Building the frigate
BLAAE HEYREN
1734
(Blue Heron)
.JPG)
The 18 gun frigate BLAAE
HEYREN (Blue Heron)
was launched in 1734, and was constructed by the famous Knud Benstrup.
Construction plans are stored in the Danish National Archives, but are also to
be found in - what is known as the most important work in naval basal
construction of the 18. century - "Architectura Navalis Mercatoria" by Chapman,
plate LVI No.12.
The model has been under construction in scale 1:24
during a period of app. 2 years, and was finished in may 2007.
Height 120 cm., length 160 cm. and the main course is 80 cm.
This model has been sold and is on permanent display
at the Norwegian
Naval Museum , Oslo.
If interested, please contact me on the e-mailaddress mentioned below.
Click on images to enlarge
.JPG)
This beautiful and impressive rigging plan is claimed to be
one of the most detailed documents
of its time, belonging to BLAAE HEYREN...
...well... ...not exactly true...
...when compared with the authentic rigging plans in
the Danish National Archives, this looks right...
.JPG)
...and I actually prefer facts before beauty...
..."safety first" (...I'm quite "earth-bound", so to
speak...!)
- By the way: Chapmans
document also differs from the authentic construction plans - showing an eagles
head on the galion in stead of a lion.
|
 |
|
 |
 |
...now then...
Click
on images to enlarge
...this is where the fun really begins!
I use treenails for two reasons: first of all, it is the correct way and secondly
it multiplies the adhesion of the glue.
I'm not a 100% confident of the adhesion capabilities of modern types of glue...
...therefore I've used a "couple"
of treenails, 1,600-1,700 in the decks and 13,000-14,000 in the hull (I've
also used treenails in the parts of the
hull covered with paint).
 The bows. |
 |
 |
|
Quarter
gallery - note the ornaments are shaped in rococo style. |
Stern gallery - note the
initials of the Danish King Christian VI. |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Side view - gun port and and
sweep ports. |
Side view - 4-pounder gun and
gangway. |
Side view - hammock netting. |
 |
 |
 |
|
The bows and figure head. |
Port side bower anchor with
gear. The stream anchor will later on be placed at the fore channels. |
The anchor buoys (not to be
seen at this photo) will later on be attached to the fore shrouds. |
 The anchor cable in port side is in the process being inhauled and is therefore attached to the messenger with nippels. In the starboard side the cable is already secured with stoppers. |
 The anchor cable with messenger along the boat... |
 ...and the messenger continues going around the capstan and runs back in the starboard side. |
 The fore castle. |
 |
.JPG) |
|
The main deck. |
The main deck - note the
squared flue pipe. |
|
.JPG) |
 |
 |
|
Deck view with main bitts and
the two pumps. Each pump consists of 56 parts. |
The boat with its accessories (oars, mast and boat hook). I also provided a beer cask for the crew and a smaller one with rum for the officers... |
The capstan consists of 103
parts - not including the messenger... |
 |
 The bulk head, mizzen bitts and ladder to the poop deck. |
 |
|
Two of the 18 4-pounder guns
with their tackles and accessories (spunge, ladle, rammer, worm and buckets
with already burning fuses). |
Note the threeangular
shotframe and the scuppers. All gun carriages are painted in the so called "oldenburg
colours" (red and golden) because the Danish king was a decendant of the
German principality Oldenburg. In reality this means, that all wooden parts were painted in brownish red, and all metal parts in ochre. One carriage consists of no less than 80 parts, almost similar to the separated carriage - as shown in the page "Gyldenløve". |
The standing rigging...
 |
 |
Click on images to enlarge |
|
The model
is built in scale 1:24 |
Quarter
deck with main- and mizzen mast. |
Fore-castle deck. |
 |
 |
 |
|
Details around the fore-mast. The stay is tightened with blocks instead of dead-eyes. |
Details fore-castle. |
The bow with bowsprit. Originally Blaae Heyren (1734) was not fitted with boomkins. The model shows the equipment in 1746. i.e. the boomkins were introduced on smaller danish vessels around 1740. |
 |
 |
 |
|
The oblique possion of the
bowsprit cap. Again - note the use of blocks instead of dead-eyes. |
The fore channels with port
sheet anchor and bower anchor with fender and anchor buoy. |
Main top and main stay. The shrouds on port side are right-laid. The shrouds on starboard side - as well as all stays (and the anchor cable) - are left laid. Note the round mast head with iron bands (but without mast-battens), the shape of the cap and the position of the top rope-sheaves. |
 |
 |
 |
|
The top of
the main top mast |
- note the
shape of the cross-trees. |
Main channels with studding
sail boom. |
 |
 |
 |
|
The fore top. |
The fore toip - side view. Note the left laid stay is wormed. (Click on image to enlarge) |
The fore top. Note the
crows-feet. |
The model is now completed.
 |
 |
...Somebody would call this
total chaos...! |
 |
 |
 |
|
View - starboard side. |
View - port side. |
View - port side. |
 |
 |
 |
|
The bow. |
The bowsprit. |
Tacks and sheets of main
course and fore course as well as the sheets of the spritsail course are left laid. All other ropes of the running rigging are right laid. |
 |
 |
 |
|
Quarter gallery with the danish national flag, and two logistic signal flags. |
Stern gallery. |
The deck around the main mast. |
 |
 |
 |
|
Mizzen top. |
The deck around the fore mast. |
Main top. |
 Main top mast top. |
 |
 Main yard. |
|
Main top. |
||
 |
 |
 |
|
Fore top. |
Fore top. |
Fore top mast top. |
|
|
- Well, you are
right... But I allow myself - after working approxemately 3000 hours on this model - to appear a little bit tired...! Thank you for your attention during the process. |
New photos from the actual exhibition....
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |