Sail Training Ship Young Endeavour

I became interested in the STS Young Endeavour in mid 2008 after my youngest daughter applied for a voyage on the ship through the Young Endeavour Youth Scheme. She was very exited when she learned that she had secured a place on the first voyage of 2009. She spent several months preparing and then from 4 to 14 January 2009 she sailed from Sydney New South Wales to George Town in Tasmania. The voyage was an experience of a life time and she was grateful for the opportunity.

Soon after learning that my daughter had gained a place on a voyage I started to gather information on the Young Endeavour with the intent of making a model of the ship. There did not seem to be much technical information readily available about this ship on the internet. I found a few photos but was having no luck finding drawings. Through a chance conversation with a friend I eventually came across some drawings of the ship. My friend had been given copies of some of the builders drawings years before and I was able to borrow these for a few weeks. The drawings were short on detail but there was a great set of hull lines.

I used the information that I had gathered along with the photos that my daughter had taken on her voyage to start a set of drawings suitable for making a model of the ship.

The Model

I decided that I was going to make a 1:72nd scale static model of the STS Young Endeavour for my daughter as a reminder of her voyage. The plan was to make a fiberglass hull so that the model would be very durable and hopefully last a very long time. To do this I first had to make a wooden plug and then a fiberglass mould. Building was started in January 2009 with the intent of having the model completed in 12 months. The photos below show the progress so far.

Making a Hull

The photos below show my progress so far in making a 1:72nd scale fiberglass hull of the STS Young Endeavour.

1.   Appropriate drawings were prepared, cut out and then glued to 19mm thick boards.

2.   Each lift was cut out close to size using a Band Saw. The edges were then sanded to the required size with a disc sander.

3.   The lifts were then glued and clamped until dry.

4.   The hull was carved and sanded to the required shape. Cardboard templates were used to ensure that the correct profile was obtained  at each section, as per the drawings. The skeg and keel were added and they were faired into the rest of the hull using polyester putty.

5.   The wooden plug was coated in several coats of resin (Flowcoat) and then sanded to a very smooth finish. Several coats of wax were used to polish the plug. A temporary wooden fence was cut and attached along the centerline of the hull. PVA release agent was then applied to one side.

6.   Gelcoat was brushed onto one side of the plug and fence. A filler paste was used to fillet all sharp corners. A second coat of Gelcoat was then brushed on.

7.   Three layers of fiberglass mat and polyester resin were then layed up to form one side of the mould. The fiberglass was trimmed and then left for a few days to harden.

8.   The temporary wooden fence was removed and several locating holes were drilled. The second side of the plug was prepared and with wax and PVA release agent.

9.   The second side of the mould is layed up. After the resin has hardened for a few days the mould is split apart and removed from the plug.

10.   The inside of the mould is waxed and coated in release agent. The two halves of the mould are bolted together and two coats of Gelcoat are brushed on. The fiberglass mat and resin are then layed up inside the mould.

11.   After the resin has hardened the bolts are removed and the mould is split from the hull. The hull and mould halves are washed to remove all traces of release agent.

12.   The hull is trimmed to the correct height and the edges sanded smooth leaving a finished fiberglass hull.