rwiederrich

Your stay sails are amazing. You used the same method I did on my Great Republic. But I used thread size stainless steel orthodontic wire. I did wonder how you were supporting the billowing stay sails. Super job Rob

Thanks for the fine compliment Peter. I'm glad I could inspire. She has been my passion for over 17 years, and the friends and corroborators I have made over the years have enriched me fully. Rob

Thanks Druxey.....I waited for you...but just couldn't hold back any longer. Thanks for the fine compliments...you've been with me the entire journey and even contributed...thank you for that. Rob

The Museum in Tacoma has kindly declined my offer, sighting a desire for more hands on displays and their model display area is under renovation. Rob

Thank you very much Scott....I appreciate that. I wish I had paid closer attention to some details....but all in all I am pleased with her. I am arranging an appointment for Michael Mjelde (The author of several books on the subject) to come and preview her. Rob

My journey evolved. I was like Vlad in the beginning....I wanted to model McKay's last clipper exactly as he built her. No after thought additions by other folks. But as I was building her and as my search and library increased.....I quickly determined that there was far more information on Glory after her initial construction, then of her original state. And finding myself having to remove deck furniture as it was determined to be an addition, meant, I was going to be left with a deck, that once devoid of *additions*, was probably close her *true self*.....but, not with any photographic evidence. Only drawings that our friend Mike Mjelde had devised. I gave and still do, him many Kudos for piecing together what he interpreted as Glory's original state.....without any photographic evidence to corroborate or validate them. I slowly, shifted my opinion, that any representation of Glory other then one of her *Original* designed configuration, was some how NOT a true representation...fell by the wayside. Because (I concluded), a vessels identity always develops...it is never stagnant. And since Glory had an extremely vibrant and diverse identity...one could be safe when modeling her during any of her periods of evolution. So, Unlike Vlad, I chose what I considered, the more extreme representation. And to do so I required as much information as could be attained. Fortunate for us, and particularly, myself, I met the man who had the power to grant that requirement. And an amazing God directed chain of events, lead, *The Authors Daughter* to me and subsequently, Michael himself . And the rest, as you know, is history. My original version was a far cry from being a scale model of Glory....it was more of an experiment...to see if I could modify an existing plastic hull into something usable. It was....but not for any serious modeler who was confined by the requirements of true representation. I used my *artistic license* carelessly, freely and I made many compromises. In essence, I was building just another poor example of a great and beautiful vessel. Oh........at the time, I possessed the skill to do better, but not the will...because of the lack of good imagery and standards. I'm looking forward to Vlad completing his Glory, as she was originally conceived my McKay..... His representation is worthy, as mine never was. Rob

The mental challenge I struggled with, this time around, was not to try to redo a McKay Original as I initially did,...because I realized there is far more *EVIDENCE* of her structures in her mid to seasoned years then there is of her beginnings. We do not possess any images of what her deck truly looked like at her fitting out....we simply eliminate structures and fittings that we know were added later...and hopefully, we end up somewhere close. Nearly all of the first hand accounts from crew members, are of those who served on her in her later years, up to her canary years. Nothing of her original condition. We can see external structures and those of her rigging. After encouraged realization and correction of certain features, Vlad has indeed set his representation apart as the most accurate model of Glory of the Seas during her launching and fitting out season. Great Job Vlad! Rob

Yeah Pat…… if you can come by some sculptamould material, I’d try that. My process used dental lab material….not available to the average modeler. Plus you need an expensive light curing unit. Apart from that……the fabrication method and contouring would be the same. Let me know how it works out, if you will. Rob

Like I said tricky stuff. I used lite cured acrylic. Wile pliable, I formed it around the mast and then removed it gently and then cured it. After it was hard, I ground it to the desired shape and form. Painted it and then the tricky part…….. I glued it in place and the mast at the same time in/to the hull/deck. The fife rail had to be installed by way of running it up the mast first, then glueing the mast and boot down. While the mast was setting, I brought down the fife rail and positioned it in place and glued it down All these pieces had to be fitted and glued down in sequence. All the internal sheet blocks and their eye bolts had to be installed first, before all this work could be done. Things are tight, much care had to be taken to keep everything balanced and not interfering with everything else. Your method looks good and advantageous. Good job. Rob

Look how open this deck is. The open hatch (Where the chicken coop would sit) is your only bit of furniture. And no *boys cabin* I wish a clearer version of this image could be found. Rob

The fife rail reduction looks super....surely closer to the prototype. Good work Vlad... Question: how are you building her mast boots and installing them? Tricky business. Rob

Good call Vlad. I was a bit confused....because you had added the chicken coop and that too was a later addition.....so I wasn't sure what time frame you were building her. Plus you said you were using the cabin boy picture as your example. Now I truly see you are traveling the way I went initially and building her like my original version...*Totally* original. You're going to have quite an open deck. There are little to no images of her original deck layout to model from. However, the image of her deck, looking forward with the second floor being added to her main house is probably the best *Open* deck image we are afforded. Forgive my overstep. Rob

