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In preparation for framing, I decided to dry-fit every frame to the keel to check its height and width, and relation to the marked bearding and rabbet lines.  By doing so, I hoped to avoid some nasty surprise half-way through gluing in the frames.  This would allow me to identify any frames that were too short or long and to modify the bearding/rabbet lines if needed.

I started by creating an Excel spreadsheet to record the plan height and width of each frame.  I took the height from the inboard profile and the width from the laser cut plan sheet, using a digital caliper.

(A side note: The divider is part of a set that might have belonged to my great-grandfather, a builder in Maine in the later part of the 19th century.  We have tools from three centuries at work here.)

I mounted the keel to the building jig, making sure to add a little spacer at the rear as others have noted.

I clamped each pair of frames to the bridge and measured their height above the building board and width.  The instructions emphasize getting the height correct, but I was more interested in making sure the bottom of the frame aligned correctly with the bearding/rabbet lines and that the width was close.  As expected, the notorious frame 4 was short and required extensions at the top of each frame.

The ten or so frames in the middle sit on top of the keel, so there is no opportunity to raise or lower them.  I simply noted the height and width of each set.  In a few cases, I added a 1/32" extension to the tops of a pair of frames.

All the measurements were transferred to the spreadsheet.  This allowed me to create a chart showing the plan vs. actual measurements.

The goal over time was to get the "plan" and "fitted" curves to match.  Initially I fitted the frames to the correct height; during installation I tended to favor width, as will be seen.

In the aft section, the frames join in the middle and fit into notches in the keel.  I found they were well above the plan height and also far above the bearding and rabbet lines.

To lower the frames, I sanded the notches.  (I later noticed that the plans show a bevel in the section of frame that engages the notch, which would achieve the same end.  I created a sanding stick by gluing a strip of sandpaper to the edge of a piece of 5/32" scrap - an invaluable tool.)  Even after lowering the frames to the correct height and width, their bases were above the indicated bearding and rabbet lines, so I moved the lines up slightly.

I cut the rabbet - a first for me.  The middle section along the keel requires a rolling bevel that I had trouble getting my mind around.  I suspect the rabbet may be troublesome when I get to planking, a long time from now.

Finally, I built the horn timber assembly (twice, I got it wrong the first time) and glued it to the sternpost.  I marked the locations of the two frames on the side horn timbers but didn't attempt to trial-fit them because the bridge is too low in that area.

I scribed plank lines onto the aft section of keel.  I wish in retrospect that I had also scribed lines onto the deadwood and other interior sections - too late now.

This took me to the end of December.  Frame installation would start Jan. 1.

Thanks for the interest!  This post covers preparation and keel construction.

I bought a 4' section of 1"x8" lumber, making sure it was as straight as possible, and cut a 22" section to use as a building board.  It is just wide enough.  The remaining board was useful for placing under the plan so I could pin keel sections to it.

I also took the time to go through each of the nine ECB logs, making notes about how far each builder had proceeded and what problems were encountered.  A few date back to 2013 and some have been inactive for a long time, but I found valuable information and photos throughout.

Keel assembly was uneventful.  However, I recently found a note on the plan sheet containing the outlines for laser-cut parts indicating that the edge of the stern post should be given a concave shape to accommodate the rudder shaft.  (The same detail is visible, but not called out, on the deck plan.)  Once the horn timber assembly is added, this becomes much more difficult.  I'll need to figure out how to do this.  As other builders have noted, the instructions don't always provide these details - you have to look at the plans.

I didn't add the horn timber assembly at this time because I wanted to be able to keep the keel pinned to the plan while I marked out frame locations and the rabbet and bearding lines.

I took a lot of time assembling the jig to the building board and constructing the "frame clamp bar fixture," which I just call the bridge. 

Once released from its sheet, the jig base developed a twist such that its support feet wouldn't sit flat on the board.  I nailed through the feet as well as gluing them to the board, but even that didn't fully remove the twist, as I discovered while checking the alignment of the bridge.  I had to add a buttress at the bow end and a block at the stern to get everything into plumb.

These photos also show the frame locations and rabbet/bearding lines marked on the keel and transferred to the building board. 

