- The Model Ship Builder website

Go to content

Main menu:

L'Aurore Negrier 1784 - slave ship
I began the next model - Negrier L'Aurore by J. Boudriot.
Again sticked with a scale 1:48. The model will be bigger than
Salamander. It´s a slave ship for the transportation of slaves from Africa. It started to be formed by assembling the frame, in which I'll insert single frames on a keel. I made the keel including a fore and stern post, bow built-up with wedge-shaped frames and stern part frames. There will be 45 frames in total.

 
I made all the frames, step by step paste into the keel and built the distance bushing cleats between individual frames in the bottom. According to the drawing I made the deck clamps and shaped separate scores for the deck beams. I glued the lower Wales from outside for the reinforcement of the skeleton and there is cutted view into the under-deck.
Thre is paste in a keelson and inner shell planking. Cutted out and shaped deck beams including the knees, individual supporting posts and shaft mainmast with cleats for his seating. There are formed "waterways" including thickened deck section and the deck planks with follow-up plugging.
I installed the fraction barrels into the finished room for an illustration of the filling of under-deck. This space was completely filled with barrels on water which was needed for 650 transported slaves and 45 men crew. The last photo is from the beginning of my work on outer hull shell planking.

The outer planking is practically complete including the plug junction and I also opened the frame body a bit more so there is also the next deck visible and where were the slaves transportedI made thedeck beams and knees.
Step by step there are more built-ins such as a plank bed, storage area, borders hatchways including the hatches and the supporting posts of the deck beams.
There is the built-in for slaves completed, where's also placed the leading for the maneuvering helm, the placement of the main deck, anchor bitts, protective structure against the spilling of flow water from hawse - holes, in rear part then the decorative covering of a big room, windows of mates cabins, consequently the installation of cabins, wooden deck gratings, railing around stairs, furniture main cabin astern, placing deck beams fore and aft building, housing iron gratings, that make possible ventilation and at the same time prevent slaves in free movement along boat. Further I made the covering of stern - decorative sheets, seating windows which were possible to open, decorative posts among windows and false windows at the astern and also on side galleries. Openable windows are glazed with single tables as they will be visible also from the inside. I made caboose, which was revet with bricks, bottom was inlaided with metal plates and iron grills, whereon stood gigantic cooker, where make food for 600 slaves.   
There is complete the upper deck, kevel on fore deck, railing poop deck,
exit on upper deck, helm including rope maneuvereability and steering wheel, stairs on side-walk of the main deck, anchor davits and cover above cuisine including smokestack.

The fore part is made of ebony and boxwood, set-in benches with dead eyes, shutters and covers air holes from deck for slaves, I carved all decorations at the astern and fore figure, made and seated guns, railed on iron columns and turned out seventy pins.  
I built a big boat for the transport of slaves from and on the coast. 
I made the reserve masts and yards, binnacle, sealing collars around masts, formed lower parts of masts, bowsprit and his water stay, lamp at the astern and I began with rigging-side futtlock shrouds, stays and rope railing on a bowsprit including the meshes for a small jib. In this phase the model will be presented on a republic competition in Olomouc and now I make other masts and yards.

The L'Aurore won the gold medal in Olomouc and I continue in construction:
each of part masts, completing the standing rigging, anchors and cables, blocks and tackles, all the ropes on pulleies are whip. The sail sewing is a difficult job which takes quite a lot of time.
After three years and two months I completed l'Aurore.
 
Back to content | Back to main menu