SS Fushimi Maru - Japanese Steamer - 1914-1943

[Courageous]

Hi guys, welcome to my proposed build for 2021, after I have finished my tug that is. As the title says, this will be a scratch build of the Japanese steam ship, Fushimi Maru.

 

She was laid in 1913, launched in 1914 and her first voyage in 1915. Built primarily for the NYK’s European Routes with a typical routing in the 1920s were Yokohama, Kobe, Moji, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malacca, Penang, Colombo, Aden, Suez, Port Said, Naples, Marseilles, Gibraltar and London.

 

Why may ask, why this ship? It’s a family history connection where sometime after WW1, a Spanish ancestor of my partner, travels from Gibraltar to London. I suggested ‘would you like me to build your Grandma’s ship and here I am, albeit a few years later?

 

Anyways, the Fushimi Maru sailed her European routes until the outbreak of WW2, where upon she was pressed into military service as a troop ship. Unfortunately for her, she was sunk by the submarine USS Tarpon in 1943.

 

Searches found little, most being postcards that show very little detail and images that tend to be from the 1930’s, neither showing the detail needed to reproduce a model of the 1919 era. I did come across this photo a couple of years ago:

 

Once a museum exhibit at the Mariners Museum, Virginia, USA of all places.

 

I approached the museum with the view of getting more details about the model and maker but at the time, my request fell on deaf ears and the project went on the back burner. I tried again a year later and must have contacted the right person at the right time, put my questions forward and to my surprise, the museum sent me a copy of a publication 'International Maritime Engineering' Vol. XX No. 7 and dated July 1915. Struck gold is all I can say, a very useful document indeed containg descriptions of things ranges from berths, holds, engines, boats, winches, etc and also had a Profile and deck plans.

 

Brilliant!

 

Further requests were made about the model or its maker but nothing could be found. I asked about the possibility of photos of the model exhibit and to my surprise, a member of staff was asked to liaise with myself about photos. In the end, I got about 20 images of the exhibit from stem to sten, both sides, with some nice close-ups…and they didn’t ask for a dime and declined a donation.

 

 

Why can’t more places like this exist?

 

I will be building a waterline model and I don’t think I’ll have any problems with the mid-section or the bow but the stern under section leading to the rudder is problematic to someone who doesn’t have a clue, unclear images or lack of profiles to get the curves. I’m thinking plastic but would wood be a better option for the hull? I chose the scale of 1/350, hoping to find generic offerings to make things easier but it doesn’t seem to be that easy as yet. Later on in the build, I'll be looking at possible cutom 3D options for the winches, custom PE for the davits and as for the boats...

 

Until then.

Stuart

 

 

 

[Orso]

Interesting project.

Have a look at these two builds:

https://www.ipmsstockholm.se/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8297

https://www.ipmsstockholm.se/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9694

 

Text is i Swedish but I think that the pictures are enough the explain how he built the hull.

[Bandsaw Steve]

Brilliant!

 

I remember you discussing this during my Carpathia build and I am really looking forward to this. I love models with family connections.

 

Hull from plastic or wood? I’m sure you know what I would say!

 

👍

 

 

 

[bootneck]

1 hour ago, Courageous said:

Hi guys, welcome to my proposed build for 2021, after I have finished my tug that is. As the title says, this will be a scratch build of the Japanese steam ship, Fushimi Maru.the museum sent me a copy of a publication 'International Maritime Engineering' Vol. XX No. 7 and dated July 1915. Struck gold is all I can say, a very useful document indeed containg descriptions of things ranges from berths, holds, engines, boats, winches, etc and also had a Profile and deck plans.

 

 

Hi Stuart,

 

I also have a liking for Japanese merchant ships, although I build mine to 1:1200 scale.  As such, I have quite a few g.a. diagrams of Japanese merchant vessels like the one above.  If you fancy building any more, let me know what vessel and I may be able to help.

 

cheers,

Mike

[Courageous]

1 hour ago, Orso said:

Have a look at these two builds:

Thanks for the links Björn, any help is appreciated.

1 hour ago, Bandsaw Steve said:

I’m sure you know what I would say!

Obviously wood but don't have all the 'weaponary' to sort it but I'm still keeping it as an option. How would I fix plastic/ brass to form the bulwarks?

14 minutes ago, bootneck said:

If you fancy building any more, let me know what vessel and I may be able to help.

Cheers Mike, I'll bare it in mind. I suppose it'll depend on how well this goes.

 

Stuart

 

[Terry1954]

An ambitious but very interesting build subject. Custom 3D printing and custom etch too. My distant future has a scratch built ship of some description, so will follow this one with much interest.

 

Terry

[Courageous]

10 minutes ago, Terry1954 said:

ambitious but very interesting build subject.

It is indeed Terry. I'm waiting to collect the scaled-up profile and deck plan from the shop and from their I can see how I want to tackle things like the winches. I think they'll be to small for me to scratch. Other samll things that I think will be difficult to produce will be the davits. According to the publication, this ship was fitted with Welin davits for the life boats and I was drawn to the PE set for Titanic but unfortunately they're for the quadrant type and are to big, so PE could be the way if I can't scratch them but then again, they are rather small...

 

Stuart

[Dancona]

Great project, this will make a very attractive model, I think I will pull up a pew if you don't mind  !!

