Instruction.doc

HMS BOUNTY

One of the main problems facing the inhabitants of the British colonies in the eighteenth century was the complete dependence on the mother country for supplies. Thanks to James Cook, the breadfruit tree had been discovered years before, and it was shown that an edible flour could be produced from the fruits. The British Admiralty came up with the idea of transporting and transplanting these plants so that a large scale cultivation would provide the colonies with primary subsistence. To carry out this project, a 230-ton sailing ship named Bethia was chosen in May 1787. Its hull was reinforced and masts and fittings modified and adapted to the transport of saplings of the breadfruit tree. On June 8, 1787, this ship was registered in the List of the Royal Navy under the name of Bounty. The honor of command was given to ship's lieutenant William Bligh, an officer who had served and matured under the command of the same James Cook.

In December 1787, the Bounty set sail from the port of London. Bligh tried in vain to pass Cape Horn, deciding finally to set sail for Tahiti via orient. In April, the Bounty finally passed the Cape of Good Hope and six months later dropped anchor in Matavai Bay. It was October 26, 1788. The first leg of the trip had lasted almost 10 months.

A voyage as long as this one can only have had a negative effect on the crew's morale. In this era, the living conditions aboard ship for the sailors were severe; discipline was ironclad and maintained with the whip. The sailors themselves were often violent and quarrelsome, and sometimes even conscripted against their will. Bligh was the typical British officer and his military training was fit for these adversities. For this reason perhaps, after five months In a natural paradise replete with food and amusement, the creaw prepared to repart reluctantly, • knowing well what life awaited them on board. When the plants were all loaded under the direction of Senior Gardener Mr. David Nelson, the captain once again gave the order to set sail. But after only 24 days, part of the crew mutinied under the command of coxswain Fletcher Christian, and took control of the ship. Captain Bligh was placed on a lifeboat together with the men remaining faithful to him, and the mutineers on the Bounty turned back to Tahiti.

Bligh navigated for 4000 miles and after innumerable hardships arrived safely to the island of Timor, where he reported the crime to the British authorities.

The Bounty meanwhile, had left a part of the crew on Tahiti and had reached Pitcairn island, where Fletcher Christian had the ship burned. The sailors who had chosen to return to Tahiti were soon captured by the frigate Pandora, sent purposely by order of the Admiralty.

Christian died on Pitcairn. In 1809, an American whaler rescued the last of the mutineers: a certain Alexander Smith, alias John Adams. William Bligh, after having reached the rank of Admiral, died in London in 1817.

ASSEMBLY     INSTRUCTIONS

FIG.1

Construct separately on pieces 1 and 2 the joints for the masts as in fig. 2, 3, and 4. Unite the false keel, reinforcing the point of contact with pieces 3 and 4. Before gluing, make sure the pieces match perfectly.

FIG. 5   (and drawing fig. 1)

Position frames 5 to 15 making sure they are perfectly perpendicular to the false keel and parallel to each other. Position all reinforcements 23 to 32 on both sides of the false keel. Observe drawing 3 where the exact continuation of the hull outline Is illustrated. These Indications will help you sand the reinforcements correctly, continuing the line of the frames. Position frame 16 on the false keel and file it to size.

FIG. 6

Plank the under deck with strips 34, then glue It between frames 10 and 11.

FIG. 7

Position stern reinforcements 17 to 22 in a parallel fashion (Fig.7).

FIG. 8-9

Shape frame 16 to match curve of the lower section of the reinforcing blocks.

FIG. 1O

Position temporarily deck 36 on the hull with some rubber bands. Make sure the bow joint and all the holes for the hatches and masts match the full-scale designs. Check the curvature at stern on blocks 17 to 22 where the deck and transom 40 will rest. Remove the deck and shape the blocks as necessary. Plank the deck with strips 37 (Fig. 13), leaving the holes free.

Now you may glue the deck to the hull. Shape the sides of the frames according to the outline of the deck. Clue the transom 40 and the bulwarks 38 and 39.

FIG. 11

Plank the lower section of the stern with strips 35 as shown.

FIG. 12

Execute the first planking of the hull sides with strips 41. Start   from   the   bulwarks   and   proceed   downwards.   Leave   free   the space  for  the true keel   (51   to 53)  at the bow  and under the keel (see Fig.26).

FIG. 14-15

Plank the upper hull section next to bulwarks 38 and 39 to deck level, working towards the bow. The planking goes above the deck between frames 6 and 7, creating a low bulwark to the cutwater. Sand the first planking so that It corresponds with the second. The first planking and bulwarks should be on the same level.

