Roger Pellett

With regard to dafi's post above two opposite forces act on a submerged object. Gravity equal to the open air weight of the object is pulling it down. Buoyancy equal to the weight of the the water displaced by the object is pushing up. The force on the anchor cable is therefore equal to the net of these two forces. If water is one seventh as dense as wrought iron, then the force on the anchor cable after being broken out is 6/7 not 1/7 of the anchor's weight. Roger Pellett

If the intent of this or any group project is to introduce model builders to scratch building, the Hahn system has much to recommend. The idea of a flat jig/datum to lock frames in place goes a long way towards ensuring an accurate hull. For builders with limited workshop capacity, strip milled to the correct dimensions can be purchased, cut with a minirature miter box and laminated and cut to shape using simple hand tools. Many years ago, I built a model of the New York pilot boat Express using the Hahn system and over 30 years later am still quite proud of it. While building a model "upright" using individual timbers may better represent actual shipbuilding practice, I would argue that a builder wishing to include this level of detail, and capable of executing it does not need to and might not be interested in a group build. Roger Pellett

In my opinion, CA can be nasty stuff. Several years ago, I ised it to glue ribs into some small boats that I had vacuum formed from plastic. This caused exposure to a fair quantity of glue over a period of an hour or so. I was also careless in handling the stuff. The glue did a great job of gluing in the ribs but gave me a serious nasal congestion and sore throat. Now I avoid it whenever possible and am careful to only squeeze out a drop or two at a time into a plastic container lid. Roger Pellett

More important than the topping lift, the peak halyard now is more in line with the leach to help prevent it from sagging to leeward. I do not believe that the tack of the main sheet was belayed to the inner end of the boom. The boom's gooseneck on the drawing that I am using is a reader flimsy hook that would not withstand an upward force. The throat halyard pulling on the luff of the sail would pull the boom out of the fitting. On models that I have seen made from your kit, this fitting is similar. Rather I believe that the tack belayed further down the mast or to a ring bolt attached to the boat's keelson. The boom is then in compression acting as a pole to spread the sail's foot. The dimension of the foot of the staysail Is set by the distance between the fore stay and the mast. Unfortunately, I am traveling so don't have access to my library to comment on other dimensions. I will look over my drawing when I return. The staysail should be hanked to the stay all along so the luff is supported by the stay.. The tack would be hooked to the stem head. If you agree with my premise that the jib was intended for off the wind sailing, a single part halyard probably would be sufficient as there would be no need to be able to maintain a tight luff. Sheets could be belayed or snubbed to any convenient point within the boat. Considering that it was necessary to rig the boat often I would suggest erring on the side of less is better and not providing down hauls for either of the headsails. The jib would normally be hauled in to the stem head using the traveler. Otherwise there would be a danger of the boat sailing over the dropped sail. I believe that you're on the right track. Roger

I look forward to seeing it. Roger

Lots of confusing stuff. I have'nt seen the instructions as I'm building my model from the admiralty draught in May's book, not from the kit. The lines were developed from the body plan and sheer elevation also on the draught. This sail/rigging plan shows several things that we might find unusual but my philosophy in building the model is that if shown on the drawing, model it. For example the mainsail topping lift, throat halyard, and peak halyard all lead through a treble block on the mast head pole. I am less inclined to pay attention to models as I have no idea when they were rigged. It is my understanding that the rigging on many Admiralty drawings is not original. As far as the staysail is concerned it would be hanked to the stay and the halyard would pass from the mast head pole down to a single block on the head of the sail and then to a single also on the masthead pole and then down to the masthead thwart where it belays on a pin. The jib would be set flying- not hanked to a stay. The tack of the sail hooks to traveling ring on the bowsprit. This is pulled along the bowsprit by a line through a sheave at the outboard end of the bowsprit The head of the sail is simply hooked to the halyard. The drawing that I am using leads this halyard through a cheek block also mounted on the mast head pole. You show both foresail halyards hooked to the bowsprit. If these were hooked to the sails, your rig would work exactly as I am describing. As far as the main sheet traveler or horse, if located below the tiller the block would slide over and take charge of the rudder capsizing the boat when tacking. I dumped a friend's Flying Scot in the Duluth Superior harbor by losing control of the tiller tacking in a gust. I agree that models including the Kregstein model show the traveler below the rudder. Both the short gaff and the traveler or horse would reduce twist in the sail improving its efficiency. Large vessels were rigged with vangs to do this. But small boats didn't use these. Roger Pellett

