Blue Ensign

Thank you Bob, she looks great in those additional shots, a very fine model B.E.

Doug, my Stove is positioned wth the chimey forward, it is the only way it would fit. I pondered over this for some time but came across a reference to stoves sometimes facing that way. I did notch out the beam to allow for the steam grating to sit without the beam blocking it from beneath. I did quite a lot of modifications beneath the Foc'sle deck one of which was to provide sockets on the underside of the deck to take the legs of the Foc'sle bitts. This meant that the legs didn't extend down to the upper deck and would not therefore block your stove whichever way you positioned it. Possible solutions😊 B.E.

Nicely done Bob, another fine model, and great detail work. The last four full shot photo's look a tad out of focus to me, can you replace them so we may better enjoy the fruits of your labour. Regards, B.E.

You've done a fine job Steve, and I love the display mode you've devised, great stuff B.E.

Well done Doug going the extra mile by fully rigging the 'hidden' guns galley stove looks excellent, have you checked how it relates to the Chimney position and steam grating? B.E.

Thank you Chuck, Nils, and Michael, and to all those who have re-visited the log and hit the 'like' button multiple times. Scuppers One of tidy up items to do is the Scuppers for the Manger. I had much earlier in the build attended to the other six scuppers required along the hull and this is the last one. These are 'false' scuppers in the sense that they are drilled from outside and do not connect to the scupper outlets in the waterway, a much too fraught exercise to consider. The lead flanges are made from thin slivers of aluminium tubing bashed flat on my anvil and painted with a flat lead grey colour. The run of seven scuppers along the hull. With Pegasus out of her cover I took the opportunity to take some general shots. I keep spotting things that require attention or that I have overlooked, I think this process could take a while. B.E.

Fine bit of ropework you've been doing Michael, love your approach to working the mouse. B.E.

Just catching up after my recent pre-occupations Nils, and what a treat for my eyes, those last full shots are so impressive. B.E.

Hoisting the Ensign This is a schematic of how I attach the Ensign to the Staff. Incidentally this is Blue Ensign made for my Victory build, using the tissue/printing method. I had made the Ensign and Jack Staffs some time back in the build. The Ensign is raised. The Jack before tweaking............... .........and after. Almost there folks, some tidying up now to do, and a base to make. This post marks the seven day task of rebuilding this log, I think I've got it all in the correct order. B.E. 11 March 2017.

Ensigns. I have opted for the Red Ensign, and a Union Flag at the Jack staff. There should also be a Commissioning Pennant worn at the Mainmast head, but these very long pennants can be difficult to get to hang right on a model, and may be best left off, I am undecided at present. The two references I use for flags are: Flags for Ship modellers and marine artists by Alec A Purves Flags at Sea by Timothy Wilson. For Pegasus the pre 1801 Union flag design is appropriate; for Fly with a career spanning the Act of Union of Great Britain and Ireland, either would be appropriate. Many depictions of the pre 1801 Ensign, and Jack show quite a broad white diagonal representing the Scottish Saltire However, contemporary marine art does tend to show the Union flag with a much darker blue ground and a much narrower white diagonal. This extract is of a painting that hangs above my desk. It is entitled A Two-decker and a Frigate off Harwich by One of my favourite contemporary marine artists, Charles Brooking, and is my guide for the Pegasus Ensigns. This is my preferred design, albeit in rough form. Making the Ensign A photo of the Ensign is printed out at the appropriate size to form the pattern. This scales to 57mm x 87mm. To make the Ensign I used Modelspan tissue. A piece of Modelspan is taped across a box with a rectangular hole in it. It is then painted both sides with dilute pva, and dried with a hair dryer. It is then taped over the photo image of the Ensign and run thro' the printer. I allow sufficient extra on the hoist edge to form the hoist thro' which the halyard will be fitted. The printed image on Modelspan is a little too faded so it is again taped over a backing piece and is painted over. At this point I place a sheet of polythene beneath the image to prevent paint bleed sticking the Modelspan to the paper beneath. To paint the flags I have used Humbrol Acrylic paints, No 60 (Red) No 77(Blue) and No 34 (White) Painting both sides of the Ensign completed. The Jack was prepared in the same manner, measuring 23.8mm x 36.5mm. The next stage is to get the flags to hang limply in a natural fashion. My approach is to steam them and tease them into shape. These little hand steamers are just the ticket, beats holding it over the kettle spout. A heath Robinson device to hold the Ensign at the correct angle whilst it is steamed and pulled into shape. The Ensign is left to dry and hopefully stick in the arranged position. Line is loosely tied around the flag to assist in shape holding. The next post will deal with attaching the flags to the staffs. B.E.

