Even More Oar-powered Free Ship Plans

Free ship plans of oar-powered vessels are our most popular offering on TheModelShipwright.com, so we've added even more.

Paris's Athenian Trireme

Thanks to the work of French Vice-Admiral François-Edmond Pâris and Swedish naval architect Fredrik Henrik af Chapman, we have some of the best plans of oar-powered galleys and triremes available.

Pâris's most famous work Souvenirs de Marine Conservés brings us plans for triremes from Athens and Venice as well as a Black Sea Galley. Chapman's Architectura Navalis Mercatoria brings us a Maltese galley and several others we have yet to post.

Chapman's Maltese Galley

Along with the Atlas du Génie Maritime from the archives of the French Ministry of Defense, which brings us an Ancient Trireme, a Sultan's Caique, and an Ancient Galley, and our plan of the Gokstad Viking Longship from Ancient and Modern Ships by Sir George Charles Vincent Holmes, there is a lot to choose from at TheModelShipwright.com if you are looking for free ship plans of oar-powered vessels.

Free Ship Plan: Steam Tug Hercules

Steam Tug Hercules

Recently, we've been concentrating on Oar-Powered Vessels and Sailing Vessels, so maybe it's time to come back to the 20th Century, and offer a free ship plan of a historic Motor Vessel.

Few motor vessels have more character or make a more handsome ship model than the steam-powered tug boat. As a model ship, these vessels offer a lot of appeal, especially for someone desiring a radio-controlled model. There are even working scale steam engines that can be built into a model tugboat for the ultimate in operating realism.
And what better choice for that ship model than a historic tug such as Hercules? The last remaining ocean-going steam tug on the West Coast, Hercules was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986. She was was documented as part of the Historic American Engineering Record, a program of the National Park Service. We've brought together the photos and drawings from that survey on our Hercules Plan Page and Hercules Photo Gallery.

Free Ship Plan: Algerian Xebec Two-fer

Xebec with lateen sails

Not much put more fear in the heart of a Mediterranean seafarer than the triangular sails of a Barbary corsair appearing on the horizon.
The favorite vessel of these North African pirates was the xebec, a long, narrow ship descended from the rowed galleys of the ancient world. Able to sail close to the wind with its lateen sails - or to use oars if the wind failed - and able to navigate shoal waters due to its shallow draft, the xebec was the perfect ship for a pirate. It could catch most merchant vessels, and run away from warships that could reduce its lightly-built hull to splinters with a single broadside.
We found in the French Ministry of Defense archives a highly-detailed plan of the Algerian xebec captured in 1830 and placed in service by the French Navy as Le Boberach. She was used mainly as a dispatch ship, where she had a well-documented, albeit fairly uneventful career.

Algerian xebec Le Boberach, captured by the French in 1830

Lack of exciting engagements aside, she still has the exotic lines that would make an eye-catching model for the enterprising modelshipwright looking for something beyond the typical bathtub-hulled square rigger. Thanks to the French proclivity for record keeping, we also have a great deal of information about her service, too.
As an extra treat, we threw in the plans of an 18th Century Algerian xebec documented in Fredrik Henrik af Chapman’s Architectura Navalis Mercatoria.

Free Ship Plan: Schooner Musquidobit (Lynx?)

American Schooner Plans from a French Military Archive

While searching for Medieval boats in the archives of a French library, I came across these plans for "American Schooner Musquidobit" and "Other American Schooner." 

By its lines, "Musquidobit" appears to be the Baltimore-built schooner Lynx, captured by the British and renamed when brought into the British navy. The French Ministry of Defense has a number of foreign craft documented in its archives - basically the work of spies keeping track of advances in naval architecture among France's colonial competitors.

The lower ship, just titled “Other American Schooner,” is very similar in lines, however it seems her lines are not as fine, the fullest point of beam carried further aft before she narrows to the transom. This should increase her displacement, and therefore, her cargo capacity.

I don't have time to research this further right now, so if anyone has info on these ships, feel free to contact us.

Free Ship Plan: La Couronne 17th Century French Warship

Maritime historians and model shipwrights owe a lot to French naval admiral François-Edmond Pâris. He published a number of books in the 19th Century that featured plans, drawings, and even beautiful watercolor paintings of vessels from around the world. He also documented historical ships no longer in existence, but previously recorded by others. La Couronne is an example of this.

