David Lester

I had forgotten the seat brackets.  They do finish off the ship's boat quite well.
 

 
Here is some of the deck furniture.  The windows for the skylight combing are done in Kristal Klear.  It gives a far better result than the clear plastic.
 

 
 
 

I spent part of the day working on a platform with which to set the Bluenose on.  I will use it for the rest of the build but may elect to build something more suitable for the finished model.  If I do decide to keep it, it will need a lot more finish work.
 

I started today by marking the waterline with a home made jig I put together.  It wasn't the best in the world but it did the trick.  I simply drilled a hole into a piece of scrap and used a square to make sure I was vertical.  I got the height measurement from the drawing using the bottom of the keel as a reference.  I measured the distance from the keel to the water line closest to the rudder and added the distance the ship was sitting off the surface in the jig.
 

 
Once I had it marked I masked off the area then proceeded to spray paint the red lower portion.  I will try painting the black upper section tomorrow.  Because of the white base coat, I will use that to incorporate the stripe in the hull.  I'm not sure what I will do for the yellow stripe yet.  I may use vinyl strip as David has mentioned above.  It may be the easiest.
 
It seems that my problems with the bow cap rail actually revert back to the stern.  Because I needed to extend the distance at the bow, I realized that the stern was sitting back a little too far.  Not that it overhung too far off the back.  Somewhere, I made something not completely correctly or built something to a slightly wrong dimension which resulted in a small misalignment.  The main sheet boom buffer wouldn't fit under the bench so I had to slightly extend it by about 1/8".  Shown below are before and after pics.
 

Hello all and happy Saturday
 
Quick update on Bluenose. Over the last couple of days, I've touched up the outboard hull painting, focusing specifically on the cove (yellow) and the waterline strip (white) to clean them up as much as possible - I only have a photo of the preparation of this and don't seem to have any right now of the cleaned up paint job....sorry!
 
I also made templates of the deck superstructures from card paper, fixing them temporarily to the top of the bulkhead frames to mark out their positions and identify where framing strips need to be added between the bulkheads. I added this framing this morning after completing the finishing of the inboard bulwarks and stanchions. 
 
There are a couple of little clean-up tasks to complete before starting to build up the deck superstructures. First I need to sand down the stanchions to the level of the sheer - a tedious process, but unavoidable. Then I need to epoxy the forward mounting nut to the bottom of the keel. Then it's on to more fun stuff with the superstructures and deck planking! 
 
Enjoy the photos
hamilton

Hi Derek,
Glad to see you're back at your Bluenose. You mentioned that you're not a fan of painting, but you're right that it's pretty much essential for this hull. The white stripe that separates the red from the black is relatively easy to do. I just used 1/16" masking tape and it was straightforward. However the upper yellow stripe is actually quite tricky, but I think it's important to the look of the hull. If I'm not being too forward, I thought I would give you a heads up on it and how I approached the challenge.The problem is the fact that it goes immediately above the scuppers. There's plenty of room for it towards the bow, but towards the stern where the suppers are higher, there is very little room for it, and it can't spill onto the plank above as that plank is recessed.
 
On the real vessel, the yellow stripe is actually a groove and it's very narrow. There just isn't enough room to create a neat and tidy groove especially in basswood, so it really needs to be applied to the surface. I'm currently building my second Bluenose model. I'm not doing a build log for the second one, as it would be a near carbon copy of the first, but I did handle the yellow stripe differently in each case and I think both results are acceptable.
 
The first time around, I didn't have any really narrow masking tape, but I had a lot of Evergreen vinyl strips kicking around, so I painted one yellow and glued it on. It's very narrow and while it actually sits proud of the hull surface, it's so minimal that it's really undetectable.

 
The vinyl strip is .01" x .03" and I think it's pretty close to the right width.
 
This time around, I didn't have any vinyl strips of the right size, but I did find find 1mm Tamiya tape. It's just a bit wider than the .03" vinyl strip, but it seems to be acceptable too. I think anything wider than 1mm is going to be very difficult to fit on that plank and I think it will begin to look too wide relative to the real Bluenose.

 
Overall, I'd say that the masking tape version is the easier one to do and probably the better solution, but at 1mm in width it just barely fits in. The other annoying problem is the colour of the tape which almost perfectly matches the yellow paint. It was hard knowing if I was placing the tape straight or wavy; there was almost no contrast.
 
