La MAHONESA 34-gun Spanish frigates - 1789

he Spanish frigates of the last third of the XVIIIth century were the end-product of more than one century of evolution of this type of ship-of-war which was lighter, handled better, and was faster than all its predecessors.

DOCUMENTATION

The Mahonesa was a 34 12-pdrs frigate built at Mahon by the engineer Honorat de Bouyon.

The Mahonesa is 46 meters long frigate, the first of aseries of six light frigates also built at the Mahon (Minorca) shipyard on plans by Joseph Romero de Landa. Armed with 26 12-pdrs and eight 6-pdrs with a crew of 270 that could go up to more than 400 in wartime.

A plan of the frigate Mahonesa, captured in 1794 by the British, is preserved in the English archives has been used, along with a report written a few days after her launch, for the reconstruction of the frigate.

The reader and modeler will find in this work a study of the development of the frigates in the Spanish Navy in the second half of the XVIIIth century, the participants in the modernization of the Spanish Navy, the detailed study of the construction of the frigate, as well as the state of the Mahon shipyard at the time of her construction.

This monograph includes all the information necessary for the modeler to produce a quality admiralty-style model. He whole structure has been drawn as well as all the pieces necessary to build the hull, masts and rigging.

COMPOSITION OF THE WORK

Presented in a blue cloth-covered box in the 24x31 cm format with a 160 pages booklet in full color and a 16 pages pamphlet also in full color, with photographs of the model in construction and the 29 1/48 scale plates necessary for the construction of the hull in admiralty style including the following chapters:

List of chapters

1. Historical chapter

Historical context of the moment, history and characteristics of the frigate Mahonesa

2. Principles of construction

A lengthy chapter containing detailed commentaries on the construction process to be found in the monograph.

3. Commentaries on the plates

All the plates in the monograph are in reduced format, commented in detail indicating the most important in each one, completed with notes on the rigging, the sails and the belaying points of the running rigging.

4. Lumber specifications

This chapter includes long notes on the frigate's painting and commentaries on the 64 photos of the model in construction.

5. Description of the rigging

The complete rigging of the frigate is explained in detail in this expanded chapter and is completed with tables of measurements of the rigging offered at the 1/36, 1/48 or 1/72 mm.

Size of the model
Scale of the model : 72 / 48 / 36

List of Plates:

Pl. n°1 – Schematic elevatiion and body plan
Pl. n°2 – Elevation and overall view of the frames
Pl. n°3 – Fore-and-aft structure, part 1 and part 2
Pl. n°4 – Elevation and timber structure
Pl. n°5-7 – Frames
Pl. n°8 – Cant frames
Pl. n°9 – Riders
Pl. n°10 – fore-and-aft view and inside accomodations
Pl. n°11 – Hull planking
Pl. n°12 – Fore-and-aft section
Pl. n°13 – The hold, part 1
Pl. n°14 – The hold, part 2
Pl. n°15 – The orlop deck, structure
Pl. n°16 - The gundeck, structure
Pl. n°17 – The forecastle and quarterdeck
Pl. n°18 – the completed hull, overhead view
Pl. n°19 – Details of the head and stern
Pl. n°20 – Cross-sections
Pl. n°21 – Deck beams and knees
Pl. n°22 – Furniture
Pl. n°23 – Masts
Pl. n°24 – Ship's boats
Pl. n°25 – 26 – Sails
Pl. n°27 – Head and stern views
Pl. n°28 – Belaying plan
Pl. n°29 – La Mahonesa under sail (1/96).

ARTILLERIE 1/2 Série :

13 Canons de 24
4 Canons de 12
1 Canons bronze de 6

Author : Adrian SOROLLA Fermin URTIZBEREA