Earth Info

Britannia 1682 – What fool would build a ship that’s sure to sink

The first time people see a dockyard model, they almost invariably comment, that it’s going to sink, and it surely would as the planking towards the bottom half of the ship are entirely missing, but these models ships where never intended to go on water, they were designed so the King of England could visualise his new fleet and approve or reject it’s design.

This 17th Century Dockyard Model of H.M.S. Britannia has been built over the last 10 years by Colin Morris. Its is scratch (no kit) made from the finest materials (Box Wood, Pear Wood and Gold Leaf) and took around 4000 hours to build.

The model ship ‘Britannia’ is coming up for auction at Charles Miller Ltd on 27th October 2010 and has an estimate of between £20,000 – £40,000. The model appears on page 114 of the Catalogue (Item No. 305), and the rear cover.

Please click on any image to see in high resolution.

BRITANNIA (1682) - Colin Morris

Standing at over 68.6cm, it is without doubt, the finest modern Dockyard Model to be made in recent times. Colin prides himself on the quality of the carving and this attention to detail can clearly be seen from the views of the figure head and stern of the ship. Just to give you an idea of the lengths Colin went to, to make it authentic looking, the ropes are made by-hand from individual cotton strands, the “glass” in the windows is mica so it resembles the rolled glass of the period and the carving is so fine in places, a low powered microscope was used. I’m sure the craftsman of the 17th century would have been envious of the tools available to a modern craftsman, but underlying these modern techniques lies a skill which has not changed much in the last 400 years.

BRITANNIA (1682) - Figure Head

BRITANNIA (1682)

But What is a dockyard model?

During the last and early part of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, before a ship was built a model would be built, these were made in the royal dockyards by the master shipwrights or their assistants and presented before the Navy Board for its approval.

BRITANNIA (1682) - Stern View

They are known as dockyard, Admiralty, or more suitably, Navy Board models.

The distinctive feature about these models is that though they may be fully rigged, most of them have the frames exposed below the wales and the decks are only partially planked. The models were made in this way so that the frames, the internal constructional details, such as decking, bulkheads, and cabins could be seen, where improvements were needed to be made on the full size ships these models it appears helped in the decisions to be made by the Navy Board in such things as design, and any possible defects to be rectified.

Certainly, little expense was spared to make them among the most elaborate, highly decorated, prestigious battleships ever to go to sea, and many people consider them to be the most beautiful sailing ships ever created.

BRITANNIA (1682) - Stern View

BRITANNIA (1682)

Model Specifications

The model is predominantly made of Pearwoord, with the finer details carved from Boxwood, The carvings are covered in 23ct Gold leaf.
All the Metalwork and Brass has been oxidised or painted.
Scale 1-96th
Overall Height of Model 71 centimetres
Overall Length of Model 89 centimetres

The Britannia 1682

The only 1st Rate of the 1677 programme was laid down at Chatham in June 1679. Christened Britannia, she was launched three years later.

Her builder was Sir Phineas Pett, who had previously produced the Prince, of 1670.

The Britannia’s full wartime armament was not loaded aboard until 1690, when the long-expected trial of arms with the French Navy came to be. Unfortunately She was found to be so unstable as to be sent back for major modifications, which consisted of a thick girdling of fir thus increasing the beam to 48ft 8ins.

In 1692 having previously been made ready for sea, and serving as Lord Russell’s flagship she was pitched against the French flagship Soleil-Royal at the Battle of Barfleur. Both ships were badly damaged in the fierce encounter; moreover the French ships were outnumbered compelling them to retire from the battle.

The Britannia was never to see action again, but after her last encounter at Barfleur her name was to go down in Navel history as one of their most famous warships.

BRITANNIA (1682)

BRITANNIA (1682) - Mast and Rigging

Officers and Crew

The gorgeous ornamentation of the seventeenth century men-of-war could not hide the fact that the ships were actually cramped, uncomfortable, and filthy places for approx. 600 human beings to live. Sanitary facilities were entirely inadequate. (Hence only a few pisdales, these being half shaped bowls on the side of the decks with pipework out to sea, the main toilets were on the bow of the ship “seats of easement” as the wind did generally come from the back of the ship).
With hundreds of men living in close proximity, the ships were breeding places for all sorts of infectious diseases.
Shipboard boredom was relieved mainly by alcohol, and in its allotment of beer and spirits the Navy was truly munificent. There is plenty of evidence that in some of His Majesty’s ships everyone from the captain down stayed in an almost perpetual state of drunkenness.
Shipboard discipline was not as tight as it became in the following century, but punishments could be nevertheless could be brutal. with all of this it is remarkable that the King’s ships could be manned at all.