Cathead, You might find this information helpful. It is taken from the Admiralty draught that I am using. Length of hull overall 32ft Mast length, not including pole 28ft-3in Boom Length 24 ft Gaff length 6ft-6in Length of main sail hoist 25 ft Area of mainsail 381 square feet As you can see, the gaff is very short relative to the boom Regarding the headsails: My interpretation is that the jib is a sail used when sailing in light air and particularly off the wind. First of all it is set flying, not hanked to a stay and the long bowsprit is quite flexible so there is no way to tighten the luff and a jib with a luff sagging to leeward doesn't work well. Second, that long unstayed bowsprit and the support that connects the butt of the bowsprit to the fore ward thwart would not hold up sailing upwind in a stiff breeze. My guess is that the sail functioned pretty much like the modern axysymmetric spinnaker with the bowsprit acting as pole used mainly for broad reaching and close reaching in light air. The real workhorse in sloops is the fore stay sail with its luff hanked to a taught fore stay. You should therefore give some thought to how it gets belayed as li likes to be hauled in tight when working upwind. Some longboats featured an iron horse just forward of the mast and running clear across the boat. The sheet would be a three part purchase with its end belayed to an elongated pin through the block on the horse. This would allow the sail to be self tacking. The main sheet traveler on your kit model must go over the tiller, not under it as shown to avoid excitement when coming about. Although you are never supposed to belay a main sheet in a small boat, my model will include a cleat as the sail is too big to handle without at least snubbing the sheet. Roger Pellett

The classic work on early fore and aft rigs, The Fore And Aft Rig in America says that there were two varieties of gaff rigs- a short gaff and a long gaff. The excellent book The Boats of Men-of-War by W. E. May includes a detailed admiralty draught with sail plan of a mid 18th Century Royal Navy longboat and it is a short gaff. I am building a 1: 32 model of this boat of this boat and I intend to rig it in accordance with the drawing. In my opinion, the small gaff sail makes a lot more sense than the long gaff sail shown on the various kit models. With their bluff bows, necessary for providing buoyancy to lift heavy weights, these boats must have difficult to sail off the wind in heavy air. As the boat approached hull speed, it would be pushing a big bow wave and with that big mainsail would develop a strong weather helm. The boat would then "round up" and broach. Modern keel sailboats will knockdown and recover because of their heavy keel but this longboat would flood and capsize. A amaller (short gaff) mainsail than a long gaff one seen on the recent kit models makes more sense to me. Another example of a rigged longboat is the model in the Kregstein Collection. When they got the model it was unrigged, and they rigged it using spars that came with the model. It is a short gaff rig. I think that the mainsail in your drawing should look more like a "shoulder of mutton sail" than the long gaff that you show. The sail should also be loose footed. Roger Pellett

Unlike the steamboats used on the eastern rivers that used low pressure condensing engines, wetern river steamboats used high pressure engines that exhausted partially expanded steam to the atmosphere. By using high pressure steam, these engines could be quite powerful, but their efficiency was very low as they lost the use of the heat that still remained in the steam at atmospheric temperature. Roger Pellett

To me, the question is what you are trying to achieve, appearance of an actual boat, a modeling convention, or artistic license. I am building a 1:32 scale longboat of the same era. My idea is to show the boat moored with sales furled as shown in a 1717 view of the city of Nre York. This calls for realism. For a number of reasons I think that the bottoms of these were often treated with tar resulting in a very dark brown bottom not white. Top sides would be treated with resin resulting in a tan finish. Planking seams would be quite prominent beacaus they were payed with tar. The insides were often painted "sad" color, a mud color. Color would be used sparingly- an earth pigment color for the sheer strake. The transom could be painted with an earth pigment color or the sad color. Roger

Unfortunately, I just found this build log. Before you get too far down the road, I suggest that you purchase a copy of Warships of the Great Lakes, 1754-1834 by Robert Malcomson, an author who specializes in Great Lakes naval history. Among other things, this book includes a copy of the Admiralty draught from which these plans and Howard Chapelle's plans were drawn. The level (or lack of) detail is interesting. For example, there is no stern elevation and the stern shown on the NRG plans is a complete reconstruction. Instead of windows, there is documentary evidence that the Washington had stern chasers, as well as a heavy gun in the bow. Contemporary sketches reproduced in Malcomson's book show these and a letter written by Washington's commander, David Waterbury states that he was forced to surrender because his stern chasers would not bear. After defeating Arnold's fleet in the fall of 1776 the Royal Navy was in complete control of the Lake and no longer had any use for heavily armed warships. They did need transports to keep John Burgoyne's army supplied during its summer 1777 offensive. Therefore, during the winter, Washington was converted to a big and would have served as a transport. Malcomson reports that the guns were removed from the vessels of the fleet in 1777. The work performed in the winter of 1776-1777 would have been extensive as the masts would have been shifted to account for the change in rig. It is fairly clear that the Admiralty draught reflects Washington after she had been converted to an armed brig transport as the bowsprit is shown. As a lateen rigged galley, she did not have this spar. Roger Pellett

The doctor was a boiler feed pump that drew water from the river and pumped it directly to the boiler. The high pressure engines used on Western Rivers steamboats did not condense steam and recycle the feed water. Steam from the engine cylinder was exhausted to the atmosphere. Roger

Hi John, I read today in Wooden Boat Magazine that Hokule'a is scheduled to be at the Wooden Boat Show at Mystic, Conn this year in late June. If you anywhere the U.S. East Coast this would be worth seeing. Roger

