This type of ship was so fascinating for me, probably for her unusual shape.
I already builted in the past som ships with enough complicate accessories over the deck, but this one was really an interesting exercise of building that gave me a lot of fun.
I builted this Carrack in 1995, and I take just one year for finish it. It was a Christmas' gift for a very close friend and, until now, the ship make its beautiful show in my friend's living room, covered by a carved glass case (builted by my father)
As I just said, the building of this ship was a completely fun exercise, because on this ship, I used a new my own system for fixing the second plank on the first one, and I tried for the first time the use of lathe for tapering guns and falconets. The guns were completely rebuilded according with a paint showing the constructing method used in XVI century.
The forecastle and the complex superstructure of quarterdeck, were a precision exercise, expecially building the windows, doors and the coloured shields
I took the building plans from AMATI, another very good italian company that produces high quality ship models kit.
The plans were
really well designed and the explanations were clear and complete.
Short History
This three-masted Carrack was usual in Portugal since the end of XVI Century.
The prints of that time and the documents and ship's plans found in the historical archives of the Naval Museum of Barcelona shows a ship that could be stand between the medieval merchant ships and the galleon, classifiable for its particular structure of forecastle and quarterdeck among the Carracks.
This Carrack, probably took part in 1519 at the expedition of Ferdinando Cortez to conquer Mexico.
The outer galleries, one of which is a balcony, the apartments under the small quarterdeck, the superstructure of the decks providing the installations of awnings for protections against the sun, clearly indicate that the ship was employed for the transport of passenger of high class.
Ship's Data
Year : 1519-1520
Dimensions
Lenght : 35 mt. approx
Height : 30 mt. approx.
Armament : 6 guns ,
6 falconets
Model's Data
Lenght : 84,3 cm
Height : 63 cm
Scale : 1:54
Building method : Plank on frames
Plan's Manufacturer : MAMOLI
