Louie da fly

Visiting my younger brother over December,  he had an empty bottle of Hennessy Cognac that he refuse to throw away for some reason. His wife wants it out. So I snuck it out without their knowledge😈
 
I've wondered what would be a good ship as a gift for him, but he's not into it at all. He likes fantasy Viking stuff so for a while I was considering that. Didn't feel right, Vikings in a French bottle. I wanted to keep the label on. Then it hit me, we both loved Asterix growing up. 
 
Hard choice which one to choose, in the end I settled on The Great Crossing. We'll see how it comes out....
 
I'll apply all the lessons learned from the Schooner Wyoming build. Photos in the morning, some minor progress.
 
 

More rigging; now I've got the main topsail in place. I had quite a bit of trouble getting the original "parrel truck" (really made out of cotton thread) to fit back onto the mast - it got all mutant on me for a while and I had to pretty much force it into the right shape - not really what I wanted to do. But eventually it worked and I was free to start rigging.
 
First, the topgallant sheets now had a spar to hold them (sorry about the photo quality). The sheets run through a block on each topsail yardarm

then along the yard to a block near the mast

And down to the bitts

Then - disaster! I snapped the larboard topsail yard (they're VERY thin!) and at the same time the block for the clewline pulled away from the sail. Then the sheet pulled away from the sail as well. This photo was taken the next day; I'd already mended the yardarm with CA, but still had to fix the clewline block back in place - you can see the dislocated block in the top right of the red rectangle.
 
This took far longer than I'd expected - several failed attempts before I got it right. Here's the repaired assembly, roughed out:

And trimmed:

and I've added brace pendants for the topsails
 

A match to show how very thin the yards are - very easy to snap.

And the brace pendant on the starboard side (a bit blurry, sorry):

And trimmed to length:

And I've now started adding a two-sheaved block to the foremast to take the topsail bowlines. A lot of swearing at this point - I was trying to get the strop around the foremast past all the ropes that were already there. Absolute murder, and I finally gave up and just looped a length of cotton thread around the mast (not very visible I'm afraid - all you can see are the loose ends):

And added the block to the loop (in the centre of the red rectangle, just above the parrel truck)

Adding blocks to the mizzen shrouds to take the main topsail braces:
 
  
And trimmed off.
 

Lots of fiddly stuff. But slowly getting there.
 
Steven
  
 
 
 

More rigging; now I've got the main topsail in place. I had quite a bit of trouble getting the original "parrel truck" (really made out of cotton thread) to fit back onto the mast - it got all mutant on me for a while and I had to pretty much force it into the right shape - not really what I wanted to do. But eventually it worked and I was free to start rigging.
 
First, the topgallant sheets now had a spar to hold them (sorry about the photo quality). The sheets run through a block on each topsail yardarm

then along the yard to a block near the mast

And down to the bitts

Then - disaster! I snapped the larboard topsail yard (they're VERY thin!) and at the same time the block for the clewline pulled away from the sail. Then the sheet pulled away from the sail as well. This photo was taken the next day; I'd already mended the yardarm with CA, but still had to fix the clewline block back in place - you can see the dislocated block in the top right of the red rectangle.
 
This took far longer than I'd expected - several failed attempts before I got it right. Here's the repaired assembly, roughed out:

And trimmed:

and I've added brace pendants for the topsails
 

A match to show how very thin the yards are - very easy to snap.

And the brace pendant on the starboard side (a bit blurry, sorry):

And trimmed to length:

And I've now started adding a two-sheaved block to the foremast to take the topsail bowlines. A lot of swearing at this point - I was trying to get the strop around the foremast past all the ropes that were already there. Absolute murder, and I finally gave up and just looped a length of cotton thread around the mast (not very visible I'm afraid - all you can see are the loose ends):

And added the block to the loop (in the centre of the red rectangle, just above the parrel truck)

Adding blocks to the mizzen shrouds to take the main topsail braces:
 
  
And trimmed off.
 

Lots of fiddly stuff. But slowly getting there.
 
Steven
  
 
 
 

I never fail to be amazed at how strong model hulls are - even though the planking is to scale thickness.
 
Enjoying the ride.
 
Steven

Dick, the ship will have proportions are about 7.4 : 1 - It's so long ago now I can't remember whether I based that on the Contarina ship or not - I have a feeling I made it somewhat wider in proportion to length, but I may just be having a senior moment there.
 
