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Frigate Essex page
United States Frigate Essex
  
Frigate Constitution page
1799
  
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In 1798, when the new republic thought war with France was imminent, Congress passed an act allowing the President to accept ships from private donors to be taken into the fledgling navy. The Essex was built for this purpose through public subscription of the citizens of Salem, Massachusetts and environs, and constructed by Enoch Briggs in Salem. She was launched in 1799 and "loaned" to the government. Although the war with France never materialized, she had a most remarkable career in the war of 1812 against England.

  
Dynamite Cruiser Vesuvius  
PT-34 page  
PT-59 page  
PT-109 page  
 
 
             
 

The model is 3/16" = 1 ' scale (1:64) and is built from plans by Portia Tatakjian, using her accompanying book from the Anatomy of the Ship series as resource for detailing the hull and for the masting and rigging.

The frames are poplar (the last time I will use that wood), and the hull is planked in red oak. The interior timbers, decks, and most of the detail work is maple. The cannon were turned from ebony, which was also used for pully sheaves and anchors. Deadeyes were turned from lignum vitae, a wonderful wood to work.

The cordage for the rigging was made up from linen thread jusing my home-made rope machine. Completed in 1999, it was sold to a private collector in Texas.