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William Hoste

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Everything posted by William Hoste

  1. The San Salvador was built in a parking lot temporarily given to the museum for the purpose by the Port Authority. There were some serious problem with the initial construction methods they wanted to use, and it ended up in a lot of wasted time and money. Initially they'd planned to use laminated frames that they were going to make onsite, I forget the wood they wanted to use, but I want to say it was some type of oak or pine. The bonding material they were going to use simply didn't work. Most of it didn't bond properly to the wood, and even when it did it had trouble handling the stresses. The manufacturer sent someone out to make sure it was being mixed and applied properly, which it was; but it still wasn't working as advertised. Last I heard there was the possibility of a lawsuit if the manufacturer didn't refund the museum, not sure what happened with that though. In the end they used live oak frames, and some (very expensive) purple heart for other components of the structure. Now for the pictures, I put them in links because some are quite large. Once they got all that sorted out, they could actually get started: http://i.imgur.com/kKIk7Gh.jpg After they got started things moved along fairly quickly. There was a core paid shipwright staff supported by many of the museum's volunteers: http://i.imgur.com/XBL07jm.jpg Started planking: http://i.imgur.com/tp8uG3s.jpg And a recent shot with everyone who worked on her: http://i.imgur.com/0uWwBvU.jpg Close up: http://i.imgur.com/6InPotp.jpg Once she was completed, they had to figure out what to do with her. This has been another fiasco, they finally settled on something like Plan G to get her into the water. Originally she was going to be put on a trailer, towed down Harbor Drive, and craned into the water; this is the exact same route and method as they used to launch Californian in 1984. That didn't work out for various reasons, and lots of other plans were created and scrapped. Some involved the Navy, some involved an enormous floating crane from LA. Finally they settled on a plan to get San Salvador onto a barge and launch her with the TraveLift at Marine Group. So first, a company that moves houses and other buildings was brought in to lift the ship and rotate her 90 degrees so she was inline with the barge. Here's a picture of them preparing for that: http://i.imgur.com/ZjQZoi4.jpg Then they had to get her onto the barge: http://i.imgur.com/t2Ucf03.jpg Which they did: http://i.imgur.com/UycudGf.jpg Then she went on her first short trip past Naval Base Coronado: http://i.imgur.com/kab7AQb.jpg Into the TraveLift at Marine Group: http://i.imgur.com/T7QyDxE.jpg Then to the first picture I posted earlier. Hopefully we'll have more news about an actual launch. Let me know if you have any questions. She's a modern ketch by the look of it, I don't know anything about her.
  2. Thought I'd throw this in since it may be of interest to a few people. HMS Surprise is currently at Marine Group where repairs are being finished (? maybe, she's been there a while and I haven't heard any news). To the right is the Museum's brand new San Salvador, which hasn't been launched yet. She was moved yesterday from her build site in a parking lot onto a barge and then to Marine Group's yard. Not sure exactly when she'll be formally launched, they've had a lot of trouble throughout the project, so it's no surprise the project is giving trouble now as well. She's a replica of the flagship Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo sailed in when he was the first European to sail up the west coast of what's now the United States in 1542. She's beautifully built, and I can provide a few more pictures if people are interested. Of note: The vessel in the TraveLift is also the Museum's. She's the 1904 Scottish steam yacht Medea, one of only three of her kind left in the world; and one of only two vessels left in the world to have served in both World Wars.
  3. Unfortunately, they were more than cosmetic. The bow and stern sections were almost completely rebuilt (and quite crudely so). This is a big factor in her current unfortunate state. Money should have been put in early after the film to make better, more permanent, and more faithful alterations. As it is, the front could fall off and stern gallery is a mess of machine-sawn timbers with exposed bolts everywhere. She was never legally renamed before or during filming. The Maritime Museum of San Diego were the ones who officially changed the name after they purchased her in 2007.
  4. It was a great opportunity while it lasted (also got to sail Californian, and I was invited on Lynx​ a few times while she was out here). Unfortunately, it's as much political within the museum as it is financial. Not sure if it's something I want to get into on a public forum, but anyone interested can PM me.
  5. I'd say that's a fair assessment of her condition. The keel is structurally sound, but she's hogged 18 inches over the length of the keel. The steel knees are heavily rusted, and the oak knees range from fair to poor condition. The frames and scantlings are the same. The outer planking and weather decking are the parts of the hull most urgently in need of replacing, followed by the structural work Fox did. The MMSD simply can't afford it at the moment, what with the construction of the San Salvador taking every available penny they have (which has led to many other financial issues for the Museum and in my opinion endangered other historic pieces of the collection). Unfortunately, if Surprise doesn't get what she needs soon, there won't be any point to doing it later. To bring her back to good sailing condition would essentially require replacing the entire ship, piece by piece. It's no wonder that Captain Bailey stopped answering the Museum's calls. To think a few years ago they were in the process of finding, purchasing and restoring all of the Rose's original deck guns and getting the studdingsails and booms out of storage. Not to mention the spritsail and trysail. Unfortunately, the cost to rebuild her is too great for anything to be done, and by replacing her the Museum would lose the claim to fame tie-in with the film. With our captain now having left the Museum as well they can't sail her, and she'll more than likely remain a dockside attraction until something major happens, for better or for worse. I'm glad I got five years sailing with her and an excellent crew, but I wouldn't hold your breath for major developments. I'd say that' probably pretty accurate. We practiced this in case we wanted to sail out of San Pedro one year, but we never ended up doing it. She would never have pointed up far enough to make it worth while anyway.
  6. I can't find the picture either, but it's an amazing shot. It used to be in one of the galleries on tallshiprose.org before their pictures site went down. Bingo. Fox crippled her, and the money hasn't been made available for heavy maintenance and upgrades. Apart from replacing the for and main jeers with the Rose's old rigging iron, and replacing the plywood blocks, very little has changed from the Fox rig.
  7. Not very, unfortunately. San Diego isn't a windy place except rare spring storms. We had fore and main royals aloft in 14 knots of wind in the channel outside the bay, and plain sail in 20 knots gusting to 24 off San Pedro near LA. In her current condition, she wouldn't bear any high winds or heavy swells. For a 24 gun sixth-rate, no. For a fouled bathtub, fair. Getting enough headway to tack without wearing after missing stays or boxhauling was a momentous occasion. However, Fox did over engine her pretty drastically. Fire up the diesels and get your water skis. The rig itself is not much heavier than what she wore as the Rose. Unfortunately, a combination of insufficient ballast, a very heavy bow after Fox's reconstruction, the missing flying jib, and the height of the foremast mean that she's almost always pressed down on her forefoot. It's hard to make way when the bow is constantly trying to bury itself in the swell. It also means she pitches famously in anything more than moderate seas. She's happiest on a beam or broad reach. Anything more than a close reach, she'll lose way and fall off. Running before the wind makes everyone sick and the forepeak wet. We flew our PORCELLA NOSTRA flag with good reason.
  8. New to forums & the game, but I was crew on HMS Surprise for five years (main rail captain). My work schedule no longer allows me the time to be involved as much as I was before, but I'm happy to answer any questions people may have about the ship.
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