The New History of Machteld's Dagger

What a name, right? Well, the situation is this. Machteld, as I envisioned it, does not make sense. We've been over that. But the thing is, I just can't reconcile it. The Dutch didn't build with teak, a semi-privateer wouldn't be able to operate that way (not for long, anyway!), and there are just too many holes. Essentially what I was doing was crafting a pirate story, or possibly a heroic Golden Age story. Either could be fun, but simply don't fit with the period I have my heart set on and, frankly, enjoy the most.

Instead.

The ship in question will be Dageraad, 18, built 1780 in Amsterdam. She will be taken by the English in 1781 near Saldhana Bay (not in the actual battle, mind! Just like Aubrey, we'll set things near, not at or during.) The English will have entered her as Dagger, and all but immediately laid her up, because, well, what officer would want a ship like that?

Following that, Dagger will be sold off in 1795, and a exiled Dutch captain will purchase her. He'll also come by letters of marque and reprisal, and exception from impressment. He'll sail Dagger to the East Indies, intent on at least somewhat representing Dutch interests there/"supporting their British allies."

On the way there, from weather and action, maybe a reef, Dagger will be badly damaged, and he hauls her up for repairs. Those repairs see Dagger essentially rebuilt - with teak! Her heart, the framing, will remain good, honest, strong Dutch oak, but her armour will be teak. Since the ship will be restored (and improved), the captain sees fit to restore her name, and she will be Dageraad once more. He will also fit her with a lion figurehead painted red.

So that's my compromise on having a Dutch-built teak privateer. And it's one I think I can actually live with.

Machtold off

So Machteld doesn't entirely make sense, from a quote-unquote lore standpoint.

There was no Dutch colonial shipbuilding, or at least, no large-scale shipbuilding. Not that I can find. The only substantiated evidence I can find at ALL is that there wasn't, so, I have to back that, instead of the occasional article that says "the VOC used teak for shipbuilding." And I suppose they did use it for repairs.

But I found a very vague reference about Hohlenberg "confess[ing to] having been inspired by a Dutchman" regarding his pinched stern, which Machteld sports. So I mean... I'm willing to accept that the ship was built by a private yard, in the Netherlands, of transported teak, and just discarded because of its weirdness until our brave captain got a hold of it back in the East Indies.

It just... isn't entirely historically accurate. But I suppose I can always just make a whole fake setting inspired by the Napoleonic Wars/the Age of Sail.

Hmmm....

Machteld

As I mentioned, Civil, after all my abuse of her, matched the dimensions of a captured Danish ship called either Elben, Elven, or Elvin, depending on whom you ask and whom she was sailed by. Regardless, there's not much information on the ship. The British made a draft of her semi-sister Gluckstadt.

But it's not complete. However, thanks to the absolutely incredible staff of the Orlogsmuseet, I was able to see some pictures of the partial models that exist there of the Elben.

Bow and stern. While I'd love a full model, those pictures provided by the museum were more than enough, and gave me what I needed to complete the shape of Civil.

Wait, what?

I am very, very pleased with the results, though admittedly slightly confused by the stern - as no doubt were the British, since all three ships of this semi-class laid in ordinary for years and years. But, as to the name? Well I've decided to change things up. Civil is no longer going to have been a Dromadarie-class, nor even a Danish ship. Instead it's going to have been a (possibly Danish-inspired) VOC ship built in Java - of teak - and set aside for some years due to its odd nature. It then becomes claimed by a Dutch captain who gathers a crew of anti-French Dutch and sails as a privateer pirate, like the Geuzen 200 years before. Now, I admit, I've been hesitant about alt-history before, but I'm giving way, a little, with this ship. I've just so fallen in love with it, I'm allowing myself some romantic notions about its history and career.

As to the name, in one version of the song or legend of Heer Halewijn - an evil king who ensnares maidens with his magical song - the maiden who frees herself and kills him is named Machteld. What better inspiration for Dutch rebels against Napoleon? Again, very romantic, I grant, but so sue me.

Put him in the brig until he's sober

So, brig.

Took the top deck off, the stain is the layer of glue beginning to come through. But I put a dip in the nose. On purpose, actually, but it looked silly. So...

So now it has a rounded bow. I'm pleased with the shape but I might give it some more work later. It turns out that at these dimensions (length 3.68 times breadth) it scales up to within inches of the Danish Elvin, which the British captured, but never draughted. I'm trying to track down a model of it but unless I can, I'll just call this a fictional Danish ship.

To brig or not to brig?

Civil is proving.... educational.

And a pain in the ass.

Much more sanding, fine this time, and her lines still aren't great. Wood glue as patches here and there.

But all that to one side.

Originally once I was happy with it, Civil's measurements matched up with the French Dromadarie class of flutes, one of which the English captured and entered, two of which the French turned into frigates for round-the-world scientific expeditions. I thought, well hey, converted transport, that would make a great privateer or hired vessel, maybe for a Dutch captain?

Turns out most of the class were wrecked. 62.5%, in fact, including the science frigates.

The problem, as best as I can tell, is simply their size and weight. Despite being 4.70 times longer than they are wide (hah!) which English wisdom tells us they should be extremely fast, they just were not weatherly at all. Maybe they were too tall? Maybe too long?

I don;t know why so many wrecked, but the fact is that they were more like the dreaded sixth-rate than anything else, unable to fight or flee.

And besides, now Civil is shorter than them, anyway.

So then I got thinking, well, I'll sand away the "top deck" of Civil, and call it a fictional brig. But that's a lot of material to just turn into dust, so I'm not committed to that plan, yet. And if I DO cut Civil down to a brig, I'm not sure how to rig her. I suspect I'd go with a true brig, but I suppose she could be ship-rigged. I think, though, that ship-rigged brigs were not as fast. But I may be misinterpreting that data. Also if it's to be a privateer, brig-rig means less men.

I dunno. I hate to ruin the hull, but considering it was going to be scrap anyway, maybe it's worth experimenting.

Developing Civily

Finally back at the ships. I've more-or-less decided not to paint Essence, the gunports are just too much of a mess, but Expeditious is going to be my painting guinea pig, probably tomorrow. In the meantime, I've started work rigging Essence.

And with that drying, I set myself polishing up Electryone's lines a little bit.

The bow still needs a little work, but I'm much happier with her overall shape.

After that, I wondered what I could make of the first, failed Electryone, and just started sanding and sanding until I had a pleasing shape.

Say hello to HM sloop Civil, late the French flute Civelle. As I said, I just sanded and sanded away, and then took the measurements, did the scale, and went looking for a real ship with matching measurements. I came across the French Dromadarie class transport. But, several of them did serve as warships, either as sloops or frigates. Initially armed with 20 French 6pdrs, the Royal Navy have rearmed her with 18 24pdr carronades.

Now, the shape is not exact, since I haven't found plans for the class yet. But it's close enough that with quarter galleries and maybe a little more work on her lines, I'm not too concerned.

The shipyard at the moment.

The line is starting to form.