With a Black Friday sale price on the screen and a long pandemic winter in prospect, I finally took the plunge I had long been considering on Emma C. Berry.  Although my experience is limited, the thought of building up a ship's proper framework and deck substructure was appealing.  I liked what I saw in the various logs here, and wanted the challenge and opportunity to extend my skills that ECB offers.  Most of all, I wanted something to occupy my time, hands, and mind.  ECB has not disappointed.  I started work on Dec. 7 and have entries in my handwritten log for every day since then, Christmas and New Years included. No holiday gatherings, no family obligations - no problem.  Best of all, ECB has taken up many brain cycles that would otherwise be spent in fruitless worry about this or that.

I have reached the first major milestone: all frames installed and the clamps in place.

I love the look of this early stage - so graceful, light yet strong.

There are several excellent ECB logs going so I won't include every detail of construction.  I'll concentrate on areas I found particularly challenging or interesting, rather than documenting each step.  For starters, I'll skip the usual unboxing and kit contents photos, other than one picture of the box.

The next couple of posts will cover how I got from a pile of laser-cut pieces to the frame as it stands today.

Finally, my thanks to the modelers who have shared their ECB journeys in build logs.  Without those logs, I probably not have started this build, let alone made progress.  May all your ECBs reach glorious completion!

Looking forward to the resumption of this project.  It should be moved to the 1801-1850 forum - presumably it was mistakenly placed in 1901-present because of the various USS Perry's launched in the 20th century.

Thanks so much for the kind words!  I spent a lot of time looking through photos of full-size boats built by CLC customers.  Many builders put a lot of effort into appearance details such as inlays, exotic woods, and special paint. Some of these boats are works of art that I couldn't hope to match, but the basic shape is pleasing enough.

Some photos of the completed Northeaster Dory.  It was a fun project, especially since the construction is identical to that of the full-size kit.  I lost track of the time spent on it once I finished painting and moved on to details - about 26 hours.  I think you could spend a little more than the advertised 10+ hours and make a nice decorative piece - or detail to your heart's content and spend much more time.  I'm glad I spent the extra time on the details I added.

Well, a lot has happened since my last visit, and the Northeaster Dory seems to have ended up in the wrong era.  I'll see about sorting that out.

I was to the point where I had to confront the sail.  Being somewhat intimidated, I found ways to procrastinate.  I worked on a fiendishly difficult 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle -

then decided I needed to read Shakespeare's eight history plays covering Richard II through Richard III -

I'm half way through that.  We have other things going on as well, but finally I selected some fabric from my in-house sailmaker's stash and we laid out the sail.

At this point I should reiterate how useful CLC's Dory Lug Rig Installation Guide has been.  It shows the details of lashing the sail to the boom and gaff and, critically, the correct attachment points for the halyard and downhaul.  The plans supplied with the lug rig option are not of much use in this respect.

I used an ice pick to make the grommet holes, with a little CA to give them body (thanks to a helpful entry in the Rigging forum) and a little brass paint on a toothpick to color them.  Worked pretty well.  With the lines and blocks attached, I was finally able to see the boat with the sail flying.

At this point, the finish line was in sight - I just had a few little details and some touch-up to do.  Naturally, this is when a structural problem chose to show itself -

Ouch!  Fortunately, the repair - a carefully applied bead of CA - was straightforward and didn't make a mess.

So the boat is finished.  Here it is set up for rowing, with the sailing components laid out in front:

I took some completion photos but I'm not pleased with the lighting and want to see if I can do better, so I won't mark the build FINISHED just yet.

Putting a few things together.  The instructions call for simple cleats for the halyard and downhaul bent up from copper wire.  I made some from scrap wood instead.  I also made up oarlock risers, based on optional items offered by CLC.

Two cleats mounted to the rails in the primary rowing position, with oars -

The square section of the oar between the grip and the oarlock is a feature of oars developed by CLC.  It serves as a counterweight to give the oar better balance.  I will detail the oars with a collar.  The oarlocks seem a bit large for the oar; I based their size on the oarlocks sold by CLC for their real boats.

More fun with the soldering iron.

The two blocks were formed from the same strip metal I used for the rudder fittings.  I had some difficulty drilling the holes for the axle in the right spot in both the metal and the sheave.  Not thrilled with these, I may try again.

I formed the oarlocks from .04" brass wire (another Bowdoin leftover, also used in the blocks as axles) and soldered the joints.

The oars are supplied in the kit - the one on top has been sanded, the other is a work in progress.

Chris, I hope you'll keep a build log for your 1:1 scale canoe kit.

