A ship replica is a reconstruction of a no longer existing ship. Replicas can range from authentically reconstructed, fully seaworthy ships, to ships of modern construction that give an impression of a historic vessel. Some replicas may not even be seaworthy, but built for other educational or entertainment purposes.
Reasons to build a replica include historic research into shipbuilding, national pride, exposition at a museum or entertainment (e.g., for a TV series), and/or education programs for the unemployed. For example, see the project to build a replica of the Continental brig Andrew Doria.[1] Apart from building a genuine replica of the ship, sometimes the construction materials, tools and methods can also copied from the ships' original era, as is the case with the replica of Batavia in Lelystad and the ship of the line replica Delft[2] in Rotterdam (Delfshaven).
The term "replica" in this context does not normally include scale models. The term museum ship is used for an old ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public.
A ship replica may also be a generic replica, one that represents a certain type of ship rather than a particular historic example, like Kamper Kogge, replicating the Cogs that were used extensively in Northern Europe by the Hanseatic League in the Middle Ages, but where there is little knowledge of specific ships.
Some generic type replicas such as Thor Heyerdahl's Ra II, qualify as true replicas as these ships were built to investigate the craft and or culture of the original era. That they do not replicate a specific vessel is mainly because no details of such a specific vessel are available.
Some other ships that are modeled after ships of a certain type or era (and are in that sense replicas) do not qualify as true replicas. Some ships may be borderline cases, such as Kanrin Maru, which is actually twice the size of the original, but built following the plans of the original.
Replicas can be temporary, cheap and very simple, such as the replica of a Viking ship that was burnt at the Leixlip Festival.
Notable historic type ships that are not replicas include:
USS Constitution (1795) is strictly speaking not a replica but the original vessel. However, most of the ship's timber has been replaced over time, with only 10-15% of the original remaining.[3] This is a modern version of the philosopher's dilemma concerning replica versus original; known as the Ship of Theseus dilemma.
HMS Victory (1765) is still the original vessel, although unlike Constitution, she is in dry dock and does not sail. She has also been heavily restored, with only 10-15% of her original timber remaining.[4]
Mircea, which is an almost exact copy of Gorch Fock. Mircea was built as a copy because Gorch Fock was a very successful ship. Thus Mircea was not built as a replica per se, but as a copy for other reasons (i.e. to perform economically, in this case as a training vessel).
Stad Amsterdam is a generic clipper type ship combining the best qualities of clippers of the past with modern materials and technologies.
Another ambiguous case subject to the Ship of Theseus dilemma is Niagara. The original was sunk in 1820 for preservation, and the ship has been rebuilt three times since. The third reconstruction was considerably more extensive, and the only parts from the original which were retained are non-structural, leading many authorities to classify her as a replica, rather than a reconstructed original.
Notable ship replicas
Some sailing ship replicas with their home port; and key information of the original (many articles are about the original ship):
Europe, Middle East, Australia and the Americas
^a If more than one replica is made the home port of the different current ports are given in a numbered list
Austronesia
East Asia
Kanrin Maru; Minami Awaji harbour, Japan; a double-size replica of a Japanese warship
Jewel of Muscat; Omani 9th-century sailing ship built to retrace the route of the original ship from Oman to Singapore.
Ictineu II; Barcelona, Spain; a replica of the first mechanically powered steam driven submarine.
The Hjortspring Boat is replica of a Danish Iron Age rowing boat.[29]
At the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, replicas of Viking ships are built.
Various projects for building replicas of the ill-fated RMS Titanic have been proposed over the years. The first Titanic replica to actually commence construction is being built by Chinese firm Seven Star Energy Investment; by summer 2021, the hull is essentially complete and construction of the superstructure is beginning. The ship will not sail on any ocean, but be permanently docked on a river in Sichuan province to function as the main attraction for the Romandisea Seven Star International Cultural Tourism Resort.[30][31][32]
Various "replicas" of Noah's Ark have been built. Whether they are properly regarded as "replicas" depends on whether one takes the Biblical flood story as mythology or fact. Since the Biblical description of the vessel is very brief beyond the basic measures, the exact design of any "replica" is necessarily conjectural.