17th Century French Warship La Couronne

Ships plans for La Couronne, a 17th Century French first rate warship come from Pâris's Souvenirs de Marine Conservés, ou Collection de plans de navires de guerre et de commerce et de bateaux divers de tous les pays tracés par les constructeurs ou marins … recueillis et publiés par l’amiral Pâris.

La Couronne (French for “The Crown”) was commissioned into the French Navy in 1636. She was a war galleon built by the French as part of the effort by Cardinal-duc de Richelieu et de Fronsac, King Louis XIII’s chief minister, to ensure the French Navy was dominant on the seas.

Built 200 years before the 120-gun French ship of the line Montebello, in La Couronne one can really see the link between early Medieval vessels and the magnificent warships of the golden age of sail. Her massive castellated quarter decks recall the war galleys of the Mediterranean, on which bow and stern "castles" served as battle platforms from the Ancient to Medieval times.

Free Ship Plan: Sultan's Caique

Ottoman Sultan's Caique

Haven't had much time to research this oar-powered Ottoman imperial vessel, but from Wikipedia, we get:

 ... imperial caïques used by the Ottoman sultans and his suite for ceremonial and daily excursion purposes. The size and grandeur of this type, adorned with imperial armorials and floral scrolls, was a reflection of his royal power. Another feature of imperial caiques was the deck pavilion, a partition or a small kiosk for the Sultan. By reason of this feature they were also called the pavilion caïques.

Great Site for Ship Model Plans

A friend of ours in Turkey has a great website for model shipbuilders. He also offers a wide selection of  free ship plans, but where our ship plans are prototype ship plans than can be adopted to model shipbuilding, many of his plans show the ships already adapted to models. Many feature full-size patterns that can be used to cut the keel and bulkheads, and some even feature info on motor installation for radio-controlled operation. This provides a valuable shortcut if you are not familiar with completing this process with a prototype ship plan.

J M Briscoe - Clyde puffer VIC32 moored at Corpach by  Jmb at en.wikipedia

Our all-time favorite of his plans is the Lochinvar Clyde Puffer, a typical Scottish coastal vessel from the early 20th Century. These little tubs just radiate personality. They are so much a part of the U.K. maritime history that a series of novels were written about the exploits of a fictional crew, and later a BBC television series was made based on those books.

This ship is a great subject for modeling because, while the prototype is not very large, it has the very "salty" looks of much larger freighters. With a Clyde Puffer model you can build to a fairly large scale and still have a model that is easily handled.

Another factor that makes this ship a great subject for modelling is that a huge number of these were made during World War II. Classified as "VIC" Victualling Inshore Craft, after the war they were sold off for private use and some still can be found afloat. There are a vast number of images of them available through a simple internet search, so an infinite number of details can be used to make your Clyde Puffer model distinct.

Clyde Puffers also have a very simple, boxy hull shape that makes it easy to plank the hull with sheets of wood veneer, and offers an easy way to learn some of the basic skills that will be needed when it comes to planking more complex hull shapes.

Free Ship Plan: French Warship Montebello

French warship Montebello in 1850

Launched in 1812, Montebello was an Océan type ship of the line of the French Navy. Plans list her as a 120-gun ship, but many historical references refer to her as a 118-gun ship. She had an impressive 77-year career in the French navy. 

We have a massive collection of 10 high resolution plans of Montebello on our website, including lines, inboard and outboard profile, deck, rigging, mast, and sail plans. We even have accommodations plans showing how stores were shipped aboard this historic warship.

For the model shipwright looking for a massive project, the French ship-of-the-line Montebello may be just what you are looking for.

Free Ship Plan: Ancient Galley

Due to the popularity of our free ship plan pages for the Ancient Trireme and the Gokstad Viking Longship, we've added a new oar-powered vessel plan.

Free Ship Plan of an Ancient Galley

This Ancient Galley plan is from the Atlas du Génie Maritime in the archives of the French Le Ministère de la Défense. This atlas of ship plans was created in the 19th Century, and features both contemporary and ancient ships.

My guess is this galley is not truly ancient, but probably no older than the Medieval period. I haven't translated most the plan, so it may have info on it to pin down its provenance. I did get as far as the title, which roughly translates to an "Ancient Galley of 36 Banks of Oars, Five Rowers per Bank."

With its three lateen sails and sides bristling with oars, this ship offers a chance for the model shipwright to screatch-build a unique ship model that would truly be an impressive display.