 on: August 17, 2012, 03:32:39 am »

Thanks, hacd-
Yes, I am aware of all of that data. The Serres print is one of my favorites. All of the Chapelle books are in my library, as is the Marquardt. I also have copies of Merritt Edson's original rigging plans (three sheets) for the Shoreham Cutter, which will be very useful, as the cutters and topsail sloops were rigged very similarly except for the running bowsprit on the cutter. I think you're right about the tiller, which, of course, is not shown on the Chapman plan but becomes a wheel on the Chapelle plan, I assume to get the tiller out of the way of the cabin inhabitants. The best complete article about the Bermuda sloop, together with the details of building the World's Best model of it, is the Rob Napier article "The Bermuda Sloop Circa 1740", in the Nautical Research Journal, Vol. 30 #4, Dec. 1984.

Clay

PS: One source says Bermuda or Jamaican cedar may actually have been a species of mahogany!
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Clayfeld

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Re: Chapman's Bermuda Sloop, c. 1748- First RC Sailing Project
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2012, 05:37:38 pm »


.
Well, I've just about finished planking my Bermuda sloop hull; just ready for the shutter plank. Fitting the plywood planks into the correct planes and cuves  in the bow was a bear of a job. I've already tried some two-part wood filler in the bow (Pc Woody Epoxy Paste) and it's great; applies well and sands pretty easily. Next will be application of the wales, followed by fiberglassing below and hardwood planking above..

Take care,

Clay
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Clayfeld

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Re: Chapman's Bermuda Sloop, c. 1748- First RC Sailing Project
« Reply #7 on: September 09, 2012, 04:40:53 pm »




The Bermuda sloop hull planked, filled and sanded and with wales affixed. Ready for fiberglassing/planking. Beginning to look like a ship!

Clay
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hacd

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Re: Chapman's Bermuda Sloop, c. 1748- First RC Sailing Project
« Reply #8 on: September 09, 2012, 08:10:54 pm »

Nice , might inspirre me to get to work on mine!
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