Navwar 164-ton Brig Colliers

These are the Navwar models of the 164-ton brig rigged collier. These are supposed to be typical of the small vessels carrying trade in coastal waters. Large numbers were built and they had long working lives. One built in 1785 was still afloat 81 years later in 1866.

Navwar CAT Merchant

The following is an excerpt from "Eighteenth-Century Colonial American Merchant Ship Construction" by  Kellie Michelle Vanhorn:

"Cat

Cats were developed in northern England around 1700 in response to Dutch flutes; they generally measured 250-300 tons and were used in bulk cargo trades such as coal and timber. Chapman's plans show the cat to have a broad, round stern with a narrow square transom above. The bow is bluff with a plain stem and full entrance, but the run is finer. With little deadrise and hard bilges, the hull shape is boxy and the sides are verticle, even on the smaller vessels. Chapman uses ship, snow, brig, and sloop rigs on his cats and they could all carry guns for defense."

Here is my rendition of Navwar's version of this merchant vessel. Since it was developed from the Dutch flute, I am using her as a Danish trader.

At first I intended on using the Navwar sails that came with the model and just replacing the masts. But the fore topsail was a flawed mold cast.

Looks like a pour bubble ruined the top of the sail

 I found a spare matching foremast sail set in my scrap pile but I let the Dremel tool run away while removing the topsail and ruined it too! Grrrrr.....

So back to my usual of scratch sails and masts. I chose the Langton unrated bomb sail set from my Mast Log that were about the right size.

Masts, sails and spars

 The quarter deck was flush at the stern with no bulwarks or rail at all so I had to add some wire rings for later rigging. I also lifted the hull by adding a balsa layer to the bottom.

Side shot of the hull, Stem left Stern right. The rings I had to add at the stern just visible. You will also note the wood hull extension added to the bottom to lift the hull a bit

Comparison shot with the GHQ West Indies Merchant

I'm not sure what I am going to do next. Maybe another merchant?

Navwar Foochow Junks

I put together these two Navwar Chinese Foochow junk ships this evening that I found in a miscellaneous merchant pile. They appear to have what looks like two small guns apiece. I am not sure that is what they are supposed to be, but I painted them black like guns anyway. They can then fend off a pirate or two, right?

Strelets Russian Mounted Jägers

OK, let me try this again! I deleted my first post about these little guys because they were so bad. I felt like I had lost my touch at painting troops after doing nothing but ships for 7 years. These figures had been base coated back at the end of 2012 when I received my first 1/1200 Napoleonic Naval ship models. So they have been gathering dust for all this time. I decided to finish them but after three tries, the faces still sucked in my opinion. I posted them, then within hours deleted the post. After a couple of days I remembered "The Dip!" The dip fixes everything, right? So I am much happier with this troop now.