Stanchions, and miscellaneous finishings Stanchions. These run along the Foc'sle and the waist. Foc'sle A passing rope (2½" - 0.30mm) threads thro' the Foc'sle stanchions. Eyebolts at either end of the stanchions in the planksheer and bollard timbers to secure the line. Waist The iron stanchions along the waist are topped by a rough tree rail. I have used a length of 'ebony' boxwood strip. Always a fine point to when to fit these delicate pieces, don't want to do it until I am sure no more fiddling in the waist area is required, hope I'm right. Entry stanchions and Entering ropes. The stanchions are kit provided in brass etch, but seemed a little too short to me, so I modified them. According to Steel the Entering ropes are of 3" line (0.38mm) I initially used Morope 0.40mm. which is closest to scale, knotted at 5mm intervals down to the water level. On reflection I thought the overhand knots looked too bulky; I retried it using pva blobs to represent the knots, didn't like that either. Finally I downsized to Syren 0.3mm line and this suited my eye best. Swinging Studding Booms I made these a long time ago, there are sets for the Fore and Main Studding sails. The Fore booms are a problem inasmuch that unlike the Main booms which lie along the Main channels, the Fore Booms have nowhere to lie insitu when not in use. When in use the Gooseneck hooks into an eye bolt fixed in the hull just aft of the Bridle port and forward of the Billboards. The Upper deck seems to be only practical place to store these, or perhaps lashed to the spare topmasts on the Gallows. At over 30ft in length manoeuvring and fitting these items must have been an awkward exercise when at sea. The Main booms hook into an iron strap with an eye at the Fore end of the channel and is supported by an iron crutch towards the aft end of the channel. Not quite sure how these are secured along the channels but I have taken the view that lashing to a deadeye strop is a reasonable option. The Main booms do have various guys rigged to operate, but I have not included these. B.E.

The Fore Sheets 4½" line 0.56mm Syren 0.45mm Eye spliced to eyebolt below fixed block in hull, 5mm fwd of sweep port. Thro' sheet block at the yard,then aft thro' aft fixed block. .......to the range cleat in the waist. The Fore Tacks TACKS, SINGLE, lead through the block lashed round the outer end of the boomkin on each side, then lead upon the forecastle, and belay round a large cleat upon the cat-head, or to the topsail-sheet-bitts. Deciding the run of this lead caused me some trouble and I raised the issue in a separate post. http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/15232-run-of-the-fore-tack/ The response to my query was somewhat thin but I have concluded that the tacks should run outside of other rigging lines leading into the Foc'sle. On a purely practical basis, with the sail set, the tack line would otherwise be fouled. Tack line taken inboard and belayed around top of Head rail. B.E.

Main mast rigging ongoing Tying up a few more loose ends. Firstly the Main Topmast and T'gallant backstays need to attached with their deadeyes to the Channel, and secondly the Main sheets which pass outside of the stays, but then pass thro' a fixed block and inboard to belay at a timberhead. At this point I have one of those 'oh bugger' moments, as I realise I have slipped betwixt two stools (no pun intended) when it came to the backstays. The kit provides for two Topmast backstays, the ffm only one, and I find I have one too many deadeyes on the channel. Needless to say I have only one backstay hanging from the Topmast head. Too late to remove all the top hamper to add another backstay in the proper manner, but it was just about possible to thread the line up beneath the stay collars, feed it around the masthead and down to the channel. I am encouraged by Lees comment that Main Topmasts sometimes carried one more backstay than the Fore topmasts. Crisis over and I move on, no real visual impact of this little deception, and only you and me know about it. My approach is to attach the deadeyes to the backstays, but leave off applying the lanyards until the sheets have been fitted and belayed. Main Sheets I had trialled the run of the Main sheets back in November,now is the time to fix them. The run of the Main sheets can look awkward because without sails rigged they tend to lie against the Backstays before they lead inboard. For this reason I like to have a degree of slackness in the sheets so that they do not bind hard against the stays. That the Channels are sniped towards the aft end on the ffm plans, which throws the backstays a little more inboard may be done to counter this . Of course the simplest method is to not rig the sheets and tacks on a bare stick model. The sheets are a substantial line scaling to 0.56mm ø This is an awkward size in relation to scale line. Syren has 0.45mm and 0.63mm and Morope has 0.4mm 0.6mm I need also to take into account the tack line which is larger at 0.69mm. I would prefer to use Syren for this particular line as the synthetic Morope needs to have some tension on it to avoid unnatural looking kinks. For these reasons I am using Syren 0.45mm line for the sheets, and 0.63mm for the Tacks, which give a visible difference between the two. To get a smooth kink free run of the sheet between the sheet block and lead block on the hull I dip the line in very dilute pva, wipe off the excess and put the line under light tension for a while. The standing end of the sheet is 'false' spliced around an eyebolt above the aftermost gunport. It leads thro' the sheet block from out to in, runs down to a lead block seized just above and aft of the standing part, and runs thro' the fixed block to belay at a timberhead. The Main Sheet belay can be seen opposite the gratings. With the Main sheet belayed I can now secure the T'gallant backstay. Main Brace Falls The ffm (18.43) indicates that once the brace line has passed thro' the the fixed block it is belayed to a timberhead some 6 to 8 feet forward to allow the Mizen topsail braces and Vangs to belay aft of the Main brace. On the kit model this would place the belay on a timberhead adjacent to the tiller lines. I have run the brace falls forward to belay opposite the Mizen mast. The Main Tack Belaying the tack to the forward Range cleat in the waist proved a little tricky, mostly because I added the waist gangboards. Just about managed it from the opposite sides with very long tweezers, but there are several risks poking around beneath the Pinnace at this stage. Ffm Vol 11 para 12.15 indicates an eyebolt for the Main tack fixed in side. - note this is applicable for double tack rigs not the single tacks as used in 6th rates. I will now move onto the Fore Sheets. B.E.

