Biography
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The Collection: Adler Von LĂœbeck Page 4-5 Arabian Dhow Page 6-7 Astrolabe Page 8-9 Belle Poule Page 10-11 Bluenose I Page 12-13 Boeier Page 14-15 Zuiderzee Botter Page 16-17 Bounty Page 18-19 Bounty Long Boat Page 20-21 Canot de Parade Page 22-23 Chebec (le Singe) Page 24-25 Chinese Junk Page 26-27 Ciberon Fishing Boat Page 28-29 Coca de Mataro Page 30-31 Cotre Page 32-33 Coureur Page 34-35 Couronne Page 36-37 Egyptian Boats Page 38-39 Flore Page 40-41 Gunboat Page 42-43 Hainan Junk Page 44-45 Tholense Hoogaar Page 46-47
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Malaysian Proa Neptune Norman Ship Ouragan Pamir Phenix Phoenician Galley Santa Maria Pinta Nina Portsmouth Reale de France Roman Bireme Sicilian Barge Sphinx Superbe Swift Tartane Thermopylae Toulonaise Venetian Gondolas Viking Ship (Drakkar)
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Daniel Mermoud was born in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1936. He left Switzerland in 1953 to join a cargo ship as a deck hand. Since Daniel loved the sea, he started studying navigation, went to school in Southampton (UK) for his 2nd and 1st mate certificates, then to Vancouver, British Columbia, for his Captain certificate. He retired from the sea December 16, 1997 after 44 years. Daniel Mermoud has been in love with the sea, his ships and his wife of many years. They all brought him inspiration in his quest to create these beautifull ships. The passion to build sailing ship models started in Cape Town in 1961. While ashore shopping, Daniel saw a model in a hobby shop’s window. It was a Revel plastic kit of the Thermopylae. He bought it, took it on board and put it together while at sea. He was not satisfied with the finished model in plastic, so he bought a wooden kit of the Adler von Lubeck. The result was better but the quality of the kit was not up to his standards. Daniel decided to buy some tools- a table saw, jigsaw, lathes, carving tool and more. He started to cut his own wood and turning the cannons in solid brass on a lathe. His wife, Truki, would sew the sails. It took more time than assembling a kit together but the finished models were better and more satisfying. All his models are hand made, each piece carved separately right down to the little blocks used for the rigging. Only hardwood and solid brass were used for the construction of the models. For the plans, Daniel would look in hobby shops and Marine Museums in Europe for loose drawings. If the scale used on the drawings were too large or too small, he would have the plans reduced or enlarged to a better scale- mostly 1/75. During the fifty-one years of meticulously working on his models, the master craftsman has made 61 boats, 11 models were given to family and friends and his personal collection of 50 sailing boat models of varying types and sizes are shown on this website. All models are now for sale, for prices and more information please contact us. 3
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The Adler von Lübeck (German for Eagle of Lübeck), also called Der Große Adler or Lübscher Adler, was a 16th-century warship of the Hanseatic city of Lübeck, Germany. The Adler was one of the largest ships in the world at its time, being 78.30 m long overall and displacing 2–3,000 tons. The war galleon was built by Lübeck during the Northern Seven Years’ War to escort her convoy of merchant ships in the Baltic and North Sea. However, the Adler was never put into action, since Lübeck had already entered peace negotiations with Sweden at the time of the ship’s completion. After the Treaty of Stettin (1570), the Große Adler was converted into a freighter for trade with the Iberian peninsula. The ship was dismantled in 1588 after twenty years of service. Model: All canons are hand made on a small lathe. Model size: 35” long, 30’ high, 17’ wide.