I had thought a lot about how to hang the rudder, and finally the time arrived to do it.  The kit instructions have you make up four eyebolt-like gudgeons from copper wire, two for the rudder and two for the transom, and skewer them with a length of wire.  Quick and easy, but the real boat uses a traditional (if utilitarian) pintle-and-gudgeon arrangement, and I wanted to do that instead.  I lucked out in that my Bowdoin kit included a length of brass tube and a similar length of brass rod that fit the tube, neither of which I used and which proved perfect for this job.  I lacked sheet brass (or thought I did; I believe I have some shim stock stashed somewhere) to make up the brackets, but it happened that I received a fancy bottle of whiskey for my birthday featuring an ornamental belt that appeared to be made of a coppery metal.  After finishing the whiskey, I had scavenged the belt in case it might come in handy.

Sure enough, after sanding off the clearcoat, the metal proved eminently solderable.  I was in business.  I made up a simple jig to solder the rod square to the strips for the pintles -

I have done a lot of electrical soldering and sweated a few pipe junctions over the years, but not this kind of work.  I was pleased to find some lead-free solder and flux in my soldering box, and my iron was able to melt it. 

The joints were sound but needed a lot of filing.  I used a similar set-up to solder brass tube sections to strips for the gudgeons.

Bending the pintle brackets to get the correct stand-off from the edge of the rudder, and getting everything aligned, was tricky.

It was trickier to glue the brackets into place because of the difficulty of getting the right amount of CA under the strip.  I had to repaint part of the painted area due to excess glue.  Once the strips were in place, I drilled them and ran brass wire (also from Bowdoin) through the holes, with a little CA.  When snipped flush, the wire looks a bit like bolt heads, and it helps to secure the strips.

The gudgeons were easier to glue into place; the challenge was in getting them perfectly aligned with each other and with the center of the transom.

In the end, everything lined up. 

I'm pleased to have old-timey brass fittings here - the more bling on this boat, the better!  I will attempt to use what is left of the strip stock to make two functioning blocks for the sheet, the only blocks on the boat.

Thanks for the comments, the continued interest, and the likes.  It's good to see other members are working on CLC boats or at least interested in them.

I finally built the star knobs that hold the mast partner to its cleats.  They're made up of scrap wood, beheaded #4 brass machine screws, and little collars I made by reducing a section of dowel, drilling out its interior, and cutting two slices.  I was amazed they didn't break in the process.

The instructions for the model say to glue the partner to its cleats, but I wanted it to be removable as it is in the full-size boat.  Once painted black, these knobs are a reasonable approximation of the real thing.

I have also shaped the mast, boom and gaff.  The mast is supplied as a square section strip that needs to be tapered to the top.  The tapering was complicated by a slight curve in the strip, which I oriented fore-and-aft in hopes that it would yield a rakish look.

The top of the mast is drilled for the halyard to pass through - no block required.  (If I had not downloaded the aforementioned lug rig instructions, I would not know this or much of anything else about the rig.)

The boom and gaff are identical-length spars, tapered at each end.  The kit includes square stock to make the boom for the sloop rig, but nothing for the gaff since it is not required for that rig.  To simplify matters, I decided to make the boom and gaff up out of 3/16" hardwood dowel, not worrying about them not being square.  I used my poor man's lathe to make the tapers on each end.

These spars are drilled for outhauls at each end; the halyard and downhaul will simply be tied on.  The spars need varnish but are otherwise ready.

I'm not sure whether to use the supplied white Dacron ripstop material for the sail or to dig into my wife's quilting fabrics.  I haven't done sails for a very long time, if at all.  At least this one is simple.  I'm getting into the area of the build where I'll be trying to figure out how to add interesting details that aren't in the kit - will be a slow process, but should be fun.

Inwales and Outwales

The kit does not include inwales, but I had some lengths of 1/8"x1/16" mahogany left over from Bowdoin that I thought would look nice.  I sanded them, stained with natural stain, and varnished before cutting them to length and gluing them on using carpenter's glue and clamps.

It was difficult to align the strips precisely with the top edges of the planks, and I had to redo a couple of them.  The supplied outwales are approx. 3/32" square mahogany strips, and gluing them on is a challenge.  I started with a short section at the bow attached with CA, holding it in place and trying to keep the alignment with the plank edge.  Once that joint cured completely, I was able to work back a few inches at a time, using CA and clamping with binder clips.  The first side went pretty well.

I had more difficulty with the other side because I messed up the initial alignment - twice - and had to break the joint and try again.  After the third try, things were aligned OK but a bit of a mess.

I plugged the little triangular hole with a bit of 1/16th inch square mahogany, and filled the cracked area with glue and sawdust.  Then I sanded the entire bow area so the rails were flush with the breastplate, and shaped the bow.