Return to the blunt end. Over the past few days I have turned my attention back to the stern. Some of the previously rigged lines now need to have the falls formed before the area gets too crowded. Mizen Topsail Yard Braces I used 1½" line (0.20mm) eye spliced around the Gaff end taken up thro' the brace pendant blocks and down thro' the lead blocks at the gaff peak. Eyebolts are fitted to the top of the Tafferal to take the tackle blocks for the Mizen Topsail braces The falls pass thro' the outer lead block on the Tafferal, and thro' the fixed block to belay at the Qtr deck rail. 6" single blocks (I used Syren 3/32nd blocks) and 3mm hooks Vangs Steel says: VANGS. The bight is put over the peek-end with an overhand-knot, and the double-blocks spliced in the lower ends are connected by their falls to a single block, that hooks to an eye-bolt in the upper part of the quarter-piece on each side. The standing-part makes fast to the becket in the **** of the single-block, and the leading-part leads from the double-block, and belays to a cleat nailed on the taffarel fife-rail, or round the **** of the single-block. A Pendant line of 3" (0.37mm) is hitched around the centre of the Gaff - I used Morope 0.4mm with 6" blocks (2.38mm) spliced in. Falls of 1½" line (0.20mm) Although they don't look it on this photo the pendants are of equal length below the Gaff. The falls pass thro' the lead block hooked to the Tafferal to belay. Again Syren 3/32nd blocks and 3mm hooks were used. For those using the ffm Vol IV as their rigging reference you should note that the guidance to run the falls of the Mizen Topsail Braces and Vangs thro' the fixed block at the Qtr deck rail may not work with the kit version at least because there is less Tafferal outside of the rails in which to bring the falls in from the outside. The book references are in relation to the Resolution model which has Quarter Galleries, and more space to work with. This is not a problem the Vang falls can either be expended around the lower blocks or hitched to a cleat on the inner face of the Tafferal. Mizen Topmast Backstay This was fitted a while back but now is a convenient time to secure with the deadeyes. For this I used 2.5mm Boxwood Deadeyes. To recap: The kit arrangement shows two topmast backstays set up with deadeyes hooked into eyebolts just forward of the Quarter Badge. Lees indicates the use of a stool or a deadeye plate bolted to the ships side. The ffm (Standing rigging plan) indicates a single backstay for which the addition of a small stool fitted at drift rail height aft of the Quarter badge is required. I opted for a deadeye plate fixed to the hull forward of the Quarter Badge, a lot less fussy than a mini stool and a little more secure. A peek thro' the Quarter badge lights. Looks like someone needs to have a sweep up in the Great Cabin. The lantern Chuck's little beauty was fixed some time ago, but there remained the supporting braces which have now been fitted. B.E.

Tidying up the Foc'sle. For the past few days I having been trying to sort out the confusion of lines around the Foc'sle. There are a lot of loose ends now that need securing, and looking ahead a little there is the perennial problem of sufficient belaying points. I note that the Belaying plan (Plan#3) of the ffm Vol IV shows 10 cleats conveniently placed around the inner bulwark of the bows between the Bowsprit and Cathead, but what is not shown is the Breast hook which fits over the Bowsprit and is bolted to the bow timbers which would preclude cleats in the position shown but presumably they could be fitted to the face or top of the Breast Hook. The Breast hook can be seen in this shot. Steel specifically mentions a pin in the breast hook to take the Fore T'Gallant bowlines. Bowlines are a feature I am thinking of adding even tho' mine is a bare stick model, in this case they are simply hitched to their respective yards before running to belay points. The Foc'sle is just about tidied up now and the T'gallant Backstays have been rigged. In a final crowning to the mastheads the trucks are added. The photos Tidying the line ends Belaying to the Belfry rails is a test of patience, so many lines to snag. Fore T'gallant backstays on the stools now secured. Lead of the Fore Tack, something that is causing me some confusion at present, not yet ready to be secured. Truck at Foremast head ....and at the Mainmast head; Main T'gallant back stays yet to be secured. Coming together now I think. B.E. 31/01/2017