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Model reproduces a typical dhow used in the water surrounding the Arabian peninsula for fishing and coastal trading. Centuries old in design, boats like the model are still in use. Dhow is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with lateen sails used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Some historians claim the dhow was invented by Arabs or Indians, but the majority give the credit to the Chinese. Typically sporting long thin hulls, dhows are trading vessels primarily used to carry heavy items, like fruit, fresh water or merchandise, along the coasts of the Eastern Arabia (Arab states of the Persian Gulf ), East Africa, Yemen and some parts of South Asia (Pakistan, India, Bangladesh). Larger dhows have crews of approximately thirty, smaller ones typically around twelve. Model: scale 1/50. Made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Model size: 23� long, 21� high, 6� wide.
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Corvette l’Astrolabe 1811 - 1851. The Astrolabe was a horse barge converted to an exploration ship of the French Navy and was originally named La Coquille. The name derives from an early navigational instrument, the astrolabe, a precursor to the sextant. She is famous for her travels with Jules Dumont d’Urville. Her first major expedition was from 1822 to 1825, she explored the southern hemisphere, sailed the Australian and Western Pacific Islands and visited 120 Islands. The Astrolabe skirted the coast of southern Australia, during which d’Urville executed the first relief maps of the South Island of New Zealand and relief maps of the Loyalty Islands then explored the coasts of New Guinea. d’Urville identified the site of La Pérouse’s shipwreck in Vanikoro and collected numerous remains of his boats. The voyage continued with the mapping of part of the Caroline Islands and the Moluccas. The Astrolabe returned to Marseille in early 1829 with an impressive load of hydrographical papers and collections of zoological, botanical and mineralogical reports. Following this expedition, the terms Micronesia and Melanesia were invented, distinguishing these island groups from Polynesia. In 1836, the French Emperor Louis-Philippe mounted an expedition to locate the magnetic pole under the command of Dumont d’Urville. During her career, the ship helped catalogue and collect a vast amount of knowledge in the field of botany and fauna. Model : scale 1/75 made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Plans from Musee de la Marine , Palais de Chaillot, Paris, France. Model size: 29” long, 25” high, 10” wide.
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The French frigate “ la Belle Poule” was launched in 1834. She was one of the first ships to be built in a covered shipyard, which allowed the builders to delay construction while the political and financial circumstances were not favourable. Her design was inspired by the USS Constitution cruiser class. She was commissioned in July 1835. The Belle-Poule was a Surveillante class 60-gun first rank frigate of the French Navy. On the 27th of July, 1840, she achieved fame for bringing the remains of Napoléon from Saint Helena back to France, in what became known as the Retour des cendres. She was painted black for the occasion. She was decommissioned on the 19th of March, 1861. . She was still used to store gunpowder until 1888. Model : scale 1/100 enlarged to 1/75. Made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Plans from the Musee de la Marine, Palais de Chaillot, Paris, France. Model size: 52” long, 38” high, 13” wide.
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The Canadian fishing schooner “ BLUENOSE “ was built in 1920-1921 , launched 26 March 1921 in Lunenberg, Nova Scotia. She was 143 feet long, 112 feet at the water line, with a beam of 27 feet , and displacement around 280 tons. When not fishing, she was famous for racing, and had the record of fastest schooner in Canadian history. She was sold in 1942 to carry freight in the West Indies. Laden with bananas, she struck a coral reef off Île à Vache, Haiti on January 28, 1946. Wrecked beyond repair, with no loss of life, she was abandoned on the reef. Bluenose and her captain, Angus J. Walters of Lunenburg, were inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1955, making her the first and only non-human CSHF inductee until 1960, when she was joined by Canadian Hydroplane Champion Miss Supertest III. Model : scale 3/16. Made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Model size: 34” long, 28” high, 6” wide.
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Boeier is a Dutch flat bottom boat used for fishing, buoys laying, locating shoals and banks and for pleasure. Because of the boat’s small draught, the boeier is able to go to places other vessels cannot reach due to shallow water. Her sail is quite large, giving ample sailing speed. Among the many famous types of sailboats developed in the Netherlands , the boeier is still in use today. Model : Made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Model size: 17” long, 18” high, 6” wide.
