Brucealanevans

I've finished the rigging, except for the yard braces and the mainsail boom, which will be added at the very end. The rigging varies from the kit instructions. Firstly, due to what is necessary to handle the sails. I have used the Smithsonian plans for that. Secondly, those plans also show the topmast shrouds passing down to deck level and fastening through bullseyes tethered to the lower deadeye strops. So I did that.
I might add parenthetically that this rigging job was made much easier than my previous jobs due to equipment overload:
1. Michael Mott's third hand, and especially the wood clamp arms that are perfect for holding line tightly for seizing without damaging the line
2. TWO very good tweezers to hand small line
3. Chuck's seizing method - in my hands, a series of closely spaced overhand knots alternating above and below, pulled tight. At the end (4-5 loops in this case) these can be slid down snugly with careful use of a tweezer. followed by some dilute white glue and when dry trimming the ends and compressing the loops.
4. Small electrical clips (the plastic kind with a retractable hook) to hold lines together when seizing if necessary.
 
Will be moving on the the fore stanchions and rail and rigging the (already constructed) anchors next.

Finished and (temporarily) mounted the rudder with the tiller. Almost forgot to add the nails. That was a bit of a pain.
Added details to the forward cockpit which I felt might not be terribly accessible once I start the rigging. Glued the stove in place with a couple of implements, and added a number of half barrels and a box containing bar shot and balls, as shown on the Smithsonian plans.
For fun, added some fake water in the bailing well along with the water scoop also shown in the Smithsonian plans (which apparently were drawn to guide the construction of the replica).
Now, on to the rigging.

Looks great!

Looks great!

Looks great!

Standing rigging for mainmast completed. On to the topmast.
Lines (except forestay) not snugged down. Once topmast standing rigging in place will tighten everything down (Learned my lesson from my last rigging job).

Standing rigging for mainmast completed. On to the topmast.
Lines (except forestay) not snugged down. Once topmast standing rigging in place will tighten everything down (Learned my lesson from my last rigging job).

Rigged and stepped the mainmast. It will have a boom at the bottom, but as this attaches only through toggles in the lower cringles and both the boom and its rigging protrude from the side a considerable distance likely to make the work to come difficult, I will be adding that last.
 

I have made two sails, which are complete except for the boltropes. I don't like the look of sewing them on, as even at this scale the stitches would be out of scale. I have experimented with gluing them on with fabric glue, and will likely do that with a few stitches with very fine fly-tying thread to tack down at least the ends at the cringle. Experimented with white ink pen and pencil line to simulate panels in the sails and ended up opting for the latter. Corner reinforcements were cut out of dyed sail fabric and put on with fabric glue with pencil lines added.
The sails utilized some kit fabric I had from earlier kits, dyed with diluted coffee with a bit of black acrylic to get the greyish tinge as suggested by a build log on this site. I can't emphasize enough how this site and its wonderful contributing craftspersons enable erstwhile beginners like me to progress.
Note the mainsail boom below the mainsail. This is not to be attached to the mast but only to the corners of the sail. I wasn't going to add the sails if I couldn't produce reasonable looking sails, but I believe I'm happy with these and will go ahead.
While I was waiting for the admiral to get back from a trip to sew the sail hems, I put the forestay spreader together. Unfortunately it's very slightly asymmetric, but I can live with it. From this point on there is no major construction, just rigging, canopy, and deck detail things. 
Once I get the boltropes on I can bend the sails to the yards and attach all the block pendants, etc, mount the yards to the mast(s) with their rope parrels, and them stick the mast in. Then on to the rigging.
I've been struggling with how to construct the fascines (bundles of wood used to provide more protection for the crew) at an appropriate scale. The 1/16 inch dowels I bought were actually closer to 3/32 and are simply too big (darn!). I experimented with 1/32 x 1/32 strips rounded through a drawplate, and discovered that a bundle of 40 (!) gave me the correct scale size for a bundle of 9" diameter with 1/2 - 1" sticks. I think I will be making fascines during boring parts of long winter nights (I live in Minnesota and it's acting like winter early this year.