Completion of Spritsail rigging Spritsail Yard (running) lifts 2" line (0.25mm) I used Morope line. One of the easier ones to rig, a simple false splice around the yards against the Horses, up thro' the thimbles on the Jibboom end. and down thro' the outer sheaves of recently fitted Bowsprit saddle, to belay around the timberheads. Brace pendants - 3" (0.40mm) served and tarred line / 9" (3.57m) single blocks / 8' long (38mm) I used Syren 0.3mm line served with Morope 0.1mm line. Always interesting and a little tricky making served pendants with an eye one end and a block the other, involves several little serving exercises. A completed pendant. Braces. 2½" line (0.30mm) I used Syren line. Testy little rig this, a long line clove hitched at the centre around the Fore-stay below the Mouse, taken thro' the pendant blocks on the yard.... ... up thro' the inner sheave of the forward outer block below the Fore top... .... and now the testy bit; feeding the line end thro' the inner sheave of the corresponding aft block on the Fore top. The line is then taken down to belay on the Fo'csle rail. The Braces need to be rigged together to equalise the tension. Spritsail Yard Clue lines CLUE-LINES reeve through the blocks upon the yard, and bend or reeve through a block at the clue of the sail, and lead in upon the forecastle. 1½" line (0.20mm) 6" blocks (2.38mm) I added cleats to the top of the Breasthook to take the clue line belays. Sheets Steel specifies single sheets for the Spritsail; for double sheets the standing part is hitched around first deadeye strop on fore channels, or maybe to the same eyebolt as the Fore sheets. 3" line is specified(0.37mm), I am using Syren 0.31mm. Getting your head around the run of spritsail sheet is a bit tricky with differing arrangements at differing times, but for a sixth rate this is my interpretation. The single sheet line has a wall knot in one end which passes through the clue block strop and leads aft through the lower of the fixed block sheaves below the sheave for the Fore sheets. This is another line that needs to hang with a degree of slackness to look good, and the line is dipped in very dilute pva and wiped thro' before fitting. This is a long line and to keep it tidy and clear of the sea it runs thro' a thimble which is triced up to the Fore shrouds. Once in place the line is re-wetted and light weights attached to form an even slackness. This is a process that will continue for a while, with re-wetting. and smoothing. A fair amount of time will be spent tweaking the lines before I'm entirely happy. Have decided not to fit the Bowlines, might be overegging the custard with a bare stick model. Besides, some of the lead blocks would now be very difficult to rig at this stage, particularly in relation to the main and Mizen sails. B.E. 25/01/2017