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The Botter is an old Dutch type vessel with a flat bottom (around 18th century) used to fish in the Zuiderzee and along the North Sea shore. The history of the botter is not easy to trace as no artifacts have survived and artistic renderings are not so reliable before say the late 18th century. As with all small boats, they were built without any drawings well into the 20th century. The botter as we know it today developed over the past two hundred years. Model : Made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Model size: 17� long, 18� high, 6� wide.
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In May 1787 the merchant British ship “ Bethia” was bought by the British Admiralty and reconditioned and armed her. The ship was renamed the “ Bounty”. She was given the task to transport breadfruit trees from Tahiti to the Virgin Islands. On April 28 1789 Masters Mate Fletcher Christian and 25 of the 45 crew members declared a mutiny and set Lt. William Bligh and 19 men adrift in the ship’s long boat. Capt. Bligh managed to cover 3,618 miles of open sea in 41 days and brought the open boat and crew to safety. He returned to England and was given another ship with which he returned to the Pacific in search of the mutineers. Fletcher took the Bounty to a remote island in the Pacific (now called the Pitcairn Island) and burned the ship to avoid being discovered by Capt. Bligh. Model : Made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Model size: 19” long, 18” high, 7” wide.
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The French barge “le Canot de Parade” (also known as “le Canot Imperial” ) was built in 1811 for Napoleon’s inspection of the fortifications of Antwerp. This barge, which is 17.21 m long and 3.35 m wide, was built in only 21 days, including all the decorations, according to the plans made by the engineer Guillermare. A large team of carpenters and sculptors worked day and night. Napoleon I made use of this vessel to visit Antwerp harbour. In 1858, Napoleon III as well as the Empress had also utilized this marvelous vessel. In 1943, the Canot de Parade was brought back by train to Paris. The Canot de Parade can now be visited at the Maritime Museum. Model : Scale 1/25. Plan from “ The Canot Imperial” Musee de la Marine Palais de Chaillot, Paris, France. Model size: 29” long, 18” high, 6” wide.
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The “Chebec” (1750 - 1786), a 24 gun vessel, was one of finest sailing ships of the XVIII century. The sails were designed primarily for speed, used essentially to relieve the rowers when sailing before the wind. The rowing ability was, however, of paramount importance during engagements with heavier opponents. It should be noted that le Chebec is not the original name of a boat, but corresponds to a type of very slim, streamlined yacht, normally with three masts, with Latin form sails and oars. The form and sails of le Chebec vessel closely resemble those of a galley, its narrow bow and external stern platform visibly resemble the galley’s ram and deck. The history of le Chebec is not well known and is often associated with the many adventures of French corsairs, or even the boarding of merchant ships. The le Chebec ships have now disappeared, after having nevertheless survived nearly half a century as fishing vessels. It is accepted that naval construction has never seen vessels as streamlined, designed for speed and attack. Model : Named “le Singe“ (Monkey). Scale 1/75. Plans from the Musee de la Marine, Pallais de Chaillot Paris. Model size: 27” long, 22” high, 10” wide.
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A junk is an ancient Chinese sailing vessel/ship design still in use today. Junks were developed during the Song Dynasty (960–1279) and were used as seagoing vessels as early as the 2nd century CE. They evolved in the later dynasties, and were used throughout Asia for extensive ocean voyages. They were found, and in lesser numbers are still found, throughout South-East Asia and India, but primarily in China, perhaps most famously in Hong Kong. The term junk may be used to cover many kinds of boat—ocean-going, cargo-carrying, pleasure boats, live-aboards. They vary greatly in size and there are significant regional variations in the type of rig, however they all employ fully battened sails. Model : Modern three masted junk. Model size: 10” long, 9” high, 6” wide.
