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1:32 Scale Bluenose I Restoration

This model was built around the time of WW II and belonged to the current owners Great Aunt.  This Aunt was one of the first military nurses to serve on the front lines of WWI.  She also served in WWII and reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.   The King invested her with the Order of the Royal Red Cross, the second Canadian to receive the honour.  She received this model as a gift in recognition of her exemplary military service.  As a result, this model has a significant amount of historic meaning to the family thus driving the desire to have it restored.

This is a big model.  It is 5 feet long and close to 5 feet high to the top of the main mast. The model itself was in good structural condition.  The restoration will first required stripping paint from the hull and repainting it.  The rigging and sails had deteriorated over time so will have to be replaced.  The cabins, hatches, windless, dories and other deck fittings are to be replaced so they appear as they were when the original ship was launched in 1921.  Recreating these deck fittings requires that a significant amount of detail be incorporated due to their size in this model.

 

The original model.

View of the model prior to restoration.

 

Damaged sails and rigging.  Also, the deck fittings on the original model can be seen.

 

Restoration was started late November of 2015

Refinished hull.

 

Refinished deck.  Note the 12" ruler on the building board.  It gives a perspective of the size of this model.

 

Detail of stern and rudder.

 

 

The dories that will be on the deck of the model.  They will be nested into two sets of three dories with the ones shown on the right of this pictures being on top.  The top dory is fitted out with oars, sails (complete with mast, gaff and boom all lashed together), bait bucket full of squid at the stern, compass on the forward seat and a hurdy-gurdy at the bow.  The hurdy-gurdy is a hand operated windless used to haul in the fishing line.

 

Close-up of the top dories.

 

April 28, 2016

The hull and deck fittings are complete at this point and the masts, booms and gaffs are made but not yet installed.

Overall profile

 

Companionway providing access to the crews quarters, hatches and galley chimney (sitting in a temporary position).

 

Entrance to the main cabin, the helm and compass.  The box with the brass handle on the cabin roof is a manually operated fog horn.

 

Profile view of the main cabin.

 

Bilge pumps, hatch to fish lockers and fife rail around the main mast.

 

Deck amidships with stacked dories.

 

Step of the bowsprit and windless.  The windless could be operated by a gasoline engine in the cabinet on the left or manually using the handles in front of it.

 

Detailed view of the windless.

 

Bow and bowsprit.

 

July 2016

Rigging supporting mast, booms and gaffs is in place but not yet belayed.  Waiting for sails.

 

September 2016

Sails and rigging in place but the rigging is yet to be belayed.

Profile of completed model.  The four foot ruler shows the size of this model.

 

Top of Fore Mast and bottom of Fore Topmast.

 

View of the deck at the bow.

 

Deck amidships.

 

Deck at the stern.

 

The flag.