Ship Department Article

Model Ship Wanderer

One of the most satisfying and interesting parts of the model
ship hobby is building small replicas of famous ships. There are
a great deal of famous ships, as well as infamous ships. If one
is interested in an infamous ship, laden with a tragic history,
learning about and then building the model ship Wanderer is an
exercise in one of the most shameful parts of the history of the
United States.

Ostensibly, the vessel on which the model ship Wanderer is based
was meant to be a pleasure yacht for a sportsman from New York.
Indeed, when one looks at the model, it appears to be just that.
However, it was almost immediately after its completion in 1857,
Wanderer was purchased by a group of Southerners, who refitted
it to carry cargo. Even though it had been illegal to import
slaves to the U.S. since 1808, slavery itself was not outlawed,
and there were some ships that made the attempt to bring newer
slaves from Africa on occasion. Wanderer was just such a ship.

The model ship Wanderer copies the features of the graceful and
elegant (and fast -- up to 20 knots) of the original vessel.
There are surviving documents and plans that allow model
builders and kit manufacturers to create miniature replicas of
this ship. By constructing a scale model ship Wanderer, one can
get an idea of the proportions of the large sails, 106-foot
length, and the trim, streamlined shape could hold four hundred
slaves (the actual ship Wanderer unloaded her human merchandise
in Jekyll Island, Georgia, in 1859 after a trip to Africa. The
model is just as elegant as the original, and can be found as
part of a kit, that one can build oneself, or purchased
completely assembled and ready for display. The beauty of the
ship belies its history of tragedy and broken dreams.

The inspiration for the model ship Wanderer was not always a
harbinger of captivity. After her career as a slaver, she did
move on to more noble work. In 1863 Wanderer became part of the
U.S. Navy fleet. However, after she was sold at auction in 1865,
her later career is largely unknown. However, with some
research, it would probably be possible to learn a little bit
more about one of the more infamous of ships. Regardless of the
original’s final fate, however, the model ship Wanderer makes a
beautiful addition to any model ship collection.