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| "The Blanche W." by teleman | ||
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Moderators: Winston, aew, bikepunk
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| teleman |
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  Registered Member #1925 Joined: Tue Nov 29 2011, 05:32amPosts: 1254 | Well Hello my friends, It has been awhile. But I have been on an extended vacation, and loving every minute. My model making has been shut down for the summer. As I try to get the ball rolling on my next scratch built model. But the biggest challenge I face is drawing up boat plans. Which will probably take me all summer to complete. As I am a native Californian I have been researching ships/boats that have something to do with California History. That is when I came across the Flying Fish Tours offered on Santa Catalina Island and “THE BLANCHE W”. I found very little information on the internet. But just enough to point me in the right direction to get my research started. So my first try was sending an email to the “SANTA CATALINA MUSEUM” curator Jeannine. I will not use her last name, because I have yet to ask permission to do so. Anyway Jeannine first contacted me on my cell phone while my family and I were having lunch at the San Diego Zoo. I was totally shock that she called me. I have researched other projects , sending emails leaving voice mail, but never ever getting type of response. I loved it and Jeannine pushed me onto the “SANTA CATALINA ISLAND COMPANY” where I would be able to push on with my research. Jeannine also said she had an 8 1/2x 11 copy of a model builders sketch of the “BLANCHE W”. She said she would make a copy and send it to me. So when our conversation ended, I came to the realization that my journey to build a boat that had a lot to do with California History had begun. Thank you so much Jeannine. SO HERE IS A LITTLE INFORMATION AND HISTORY OF THE “BLANCHE W” Catalina has been famous for many things over the years, Glass Bottom Boats, Buffalo and the Casino to name a few. But one of the strangest and most popular attractions has been the Flying Fish Boat Trip which has been transporting visitors on nighttime journeys to watch Catalina's flying fish since the turn of the century. In 1924 William Wrigley decided to build a boat just for Flying Fish Tours. The Blanche W. is a 64-foot long open-deck wooden boat named after Wrigley's granddaughter Ada Blanche Wrigley. The boat is still outfitted with its original pew-style mahogany benches, which seats 98 passengers. The boat cruises the islands coastline at night, attracting flying fish with two 40-million candle-power W.W.I spotlights. The spectacle of the fish leaping out of the water has been compared to giant silver dragonflies soaring over the ocean. Flying fish boat trips are piece of Catalina history that dates back nearly a century. The excursions started in 1911 after Captain Joseph McAfee shined a light on the beaches at night as he sailed along the coast and noticed that California flying fish would leap out of the water in reaction to the light. He decided to mount a searchlight on his boat and take visitors out at night. Later, the Santa Catalina Island Company built two boats for flying fish excursions, including the Blanche W. Decades later, the Blanche W. is still delighting passengers with flying fish tours, though today the vessel is equipped with a 40 million candlepower searchlight that shines on the sea at an angle that simulates the silver streak of a large predator fish. That's what prompts the fish to take to the air. This tour is truly one of a kind. Over the last century, the flying fish has become an icon of this quaint island paradise. They have appeared on Catalina postcards and souvenirs. There was once a Flying Fish Swimming Club as well as a beauty contest to name a "Flying Fish Queen." And as far back as the 1950s, Flying Fish Festivals were delighting visitors with treasure hunts, beach parties, barbecue dinners and dancing. So my friends the adventure begins. Here are a few photos of the, ”BLANCHE W” The only clean pic of the bow to stern of the Blanche that I could find.... http://www.visitcatalinaisland.com/avalon/tour_sundownIsthmus.php       | ||
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| teleman |
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| Registered Member #1925 Joined: Tue Nov 29 2011, 05:32amPosts: 1254 | Hi my friends, Well after contacting and speaking with Jeannine I went ahead and contacted the SANTA CATALINA ISLAND CONPANY. My contact there was to be Michele. Who I may add was very nice and very willing to help me out on my quest to built the “BLANCHE W”. I had assumed that the BLANCHE would be taken out for preventive maintenance on a regular schedule. My assumption was correct. Michele gave all the information has to where the BLANCHE is maintained at. The location would be at “LARSON’S BOAT SHOP”, located in Long Beach, California. Michele also gave me the contact information for Captain Lorenzo, the skipper of the Blanche W. So my next step was to speak with Renzo. Renzo like Michele and Jeannine was incredibly willing to help in anyway they could to reach my goal. Renzo gave me the information as to when I would be able to come down and pick his brain and take countless pictures of the Blanche W. to my hearts content. But I had to wait a few months till the Blanche was ready to be dry-docked. Well May 2012 finally arrived and my wife and I headed down to Long Beach to meet Capt. Renzo and the Blanche W. Six-hundred and seventeen pictures later and a wonderful visit with Capt. Renzo, my dream of building the Blanche W, is well on the way to happening….. Well the adventure continues. Here are just a few photos. My Timeline so far…. 07/18/2011 First email to curator 08/09/2011 My first email to Santa Catalina Island Company 01/12/2012 My first correspondence with Michele at S.C.I.C. 01/12/2012 My first conversation with Captain Lorenzo and an appointment set to see the BLANCHE W. 05/17/2012 Meet Capt. Renzo and viewed the Blanche W. up close for the first time. Mario    | ||
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| teleman |
