Sovereign of the Seas by Sergal - 1/78 Scale Kit Build.

What a monster project! (Charles the first actually lost his head over it!) But then you appear undeterred by the sheer scale of your many wonderful models. Thanks for sharing. I've got my chair and a Beer and am settled in for the duration! Thumbsup

Pete
 
With so much ship above the waterline, it's a wonder these ships stayed upright at all in heavy weather. The Sovereign purportedly was very slow and slow to answer the helm. Charles the First spared no expense in her construction,.. of taxpayer's money, and literally lost his head over the issue. :rolleyes:
 
Peter Gutterman said:
With so much ship above the waterline, it's a wonder these ships stayed upright at all in heavy weather. The Sovereign purportedly was very slow and slow to answer the helm. Charles the First spared no expense in her construction,.. of taxpayer's money, and literally lost his head over the issue. :rolleyes:
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Yes, the Vasa proved the point, overturning and sinking in harbour on its maiden voyage. It always tests your reason when you look at the way these old ships were put together and the stresses involved, especially when things got a bit rough at sea. Hogging was a real issue to consider when loading them up with stores, ammo and armament. Bad stowage could well be disastrous.
 
Peter Gutterman said:
With so much ship above the waterline, it's a wonder these ships stayed upright at all in heavy weather. The Sovereign purportedly was very slow and slow to answer the helm. Charles the First spared no expense in her construction,.. of taxpayer's money, and literally lost his head over the issue. :rolleyes:
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Slow to answer the helm - it was a bit slow, but if an Admiral calls it the best ship in His Majesty's fleet and makes it his flagship, there's a darn good reason. One of those is that if you ever got within gun range... well...

Charles I did not lose the crown because of the Sovereign, he lost it over a long trend of over expenditures across the board and for a strong belief that his will alone mattered in affairs of state, definitely above those of Parliament. As far as the Sovereign goes, notwithstanding the navy's complaints before it was built, the people of England largely forgave Charles I for the cost of building her, and were quite proud of the ship. Read James Sephton's book on HMS Sovereign of the Seas for a more complete story of the events of the time. If you are a model builder of SotS, you SHOULD have Sephton's work in your research material, since it is probably the BEST source for information on this ship. The author researched this one vessel for over 50 years.
 
Have you seen the Culver model of the SotS at the US Naval Academy? If you are a fan of that ship (and clearly you are) then a trip to the Academy museum and the Rogers collection is a must for you. Culver was Col. Rogers restorer and added much of the masting and rigging not originally on the period models. This he did faithfully and with as much expertise as the originals required. He (and a collaborator) built a large model of the SotS under full billowing sails which is nothing short of breathtaking. The collection is well worth a visit, and for you, Culver's Sovereign is a must. (I know, it's a long way from Minnesota. :rolleyes: )
If, at some point I can get back over there I will be sure to take pictures for you.

Pete
 
Peter Gutterman said:
Have you seen the Culver model of the SotS at the US Naval Academy? If you are a fan of that ship (and clearly you are) then a trip to the Academy museum and the Rogers collection is a must for you. Culver was Col. Rogers restorer and added much of the masting and rigging not originally on the period models. This he did faithfully and with as much expertise as the originals required. He (and a collaborator) built a large model of the SotS under full billowing sails which is nothing short of breathtaking. The collection is well worth a visit, and for you, Culver's Sovereign is a must. (I know, it's a long way from Minnesota. :rolleyes: )
If, at some point I can get back over there I will be sure to take pictures for you.

Pete
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I have not in person, but I have a few medium res pictures of it. If you take high resolution pictures during your visit, please share them with all of us here at SoS! :D Thumbsup
 
I'll email Grant Walker and see what he's got (if any) that he could email to me. last time I saw the model she was behind a big sheet of glass. The next time they have an all-day session at the shop and the friend I ride with (who is masting and rigging the "El Terrible ") is going out I'll go with him and try to get some pics. We're hard up against the holidays and the Academy is a zoo around this time of year. My friend is probably up to his ears in family and Historic Mt. Airy MD demands. So, I promise to do what I can as soon as I can. That model is breathtaking.

Pete
 
The sea has always had a magnetic attraction. A mixture of curiosity, fear and profound respect. It also puts these large, powerful ships into perspective. No matter how large the ship, the sea will prevail. This is looking out on the Indian ocean from SW Australia.

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Well. Still labouring away with the second planking. Pics later. Meanwhile a new dilemma has raised its head. I have been given these two ships from a freinds deceased estate. Very tempted to start one as a side job. Like there's not enough to do already. Also did some work on the display stand and had a name plate made up.

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