Anyway, not sure if that's at helpful to you or not, but I hope it's of some value. BTW I found the 1mm tape at Sunward Hobbies. I don't recall seeing it anywhere else. I'm enjoying your build log.
David

Dealing with the bow cap rail, I had to lengthen it and narrow it.  I cut it in half and sanded each half.  I also made filler pieces to lengthen the cap rail.
 

 
I've done the one side and clamped it.  Once dried, I will do the other side.  Then it's off to sanding
 

It's been a busy summer. Baseball was back in full swing, (pun intended), and work is as busy as ever, and help is real hard to come by these days, so there's been minimum shop time until the past week or so. I did manage to reach a bit of a milestone. Belt "A" is planked. I've been doing a little rough sanding as I go in hopes of easing the final finishing when the hull is completely planked. I'm pretty happy with the results so far, being my first attempt at cutting planks. Chuck's Longboat was a nice primer, however it was real nice have precut and spilled planks. So there's plenty lessons being learned on this model. Anyway, here's what the first belt looks like today. 
 

 

Hi All,
I haven't posted lately, but that doesn't mean I haven't been working on my model. I have pretty much finished the running rigging and I just couldn't seem to get the model to a presentable state for photos and updates as I went along.
For some reason I found this model very difficult to rig and I don't believe there isn't any aspect of the running rigging that I didn't do over at least once. About half of the belaying pins are completely inaccessible and I seemed compelled to run lines on the wrong sides of things, only to notice it much later! I had a tendency when snipping off the line at the belaying pin to snip on the wrong side of the pin! I was continually messing up the tension with each addition line! etc etc. and there's a fair bit of chain used for the rigging which is very frustrating to work with as it usually needs to be cut to an exact length without much wiggle room. Anyway, I got it done.
 

 
I bought some internally stropped blocks from BlueJacket and used them where indicated. I think you can make them out below on the topsail halliards, which are chain.




 
I also managed to snap off several davits.

 
So, I'm closing in on the finish line. The remaining items to complete are the whaleboats, the anchors and the stage that attaches to the starboard side.
I'm really pleased with my upgraded blocks on this model. The larger ones (3/16" anc 5/16") as well as the internally stropped blocks are from BlueJacket and the smaller ones (1/8" and 3/32") are from Syren.
I don't know if any of you have ever the noticed  the paradox in model building, but this last rigging job has really pointed it out to me. On the whole, this hobby is relaxing, challenging, rewarding, fun, contemplative, meditative, satisfying and any number of other positive things. However, at the same time and paradoxically it seems to comprise nothing but a series of jobs that individually are aggravating, tedious, repetitive, frustrating, and tending to make one bang one's head against the wall! How is this possible?  I think we need a new word for this phenomenon. There's a word "synergy" which applies when the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. What would be the word when the whole is the opposite of the sum of the parts? Perhaps "frustifaction" or maybe "satistration" I don't know.
David

The decking is finally complete.  Other things have intruded over the last month or so.  The result of the planking has been acceptable, and I think looks less artificial than the laser-cut deck supplied in the kit, but I guess that is for others to judge.  In any event a lot of it will eventually be obscured by guns, fittings and rigging.
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Well, you're doing a lot better than I did. You're finding it simply the hardest kit you've ever built. I found it to be quite literally impossible!
It's looking pretty good to me and congratulations on persevering.
David

Hi
With the work week coming up and my Vanguard HMS Sphinx scheduled to be delivered Friday, it may be awhile before I have another update.    I will be putting this project on the shelf for the while but definitely plan on finishing this.  Really looking forward to the Vanguard kit if only for the very detailed instructions and superb materials. 
 
I will say the support from Zorn is topnotch.   But that being said this is still the hardest kit I have ever tried to assemble.  And largely because of the vagueness of any directions if they exist.   I've built over 20 kits over the years and have never had the issues I have had with this one.    Very, very hard build.  You probably need scratch building expertise to really handle this kit.
 
The latest pictures show the upper hull planking before any filler or sanding.   The cannon ports have been cut from the outside but not drilled through.    And I've got lots of measuring and cutting to get the side profile correct. 
 