I took the Mezza Lune method of calculating the narrowing of the floor timbers that you outlined in your Round Ship build and copied it. I may not use your wonderful jig to do so, but that's the general idea.
 
Jaager - fascinating information. There's very little information on what exactly constituted a balinger - according to Wikipedia the Source Of All Knowledge; 
 
"A balinger, or ballinger was a type of small, seagoing vessel. It was swift and performed well under both sail and oars. It was probably developed in Bayonne for hunting whales. The ships were used in the conquest of Anglesey in 1282. They were also in use in the 15th and 16th centuries. They were distinguished by their lack of a forecastle, and by carrying either a square sail, or a sail extended on a sprit on a single mast. They were generally less than 100 tons, with a shallow draught, and the earlier vessels at least carried 30 or more oars for use in sheltered areas or for close fighting. They were mainly used for coastal trade, but could also be used as transports, carrying around forty soldiers. A number were employed in the early Royal Navy for this purpose . . .
Despite their long history there are no confirmed illustrations of a balinger in contemporary medieval sources while a confirmed archaeological example has yet to be discovered. Speculation suggests that it may have resembled a modern Thames barge in overall size but with a square rig."
 
It puts me in mind of the small vessels used by the Dutch against the Spanish in the 16th century; their crews were known as something like "sea children", or possibly "sea orphans" but that's obviously the wrong terms because a Google search didn't turn them up. But I've see illustrations in the past of the vessels in action, and accounts of the battles between these tiny vessels and full-size Spanish ships. If only I could find them again. 
 
But as far as making a model of one - fascinating idea, but well, I don't think so. Too little information and not even a single picture. I'd be better doing one of Henry VIII's roo-barges (rowing barges)

 
or one of his so-called galleasses (not a true galleass, but apparently a sort of precursor to the galleon). Both those are very tempting to me.
 
 
But I've probably got enough proposed vessels already lined up for the future to keep me going for several lifetimes . . . 
 
Steven

I've been gluing outlines for the shapes of the futtocks for the frames onto 2mm walnut sheet from the dead tree next door which I got from the neighbour and cut up by the bloke across the road who has a bench saw. He was apologetic that there were holes in the sheets where some pest had eaten into the wood, but for my purposes it's still fine. These are the bilge futtocks.

But I made a mistake with the floor timbers - they should stretch the full width of the hull from bilge to bilge, but I printed off only half widths. Fortunately I caught it before I cut the wood. So I'll be re-doing those. I'm going to simplify them, though. At this scale it's  just too difficult to make a floor timber with an upward curve at each end with a precise enough width, so I'm just going to make them straight and cut off at the overlap with the bilge futtocks. Not quite historically accurate but close enough  for the job at hand
 

Steven

More rigging; now I've got the main topsail in place. I had quite a bit of trouble getting the original "parrel truck" (really made out of cotton thread) to fit back onto the mast - it got all mutant on me for a while and I had to pretty much force it into the right shape - not really what I wanted to do. But eventually it worked and I was free to start rigging.
 
First, the topgallant sheets now had a spar to hold them (sorry about the photo quality). The sheets run through a block on each topsail yardarm

then along the yard to a block near the mast

And down to the bitts

Then - disaster! I snapped the larboard topsail yard (they're VERY thin!) and at the same time the block for the clewline pulled away from the sail. Then the sheet pulled away from the sail as well. This photo was taken the next day; I'd already mended the yardarm with CA, but still had to fix the clewline block back in place - you can see the dislocated block in the top right of the red rectangle.
 
This took far longer than I'd expected - several failed attempts before I got it right. Here's the repaired assembly, roughed out:

And trimmed:

and I've added brace pendants for the topsails
 

A match to show how very thin the yards are - very easy to snap.

And the brace pendant on the starboard side (a bit blurry, sorry):

And trimmed to length:

And I've now started adding a two-sheaved block to the foremast to take the topsail bowlines. A lot of swearing at this point - I was trying to get the strop around the foremast past all the ropes that were already there. Absolute murder, and I finally gave up and just looped a length of cotton thread around the mast (not very visible I'm afraid - all you can see are the loose ends):

And added the block to the loop (in the centre of the red rectangle, just above the parrel truck)

Adding blocks to the mizzen shrouds to take the main topsail braces:
 
  
And trimmed off.
 

Lots of fiddly stuff. But slowly getting there.
 