The plans and video actually don't bring the rails together in a point - they cut the rails off at the junction of the planks and sand each one to a curve, resulting in a blunt bow.  I like this look better.

At this point the sanded areas have been stained and are awaiting varnish.  This is a good step to have completed.

17 hours ago, Jim T said:

I have the same sail plan as you, so your update really helps. 

 

Jim

If you haven't already done so, you should download the lug rig installation guide (for the full-size boat) from the CLC website.  It'll give you all the details you could want about installing and rigging, details which are nonexistent in the model instructions.  Unfortunately, there is no corresponding standalone guide for the standard sloop rig (although there is a guide for its upgrade kit) - they must be part of the full construction manual.  That manual can be had (paper or PDF) for $15 and would probably be a worthwhile purchase for a modeler interested in maximizing detail.

17 hours ago, gsdpic said:

I am in the midst of building CLC's Annapolis Wherry model which uses a similar construction technique, though is a bit simpler than the dory.  I did not create a build log for it.   I enjoyed your remark about being 23 hours into the 10 hour project....with the wherry, you shape a couple of oars/sculls from two layers of the plywood glued together.  The instructions claimed that while it looks like a lot of work, they can be sanded down to shape in about 20 minutes.   I think it took me a couple hours to do each one.

I love that wherry.  It looks like it means business, long and sleek.  I also have oars to make, but that's in the future.

Progress has slowed a bit as I have been applying seemingly endless coats of gloss wipe-on varnish to the thwarts and other bare wood surfaces.  It's my first time working with this stuff and it seems very difficult to get a high-gloss finish, but it's getting better.

I purchased the balanced-lug sail option, which consists of a sail plan and a small sheet of parts to make up the mast partner.  This is a removable piece that supports the mast above its step.  (The standard sloop rig uses shrouds and a forestay, but there are none for the lug rig.)  Here is how it looks trial-fitted to the hull:

I had to deviate a bit from the instructions for tapering the mast, because the opening in the partner is larger than shown on the plan - the same size as the square-section mast.  I cut a tenon in the base of the mast to fit the step -

and will modify the tapering accordingly.

In the full-size boat, the partner is screwed down to the cleats on the hull with hand fasteners having X-shaped handles.  I will make these up from scrapwood and #4 screws but for now I am just using the screws.  I recessed nuts into the bottom side of each cleat -

and screwed the partner to the cleats for another trial fitting, along with the thwarts and other varnished pieces.

Soon I will be able to glue all this in for real.  I plan to add narrow inwales (from leftover strip mahogany) and finally the supplied mahogany rub rails.

The kit includes a nice display stand, which I sanded, assembled and spray-varnished while waiting for the other varnish to dry.

Jim, there will be more pitfalls to come, I'm sure - there always are.  But so far things have gone pretty well.

I applied the exterior color over the last couple of days.  First the accent color, which goes on the top plank.  In this photo, the color has been sprayed and the top plank masked in preparation for the rest of the paint.

The paint is "Nissan Orange Mist," more of a copper color actually.  (I originally got it to simulate copper plating on the hull of my "Joe Lane").  Next the main hull color:

This is also engine paint, "Chrysler Blue."  I never used it on an engine, but did paint my granddaughter's skate board with it.  Here's the unmasked result:

I

Maybe I'll call her the "Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby" (with apologies to Tom Wolfe).  I left a strip bare at the top edge to glue on the rail.

I have also been working on the various parts that will be varnished.  Most I have stained using a natural stain, but a few have a red oak stain.

Moving along - I ran a bead of glue along the plank overlaps, working from the outside and trying hard not to let glue run over the plank surfaces. I may have been too careful; some of the overlaps opened up later and had to be re-glued. Next I removed the wire stitches - easier to do than I expected - and filled the holes with MH ReadyPatch. Then I sanded - and filled - and sanded - and filled, ad nauseum. 

Finally got to the point where I needed to get a coat of primer on.  Since I want to varnish the transom, I masked it off inside and out.

A light coat of primer made it clear that I needed to do something about the puzzle joints, especially in the interior.  Fill and sand some more!

With some trepidation, I sprayed the interior color.

For this project, in the spirit of not going out for nonessential items, I am trying to use supplies on hand to the extent possible.  The paint is engine paint - New Ford Gray - left over from an automotive project.  It is good to 500 degrees F in case the dory is caught in a volcanic eruption.