Standing rigging for mainmast completed. On to the topmast.
Lines (except forestay) not snugged down. Once topmast standing rigging in place will tighten everything down (Learned my lesson from my last rigging job).

Standing rigging for mainmast completed. On to the topmast.
Lines (except forestay) not snugged down. Once topmast standing rigging in place will tighten everything down (Learned my lesson from my last rigging job).

Daniel:
I will be buying La Real in the near future, as soon as I finish my current build. Will be making a few changes to approximate a Knights of St. John galley.
Is this kit going to also be upgraded to Pear? If so, at what time would that happen, as I would prefer that option if/when available.
Thanks

Daniel:
I will be buying La Real in the near future, as soon as I finish my current build. Will be making a few changes to approximate a Knights of St. John galley.
Is this kit going to also be upgraded to Pear? If so, at what time would that happen, as I would prefer that option if/when available.
Thanks

Daniel:
I will be buying La Real in the near future, as soon as I finish my current build. Will be making a few changes to approximate a Knights of St. John galley.
Is this kit going to also be upgraded to Pear? If so, at what time would that happen, as I would prefer that option if/when available.
Thanks

Daniel:
I will be buying La Real in the near future, as soon as I finish my current build. Will be making a few changes to approximate a Knights of St. John galley.
Is this kit going to also be upgraded to Pear? If so, at what time would that happen, as I would prefer that option if/when available.
Thanks

Rigged and stepped the mainmast. It will have a boom at the bottom, but as this attaches only through toggles in the lower cringles and both the boom and its rigging protrude from the side a considerable distance likely to make the work to come difficult, I will be adding that last.
 

I have made two sails, which are complete except for the boltropes. I don't like the look of sewing them on, as even at this scale the stitches would be out of scale. I have experimented with gluing them on with fabric glue, and will likely do that with a few stitches with very fine fly-tying thread to tack down at least the ends at the cringle. Experimented with white ink pen and pencil line to simulate panels in the sails and ended up opting for the latter. Corner reinforcements were cut out of dyed sail fabric and put on with fabric glue with pencil lines added.
The sails utilized some kit fabric I had from earlier kits, dyed with diluted coffee with a bit of black acrylic to get the greyish tinge as suggested by a build log on this site. I can't emphasize enough how this site and its wonderful contributing craftspersons enable erstwhile beginners like me to progress.
Note the mainsail boom below the mainsail. This is not to be attached to the mast but only to the corners of the sail. I wasn't going to add the sails if I couldn't produce reasonable looking sails, but I believe I'm happy with these and will go ahead.
While I was waiting for the admiral to get back from a trip to sew the sail hems, I put the forestay spreader together. Unfortunately it's very slightly asymmetric, but I can live with it. From this point on there is no major construction, just rigging, canopy, and deck detail things. 
Once I get the boltropes on I can bend the sails to the yards and attach all the block pendants, etc, mount the yards to the mast(s) with their rope parrels, and them stick the mast in. Then on to the rigging.
I've been struggling with how to construct the fascines (bundles of wood used to provide more protection for the crew) at an appropriate scale. The 1/16 inch dowels I bought were actually closer to 3/32 and are simply too big (darn!). I experimented with 1/32 x 1/32 strips rounded through a drawplate, and discovered that a bundle of 40 (!) gave me the correct scale size for a bundle of 9" diameter with 1/2 - 1" sticks. I think I will be making fascines during boring parts of long winter nights (I live in Minnesota and it's acting like winter early this year.

With the Charles W Morgan safely in her case awaiting only a brass engraved nameplate before moving upstairs, it's time to start a new project (projects?).
Going to start with the gunboat Philadelphia which I've had on the shelf for some time. I need a break from 1/64 fully rigged ship so the Granado will wait for this project to be completed.  [note: Granado will wait a while longer]
I'm looking forward to (super)detailing a 1/24 build with minimal straight-forward rigging (at least compared to the Morgan).
I've ordered replacement blocks and line from Chuck, and gathered materials including the 6 part series on this build from Ships in Scale.
I'm not detailing in photos the box contents as they have been covered in a current build log and several fairly recent finished ones.
Will start construction next week. I've been at loose ends in the mornings as that has been my shipyard time through the (long) end of the Morgan build. There is a nice case awaiting this rather wide model (nearly 14 inches) that I had bought years ago for a Victory model I bought but did not build. As my house started to fill with MY completed models I decided to give that ship away to a friend who had admired it. I was tired of explaining to people that I had built the New Bedford Whaleboat, Picket Boat #1, and now the Charles W Morgan but NOT that one.
At the same time (now that I'm fully retired) I'm going to practice Byrnes saw, scroll saw, and mill skills to begin the Echo cross section on some ordered boxwood before I break into the wood included in the Admiralty Models package. These are things I've not done so need the practice for this entry into the shallow end of the scratch build pool.

