A question for Topsham

[Alphen]

Thoughts on the three paintings from the RYNDAM. I have not seen the paintings since the maiden voyage in 1994! For some reason.... I just never seem to get the ship in the right place. Shame. Miss her now for sure!

 

 

 

Rest assured, on august the 14th 2015, they were still there;

[SeaSharp]

thanks for the insights! We need downloadable capt. Card audio tours for use on the ships. :)

 

yes!!!

[AV8rix]

Interiors on almost all of the HAL fleet was done by Principal Designer Franz Dingemans of 'VFD' in Netherlands. He also has an art team to work with him to put the art collection together. There is quite an impressive team. They bring in artists, sculptors etc... you name it. They also have an antique expert to help also. One of the part of the job is 'signage'. Once in a while someone will slip up and make a mistake and may go many years before it is spotted and corrected. Once in a while a passenger will see something and cause a fit. Oops. It does happen. If an error is spotted and it is given to someone higher up... it may eventually end up on a 'work list' and when the ship back in drydock... it may well be corrected.

 

On to the 'gaff-ketch'.... or a 'schooner'.... can you please send a photo o the model. I don't remember the piece.

 

Back again. Severe windstorm in Western Washington knocked out power for a day.

Anyway, thank you so much for your response, Captain Card!! I should have taken a picture of that model 5 years ago when I was on ms Ryndam, but I didn’t.

However, as you know, if you are a sailor (I am) it takes only a glance at a sailing vessel to identify the rigging. The model that I am referring to is a vessel with two masts (fore-and-aft sailplan, not a square-rigger). The aft mast is markedly shorter than the forward mast. Therefore it is definitely the mizzenmast, not the mainmast, and therefore the vessel is NOT a schooner. Furthermore, the mizzen is stepped forward of the rudder post, marking the vessel as a ketch, not a yawl.

 

As I remarked in my first post, this sort of error is not the kind of thing you expect on a HAL ship. If I were sailing on another line (not likely) and saw a nautical error I’d probably just shake my head and laugh.

I did call the captain’s attention to the error while I was aboard the ship, but he confessed to me that he was not a sailor. He apparently took no further action. That was understandable, as this sort of thing is the very least of a captain’s concern while under way.

As to Captain Albert, I follow his blog. However, I’m sure that he’s constantly inundated with messages from folks that he doesn’t know, so that’s why I decided against trying to communicate with him. I addressed my message to you because I thought that you might know who to contact at corporate so that I could call their attention to the error before that beautiful model is displayed in another ship (if that is the plan for it). But the world will not end if the model is displayed in the future with the incorrect nomenclature.

Again, thanks for your response, Captain Card. Your work lends immeasurable beauty to the HAL fleet.

[Topsham]

Hello Susan,

 

Here is a little photo for you. ;-)

 

Eureka! Here is a photo of the model of the fishing smack that you saw on board the RYNDAM some years ago.

 

I knew I had to have seen the model.. somewhere and sure why....Holland America Line's book of art and antiques.... " THE ART OF CRUISING"... Chapter 'Maritime Treasures'... page 65. I awoke in a deep sleep at 3 this morning... went straight the studio, opened the book and there it was.

 

I did not doubt you. Indeed the ketch as you described.... what is might be better described as a 'ketch-rigged fishing smack' late 19th Century. There is designation on the vessel as "MA 175". Very nice model but I think is not a mode of a real vessel. I have gone through of the 'Fishing Boat Registration Codes' for the UK. Cannot find MA. Also list of old codes that were used years ago.... no MA. Might be a fishing boat from the US... too easy to think it might be MA for Massachusetts. That is a State not MA would have to be for a port. Either way...the style of the vessel and the lettering is typical in the UK.

 

Thanks your own interest. Here a few photos of my research & studio... my 'shipyard' where almost all of the paintings for HAL were done.

 

Stephen

 

PS: Note the last photo. You can see a small wood plaque with the numbers "119". A real piece of memorabilia... my house number made from real teak from the Boat Deck of the s.s. ROTTERDAM... 1993 'Grand Orient Cruise'. Made by the ship's carpenter. Thanks from Chief Officer Pieter Bos.

Edited August 31, 2015 by Topsham

[Modern_Viking]

Thanks S7S.

 

The next one up will be a winner! If not I will have to scrap and get rid of that 'idea'!

 

Stephen

 

Have you ever painted a scene involving a modern HAL ship departing via the Port Everglades channel with the condominiums in the background complete with residents waiving HAL flags? That is a scene I have enjoyed in person and would seem like a fun idea for a new ship painting.

