tkay11

That's very useful, George. Thanks. Could you provide the Seahorse 3mm block sizes? Tony

Just to give measurements of the 2mm blocks, as near as I can with these fiddly things: Height - 1.83mm Width - 1.4mm Thick - 0.8mm Sheave holes - 0.4mm Ø If I take block height as 12 x rope diameter, this would be suitable for 1.83/12 = 0.153mm Ø rope, which would be the equivalent of 15.3mm Ø rope when at a scale of 1:100. Similarly, a rope size of 0.4mm Ø would need a block 4.8mm high. It would be interesting to know if others agree with these calculations, and, if they have the measurements of other blocks from Seahorse, to know what those are. Cheers Tony

I've just received my order for 2mm blocks from Seahorse Poland. I have to agree with George and others that they are excellent. I am amazed at the detail at this small scale and I can't imagine that improving the detail with a new machine would be worth it. I just had to wait a bit for our slow customs in the UK. Tony

I'll second the request for cleats. I find making them at 4x1 mm much trickier than 2mm blocks. But I admit it could be my finishing skills! Tony

Can you provide a link for the Seahorse 3D printed blocks? I tried an online search but just came up with models of seahorses! Tony

Romme's 1813 dictionary says: "Plusieurs poulies tiennent leur nom des usages auxquels elles sont destinées. Ainsi , les poulies de retour, quarter block, sont celles qui ne servent qu'a changer la direction d'un cordage tendu; et celles de conduite sont seulement placées sur la direction pour la conserver sans l'altérer". Roughly translated this means "Many blocks take their name from their intended use. Thus, quarter blocks are those which only serve to change the direction of a taut rope; and conduction blocks are only placed to preserve the rope's direction without altering it". I think a double block is just that - a block with two sheaves side by side. As always, this is only my understanding, subject to correction or addition. Tony

@Pitan: The issue of the windlass and the ports was discussed a lot for earlier builds of the Chris' Caldercraft Sherbourne. The windlass, for example, is accurate in Chris Watton's new revised version, as per the plans from the NMM. For example, see @Gregor's and @Stockholm tar's builds for discussions of historical details and NMM plans, and the following: Although I have not seen Chris' new version, I am pretty sure he will have made the kit as accurate as possible, although there will always be questions about 'accuracy'. Tony

I thought as much. Almost all the wood in the model I made then I decided to buy new, and most of the fittings, masts and spars made afresh. Also, like others at the time, I had to kit bash to make it more historical and in line with the original plans and contemporary practice. But that gave me the inspiration to start building from plans, to try different approaches to building, and then to probe many more books and resources on history, language and contemporary practices. So I felt really good about that old Caldercraft model and all that it led me to learn. I'm still learning, and still feel a novice, but that is a great place to be - always leaving something to achieve. All that said, Chris' new venture with Vanguard will do just the same for others, and I really have admired the new techniques he has used to make the models as accurate as possible, and especially the approach he uses for the construction of the hulls to make them even more rigid. The greater expense is to be expected and is great value for money. I look forward to following more builds of this model, and continue watching the builds of his other excellent models. Tony

Thanks for the review of this lovely cutter that so many have built. It would be interesting to compare this model to the £99 Caldercraft version. At first glance it looks as though the Vanguard version is closer to the original plans, especially with the windlass and deck fittings. Tony

It is shown in Steel more than once. There's a plate in Volume 3 of David Steel’s Elements and Practice of Rigging which I reference in my Sherbourne log at and also at You can see the end product at I think I also saw this in Marquardt's book on rigging, but can't be sure as I don't have it with me right now. Tony

I totally agree with wefalck. I have had the Proxxon for 10 years and with little bit of tweaking with shims can be very accurately centred. The extension is wonderful, and I have made my own steady rest which improves handling wonderfully. The included toolrest has served me very well. I do have a teag lathe as well, bought second-hand, which I prefer for metal work, but in fact the Proxxon is the one I use most for masts and spars. It is very low priced for what it is. Tony