I have made two sails, which are complete except for the boltropes. I don't like the look of sewing them on, as even at this scale the stitches would be out of scale. I have experimented with gluing them on with fabric glue, and will likely do that with a few stitches with very fine fly-tying thread to tack down at least the ends at the cringle. Experimented with white ink pen and pencil line to simulate panels in the sails and ended up opting for the latter. Corner reinforcements were cut out of dyed sail fabric and put on with fabric glue with pencil lines added.
The sails utilized some kit fabric I had from earlier kits, dyed with diluted coffee with a bit of black acrylic to get the greyish tinge as suggested by a build log on this site. I can't emphasize enough how this site and its wonderful contributing craftspersons enable erstwhile beginners like me to progress.
Note the mainsail boom below the mainsail. This is not to be attached to the mast but only to the corners of the sail. I wasn't going to add the sails if I couldn't produce reasonable looking sails, but I believe I'm happy with these and will go ahead.
While I was waiting for the admiral to get back from a trip to sew the sail hems, I put the forestay spreader together. Unfortunately it's very slightly asymmetric, but I can live with it. From this point on there is no major construction, just rigging, canopy, and deck detail things. 
Once I get the boltropes on I can bend the sails to the yards and attach all the block pendants, etc, mount the yards to the mast(s) with their rope parrels, and them stick the mast in. Then on to the rigging.
I've been struggling with how to construct the fascines (bundles of wood used to provide more protection for the crew) at an appropriate scale. The 1/16 inch dowels I bought were actually closer to 3/32 and are simply too big (darn!). I experimented with 1/32 x 1/32 strips rounded through a drawplate, and discovered that a bundle of 40 (!) gave me the correct scale size for a bundle of 9" diameter with 1/2 - 1" sticks. I think I will be making fascines during boring parts of long winter nights (I live in Minnesota and it's acting like winter early this year.

I have made two sails, which are complete except for the boltropes. I don't like the look of sewing them on, as even at this scale the stitches would be out of scale. I have experimented with gluing them on with fabric glue, and will likely do that with a few stitches with very fine fly-tying thread to tack down at least the ends at the cringle. Experimented with white ink pen and pencil line to simulate panels in the sails and ended up opting for the latter. Corner reinforcements were cut out of dyed sail fabric and put on with fabric glue with pencil lines added.
The sails utilized some kit fabric I had from earlier kits, dyed with diluted coffee with a bit of black acrylic to get the greyish tinge as suggested by a build log on this site. I can't emphasize enough how this site and its wonderful contributing craftspersons enable erstwhile beginners like me to progress.
Note the mainsail boom below the mainsail. This is not to be attached to the mast but only to the corners of the sail. I wasn't going to add the sails if I couldn't produce reasonable looking sails, but I believe I'm happy with these and will go ahead.
While I was waiting for the admiral to get back from a trip to sew the sail hems, I put the forestay spreader together. Unfortunately it's very slightly asymmetric, but I can live with it. From this point on there is no major construction, just rigging, canopy, and deck detail things. 
Once I get the boltropes on I can bend the sails to the yards and attach all the block pendants, etc, mount the yards to the mast(s) with their rope parrels, and them stick the mast in. Then on to the rigging.
I've been struggling with how to construct the fascines (bundles of wood used to provide more protection for the crew) at an appropriate scale. The 1/16 inch dowels I bought were actually closer to 3/32 and are simply too big (darn!). I experimented with 1/32 x 1/32 strips rounded through a drawplate, and discovered that a bundle of 40 (!) gave me the correct scale size for a bundle of 9" diameter with 1/2 - 1" sticks. I think I will be making fascines during boring parts of long winter nights (I live in Minnesota and it's acting like winter early this year.

