davyboy

I've completed the Foresail Halliard, Jib Halliard and the inhaul and outhaul.
 
Hard to see in these pics but they are there.
 
Sorry Bob but you're really gonna have to strain to proof these.
 
 

 

 
Here is the lower yard sling and the sling in place on the yard.
 

 

 
As I made both yards earlier I'm hoping to make a good deal of progress in the next couple of days.

Hello,
many thanks for the stimulating comments,
and also for the LIKES.
 
The last details on the masts are made.
These are hoops around the lower masts with holders for pins,
so-called spider bands.
The holder was made of brass investment casting.

The left fragment of a hoop is a failed attempt.
The right hoop looks much better, right?

A little more...

We continue to work... the cat is watching...

A little change. Two Maritime aircraft of days gone by
a Nimrod over flies a scraped Shackleton 

The topmast shrouds and the topmast stay have been added. All lines have
had their tension adjusted, tied off and the rats nest of excess line has been
removed. Rope coils have been added too. That completes the standing
rigging and we're heading towards the finish!
 
 
 

 
 
 

When furled, The Clew would draw that whole corner inboard and up against the Spritsail Yard, taking  the Sheet with it. Now you have a lead along the Bowsprit, at least as far as it can go back to the deck, depending on where the Sheets belay. With the sail furled the only concern would be to have the Sheet out of the way and out of the water. I could imagine the crew hitching the Sheet onto the Bowsprit at one or two places to keep it out of their way as they go out on the headrig.

Hi Capn Morgan,
 
The tackle R11 is called the Lateen Mizzen Yard Bowline they were rigged on both Port and Stbd sides. The tackle at the aft end of the yard is called a vang,they were also rigged in pairs Pt and Stbd. A rope was clove hitched around the yard peak,a long tackle (fiddle) block was spliced in each end and connected to a single block hooked into an eyebolt in the quarter piece each side. Have to say this,that rigging plan is rubbish. Get the book JCF mentioned or get Andersons' 17th Century Rigging IMO a better book,with better line drawings etc. Also usually easily found on online booksellers lists.
 
Rigging really is fun,honest 
 
Dave 
 
 

Well after the shroud debacle I'm back on track and all of the pesky ratlines have been added to the shrouds.
 
Also all the lines were re tightened prior to adding the ratlines. Now I have to remove the excess and add the rope coils.
 

 
 
 
 

I would love to work with pear, have to give it a try someday.

I'm trying to make the small decorations of the false bottle:

I some times use a straight edge and pencil if it is a long line. But mostly free hand, if you look close some lines are a bit 'wiggley'
Here is a timed 'how I do it ' series  Graf Spee in Montevideo. It shows the brushes I use and my pallet, with a clock showing how long it usually takes to do a A3 watercolour. 
Jim
Sorry they didn't come out in the right sequence, start at the second from the bottom, and work up, or go by the clock.
jim

I posted this on an other web site some time ago 
A while back I posted a painting of a sailing ship and a verse of poetry, which some of you commented on.
The poem I found on a website of the Falkland Islands, where it was on the grave marker of one of the islanders. I don't know if he wrote it himself and I trawl the Internet every now and again, but have found absolute zilch!. 
I was so impressed with the first verse I decided to have a go my self. I'm certainly no poet, and I don't know about copyright, and the last thing I ever wanted to do is offend any one.
Any way here's what I came up with.

D'ye Mind the day
D'ye mind the day we squared away and ran her east by South.
When she trampled down the big Horn waves with a roaring bone in her mouth.
When the best of hands fought the bucking wheel , afraid to look behind.
At the howling grey beards in her wake.
D'ye mind old Pal, D'ye mind.
 
D'ye mind the day, now far away, we were south of Kerguleen.
With the rigging worn and the sails all torn, and the foc'le taking them green.
Where that tiredness ache behind your eyes, was like to make you blind.
But you soldiered on till the cold grey dawn
D'ye mind old pal, D'ye mind.
 
D'ye mind the day, down Caraccas way
Where the Frigate Birds glide and the palm trees sway.
Where the Dolphins ride the Bow wave bright.
And a billion stars light up the night.
Where the moonlit wake we towed behind 
Was made from memories of every kind.
D'ye mind old pal. D'ye mind.
 
