Shazmira

Thanks guys, this step really does seem like a major milestone. Perhaps it is because the instructions in the book basically stop here and just say attach sails and yards according to drawings....lol, what a mess. Sewed 2 sails on last night, so far everything seems to scale on the yards themselves, perhaps a bit on the smallish side, but not too out of whack. I won't know for sure until everything is on the ship and I can get a good look at it. Trying to make heads or tails out of all the string in the plans is frustrating, I have no working knowledge of running rigging at all, so at the moment it just appears to be a tangled bunch of string on paper. Maybe once I get going on that part it will begin to make sense to me.. And yes, I do hear the call of the Syren....

I really do need to visit New England some day, the views are quite lovely, thanks for sharing.

A bit of an update, albeit a small one. Got the yards shaped Managed to get all the blocks attached to the yards...yowsa, I really need smaller fingers for this part now working on serving the final two stays, then it is time to check the plans for any other items that go on the masts and yards before I attach the sails. Omg, I can't believe I am talking about attaching the sails Wow, I think there really is an end...a part of me feels a bit sad, but more of me feels a sense of completion and is ready to move on and finish that little longboat so I can have a clear desk to begin the Syren...ugh plank bending is in my near future again

Very nice Sjors! The progress is a great thing isn't ti?

So Andy, why wire wrapped staves? I only ask because my SF didn't have them yet, and others I have seen were made of wood. Is it just a "year of the ship" thing?

Andy, I did look at the lumber yard offerings, but I hesitate, because they seem beyond my current knowledge; whereas the Confederacy is a true kit with step by step instructions, which is more within my comfort zone. Although my intention is to move to the dark side in a build or so, I am not confident enough in my own understanding of the process to build a ship from a set of plans (albeit with the laser cut parts and wood) alone. The SF has been a great learning tool, for getting experience with many of the needed skills to build...it still leaves the builder (with a curious mind) with more questions that are not addressed in the model. Perhaps I can do as Wayne and JPett suggest, convert the Syren; however, I wonder if in some way that is sacrilegious to the intent of the build. I know, my build, my choice....but I bought the Syren because I wanted to do a build that would make Chuck proud (strange desire considering I have never met the man and he is only a name on the screen). I think the Confederacy is the way to go because it will provide all those instructions I still believe I need. Now to decide if I can really afford to buy her, and let the Syren kit just sit here.... Thanks to everyone for their input, it has given me much to ruminate on.

Thanks Rusty, I do like Chucks plans, that's for sure. I have already read through the Syren plans multiple times over the last few months, and he does an exceptional job. You are right, I probably couldn't go wrong with the Confederacy.

Augie, what do you know about the essex, i just ran across her...funny how I have previously ignored even looking at anything admiralty

I am not sure I have enough knowledge to bash the Syren...although some light reading to spark the imagination could go a long way

As many of you know, I have the Syren sitting in a box ready to be started. But after finishing the rigging from my SFII, i am thinking I would like to try an admiralty style model next and forgo the rigging challenge. What kit would you suggest? I would prefer one with some decent instructions...at this point, I am not even concerned on what type of ship it is, other than another kit that will challenge me again.

Yep Randy, those little bitty things are a fragile pain in the a**, I am glad they are done as well! Yours looks good, and in seeing them I am assured that mine are fine as well, it was only my own sense that saw them as anemic undersized things...I like your creative fix of only using 2 deadeyes instead of 3...that fix will suffice for this your "learning ship"

Adam, sorry I haven't looked in recently, been a bit swamped. Your build is progressing well, and great attitude "if you can't see it, then the flaw isn't there"!

OMG, I found the instructions....I had forgotten just how horrid they are. Pretty much just says attach the sails to the yards and attach those to the masts....this should be fun....now where did I hide the plans for this build????

The Shrouds and rat lines are done Wow...I am finally moving onto new territory on this build Now I need to find the instructions, I have no idea where I put them 6 months ago when i tore everything apart lol.

Sjors, yes, still much to do, but if you look back, much has already been completed. you are much closer to the end than the beginning!

Very nice Sjors! definite progress, and a finish line actually in sight!

