In terms of the main building material, Spirit yachts and Lyman-Morse are good examples of excellent wood-epoxy laminates. Regarding the size, Stad Amsterdam (a Dykstra design too!) and the Hermione are worth mentioning. The latter was also carried out as a public construction project with crowd participation.
Reconstrution of French frigate Hermione (1779/ 2014)
Hermione is a 32-gun Concorde-class frigate fitted for 12-pounder guns, completed in Rochefort by the Asselin organisation in 2014. It is a reproduction of the 1779 Hermione, which achieved fame by ferrying General La Fayette to the United States in 1780 to allow him to rejoin the American side in the American Revolutionary War.
Construction
This project was conceived by members of the Centre International de la Mer in 1992, and construction began in 1997, envisaging a launch in April 2015 (as compared to the original, which took less than a year to build).
The shipyard was in one of the two dry docks beside the Corderie Royale at Rochefort.
As far as possible, traditional construction methods were used although modern power tools were substituted for the period tools on some jobs. The site is open to the public, and admission fees help fund the project.
Plans of a sister ship, Concorde, were used. The cost was estimated to be $22 million.[2] The original plans had been modified in several ways for reasons of strength and safety: planks had been bolted rather than pegged to avoid movement during the long period of construction. Similarly, the mast sections were fastened with glue rather than metal hoops to avoid water penetration. The cannons are lightweight and non-functional to save weight. Manilla rope has been used for the majority of the rigging and the sails made of linen canvas.
An engine will be used for safety, and electric generators for lighting and basic amenities.
History
Name Hermione, ordered 1995
Builder Asselin at Rochefort
Laid down 1997, launched 6 July 2012
General characteristics
Displacement 1,166 tons
Length 65 m (213 ft)
Beam 11.24 m (36.9 ft)
Height 54 m (177 ft)
Draught 5.78 m (19.0 ft)
Propulsion Sails, auxiliary engine
Sail plan full-rigged ship
Comparability:
Hermione, with a displacement of 1,166 tons, is about 1.6 times heavier than Ζωή. Her proportions are completely different because, as an 18th-century ship, she is much more ‘baroque’. In summary, you could say that she is one and a half times ‘larger‘. Her construction is traditional (with the associated problems – total loss of the hull after only 9 years!) and in no way comparable to the modern epoxy-wood laminate. Nevertheless, this project gives a good idea of the size dimensions on the one hand, and on the other hand because it was also a public construction show.
Further information:
Construction of Hermione – YouTube
Twin brigantines Irving Johnson and Exy Johnson
Another example is the so-called twin brigantines. The two much smaller sister ships built by the Los Angeles Maritime Institute from 1998 are not really comparable in terms of dimensions. But they are also a good example of a public construction show.
Ship Story Spotlight – Building of the Brigantines
20 years ago, Los Angeles Maritime Institute staff and volunteers completed the ambitious undertaking to build from the keel up twin 110-ft brigantines designed explicitly for youth education, sail training, and open-ocean voyages. The construction took place in the center of what is now LA’s Waterfront. It was a phenomenal endeavor exemplifying the commitment to LAMI’s mission and the vision of founder and experiential-education pioneer Captain Jim Gladson.
Why is there a hole in one of the bunks on each Brigantine?!
Berth 84, Foot of Sixth Street, San Pedro … Sometime in the spring of 1998…
The keels were laid and signed. Some boatwrights were busy sorting the frames while others fitted together the pieces to form the cutwater and the stem. The public watched from outside the “Brigantine Boat Works” and were invited to take free weekend tours, led by trained volunteer docents.
At the conclusion of one of these tours, an unusually tall gentleman who took delight in describing himself as 5 foot 16 was inspecting the “scrap bin.” He approached the docent and asked if he could buy some leftover pieces of Purpleheart wood. The docent said “Talk to Captain Jim in the office.”
In the office, the tall gentleman introduced himself as Bill Kelly, President of the El Camino Wood Turners Guild. Hearing Bill’s request, LAMI founder Captain Jim Gladson said, “I won’t sell you those pieces of wood, I’ll give them to you.” Before Bill could respond, Jim went on, “But, for every two pieces we give you, we’d like a finished turning that we can sell at our fundraiser.”
That was the start of a long and mutually beneficial relationship. An example of what many call “LAMI Magic.” The Woodturners did indeed bring back beautiful pieces of turned wood art that raised substantial funds. More importantly, they donated their labor, machines, and tools to create every piece of turned wood on both brigantines. All the spindles on the taff rails and the fife rails, all the belaying pins, even the bezels around the bunk lights, to name just a few.
Bill also became a valued volunteer. He loved sailing on the multi-day voyages. He taught the kids to make their own Monkey Fists. The kids loved him.
Bill Kelly passed on in the Fall of 2017. Bill’s profoundly positive impact and the beautiful turned-wood fixtures continue to be essential ship elements and are maintained with care. LAMI friends and loved ones held an at-sea memorial for Bill on the brigantines in January 2018.
There is a single bunk in the crew quarters on Irving and Exy where the bulkhead at the foot of the bunk has an opening where Bill’s feet just fit. It’s rumored that Bill, being the salesman that he was, talked the master boat builder into making that modification.
Stad Amsterdam
Stad Amsterdam (City of Amsterdam) is a three-masted clipper that was built in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in 2000 at the Damen Shipyard.
The ship was designed by Gerard Dijkstra who modelled her after the mid-19th century frigate Amsterdam, but she is not a replica. A major difference is that her hull is made of steel.
Georg Stage
Georg Stage (II) is a Danish iron-hulled, fully rigged, three-masted sailing ship. With a length between perpendiculars of 36 meters, she is considerably smaller than Zoé and probably the smallest full-rigged ship in the world. Quite a few people also say she is the most beautiful – so far 😉
Europa
Europa is a barque with dimensions similar to those of the Georg Stage. She cruises worldwide and accepts paying voyage crew (trainees) for short or long trip segments.