Thanks for finding my photos of the NMM model of the Trial useful for the rigging, David. I often thought of building the Trial, and was delighted when the kit was produced as it is a lovely vessel. The rigging is indeed the most fun part of any build when trying to work it all out. I always take ages in planning what to do before and then after erecting the masts. I just thought I'd take the opportunity of bringing up the question of the catheads, just as a throw in if anyone is interested in the question. Interestingly, the model in the NMM doesn't have any, while the kit has added them. It took me a little while, when the model kit came out, to realise why I thought it looked a bit odd. Three of the eight NMM plans that I found do show them, so I presume that they were left out of the museum model because it was an initial model of a concept - something that has been debated in this forum. I see you have already been adding extra detail to the kit to be more accurate - at least in relation to what may have been just a concept model in the NMM. Thus the kit does not have the central boom crutch in the taffrail at the stern. Unfortunately I have not been following other builds of the Trial in the forum, so these and other differences between kit and NMM model may have already been discussed, so I apologise for bringing this up if they are already well researched and commented on. Anyway, I'm enjoying your lovely build and look forward to the continuing updates! Tony

There's a nice series about the Titanic Inquiry which has been highlighted by the Society for Nautical Research as in the attached note from them. The podcasts recreating the evidence given by four survivors of the sinking are about 30 minutes each and very interesting indeed. In case you haven't heard them, they are strongly recommended. Tony == The Titanic Enquiry The latest episodes of our award-winning podcast The Mariner's Mirror Podcast include a five-part series based on the British Titanic Enquiry. An enormous project has been underway in America in recent years to transcribe both the British and American enquiries. To bring this work to a large audience we have dramatised a number of testimonies allowing our listeners to eavesdrop on the enquiry. You can now hear directly from Lady Duff Gordon, a First Class passenger, and one of only two passengers interviewed at the inquiry (the other being her husband). Lady Duff Gordon was also one of only three women to give testimony. Along with her husband, she was also one of only two witnesses to actually request to be interviewed. Lady Duff Gordon’s perspective, therefore, is unusual and significant in many ways and makes for riveting listening, casting an entirely new light on the tragedy. We also hear from we hear from Fred Barrett, a stoker from Liverpool. Fred had been tasked with extinguishing a fire and was in one of the boiler rooms when the collision happened. If you are interested in what happened in the bowels of the ship during the sinking his testimony is one of the very best. Charles Lightoller, Titanic's second officer and the most senior officer to survive the disaster also gives evidence. Lightoller is a fascinating character. By the age of 21 he had survived a shipwreck, a cyclone and a shipboard fire. Lightoller was a major focus for both the British and American inquiries. During the Wreck Commissioner’s Enquiry, Lightoller was called to the stand three times over the same number of days and was asked 2951 questions. His testimony is greatly detailed and provides numerous fascinating glimpses into the disaster and its aftermath. Finally we hear from Annie Robinson. Annie was a First Class Stewardess and one of only three women interviewed at the inquiry. She was asleep when Titanic collided with the iceberg - and this was the second time she had been on a vessel that had collided with an iceberg. Annie led her charges to safety and escaped herself but was troubled for the rest of her life by her experience and ultimately committed suicide by jumping overboard another vessel just two years later. All episodes of the dramatised Titanic enquiry can be found here.

After receiving the attached from the Society of Nautical Research, I went to the site advertised (Llloyd’s Register Foundation’s new project Maritime Innovation in Miniature) and found it had links to a series of videos of models in Stockholm's National Maritime Museum. The series has details of many of that Museum's models using modern camera techniques as described in the Newsletter. The direct link on YouTube to the Introduction of the series of short films in English (which is part of the Heritage Foundation series). It is a general one showing some of the equipment used and a quick guide around the museums and workshops. In case you haven't found this wonderful series before, it provides a very worthwhile and enjoyable exploration of ship models from the 16th Century to the present day. Enjoy! Tony ====== Latest Mariners' Mirror Podcast! Filming The World’s Best Ship Models: Stockholm This episode looks at Llloyd’s Register Foundation’s new project Maritime Innovation in Miniature which is one of the most exciting maritime heritage projects of recent years and a leader in terms of innovation in the maritime heritage field. The aim of the project is to film the world’s best ship models. They are removed from their protective glass cases and filmed in studio conditions with the very latest camera equipment. In particular, the ships are filmed using a macro probe lens, which offers a unique perspective and extreme close up shots. It allows the viewer to get up close and personal with the subject, whilst maintaining a bug-eyed wide angle image. This makes the models appear enormous – simply put, it’s a way of bringing the ships themselves back to life. Ship models are a hugely under-appreciated, under-valued and under-exploited resource for engaging large numbers of people with maritime history. The majority of museum-quality ship models exist in storage; those that are on display have little interpretation; few have any significant online presence at all; none have been preserved on film using modern techniques. These are exquisitely made 3D recreations of the world’s most technologically significant vessels, each with significant messages about changing maritime technology and the safety of seafarers. The ships may no longer survive…but models of them do. This project acknowledges and celebrates that fact by bringing them to life with modern technology, in a way that respects and honours the art of the original model makers and the millions of hours of labour expended to create this unparalleled historical resource. This episode looks in particular at the extraordinary models that were filmed in 2022 at the Swedish National Maritime Museum in Stockholm.