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Cirebon is a small city on the northwest coast of Java. The model is a replica of a small fishing boat, used by the fishermen in Cirebon. These boats (about 8 to 10 meters long) are manned by 2 or 3 men. Every morning a flotilla of fishing boats leave the harbour and head for sea to return in the evening with their load of fish. Every boats is painted differently, in beautiful colors and very well kept. Model : made from scratch using hard wood Model size: 16” long, 15” high, 3” wide.
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It is believed that it was originally in the chapel of San Simón de Mataró, not far from Barcelona. Today it is conserved (in tank) at the Maritime Museum Prins Hendrik de Rotterdam. It was made around the middle of the 15th century, and it was made as seaman’s models often are, incorrect in its proportions, correct in its details. It represents a ship of medieval trade which resembles the “coca” of the North Sea. This type of boat was used for the transport of goods and troops by English and Normans in the period ranging from 12th century until the beginning of the 14th century,. It is the only known model from the time when the history of the great voyages of discovery began. The next known model is dated a hundred years later. Model : made from a plan by Xavier Pastor Quijada. Model size: 20” long, 20” high, 12” wide.
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“Cotre” is French for “Cutter”. A cutter is typically a small, but in some cases a medium-sized, watercraft designed for speed rather than for capacity. Traditionally a cutter sailing vessel is a small single-masted boat, fore-and-aft rigged, with two or more headsails and often a bowsprit. These small vessels, carrying 14 guns, were used for coastal navigation, pilot boat, corsair and mainly smugglers. Model : scale 1/50 reduced to 1/75 Plans from Musee de la Marine Palais de Chaillot Paris France. Made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Model size: 25” long, 22” high, 13” wide.
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Le Coureur was a lugger type of vessel, carrying 8 guns, used by smugglers in the late 18 century. She was built in Dunkirk in 1776. Outrunning most vessels in almost any scenario, her only weakness was running before the wind where most conventional square rigged ships would out pace her. In order to work the unconventional big sail area and man all the guns, the ship was crewed by a combined force of 50 men. The career of this ship was short because it was captured by the English on 17th June 1778 during a battle by the French Frigate “Belle Poule” against the British Frigate “Arethusa”. Model : Scale 1/75 Plans from Musee de la Marine Palais de Chaillot Paris France. Made from scratch using hardwood and brass Model size: 24” long, 20” high, 5” wide.
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The “Couronne” built in 1629, was a war Galleon built by the French in accordance to Cardinal de Richelieu’s plans to renew the French navy. She was one of the most advanced ships of her time. She bore 68 heavy guns, 8 firing to the bow and 8 to the aft. The “Couronne” took part in the battle of Guetaria in 1638 and another expedition to Spain in 1639. The ship was disarmed in 1641 and scrapped between 1643 - 1645. Model : scale 1/150 enlarged to 1/75. Plans from Musee de la Marine Palais de Chaillot Paris France. Made from scratch using hardwood and brass Model size: 45” long, 39” high, 20” wide.
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The slow flowing Nile was almost ideal for transportation though occasional storms might endanger shipping or lack of wind hold it up. From earliest times Egyptians built boats for transportation, fishing and enjoyment. Their importance in every day life is reflected in the role they played in mythology and religion. Little is left of actual boats. Remains of Old Kingdom boats were found at Tarkhan and Abydos, and King Khufu’s ship is well known and demonstrates best how ships were built during that period. The first dynasty boats found at Abydos were about 25 meters long, two to three meters wide and about sixty centimeters deep, seating 30 rowers. They had narrowing sterns and prows and there is evidence that they were painted. Egypt abounds with pictures and models of boats and ships. The walls of temples and tombs at Deir el Bahri and Medinet Habu are covered with them, but very little is known, about how New Kingdom ships were actually put together. These three models are replicas of Egyptians sailing ships used mainly on the Nile and Eastern Mediterranean sea as far back as 3000 B.C. Model : Made from scratch using hardwood and brass Model size: 12-14” long, 9-12” high, 8-11” wide.
