Ships, Folk Art, and Whimsey in Bottles

From the Artist, Igor Brekhuntsov: "This is my new model - Lifeboat RS1 Colin Archer - BOTTLE built in the scale 1/230. The famous Norwegian rescue vessel "Colin Archer" was built in Rekkevik, Norway in 1893 and served the Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue for 40 years. The boat is still under sail and is owned by The Norwegian Maritime Museum in Oslo. It was a 47? double-ender with heavy displacement, a long keel with 7 tons of iron ballast, three watertight compartments, and the signature Scandinavian (canoe) stern. The beam was over 16?, draft 7?, displacement 35 tons. The great beam and flare made it stable for easy boarding, with a continuous deck and small house that could withstand waves crashing onboard. Mainsail, mizzen, staysail, jib and a topsail of very heavy canvas made a total of 1200 square feet of sail area. Its features were all aimed at survival and utility in violent short seas and the ability to tow (under sail) fishing vessels that had lost their rigs, so it was under-canvassed in pleasant weather. At the launch in late July 1893, the ship was named after its designer, ‘RS1 Colin Archer.’ After 40 years of service, the rescue cutter retired with an impressive record: it had saved 67 ships and 236 people, as well as assisting 1522 vessels. - from Marsh's Maritime Musings"