[Topsham]

Have you ever painted a scene involving a modern HAL ship departing via the Port Everglades channel with the condominiums in the background complete with residents waiving HAL flags? That is a scene I have enjoyed in person and would seem like a fun idea for a new ship painting.

 

 

 

Good idea! How about Neptune Class No. 2. I'm going to hold you this. If you see the next Neptune ship come sailing past the cut... you owe me one!

 

Last year I did B2B cruises out of Lauderdale.... first week in Nw Amsterdam and then went over to the Eurodam to experience both if these ship.... just to see which is 'better'. Both fine ships for sure and not much difference between the two... apart from colours. If I had to say... Eurodam and just to décor. Eurodam is more traditional HAL.... Nw Amsterdam seemed a bit more modern.. colours, art etc.

 

Anyhow after the two weeks in these ship I went down to the beach... down south of Lauderdale... perhaps, two or three miles away. Best fun was watching both ships sailing... one after the other... and such a beautiful sight. Yes, I could make a good painting. Thanks.

 

Stephen

 

PS.... I will try to find the place where I went to watch the ships. Long beach... very busy. Huge beach bar/restaurant and very busy. Well worth the wait... if there are HAL ships sailing out.

[AV8rix]

Hello Susan,

 

Here is a little photo for you. ;-)

 

Eureka! Here is a photo of the model of the fishing smack that you saw on board the RYNDAM some years ago.

 

I knew I had to have seen the model.. somewhere and sure why....Holland America Line's book of art and antiques.... " THE ART OF CRUISING"... Chapter 'Maritime Treasures'... page 65. I awoke in a deep sleep at 3 this morning... went straight the studio, opened the book and there it was.

 

I did not doubt you. Indeed the ketch as you described.... what is might be better described as a 'ketch-rigged fishing smack' late 19th Century. There is designation on the vessel as "MA 175". Very nice model but I think is not a mode of a real vessel. I have gone through of the 'Fishing Boat Registration Codes' for the UK. Cannot find MA. Also list of old codes that were used years ago.... no MA. Might be a fishing boat from the US... too easy to think it might be MA for Massachusetts. That is a State not MA would have to be for a port. Either way...the style of the vessel and the lettering is typical in the UK.

 

Thanks your own interest. Here a few photos of my research & studio... my 'shipyard' where almost all of the paintings for HAL were done.

 

Stephen

 

PS: Note the last photo. You can see a small wood plaque with the numbers "119". A real piece of memorabilia... my house number made from real teak from the Boat Deck of the s.s. ROTTERDAM... 1993 'Grand Orient Cruise'. Made by the ship's carpenter. Thanks from Chief Officer Pieter Bos.

 

Thanks again, Captain Card. Perhaps with your endorsement they will correctly identify the rigging when the model is displayed on another ship.

 

Incidentally, a Ryndam passenger emailed me the exact wording of the plaque describing the model. It reads as follows: "Shipmodel the fishing-schooner Guillaume, Netherlands, 20th Century."

 

And thanks for the reference to the book "The Art of Cruising". I will order a copy of that if it's still available.

 

Every time you participate in a message thread here, we all glean SO MUCH delightful information from your postings! Now we can even see images of your studio! Again, thanks!

[Topsham]

Susan... Good!

 

I should have been looking at registrations... outside UK.

 

In addition of 'MA' for Maasluis I can also find those letters in France for Malaga and Marseilles.

 

The name Guillaume... well that name could probably be found in any port... including in the Netherlands. Guillaume is as 'William'.

 

Such vessels as this... as a fishing ketch... could also be found in Netherlands. The model is described as 'Netherlands 20th Century'.... well that is also possible. No reason to question the information... apart from the description of 'schooner'. ;-)

 

Good luck.

 

I am not a 'sailer'! I hated sailing when I was in Nautical College. None of us like it. One large schooner we staged a 'sit it'. Told the skipper, "Get the sails down and get the engine started. None of us will be working the sails!" After the event the Head of Department said... "Just because of this episode your class will never be going on board the ROBERT GORDON again!" Yeah!

 

Of course for painting I had to learn a lot of all kinds of sailing vessel. I respect sail and see the beauty in them. Just keep me away from wind and rain!

Stephen

[Globaliser]

Excellent. Did you expect it wouldn't be fixed? :)

I was confident it would be - just not that fast! I think I was thinking along the same lines about the ship's first drydock.