The Spritsail Yard Last of the yards to be fitted. A small 'iron' thimble is made and is stropped with 0.3mm served line around the centre of the yard between the sling cleats. The lead thimbles for the jib guys are also fitted to the yard, and the clue blocks stropped. Spritsail Halyard block - 7"(2.77mm)with 2½" (0.31mm) strop and hook. I used a 3mm block/hook arrangement to connect to the thimble at the yard centre. The hook was moused and for this I used 40swg wire, anything larger would have swamped the hook. Clue line blocks CLUE-LINE-BLOCKS are strapped, with two eyes, and are lashed through those eyes round the yard, three feet without the slings; the lashing to be upon the yard. 6" blocks (2.38mm) 1½" (0.19mm)served strops I used Syren 3/32th blocks. Bob checks out the footrope arrangements. Stirrups and Footropes Stirrups (2" line) 0.25mm and Horses (2½"line) 0.31mm I'm using Syren line 0.2mm and 0.3mm. Once again there is a divergence of opinion:- Lees says: Stirrups: they were seldom fitted tho' there was a period from about 1719 to 1775 when, on large ships, two stirrups were fitted each side. before and after that period no ships had stirrups. Footropes. usually only one footrope was carried, spliced around each yardarm, and seized in the centre to the halyard block strop. Steel writes in 1798: HORSES. The eye in the outer end is put over the yard-arm on each side, and stops against the cleats; the other end has an eye spliced in and seized to the yard three feet beyond the slings. The horses hang three feet below the yard. To keep horses more parallel to the yard, they are suspended at proper distances by ropes, called - STIRRUPS, two or three on each side the slings, having a thimble or eye spliced in their lower ends. They hang three feet below the yard, through which the horse reeves. The upper ends are opened and plaited, to lie flat to the yard: they have three turns round the yard, and are nailed. A flemish horse is used at each arm of the yard, having an eye spliced in each; one eye is put over the bolt in the yard-arm, the other seized within the cleats. In his tables Steel shows for Sloops both stirrups and horses for the Spritsail, and just horses for the Spritsail Topsail The ffm follows Steel's arrangement, and so have I, but I am puzzled by the Lees view which seems so time specific, and Lees was in the unique position to have access to all available contemporary records, including Steel, and access to all the contemporary models in the NMM. With all of the fittings on the yard it is time to Attach the Spritsail Yard. The yard is held beneath the Bowsprit by the slings, but trying to rig the slings and control the yard at the same time is a little tricky. It helps to pin the yard which allows the sling to be more easily fitted, and holds the yard in the correct position. The Slings. These comprise a fairly hefty line of 3½" served overall. I used Syren (0.44mm) line served with Morope 0.1mm line which was also used for the seizings. I trialled the required length to make the sling including an eye at one end before serving. The thimble and 'moused' hook for the halyard can also be seen in this shot. The line is doubled and passed around the yard on the Starboard side between the sling cleats, up over the Bowsprit, with the eye end passing beneath the yard on the Port side, and the running end passed thro' the eye and hauled taut. Seizings are then applied above the yard each side, and the running end to itself. I can now complete both the Standing Lifts and the Spritsail yard halyard, and complete the Jib guy pendants. Spritsail yard halyard The fall of the halyard caused me some considerable head scratching. What possible use would a halyard be with the yard sling stropped to the bowsprit, and contained between the jib saddle, woolding hoops, and the Bees, allowing virtually no movement of the yard. The ffm has the fall belaying at a timberhead just forward of the cathead and behind the foremost swivel post on the Starboard side. (the kit version has no timberhead at this position) Steel refers to:- the fall leads in upon the forecastle, and belays to the rack over the bowsprit. (A rack is a board with belay pins set into it nailed on the bowsprit.) This arrangement which I've not seen, seems too late for Pegasus. There is a reference in Marquardt's 18th-Century Rigs and Rigging quoting Röding:- the hauling part can even be secured at the tackle because the spritsail yard itself is not raised or lowered while the vessel is at sea; for precisely this reason the yard is now usually hung on a solid strop; these days a halyard is seldom used. I note that in the ffm the Resolution model shows the halyard falls frapped around the tackle. This is good enough for me. The Halyard tackle, frapped and secured. I next attend to the Standing Lift Steel says. THE STANDING-LIFT has an eye spliced in one end, and lashes to the yard one-fourth from the slings; the other end has a thimble spliced in, and is set up with a laniard to a thimble spliced in a strap that goes round the bowsprit within the bees. The ffm indicates that the standing lift is eye spliced around the yard at about the third quarter. I believe this puts the lift too far out on the yard. I have placed the standing lifts in accordance with Steel, one fourth out from the slings. The standing lifts are hooked to the Bowsprit Cap with a thimble/ lanyard arrangement. Jib Guy Pendants Steel: GUY-PENDENTS are put over the jib-boom, the same as the horses, and the inner ends reeve through a thimble, on the quarters of the spritsail-yard, and turn into the strap of a double block, with a throat and round seizings, which is connected, by its fall, to a single block, that hooks to an eye-bolt, near the cat-head, and leads in upon the fore-castle. These were eye spliced over the jib end in the previous phase. The falls can now attached. 8" single blocks,( 3mm)the inner one with hook and thimble. Falls of 1½" line (0.20mm) An eyebolt needs to be fitted in the forward side of the Cathead to take the tackle block. Tricky to drill this hole at this stage, not easy to manipulate a pin vise in the space available. A micro drill needs to be ca'd into a longish length of dowel so the job can be approached from the opposite side. Jib guy pendants. Tackle hooked to eyebolt in forward face of Cathead, and the fall belayed at timberhead. B.E.

Anchor buoys These are interesting little items often depicted on contemporary models and a nice little modelling challenge 39" long 15.5mm 19.5" wide 7.75mm I couldn't be bothered to get my lathe out so I indulged in a spot of recreational whittling to form the Nun Buoys, Lime wood carves easily. Using a length of 8mm ø dowel, I marked out the centres and ends and pared away with a scalpel and No 11 blade. A little bit of shaping and sanding produces the basic shape. These buoys were parcelled with strips of canvas and then served all over with line. An awkward shape to achieve this at model scale. I drew the line at parcelling, but at this scale I considered winding the buoy with line feasible. For this purpose I used Syren 0.20mm line. As the line is wound around the buoy it is smeared with full strength pva to hold it in place. The completed buoy is then dunked in Dark Jacobean wood dye to 'Tar' it. The tricky thing about Nun Buoys is the arrangement of slings around them, another testy little exercise. There are four served slings running from the ends of the buoy, two from the top and two from the bottom which are eye spliced around two hoops of line either side of the centre of the buoy. To simplify matters at this scale I insert stemmed eyebolts into each end of the buoy around which I can secure the slings, and attach the lanyard and buoy ropes. I also think that serving the slings is a step too far for me given the short lengths and required eye splices. Steel specifies 2½" line (0.30mm) for the slings, 2" line (0.25mm) for the lanyard, and 4" line (0.50mm) for the buoy ropes. Attaching the slings, I use a spot of pva to bind the sling lines to the buoy down to the point where they will pass beneath the hoops. Pva is also used to spot stick the hoop line around the buoy. Rigging the slings. Once completed the buoy is again dunked in the wood dye, looking suitably 'tarry' I think. The buoy is hitched to the Fore shroud by its lanyard. The buoy rope (I used Morope 0.4mm line) is spliced to the bottom end of the buoy, the excess is coiled and the running end is hitched around the anchor arms and seized along the shank. Starboard buoy completed. B.E.

