CABO BRANCO
This
is the name of a steam trawler for long distance fishing registered at
the port of Lisbon ( Portugal) . She is of the beginning of the XX century
and is coal fired and steams propelled. She is a kind of vessel that allows
to fish with many kinds of trawl but mainly with a kind that hold boards
at the ends of the net to allow a wide spread, and ground cables have the
effect of sweeping fish towards the mouth of the net. Trawlers were
built to fish at North Atlantic Sea; they are rugged vessels to withstand
heavy weather and rough sea. For this reason they were used as Escort Vessels
during World War II.
The
original vessel was 120 foot long, 21’ wide and 10’ deep for this kind
of vessel she was between medium size and big ship of that period. She
used a triple expansion steam engine and a Scotch Boiler. The choice of
the model: Visiting the Naval Museum of Lisbon, at a glance I saw the model
and sudden I “fall in love”. The model that is at this museum is static
and build in play wood with fittings in brass. The colors are very
uncommon and choking due to is strong as deep yellow, deep blue and so
forth. A lot of details attracted me, every part were so well done that
gives to the model a special charm. Looking forward to build a similar
model I asked for the plans and for my satisfaction there was, and with
a high quality of drawing details.
With
the plans at my disposal I began to prepare my workshop to build the most
detailed model I ever built in my life. It took me a lot of time to began
the enterprise, it happened just later I saw a boat in a French Model Magazine
an all brass sheet hull. I minded, this is exact what I intend to
do, and beside this, the hull will be all riveted like the real one, and
so I did. The model is at the following scale 7/16 “ to 1 Foot
at that scale the model is about 4’& 4” long .
The
model is built all in brass sheet nº 24 SAE . The sheet was cut in
pieces with correct size, proportional to the scale and riveted each to
other like the original made in a shipyard.
More than 15,000 rivets were used to do the job. To seal the joints soft solder were used, the surplus were brushed off with a steel brush, it scrape the tin but not the brass sheet. The model was build at my workshop in São Paulo (Brazil) it took me 2 years and 8 month to make it. Every fitting was then made, mainly in brass and some in wood like masts and the handrails. The model also is steam propelled, fired with butane/propane liquefied gas. The boiler is a sort of Yarrow /Cross Pipe, very high performance burner, is the ceramic type.
The engine is double cylinder, 90º crankshaft, 5/8 stroke; 5/8 bore, all in gunmetal cast, with water and oil pumps. The autonomy is about 1 hours with ½ pound of gas and sailing at normal speed. You must have in your mind that the model weight is 38 pound. There is a kit to transform the model into electric model, using as 12V / 7Ah battery and a 48 Watts electric motor and a tooth band reduction gear for 1:3 times. The performance with both propulsion systems is the same. The model is a real “Master Piece” worthy to shown at a Museum.
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on the picture to see a largest one