Roger Pellett

There are some but much later- Brady, mid 1800’s and Luce- 1860’s. Nothing about rigging specifically.

The thwart supporting the mast on eighteenth Century longboats was fixed-that is secured by knees to the clamps running fore and aft inside the boat. Furthermore, the mast is secured to the aft side of this fixed thwart. This scheme would, therefore, not work. Roger

If the boat were intended to be nested, oars and spars could not be stored on board. Us Navy small boat specifications even specify that ALL thwarts for boats to be nested be removable, and that heavy longitudinal clamps be substituted for thwart knees. Boats were heavy, bulky objects and care was taken to cut down on the height of the boat stack to minimize the effect on the ship’s center of gravity and to reduce wind age. Roger

Sorry I can’t be of more help. My Naval Architecture education was in the days before PC computers and the only CAD program that I ever learned was Generic CAD and I much prefer the more tactile experience of drawing lines with splines and ships curves. The real point is, that you do not need this “diagonal” to construct your lines drawing. You should draw one or more diagonals check the fairness of your hull shape. Roger

I believe that the curve from bow to stern and extending outside of the half breadths is one of the two diagonals shown on the body plan. These diagonals are drawn by Naval Architects by measuring diagonal dimensions along the line plotted on the body plan and then plotting them on the half breadths to prove the fairness of the hull. You do not need these to draw the hull lines but should plot your own diagonals to ensure that the hull that you have drawn is fair. I would suggest that the other line is a true view expansion of one of the head rails. Roger

Two thoughts, Many of the original iron bolts in the Vasa are being replaced with duplex stainless steel ones. The material was developed for the North Sea oil and gas business. While not “historically correct” they will allow Vasa to be enjoyed by visitors for years to come, and when the little green men arrive in their flying saucer, i’m sure they will be able to tell from museum documentation that the stainless bolts are not original. Maybe next time USS Constitution needs an overhaul it should be contracted to Mystic Seaport. Roger

The US Government publishes extensive requirements vessels seeking Historic Landmark status. One requirement involves determining the vessel’s period of historic significance and providing a plan for restoring it to that period using historically appropriate materials. Mystic Seaport’ restoration of Charles W. Morgan is in my opinion an example of this done well. On the other hand, despite the extensive work done on Constitution she does not reflect her appearance during her period of significance (her 1812 battles). In particular her head structure is the ugly pre Civil War boxed in type instead of her original graceful open head rails. Roger

If you have a Byrnes saw or equivalent, a home made taper jig is easy to fabricate. For a straight tapered mast like those fitted on rigged ships boats a square tapered stick may be quickly ripped using the jig. A few passes on each corner with a model makers plane gives you an octagon. The spar may then be finished with a sanding block either by hand or chucked up in a slow turning drill. Roger

Several thoughts: I agree that making a good Viking ship model is a challenge, even for an experienced modeler. A tricky part of any lapstrake construction is the point where the planking ties into the stem and sternpost. The Vikings made things easier for themselves by erecting large carved stems and sterns with the laps carved into them. The planking fits on to these posts and matches up to the carved laps. A good book on Viking ship construction should show this feature. Most lapstrake boats feature lightweight steam bent ribs sprung into the hull after it is planked. Viking ships are different as their ribs are much larger and notched to fit the planking laps on the inside of the hull. A daunting for some and enjoyable for others part of scratch building is planning the method to be used to build the model. When you buy a kit this has supposedly been done for you. I would suggest that you attach a number of bulkheads properly spaced as well as your carved stem and sternpost upside down to a flat building board. You then “line off” the planks using a batten as described above. The location of each plank where it crosses the bulkhead should be marked. The plank shapes are derived by marking the points on the bulkhead on transparent material bent around the bulkheads. After you have planked the hull it is removed from the building board and permanent frames carved to fit the laps are inserted. The bulkheads are not permanent. Good luck! Roger

Steven, I’m sure that your guns are more precise than the ones made by the blacksmiths in the early 1500s. Roger

This will take even our snow removal professionals a little while. Yesterday they got main streets plowed. They started plowing residential streets at 2am today. They use specially fitted big high wheel road graders, that can move a lot of snow, but I’ll have to clear the end of my driveway with my snowblower after they have been here. Roger

Obviously, later than you are thinking of but U.S. Navy practice in the 1860’s was to stow boat oars and spars in the hammock boxes atop the ship’s rails. Roger

Yesterday, Duluth took a direct hit from winter storm Exxx. About noon yesterday 35mpg winds began off Lake Superior with gusts to 50mph. For the next 16 or so hours lots of snow and this morning we woke up to more than 20in on top of the 6in that arrived last Wednesday. We were happy to wait for the snow plow guy to dig us out but our great neighbors insisted in doing it. Now we are all waiting for the city snow plow. Roger

Is there a similar new edition of volume I ? Roger

An interesting topic. In my case, I have never lived where I had access to a shipmodeling club, and am not partial to group activities anyhow. I am not interested in the competitive side of the hobby either. I scratch build my models and enjoy figuring out how to build my own parts so I don’t need hobby shops. Here in Duluth Carr’s Hobbies has a huge stock of stuff, but I rarely go there. I particularly enjoy researching my subjects so do not need to purchase “model makers plans.” I only have to satisfy one person- myself, and when I am gone, if my kids consign my models to the dumpster I’ll be none the wiser. Therefore, why all the angst? If we are practitioners of a dying art, so be it. Appreciate whatever you enjoy about the hobby. As long as one of us is building models, it’s not dead. Roger