No that image is not misleading, if you understand the intent and action of the doors. Other images show the doors slidden to the side and fully open. The doors are large enough to access and remove the 5hp steam engine that was housed within. 2 separate man doors would not accommodate these practices. the open door is partly open....giving the illusion it is a much narrower door....when in fact it is not. With all that said...feel no pressure to redo anything at my suggestion. You've been at that already, and very nicely to boot. Rob

Wonderful rework Vlad. I didn't realize truly how large the main cabin was on your model...but by seeing it in your hand....its quite larger then the one on my smaller version....almost 2.5 times larger. While I am on the subject and you are in the throws of remodel. I hate to bring this up now...but Glory's main cabin aft doors where large sliding and swinging doors. They opened up the aft cabin where the steam donkey engine was housed. The doors were more like large barn doors that rolled and then could swing open and out like normal doors. The image you posted of the boy on the boy cabin....shows the port door swung open. But those doors are larger then a normal door. there were probably more then just 2 doors...there might have been 4 and they rolled in and along the side of one another to open up the aft cabin wall. I will post this picture of those doors and if you study it long enough, you will see, they are not regular doors....but are possibly similar to pocket doors, with he ability to swing out independently like normal doors if you only needed to access the space. Like in the picture you posted of the boy. Lastly....not to cause trouble, but, there are only three boat skids and those skids do not rest entirely upon the house roof. They have spillways cut out on each end to permit water to easily flow and this also allows for the offset of the edge molding. You'll see clearly in the image. Rob

And I thought I was being detailed in my research. You’re dedication to even chain/sheave mating is epic. I simply used the smallest LPI I could find and used it for the tye, then made the gin Bloch to match. You’re amazing. Rob

Your Victoria’s helm looks more like that on your drawing of figure #4. And Western Shore is more like figure #7. Thanks for the rendering. Rob

Glad……wonderful modifications. Every correction looks splendid. Great job. Rob

Steve has been working on his book for over a decade at least. He and his family's health, has taken turns over the years and he is currently off-line attending important family matters. Well over, 14 years ago, I became aware of Steves findings and about the history of Cooz Bay Oregon and the deep water ships that were built there. I have been coroborating with him for some time now and most of his information and data will not be released until his book is published. Steve has completed 4 models of the Western Shore himself...the one I posted was his largest scale to date and it now resides (I believe) at the North Bend visitors center. Steve is not unlike Michael Mjelde.....in that he has spent a great portion of his active modeling years researching the Cooz Bay phenomena and the activities at the Simpson Shipyard. He and I have been communicating since around 2008. Steve's been on TV ,featured in magazine articles, given interviews concerning his finds...I'm sure he would be thrilled to know we have shown such interest. Unfortunately...I don't know the time frame for his book publication. Rob

I talked to Arina and she’ll talk to Mike too. Funny ……we’re on the same page…..again. I’m setting up a date for Mike to come by and view the model. Rob

February………. That is still good news. It will then be published! Yeah……… Congrats. Rob

Steve.......have you made any progress on your build? Its been some time since we talked...and I assume you may have started before I. I was wondering what *connections* you may have and what if any information you may have on the Western Shore. Rob

Mike..wonderful work on the wheel and gear mechanism box. 1/64 is a very accomodating scale to fabricate the slightest detail in. I'm fully enjoying your build. Rob

Thanks Pat. I'm taking a great deal of my leanings from Mike Preske. He did the initial research on her and I want to glean heavely from his input. What I find most intrigueing about Western Shore, is that Mr Simpson NEVER insured his vessels. He owned them flat out and took full responsibility of them. His ships were built for his own particular use...so there was no *contractor* as was expected with most East coast clippers. Donald McKay acted in similar fasion on several occasions with several of his own clippers...where he flipped the construction bill...owned it flat out..with full intention of selling later...so insurance was a necessity for him. I'm, impresses with Mr Simpsons ability to reverse engineer his ships. A practice I tend to use myself. Going aboard vessels in port and adopting systems and structures he liked...taking measurments and then adopting them to his own vessels. That is a man who knows what he wants and skips the *middleman* to get the desired goal he seeks. The open helm design he selected is a very simple but efficient design. One thing I noticed about this design, is that the rudder post is much further forward then on the typical East coast clipper designs...suggesting that there was a greater fantail length to her stern then on those East Coast clippers...permitting her tiller or yoke to extend aft where the control lines can engage it via the control line drum. Your Victoria must have the hardware mounted under deck. The image of your helm is quite different. It looks more like the helm on the Charles W Morgan but without it being mounted on the tiller itself. Rob

My friend Steve Priske who first introduced me to the Western Shore built this model of her. Simpson built her not sparing any modern comfort……..and Steve represented her well in this model. Rob

Several pics show the opening for the fairlead. Look at this image up close the open fair lead on the splash rail is evident. Next to the curved board used for the starboard running light. It’s very noticeable on the second image too. If you also notice the spill gate in front of the channel…….. the splash rail terminates just in front of it. See the aft fairlead right in front of the starboard running light board? That added feature is mounted on the leading edge of the forecastle deck. compare images and you’ll see