FIG. 16

Apply and perfect the second planking using strips 42; smooth the surface using fine sandpaper.

FIG. 17

Next position strip 43 on the deck so that it Is flush with the hull planking. Fig. 18 Illustrates the construction of the shoots (one of each side of the ship). For an exact placement, refer to Fig. 21 and to the overall views given in Designs 1 and 2. Next apply strips 43 using the bulwarks as a starting point. Keep the strips flush with the external planking.

FIG. 19

Position the first internal stringer 45.

FIG. 20

Position the second Internal stringer (44) along the bulwarks and the transom.

FIG. 22   (see also design 2,  Fig.1)

1                 -   Construct   the   wales   using   strips   49   and  50   (Fig.24)   starting
from the waterline.

2                 -   Position  the first  wales 46 flush with stringer 43 and above the
bulwarks.   Clue the strip along the hull.

3                 -   Next   position   the   second   wales  47  and   the  third wales 48  as
indicated In Design 2.

FIG. 25

Using the rudder hole on the deck as a guide,  make the hole In the hull towards stern for the stern post 53 and the rudder 54.

FIG. 26-27-28

Clue  the cutwater 51   after  making  the joints  and holes indicated in the full-scale design.  Glue the keel 52 and the stern post 53.

FIG. 29

Prepare the joints for hinges 55 on pieces 53 and 54.

FIG. 30

Position the hinges as indicated in figure 31.

FIG. 32

Fasten eyebolts 56 to the hull and rudder. Attach rings 57. Pass chain 58 through the rudder ring and attach both ends to the rings on the hull.

FIG. 33

Construct the hawse-hole guards as indicated.

FIG. 34

Position the pieces one on top of the other, then drill them.

FIG. 35

Position the hawse-holes on both sides of the ship towerds the bow. under the second wales and against the cutwater. Deepen the holes drilled above, drilling also the hull where the cable will pass.

FIG. 36

OVERALL VIEW

FIG. 37-38  (Design 2,  fig.4)

Plank the Internal side of the bulwarks and transom with strips 63. Position on the interior the frames 71. Make holes at points A and B (sheave holes). On the inside and at the same points, position the reinforcement frames 65 (drilled and tapered strips). Construct and position the bulwarks stanchions (strips 64). Position a first handrail on the bulwarks and transom (strips 66). A second finishing strip 67 will go on top of this one and you will need to round off its upper corners. Position it however only after fastening the coaming hinges (Fig.40 to 45). Apply a piece of strip 67 on the bulwark heads (Fig.48).

FIG. 39

Construct the pin rack with pieces 72 to 77 and position It as Illustrated.

FIG . 40

Construct the coaming hinges as follows: fold In half two 1  cm. pieces of metal strip 68.

FIG. 41

Make the joints for the female part F and the male part M.

FIG. 42

Re-open the metal strip and insert pin 68

FIG. 43

Squeeze it with a pliers in order that the body rests flat while the joints remain rounded for the passage of the pin. Insert the pin used above in the two parts and then cut it according to the width of the hinges.

FIG. 44

Hollow out the heads of the first handrail (66) and of the first strip of the coamings.

FIG. 45

Now position column 70 on the deck stringer In order to support the coaming.

FIG. 46

Make columns 78 to 81 for the parapet and position them on the stringer. Follow both the horizontal and the vertical Inclination of the bulwarks. Make banisters 82 and 83 being careful to follow the lines of the deck. Position them on the column.

FIG. 47

Make pin-racks 84 and 85 and fasten them towards the bow as Illustrated.

FIG. 48-49-50

Make the steps using strips 86 and 87.

Note) The depth of the steps on the wales must be equal to the depth of the steps on the planking (Fig. 49). All steps must be on the same level.

FIG. 51

Make the channels, two of each kind, remembering that when mounted on the sides of the hull, each channel must correspond perfectly to the one on the other side. It is best to detach the piece of wwlas where the channels will be glued in order to better apply • pressure. (Note- The channels are designed to be fastened directly to the hull planking). Position strips A, B and C after mounting the shrouds. Mount channel shelves 94 on the channels. Fig. 48 and design 2.

FIG. 53

DECK ACCESSORIES

FIG. 54

Prepare the pieces for the cabin. Make the hole for the window on wall 96 only.

FIG. 55

Prepare (from leftover pieces) a few small blocks (strips) to reinforce the inside of the cabin. Construct the cabin in the location given in this figure.

FIG. 56

Plank the walls with strips 102. Plank also the roofs 99 and 100 with strips 102. Position window 103.

FIG. 57

Position coamings 101  and handle 104

...