Good Morning,
You are not alone in finding this kit to be a real challenge. I'm sure by now you've seen my abortive build log and how I ended up abandoning this project.  While I look forward to some challenge in every project, I found the tsunami of problems this one presented to be both perplexing and overwhelming. You've identified a few already. I don't mean to be too discouraging, but there are many more to come.
 
It sounds as though you have some experience, so with any luck you'll be able to overcome the inherent problems. I sincerely wish you every success and I will be following with interest to see how you solve the various issues!
 
All the best,
David

Well, it's been forever since I updated this log - lack of entries does not mean lack of work, as I can report that except for some paint touch-up, rope loops and finishing touches on the base, the Pride is finally finished! - Only took 2 years!??!???
 
Since this is going on a narrow shelf, I figured out which was the "good" side of the hull and braced the yards hard over.  If I do this on another model I will keep the yards square until I lay on all the rigging, then brace them around - it was tough keeping straight which lines should stay in front of the yards and which should go behind.
 

 

 

 
When I rigged the running rigging for the jib and headsails I included the sheets - probably not quite in the right places, but it did make the rigging more interesting.
 

 
Close up of a block with a hook

 
Final product
 

 

 

Finished with the ship's boat - decided to make a cover for it and not try the interior detail.  The cover is made from a piece of fine-woven cloth glued to the blank side of a white index card cut to size with a piece of string embedded to model tie-down ropes.  This worked pretty well when I made hanging hammocks for the berth deck of my Constitution cross-section and I think came out pretty well on this boat.
The cleats on the side of the cradle were home-made - from this angle at least they look serviceable.  

 

 

 
Now onto rigging the spares, which is usually fun, although I think things will get a bit crowded.  Given the placement of some of the blocks hooked into the eyebolts on the deck - especially the fore running backstays, I probably shoulda rigged those before tying down the ship's boat...
 

 

Good Morning All, 
Well, I have officially finished my Charles W. Morgan. (I would like to say that it's "done and dusted", but I know from experience that the dusting part has only just started.) 
Since my last post, the remaining undone bits were the rope coils for the belaying pins, the anchors, the cutting stage and the boats. I didn't post any updates as I was working through these, as they were very simple and straightforward. They didn't pose any problems, and there were no great insights that would benefit anyone from my sharing.
Here are a couple of pictures showing the finished model -
 





 
I think I've mentioned it before but it bears repeating how much I enjoyed this model. I think this has to be one of Model Shipways best kits. The plans are excellent with every detail very clearly covered, and the kit is well designed. While it's challenging, at no point do you find yourself fighting with the kit to get a decent result, which is not always the case. If you're looking for a break from naval vessels, this is a great option. 
I'm looking for a smaller project next time around and have purchased the Pride of Baltimore II which I'll be starting soon. Those clippers were very beautiful ships and I won't have to build an additional to the house to accommodate the model. 
Many thanks for your comments and "likes." 
David

Good Morning All, 
Well, I have officially finished my Charles W. Morgan. (I would like to say that it's "done and dusted", but I know from experience that the dusting part has only just started.) 
Since my last post, the remaining undone bits were the rope coils for the belaying pins, the anchors, the cutting stage and the boats. I didn't post any updates as I was working through these, as they were very simple and straightforward. They didn't pose any problems, and there were no great insights that would benefit anyone from my sharing.
Here are a couple of pictures showing the finished model -
 





 
I think I've mentioned it before but it bears repeating how much I enjoyed this model. I think this has to be one of Model Shipways best kits. The plans are excellent with every detail very clearly covered, and the kit is well designed. While it's challenging, at no point do you find yourself fighting with the kit to get a decent result, which is not always the case. If you're looking for a break from naval vessels, this is a great option. 
I'm looking for a smaller project next time around and have purchased the Pride of Baltimore II which I'll be starting soon. Those clippers were very beautiful ships and I won't have to build an additional to the house to accommodate the model. 
Many thanks for your comments and "likes." 
David

Hi All,
I haven't posted lately, but that doesn't mean I haven't been working on my model. I have pretty much finished the running rigging and I just couldn't seem to get the model to a presentable state for photos and updates as I went along.
For some reason I found this model very difficult to rig and I don't believe there isn't any aspect of the running rigging that I didn't do over at least once. About half of the belaying pins are completely inaccessible and I seemed compelled to run lines on the wrong sides of things, only to notice it much later! I had a tendency when snipping off the line at the belaying pin to snip on the wrong side of the pin! I was continually messing up the tension with each addition line! etc etc. and there's a fair bit of chain used for the rigging which is very frustrating to work with as it usually needs to be cut to an exact length without much wiggle room. Anyway, I got it done.
 