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La “Flore” French frigate of 28 canons (end of XVIII century). This well documented French ship was designed at Rochefort by the master shipwright Rolland and launched in 1804. There were 146 such frigates built to this successful design for the Napoleonic Navy between 1781-1813 and were designated 28-gun frigates. La Flore was wrecked in the Adriatic in November of 1811 during a violent squall on a sand bar off the port of Chioggia, Venetia. Model : scale 1/75 plans from Musee de la Marine Palais de Chaillot Paris France Made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Model size: 34” long, 31” high, 17” wide.
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The Dutch Gunboat No2 took part in the bombing of Antwerp in 1831. Its armament was made up of one 30-pound cannon on the bow, of two 24-pound cannonades along the side and of two 8-pound cannons on the stern. On the 3rd. February 1831, due to an accident the gunboat got stranded on the shore. Taking advantage of the situation the Belgian revolutionaries took possession of the boat and asked the Captain Van Speijck to surrender the ship’s paper, the Captain answered that he was going to look for them and went down the alleyway. In order to safeguard the honour of his flag, the Captain set fire to the gun powder and blew up the ship together with the crew and the Belgian revolutionaries. Model : Made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Model size: 31” long, 28” high, 14” wide.
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Hainan Junk, used in southern China, strongly built 3 masted junk from the island of Hainan that trade widely in south-eastern Asia, but also engage in fishing and piracy. A few still work. A “sampan” hung from aft davits, another carried on deck. Conspicuous iron plates (brass on the model) are hung from the sunroof side-beams, serving as bullet-proof shields for the helmsman. Model: Hainan Junk ca. 1930 . Scale 1/30 - Plan from Authentic Models Holland. Made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Model size: 35” long, 28” high, 8” wide.
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Hoogaars : type of flat bottom fishing boats , originated around 1780 - 1800, used for fishing oysters and mussels in Dutch and Flemish lakes and channels. They are still in use today. Model: scale 1/20. Made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Model size: 27” long, 20” high, 8” wide.
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The word proa comes from perahu, the word for “boat” in Malay. Found in many configurations and forms, the proa was likely developed as a sailing vessel in Micronesia (Pacific Ocean). Variations may be found as distant as Madagascar and Sri Lanka, as far back as the first century. The “Proa” was first documented by the Spanish Magellan expedition to the Philippines circa 1519 CE. Model : Replica of an 18th century Malaysian sailing boat (Proa) Made from scratch using hardwood and brass Model size: 25” long, 15” high, 6” wide.
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Barque du Leman - la Neptune belongs to the family of large boats with sails of Lake Geneva, which have proliferated in the thirteenth century. The House of Savoy had them build in the region of Thononles-Bains by Nice architects. The boats were used primarily to transport goods, especially to transport materials dedicated to urban expansion of Geneva. This is the case of the stones from the quarries in the region Meillerie and gravel from the Rhone in Bouveret sector. The boat was built in 1904 in order to transport construction materials. In the years leading up to the end of his service in 1968, the boat was used as a floating barge for earthmovers. She is, with the barge “la Vaudoise” the last remainder of the commercial navigation on the lake. She is now moored in Geneva harbour and used for special occasions. Model: scale 1/50 built from scratch using hardwood and brass. Model size: 27” long, 25” high, 10” wide.
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The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Viking conquerors of the territory and the native Merovingian culture formed from Germanic Franks and the Roman Gauls. Their distinct identity emerged initially in the first half of the 10th century, and gradually evolved over succeeding centuries. The hull-structure of the Norman ships remained the same: clinker-built, round-bottomed, curved stemand sternpost, side-rudder, one mast with a square sail. Later the fore- and aft-castles were added to accommodate archers. Model: : Replica of a Norman Ship. Made from scratch using hardwood and brass Model size: 18� long, 17� high, 10� wide.
