Clive's mystery paddlers

[Paulrjordan]

I got up early this morning
(5 am!)to make sure your mystery paddler photos are posted in the
photos section.

They can be found in our Photo section under "Clive's Mystery
Paddlers" at:
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http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/paddleducks/lst?.dir=/Clive%
27s+Mystery+Paddlers&.src=gr&.order=&.view=t&.done=http%
3a//briefcase.yahoo.com/
____________________________________________

Hi-lite/copy/paste the entire preceding URL into your address box.
If you click only the (blue) hyperlinked part of the URL you'll get
to a "page not found" message.

Now for my personal assessment of the models. I encourage all PD's to
take a look at them and do the same.

"Falcon" - I believe this is a home designed model as her hull
doesn't seem to follow any recognizable marine architectural lines
and certainly isn't modeled after any European vessel I have seen.
From a historical standpoint the "clipper bow" and bowsprit
(auxilliary sail power) might suggest an 1850 - 1880 ship but the
stern completely contradicts that. However, since thousands of
paddlers were made during the 19th Century, this doesn't mean to say
the model is NOT a model of a real ship; I'm just saying it's
unlikely. However, it's a useful model made with imaginatione. I'd
be very interested to hear about how it sits in the water and how it
runs.

Paddler 2 - Now this is an entirely different story. This is a
lovely hull and recognizable as a British built ship. Look at the
wonderful lines so reminiscent of classic high-speed Scottish
paddlers. Her stern, plumb bow and saloon arrangement looks like a
late 19th/early 20th Century 200'+ steel vessel. I'd be very
interested to hear from Alistair and Walter who might well be able to
identify an actual ship. In any case, it is a very pleasing hull and
well worth researching further and DEFINITELY should be completed.

Hope this gets the ball rolling, Clive, and I look forward to hearing
much more from other PD's on this.

Meanwhile, best regards

PJ
Victoria, BC Canada

[Paulrjordan]

Clive just sent me a much clearer picture of Mystery paddler #2. I
see someone has stuck a ventilator at the aft end of where a for'ard
deck saloon should be and also some weird domed objects on the after
saloon deck. I suggest these "add-ons" are fanciful and probably not
intended by the original model builder. It's apparent the entire
superstructure of the model has been lost or may have never been
built.

The hull still has a lot of integrity although, from the clear
picture I just received, it does need some cleaning up. In the
absence of being able to identify an actual ship(s), my suggestion
would be to research a ship which comes very close to the hull shape
and layout and then copy it's superstructure. If an R/C model is
contemplated, then it might be just as well to "bath test" the hull,
check for leaks, see where it sits in the water and how much
allowable weight there will be for mechanicals and superstructure

Let's hear more from you.

PJ