Yacht Chatham

H.M. Chatham Yacht was launched in Chatham dockyard in 1741, for use as a pleasure craft for the more affluent members of Georgian society.
Yachts were of Dutch origin and came to Denmark and Sweden as pleasure craft. They were introduced in Britain in 1660 when Charles II, on his return to England was presented the Yacht Mary.
In the early days, the yacht was thought of as a pleasure and transport craft only. However, they these vessels found their way back into the merchant service as well as serving very successfully as fleet reconnaissance vessels. Also, as these vessels were very fast sailor, yachts were commissioned as dispatch vessels or packet yachts.

Chatham yacht was rebuilt in 1794, again at Chatham dockyard and was not broken up until 1867, after a very long life. This kit depicts H.M. Yacht Chatham as she was after this rebuild (1794).

"Nelson’s body was placed in a cask filled with brandy on 22 October 1805 and was then transported to Gibraltar on HMS Victory, arriving there on 28 October 1805. In Gibraltar the brandy was replaced by spirits of wine to preserve the body. On 4 November HMS Victory set sail from Gibraltar, reaching England on 4 December 1805. On 11 December 1805 her surgeon William Beatty performed an autopsy on Nelson’s body, extracting the musket ball that had killed him. Nelson’s body was then placed in a lead coffin filled with brandy. On the 21 December the lead coffin was opened and the body was placed in another coffin made from L’Orient’s mainmast - a French ship that had been destroyed in the Battle of the Nile - a present given to Nelson in 1799 from Benjamin Hallowell, then captain of HMS Swiftsure. The coffin was then placed in another made of lead and then another of wood. The coffin was collected by the Sheerness dockyard commissioner George Grey’s official yacht Chatham on 23 December from HMS Victory moored in the River Medway and taken up the Thames to Greenwich Hospital. The coffin was collected on 25 December at Greenwich Hospital and placed in a private room until 4 January 1806."

Le yacht Chatham a été lancé des arsenaux de Chatham en 1741, en tant que bateau de plaisance pour les membres les plus aisés de la société géorgienne (NdT; période allant de 1714 à 1837 ou tous les souverains anglais s'appelaient Georges).

Les yachts sont d’origine hollandaise et ont été utilisés au Danemark et en Suède comme bateaux de plaisance. Ils ont été introduits en Grande Bretagne en 1660 quand Charles II, de retour en Angleterre a reçu en présent le Yacht Mary.

En leurs débuts, les yacht étaient considérés seulement comme des bateaux récréatifs ou de transport. Néanmoins, ces navires se retrouvèrent vite employés dans la marine marchande et aussi utilisés comme navires de reconnaissance par la marine. Aussi, comme ces navires étaient très rapides, les yachts ont été utilisés pour transmettre des dépêches ou des colis.

Le yacht Chatham a été intégralement refondu en 1794, également dans les chantiers de Chatham, et n’a été déconstruit qu’en 1867, après une très longue carrière.

Le kit montre le Chatham tel qu’il était après sa refonte (1794).

wills a écrit:J'entend beaucoup parler de la marque, pour la qualité des matériaux et des décorations tu pourrais m'en en dire plus, merci.