Mamoli CSS Alabama 1862 Wooden Ship Kit – 1:120 Scale (MV53)

In 1862, a British shipyard built a warship for a nation Britain did not officially recognize.

To preserve appearances, she left England unarmed and under the name Enrica. Her guns, ammunition and naval supplies were waiting elsewhere.

International neutrality was maintained with the sort of straight face usually associated with customs declarations.

Once commissioned as CSS Alabama, she became the most successful Confederate commerce raider of the American Civil War. During a cruise lasting almost two years, Captain Raphael Semmes and his crew took 65 prizes, disrupted Union shipping across several oceans and avoided the warships sent to find them.

Alabama’s success came partly from an unusual combination of technologies. She carried a complete sailing rig for long-distance cruising, but could also call upon steam power when the wind proved uncooperative. Her propeller could be lifted clear of the water while sailing, and her funnel could be lowered to reduce her appearance as a steam warship.

The Mamoli MV53 kit recreates this distinctive steam-and-sail sloop-of-war at 1:120 scale.

Construction begins with a precision-cut keel and bulkhead framework. The hull is then double-planked, allowing the first layer to establish Alabama’s fine contours before the outer planking creates the finished surface.

Above it sits one of the most interesting decks in 19th-century naval modeling: ship’s boats, deckhouses, anchors, hatches, the central funnel and a battery of six broadside guns with two heavier pivot guns.

Then come the masts, yards, booms and rigging—the traditional architecture of a sailing vessel wrapped around machinery that was making such vessels obsolete.

History is rarely considerate enough to fit two eras into one model. Alabama manages it.

Alabama’s final battle against USS Kearsarge became a public spectacle off Cherbourg, watched by crowds from the French coast and private boats. The engagement later inspired Édouard Manet’s famous painting.

Why You’ll Enjoy Building It

An unusual steam-and-sail subject: Traditional masts and rigging combined with early steam-warship details

Double plank-on-bulkhead construction: Shape and refine Alabama’s long, fast hull through two layers of planking

Detailed armed deck: Recreate the broadside battery, heavy pivot guns, boats, anchors, deckhouses and working fittings

Varied construction: Hull work, deck planking, small fittings, artillery, spars and rigging in one project

Impressive but manageable dimensions: Approximately 28 inches long when completed

Made for experienced builders: Substantial enough to be satisfying without becoming a five-deck administrative crisis

Skill Level

Intermediate–Advanced

Recommended for modelers with previous plank-on-bulkhead experience, or confident builders prepared to develop their hull-planking and rigging skills.

This is not an ideal first wooden ship. It is, however, a very good way to prove the first one taught you something.

Specifications

Kit Contents

Precision-cut wooden keel, bulkheads and structural components

Wood strips for hull and deck construction

Wooden and metal fittings

Cannon and deck-detail components

Blocks, deadeyes and rigging cord

Dowels for masts, yards and spars

Detailed plans and illustrated building instructions

Please note: The pre-sewn MV53-SAILS sail set is available separately. Paint, glue and basic modeling tools are not included.

Model Shipways / Model Expo paint and stain catalog

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