 
I bought some internally stropped blocks from BlueJacket and used them where indicated. I think you can make them out below on the topsail halliards, which are chain.




 
I also managed to snap off several davits.

 
So, I'm closing in on the finish line. The remaining items to complete are the whaleboats, the anchors and the stage that attaches to the starboard side.
I'm really pleased with my upgraded blocks on this model. The larger ones (3/16" anc 5/16") as well as the internally stropped blocks are from BlueJacket and the smaller ones (1/8" and 3/32") are from Syren.
I don't know if any of you have ever the noticed  the paradox in model building, but this last rigging job has really pointed it out to me. On the whole, this hobby is relaxing, challenging, rewarding, fun, contemplative, meditative, satisfying and any number of other positive things. However, at the same time and paradoxically it seems to comprise nothing but a series of jobs that individually are aggravating, tedious, repetitive, frustrating, and tending to make one bang one's head against the wall! How is this possible?  I think we need a new word for this phenomenon. There's a word "synergy" which applies when the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. What would be the word when the whole is the opposite of the sum of the parts? Perhaps "frustifaction" or maybe "satistration" I don't know.
David

Hello All,
A little more progress to report -  I've finished the standing rigging! It's always a nightmare process for me as I can never seem to get the tension right among the three masts. As soon as I tension one line and it brings the mast into a more or less straight position, another line goes slack.  And, I'm always too quick to get the seizings glued and trimmed, which of course makes later adjustments all but impossible. I never seem to learn from one model to the next; it's always like I'm doing it for the first time and like deja vu all over again I went down that rabbit hole this time too!
 
But then I got control of myself and started over. I'm not sure what others like to do, but I've pretty much decided that the best way for me to do it is to get the lowest stay for each mast in place first before the lower shrouds go on, then move directly to the highest stay starting with the mizzen and moving forward. So my order was: 1. mizzen topgallant stay, then mizzen topgallant backstay, 2. main royal stay, then main royal backstay and 3. fore royal stay then fore royal backstay.  And I even left the seizings all unglued and untrimmed until all were in place so I could adjust each as needed until the masts were all reasonably straight. Then it was just a matter of filling in the others. At this point it was easy to apply just enough tension to each line without it having an adverse effect on the others.
 
Sorry if that all seems too elementary to even mention, but I'm feeling very happy about finding a system that works for me and with any luck I won't have to relearn it on my next model. I enjoyed Groundhog Day, but that doesn't mean I like living it!

 



 
 
I've also attached the fish tackle. This is a piece of rigging that I'm not familiar with. I assumed it was related to whaling, but according to the MS instructions it was used to help hoist the anchor. Is that correct? Is it a feature of ships of this era (second half of the 19th century?) All the other models I've built are of much earlier ships.

 

 
back stays secured
also added the running lights
 

 
mizzen topmast stay
 
Up next is the upper ratlines.
 
Many thanks for comments, likes etc.
 
David

Good Morning,
With the lower shrouds and lower stays in place, it seemed like a good idea to stop work on the standing rigging and add the five boat handing stations at this point. I also added the ratboards as well.
 
The ratboards were fun to do and actually quite a bit easier than regular ratlines. I always have a problem with the outermost two shrouds pulling in as add the ratlines, but that was not a problem in this case.
 
I've also finished the five boat handing stations. While they were not difficult, it was a much larger job than I anticipated as there are many components to each one. 
 
The hull of this ship has an incredible number of things on it and someone had advised me to take a great deal of care at the outset and when adding any element to the hull to  be quite aware of how it would affect the placement of other components. It was a challenge making sure everything would fit in more or less the right place. I'm happy to report that everything fits properly and I didn't have to make any "do overs."
 
Now on to the rigging in earnest.
David
 

 

 

 

Hello All and thank you MicroMarine for that photo of the Scientific CWM. I've seen pictures of the ship when it had that configuration. Am I right in my understanding that it was not uncommon practice to paint gunports on the hulls of ships to make them look more dangerous than they were?
 

