Cathead

I'll happily repeat the accolades. Well done on a unique model.

Interesting that the two initial sets of artwork depict masts, but the last one doesn't. The latter seems more likely to me; it also seems more realistic in terms of the overall layout of the vessel (such as placements of chimneys and boilers relative to the paddlewheels).

Wish I could help. Those are some fantastic images. I grew up a few hours from there, but had never heard of this before. The figures leaping off the ship in the final photo are rather dramatic, if unlikely!

Glenn, what a useful response, thank you! The Corel image doesn't mean much; there's a lot about this kit that relies more on imagination than any real prototype practice, so I don't tend to follow their approach as "correct" in any given way, so just because they show that sail fully permanently rigged doesn't mean it was so. I had not considered that such a large sail could/would be taken down entirely, but it does help explain why so many such ships are shown without it even though it would be very useful when sailing downwind. I'm intrigued by the idea that it was only rigged with a block at each end of the yard; as you say, that could be modeled without the fuss of a furled sail but still acknowledging the existence and possibility of the sail. I will consider this, and thank you again!

Glenn, I'm happy to found this interesting and lovely build. You have some excellent detail work there, and the prototype is beautiful.

A couple quick updates from this weekend's work, then another major decision to make. First, I've added the upper sail on the mainmast. I'm afraid I don't know what it's properly called. Second, I took a stab at adding footropes to the larger fore yard (not sure of the terminology here, either). The basic challenge here is how to make these look like they're hanging down properly when in fact there's hardly any weight on them at all. I came up with a basic jig to hold the ropes in place while I tied everything off, then applied PV glue to harden the ropes in place. Here's how it looks, completed, but with the jig left in place on one side for illustration. I think it came out ok. And now for the big decision. The kit design calls for two square sails on the foremast; a very large course hanging from the yard shown above, and a smaller topsail above that. That course was actually the first sail I made for this model, it's been sitting quietly on a shelf for quite a while awaiting its turn. But at this stage of the model, I'm wondering if I should use it or eliminate it. Here's the thought process. If I include it, that large course really blocks quite a bit of the rest of the model when viewed at many angles. It also seems a bit unrealistic given the other sails I have set; would anyone ever have a large course like that set when all the other sails are set? It doesn't make sense from a sailing point of view, at least in my limited knowledge. I test-fit it to show Mrs. Cathead, and she agreed that the model looked better without it, more balanced and easier to see the rest of the detail. Then, if I decide to eliminate the full course, the question becomes whether I rig up a furled course on that lower yard, or leave the whole thing off altogether. Here's where research comes in; while going back through lots of imagery, both photography of recent vessels and paintings/drawings, the vast majority of images show similar vessels with no lower course at all (not set, not furled), just the upper foretopsail. See, for example, this USCG image of USRC Massachussets (USCG images are public domain): Of course, to my eyes the wind direction, sails, and pennants/flags in that painting appear to be mutually impossible, so who knows how accurate it is. But there are lots of images like it online showing no lower fore sail. And here's another USGC image, this one an actual photo of a revenue cutter: Again, no square sail below the foretopsail, not even furled. On the other hand, the drawing of USRC Louisiana I've consulted a lot clearly shows a lower course. For comparison, here's the original kit image with the big forecourse set: But I'm leaning toward leaving it off entirely, as I can find abundant imagery showing such vessels without such a sail at all, this is very much a free-lanced ship anyway, and frankly I think it looks better without it. I can't pretend I haven't considered that this would also simplify the remaining rigging, but that's not a primary reason. It just really seems that the model will look more balanced without it, more like the many images I can find of similar topsail schooners with only a foretopsail set along with the fore-and-aft sails. Any thoughts?

Fantastic work, sir. You've taken a good kit and really made something special out of it. Can you post a few shots of the completed vessel with the lights on?

Love it!

Lovely work, Joe. I've been having fun this evening reading up on this class of ships thanks to your build.

I'll just slip quietly into the back, as unlike many other readers I know nothing helpful, just that this looks like a beautiful and interesting design and I'd like to learn from the build.

That canopy looks fantastic; what a great approach! And the chimneys now really fit into the rest of the model. I'm going to miss this build, but it's got me itching to start my next one.

This was my second-ever ship build; I built it more-or-less out of the box and learned a lot; it still sits on a shelf in my office. I agree that a kit like this can be a really good learning experience and a nice platform for experimentation and improvement. I didn't change the hull much, but did add better rigging after some study. Good luck with your project, I'll be interested to see what you do with it.

Daria and Mike, What a lovely project this is! I'm fascinated by the Russian kit, as a former Russian Language major in college. It looks quite interesting and well-crafted, and I would probably have fun trying to translate the instructions. And I can't say enough about how lovely it is to see a daughter-father project like this. Daria, you're doing excellent work so far and I hope you won't mind a random American following along to learn from what you're doing. Looking at the bow in that photo, did you feel that the kit provided enough internal support for the planking? There don't seem to be any filler blocks. Are the planks well-spiled enough to fit smoothly without any further support or aid?

I agree, stowed makes the most sense for your presentation.

I'm interested to follow your progress, as this is on my someday list.

