The Pirate's Ketch "Morass"

 If you want to plunder booty?

The Ketch Morass would be a priceless asset to any navy who could get hands on her deck, but when she raised the black on her first encounter, the unfortunate merchantman's captain was left in awe to what scalawag could assemble such a craft. Rarely do Bomb Ketches sail from European empires who prize their destructive potential but never to the water's of the new world. "They really have no use in the Caribbean." the betwixt governor of Nassau said after several ships reported her activities."Unless someone really has it in for blowing up sugar cane plantations or just plain hates aiming a cannon. Why Here? One salvo could burn a settlement to the ground."

This question has occurred to most of the appointed officials in the region with wild speculation and rumor swirling if it is a pirate vessel at all. A privateer perhaps? A vessel of fortune perhaps? Or just a grim facade to entice capitulation over confrontation.   

 

The Ketch "Morass" engages the HMS "Penetrator" off the Barbados coast. 

No Pirate in the high sea's would hoist this many Flags, Most merchants would get the point after one. 

The Chain on the Halyard is an interesting detail that I wanted to capture in the model. The volcanic plume of the belching mortar would alight any combustible line put in place to stay the main mast. 

The 12 guns and siege mortar give a clue this vessel was probibly a refit from a Brigantine or Schooner in a former life. 

Modeler's note:

This was created from the Old Glory25's American Cutter model, completely refitted, Masts moved and numerous parts from different manufactures. No one really produced a Bomb Ketch and this was as close as I could find. As with most of my models it's questionably anachronistic but unquestionably playable.  

American-cutter by Old Glory