Nere's a brief update on my progress. I've been working on two things simultaneously. The first is the ratboards:

Here are some more in place, the upper two waiting to be trimmed along with the thread ends -



Here are some after trimming and threads ready to accept the next one.
 


I'm using a set of nail clippers to trim the boards and for some strange reason it really does feel like I'm trimming its nails.🙂



At the same time, I've been working on the five whaleboat stations. In my past builds it's just been a matter of sticking on a pair of davits and maybe a cleat or two and that's it. No so in this case. It's hard to believe but there are 30 individual parts in each of the five stations.

Here you can see the davits in place -


Here are the strips mounted to the side of the hull that serve as sliders. The thinnest wood I have is 1/32" and it looked a bit too heavy and I wasn't able to get the slight bow in them that's clear in pictures of the actual ship. So I laminated two pieces of styrene strip and that seemed to do the job. It was difficult to get the strip to adhere adequately to the top support piece that runs over to the hull, so I glued a piece of black construction paper to the top of the support piece and folded it up and glued it against the inside of the slider and that seems to secure it quite well.



The remaining parts for each station are the boat bearers and cranes which are shown below, but not installed yet. The cranes attach to the bearers with a pair of eyebolts and pins. The challenge will be to install each pair of assemblies so that the two cranes are at the same height, in order for the boats to sit level.

I resorted to vinyl again for the two fairleads on the side of the bearer. I could not shape basswood without it crumbling. Instead I laminated two pieces of thin vinyl strip together and drilled a hole near the end of the strip. Then I cut off a small square containing the hole and glued it to the bearer. When the glue was well set, I filed the round shape into the vinyl square. It's a detail that probably doesn't need to be there as the plans say that it is unknown what the purpose of these fairleads was. But they're on the plans, so I added them nevertheless.



So that's where I'm at as of today. It's time to get back down to my shop as it's Wednesday and will soon be time for the Moth Radio Hour on NPR and I really hate to miss it.

Thanks for all the likes, comments etc.

David

A little update. I've been working on this 'n' that.
 
I've finished the cutting in tackle.

 

 
Those Bluejacket cast metal blocks have great detail. They're a breeze to work with at this size (5/16") but a more difficult in smaller sizes.
 

 
The plans indicated that the two lines from the cutting in tackle tie off on the windlass head and the windlass barrel. So clearly this tackle was not in place at all times, only when it was in use. The plans don't indicate exactly how to terminate the lines after being wrapped around the windlass, so I ended one set with a coil on the deck and I imagined the other set being tied off on the wooden bar above the windlass.
 
I don't mind making rope coils for the deck, but I really don't like making the ones that hang down usually from belaying pins. I find them very hard to do. I have to admit to a bit of a cheat on these. I like using Amati rigging line generally; it seems to be very good quality without being expensive. I know that there is superior hand made rope available, but I find this one to be an excellent trade-off between quality and price. The problem with it is, it's a bit stiff and I can never get it to loop nicely for my vertical coils. I shouldn't tell anyone this, but I switch to a different rope here. I use crochet cotton for the vertical coils. It's much easier to get it to behave being very soft. The ecru is a nearly identical colour match and I always use a fine weight even if it's lighter than the actual rigging line. Again it's much easier to handle and the eye simply cannot pick up the slight difference.
 
 
Then I made a start at the ratboards. A feature that's a bit different for this ship and although it's early yet, it looks like they're going to be fun to do.

 
Still have to trim them to length of course. I find if they're trimmed to length first, it's very hard to tie them on the outermost shrouds.
 
In the background you can see some boat davits in place. More about them in the next post.
 
Many thanks for looking in, comments and the "likes".
David

Look what arrived today, as promised by my printers!
 
We will spend all weekend finishing the Sphinx kits, and making sure all is packed well, ready for shipping. All orders will be shipped next week.
 
In the meantime, I have still been working on the new fishing boast designs, and have gone almost as far as I can with my pre-prototype models of Erycina and Nisha.
 
