G.L.

Rigging the top sail.

Attachment of the topsail to the gaff.

The topsail is held against the topgallant and mast by a rope that is attached to a traveler which can travel over the topgallant and that is going down through two rings at the forward leach of the top sail.

The top sail is hoisted.
 
Thank you for reading this log, for your likes and for your constructive comments.
 
Till next week!

2.8
When I place all the tracing papers one after another between two plates of glass with a strong light behind it, I have already an impression of the interior of the hull.

Part 1: Introduction
1.1
A couple of weeks ago I lost the entire building log of my shrimper. The loss is probably caused by a wrong manipulation of myself, I am not quite aware what exactly happened. It is a bit a bore because I started the log already more than 2 years ago and my ship was beginning to gain final shape.
Fortunately, I kept a back up of all my posted reports and pictures. In consultation with the forum administrators, I decided to repost all my contributions and rebuild my log to the stage in which my model currently is.
My excuses to the people who followed my project, they must have some patience because it might take some time before I arrive again the current state.
For the people who did not follow my log, the picture below is showing what my project is about. I presented my unfinished model for the first time in the model discussion of my modeling club (https://dedissel.weebly.com/) last October. I am standing at the left side of the picture, the man to the right is the discussion moderator, a very experienced modeler.
This time I intend to divide my log into chapters and to number all my reports. That will make it easier to refer to previous posts.

A new boat first sailed a year with new white sails until they get well their shape, than they are tanned. The tanning was done by soaking the sails with an infusion of oak bark or the bark of betel palm or acacia. The reason of the tanning was to protect the sails against mold or rot. The tanning was done with scouring brushes on a concrete or stone floor. After the tanning the color of the sails can vary from dark brown to red.
(Source of the photo: Noord Hollands Dagblad)

To make my color a modeler friend gives me the necessary ingredients: bister powder of walnut and cashew nut and soda crystals (sodium carbonate). The color has to be made by diluting some bister powder in boiling water and adding a bit soda crystals as a fixate. I make two colors : dark brown with walnut and red with cashew. I use a table spoon walnut on one liter water and a teaspoon cashew on one liter water (cashew is more intense).

I want a color that leans more towards the red and start to try out various mixtures on samples of sail textile.

I finally find the shade that I need and start to color the sails. The tanning is done with a wide brush in a photo development tray.

I hang up the sails to let them drain.

After a while, the color starts to sink and the sails darken on the underside.

That's why I turn them over to get an even distribution of the color.
 
Thank you for reading this log and for your likes.
 
Till next week!
 

Once rigged, the model had to receive its sails and at this point the project fell asleep. I had no idea how to start to make sails. I had to learn to work with the sewing machine; my threshold fear was a bit too high, so I postponed this as long as possible. I thought I rather worked with wood than with textiles.
In the meantime I have built a model of gaff sailboat with a simple sail wardrobe. My wife taught me how to handle a needle and thread and taught me how to work with her sewing machine. (In the beginning of the covid pandemic, I even made face masks for the whole family).
Now during winter time I reserved the sail making work for the days when it is to cold to work in my worshop.
Before starting to sew, here is a contemporary photo of the vessel that is the subject of this log.

I made paper templates for the model:

These patterns serve to cut the fabric for the sails.
Once the sails are cut the work with the sewing machine can start. I stitch the borders of the sails with the sewing machine and double parallel lines to simulate the lanes. Concentrated on the sewing machine:

I described the sail sewing process already before in detail in:  -day-gaff-sailing-boat-with-center-board-
Now we switch to manual sewing. First I sew ropes at the sides, the leaches.

That is written in one sentence, but it takes me several weeks to sew the leaches of all four sails.
Each sail has several holes with thimbles like you see on the bottom of the picture..
I start by making a hole with a pricker.

Then I lay a copper ring over the hole.

And I start to sew in and out around the ring.

 

The main sail has two reefing levels. I sew now the reefing cringles with a thimble in them.

 

Again several weeks later the sail wardrobe for my shrimper is sewn.

Hello Ekis,
The project is currently dormant. I rigged the mast and spars, but waited to put the sails on it because then the model would be almost impossible to transport by car. My intention was to first take the model to the model discussion of my modeling club. That happened in November last year.

In the meantime I have started a new project: a kind of triptych of the sloop that we used to row during our nautical training in the navy in the seventies. I want to build a rowing version and two sailing versions of it. The rowing version is now ready, I am now making the sails of the first sailing version. Unfortunately I didn't get around to writing about it on this forum.

But now to answer your question: Yes, I intend to finish the clipper. And the story on the forum will take its course. It just might take a while.

Thanks for the positive comments and likes.
Further with the reconstruction of the rear castle.
 
Sawing "beams" 

Preparation.

The first frames.

Take into account the cannon ports of the upper deck.

All frames have been placed. The drawings of the Mary Rose were followed for the approximately correct position.

The chaotic inside has also been cleaned up a bit.  (not exactly the same as the original, you won't see much of it later anyway).
The plywood pieces are the basis for the cabins.

Result

Next: port side

 
 
 

The rear castle.
 