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L’Ouragan Brick negrier - French - 1830. In spite of the official abolition of slavery by the Vienna treaty of 1815, the slave trade continued until the middle of the 19th Century in the French colonies. The slave dealers had to design ships capable of escaping the watch-ships. The Ouragan was one of these ships, which according to its thin shape and its jab-joint hull, could be both swift and easy to handle, and became one of the swifter carrier of slaves in the 19th century. Characteristic: length (hull): 41.250 meters length overall: 55 meters beam: 9.5 meters Model : , made from scratch using hard wood and brass. Scale 1/100 enlarged to 1/75, from Musee de la Marine, Palais de Chaillot - Paris - France. Model size: 33” long, 22” high, 18” wide.
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The four-masted barque Pamir was built in Hamburg, Germany and launched on 29th July, 1905. Her overall length was 114.5 meters, beam 14 meters and draft 7.25 meters. She carried 3,800 m² (40,900 ft²) of sails and could reach a top speed of 16 knots (30 km/h). Her regular cruise speed was around 8-9 knots. On September 21, 1957, she was caught in hurricane Carrie and sank off the Azores. She was on a voyage from Buenos Aires to Hamburg with 86 crew, including 52 cadets and a cargo of 3780 tons of barley. Only 6 crew members of the 86 survived. Model: : Scale 1/100 Model size: 49” long, 28” high, 12” wide.
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The model of the French war ship “Phenix” carrying 86 cannons is the product of research made by “ les Amis des Musees de la Marine” . Model : scale 1/75 Plans from Musee de la Marine, Palais de Chaillot Paris, France. Made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Model size: 33” long, 34” high, 14” wide.
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A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by rowing. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft and low clearance between sea and railing. Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be used in favorable winds, but human strength was always the primary method of propulsion. This allowed galleys freedom to move independently of winds and currents, and with great precision. The galley originated among the seafaring civilizations around the Mediterranean Sea in the early first millennium BC and remained in use in various forms until the early 19th century in warfare, trade and piracy. Model : Made from scratch using hardwood and brass Model size: 9-15� long, 9-4� high, 9-5� wide.
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La Santa María, was the largest of the three ships used by Christopher Columbus in his first voyage. With three masts, she was the slowest of Columbus’ vessels but performed well in the Atlantic crossing. Then on the return trip, on 24 December (1492), the currents carried the ship onto a sandbank, running her aground off the present-day site of Cap-Haïtien, Haiti. It sank the next day. Realizing that the ship was beyond repair, Columbus ordered his men to strip the timbers from the ship. The timbers were later used to build a fort which Columbus called La Navidad (Christmas) because the wreck occurred on Christmas Day, north from the modern town of Limonade. The anchor of the Santa María now rests in the Musée du Panthéon National Haïtien, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Model :Made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Model size: 23” long, 22” high, 12” wide.
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La Pinta was the fastest of the three ships used by Christopher Columbus in his first transatlantic voyage in 1492. The New World was first sighted by Rodrigo de Triana on the Pinta on October 12, 1492.The Pinta was a caravel-type vessel. By tradition Spanish ships were named after saints. The origin of the ship is disputed but is believed to have been built in Spain in the year 1441. Model : Made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Model size: 19” long, 16” high, 10” wide.
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La Niña (Spanish for The Girl) was one of the three Spanish ships used by explorer Christopher Columbus in his first voyage to the West Indies in 1492. As was tradition for Spanish ships of the day, she bore a female saint’s name, Santa Clara. However, she was commonly referred to by her nickname, La Niña. She was a standard caravel-type vessel. The Niña was by far Columbus’s favorite ship. She was originally lateen sail rigged caravela latina, but she was re-rigged as caravela redonda at Azores with square sails for better ocean performance. There is no authentic documentation on the specifics of the Niña’s design. The Niña, like the Pinta and Santa María, was a smaller trade ship built to sail the Mediterranean sea, not the open ocean. Model : Made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Model size: 15” long, 19” high, 4” wide.