Main Stay - tackles. MAIN-STAY-TACKLE-PENDENTS have an eye spliced in one end, and a double block in the other, and served with spun-yarn over the splices. There are two tackles, one on a pendant over the Main Hatch, and one without over the Fore hatch. I used Syren line for the tackles; 0.63mm for the pendant and 0.3mm for the falls. Pearwood 5mm double and single blocks to make the tackles, the lower single block is fitted with a hook. The splicing, eye making, and hook attachments were done off the model and rigged on my test rig set up. Attaching the tackles to the Main Stay is another task better done earlier in the build, makes it just a little easier. Getting the tackles to hang right from the stay is another matter. To get them nice and taut they really need something to hook to. I have attached them to the lifting ring bolts in the Pinnace. As an exercise this is rather like fishing, and it took me some time to hook the rings. Unfortunately this does not provide the complete answer to taut tackles as any tension has the effect of pulling the stay out of alignment, and without tension the falls look unconvincing. To counter the pull I use props to hold the stay in position whilst I attempt to adjust the tackle lines. So far so good... ... but when the props are released however there is sufficient movement in the stay above the Fore tackle to slacken the lines. the lines are still not taut enough. This is not a problem in relation to the aft tackle. Several times I re-do the tackle which obstinately insists in twisting the wrong way. To prevent the line bellying out spots of pva are painted on the inside of the lines where they exit the block sheaves. Seems to have done the trick, at least for the present. The free line end is attached to an eyebolt in the Fore deck facia in the case of the forward tackle, and an eyebolt in the Quaterdeck facia for the aft tackle. B.E.

Adorning the Cat head One of the decorative features on British ships of the 18th Century was a Lions head on the Cathead face, the origin of the name Cathead perhaps. Many contemporary models don't show any decoration, others a simple geometric design. Lion head decorations as in the Ipswich model shown on page are a common depiction, and many have star designs. The Question of Crowns The kit provides nice brass etched crowns to decorate the cathead, but how authentic is that? Victory currently sports one on her Catheads but is that a Victorian adornment? The Royal Adelaide model (1828), in the Rogers Collection, has Star decoration, as does the model of Victory in her 1765, as built, depiction, by Wyllie. L.G. Carr- Laughton in his excellent book Old Ship Figureheads and Sterns refers to 'Cat faces' but often 'Stars', particularly after about 1750, but says he has 'never met with a 'Crown'. As for Pegasus the original Admiralty plans show a star shaped motif, which is also favoured in the ffm Vol 11. So Stars it is. Apart from using the etched crowns anything else is likely to present difficulties at 1:64 scale, well for me anyway. The Cathead faces on my Pegasus are a mere 3.5mm square onto which the design must be fitted. The Star design; I couldn't imagine carving out a design in an area as small as the Cathead face so I looked around for a simpler way of proceeding. It struck me that using a base of boxwood strip for the Cat Head cap I could perhaps use styrene rod and strip to create a simple star design. Styrene is easy to cut, won't splinter, and is available in very fine strips. A piece of 0.75mm ø rod was centrally fitted thro' the boxwood strip. 0.5 x 0.75mm strip was then used to form the star arms, eight in total around the central rod. I used ca to stick the sections together. A scalpel and No 11 blade easily cuts thro' the tiny strips. The eight pointed star formed Once painted and fitted to the Cat head I think the effect is not half bad at this scale. Starting to look a little more ship-shape on the Foc'sle, as the lines are tidied up, still a fair way to go thro' B.E.

Anchor Rigging (Part two) To re-cap According to Steel a 300 ton Sloop of 14 guns would have carried five anchors:- 20cwt anchors (3) 7cwt stream (1) 3cwt 2qtr Kedge (1) The two bowers are attached to the anchor cables and held in place by painters secured to the timberheads both port and starboard. The port Bower is designated as the ‘Best Bower’. The Starboard Bower is designated the ‘Small Bower’ Behind the Port bower on the channels will be secured the 7 cwt Stream anchor. Behind the Starboard bower, the third bower designated as the ‘Sheet Anchor’ is secured along the Fore Channel. The 3cwt Kedge Anchor will be lashed to the third bower. (Sheet anchor) The three bower anchors despite their different designations are all the same size. Here is the set for Pegasus. I have now rigged the Bowers. On the Starboard side I have hauled the anchor ring up to the cathead and secured it with the cat stopper. The Cat block has been hooked to a strop secured to the anchor shank below the stock. The Cat chain is hauled up and secured around a timberhead. On the Port side the anchor is shown held by the Cat stopper, but I left the Cat block hanging free. On the Port side The stream is secured to the Port Channels using 0.30mm line. The sheet anchor and Kedge secured to the Starboard Channels. I used Morope 0.25mm line to secure the kedge to the sheet anchor, and 0.6mm line to secure the sheet anchor to the Channels. Starboard view Port View Head View Outboard faces of the Cat Heads yet to be done, and therein lies another tale. B.E.