Wow! Thanks to everyone for your kind words. I suppose we are all very critical of our own work. I look at so many beautiful builds on this site, and marvel at the detail and intricacies, but I bet if I asked the builder they would be quick to point out all the flaws. I spent some time just googling pics and in retrospect my upper shrouds are okay.... Keith as you said, to space them out any further would cause them to bow around the crow's nest and that is NOT how they should be. you are right the scale presents its own challenges...I think I would really like doing something on a larger scale! Augie, I have been worried about you. I know you live in Colorado, but wondered if you were affected by all the flooding, I had assumed since I saw you continuing to post that you were not. I saw your comments on Randy's log and see I was mistaken. Glad to know you and yours are all okay, but very sorry for your community. I hope everything comes out alright in the end. I am just floored by the amount of missing, and assume they are probably gone forever. I am flabergasted that in this day and age there could be such a devastating loss of life like this, and my heart goes out to all affected. Jay, thanks much for the words of encouragement. You are correct, this log is representative of so much more than just a ship build! My hand has suddenly begun giving me fits as well, I wonder if it is weather related now that things are cooling off. I can see myself predicting drops in temperature now by the tingling in my hand Popeye, I think you are right, once the yards and sails are up, they will hide much of the flaws that jump out at me right now. I am very much looking forward to seeing a completed ship! Walter, thank you for that tip. I even have that bit for my dremel, silly me, I used it on the wood hull to start the holes for my gun ports, but never even considered using it on the metal C-nests....another lesson learned! Adam, I appreciate the cheering up, much needed Robert, thank you. I do believe the C-nest repair will hold. the intsta weld putty seems to have made a good bond. Sjors, and Randy. the upper shrouds seem to be a different challenge. Partially because they are so much smaller, and because they seem less stable since the upper part of the mast if more fragile. I think that and the small size of those dead eyes makes it more difficult! I think after the Syren I will tackle and admiralty model...a break from all the string would be good

Looks very nice and clean Sam, what Russ says is also a good way to add extra stability to the things attached to the hull. I took his advice using some brass rod, it really seemed to help.

Gee I posted this last night, but today the post has disappeared hmmmmmmme thinks the gnomes, wabbits and spiders have been up to no good Finished the upper shroud on the main mast last night. Not tickled pink by it, I personally think they are not spaced far enough apart. However, with all the issues I already had, I am not even considering ripping them out and redrilling anything. I don't think I have enough metal left of my crow's nest as a foundation. Re0doing the crow's nests themselves would require a tearing out of the lower shrouds as well....so it aint happening! Not my best work, but the SF is that much closer to being completed and she will still hold a special place on the shelf as a learning project. I can only hope to aspire to doing better on the next build!

She looks like a true ship Sjors!!

lovely Andy!!!

Jay, they are called alligator clips, but if you are referring to the other 3 in that pic, those are hemostats. Best dang thing around for holding string tight!!! Used by doctors and surgeons to hold things securely, I wish I had a dozen more...only have the three you see in the pic. I am using the gs-hypo glue now, but my lines are so heavily waxed, that it takes forever to dry....going to buy rope from the Syren company on future builds!! My fix was to buy some insta-weld putty. I just filled all the holes I had drilled, and reformed the metal where my bit had chewed up all the edges. I let it cure over night, then correctly drilled my holes. I found if I set the ship on the floor and let craig hold it for me, then by standing above it with the dremel I could get good leverage and drill straight down through the rings where I needed to go.

Yep, Sjors, that seems to be the necessity in this hobby. Do it once, see the errors, rip it out, do it again with improvements

I know exactly what you mean..I had to open the Syren box today...hubby wanted to see pics of what the next build will be. A part of me soooo very much wants to get her started. But the other part of me knows I really don't have the time to devote to her like she deserves. It seems in my memory that the beginning processes are much more involved and time consuming. In the later stages you can tie a couple knots and walk away. Gotta finish the SF first, and the end is actually in sight, now that I have made progress on the upper shrouds.

Just so no one thinks I have been slacking off.... the upper shrouds are up finally on the main mast And the rat lines begin Since I have such a strong (bad) reaction to CA, I am using different glue, so all of this is a slower process then I like. I have to tie, then give the glue time to set before I can move on...at this rate, maybe the main mast will be done by next weekend