Further to my last post: The drawing that you have was apparently prepared by the U.S. National Park Service from the salvaged remains of USS Cairo. It would be as close to an as-built drawing that you are likely to find. The drawing in the U.S. National Archives is the drawing prepared by navel constructor Pook. The actual vessel was apparently changed somewhat during construction. The major change mentioned in the book involved the joint between the hull and the casemate. Roger

In my opinion, the best published source on the ships of the Union Civil War Navy is the two volume "The Old Steam Navy" by Donald L. Canney. Volume Two covers ironclad vessels. This book includes a reproduction of the above drawing which is credited to the National Park Service. The book also includes a companion cross section that I assume you also have. The scale "ruler" on the drawing is 10ft long. Canny lists the dimensions of these City class ironclads as length: 175 ft length on deck x 50 ft extreme breadth. This would not include the rudder. Roger Pellett

Another idea for a boat- a Venetian Gondola. They are pretty creepy as is and are specifically designed to be rowed (not poled or paddled) with the gondolier standing up. Designs are readily available. The heavy figurehead at the bow balances the weight of the gondolier in the stern. The boats are made deliberately asymmetric to offset the turning effect of the gondolier always rowing on one side. Roger Pellett

It seems that my Sherline mill gets used at least as often to build tools/fixtures as it does to make actual model parts. Examples are a fixture for holding propeller blades in the right orientation for soldering and a fixture to hold the very mall blades of my model makers spoke shaves in my honing guide. This means that I use it for materials that do not actually get incorporated into a model- often aluminum. Roger

It seems that my Sherline mill gets used at least as often to build tools/fixtures as it does to make actual model parts. Examples are a fixture for holding propeller blades in the right orientation for soldering and a fixture to hold the very mall blades of my model makers spoke shaves in my honing guide. This means that I use it for materials that do not actually get incorporated into a model- often aluminum. Roger

I have never posted any pictures of my models on this or any other site. Noted naval architect L. Francis Herreshoff describes this process in his book The L. Francis Herreshoff Reader. Another good source is Modelling Open Boats by Eric Freestone. Roger

I have built several models of warships boats with carved hulls. I am presently building a 1:32 model of a Royal Navy longboat. All of these models require the hulls to be thinned out on the inside until the hull becomes a hollow shell. Many years ago, I began building carved hulls by carving two half models to be joined after carving. This has several advantages. 1. There is always a defined centerline 2. As carving proceeds each half hull can be laid on a flat surface representing the keel plane for checking with templates resulting in a very accurate hull. 3. It is much easier to hollow out two half hulls than one full one. 4. With some pre-planning the keel can be sandwiched between the two hull halves. For my last couple of models, I have been making three sub assemblies, two halves and a keel and incorporating as much work as possible in each before joining them together. Roger

The time has come for me to buy a jewelers saw. I used to own one and never was able to use it properly. I either had trouble tightening the blade in the grips or tightening the frame properly. As a result I broke blades and was never able to properly control cuts. It finally broke trying to tighten the blade grips and I never replaced. In shopping on line for a new one, it is hard to see what I am getting, and I don't live near where I can see and try one. Any suggestions? I am particularly interested in the system to tighten and to hold the blade. Are there differences between different saws? Roger

The boat that I am thinking about would also be called a "punt." Roger

It would look like what your neighbors here to the south call a "Jon Boat" except that both the bow and stern would be curved up unlike the Jon boat where just the bow is curved. If you look up Jon boat on the web you'll find lots of examples. The top sides should flare outwards to gain buoyancy and stability when heavily loaded. Roger

If I were designing this boat for Charon, my design would feature rectangular mid ships section and full stern. In the movie clip, Charon stands up in the stern and propels the boat by poling. Even though he is a skeleton, displacement in the stern is necessary to support his weight. The creepy nature of the whole thing means that the boat moves very slowly so full hull lines do not effect resistance. Operating in protected waters he is unlikely to encounter heavy cross seas so range of stability is not much of a consideration. High initial stability is a desirable feature because he operates the boat standing up and passengers are always getting off and on, so a flat bottom design (rectangular mid ships section) is called for. Last but not least, the activities of the four horsemen of the Apocolypse- Disease, War, Famine, and Pestilance? Require the ability to carry large passenger loads- high cubic capacity. The most rational design is therefore a rectangular barge with raking ends. Roger Pellett

Unfortunately, I don't have access to my library at the moment but I believe that there is quite a bit of information on the first Constellation You might want to obtain a copy of "The Constellation Question" by Howard Chapelle and Len Pollard. This book has quite a bit of original source material for both vessels. Used copies are available cheap on the Internet. A second source would be Naval Ducuments of the Barbary Wars published by the Navy Department. This book contains drawings reprinted from the National Archives in a pocket. There was also an article in the Nautical Research Journal I believe about 1980 on this warship. Last, there was a book published 10 years ago or so about sailing warships of the U.S. Navy. I believe that the author is Donald Canney. Roger