Scratch building HMS Ariel

His Majesty, King George III,  requires and commands his humble servant Harry Farthingdale, to go aboard and take command of his ship, HMS Ariel, this Year of 1774.  Proceed with all alacrity to Nassau on the Bahamas station and prosecute His Majesties Enemies in accordance with Instructions issued by the Lords of Admiralty,

Judas Ebeneezer Quilp, Naval Secretary

I'm planning a Naval game using the Bahamas Station next year.  At the moment I'm gathering charts and deciding on the format.  My characters from Quiberon Bay will transfer over, but these games will be set in 1774 during the American War of Independence, so a little leeway is needed.  Perhaps this is an earlier generation!

The one thing I really need is a 6th rate, and for that I need to scratch build.  HMS Ariel was a Sphinx class ship sloop of 20 guns that fought in the Caribbean during the AWI.  A British Sloop she was captured by the French, given to the Americans, given back to the French and then captured again by the Royal Navy.  A useful ship!

Some detail from the huge French chart of the Bahamas and Windward passage circa 1774.  Its the real deal, perfect for a naval kriegsspiel!

HMS Ariel Class and type:	20-gun Sphinx-class sixth-rate post ship
Displacement:	650 tons (French)
Tons burthen:	435​19⁄94 (bm)
Length:	108 ft (32.9 m) (gundeck); 89 ft 5 in (27.3 m) (keel)
Beam:	30 ft 3 in (9.2 m)
Depth of hold:	9 ft 7 1⁄2 in (2.9 m)
Sail plan:	Full-rigged ship
Complement:	British service:140 French service: 130 (peace) and 210 (war)
Armament:	British service:20 × 9-pounder guns

HMS Ariel was a 20 gun Ship Sloop, carrying 12pdr long guns (named "long Toms" by the tars) A Post vessel she would carry a (Junior single epaulette) Post Captain, two Lieutenants, several Midshipmen and a crew of 140.  Hornblower's first ship as a Post captain is Atropus, a Ship sloop of this type.  Ariel is well named since she is fast, even under battle sail. 

Two of the guns have been moved forward to serve as bow chasers, given Ariel's role, with ballast shifted aft to compensate.  (thank you Julian Stockwyn's Kyd series for that)  I also gave a nod to Alexander Kent in this.  When Bolitho takes command of the Sloop of War Swallow she also has two of her guns trained forward as bow chasers.

The ship draws almost 12 feet in draught, but that is far smaller than a frigate which could be over three fathoms.  The tidal range in the Carribean is micro tidal to around a maximum of 20 cms, but crucially the Bahamas has over a metre of tidal range, and with half a fathom to play for a chart reads as averages.

I took the size of the Warlord Black Seas Brig as the template for the Sloop, but extended its length to reflect the 108 feet gundeck.  The 30 ft beam is similar and needed only an extra millimeter.

Cleaning up the balsa template I cut a hard wood tongue depressor stick as the lower deck.  This will give Ariel the sheer of an 18th century warship and be far more durable under rough handling than balsa.  The stern section is from the Warlord frigate.

Having cut out the hold opening I used a thin card decking.  In theory the balsa should work well but I find that in practice it never looks right when painted.

Beams across the hold, and detail added, as well as drilling the recesses for the three masts.
I added the bow chasers on the prow, fortunately the Sloops main battery is below on the gun deck, and not visible on the quarter deck as in the Brig, so a lot less detail was needed.

Pleased with those bow chasers.  The Black Seas frigate comes with three alternate stern window sections, so I reused the double lantern one.  It looks more Mid 18th century than Napoleonic options.
The ships boats are simple balsa carvings.  I then added additional card strips to detail the hull.

The gunports are added closed up.  I used one of the Brig hulls as a dismasted model so I have the spare masts and bowsprit from that to use on Ariel.  One of the good things about this level of gaming is that I only need a handful of ships but I enjoy the idea of borrowing from Warlords kits, and let's face it, who needs six Brigs?

I added a cocktail stick third mast.  Looks a little clumsy but the next stage is the filler and that will neaten her up, as will painting.  The mast also needs a sliver of bamboo to raise it for the colours to fly from.  That sail is far too big though!

That huge sail was reduced, and I've added the other sails using stripy brown paper from a Lidl bread bag.  It crinkles a little but is thin enough to look authentic.

Rigged with the jib sail set.  All she needs now is the ratlines, and I`ve misplaced them for now!

The port side view. HMS Ariel really is faster than anything bigger bigger than anything faster.  Those 12 pounder guns are pretty heavy artillery when facing the usual 8 or 9 pdr Brig guns.  A coat of satin varnish and she will be ready to challenge the French and upstart Americans