Not much is left of the original. So from here on, most becomes guesswork. The frames of sections 6,8,10 and the stern are used as a basis

The first test isn't too bad.

The stern in the drawing has an unnatural bend (personal opinion). That's why I'm going to deviate a bit towards the outside.

The first 4 frames have been placed. They are still too high and probably too thick. But these 4 must be long and sturdy enough as a basis for the rest
The intention now is to first provide more frames on this side of the model.

That's a very exciting and educational story and very fine craftsmanship.

I welcome everyone and continue my work.
The process of making a ladder for a chimney.

In my opinion the dotted line indicates the end of the rabbet. I have the impression that the keel beam on the plan is higher than the beam of your model. That will give you less space to make the keel rabbet.

Equipment of the topgallant yards– Itague de vergue de grand perroquet
In the meantime I'm working on equipping the topgallant yards.
I'm slowly starting to get the feeling that the higher I get in the rigging, the less information there is about the details; be it from the monograph or from the relevant specialist literature. There is obviously less to be found on the internet. Apparently it is due to the importance or meaning of the components, as a large yard literally has more weight.
Or to put it somewhat jokingly, the higher the air, the thinner the air..., of course, meant the information density... 😊
 
So I brought together information about the execution of the truss from a wide variety of sources, as can be seen in the following pictures.
Accordingly, from my point of view, I was able to clarify the execution of the tye with the double strop for the top gallant. I think that this detail can also be used analogously for the royals.
 

Source: Detailed photo detail of the original model Musée national de la Marine – edited / Atlas du Génie Maritime – edited
 
The implementation for the main topgallant yard of the model then looks like this, as shown. The “mousing” as a hook lock is only attached when the yard is finally equipped.

 
We then continued with the truss. This was made like the truss for the topsail yards with leather coating.
The following drawing by K. H. Marquardt, but served.

Source: Karl Heinz Marquardt, Masting and Rigging of 18th Century Ships
 
In the last two pictures you can see the tye and the truss for the main topgallant yard,  which will only be finally lashed to the topgallant mast of the model later.

 

 
In the next step I will work on making the quarter blocks as double blocks with a length of 3.0 mm for the topgallant yards, which are used to guide the royal sheets and clew lines.
 
So, see you soon….

 

Thanks Tobias but I can assure you that this build is far from perfect mate.  I'm constantly having to make allowances for earlier errors but I guess thats ship building for you.
 
The scuppers - The technique that druxey suggested to me works great for finding the line through the hull.  On this scale though it's a long way through the hull to make each side meet.  I guess you just have to be brave and get cracking with a chisel.  So first of all I cut the holes through as best that I could - I did pick up a little damage but nothing really to worry about.  I've also learnt that these small errors disappear in the long run as you simply stop seeing them.
 

Next I made a rectangular tube out of pewter - easy to make and difficult to fit through the hull - it just takes time.

Then I roughed the tube to the correct dimensions but left some on to sand down later.  Its worth noting that that the tube dimensions are slightly different from the outside to the inside.

Following on from my previous bad experience using cyano I glued these in using 20 minute epoxy resin.  I really like this glue - it gives loads of time to jiggle things around and cleans up easily with IPA.

Next was to make the end plates on the inside and outside.




So thats one side complete and now onto the starboard side - which I still haven't finished nailing yet!
 
Cheers Mark

Happy New year everyone!
 
I glued the bowsprit and the mast step in place. The mast itself was only inserted into the hole in the deck rather than being glued in place. I should be able to fix it rigidly in position using the standing rigging. The rigging thread supplied with the kit isn't that great so I swapped it out to use some thread from Syren, 0.30mm brown thread for the standing rigging and 0.20mm tan thread for the running rigging.
 
I began with the bowsprit which was all fairly straight forward. I don't know the nautical names of all of the various lines so I can't use them when describing what I did so please accept my apologies for any confusion that may arise from this. There are three lines running from eyebolts fixed to the hull to the tip of the bowsprit, one on either side of the hull and one at the fore, and these presumably give the bowsprit stability in those directions.

I should perhaps explain at this stage how I secure these lines in place on the model. Rather than using the multiple overhand knot method as described previously I have found that it is easier to use a simpler method in these circumstances given that there is far less room to work so close to the model. The following images show the method I use, in this instance when securing line to a split ring for one of the backstays. Firstly the rigging line is doubled through the split ring (or eyebolt/holt/block etc). A length of the thinner brown Mara thread is then used to seize the line to the ring. This is laid along the rigging line and temporarily secured with some tape on the left hand side.

A loop is then made in the Mara thread and the loose end is then wound around the rigging line and the line of Mara thread six times, working back towards the split ring.


The loose end of the Mara thread is then passed through the loop and both ends of the thread are slowly drawn tight. The knot is secured with some varnish and left for a while before the long ends are trimmed away.

Although the pictures show this being completed in the vice it is possible to carry out the same method just using your hands to hold the lines and this is how I do it when securing the shrouds to the mast or chainplates, for example. 
 