Both jibs are made and (mostly) rigged. I ran out of rigging line at this stage; there's more on order from Syren, which should arrive any day now. I'm starting to get a little terrified of the rat's nest of loose rigging lines, none of which I want to fully tighten and glue until everything else is rigged. By the way, for anyone reading this who's interested, I also wrote up a summary of the method used to make the paper sails for this model. Once I get my new rigging line, I'll finish the jibs and start installing the two square foresails. That's going to be some tight work.

Personally I agree with Mike; it's not the level of weathering per se, it's that they don't look like the original metal was ever black. It's a bit distracting since overall the goal of weathering is to make the model more realistic, and in this case the eye wonders, "hey, why does that look like an unpainted white metal casting?". I think you could darken them a bit and still get the rusty, beaten-up effect you're going for. But that being said, it's your model of course and you shouldn't construe such opinions as a reflection on the work. It's lovely and you've a right to finish it how you like. After all, you'll be looking at it a lot more than the rest of us!

Welcome, Scott, from another misplaced Yankee! I grew up along Lake Ontario but am now thoroughly landlocked in rural Missouri. How do you like the Shenandoah Valley? One upon a time I worked for Shenandoah National Park doing backcountry survey work; even found two historic plane crashes that had been forgotten and left undocumented. Like you, I miss being around open water and enjoy this hobby as a way to maintain that connection. Hope you enjoy your modelling work; this community is a great place to learn and share.

Captain, reviewing the manual, there's a 3x3 mm strip and then some 1.5x1.5 mm strips. Of those, you need to use the 3x3 for the keel while reserving the 1.5s for the rails. Do you have another thin walnut strip that doesn't match either of those dimensions? The 3x3 is just a tiny bit wider than the internal keel, which is something like 2.5 mm. There's a tiny bump in width after you glue the two together. You can sand this down if desired; I found that it made no visual difference when laying the planking over it. It would be nice if the company could get their dimensions the same.

Captain, as far as I can recall, I've used only the kit-supplied wood. You can check back in the early portion of the build log to be sure. Good luck on this one. I have to say, I think it's a difficult kit for a starter, because the instructions are weak and the materials are not ideal. I wish you the best of luck and I hope you start a build log so others can follow along and watch/help.

Strange; I can see the image. Wefalck, those look quite nice, but I have a question: why are there twice as many holes as reef points?

Wefalck, thanks for your insights! Nice to hear from someone with more experience in this regard. Regarding reef points, I forgot to say this: I had tried to simulate what you decribe, but found that I was simply unable to tie a knot tightly enough on both sides of the sail to look right. There was always enough slack so that one side or the other shifted outward slightly, ruining the effect. This may well be simply a failure of skill; if it could be done right it'd be great. This particular model is in 1:64; I used bond paper because it's what I had on hand. I model on a tight budget and find great value in reusing materials already available to me. As I'm just an amateur, this sometimes is more important to me than perfection. For my model, the paper is close enough on inspection for all but the most knowledgeable, and here in the American Midwest, there is virtually no one knowledgeable enough to know the difference. Kiwibob, I have not tried rice paper, as noted above I used what I had on hand. I appreciate the suggestion, though, as now other people can try it and see if they prefer it.

That's a fantastic idea, Erik. I'd never thought of that before. Well done.

Frankie, I am definitely not an expert here, so appreciate your input. I certainly could add the second shroud back in for the mainmast; the question then becomes whether to use ratlines there, too, or not. As for the topmast shrouds, it depends on how I do them. If I run them through a collar and down to the deck along the mast, I'd rig them with blocks to a ring on the deck so they could be tensioned. If I stop them at the mast, you're right that I'll need something up there. Have to give that a bit more thought. One problem I've had in trying to research this, is that most images I can find are of larger craft than mine, so they naturally have 2-3 shrouds per mast, but I have more trouble finding a little schooner like this one. Here's one image from the USCG website that shows the Massachussetts, a reasonably comparable vessel (though still larger); she has two shrouds per mast, with ratlines on both, and it appears that the topmast shrouds pass through spreaders and then down to meet at a point on the channel just aft of the deadeyes; I can't tell quite tell what happens there, though. Thoughts on that setup?

Allan, Check the first post; I used bond paper, which is a high-quality durable paper originally used for government bonds and now commonly used for archival papers or theses. It's expected to be a long-lasting paper because of its intended uses. It also has a nice rough texture that really simulates cloth well at small scales (as compared to printer or photo paper, which is too smooth and shiny). You raise a good point, depending on the intended life of the model. I don't imagine that any of my models will outlast me or have any interest beyond my lifespan (I'll be shocked if they're still of interest to anyone in even 20-30 years), so I'm not real worried. But I could definitely see how a more professionally-minded modeller might have concerns about the long-term durability. I suspect that coloring the paper with pastels doesn't hurt, as it's just a surface treatment. I don't know whether any kind of fixative spray would affect the lifespan one way or another. Finally, I don't know for sure what the glue will do; I know most modellers swear by basic wood glue as a very stable and long-lasting fixative, and assumed that it would behave the same way with paper, but can't say for sure. Thanks to everyone for checking in; please let me know if you try it because I'd love to hear about other people's experiences (better yet, post here so we can collect more experiences and advice).