For more than two years I build model Thames barge "Champion class" according to the adapted Chapelle´s drawing (in the book by F.G.Carr) . At the very beginning I would like to state once more, that this was a working title. In the final consequence will be the model name Capricorn (scratch building, of course) as will be explained later . I began to think about building a model TSB some day a few years ago, when I met Thanes sailing barges for the second time /really!) and did found the sailing barges really exists and Lady Daphne is not only picture in Harold Underhill book (Sailing ship rigs and rigging) but in fact quite nice boat .So decided to buy from England plans just for the sailing barge Lady Daphne by Harold Underhill … and bought I bought it from Brown, Son and Ferguson . When I prepared model Lady Daphne ( "LD") at a scale of 1:28 ,I am on the Internet stumbled on plans for further barges, and it was TSB Nautilus , TSB Champion. In the books of England there was described TSB Kathleen and construction of its model . Along with plans Kathleen was little plan TSB Giralda - "champion of champions". Giralda had done a lot of winning races barges around 1900. I was struck that the ship had virtually the same dimensions   and profiles as those listed for TSB Champion . Plans for the Champion, as I later discovered, are from one book by the American author H.I.Chapelle , and plan itself is marked as "Champion class sailing barge". Given that a plan for the Champion were not detailed drawings or sail plan, I was forced to redraw it in 1:24 scale(also the ribs for LD to scale 1:28)), so to get an idea of the dimensions of the construction details, sails and structural elements. Even so, during construction showed imperfections in the structure of ribs, due to enlarged artwork for my use at least 20 times. As a jobbing basis, I used especially plans for LD and pictures from books and photos from the Internet. A great help for me to were web pages dedicated to tsb > modelbarge.info < in which were published methods of building models of tsb by authors Kim Holland and Bob Smith. Also pages about the theory and construction of TSB, which was published on the Internet by Mr. Ivor Bittle (unfortunately no longer available)) are directly textbook models not only for Thames barges builders.Unfortunately, the site is no longer available - try searching... I cut out keels for both barges from the 8 mm plywood , for LD in scale 1:28 with a length of model 98 cm, and Champion 1:24 with a length of model 110 cm. Followed by cutting of the ribs from 3 mm poplar plywood for both models. Fins for both models I've cut out from 8 mm plywood. Picture x   I now had a choice .. and so appeared crucial question .. what to do next? Build both models, or just one? Champion resemblance to the Giralda, which was designed and built especially for wins in the barge races , and cargo for her was in second place, decided. I chose Champion .. and so prepared for me a series of unexpected difficulties, of which slightly asymmetrical hull was just the beginning. To do this, I want to point out ... I do not know how will behave my model on water. It seems to me that just Champion for my model is too optimistic name , and so I decided then to name the model of one zodiac sign "Capricorn" So .. I had ribs and keel for Lady Daphne and Champion as I stated before. Since I was curious to see what will be the Champion hull shape as the real model, so I chose Champion. I did not start building the model too happily, because only after coating the hull I found that keel was glued little asymmetrically . Nevertheless I decided go on building of this model. Somewhere in the books I read , that similar accidents occurred also among reputable barge builders ( no comment ). In my gallery photos you can monitoring the progress of construction of model. But I have to admit that the process and materials used during construction were amended several times. After considering all the pros and cons I decided to glue the keel of 4 parts of plywood, 8 mm thick, with an integrated shaft for fin. Shaft thus formed central portion of the keel. (here mentioned inaccuracy occurred). Pict 2 Shaft I created such such way - the keel model was divided into two parts, leaving between them a gap in width of the keel (2 ) , front and rear part are joined with side walls , which form the own shaft .The plywood fin is tucked into centreboard casing only provisionally , for accurate keel sticking - but insulated with Scotch tape so they don't stick. On the keel I'm stuck ribs of poplar plywood 3 mm (not very good) .Pict 3 To reinforce the keel was higher with notches for individual ribs. As an adhesive for the keel and ribs a I used epoxy, for most other connections I used a polyurethane adhesive.( picture 4 and the following).                                                                              

Piscataqua river gundalow Some time ago I was preparing an article for modelers who used to sail with RC sailboat models .This article was to make known the types of sailboats practically unknown in our country.  On this occasion, I have practically discovered that, for example, Thames sailing barges still exist - even if they are few and increasingly costly to maintain. While collecting the materials, a friend lent me a book about Thames sailing barges. On the Internet I searched the site > modelbarge info < operated by Richard Chesney(sorely not functional now) . I managed to get more materials, and this eventually led me to build two models TSB¨(TSB Capricorn and TSB Gusty Cat - (Tomcat))  In my archive, after many years, I pulled out a book that I received from a friend in New York >American ship models< by V.R.Grimwood > where there are many other interesting types of sailboats, but this time in the US. I started writing an article about really another rarity - Piscataqua River Gundalow. In this book there are other rarities, for example < Chesapeake Bay skipjack,Chesapeake Bay Bugeye, Scow schooner and more next vessels> but gundalow looked the most bizarre .. outside the shape that resembles a large surfboard (about 18 to 20 m long), so it has a Latin sail. More information about gundalow can be found on the web, in the above-mentioned book by V.R. Grimwood and also in the magazine> Ships in scale (11-12 1998). http://www.gundalow.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Wooden_Boat_Article.pdf GUNDALOW - THE WORK HORSE OF THE RIVERS June 2008 (a short excerpt from the next article as info)  The conditions in the shallow tidal basin area around Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Maine were a special case.Piscatqua River, and on its network of tributaries and the shallow Great Bay, which is seven miles upstream. The upstream towns were engaged in agriculture and manufacturing. Domestic and foreign imports arrived at Portsmouth on ships too large to navigate the Piscataqua River.. Portsmouth was their access to markets. The condition of roads at the time made them a last resort choice for transporting cargo, and not a choice at all in mud and snow seasons. Manufacturers and seasonal crop farmers needed more reliable transportation. The solution was a simple shallow draft vessel that could reach these growing river ports. A barge in its earliest configuration, the gundalow was poled over the shallows, rode the tide in and out of the Piscataqua, was rowed with long oars called sweeps, and later carried a large sail.The gundalows were simply built, many were little more than rafts. Some were 70 feet long and built to protect the cargo.They were not sea vessels. The sails where rigged on a short stout mast, about 12 feet above deck. The lateen sail was rigged much like the Dhows of the Red Sea and Middle East. The long boom, in some cases 70’, could easily be lowered for passing under bridges. The boom was hung on a chain from the top of the mast, about a quarter of its length from the boom’s forward end. Balanced there, the forward end was secured to the deck with block and tackle near the bow. The aft end of the boom, pivoted on the top of the mast was raised above deck at about 45 degrees. The Fanny M., launched from Adam’s Point in Durham, NH in 1886 by Captain Edward H. Adams, was the last gundalow to operate commercially in the area No gundalow has been preserved, but two replicas were built (1982 "Captain Edward H. Adams" and in 20011 - "Piscataqua") When I finished both models, I wondered what to do next ... so I started to build gundalow model. The model is approximately 1:24 scale, 90 cm long, 24 cm wide. ......................................................... https://www.fishermensvoice.com/archives/0608gundalow.html ......................................................... Building a Piscataqua River gundalow > Ships in scale /vol XI/Nr 6 1998 (november - december)