WAPAMA
Looking for free scale model ship plans? Can’t decide between a steam ship model project and wooden hull schooner? Well, Wapama is here to help you to combine both.
Wapama was built in 1915 for lumber trade and passenger service by St. Helens Shipbuilding Company , Columbia Oregon. Two masted schooner Wapama was 66.1m long and 12.9m wide with a draught of 5.8m. She accomodated 45 cabin passengers and 15 crew.
She sailed between San Francisco and north west, bringing back lumber and passengers on return. Then between San Francisco and Los Angeles, she transported cargo and cars. In 1938, she was renamed Tongass. She transported cargo, mail and passengers between Alaskan ports. In 1948 she was taken out of service.
In 1950’s, San Francisco Maritime Museum acquired the ship and made the ship seaworthy for towing, and brought her to California. They restored the ship between 1959-63, renamed as Wapama again and made her a museum ship.
In 1979, her condition deteriorated up to a point where they took her on a barge. After inspections in 1982, they covered her with a protective roofing and planned a restoration project. However, they delayed the restoration, and found not feasable. In 2013 she was dismantled. She was the last survivor of 235 wooden steam schooners built for Pacific lumber trade.
The scale model plans are in tiff format, very detailed about construction. Some information regarding the ship is also included.
You can click here to see some more photos of the ship.
You might also be interested in wooden cargo steamers, click here to see another nice scale model ship plans set.