Anchor rigging The kit instructions for rigging the anchors contain very little information and what there is is both simplistic and inaccurate. My completed anchors are covered back on Page 26 of the log, and I had attached the bowers to the cables some time ago. I am now looking at the rigging equipment to handle the anchors. I start with the Cat Block 14" (6mm) double, iron bound, block. The main problem in creating the iron work that bounds this block is that the centre consists of a broader circular section at the level of the coak/sheave pin. Otherwise any convenient strip of brass would do. I really didn't fancy trying to file down a strip of brass to form this central disc, given that the strapping at scale is only 1mm wide. Fortunately the frets around brass etched parts provide a rich source of brass strip, and I found some which were I think intended for brass stanchions which included a circular section At this scale you could probably form the strapping out of thin black card including the coak around the centre. The Cat block is secured to the Cathead by the Cat falls.(3" line (0.37mm). An eyebolt is driven into the Cathead on the aft side inwards of the sheaves. and the falls are spliced onto the eyebolt. I used Morope 0.4mm line. Having rove thro' both block and Cathead sheaves the falls pass thro' a snatch block bolted to the planksheer just aft of the head of the Main Rail and so positioned to take the fair run of the cathead falls which are then belayed to the adjacent timberhead. Note the position of the Snatch block and the angle of the Cat fall. I was puzzled when I first rigged the cat falls to see that the line cut sharply aft across the Cathead in order to pass around the sheave of the snatch block. Surely this can't be right? On reviewing the layout it transpires that some years' ago I had fixed the snatch blocks too far aft butting against the forward timberhead albeit in accordance with the kit plans. The position is covered in ffmVol 11 (11.36) and shows the snatch block forward edge close up to the head of the Main Rail. No big job to carefully prize the snatch blocks off with a scalpel blade and re-position them. This also involves moving the timber head as well. Incidentally, the photo on p201 of ffm Vol 1V also shows the cat fall leads angled across the cathead on the Resolution model. The re-positioned Snatch block and timberhead. Cathead stopper - I was surprised to find that this line is not given a mention in the ffm, but... if one looks closely at the photo's in the colour plate section the stopper knot can be seen at the top of the cathead of the Resolution Model. This is quite an important piece of tackle that holds the anchor ring once the ring is released from the Cat hook. I have seen several method of fitting the Cathead stopper. i)Stoppered to an eyebolt in the Cathead. ii)Passed thro' a vertical hole in the Cathead, abaft the sheaves, secured by a large stopper knot. iii)Seized around the Cathead with an eye splice. Having passed thro' the anchor ring the line is taken inboard and made fast. Sometimes the stopper is taken via a groove in the end of the Cathead, or via a cleat on the Cathead side. or in the case of the Ipswich model below where the line is secured around the Cathead, taken beneath the Cathead, to be secured around the head of the Main Rail. The other end is taken thro' anchor ring and made fast inboard. Wormed and parcelled all over. The cathead stopper can be seen in this shot, in this case seized around the Cathead. Note also the position of the Snatch block. I have decided to follow this arrangement. Shank painter Chain This is first referred to in Vol 11 of ffm (12.2) the chain is shown as fixed to the hull side about one third in from the forward edge of the Fore channels. The given length gives a scale length of 48mm at 1:64. This chain is used to secure the forward end of the anchor at the Cathead once the anchor has been catted. I held off fixing the shanker chain until I was satisfied where exactly on my model the anchor arms would lie, but the general rule is it is fixed to an eyebolt in the hull side or fore end of channel. I used some 17 links per inch stuff which looks about right for the purpose. 4½" line for the shank painters(0.57mm) I used Morope 0.6mm. The anchors aren't permanently fixed as yet and there may be some adjustment of the Shank painter. For the present I will leave the Starboard Anchor hanging from the Cat hook while I attend to the growing number of loose line ends. B.E.

Jib Stay This is what Steel has to say: STAY reeves through the sheeve in the cheek-block at the fore-topmast-head from aft on the starboard-side, then through the hanks, and clinches to the traveller upon the boom: a double-block is then turned in the lower end, and connects by its fall to a single-block, lashed to the after part of the foremast trestle-trees, leads upon deck, and belays to the main-top-bowline bitts. Lees suggests that for small ships the stay was hitched round a backstay deadeye on the Fore Channel stool, but otherwise a tackle. The ffm also supports hitching the line directly around the deadeye bindings. Steel however, in his table of Sloop rigging, indicates a tackle set up (2) single 6" blocks.(2.38mm) Tackle falls (0.20mm) I have taken the Jib stay to be part of the running rigging and have therefore left it undyed. The stay is of 3" line (0.37mm.) I have used Morope 0.4mm. The line is spliced to the Traveller betwixt shackle and hook on the Starboard side... leads up thro' the Cheek block at the Fore Topmast head, and down to the Starboard Fore channel stool. At this point I rig the deadeyes to the Fore Topmast Backstay. Just hitching the Jib Stay to the backstay didn't look right to me, at 3" circ it seems to warrant a tackle, and as Steel had included this in his table, it seemed rude not to follow his advice. A block is stropped around the lower deadeye of the Topmast Backstay, a corresponding block is spliced into the jib stay to form a tackle which is expended around itself and secured. The arrangement sits easy on my eye. Jib outhauler 2" line 0.25mm Steel: OUTHAULER reeves through a sheave-hole at the outer end of the jib-boom; and clinches to the span-tackle of the traveller. *The other end has a double-block turned in, which connects, with its fall, a single-block hooked to an eye-bolt in the fore part of the bowsprit-cap, and the fall leads in on the forecastle. * In his tables for Sloops Steel does not include a tackle for the Outhauler. I attached the line to the traveller ring shackle, down thro' the sheave at end of jib-boom to belay at foc'sle. I hitched the running end to the head of the Main rail on the Starboard side. B.E.