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Portsmouth, an English merchant Brig, built in 1796. The Brig Portsmouth was a typical example of a commercial ship adapted for private ring activity and legalized it with the so-called mark-letters or reprisal-letters granted to anyone who was able, privately, to arm a vessel and to recruit a crew. Model: scale 1/64 made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Model size: 28” long, 24” high, 14” wide.
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La Réale (“the royal”) was a galley of the French galley corps, and the flagship of the French galley fleet under Louis XIV. It was termed a “galère extraordinaire”, “extraordinary galley” since it had a larger crew than normal fleet galleys. Model: Scale 1/75. Plans from Musee de la Marine, Palais de Chaillot, Paris. Model size: 36” long, 24” high, 15” wide.
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Model is a replica of a Roman Bireme war ship ( Galley ) 30 B.C. The name bireme comes from “bi-” meaning two and “-reme” meaning oar. The bireme was driven by two rows of oars. Outriggers stabilized the ship and the whales protected the hull from the protruding bows (rams) of enemy ships. While fast under oar, this type of vessel capsized easily under too much sail. Model: Scale 1/30. Made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Model size: 26” long, 15” high, 17” wide.
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This is a typical replica of a Sicilian boat, not more than 15 meters long. Until recently, these boats were used for transporting various kinds of freight between the numerous trade centers along the Tirranean coast. The boats were very sturdy and due to their remarkable construction, were able to cope with heavy sea. The waves, which ran over the vessel, breaking against the deck , did not upset its navigational trim, due to the extreme curvature of the beams and also the numerous scuppers which made for rapid drainage. They carried a crew of up to 5 men. It is still possible to find some of these boats in remote corners of the Sicilian coast, completely abandoned. Model: Scale 1/30. Made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Model size: 28” long, 26” high, 9” wide.
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The French “Sphinx” was a paddle steamer corvette of the French Navy. She was the first operational French naval steamer, built in 1829. She took part in the invasion of Algiers in 1830. On the 10 July 1832, the Sphinx sailed from Toulon to Alexandria, Egypt, to rendez-vous with and tow the barge “Luxor” loaded with the obelisk, which is now in the Place de la Concorde in Paris, to Cherbourg. On the 6 July 1845 the Sphinx ran aground near Cape Matifou and became a total loss. Model : Scale 1/100 from Musee de la Marine Palais de Chaillot Paris France. Model size: 27” long, 17” high, 7” wide.
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Le Superbe, is a French War-Ship built in1785. Three-masted, with two decks, 76 guns and extreme maneuverability, this won the Superbe a lot of admirers, including the British. She required 700 men for the smooth running of the vessel . Le Superbe came to a tragic end, being sunk in a storm in 1795. It was a masterful piece of art and beautiful sculpture that sank to the bottom of the ocean. Model: Scale 1/150 enlarged to 1/75. Made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Plans from the Musee de la Marine Palais de Chaillot Paris France. Model size: 46” long, 36” high, 19” wide.
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Swift - Virginia pilot boat-1805. This early 19th Century Virginia Pilot Boat was actually the predecessor of the famous “Baltimore Boats. Their distinctive features and concepts found such great favor among maritime nations, that they were soon converted to larger vessels, popularly known as Baltimore Clippers. This original type was extensively used by the British Navy as dispatch boats. Model: Made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Model size: 22” long, 21” high, 5” wide.
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A Tartane or tartan was a small ship used, in the 18th century, both as a fishing ship and for coastal trading in the French Mediterranean coast. They were in use for over 300 years until the late 19th century. A Tartane had a single mast on which was rigged a large lateen sail, and with a bowsprit and fore-sail. When the wind was aft a square sail was generally hoisted like a cross jack. Model: Scale 1/50. Tartane armed with 4 guns, 1810.Plans from Musee de la Marine Palais de Chaillot, Paris, France. Model size: 27� long, 26� high, 6� wide.
