Ranger – English fish transport cutter from 1847
The Ranger was a fast English fishing transport sailing vessel, built in 1847 by Thomas Harvey’s shipyard in Wivenhoe on the Essex coast. The elegant, single-masted cutter belonged to the famous Short Blue Fleet of the Hewett shipping family from Barking, one of the most important centres of British deep-sea fishing in the 19th century.
Measuring 74 feet 3 inches in length – approximately 22.6 metres – and with a tonnage of around 52 tonnes, the Ranger was significantly sleeker and faster than the traditional fishing vessels of her time. She was launched on 11 November 1847 and set out on her maiden voyage as early as 25 November. The ship was commissioned by Samuel Hewett, who expanded his father Scrymgeour Hewett’s fishing fleet and fundamentally modernised the fish trade with London.
Until then, many fishing sailing vessels had to transport their catch to market themselves. So-called ‘well smacks’ were particularly common; these transported live fish in a container within the hull through which seawater flowed. However, these vessels were heavy, comparatively slow and expensive to maintain. As London’s demand for fish grew, a faster and more economical method of transport became necessary.
Samuel Hewett therefore developed the so-called ‘Fleeting System’. The actual fishing vessels remained in the fishing grounds for extended periods, whilst specially built, fast cutters regularly collected the catch and transported it to the markets. The Ranger was one of these early sailing ships built specifically for fish transport.
The handover of the catch took place on the open sea and required considerable seafaring skill from the crews. Small dinghies ferried the wooden crates filled with fish to the transport cutters, often in rough seas and difficult weather conditions. The fishing fleet operated under the command of a fleet admiral, who co-ordinated the daily fishing and handover operations. On average, a transport cutter could take on board around 500 crates of fish, totalling some 40 tonnes of cargo.
Once the cargo was on board, the race to the market began. Depending on the wind and distance, the fast cutters usually took between one and three days to make the return journey. As fresh fish commanded particularly high prices, every hour saved could influence the economic success of a voyage. The transport cutters were therefore renowned for their excellent sailing qualities and were sailed with a large sail area even in heavy weather. They were particularly famous for their speed when tacking into the wind.
However, the development of this transport fleet also brought about social changes. Because the fishing vessels could now remain at sea for considerably longer, their crews sometimes had to manage without returning home for months on end. As early as 1844, this led to a major strike by fishermen in Barking, which forced a reorganisation of working hours.
With the introduction of steam-powered fish transport vessels and the expansion of the railway, fast sailing transport later became increasingly less important. According to historical ship registers, the Ranger itself was lost in October 1868. Her construction and operational history document an important transitional period between traditional sailing fisheries and the industrially organised supply of fish to Great Britain.
The Ranger model kit from Vanguard Models
Vanguard Models has produced the Ranger as a detailed wooden model kit on a scale of 1:64. Chris Watton’s design combines the elegant lines of a historic gaff-rigged cutter with a well-thought-out construction and high-quality materials. With its slender hull, long bowsprit and distinctive sail rigging, the Ranger differs markedly from the wider ‘well smacks’ designed for fishing.
The hull is constructed using the classic frame-and-plank method. Laser-cut components made from MDF and wood form the sturdy framework and facilitate the precise alignment of the hull’s shape. The planking is applied in two layers: a first layer of lime wood forms the base, whilst the second layer of fine pear wood provides the final finish. The meticulous detailing of the slender hull lines is an essential part of the model-making process.
The deck consists of precisely laser-cut and engraved maple wood. Pre-fitted plank joints and suggested wooden nails give the deck a true-to-scale structure. This eliminates the need for time-consuming individual planking, whilst retaining the characteristic wooden appearance.
The fittings of the transport cutter deserve special attention. Cargo hatches, deck fittings, lashing points and the various ship’s controls recreate the working environment of a historic fish transporter. Two etched brass sheets contain numerous intricate components, whilst high-resolution 3D-printed parts add further details to the fittings.
The model also includes a small cutter’s dinghy, as was required for transferring the catch between the fishing vessels and the transport ship. The dinghy combines a 3D-printed hull with complementary wooden parts and forms a small model in its own right within the kit.
The rigging presents a particularly appealing challenge. The single mast, the main boom and the gaff are made from round walnut timbers. Together with the long bowsprit, they create the typical silhouette of a high-performance English gaff cutter. The rigging comprises standing and running rigging with shrouds, stays, blocks and other fittings. Black and natural-coloured rigging twine in various thicknesses is included in the kit.
The Ranger can be displayed both with sails set and without sails. It is precisely the wide-spanning gaff rig and the slender hull proportions that make the finished fish transport cutter a particularly elegant historical model ship.
Construction and contents
The kit has been designed to provide a well-structured introduction even for model-makers with limited experience in building historical wooden ship models. The precision-machined components facilitate assembly, whilst the double hull planking and the more challenging rigging offer the opportunity to further develop one’s skills. Basic experience in working with wood and model-making tools is an advantage.
The contents include laser-cut and engraved components made from MDF and pear wood, lime and pear wood strips for the double hull planking, the laser-engraved maple deck, and round walnut timbers for the mast and spars. Also included are two etched brass plates, high-resolution 3D-printed parts, the materials for the small dinghy, as well as rigging twine, blocks, thimbles and other fittings required for construction.
The detailed, colour-illustrated assembly instructions guide you through the individual stages of construction. Eleven plan sheets are also included, comprising drawings for constructing the masts, spinnakers and rigging. This ensures that detailed documentation is available even for the more complex stages of construction.
Note on contents: The premium sail set shown in the manufacturer’s photos is available separately and is not included in the standard kit. The crew figures and additional transport crates shown are also optional accessories. Paints, adhesives and model-making tools are also required separately.
The Ranger results in a finely detailed display model of an extraordinary historic working vessel. Unlike classic warships, the focus here is on speed, the elegant hull shape and the technical development of merchant shipping. It is precisely the combination of fascinating fishing history, intricate rigging and high-quality wooden components that makes this model kit particularly appealing.
Technical Specifications
Scale: 1:64
Length: 517 mm
Width: 94 mm
Height: 487 mm