D'ye mind the day in Liverpool Bay
With the Pilot by the wheel.
With the Crew all smiles  for the last few miles
But with ten thousand under her keel.
Then at four o'clock in the Albert Dock 
We left the ship behind. 
To sail no more to a foreign shore
D'ye mind old pal. D'ye mind.
Jim

If you have been at sea, especially in the Royal Navy, some of these people may be familiar to you!. Or heaven forbid, recognise your self!
Jim
1. Deck and Engineroom 
2.  Sickbay and Galley 
3.  Lady Stoker! And me !
4.   Skipper. Jimmy the 1 or Chief Office, Exec. Or just an 'Osifer'.
 
 

 
 

Hi Ed,I just want to say how much I am enjoying following this build. Absolutely wonderful workmanship. I noticed in your close-up pic the futtock shroud hooks appear to be opened out somewhat. I had this problem using copper for hooks,I found that giving the hook a bit of a squeeze with a pair of smooth jawed pliers work hardened the copper somewhat. They then had less tendency to straighten. I can't remember where or when I read this but it worked for me even on 0.5 mm copper wire.
 
Regards,
 
Dave 

Hello my friends
 
it's been a long time since my last entry. Well, I was busy with the sails. The rigging is going on very well, there is no real problem around. The plans could be more clearly, but if you take your time and read the drawings exactly you will have no problem with the sails.
 
I still have to make three sails then the Fregatte Berlin will be fiished. Some coils are necessary and some smaller jobs as always.
 
No more words - just enjoy the pics. They show the status quo (no... not the band :))
 
Cheerio
Max
 

Hi Ed,I just want to say how much I am enjoying following this build. Absolutely wonderful workmanship. I noticed in your close-up pic the futtock shroud hooks appear to be opened out somewhat. I had this problem using copper for hooks,I found that giving the hook a bit of a squeeze with a pair of smooth jawed pliers work hardened the copper somewhat. They then had less tendency to straighten. I can't remember where or when I read this but it worked for me even on 0.5 mm copper wire.
 
Regards,
 
Dave 

The repairs to the planking are now complete:
 

I think I'll extend the gunwale up to the pencil line on the tail, which is how it was before the disaster. I think it will look better.
 
And the stringers are all in place. They look quite a bit better than I'd expected.
 

 

 
And I've been back to the figure carving in between times. This is the VIP passenger - Emperor Alexios Comnenos, who I chose because he was the one who initiated the use of fearsome animal heads to shroud the "business end" of the Greek Fire projectors, adding to the shock and awe.
 
Early stage -roughing out, which I call the Megatron stage - (look at his face)
 
    
He's sitting on a "portable throne" with a bolster behind him, which appears over and over again in contemporary representations. They were gilded and very ornate. Here is a contemporary picture of him, with Christ sitting a throne of this type, though the one I'm making has four fairly hefty legs - also a common feature. Hmm, I'll have to make a footstool as well. 
 

I'll try to reproduce that as best I can at this scale.
 
Next stage - finer shaping
   
 
Next stage - nearing completion
 

 

 

 

Still quite a bit to do on him - smoothing off and trimming etc. And of course painting. My faces are getting better, but I just haven't been able to capture the slightly rogueish expression on his face.
 
 
My next project will be to make the framing to support the oars of the lower bank below deck level, standing in place of the oarsmen themselves.
 
Steven

Derek,
 
Kiss the admiral, maybe twice never know could increase the budget next time.

I placed my order today and I bought way more than I need probably, but once i started ordering I couldn’t help it I wanted it all but the admiral only gave me so much to work with and of coarse I went over lol
 
its easier to ask for forgiveness then for permission
 

jb,
 
A mill can be use for drilling while a drill press can only drill.   Yes, there is a higher cost, but if you can find a used mill in good condition at a good price, go for it and skip the drill press.  Just my 2 cents.

Nice to see you back Andy, but sorry to hear of your career roadblock. As John said, you will find that you have skills that are translatable to a number of different fields - you just have to decide which ones and which field. My advice, for what it’s worth, is don’t rush into anything. Give yourself plenty of time to work through what it is you want to do next.
 
Good to see your unusual model back on the table in the meantime. We’ve missed you both.

Rusty I feel your pain. The good side is you get to enjoy the process again.

Rusty, in looking back at your photos, I just noticed that you had the shrouds wrapped around the the top mast, rather than the head of the lower mast. Sorry, but I don't believe that can be right.
 
Bob

Ed the more that I look at the work you are doing the more I sit in awe.
In the last picture there is what appears to be an open double hook that looks a bit delicate, is this just a temporary one or does it actually look that way?
 
Michael