Frideborg(1866); Cargo vessel

Scale: 1:64. Waterline scenic model of the 'Frideborg' (1866), a Finnish cargo barquentine. Model is decked, equipped and fully rigged with sails furled. It is inscribed with the name ‘Frideborg’ on the port and starboard quarters and the port of registry of Mariehamn is painted on the stern.

This is a scenic model and shows the method of loading timber from a motor barge alongside when at anchor in the Gulf of Bothnia. As the model illustrates, it was a very labour intensive job, with a total of twenty-one figures above and below decks using every available space to stack the wooden planks.

Originally built as the 500 ton composite barque ‘Cleta’ by James Gardner of Sunderland in 1866, it started life in the China tea trade. The 'tea clippers’ as they became known, had the upper hand for a short period before the arrival and development of the compound steam engine ended their careers in the early 1870’s. After a number of years trading all over the world with various cargoes, the ‘Frideborg’ ended its days running aground off the Swedish coast in September 1937. After being re-floated and taken to Lulea for a survey, it was found to be damaged beyond economical repair and so was slowly broken up during the winter.