Steven
  
 
 
 

Thanks, mate. But I have space limitations. Never going to do 1:200 again, but I've done 1:50 and 1:75, and I'll probably keep on with 1:75 as my "default" scale. And of course, if all the models are to the same scale you can compare them.
 
Steven
 

Sounds like you're speaking from experience, Druxey. I fully concur, having done a very comprehensive renovation myself. Can of worms territory!
 
Steven

More rigging; now I've got the main topsail in place. I had quite a bit of trouble getting the original "parrel truck" (really made out of cotton thread) to fit back onto the mast - it got all mutant on me for a while and I had to pretty much force it into the right shape - not really what I wanted to do. But eventually it worked and I was free to start rigging.
 
First, the topgallant sheets now had a spar to hold them (sorry about the photo quality). The sheets run through a block on each topsail yardarm

then along the yard to a block near the mast

And down to the bitts

Then - disaster! I snapped the larboard topsail yard (they're VERY thin!) and at the same time the block for the clewline pulled away from the sail. Then the sheet pulled away from the sail as well. This photo was taken the next day; I'd already mended the yardarm with CA, but still had to fix the clewline block back in place - you can see the dislocated block in the top right of the red rectangle.
 
This took far longer than I'd expected - several failed attempts before I got it right. Here's the repaired assembly, roughed out:

And trimmed:

and I've added brace pendants for the topsails
 

A match to show how very thin the yards are - very easy to snap.

And the brace pendant on the starboard side (a bit blurry, sorry):

And trimmed to length:

And I've now started adding a two-sheaved block to the foremast to take the topsail bowlines. A lot of swearing at this point - I was trying to get the strop around the foremast past all the ropes that were already there. Absolute murder, and I finally gave up and just looped a length of cotton thread around the mast (not very visible I'm afraid - all you can see are the loose ends):

And added the block to the loop (in the centre of the red rectangle, just above the parrel truck)

Adding blocks to the mizzen shrouds to take the main topsail braces:
 
  
And trimmed off.
 

Lots of fiddly stuff. But slowly getting there.
 
Steven
  
 
 
 

More rigging; now I've got the main topsail in place. I had quite a bit of trouble getting the original "parrel truck" (really made out of cotton thread) to fit back onto the mast - it got all mutant on me for a while and I had to pretty much force it into the right shape - not really what I wanted to do. But eventually it worked and I was free to start rigging.
 
First, the topgallant sheets now had a spar to hold them (sorry about the photo quality). The sheets run through a block on each topsail yardarm

then along the yard to a block near the mast

And down to the bitts

Then - disaster! I snapped the larboard topsail yard (they're VERY thin!) and at the same time the block for the clewline pulled away from the sail. Then the sheet pulled away from the sail as well. This photo was taken the next day; I'd already mended the yardarm with CA, but still had to fix the clewline block back in place - you can see the dislocated block in the top right of the red rectangle.
 
This took far longer than I'd expected - several failed attempts before I got it right. Here's the repaired assembly, roughed out:

And trimmed:

and I've added brace pendants for the topsails
 

A match to show how very thin the yards are - very easy to snap.

And the brace pendant on the starboard side (a bit blurry, sorry):

And trimmed to length:

And I've now started adding a two-sheaved block to the foremast to take the topsail bowlines. A lot of swearing at this point - I was trying to get the strop around the foremast past all the ropes that were already there. Absolute murder, and I finally gave up and just looped a length of cotton thread around the mast (not very visible I'm afraid - all you can see are the loose ends):

And added the block to the loop (in the centre of the red rectangle, just above the parrel truck)

Adding blocks to the mizzen shrouds to take the main topsail braces:
 
  
And trimmed off.
 

Lots of fiddly stuff. But slowly getting there.
 
Steven
  
 
 
 

More rigging; now I've got the main topsail in place. I had quite a bit of trouble getting the original "parrel truck" (really made out of cotton thread) to fit back onto the mast - it got all mutant on me for a while and I had to pretty much force it into the right shape - not really what I wanted to do. But eventually it worked and I was free to start rigging.
 
First, the topgallant sheets now had a spar to hold them (sorry about the photo quality). The sheets run through a block on each topsail yardarm

then along the yard to a block near the mast

And down to the bitts

Then - disaster! I snapped the larboard topsail yard (they're VERY thin!) and at the same time the block for the clewline pulled away from the sail. Then the sheet pulled away from the sail as well. This photo was taken the next day; I'd already mended the yardarm with CA, but still had to fix the clewline block back in place - you can see the dislocated block in the top right of the red rectangle.
 