^"Andrew Doria - The First Salute, Inc". Retrieved 2012-08-18.
^ a b"Het oorspronkelijke schip 'De Delft'" (in Dutch). Historische werf Rotterdams Welvaren. Retrieved 2012-08-18.
^"FAQ". Collections & History. USS Constitution Museum. Archived from the original on 2011-09-30. Retrieved 2012-08-18.
^"Interview: HMS Victory's Commanding Officer, Lt Cdr John Scivier". Archived from the original on 12 December 2009. Retrieved 2012-08-18.
^"Diving into History: Min of the Desert". Archaeology. Retrieved 2017-02-24.
^"How Hatshepsut Helped Build The Good Ship Min. Min of the Desert takes to the sea". Zenobia: Empress of the East. 20 January 2013. Retrieved 2017-02-24.
^"Min of the Desert". ferrebeekeeper. 17 May 2012. Retrieved 2017-02-24.
^ "Uluburun II Project". 360° Arastirma Grubu. Retrieved 2012-09-20.
^Starting from Odesa (Ukraine) in 1989, Ivlia followed the routes of the ancient mariners on the Black Sea and the Mediterranean as well as the Atlantic, covering more than 3.000 nautical miles in six expedition seasons and visiting over 50 European ports, finally sailing up the river Seine to reach Paris.
^The ship was built in Vilkovo in 2000. She took part in the maritime festival Brest 2000. She sailed on the route Carthage mariner Himilco and from the coast French Brittany via Bay of Biscay to the shores of Spain
^"The ship Kybele is ready for travel". Turkish Maritime. 10 June 2009. Retrieved 2017-02-24.
^"A Journey into History: İzmir-Phokaia-Marseille". Narkive. Retrieved 2017-02-24.
^"Historical ship returns to Turkey". Hurriet Daily News. Retrieved 2017-02-24.
^"A historic deja vu: Phokaians taking civilization to Marseille". Hürriyet. 6 May 2009. Retrieved 2017-02-24.
^"Kybele, andar per mare come gli antichi greci". La Republicca. 5 December 2012. Retrieved 2017-02-24.
^Rieth, Eric (March 2017). "Le Gyptis. Reconstruction d'un navire antique. Notes photographiques. Marseille (1993–2015) review. The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology (2017) 46.1: 205–227". International Journal of Nautical Archaeology. 46 (1). Wiley Online Library: 210–211. doi:10.1111/1095-9270.12217. S2CID 165006054.
^"Viking Ship Hugin". www.visitthanet.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2013-11-03.
^"Norse Mythology & Viking History | Gods & Goddesses of the Nine Realms".
^"File:Anna Yaroslavna 2.jpg - Wikimedia Commons". 18 July 2012.
^"Build the Lenox". www.councilmeetings.lewisham.gov.uk. Lewisham Borough Council. 11 July 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
^"The Lenox Project: a lasting legacy for Deptford". www.buildthelenox.org. The Lenox Project. 3 December 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
^"Construirán réplicas navegables de la goleta Ancud y del bergantín Beagle" (in Spanish). La Prensa Austral. 31 December 2011. Archived from the original on 2013-11-01. Retrieved 2012-08-18.
^ "Jeanie Johnston Update". Dublin Docklands Development Authority. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
^ a bMacasero, Klesteer (30 October 2022). "Balangay sailing legacy lives on to a new breed of sailors". BusinessMirror. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
^ a b"2 pre-colonial boat replicas arrive in Lapu-Lapu City". SunStar. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
^"The Guild of the Hjortspring Boat". Archived from the original on 1997-04-08.
^"Chinese firm Seven Star to build full-size Titanic replica and sink it". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
^"Titanic II or Titanic III". The Maritime Executive. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
^Street, Francesca (2018-10-23). "Titanic II could sail as soon as 2022". CNN. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Replicas of ships.
Replica of Captain Cook's ship, Whitby
1985 Godspeed Voyage
Historic Tall Ship Replicas, Extensive photo gallery, overview of ship replicas all over the world
