HMS Victory - 1:72 scale
She is a 104-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal British Navy, laid down in 1759 and launched in 1765. She is most famous as Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. 
After 1824 she served as a harbor ship.  In 1922 she was moved to a dry dock at Portsmouth, England, and preserved as a museum ship. She continues to be flagship of the Second Sea Lord and is the oldest naval ship still in commission.

Her Display Case

Displacement - 3,500 tons      Overall Length - 227 ft. 6 in.        Beam -  51 ft.  10 in.
Compliment of 850 crewmen and officers.
  • Armament - Gundeck... 30   32 pounders
  • Middle gundeck...........  28   24 pounders
  • Upper gundeck............  30   12 pounders
  • Quarterdeck................  12   12 pounders
  • Forecastle....................   2   12 pounders   and    2  carronades - 68 pounders

Click on any of the photos to enlarge them


Starboard View
High View of Forcastle
High Aft View
High Mid-Ship View
Shrouds and Rat Lines

The most dreaded task of all has to be tying the rat lines (rope ladders).
We have all seen movies with the seamen climbing around on them with knives in their teeth.  Each row is tied with single "clove hitch" knots from shroud to shroud.  This ship has over 2,000 clove hitch knots in her rat lines.
Stern View of Rigging

Note the Gaff and Boom spars attached to the Mizzen Mast.
More Rigging - Mid Ship

More string!
More Rigging - Midship

Lots of string!
Yards Fitted to Masts and Rigged

The rigging of the yards for the Victory is simply mind boggling, to say the least.

The actual ship has over seven miles of rope involved in her "running rigging".

There are several different sizes of string used here.
Crains for Main Launch

The Main Launch is kept hanging in these very sturdy crains.
All of the Ship's Launches

Main Launch, Pinnace, Long Boat, and Cutter.
Main Launch - Interior Detail

As seen here, each of the little boats are extremely detailed right down to the oars and interior structure.
Main Launch

There are four ships boats of various sizes.  Almost two weeks work in creating these tiny crafts.
Figure Head Carvings

The Victory's figureheads are magnificent.  There are two white cherubs mounting the highly detailed royal seal.
Bow Sprit Riggings

The bow sprit is an extremely complex assembly of various size and shapes of rigging blocks.
Yards all Fitted and Ready for Installation

After many hours of shaping, painting, and rigging the yards, they are now ready to be installed onto her masts.

Let the rigging fun begin!
Fore Mast

The fore mast has a rack for storing those long gaff poles.  These were used to assist in the boarding other ships.
Masts and Tops Ready for her Yards (spars)

She's ready for some yards, (which her sails are attached to).
Tops

Each mast is sectioned as you see here.  The "tops" were platforms from which crewmen performed various functions above deck.
Masts all Fitted and Ready for Standing Rigging

Her masts installed....
  • Front mast.... Fore Mast
  • Middle......... Main Mast
  • Aft Mast......  Mizzen Mast
She's Ready for Her Masts

After 16 weeks, (789 hours according to my daily log), she is ready for her masts and spars (yards).
Gun Ports

Each of the gun ports have hinged lids with two cables attached that run through the hull and become tied off on the inboard bulwarks.  Obviously, the purpose of these cables was for the opening and closing of the gun port lids.
Hammock Netting
Forecastle View

The carronade's have been mounted in place on the forecastle deck.
Carronade
There are two of these carronade's located on the forecastle deck.

These little monsters fired a 68 pound shot!!
Skylite above Captain's Quarters

This sky light is located on the Poop Deck directly above the captain's quarters.
View of Weather Deck

This champion way is the main passage up and down from the weather deck to the gun deck below.
Stairs up to Quarter Deck

The steps and platforms from the weather deck up to the Quarter Deck.

Note the turned posts and fancy hand rails.

The cannons mounted below the platform must have been very difficult to operate.
Ship's Binnacle

The ship's binnacle is a protective cabinet which encloses the ship's compass (sometimes two) along with a lantern for elumination.  The stack you see is to remove heat and smoke from the lantern.
Ship's Wheel Installed

The Victory's ship's wheel is located on the weather deck just outside the entrance to the captain's quarters.
Ship's Bell

Ship's bell installed.
Full Deck View - Amidship

Deck view - amidship.
Middle Gun Deck Detail

<br>A good view of the open lower gun deck.  Note the turned stanchions supporting the overhead beams.

Note the tiny water buckets and the cannon ball racks.

There are two champion ways leading below to the lowest gun deck.... there are three gun decks.
Rail Stanchions

These walnut rail stanchions were all turned from my miniature wood lathe.