This took far longer than I'd expected - several failed attempts before I got it right. Here's the repaired assembly, roughed out:

And trimmed:

and I've added brace pendants for the topsails
 

A match to show how very thin the yards are - very easy to snap.

And the brace pendant on the starboard side (a bit blurry, sorry):

And trimmed to length:

And I've now started adding a two-sheaved block to the foremast to take the topsail bowlines. A lot of swearing at this point - I was trying to get the strop around the foremast past all the ropes that were already there. Absolute murder, and I finally gave up and just looped a length of cotton thread around the mast (not very visible I'm afraid - all you can see are the loose ends):

And added the block to the loop (in the centre of the red rectangle, just above the parrel truck)

Adding blocks to the mizzen shrouds to take the main topsail braces:
 
  
And trimmed off.
 

Lots of fiddly stuff. But slowly getting there.
 
Steven
  
 
 
 

I never fail to be amazed at how strong model hulls are - even though the planking is to scale thickness.
 
Enjoying the ride.
 
Steven

The frames and foothooks have been inserted. This gives resistance to twisting, The hull is surprisingly strong even without the frames.
This shows the histopede to which the mast is lashed
Dick

This will prove immensely valuable during the build and research. I already looked at the many photos Woodrat posted in his log for the Venetian ship, but this will also be of great use to me. What i plan to do at some point is draw a keel and master frame at scale, likely in Inkscape. I am also working on another build right now, the log for which is about to go up. 

I thought you might like to have some contemporary pictures of carracks to refer to in your build. I've divided them into vessels with a single mast (which I like to call "proto-carracks"), and those with at least two. The hulls seem identical: https://www.pinterest.com.au/lowe1847/proto-carracks/ and   https://www.pinterest.com.au/lowe1847/carracks/
 
Steven

I thought you might like to have some contemporary pictures of carracks to refer to in your build. I've divided them into vessels with a single mast (which I like to call "proto-carracks"), and those with at least two. The hulls seem identical: https://www.pinterest.com.au/lowe1847/proto-carracks/ and   https://www.pinterest.com.au/lowe1847/carracks/
 
Steven

Thanks, Firdajan. Unfortunately when I first started the model I had no idea what problems the small scale was going to make for me later . . . 
 
Steven

I thought you might like to have some contemporary pictures of carracks to refer to in your build. I've divided them into vessels with a single mast (which I like to call "proto-carracks"), and those with at least two. The hulls seem identical: https://www.pinterest.com.au/lowe1847/proto-carracks/ and   https://www.pinterest.com.au/lowe1847/carracks/
 
Steven

Old fat spider spinning in a tree!
Old fat spider can’t see me!
          Attercop! Attercop!
               Won't you stop,
Stop your spinning and look for me?

Old Tomnoddy, all big body,
Old Tomnoddy can’t spy me!
          Attercop! Attercop!
                Down you drop!
You'll never catch me up your tree!

Lazy Lob and crazy Cob
are weaving webs to wind me.
I am far more sweet than other meat,
but still they cannot find me!

Here am I, naughty little fly;
you are fat and lazy.
You cannot trap me, though you try,
in your cobwebs crazy.
 
(Bilbo's song, from The Hobbit)
 
Some more cobwebs - main topgallant bowlines, running via blocks on the main topgallant stay to blocks on the fore topsail shrouds and belayed to the upper fore top. And sheets on the main topgallant sail.







Now I'm ready to add the main topsail.
 
Steven

Thanks, mate. But I have space limitations. Never going to do 1:200 again, but I've done 1:50 and 1:75, and I'll probably keep on with 1:75 as my "default" scale. And of course, if all the models are to the same scale you can compare them.
 
Steven
 

Thanks, mate. But I have space limitations. Never going to do 1:200 again, but I've done 1:50 and 1:75, and I'll probably keep on with 1:75 as my "default" scale. And of course, if all the models are to the same scale you can compare them.
 
Steven
 

Sounds like you're speaking from experience, Druxey. I fully concur, having done a very comprehensive renovation myself. Can of worms territory!
 
Steven

Thanks, Firdajan. Unfortunately when I first started the model I had no idea what problems the small scale was going to make for me later . . . 
 
Steven

Thanks, mate. But I have space limitations. Never going to do 1:200 again, but I've done 1:50 and 1:75, and I'll probably keep on with 1:75 as my "default" scale. And of course, if all the models are to the same scale you can compare them.
 
Steven