The running backstays were the next items to be rigged. There are two either side, one secured to an eyebolt at the top of the lower mast and the other secured to an eyebolt at the top of the topmast. These were tied off on cleats fixed to the cockpit coaming. I then installed the forestay and the royal stay from the masts to the bowsprit. There are three shrouds on either side of the mast and two of them run through the spreader bar fixed to the base of the topmast. These were all secured to the chainplates on the deck. 


With the majority of the standing rigging installed I was then able to return to each of these lines and adjust their tension so that the mast was held securely, had the correct angle of rake to the rear, and was vertical when looked at from the stern or prow. The instructions then suggest the boom is installed and whilst the inventory suggests that there is only one line used as the topping lift (on the port side of the mast), the illustration in the picture manual show that there are two lines used for this, one on either side of the mast. I decided to follow the pictures and installed topping lifts on both sides. I also installed the spanker boom sheet at the rear of the boom to hold the boom securely in place. All of these knots securing these lines to their relevant cleats etc have now been varnished to make them a little bit more secure and the excess line mostly trimmed away. I will return to them towards the end of the build to put coils of thread over them to represent the excess line - I find it far too difficult to coil line in situ on the model.
 
Unfortunately things seem to get a lot more complicated from here onwards. I have noticed that some of the images in the instructions show that rings or blocks are attached directly to the sails and that the rigging lines then attach to these in turn. As my model isn't going to have any sails I need to think of a workaround for this as I would still like to have some of the running rigging represented. I may perhaps seize some hooks to the ends of the running rigging lines and then I can hook them to eyebolts etc, that was the running rigging can be present but the sails omitted. There are some lines that seem to be sewn directly to the sails, such as the jibsail sheets, so I may just have to omit those from my model.
 
Here are some pictures showing the progress so far.

I have been able to make some good progress with the build in the last few days - it is amazing how much more time you have when you don't have to go to work 😃
 
I finished stropping all of the blocks and then attached them to the mast, the various spars and the deck. There weren't actually that many of them to do compared to Alert so it didn't take long at all. I also attached the topmast to the lower mast and added the spreader bar. I also added the eyebolts that hold the belaying pins at the base of the mast and two cleats, the latter items again filched from some spares from previous builds. The instructions suggested adding the thick lead cleat castings as used on the deck to the mast but these just looked too clunky to my eyes, hence the swap to the wooden versions. Here are some images of various parts of the lower and topmasts before and after gluing them together.




One tricky Item to make was what the instructions call the lee fange spanner boom which is situated to the rear of where the tiller will be placed. It holds a block that holds the boom sheet and is made of a piece of brass rod 1.5mm in diameter which sits in two eyebolts in the deck. Attached to the rod are two glass beads which the instructions name as trucks and in between the trucks sits the two brass hoops I made earlier to which the block is attached. The problem that arose was that the glass beads have a 1mm wide hole in them and so cannot slip over a 1.5mm diameter brass rod! It is also not possible to widen the hole in the beads by drilling or filing, as unsurprisingly the beads shatter pretty easily! In the end I swapped the beads out for two wooden rollers or sheaves which could fit on the brass rod - another example of the pretty poor planning from Artesania Latina. It always pays to keep lots of spare parts and little items on hand even when you intend to stick pretty much to the kit specs!


I also decided that I didn't like the pedestals I had made a few months ago so I made another pair, this time using pieces of 16mm Tasmanian oak dowel. All I had to do was cut the slots to match the hull shapes and give the pedestals a couple of coats of wipe on poly.  The pedestals will eventually be reduced in height but I will firstly need to get the baseboard ready before I can do that. The baseboard is also made from oak so I am hoping that it matches nicely with the pedestals and the masts and spars. I also had to fabricate a couple of smaller turnbuckles for the rigging of the bowsprit and the forestay, and these were down in the same manner in which I made the chainplates - gluing eyebolts into a short length of brass tube.

So the next task is to fix the bowsprit and the mast in place and then the rigging will start. I have decided not to include sails on my model and I'm not sure if that will help or hinder the rigging process. The Artesania Latina instructions for rigging the model are not clear at all unfortunately. There are a few line drawings on the back of one of the plans and some photos of parts of the rigging in the manual but I think I will have to work it out as I go along.

Anchor fairlead.

Now everything is in its place.  

While the oil is drying out, I decided to start with the boat and longboat. I made two “pieces” and now deciding which manufacturing method to choose.

Before getting started on the drilling and pinning job, I couldn't resist clipping the wings in place to get an idea of what the overall project was looking like.
 
From the front:

From the back:

The canard bamboo still needs its nodes and brownish paint. My wife says there is a slight color variation between the wings and the fuselage that needs attention!
 
Now wondering about a display location for the finished product. In some ways, this takes up more space than a midsized ship model. 

as I said before, I chose not to paint the decorations but to carve them into bas-reliefs, even though it does not conform to the real ship:




 

Both photos were taken by Ray Talmage

The bollards were quite challenging to make. I tried several options until I found the right installation method.

I have built shelves for storing cannonballs. I will use balls from bearings as cannonballs, I bought two sizes for carronades and for cannons. After blackening they look quite good.

Hi all. I haven’t been here for a long time, since then there have been new exhibits in my virtual museum 🙂
 

I got everyone together. Gods and heroes, beasts and monsters. Figureheads of sailing ships.