rafine

Good to see you back Rich. A nice choice.

Bob

Thanks so much Don and the "likes".

Don, I'm afraid that I didn't earn that extra wow. The shackle is a brass piece that I found in my stash.

Bob

Work on the mainmast standing rigging has been progressing over the past week. This has involved doing the ratlines on the port side, finishing the topmast running and breast backstays on both sides, adding the topmast stay and staysail stay, adding the lead blocks at the topmast head for the topsail jeers and the lifts/sheets, and doing the jib stay.

The ratlines were done like the starboard side previously done.

The running and breast backstays had been previously mounted at the masthead, and were now set up to their deadeyes at the channels.

The topmast stay was fitted with a staysail stay seized to it as shown in AOTS and described in Lees (no staysail stay is shown on the kit plans). Both of these were led through the bees and set up with tackles at the bow.

The jib stay is not shown on the kit plans and, again, was done with reference to AOTS and Lees.The head of the stay is led through a block at the topmast cap, which Lees describes as appropriate for the period of Granado's construction. Subsequently, a cheek block at the masthead would have been used. The forward end is attached to a traveler on the jibboom. The traveler was made in accordance with Lees, and consists of a wire ring, a small wooden thimble, a brass shackle and a brass hook. The stay is seized to the thimble, the outhauler is seized to the shackle and then led through the sheave in the jibboom and back to the bow with a tackle. Later, the halyard/ downhauler will be attached to the hook. The running end of the stay is led down to the channels and tied off to a deadeye.

Now, it's on to the main topgallant mast and rigging and doing the mizzen ratlines.

Bob

That is one big piece of work Don, You're off to a great start.

Bob

What a great piece of work. Wonderful to see the overall and wider view photos.

Bob

Nils, that drill would scare me to death. Be very careful (as though you wouldn't be without my saying so).

Bob

Thanks so much Grant.

Bob

Good choice on the red. The guns look great.

Bob

Thanks so much Don. Your eyes are fine. I just checked the last photos and you're right. All of the black has a bluish tinge. I guess that I need to be more careful with the photo software.

Bob

Thanks so much Rich, Elijah, Ken and the "likes".

Nice work Rich. It's too bad we weren't able to follow along.

Bob

Thanks so much Dirk, Martin, B.E., Denis, Rusty and the "likes". This is an area where encouragement is especially appreciated.

B.E., glad to hear you can't see any. At some point, I get too cross eyed to even tell. 

Bob

I mounted the main topmast, which I had made previously in the same manner as the other masts, and then began to add it's rigging. I did the shrouds, the backstays and then put the breast backstay and running backstay in place at the masthead before realizing that I could not complete them without doing the ratlines on both the lower and topmast shrouds.Thus ended my procrastination on doing the ratlines.

The good news is that like riding a bike, you don't forget how to tie clove hitches. The knack for doing it comes back very quickly. The bad news, of course, is that there are just so many of them to do. I believe that in the dictionary next to the word "tedium", there is a picture of a modeler tying clove hitches for ratlines. In any event, I've now gotten through the ratlines on the starboard main lower and topmast shrouds including the topmast futtock shrouds. Next, it is on to do the same on the port side.

Bob

Really well done Ken.

Bob

Thanks for the vote of confidence Al.

Bob

Thanks so much Denis. No way that I'm going to stop modeling. I may just need to rethink what I'm going build -- or, then again, maybe not  . We'll see. 

Bob

Don, you are a better man than me, working three ships a time. I like the look of this kit and am considering it for my next build.

Bob

Thanks so much Thomas and Wes for the kind words. Always appreciated.

Bob

Looking better and better with each addition, Joe.

Bob

Thanks so much Mike and B.E. for the generous comments.

Funny you should mention Dutch ships Mike. I was just thinking about them, but thinking more about kits than a scratch.

B.E., nowadays I sometimes feel like an old athlete who's lost his young skills, but learned to get by with experience and tricks. 

Bob

I love the look of it Denis. Well done.

Bob

Thanks so much Joe. I'm still a few months from completion and really don't know what's next. What I do know is that I'm 77 with eyes and hands getting more problematic with time. My criteria now are for larger scale models of smaller ships. I'm not looking for projects that would take years to complete (unless perhaps Amati comes out with Chris Watton's new Prince  ).

Bob

Really nice work Martin. I'm truly sorry that I don't get to see that lovely cold weather down here (just kidding!).

Bob

Thanks so much Rich and the "likes".

Good to hear from you Rich. It's been a while since we've seen anything from you. Hope all is well.

Bob

Thanks so much Nils, Albert, Martin and the "likes".

Martin, as much as I love having them here, you're right on.  

Bob

Beautiful work on the rudder Jason.

Bob