I received samples of the 3-d printed castings for them yesterday. I decided to have the tow posts drawn in CAD and 3-d printed because I wanting it to be as true to the real thing as I could, as it has many shapes, coupled with a bracket with holes each side at the top. The winch drums are also 3-d printed castings, as is the chain pipe. The forward winch drums are new turned brass parts I had made. The rest of the kits will consist of laser cut and PE parts - but have to wait for the PE until next month...

First Planking
 
With the gunport patterns completed, time to start planking.
 

 

 
Following Chuck’s “Lining the Hull” .pdfs as a guide I began the first planking by dividing the hull into two belts and marking the bulkhead markers using a planking fan. I described this process in my Cheerful log, so I won’t repeat all of that here. Granted in the case of Flirt’s small hull I don’t necessarily need to do it for this first planking, I could have covered the hull one way or another. I also acknowledge there are other methods and techniques for planking. Suffice it to say it is my opinion this is the best process to plank any hull.  I am doing it here as practice for my future Winchelsea build, where this technique is essential to single planking. Since I know I will need full planks width with from midships to stern I only lined from bulkhead 8 forward. (PS: for grins I always write my name and the start date on the former, sort of like writing your name in wet concrete I guess, no real reason).
 

 

 
 

 
I used my Byrnes Sander to sand the angle (67 degrees for the first several) to meet the bow and at the same time tilt the table down to bevel the back side to fit into the stem notch provided as part of Chris’ design. Next up, I taper the plank per the lining off plan simply using a steel rule and a #11 blade. The Swan Morton scalpel works as does the regular Excel knife version, whichever I reach for.
 

 
Then the fun part, bending the plank. I don’t soak planks. just a finger wipe of water and a travel iron at my plank bending station. I converted to this method when I built Lady Nelson, I don’t know how I’d ever have planked Cheerful without it. Again I described this process on both those logs so I won’t repeat it here. There are a series of videos Chuck has describing it in detail available here on MSW. 
 

 
Having bent the plank to fit the length of the hull, I also add a twist using the iron (and keeping my fingers clear) to fit the plank under the counter when needed.
 
 

 
Once bent, like shown here (just hanging with a piece of tape for the photo) I get a plank that will l lay right on to the bulkhead without forcing, nailing, or soaking. It seems counter-intuitive to bend down to fit up, but that’s the geometry of a bow that both turns inward in two dimensions as you move down the stem. This plank was the next one installed, where you see it is where it went.
 

 
I use only CA for planking. For what it's worth the Smith Industries version I use doesn't a strong smell, at least that I notice. These two applicator types have been a part of my work bench for years, one medium and one fine tip. I use them until they fall apart at the tip then reach for another one, they generally last for one model. The key is to maintain them standing up straight and to gently blow out the excess glue from the tip at the end of the work session. My holder was just a bit of balsa with two holes until my granddaughter decided it needed painting and a little decoration. I don’t know the purpose of the ships wheel or the cleats she added, but they are there to stay now.
 

 
 

 

 
With that the first belt is complete, now on to the second belt to finish up the first planking.  I need to sort out the deadwood area around the sternpost, the second layer of boxwood planks are only 1mm, not much room for sanding to fit. I needs to be sorted out with the first planking. Off I go.
 
PS: The white balance of these photos are all a bit wacky, Since they are pretty basic images I didn't spent much time trying to correct that.  I'll have a talk with my iPhone next time round.

Gun Port Patterns
 
Installing gun port patterns is not why I enjoy building models. I struggled getting a good fit with these four simple pieces of ply, quite a bit of fiddling about was required to get to a proper fit. When my friends see my completed models they invariably comment on how patient I must be - how little they know - especially when it comes to gunport patterns.
 

 
While it’s debatable whether this step is necessary for Flirt with its gentle curves, I always begin by tracing a top view of the bow from the plans and transferring that to a piece of lumber. I keep all the old ones, only a little sanding with the Byrnes Sander was needed to match Flirt from whatever this former was used for before.
 

 
I soaked the patterns for 30 minutes in a beer stein of hot water, clamped them to my former for an hour or so, then dumped the water and filled the stein with what it’s supposed to contain. I know its done all the time, but for whatever reason I don’t like to attach wet wood to my model, some unfounded fear of it warping the keel into a U-shape. Probably won’t happen, but why chance it.
 