A detour to make sails, which I've decided to add. The oars will be stored.
Need to address this before beginning the rigging, as the sails will need to be rigged to the yards prior to erecting the mast and adding the standing rigging. Will also need to order a few more blocks and more line as the model is not equipped for sails.
Also noted on the Smithsonian plans there is a boom to which the lower end of the mainsail is attached, so need to make that.
At this scale going to use cloth instead of silkspan. Dyed appropriate cloth with coffee and a few drops of black paint, and cut them out.
Will be doing some experimenting with the admiral on hemming them - she has a sewing machine foot that rolls and stitches a small seam, but we're not sure it will handle this thickness without fraying the edge. If the experiment fails, will turn and iron a 1/8 inch seam and likely sew it rather than use fabric glue like I did on the Morgan sails.

Finished and (temporarily) mounted the rudder with the tiller. Almost forgot to add the nails. That was a bit of a pain.
Added details to the forward cockpit which I felt might not be terribly accessible once I start the rigging. Glued the stove in place with a couple of implements, and added a number of half barrels and a box containing bar shot and balls, as shown on the Smithsonian plans.
For fun, added some fake water in the bailing well along with the water scoop also shown in the Smithsonian plans (which apparently were drawn to guide the construction of the replica).
Now, on to the rigging.

Back from a great Mediterranean cruise on the worlds largest ship with sails.
Back in the shipyard today -
Finished the stove. Bricks made with sculpy formed in the sheet the kit "bricks" of basswood were in. Modeling paste for mortar. Set up a charcoal fire in the stove. Suitably sloppy brick work!
Also added the pintels to the rudder.

Noel, the stain was a mixture of 2 Minwax stains - Gunstock 1/3 and something darker 2/3. Can't find the can at the moment. Stains were suggested in the Ships in Scale series, and I liked how they looked. He was trying to match the look of the reproduction Philadelphia.
Art, to this point most of my additions have been cosmetic - I have added nails (fake, see above) to all planking and fake bolts (see above) to everything attached to the hull, such as the knees, the cathead, and so on. None of this is necessary for the build - I went into this looking to detail alot. The deck in the kit is in several large pieces which I cut into planks and (due to subsequent material loss for each cut) had to fabricate some extra material along the edges. Again, not necessary to the build and requires a precision saw.
Also, as has become my practice, I replaced all the blocks and line with material from Chuck's Syren Ship Modelling. Not necessary but I like the look.
I spend so much time building these that I don't mind spending extra to dress them up, but the stock model material would make a perfectly adequate model.
Added some cannon balls (not in the kit) and some small plastic hinges for the lockers (not in the kit).
I'll be fabricating stuff, such as making bricks for the stove from modelling material rather than the wood pieces the kit provides, as well as bailing scoop in the aft well, and equipment for the guns. Got some barrels too. All of this is eye candy and not necessary for a good looking model at your stage. That was my stage when I started with Picket Boat #1 and then the CW Morgan. I fell off the wagon when I made the Morgan's blubber rendering stove out of 2x3mm individual bricks with spacers for mortar.
The main thing is to have fun!

Finished up the cap rail, the catheads, and the tholes, bits, and mooring bit. Put the cleats on the cap rail as well.
The forward facing 12 pounder sits a bit crooked in its carriage as you can see - I'll be fixing that later.
I'm going to depart from the instruction book sequence because I mean to do some detailing on deck supplies and equipment visible on the original Smithsonian plans, and that will be easier without working around the rigging and the canopy supports. So next will be the rudder hardware, the stove, and some other deck stuff.
Meanwhile tho I've tidied everything up and put the tools away as we are leaving on a 2 week vacation. Nice place to pause, as I've finished 5 of the 7 parts of the Ships in Scale series on this build.
Thanks for all the likes.
Does anyone have a favorite very thin cotton material for sails? Silkspan is not appropriate for this scale. Will probably use the same material for the awning - I don't like the stuff that came with the kit.