I held off on installing the mast step and daggerboard trunk until after the interior had been sprayed.  Here I have glued them in.

A quick shot of paint will take care of the slivers of bare wood showing.

At this point, I am about 23 hours into my 10-hour project, with a long ways to go.  Exterior paint is next.  Since this is a fun project, I have selected some fun colors from my on-hand collection of spray paint. - we'll see how that works.

Kurt, that is good to know.  Thanks!

All the planks are now installed.

I did run into a few glitches.  The aft ends of the three upper planks are drilled to be stitched to the transom.

However, since the wire has to be passed around the end of the plank, there is too much wood between the hole and end to allow a tight stitch.  This is not the case with the planks in the instructions and video; at some point, the plank was lengthened beyond the hole, perhaps to be sure the plank extended beyond the transom.  (The first plank does not have this issue and barely reaches the transom.)  I was reluctant to cut back the plank, so I drilled a second hole between the original hole and the end of the plank.  This worked well.

Another problem was at the bow, where a cutout in each plank is supposed to allow the bow ends of the planks to align with each other rather than overlapping.  For reasons unknown, they didn't quite meet, leaving a gap that would be difficult to fill.

I could have glued backing pieces inside the bow, but instead I decided to remove the stitches closest to the bow and glue the overlapping portion of the planks while applying pressure to close the gaps.  This worked - a testament to the strength of the CA glue.

Finally, as I installed the planks, I discovered the second and third frames were not quite aligned with their guide lines.

I must have introduced an almost imperceptible error when I initially glued the frames, which magnified as planks were added.  Nothing to be done about it now, and hopefully no harm done.  If I were to build this kit again, I would experiment with delaying installation of the frames until the second planks had been added.

At this point I have to make some decisions about finish and trim before I move on.  I have pretty much decided to paint, rather than varnish, the interior planks and frames, leaving the thwarts (seats) natural and varnishing them.  I have some mahogany strips left over from Bowdoin that might work well in this model.

This boat is built using CLC's "LapStitch" method, which you can read about here.  The planks are held in their relative positions by loops of copper wire until they can be epoxied together and to the frames, at which point the loops are cut and removed.  The first step in this stage of model construction is to cut a bunch of 1" pieces of wire, which will be bent into U shapes and used to connect adjoining edges - initially, of the garboard plank and the bottom.

Tightening the loops brings the planks up into their intended shape.

The square-ended pliers (red grips) that I ordered from CLC are perfect for final tightening of the loops.  Then the frames are glued into place, making sure to align each frame with the guidelines etched on the plank.

I placed the wood strips lengthwise to support the bottom while I glued each frame.  Then the bow is stitched together...

...and the transom is stitched to the bottom and the planks.

Gluing the planks to the frames completes installation of these planks.  This is were I encountered my only real problem: the disposable tip came loose a couple of times, spilling CA where I least wanted it.  However, these tips are indispensable for getting a very thin bead of glue into a tight place without slopping it around.  I have learned to be very firm when pressing the tip onto the glue bottle.

From here, installation of the remaining three planks on each side should be relatively straightforward.

Gluing the puzzle joints is a two-handed operation, leaving no hand for the camera.  There is a small amount of slop in the joint so the pieces need to be held in alignment and flat to the working surface (protected by wax paper).

I bought the CA and accelerator from CLC, along with disposable tips for the glue.  The tips taper down to almost capillary size, allowing the glue to be run into the joint with little or no mess - once you get the hang of it.  A spritz of accelerator and the plank can be set aside.  I did all eight in reasonably quick succession.

These are the first four - I was still figuring it out at this stage. I'll sand the planks thoroughly, then it's time to start assembly.  The puzzle joints will be visible in areas of the boat that aren't painted - this is also true for the full size boats, although they are much less obvious.

Thanks for the likes and interest!  Bob, I think that the stitching method may make more sense as the build progresses.

But before that happens, there is some preparation work to be done.  I broke out the four frames and transom, sanded off the laser char, and glued on doublers.

The laser cutting is excellent, very precise, and guide lines for the build are lightly burned on some pieces.  The manual and video say nothing about sanding off the char; however, since many builders varnish the interior rather than painting, charred edges would show up, and I want to leave my options open.  I used PVA glue to attach the doublers. The manual and video use CA exclusively, but I plan to use PVA wherever possible for more adjustment time and easier clean-up.

The transom also has a doubler, with a cutout:

Next, I removed the planking pieces from their sheets and arranged them.