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| Registered Member #1925 Joined: Tue Nov 29 2011, 05:32amPosts: 1254 | My Friends, My task will be to draw up simple plans from what information I can draw from my slew of pictures, and what dimensions I have to pull from. The 8 1/2x 11 has some dimensions I can work from. But what it lacks is all damsons below the waterline. So I was ;lucky that I was able to view the boat on dry-dock. It got rid of a lot of the mystery below the waterline. But now the biggest learning curve I have to deal with is my lack of experience. Under the suggestion of my buddy a Master Modeler John has advised me to keep it as simple as possible. Which is right up my alley. The model will be at ½ scale. Which will make it 32in. In length., and just under 7 inches at the widest portion of the beam. Why so big??? God willing if I am able to draw up these plans the easiest part will be building it, or should I say them. I plan on building a proto-type, plus a second one to donate to the Santa Catalina Museum. Can you believe they have no model of the Blanche what so ever. So this will be a double build process when I do start my build log. I am hoping for all the help I can get from all of you great people to get me through this crazy project I have started. It will mostly be built from Basswood, because of course as you can see the boat is completely painted. The seating will be out of Mahogany as per the original. The decking I am not sure as of yet. I must contact Capt. Renzo because I had forgotten to ask him what type of wood the deck was made from. So here is the print of that was sent to me by the museum. My deduction is the modeler that drew it up planning a waterline model only. According to my information it was built and given to Blanche Wrigley herself. She past away a few years back and as of right now. No one knows what happen to that model. Adios my friends  | ||
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| teleman |
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| Registered Member #1925 Joined: Tue Nov 29 2011, 05:32amPosts: 1254 | Hello again everyone..(help needed) So first off I made copies of the half breadth, profile, n body plans. To me the body plan will be the hardest. Believe me the plans will not look professional at all. They are going to be simple as can be. All I need is the basic structure keel, stem n stern, and the frames. What I did first was drew 3 sketches, as a practice procedure. Since I have never done anything like this before, first I had a basic idea of what to do, and with John’s instruction I have started drawing the half breadth and sheer profile. Plus I made a copy of Russ’ tutorial on understanding line drawings in the MSW database. Why I did not draw up a body plan is because I had to stop right where I was at, when I noticed that I made a major error. Then I drew up was a 30 inch model. The Blanche being 64 feet in length, at ½ inch scale it should be a 32 inch model. Well I had the cap rail, buttocks, waterline, and station lines drawn on the HB where I wanted them. I also had the centerlines, station lines, waterline, stern post, rudder area, and the cabin drawn on the sheer profile when I realized what I had done. So I walked away in dis-belief!!! Now this is not over a course of a few days. Try a few weeks. I have been at it awhile. Studying pictures, working with measurements, plus keep a log in my journal that I decided to write down to keep track how I went about doing this. So back to starting all over again, good thing it would not take as long to re-due since all the question marks I had were answered, when I saw my mistake. But to re-draw everything was a bummer. I figured to split the plan right down the middle and add the 4 feet I was missing at amidships. Now one question would this be alright. I did this because I had so much detail at the bow n stern areas, that I did not want to re-draw all that from the beginning again. So here are a few photos of my progress, and a few photos that I used for assisting me in figuring out below the waterline…. So first up are some of the pic’s I used, and after that are my beginning drawins…. HELP! HELP! HELP! PLEASE IF ANYONE SEE’S THAT I HAVE MADE A MISTAKE TELL ME. I AM SURE I HAVE MADE SOME. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH… (i can add close ups if needed)            | ||
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| teleman |
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| Registered Member #1925 Joined: Tue Nov 29 2011, 05:32amPosts: 1254 | A small update as I plug along trying to draw just basic plans for my new project     | ||
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| Winston |
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winston  Registered Member #1 Joined: Sat Jun 13 2009, 02:08pmPosts: 2298 | Looking pretty good from here Mario. Though I have to admit, the computer has me spoiled. I don't know if I could draw something by hand. | ||
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| Michel9 |
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  Registered Member #3500 Joined: Sun Jul 15 2012, 03:16pmPosts: 46 | Good organisation!! Good built! | ||
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| teleman |
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| Registered Member #1925 Joined: Tue Nov 29 2011, 05:32amPosts: 1254 | Winston, Michel, Thanks you guys. At least i know I am going in the right direction. I have never done this before. hey Winston as for using a program like auto-cad that is fairly cheap price for that software. Which I found out here on MSB. It's tempting to learn and use it instead of drawing by hand. But I do not want to take the time to learn it right now. I am a native Southern Californian. This boat was born and always has been SO. Calif. so i am very excited to get the ball rolling and get to the build stage as soon as possible. So pencil n paper is my choice right now. I will building two models, one for myself and the other to donate to the Santa Catalina Island Mueseum for all their assistance. I will working on the body plan soon so please keep me on the straight and narrow. I don't want to screw up my drawing.... mario | ||
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| popeyethesailor |
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 Registered Member #2795 Joined: Mon Jun 04 2012, 11:57amPosts: 179 | hi there Mario! I see your off on another exciting build! I too like to model lesser known ships. there are some working ships out there that don"t get the recognition they deserve. hope to seeing you building it soon! | ||
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| teleman |
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| Registered Member #1925 Joined: Tue Nov 29 2011, 05:32amPosts: 1254 | Hi Popeye, Hey thanks man. Me too I would to build on it soon. My goal is to put down as much as i can on the drawing so I can spend as much time on building instead of drawing up the next phase. So I will draw up the cabin also after i get by the half breadth, profile, and body plan. So that is why no building this summer. Also because taking a lot vacation time having some summer fun to. So I am working on the plans on n off. No rush. later my friend...gotta get back to messing around here. plus a got a couple of cold ones in the fridge i will be working on later.......haha! | ||
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