Looking from the stern

Looking from the barrel bow

PROVENANCE: The half hull comes from a Cape Cod estate, and was received in very rough condition having been over painted in black and mounted on a backboard which had warped badly with age. A metal plate identified the ship. Nothing else is known of its the origin other than she is exquisitely made, accurately crafted, and fitted with the correct figurehead which leads us to believe it must have been done by someone intimately familiar with the real ship. The model has been carefully restored in our shop. See below.   DIMENSIONS: The ship model is 31 1/2" L x 2 3/8" W x 3 1/2" H The backboard is  41" L x 10 1/2" W x 3/4" D Weight 10 pounds.   CONSTRUCTION & CONDITION: The half hull has been recently refinished in our shop. It is now amber varnished from her deck to the waterline, and pickled in white from the waterline to the keel. The original warped Pine backboard has been replaced with Mahogany, and a new plaque installed.   FROM THE BOSTON DAILY ATLAS, JUNE 19, 1852*: Behold the modern Sovereign of the Seas, the longest, sharpest, and most beautiful merchant ship in the world, designed to sail at least twenty miles an hour with a whole-sail breeze. See her in the "beauty of her strength", the simplicity and neatness of her rig, flying before the gale and laughing at the rising sea; and then imagine her cumbrous ancestor, wallowing from side to side, tearing up the ocean into whitened foam, and drifting perhaps seven miles an hour; yet she was the first ship of her day. Imagine all this, and even a landsman can comprehend the wonderful progress of naval architecture. Mr. McKay could not have selected a better name for his ship; its historical association is full of instruction, and no ship was ever more worthy of such a name. Since the opening of the California trade, Mr. McKay has built five large clippers -- Stag Hound, Flying Cloud, Staffordshire, Flying Fish, and Sovereign of the Seas, but no two of them are alike in hull form.  Sovereign's leading dimensions are as follows: -- Length of keel 245 feet, on deck, between perpendiculars 258, over all, from the knight-heads to the taffrail, 265'; extreme beam 44', depth 23½ feet, and registers 2421 tons. As Mr. McKay built this ship on his own account, he alone is responsible for her success as a sea-boat. He designed that she should be the swiftest sailing vessel in the world, and what is apparent to all, has made her strong enough to carry shot in bulk. Considering the sharpness of her ends, she has large stowage capacity for a clipper great surface and length of floor, and will be very buoyant, and easy under canvass. Her lines forward, as they ascend above the water, become convex, to correspond with her outline on the rail, and her bow is plain, and terminates with the figure of a sea god, half man half fish, with a conch shell raised to his mouth, as if in the act of blowing it. The figure accords with the sheer of the bow, is well executed, and forms a beautiful finish. Her bow rises boldly, and is beautiful beyond description. The same terms will apply to her model throughout. She is planked flush to the covering-board; her stern is curvilinear, and is formed from the moulding of the planksheer, is very neat and graceful. Her run is long and clean, but still there is not a straight place in her whole model. She is sheathed with yellow metal up to 20½ feet forward, and 21½ feet aft. The rest of her hull is painted black, and her figure head is bronzed sea color. There are doubtless many ships more tastefully ornamented with carving, gilding and other excrescences; but for beauty of model, strength of construction and completeness of equipment aloft, she has no superior. It is but reasonable to presume that, with a fair chance, she will make the quickest voyage ever performed under canvas. We consider her not only an honor to her enterprising builder, but to the country at large. Americans on distant seas may refer to her with national pride, and challenge a comparison from the commercial navies of the world. She is well named the Sovereign of the Seas of Boston. * edited OUR UNCONDITIONAL GUARANTEE: If not completely satisfied with your purchase it may be returned, if without damage, within three days of receipt in its original condition and packaging. Returns must be insured for their full value. All that is required is a prior email authorization by us for the return. Unfortunately, no refund can be made for the cost of shipping, packaging and handling unless we are at fault.    Buy this historic half hull model now! It reeks of history of the Clipper Ship Era. It will make a  great addition to your office, den or family room.

INTERNATIONAL BUYERS WELCOME, but contact us first. We have customers in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Martinique, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Nova Scotia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, USVI and the Eastern Caribbean. SHIPPING & PACKING: The cost of shipping, packing, handling, and insurance to your destination, is an additional charge. You may email us to get these costs. We price our very special packing and shipping honestly, but we expect to be reimbursed for the nominal cost of packaging materials and handling. ACCEPTED FORMS OF PAYMENT are Bank wire transfer, cashier's check, money order, or personal check in which case the item will be held until cleared. No credit cards or PayPal accepted on big ticket items. Buy this very special relic of maritime history Now! What a great find for that special person who can appreciate and afford something unusual.  Copyright 2007 by Land And Sea Collection™, All Rights Reserved