This is a big model of a small boat!  Each plank is in two pieces, connected with a "puzzle joint."  The same is true of the full-size boat kit: the planks wouldn't fit in the shipping crate otherwise.  I'll join the planks with CA glue, but first I need to sand 11 yards of char off the edges, so if you'll excuse me...

So, what's in the box?

Everything is neatly bagged and well protected by a stout cardboard insert.  (The plans and small laser-cut sheet outside the bag are for the optional balanced-lug sail rig I ordered.)

The kit contains four laser-cut sheets, made up of plywood in three thicknesses.  Two spars, two stout mahogany rails (and a spare), some Dacron sailcloth, and, critically, a length of copper wire.  The wire will be used to stitch the strakes together.

The manual is extensive and closely follows the construction video - they are meant to be used together.  The photos are nice and clear.

The dories I built for Bowdoin piqued my interest in small open boats.  Coincidentally, I happened upon the link for Chesapeake Light Craft (CLC) in the MSW sponsor list last year.  (They were on the list as recently as December but are not there now.)  CLC's primary business is designing and selling kits for, you guessed it, light craft consisting of pre-cut plywood, many of which are built using a stitch-and glue process.  A few years ago, they started making 1:8 scale kits of a few of their popular boats, starting with this dory.  The kits contain the same components and are built using the same process as their full-scale equivalents.  The process differs from traditional practice in that it does not require a strongback and mold frames; instead, the strakes are stitched together at their edges using thin copper wire, then glued (or epoxied, for the full-scale boats).  It looked interesting so I decided to give it a try.

The CLC site links to construction videos for each of the models they sell.  The Northeaster video is 90 (!) minutes long, with a lot of unnecessary repetition; the others are only 30 minutes and provide the same amount of information.  The hull construction is similar for each of the three kits currently available.

There isn't a lot of emphasis on rigging or fittings in this kit; this leaves a lot of room for additional detailing.  The CLC site has many photos of completed dories (model and full-size) built in-house and by customers to provide inspiration for these details and for paint and woodwork embellishment schemes.  CLC states that the kit can be built in about 10 hours, but that is for a pretty bare-bones effort - I'm sure I'll spend more time than that, possibly just on sanding.

My Bowdoin is marked "finished" on the 99th anniversary of her launch at East Boothbay, Maine.  I took her out to the deck to get some natural light and took these photos.

I will probably mount the model on a baseboard (the keel is already drilled for pedestals) and will think about a case.

This has been quite an adventure.  I have about 320 hours of work time (and uncounted think time) invested, over 1-1/2 years of calendar time.  There has been a lot of frustration, learning, skill acquisition, and satisfaction along the way.  I know the result is imperfect but I'm still very pleased with it - she puts a smile on my face whenever I look.

Historically, this Bowdoin is a bit of a mish-mash.  Some features, such as the ice sheathing, haven't been on the schooner for many years, but a lot of the little details, taken from contemporary photos, are probably more recent.  I certainly could have added more details, but I'm happy with the level of detail as it stands.

I'm very appreciative of the encouragement and support I've received from this community and from Nic at BlueJacket.  MSW is a bit of a two-edged sword for someone like myself - I despair of ever reaching the level of expertise I see in so many logs, but at the same time, what I see on MSW enables me to do work I couldn't possibly do on my own.  Thank you.

6 hours ago, NovaStorm said:

... I wish this kit didn't come with sheet decking. I would much rather be able to plank the deck with nibbing like the real ship has. ...

I see no reason you couldn't make that modification - just make the "waterways" a little wider and substitute planks for the sheet decking.  The deck restoration archive at the Maine Maritime Academy site has excellent photos of the decking installation.  I agree that would look stunning.

Final bits and pieces.  I installed the propeller and rudder that I built up more than a year ago...

The kit comes with BOWDOIN decals for the bow, but not for the stern.  Maybe someday I will make up something for the transom, but for now I just put on the bow decals. 

The proper placement of the name is above the scuppers - in the real schooner, there is more room there.  As I noted in post #48, I believe the bulwarks should be higher, with the break between the planking and the bulwarks level with the foredeck, not the main deck.

Finally, I installed jib sheets (even though I am not adding a jib) and the anchors.

The jib sheets simply hook on to the forestay at the point they would normally attach to the sail.  As anticipated, the anchors were fiddly and the limited space under the cap rail didn't help.  In the end, I used CA to glue the anchor fluke into its deck cleat to keep everything secure.

I will do a round of tidying and touching up, take some final pictures, and declare this one done!