Boat Bumper

There are quite a few pics of the wind class, but it is hard to get detail shots of various parts of the boats. The question of mine regarding the spars and bumpers was based on long shots of the boat. I found one color photo taken off the aft port quarter at about sea level. That side of the boat was in shade. Using photo editing software I enlarged the picture to view the individual pixels, and saw what appeared to be brownish colored pixels where the spar was located. Based on that I guessed the spar was perhaps wood or rusty pipe. This is the kind of stuff which makes modeling interesting and challenging for me.

Jim

There are some good pics of that class over on Navsource ... and the Revell kit is an oldie but a goodie.

I am - someday - going to start tackling my 1/700 Loose Cannon Productions Eastwind. I seem to be in an itty bitty airplane phase right now, but I really want to do her in the two-tone Measure 16 Thayer scheme.

Thanks for the info.

mfsob and joeviz: The ship is the USS Atka, AGB3, a navy ice breaker, formerly the USCG ice breaker Southwind (WWII). mfsob, you color guess for the bumper sounds good.

Jerome: Thanks for clearing up the construction of the bumper. My guess was that it was just canvas wrapped around a long piece of pipe.

Thunder1: Thanks for the correct terminology and the spar construction info.

My thinking on this subject was pretty close. I had already added bumpers to the spars and painted the spars with a weathered wood finish and the bumpers a "dirty" white/gray color. But I wasn't sure about what I had done and wanted to get some informed opinions before I installed them.

By the way the model I'm building is based on Revells'  USS Burton Island.

Thanks again

Jim

The term "Strongback" or "Pudding Spar" is used in describing the boat fender you inquire about. It was basicly a wooden spar with a canvas covered cork or hemp fender used to keep the small boat  griped in against the hull, prior to lowering.  Hope that helps.  

mfsob

Hmmm ... I am NO expert, but from the bit of picture that looks like a USCGC Wind-class icebreaker judging from the crane housing. A quick skim through Navsouce didn't turn up any color photos with that exact item ... that said, i would guess it is made of rope/hemp and would be a brown/tan color.

We need someone like jtilley to weigh in on this.

I believe you are correct.  That picture you are looking at appears to be the USS Burton Island (AG-88) .  A Navy Wind-class icebreaker that was later re-commissioned as a USCG icebreaker, USCGC Burton Island.

Now whether the pic is of the CG or Navy ship?  who knows.

Jim, As mrsob has said. It is large diameter rope that has been canvas coverd and painted over.

Hmmm ... I am NO expert, but from the bit of picture that looks like a USCGC Wind-class icebreaker judging from the crane housing. A quick skim through Navsouce didn't turn up any color photos with that exact item ... that said, i would guess it is made of rope/hemp and would be a brown/tan color.

We need someone like jtilley to weigh in on this.