By Philip Eisnor
Over these many years of building scale ship models I found it very interesting to research the history of the vessel you wish to build, to know something of it's designers and who built her. It was my late father who got me interested in building ship models back in the early 1940s and I used to listen to him telling many stories of the vessels built in Lunenburg and Mahone Bay in the early 1900's. The models built back then followed the practices of model builders at that time which was the carved hull method, the plank on frame or plank on bulkhead models were all most unheard of.
Over the past twenty or so years I had obtained numerous drawings of ships from another era mainly about the late 1600s to early 1800s. One vessel that comes to mind was the English man o'war called the "Royal Katherine", circa 1664 - 1741. The vessel shown is a "three decker" having 84 guns. The drawings are based on two paintings in the National Museum of London, England and the researchers could not find any model in any of the Museums in England that may have been the "Royal Katherine" and yet the vessel did exist back then in history. So these researchers used these large paintings to develop their drawings. However, the researchers of the vessel cannot claim that their drawings are accurate for that particular vessel but they do represent vessels of that era. Needless to say, it was noted in their written documents they had substantial data to develop their drawings.
One can see that when researching a particular vessel it can be a frustrating but rewarding exercise if one takes the time to do so. During my youth I had heard my father speak so fondly of the schooner, "Bluenose", it was no surprise that I developed an obsession for this vessel which was the pride of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia and later all of Canada. So in my own modest way and in the manner that I could afford I built a number of replicas in miniature of the "Bluenose". However I learned quickly from my father and other sea faring members of my family that the models I was building were far from accurate. This was caused by my inability to find accurate drawings or model kits over those many years and this has not changed much since then.
Many years passed and I became a Marine Design Draftsman and in the 1980s after I retired I decided to do some extensive research on the "Bluenose". One may ask why???? Well the "Bluenose" was not just a fishing schooner; she was the fastest, and in my opinion, the finest fishing schooner ever built - a big black-hulled vessel. Her name alone represents Nova Scotia and yet she represented all of Canada - from the East Coast, across the Prairies to the West Coast.
In my research, I soon found out that a complete set of the original drawings were non-existent. However, in searching through numerous records at the Provincial Archives of Nova Scotia in Halifax I came across a yellowed, tattered drawing for the Hull Lines signed by William Roue. Also in the Archives there were many stories of her exploits. It was many years ago that I met William Roue and Captain Angus Walters the latter who I knew from my relatives and friends in Lunenburg , since both these men had passed on and all data was lost with them by the time I had decided to research the "Bluenose".
So with a copy of these original Hull Lines drawings which became the foundation of my drawings. Still I had much work ahead of me and by early 1988 I was making numerous visits to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, the Provincial Archives and the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic. Much info was gathered by asking hundreds of questions and interviewing a number of surviving people who worked and sailed on the "Bluenose". Plus finding much data from the various companies in Lunenburg who were involved in her construction.
Having only this drawing, there was much more to be done such as the on deck detail, spars and rigging and here is where I found much detail. There were hundreds of photo's taken by the late Wallace MacAskill, a noted and renowned marine photographer, as well as the late John Knickle who was a renowned photographer in Lunenburg and it was with his many photo's that gave me all the info I required. Knickles photo's showed the "Bluenose" on deck, revealing her many arrangements including her spacing of hull frames. Plus all her deck furniture and machinery, other equipment and rigging, etc, all of which left no doubt of her arrangements.
However there were other little things that were not seen in the photo's and I found all of these in the book called "The American Fishing Schooner", (1825-1935) by Howard Chapelle. This book reveals much detail that can be found on any American or Canadian fishing schooner during the time of the "Bluenose" and is a very valuable reference manual.
By the mid year of 1990 I had completed my drawings of the "Bluenose" which comprised of six highly detailed sheets and I know every bit of my drawings are as accurate as humanly possible. However there are a number of drawings and ship model kits of the "Bluenose" on the market today which claim many things and in comparison with the original hull lines which my drawings are based on, it is my premise that most are probably not as accurate as claimed to be.
By 1991 a major ship model manufacturing company in Maine expressed interest in my drawings for a highly detailed model of the "Bluenose". It was during that year BlueJacket Shipcrafters of Searsport, Maine completed a beautiful kit of the "Bluenose" using my drawings under license. This kit is the Cadillac of kits and it is truly a first class model having received many accolades from many people. Unfortunately this kit is no longer produced by this company.
By 1998 I had decided to do some research on several of the American schooners that raced against the "Bluenose" in the 1920s. So I had a few to choose from since the American schooner "Elsie" that raced against the "Bluenose" was heavily researched and drawings done for her many years ago. There was the "Henry Ford" and the "Columbia" while there were other contenders that never materialized as far as a challenge is concerned.
It was back then that the Americans were being soundly defeated by the "Bluenose" and in 1923 with new races being proposed a group of fishermen and business men had the engineering company of Burgess and Paine design a new racing schooner, to be built by A. D. Story of Essex, Mass. It was suggested that a sister ship of the schooner "Puritan" be built, but finally it was settled that a new design be used.
Please note that all of these great schooners had to be an actual fishing schooner, not a racing schooner masquerading as a fishing schooner and please note the comment above "a new racing schooner". The Americans tried this ruse earlier with the schooner "Mayflower" which was disqualified by the Racing Committee.
I chose the "Columbia" because of her beautiful lines and over a period of three years research I found there were many different points of view by others in the States about how this vessel was designed and built. Unfortunately there were no complete sets of drawings of the original vessel that I could find, again it was a task of contacting various folks who had some knowledge of the "Columbia", plus many photographs and these do not lie. Needless to say many of the photos show the vessel over a period of years and one can see various changes in deck equipment and machinery. The hull lines drawings in Chapelles book showed her but were they accurate, I found a set of hull lines drawings of the ship in a museum in Boston that claimed to be accurate and bought them for my research; and when they came I checked them against Chapelles drawings, both were the same except for minor differences.
