More help needed with HMS Rodney's ships boats

[Courageous]

Hi All,

As I near the end game for my HMS Rodney build in the GB section, I have a question. The more I look at pictures of Rodney in the 40's I question when Tamiya's 1/700 time frame is, I have decided to build her OOB. So many pics on the IWM show Rodney with no boats hanging from davits, just those on the boat deck. I have location holes for the davits that are too late to fill and paint but have to be fitted. Available pics of when Rodney had her davit boats, show her with them hung out, the same as the kit instructions. IIRC the davits are round in section and could rotate to bring the boats inboard and so to my question. Can I depict the boats inboard and out, and would they be secured with 'cross tapes'?

TIA

Stuart

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

Hi Stuart, most of the pre-war photographs I have of the class at sea show the boats inboard where they won't get smashed by heavy seas, and there's a mixture of showing them with or without those strap things. 

[Dave Swindell]

8 hours ago, Courageous said:

would they be secured with 'cross tapes'?

 

42 minutes ago, Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies said:

those strap things

Gripes - used to secure boats in davits when not in use

If the boats is readied for immediate use (eg a crash boat) it will be secured using tricing pendants and/or bowsing tackles

[Rich75]

Hi thought I'd share these, mainly on the off chance you hadn't seen them already, from the RA Burt book

 

 

 

Apologies if they're the same as IWM

[Courageous]

14 hours ago, Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies said:

show the boats inboard

Cheers Jamie. As a matter of interest, does you pics of inboard boats show the 'gripes' or just outboard facing?

13 hours ago, Dave Swindell said:

Gripes

New nautical term for me, thanks Dave.

13 hours ago, Rich75 said:

share these

Thanks for the pics Rich.

 

Stuart

 

 

[Dave Swindell]

1 hour ago, Courageous said:

As a matter of interest, does you pics of inboard boats show the 'gripes' or just outboard facing?

Gripes are the diagonal straps fitted on the outboard side of the ships boats when they are hung off the davits, they prevent the boat swinging by securing it against the davits or a "griping spar" secured between the davits.

Refering to @Rich75's photo's above, the gripes can clearly be seen in Nelson 32, and the griping spars can be seen between davits for the stbd boats in Nelson 37, they have a couple of "puddings" towards the middle, soft padding to cushion the boat against the spar. This is an intermediate stowage arrangement with the boat swung out over the side but securely stowed for when the boat is going to be used in the near future.

 

If the boat isn't required for use it would generally be swung inboard on the davits and lowered into chocks and the falls removed, the boat could then be covered and lashed down to secure it to the deck, Rodney 39 & 40.

 

It can also be swung inboard and secured with the gripes whilst suspended on the falls (see inset on diagram below)

 

If the boat is to be readied for immediate use, the bowsing tackles (multi purchase blocks with hooks) would be fitted between the davit and the boat falls suspension ring, pulled tight and secured in the boat and cleated (one at each end). The gripes could then be removed. The boat crew could board and keep the boat secure against the davits with the bowsing tackle, when ready to lower they can pay these out to allow the boat to swing away from the davits and griping spar then removed before the boat is lowered to the water with the falls. The boats in Rodney 37 appear to be secured with bowsing tackles (note how they tilt slightly outboard due to being pulled inboard by the tackles)

 

Tricing pendants are more associated with gravity davits, they are fitted between the boat falls suspension ring and a point inboard on the davits, and they pull the boat inboard as it is lowered to the embarcation level so the boat sits snugly against the ships side, once in this position the bowsing tackles can be fitted and the tricing pendants removed. I've not seen reference to them being used with radial davits

 

[S-boat 55]

This is the great thing about this forum, I was looking at bits for my Taiho as I finish her off and wondering the same things about the ships boats and all the bits you add to the davits etc around them, without knowing what they're called it's hard to ask a question about them, then hey presto I log in tonight and here's the answer! Thanks all for sharing and apologies to hijack a little, 

Edited September 21, 2023 by S-boat 55

[Courageous]

7 hours ago, Dave Swindell said:

It can also be swung inboard and secured with the gripes whilst suspended on the falls (see inset on diagram below)

Dave, you're a diamond, that pic says it all. Thanks.

 

15 minutes ago, S-boat 55 said:

apologies to hijack a little, 

None needed.

 

Stuart