Scale: 1:24. A contemporary full hull model of a sailing merchant ship (circa 1750), built plank on frame. Model is scenic and set in a glass fibre sea with longboat in tow, together with four figures on deck and in the rigging for scale. The model is decked, equipped and fully rigged with sails (modern) set. At this scale it represents a ship measuring 98 feet along the upper deck by 28 feet in the beam and an approximate tonnage of 360.

Known as a ‘cat’ or ‘bark’, this type of three-masted vessel was employed in the coat trade between the ports of the north-east coast of Britain and the Thames, and was later replaced by the collier brigs. The bluff bows and almost flat floors, together with the broad cheeked 'pink’ stern, distinguish the 'cat’ as a sturdy vessel for bulky cargoes. Carrying capacity and the ability to take to the ground were more important than speed in this type of ship, which was developed in the North Sea and the Baltic.