About the construction of the Astrolabe Model Ship

• The hull of the Astrolabe model ship is built using the Double Plank-on-Bulkhead construction method
• The bulkheads and keel are cut from marine grade pine plywood
• The first layer of planking is done plank by plank using Mahogany planks
• The second layer of planking is done using Mahogany Veneer strips
• The deck is made of Anagre, a light brown timber from the Amazon
• The hull is sheathed with real copper plates below the waterline
• The gunwale and stringers are made of American Walnut
• The fife rails and pin racks are made of American Walnut
• The deckhouses and gangways are made of Teak
• The masts and yards are made of Mahogany
• The sails and ropes of the Astrolabe Model Ship are made of linen
• The model is painted with acrylic paint
• The ornaments are cold cast in bronze and painted

History of the Astrolabe (1811)

The Astrolabe was built by Toulon Shipyard in France and was launched in 1811. The Astrolabe was a horse barge converted to an exploration ship of the French Navy.  The original name of the Astrolabe was Coquille.

Under the command of Louis Isidore Duperrey, the Coquille circumnavigated the earth from 1822 – 1825.

In 1826 the Coquille was renamed the Astrolabe. The name was derived from an early navigational instrument, the astrolabe, a precursor to the sextant. Under the command of the French explorer Dumont d’Urville the Astrolabe sailed from Toulon on 22 April 1826 for a circumnavigation of the world that lasted nearly 3 years.

In January 1827 the Astrolabe arrived in Tasman Bay. A number of landmarks around Tasman Bay were named by Dumont d’Urville.

He wanted to explore the Pacific Ocean further, however, King Louis-Philippe ordered them to claim the South Magnetic Pole for France. So on 7 September 1837, the Astrolabe and Zélée sailed from Toulon.  They located some land only sketched on the map, which Dumont named Terre de Louis-Philippe, the Joinville Island group and Rosamel Island. At the end of February 1838, he accepted that they could not go further and directed the two ships toward Talcahuano in Chile.

The Astrolabe and the Zélée sailed to the Marquesas Island and on to Hobart in Australia. The expedition followed the coast of Antarctica.  On 1 February 1840, the ships sailed towards the Auckland Islands.

The expedition returned on 6 November 1840 via New Zealand, the Torres Strait, Timor, Réunion, Saint Helena and finally Toulon.

The Astrolabe was scrapped in 1851.

Member of The Nautical Research Guild

Learn model about the Astrolabe…Wikipedia