I have the Valerian plans as well as March's book, and this may well be my next build, so I'll be looking at your log attentively. I had a trip on the Pilgrim and took loads of pictures of the details. Of course it's now a passenger ship and the long trawling arms no longer fitted, but it was a nice experience to feel its solidity under foot. Pulling up the jib showed me just how heavy that sail was and how strong the crew must have been. It took four of the passengers to haul it. Tony

Very nice boat, George. Tony

Excellent ideas re card and polystyrene, George. I used 0.5mm polystyrene strips myself for the frames on the 1:96 Jacinthe I am building (which may have a log some time in the future). Heat from a hairdryer allowed me to curve them to the correct shape around the mould. I wish I'd thought of card for the sides. Tony

Thanks, George. I had always believed (I am not sure why) that rudders were stowed in the boats when on deck. Tony

Viewing distance is all that matters. None of my family have ever requested a magnifying glass. Tony

I just have to add my admiration and praise for your lovely work, done with your usual perseverance. Congratulations! Tony

Good to see you back! Tony

In addition to Doris' famous card models, I remember George Bandurek's guns on his Sherbourne were made of paper. I have a feeling George's build was lost in the first MSW crash some years ago, but he wrote a book about it, and in that post he has a pdf download on how he made the paper cannon. Tony

On the question of slip gauges, I use cheap feeler gauges which were popular for measuring valve clearances in cars. I have four sets of them, each of which covers 0.05mm to 1mm. I now use them mainly for obtaining accurate cuts with the table saw, but of course there are plenty of other uses too, including height measurements. I think I bought them from eBay for about £2.50 a set, but that was some years ago. Tony

@bruce d seems to have been closest by saying that 'jaseur' is the French name for the waxwing, a passerine bird spread widely in Northern Europe and the USA, although we still have no answer. Gérard Delacroix has told me that a 'jaseur' and its equivalent 'croasseur' (in Italian) signifies a person who shouts or speaks very loudly, so the meaning of the two words is close. When he typed 'brajart oiseau' into his computer it was linked to another bird a 'bruant' which can be translated as 'bunting' which is another passerine, and derives from the word 'bruant'. So Gérard couldn't say whether there was any real link as Jean Boudriot used turns of phrase that were in very complicated French and hard to translate and often hard to understand. However, Gérard very imaginatively and poetically suggested that several French nautical terms such as 'le perroquet' or parrot (topgallant), 'le cacatois' or sound of a bird's cry (royal), 'la perruche' or parrakeet (mizzen topgallant) are also linked to birds, a 'brajart' could certainly be one of them. Of course, since he could not find any other mention of 'brajart' we'll have to leave it with the Provençal as the source. Bruce is hence awarded the prize! Tony

There's an interesting article in the 30th March edition of the London Review of Books about the pirate settlements and retirement places in Madagascar. It points to the fact that they did in fact establish democratic and libertarian societies there, which in turn led to the emancipation of women. So not all tales of pirates were fanciful. For anyone interested in a good read, go to https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v45/n07/francis-gooding/when-thieves-retire, The article is free to read, although if you want to read more stuff in the LRB you'd have to contribute. Happy reading! Tony