Revell Yacht America

The Model Shipways kit has drawings by George Campbell. That has to be pretty reliable. The drawings with the BJ kit, which I have (the drawings not the kit) are by Arthur Montgomery and are very good. No sections or lines though.

Photos onboard are just about non existent, as far as I can tell, and paintings of course are all portraits.

Try finding a rear quarter view photo of a steam locomotive not attached to a train. Same problem, folks weren't thinking of us.

What would be a good source of information for this yacht? I believe the kit is worth doing better research in different periods. There seem to be alot of photos of her later life?

The black low schooner I got already.

Which plans might be best / most accurate?

Thank you for the nice comments.

It's time to get her out again, the next steps are the bowsprit rigging.

Marcus, to answer your question, she had at least two different skylights. The one in the Museum that John referred to and that I posted a picture of, was the last one.

The one I built, which pretty much matches the one in the kit, and the BJ drawings, was the race day one, as far as I know.

In between, she was sunk once, totally rebuilt once and re-rigged several times, as well as had a number of owners. If I had to guess, and maybe Dr. Tilley knows, that last one might be from the rebuild in 1875 by Donald McKay.

This project is looking fantastic, its going to be hard press to tell its was concieved from the Revell kit. 

Thanks for posting this, it's superbly done and im learning loads from it.

Really enjoying your work so far on this Kit......Cheers Mark

Wow, what a great model, GM. I could not stop reading this building report which I just recognized. Its very inspiring.

I was lucky enough to get a Revell kit America from ebay and while waiting for the box I was starting for any information I can get. Have got the Book you mentioned "the low black schooner yacht America" more or less by accident years ago and when I saw that there is such a big Revell kit existing maybe 6 months ago I started to look for it systematicly. Now I got it.

Your skylight is beatiful but I wondered: since you know the real one which looks quite a bit difference (2 parted per side instead of 3-parted, the finish without paint) why you do not try to have it closer to the original?

Anyway: the model is a masterpiece and I am looking forward to your rigging work

Pretty work, GM.

It was definitely worth it after seeing the kit skylight. As I said, very cool and very well done.

Steve

Thanks, Steve. I scratchbuilt all of the deck furniture, except for the little octagonal forward skylight, and sort of modified the capstan.

If you look at the first post I put up, there's a picture that shows the plastic deck with the furnture sawn off. It's pretty basic stuff and it's been worth replacing.

I did reuse the kit tiller too. It's pretty decent looking

Bill,

Beautiful work. Is that the skylight form the kit with some brass rods added or did you scratch it?

Steve

Thank you for the encouragement, gents.

I looked into the Elsie box, and concur on all points Dr. T.

The deadeyes are little beauties. They aren't stropped like my BJ ones which may be a good thing.

The blocks are not good, they are those little pearwood or ?? square chunks with a hole drilled through them that we are all used to.

The purchase of blocks for America has been a little adventure. There's a parts list in the back of the instruction book I have for the 1/48 scale model. One size of triple blocks several sizes of doubles and a number of sizes of singles. My working scale is 1/64. Easy enough to size down the parts required and that served to combine several categories of the smaller ones into one size.

The drawings don't show all of the blocks, nor would I expect them to, so I did end up buying blocks in two flights- one several years ago and another just last week.

By the way Bluejacket has EXCELLENT customer service.

Currently I'm trying to figure out where all the single sizes break. Triples no question, doubles I think I know.

That photo from the Mariners' Museum does bring back memories. The half-model hanging on the wall in the background is interesting too. One of the engraved silver plates on it reads "Presented to Her Majesty Queen Victoria by George Steers."

It does indeed look terrific. I'll be interested to follow it to completion.

White-painted blocks actually seem to have been fairly common in non-naval vessels. The Cutty Sark has white blocks, and if I'm not mistaken the Charles W. Morgan does (or did on at least one of my visits.) The instructions for the MS Elsie say her blocks were originally varnished, but got painted white in the early twenties.

I'm not a fan of Model Shipways blocks. MS gets them from one of the HECEPOB companies. They're often sloppily cut and drilled. (On the other hand, MS deadeyes are quite nice.) My choice is Bluejacket for metal stropped blocks, Syren (i.e., Mr. Passaro) for unstropped blocks, and MS for deadeyes.

Your project is really turning out nice !! 

Biil,

She looks beautiful! Thanks for posting the progress, I am enjoying this immensely.

Steve

Speaking of Arthur Montgomery, the BJ plans indicate that all of the blocks are white.

I just finished buying Britannia blocks from BJ to round out the supply I needed. Next project I'll try some of the other sources you all suggest, except of course Elsie has hers in her box already.

White, surprises me. I have no problem with that. I guess it would help to know the practice of the day.

From the Mariners' Museum as John described.

This is identical to the one shown in a photograph on pg. 59 of Rousmaniere listed as "America at U.S. Naval Academy, June 1928", Mystic Seaport Museum 46.190.3.

It varies in small details from the Bluejacket drawings by Montgomery.

That skylight is the one that's now in the Mariners' Museum.

I had the job of finding replacements for some missing hinges on it. Had to have them made in a machine shop.

As I remember, the whole structure was made out of beautiful, varnished mahogany. I don't remember about the bars, but it sticks in my mind that they may have been brass. (That certainly wouldn't have been unusual.)

I'm confident that the skylight I worked on had been removed from the America. I can't claim to be sure that it was the original skylight. I wouldn't be the least surprised to find that ours was a replacement.

That's really starting to look like a boat now. I'm excited to see her all decked out and rigged.

Here's the latest progress. I've just about finished the deck furniture. The only real remaining detail there are bars over the glass of the saloon skylight. They are little wood dowels, five per light. I just can't pull that off- they are 1/4" long and a no. 70 in diameter. Thinking little bits of brass wire would look shipshape.

Thanks Wayne, I may take you up on the offer.

Just the other day I got an eBay alert:

"Revell Yacht America new $49.99 plus shipping."

If nothing else I was going to post the link for you all.

Sadly, the item is the Revell Beagle and the Scientific Yacht America.

GMorrison

I've lost the rudder. Indicative of a really bad year of moving, selling houses and finding a rental. Good thing I have the drawing. Sheesh!!

i think i still have my now wrecked one from my youth. i have a new kit too but, if you need the rudder, i will see if i have it on the wreck.

jtilley

Re vacuform machines - Micromark offers a modern version; it's on sale right now for $135.00. I don't have one, but on the basis of the pictures, video, and instructions it looks like a nice piece of equipment. Here's the link: www.micromark.com/compact-vacuum-forming-machine,11244.html .

Wow! Doesn't look anything like the old Mattell unit from my youth, thanks for the link, John.

Thank you. Really great set of plans and instruction book.

Photos of a section of plans is not a problem. Reproducing and selling plans is a problem.

Saving up for my table saw. maybe there's an attachment...

Re vacuform machines - Micromark offers a modern version; it's on sale right now for $135.00. I don't have one, but on the basis of the pictures, video, and instructions it looks like a nice piece of equipment. Here's the link: www.micromark.com/compact-vacuum-forming-machine,11244.html .

" G "

    Hi there ! Hey , if you want one you should haunt Flea Markets  .I got one two years ago in our Flea Market in Shertz , Texas . It was still in the box and all the parts were there too . It looked like it had Never been played with ! Price $ 20.00 .

     You can occassionaly find one at model show vendors , but condition is always an issue . A vendor at one of our I.P.M.S. shows had one without the flip platen for the heated plastic sheet ! His price , $ 350.00- ! !

    Needless to say he didn't make a sale on that !