 
Then the fun begins, clamping the pattern to the bulkheads, lining up their tops - which of course working in three planes isn’t as easy as it sounds. I use wood glue to give me set up time, which I need, with just a little above the deck since the tabs of the bulkhead are doomed to the scrap pile later. I had done light scoring with a razor saw earlier on the sides of each bulkhead tap to help start that later process, light being the operative word. This is the step when I once again realize I can never have enough clamps.
 

 
And here is where my impatience kicks in. Having finished the starboard forward pattern and having started the port forward I thought why not do the starboard aft piece at the same time. Don’t do that. It worked ok eventually, but clamps were flying off everywhere as I moved from one side to the other. I should have just stepped back, grabbed the appropriately filled beer stein and walked away, doing one section at a time allowing the time it takes, at least two hours, before starting the next one.
 

 
Here is where the third plane comes to play. The pattern is curved by me to match the hull, the sheer is cut by Chris to match the run of the deck, so two out of three planes are covered, the third is the rounding curve of the hull top to bottom (tumblehome or flair). I had first dry-fitted the clamped pattern and knew this was coming, so I had soaked, curved, and dried the patterns three times before gluing it on. This serves to soften the unforgiving ply enough that it can be clamped to fit the curve. I had to choose top or bottom to clamp first, I chose the top. Once that dried I added glue to the area of the pattern that attaches below the false deck and clamped again.
 
I should note that its not easy to place clamps, it’s a good opportunity to break a bulkhead tap. Fortunately I didn’t do that…this time.  I have lots of clamps but only four of these ratchet type (I've now ordered more). They work much better holding the bottom edge of the pattern as needed to curve into the bulkhead.
 

 
With the forward section done I added the port aft section - taking my time this time. The aft pieces are a much easier process, no pre-shaping needed. The key though is to line up the curve of aft end of the pattern with the curve of the counter where it meets the transom. I know I didn’t build the ship too short, the pattern is purposely long, so I dry-fit to get it lined up and marked off the extra length with a pencil. I removed the pattern and cut off most, but not all of that extra length, intentionally leaving it still a little long to sand off later. I needed rubber bands to glue the pattern to the transom, not much to clamp back there.
 

 
With everything glued on this is a good time to check the fit of the stern facia piece. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just close enough that it will match up later on top of the second planking with a minimum of sanding, it’s easier to sand now, if needed, then later.  Of course, like here, it was good I installed the counter with its curve in the first place.
 

 

 
While I didn’t get a photo of the before, the net result of all this is a well attached pattern…with waves/waffling in the area nearest the stem. I know from experience this happens and that between sanding and the second planking a little bit of wave won’t matter. Still it bugs me, so out came my best wood management tool, my travel iron. I saw Derek also did this on his Speedy. It actually works remarkably well. I just ironed, in max steam mode, the bow patterns like they were a shirt. The waves smooth and the curves look much better.
 
And with that my Flirt has its gun port patterns completed. I now remember there is life…and enjoyment…past the installation of gunport patterns. Now, I can plank. I could put the beer stein away as I won't be soaking anything else during this build...but there is its primary purpose and that may come in handy from time to time.

The first five photos are the final assembly steps. Atlantics' motor launch and owner's gig aft of the main mast on their davits and her jolly boats the fore of it. The second photo is the anchor tackle and davit. The third, masthead pennants and the  US yachting ensign off the mizzen gaff. The stern and bow decals; the fourth and fifth photo. The final ten shots are of  Atlantic finished, the last two photos in her display case and moored snug in the living room.
               Atlantic was the challenge I needed while sheltered in during the pandemic and proved to be that and more. Even with all the inconsistencies that made me quite aware of my skill level, I couldn't be any prouder to display her as the centerpiece in the main salon. Most of all my acknowledgements to the Admiral for her provision of time, working space, and listening to my frustrations and profanities during the build, her critiques exceeded only by her encouragement, patience and graciousness. Also In the encouragement department my appreciation to Bob G on his supportive comments to my own doubts and the contributions from his build of PenDuick.  Nic of Bluejacket Shipcrafters whose advise and remedial input were indispensable, and everyone else who reacted and commented on Atlantics' build. Finally to modelshipworld which made it possible to acquire new modeling skills through their extensive data base. My next Build will be the schooner America in the same scale as Atlantic starting around late fall. Ciao Everyone!