The "Columbia" was designed by the short-lived partnership of Burgess and Paine and there was some uncertainty as to which of the two dominated in the design. It was thought that Sterling Burgess was responsible for the drawings. In the Chapelle book there is much written about this schooner, however I must mention there were some strange building practices done when she was built. The "Columbia" had a rather different or should I say peculiar keel rabbet, it was heavily curved and crossed the stern deadwood well above the base line to fair in a reverse curve into the counter. This style of rabbet has been used on yachts, usually small but was most unusual in a large commercial vessel like the "Columbia". There were many elements of weakness in this construction and no practical advantage for it can be advanced.
The "Columbia" had a graceful sheer, a short keel or exterior deadwood, straight on the bottom from the sternpost running forward to a point somewhat beyond midlength with a strong but almost straight fore rake to fair into a long but somewhat pointed stem profile. The sternpost and exposed deadwood supporting it mark the stern; the counter is long, partly immersed and ending in a sharply raking heart-shaped transom. The entrance is long, slightly convex and sharp. The run is distinguished by long straight buttocks and are fine. Fairing pieces surround the rudder stock and port in the tuck. The midsection was marked by a hollow garboard. Finally the bilge was high and firm with a nice tumble home in the topsides.
The "Columbia" was officially measured on October 27th, 1923 just before her race with the "Bluenose" by Raymond J. Milgate, a marine surveyor of Halifax, N.S. Her measurements are as follows:- racing length...141.2 feet, load waterline...110.0 feet, beam...25.5 feet, draft @ 110.0 LWL ranged from 15.4 to 15.7 feet. Sail area as shown:- 10,290 square feet. Note:- "Columbia's" racing length was taken from the after edge of the main rail cap at the stern to the junction of face of the stem and underside of the bowsprit.
The life of the "Columbia" was not a happy one as she had many happenings that caused some serious troubles. During her launching her rudder stock was heavily damaged through carelessness in the ship yard and the damage was not discovered until the schooner lost a series of races. She was launched without proper bracing of her rudder and when she came down the ways the rudder swung hard over to one side which caused a split in her rudder stock.
In July, 1923 which was just before her first race with the "Bluenose" she was laying at anchor when she was run down by the French steam trawler "LaChamplain". Her port rigging and rail plus her bowsprit were carried away. She was towed in a sinking condition into St. Pierre, Miq. A badly split rudder stock and a break in the heel of a Sampson Post was overlooked. With these defects and a crew that was not used to her caused her defeat in her first race with the "Bluenose" on October 29th, 1923. The second race on November 1st was marred by charges of the "Columbia" being fouled by the "Bluenose" by cutting a bouy short. The "Columbia" on one race was 3/4 of a mile ahead of the "Bluenose" when the race committee called the race off, then came the charges and counter-charges. Many arguments later and both skippers agreed to disagree with the Race Committee because their changes in their interpretation of the rules. Both vessels sailed for their home port and nothing was settled as to which vessel was better.
When she arrived in her home port she was hauled from the water and inspected it was discovered why she was so slow to come about and wouldn't go to windward as she should have with the damaged rudder stock and area. She was repaired and in October, 1926 she raced against the schooner "Henry Ford" in which the "Columbia" had won easily.
The end of the "Columbia" was not a happy one as she was lost with all hands on August 24th, 1927 off Sable Island during the worst hurricane that Nova Scotia experienced in many years. She was in company with several other schooners at anchor fishing when the storm struck. The Canadian schooners were the Una R. Corkum and the Joyce Smith from Lunenburg, N.S. Note:- My fathers eldest brother was lost with the sinking of the "Una R. Corkum", having over twenty men and boys on board. None of them were ever seen again.
On January 3rd, 1928, a large Canadian beam trawler working off Sable Island fouled her gear, and in attempting to clear herself in the darkness she raised the wreck of a large schooner to the surface. Turning her search light on the wreck the vessel could be seen plainly and many of the crew of the trawler was certain it was the wreck of the "Columbia". In a few moments the trawl cable broke and the wreck settled beneath the surface. This area of Sable Island is heavy with numerous wrecks, I wonder how many of the various ships lie on the bottom??
The building of a scale model of a historic vessel is great but I think knowing some of her history and the reasons why she was built only adds to one's knowledge.
In both instances, I had more than enough information to do the drawings with confidence. Both vessels are drawn to a scale of 3/16"=1'-0" and would make a wonderful display for someone or perhaps a Museum who had an interest in those wonderful schooners. The drawings of both ships are very complete and contain every piece of equipment, deck furniture, dory construction, masts, booms, etc. and much more pertinent information. In addition to construction data, the hull lines offer the builder several methods of construction. The builder may choose a carved hull (bread and butter style) with built up bulwarks, secondly, the plank on bulkhead and the drawings show this method and finally the more complicated and time consuming plank on frame method.
I sincerely hope that those who have taken the time to read this narrative will have gained some insight in the trials and tribulations of research of a given vessel and what can be learned.
To every modeler I wish many hours of pleasure in the building of your particular vessel.
P.S Hopefully in the next few years it is my hope to do the drawings for several vessels of Maritime history.
Sources:
The Katherine - National Maritime Museum - England
The Schooner Bluenose - Nova Scotia Archives Online
The Schooner Columbia - Nova Scotia Archives Online
The Schooner Bluenose model - Philip Eisnor
The Schooners Henry Ford and Columbia - Mysticseaport