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When Thermopylae was launched in 1868, the British Tea Trade was reaching its peak. Each succeeding year had seen the development of faster clipper ships, and the competition for cargoes had become intense. High premiums were paid for the early arrival of the first crop of the season from China and this led not only to the design of the fastest sailing ships the world have ever known, but also to speculation and gambling on the arrival of the crops to the ports in England. Thermopylae registered 948 tons. Her length was 212 feet, her beam 36 feet and she drew 29.9 feet. The course of clipper ships was changed in 1869 when the Suez Canal opened. By 1879, the steamships had taken over the tea trade and Thermopylae, along with most of the other sailing ships went into other business where speed was not of major importance. In 1890 she was sold to Mount Redford and Refinery Company of Victoria, British Columbia, She was used for carrying rice from Rangoon to Vancouver. In 1897 she was sold to the Portuguese Government, serving as a training ship. In 1907 it was decided that she had outlive her usefulness and she was towed to sea and sunk by gunfire. Thus ends the story of the Thermopylae, one of the greatest sailing ship of all time. The waters have long closed over her stalwart ribs, but her spirit lives on the endless saga of the sea. Mode : Scale 1/96 of actual size or 1/8 inch = 1 foot. Model size: 37” long, 22” high, 10” wide.
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La Toulonnaise was a French schooner, built in Toulon, France, which saw service from 1823 to 1843. She was armed with 15 lb carronades which was a radical innovation at the time. Carronades were more accurate because they would spin the cannon ball. The Toulonnaise was launched in Toulon on the 13th of August 1823 and took part in the Spanish War. Stationed for a time at Barcelona, she sailed to Cadiz to take part in the bombardment of the port. She was decommissioned the 18 Dec. 1843.
Model : Made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Schooner La Toulonnaise with 8 carronades 18 pounds. Scale 1/75. Plans from Musee de la Marine, Palais de Chaillot, Paris, France. Model size: 27” long, 21” high, 12” wide.
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The gondola is a traditional, flat bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian lagoon. For centuries the gondolas were the chief means of transportation and most common watercraft within Venice. In modern times the iconic boats still have a role in public transport in the city, serving as traghetti (ferries) over the Grand Canal. They are also used in special regattas (rowing races) held among gondoliers. The gondola is propelled by using an oar instead of a pole. Their primary role today is to carry tourists on rides at fixed rates. Model : Scale 1/20. Model size: 22� long, 5� high, 4� wide.
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Viking Longships were a type of ship invented and used by the Vikings for trade, commerce, exploration, and warfare during the Viking Age. The longship appeared in its complete form between the 9th and 13th centuries. The longships were characterized as a graceful, long, narrow and light wooden boat, with a shallow-draft hull designed for speed. The ship’s shallow draft allowed navigation in waters only one meter deep and permitted random beach landings, while its light weight enabled it to be carried over portages or used bottoms up for shelter in camps. Longships were also double-ended, the symmetrical bow and stern allowing the ship to reverse direction quickly without a turn around. Longships were fitted with oars along almost the entire length of the boat itself. Later versions had a rectangular sail on a single mast. Longships were the epitome of naval power in their time, and were highly valued possessions. Model: replica of the Oseberg type ship, built c.800, made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Model size: 19” long, 13” high, 10” wide.
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A windmill is a mill that converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Centuries ago, windmills usually were used to mill grain, pump water, or both. Thus they often were gristmills, windpumps, or both. The iconic Dutch windmills were once state-of-the-art flood control technology. They pumped water from uninhabitable marshes and turned it into farmland, redefining the landscape of the Netherlands. Today, the Dutch have implemented other flood prevention methods, but working vintage windmills still exist. The model is a replica of a tobacco milling windmill with its surroundings and an inland water boat (Botter) carrying barrels of tobacco. Model: Made from scratch using hardwood and brass. Model size: 25� long, 17� high, 24� wide.
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