 

Cheers

 

David

[mdesaxe]

On 11/1/2020 at 8:06 AM, Courageous said:

I think they'll be to small for me to scratch

I know that Infini make a variety of 1:350-scale winches so you might want to explore what they have. I seem to recall that use of Welin davits for Titanic was proposed but turned down by the White Star board within minutes as using up too much deck space aboard an unsinkable ship.

 

If you decide to use plastic, it might help you to know that you can 'manipulate' plastic sheet in a similar way to card to form compound curves (like on my current Prinz Adalbert project). The only caveat is that you need to use a lubricant - olive oil works well! (Actually, most vegetable oils will work but never use synthetics because they can attack the plastic.)

 

On a side note, I do not know if you are aware that Maru just means 'round' and is a holdover from the description of Japanese sailing merchant ships.

 

What a great project!

 

Maurice

[Courageous]

1 hour ago, Dancona said:

I think I will pull up a pew if you don't mind

Cheers David and you're more than welcome to pull  up a pew, just hope I can do her justice.

22 minutes ago, mdesaxe said:

I seem to recall that use of Welin davits for Titanic was proposed but turned down by the White Star board within minutes as using up too much deck space aboard an unsinkable ship.

Sorry Maurice but their are numerous photos of the wreck Titantic showing the Welin quadrant davits but I'm after the 'half quadrant(?) type that look like this:

 they are nearly half the size as those used on Titanic.

I'll have to take a look at this plastic bending technique. And thanks for the Maru translation.

 

Stuart

 

[JohnWS]

A fun build to watch Stuart.  I'm looking forward to following along. 

 

John

[Iceman 29]

I settle down on the sofa with a few beers!  

 

 

[Courageous]

15 hours ago, JohnWS said:

A fun build to watch Stuart.  I'm looking forward to following along.

 

9 hours ago, Iceman 29 said:

I settle down on the sofa with a few beers!

Welcome John and Pascal. I doubt that masters of detail like you guys will learn much from me except how 'not' to do it.

 

1/350 plans collected from the printers yesterday. No line drawings at moment but might be able to find something useful.

 

Stuart

[Courageous]

Right then maritime folk, need some help in working out what's required at the stern. I cannot find any stern pics of the Fushimi Maru but stumbling across this ships list for the NYK, it states that in 1938 Fushimi Maru was renamed to Husimi Maru and then I found this:

...which is great but I still don't know how to work out the correct profile from this.

 

So, from the scaled-up drawings just acquired, I focused on its rear...oooh err!

The waterline is about 'Tween Deck' level as far as I can tell.

 

The deck at the top is the Upper Deck, the bottom is Second Deck (Tween Dech?). Is there a way to work out the curves in this area?

 

Regrads

Stuart

 

 

[Iceman 29]

https://www.wrecksite.eu/imgBrowser.aspx?74789#

 

https://maritime.org/doc/id/oni208j-japan-merchant-ships/pg051.htm

 

 

 

 

 

[robgizlu]

Fascinating project Stuart - That was god to hear about the museum's kindness.

I'll be very interested if you get to the stage of designing your own etch.

Rob

[mdesaxe]

On 11/3/2020 at 5:59 AM, Courageous said:

s there a way to work out the curves in this area?

 

These lines drawings for a 1915 steamer might help (from my files).

 

 

Sheer plan.

 

 

Body plan

 

Waterline plan.

 

You might have to scale up or down but the fundamental shapes will be quite close to what you need.

 

Maurice

 

[Courageous]

2 hours ago, robgizlu said:

Fascinating project Stuart

Welcome aboard Rob, it is, just hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew. As for designing the PE, never done it before...

2 hours ago, mdesaxe said:

You might have to scale up or down but the fundamental shapes will be quite close to what you need.

Thanks Maurice, I'll see what I can do with it.

 

Stuart

[wifflesnoop]

I'll be following this build with interest.  I started scratch building the sister ship 'Suwa Maru' in 1/700 with very limited data (mainly photos and the profile from ONI 208J) so the availability of the plans for Fushimi Maru came at just the right time. 

[Courageous]

1 hour ago, wifflesnoop said:

I'll be following this build with interest.

Follow away. I need to clear the bench of other subjects first. You mention Fushimi Maru plans, are you talking about those above or are you actually talking proper plans?

How does your own Suwa Maru build fair, would be nice what you've done so far? I have a lovely photo of the Suwa and also have photos of a museum model of the Fushimi, if you're interested, PM me.

 

Stuart

 

[Iceman 29]

About Davits:

 

I'm going to do a print test.

 

Here's what it looks like when you transpose the scales. Maybe it can work!

 

 

 

 

 

Quote

I have nothing in writing stating the length of the lifeboats but my scaled up drawing puts them as 27' long.

 

 

Stuart

 

[Courageous]

4 hours ago, Iceman 29 said:

I'm going to do a print test.

Kind of you Pascal. Don't know if this view would help with arm length.

 

Stuart

[Iceman 29]

I will adjust them

The hoists must be in line with the lifeboat hooks, which is not the case on this model.

We will get closer to the configuration for the arms of a 30-foot Olympic class lifeboat.

 

[Iceman 29]

The printing is rather good and precise without retouching.
I broke a crank when I removed the shapes.

 

 

 

 

[Courageous]

3 hours ago, Iceman 29 said:

The printing is rather good and precise without retouching.

Very impressive Pascal. I am quite surprised that were able to print with so few problems. Am I to take it that you have designs for LH single, RH single and doubles?

 

Stuart