Black Seas American 44-gun Frigate USS Constitution

This one is the third of the Warlord Games Black Seas US fleet 44-gun frigates I have now finished. I used the kit anchors and quarter davit boats. The stern mounted and stacked boats are 3-D printed. The masts, spars, sails, and base are scratch built.

The painted hull, scratch masts, and rough sail cutouts

Template used for tracing the sails

Dry fitting the masts, Note the quarterdeck and stern boats have been added

Driver and mizzen top sail tied on

Mizzen top sail dressed and t'gallant tied on

Main spar mounted

Main course tied on and dressed 

Main top sail tied and dressed and t'gallant mounted

All fore sails on and dressed

Making the shrouds

Finished shroud/ratlines

All ratlines mounted, all of the standing rigging, and half of the running rigging is done

Mounting the lower stunsail booms on the larboard side

Stunsail booms on the starboard side

Studding sails are on

And rigged

The based finished ship:

Kiss Me Hardy Game

 Yesterday July 13, I took some ships over to Joathan Freitag's house for an afternoon game of Kiss Me Hardy. This being his first age of sail game, and my first with a real gamer, we kept it small. Four ships to a side, American vs British. 

I rolled the Americans and experienced an initial disaster once the wind was rolled. My squadron was dead into the wind and I had to roll for damage for each ship. Constitution took 5DP and lost her foremast right off the bat. Fortunately my other ships escaped damage. 

The British had the weather guage and this advantage told through out the game. The Americans lost badly after a four hour slug match, with every ship striking to the overwhelming British onslaught. 

Jonathan has posted a great AAR for our game on his blog at: https://palousewargamingjournal.blogspot.com/2023/07/kiss-me-hardy.html?m=1

Hopefully it won't be too long before we can do this again.

Black Seas American 44-gun Frigate USS President

The last built of the original Six Frigates authorized by Congress on 27 March 1794, President was built by Christian Bergh, East River, New York. Launched 10 April 1800, she sailed from New York on her first cruise on 5 August 1800, Commodore Thomas Truxton commanding. 

President was the flagship of Commodore Richard Dale in the Mediterranean during the first Barbary War 1801-1802, and again in 1804-1805, participating in the actions against Tripoli.  She cruised off the eastern coast of the United States from 1809 to 1812. She sailed from Annapolis, MD on 12 May 1811, met and fired on HMS Sloop Little Belt of 22-guns.

President sailed from New York on 21 June 1812 with United States, Congress, Hornet, and Agnes on a cruise in the North Atlantic.  Two days later she fell in with HMS frigate Belvidera, and after a running fight of 8 hours, Belvidera escaped. 

She sailed from Boston on 30 April 1813 for a cruise off the coast of Europe. on 23 September she captured HMS schooner Highflyer of 5 guns off New York and arrived at Newport, RI 27 September 1813. She sailed from Providence 4 December for a cruise to the West Indies, returning to New York 15 February 1814, and was blockaded there for almost a year by a British squadron.

She sailed from New York 14 January 1815 under Captain Stephen Decatur, and the next day was captured by British ships Endymion, Majestic, Pomone, and Tenedos.

President was taken into the Royal Navy, and was broken up just two years later at Portsmouth in 1817.

• Armament: 32 x 24 pounder long guns, 22 x 42 pounder carronades, 1 x 18 pounder long gun
• Displacement; 1,576 tons
• Length 175', Breadth 44'4", Depth of Hold 14'3"

This model is another of the Warlord Games Black Seas resin cast models. The only other parts of the WG kit I used are the two furled sails I cut from the metal masts, and the two anchors. The ships boats are 3D prints. Masts, spars, sails and base are scratch built.

First time I have added rails to the fighting platforms

United States and President

The last one to do is Constitution