Jibboom Rigging Horses 2½" line,(0.30mm) knotted at 2' (9.5mm)intervals, first knot 5' (23.8mm)from eye at jibboom end. Horse lies around 3' (14.3mm) below the boom at the centre. According to Lees the horses could be individually spliced around the boom end or cut spliced. I have opted for separate splices, using 0.30mm Syren line with o/h knots at 10mm spacing. Major pre-occupation in rigging the horses is getting a nice amount of sag. Once fitted the line is wetted down and painted with very dilute pva. Some wire 'weights' are used to maintain the sag until the line is dry. Next over the jibboom end are the lines for guy pendants, again 0.30mm line is used. Fitted now to secure their place on the boom, but fitting deferred until the Spritsail yard is fitted. An interesting little exercise now looms to make the collar that fits over the jibboom end to take the Fore T'gallant stay and Bowlines. It is no mean thing to produce a three thimble strop at 1:64 scale, served all over and neatly seized beneath the shoulder of the Jibboom. The scale line is 0.30mm plus serving, but instinct tells me to downsize to 0.20mm line with 0.1mm serving, if I am to produce something that doesn't dominate the jibboom end. Steel indicates thimbles for the purpose, but Lees however, makes reference to a triple block at the jibboom end to carry the Fore T'gallant stay and bowlines. Having trialled the three thimble strop trick I wasn't really satisfied with the look and decided to make a strategic withdrawal and opt for the triple block arrangement. I am in good company as the superb contemporary model of the Sixth Rate Tartar of 1734 shows a block. The final item over the boom end is a two thimble strop to carry the Spritsail yard lift. Can't really avoid this one, but a two thimble job is considerably easier than a three and doesn't take long to make. Syren 0.20mm line served with 0.1mm Morope line does the job. I can now move onto the final stay - the Fore T'gallant stay. This is a 3" line (0.4mm Morope) served for a distance where the eye splice over the masthead is formed. The stay passes thro' the Centre sheave of the triple block on the boom end, and a thimble is turned in, attached by a lanyard to another thimble stropped to the Forestay collar. B.E

Bowsprit Horses This is a convenient point to fit these before any more clutter gets in the way. They consist of 3" (0.37mm) line, eye spliced with thimble attached to eyebolts in top of bollard timbers, and according to ffm(15.16 ) the upper aft face of the Bowsprit cap; but then at (17.2) refers to eyebolts in the sides of the Bowsprit cap. Just as well as on my Pegasus there is no room to attach eyebolts to the aft face of the cap particularly on the Starboard side where the Jack staff fits. 1" (0.1mm) lanyards to secure the horses. I used Morope 0.4mm line for the horses, and 0.1mm line for the lanyards. Staysail netting This feature represents an interesting little exercise to test the eyes and levels of tenacity. It is not covered in the kit instructions, but there again it is not a feature I have seen rigged on contemporary models. Stretchers I made these out of a bit of 1.5mm boxwood square stuff, which after drilling the holes for the horses to pass thro' was rounded and reduced in diameter. The horses were rigged temporarily to facilitate this and check the position of the stretchers which are 25mm apart between the Fore preventer stay and Fore Topsail Preventer stay. I considered forming my own netting for the staysail but at 1:64 scale decided it was a stretch too far for my eyes, tenacity, and patience. My supply of old net curtaining was brought into service. . Cut on the diagonal to produce the diamond pattern the edges were sealed with a spot of ca and then cut to size A length of 0.1mm line was glued around the edges to facilitate securing to the horses. With the netting completed the next task is to attach it to the stretchers. I dyed the netting in strong tea to take the whiteness off. Back to the horses - a thimble is spliced to inboard ends, and a 0.1mm lanyard is connected to the eyebolt in the timberheads. These are now fitted. The excess length of the horse line is tensioned thro' the cap to assist fitting the lanyards at the inboard end. With the inboard ends of the horses attached, the stretchers can be threaded on, and laced along the horses. A 'false' splice is made to attach the outer end horses. For the sake of simplicity I dispensed with the thimble and lanyard arrangement at the cap. Not entirely authentic, but acceptable to me at this scale which works out at only 25mm long by 12mm wide. B.E.