HMS TERROR TO CROSS THE ATLANTIC ONCE AGAIN

My blog has been silent for nearly five months, but I have an excellent excuse.  Since December, I’ve been working night and day on HMS Terror. Why the rush?

This week, my model is carefully being packaged for transport to Greenwich. In one month, it will be displayed in a new exhibition on the Franklin tragedy at the National Maritime Museum.

Mini-Crozier stands at his taffrail. 

Created by the Canadian Museum of History, Parks Canada, and the National Maritime Museum, the exhibition will open in Greenwich on July 14^th.  In January, the model will travel back across the Atlantic with the exhibition, where it will be displayed at Canada’s national museum beginning on March 1^st, 2018.  

A view from the bow. 

Port side planking. It took nearly six months of work to double
(and in some cases tipple) plank this hull with scale timber. 

What does this mean for my project?

1. First and foremost, it is a sincere honour to have been asked to display my model alongside iconic artifacts related to the Franklin Expedition. I jumped at the chance to loan it when it was presented to me, despite the short time frame involved.
2. Due to time constraints, progress on my model has now far outpaced my blog. I’ll be playing catch up for the next several months; keep visiting to see all new historical research and build photos.
3. My model is not finished. Currently, it most closely resembles a shipwright’s “builder’s model” which typically only show the design and major fittings of a ship. The reason for this will become clear when you see the model in its position in the exhibition. I admit that I couldn’t help but add a few extra details, but it’s essentially just a builder’s model right now.  When the model is returned to me, I’ll complete all the finer details; I estimate it’s about ¾ complete.

Missing details can be seen in this view; the tiller, deck houses
and conning (ice) plank are all absent.

A cathead with its iron knee. 

Mini-Crozier keeps watch on the voyage. 

I won’t show all the details of the model in this blog post; I intend to catch up over time while it is away from my workbench. To see the entire thing, you will have to wait for my blog to catch up to the model, or go see the exhibition!

When I began this hobby project four years ago, I couldn’t have imagined the interest it would generate, or the great connections and friends I would make. I’m very happy that my model will help to tell the fascinating story of the Franklin Expedition in this new exhibition. In fact, what they have planned for my HMS Terror is beyond any of my expectations. You’ll have to see the show to find out, but I promise it will have great company. 

The bow plating is made from 100 chemically blackend brass plates.