Warship; Fourth rate; 50-guns

Scale: 1:48. A contemporary full hull model of a 50-gun small two-decker (circa 1715) built plank on frame in the Navy Board style. The model is decked and equipped and mounted on an original baseboard. It is fitted with a jeer capstan in the waist which was used to hoist the yards and boats, while a double capstan, used for hauling up the anchor, was located further aft under the quarterdeck. The carved decoration on the hull had been substantially reduced by this date on the grounds of production costs and maintenance.

Measuring 132 feet along the gun deck and a beam of 34 feet, small two-deckers like this one undertook a variety of roles including cruising on a given station, gathering intelligence, and also convoy and fleet escort duties. This model is thought to be a proposed design for the Establishment of 1719 since it cannot be identified as a particular ship.

Object Details

ID: SLR0219
Collection: Ship models
Type: Skeleton model; Plank-on-frame; Full hull model
Display location: Not on display
Date made: circa 1715
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Overall model: 290 x 995 x 225 mm; Base: 140 x 1048 x 248 mm