Two Years In The Making: An HMS Victory Model

Jochen Fischer is an accomplished craftsman who specialises in famous sailing ships.

He has spent two years recreating HMS Victory, Lord Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar.

He considers Victory one of the finest vessels put afloat and recreating her will be his ultimate achievement.

The hobby started for Jochen forty years ago, when he made his first model ship.

Speaking about his work of art he said:

"When I saw the ship for real I fell in love. It was the whole appearance. I’d read about her and thought there must be a way of recreating something as close as possible to the original.”

Although the model is not the first of its kind, he is hoping it will be the most authentic:

“The first thing I do is carefully study how a ship is constructed. I look at the capabilities. I consider how spectacular the vessel appears. These are the things that help me decide whether or not to build.”  

He has been a stickler for detail, right down to the sail stitches that are only a fraction of a millimetre thick.

Nelson’s ship was largely made of oak, but that’s not suitable for a model that’s eighty-five times smaller, so the more pliable wood of lime and pear tree was used.

As Jochen works he likes to imagine how the crew managed and he visualises what life must have been like on board:

"If the Captain hadn’t cracked down hard then nothing would have worked. Every sailor, every soldier on this ship had to be firmly under his control."

Speaking to Jochen's wife, Irene Fischer, she explained how an accident had left Jochen with barely any movement in his hand and the doctor had suggested that model ship building could be the perfect therapy:

“Through much effort he got movement back and now he has no problem making models.”

Jochen is hoping to compete HMS Victory within the next few weeks, however he doesn't think he will ever build another British Vessel.

But for now it is clear that Nelson’s flagship is his favourite creation.