el cid

Dropping an anchor from a ships boat is one thing, but there is no way the crew of a boat is going to be able to weigh or raise an anchor.  After all, the job did require a windlass or capstan on the main vessel to accomplish.
 
As far as dropping one anchor and then maneuvering to drop another goes, the ship, at the end of her anchor rode was certainly less mobile but not immobile.  There was considerable ability to warp the ship to any location within its anchor circle.  The more anchors you put out, however the less maneuverable the ship becomes.
 
The submarine rescue ship that I served in did exactly this when we set out a "4-point moor" (four anchors, one from each bow and one from each quarter in an X pattern).  By hauling on one or more of the anchor cables we could position the ship over the downed sub in order to lower a diving bell.  Granted a ship under sail is not as maneuverable as one under power, but it can still be done.
 
Regards,

Dusk at Aultbea Pier Loch Ewe with Convoy assembling in the background. 
W/C 15” X 9”
jim

2. At dusk on 16 March an attack was made on Scapa by 15 enemy bombers operating in small groups, and continued from 7:45pm until 9pm
3. It is reported that only the first wave of five aircraft attacked ships in the harbour, dropping about 20 bombs. This attack came in low and climbed on reaching Scapa Flow to make dive bombing attacks on the fleet. H.M.S. Norfolk was hit in the quarter deck and holed by a near miss aft, 4 officers being killed, and 4 officers and 3 ratings wounded. The damage to the ship necessitates docking, but she was capable of steaming at 10 knots, and has since arrived at the Clyde. H.M.S. Iron Duke (depot ship) was also damaged by two near misses, and one other capital ship was attacked but not hit.
4. The remaining aircraft dropped a large number of high explosive and incendiary bombs near Hatston Aerodrome and Bridge of Wraith on the road between Kirkwall and Stromness. About 120 high explosives and over 500 incendiary bombs were dropped in all. Eight craters were made in the airfield at Hatston, some 800 yards from the hangers, and one bomb fell near a bomb store. No other damage was done to air force objectives, but two cottages were damaged at Bridge of Wraith, one civilian being killed and seven injured.

HMS Kingston Olivine MS/AS Trawler with some of her 'flock'.
11.5” X 9.5”

Based on a true incident, just north west of Rothes. 21/6/1944, Ju188 crashed onto Moorland during a reconnaissance flight. RAF begins salvage operations
W/C 15.5” X 11.5”
 

I liked the Moorland setting. So I did this one .
'Cutting the Peats

Mekong Delta 
Stop and search PBR investigates a Sampan covered by a Huey.
W/C 15” X 11”

YouTube video review - MK0303 PXSN exclusive kit of pears, with sails and imitations of nails  

comparison with the schooner Polotsk and brigantine Phoenix

Thanks for the likes again everyone, I do appreciate them.
I have added the remaining blocks and the brace pendants to the yards and fixed the lower and top sail yards to the masts permanently this time.
I pinned the topgallant yards to the masts as well, although it was advised in the manual not to do that as it may weaken the mast too must. So don't copy that. I got a bit over confident...lol
I probably said it before but I am glad I picked the Syren to challenge my skills. She is a truly beautiful ship and a joy to build.
Hats off to Chuck again for putting it together.
A few photo's to show my progress (in random order).

Avengers of 849 Squadron from HMS Victorious taking part in Operation Meridian, part of a series of British air attacks directed at Japanese-held oil refineries on Sumatra. Meridian had two phases: Meridian One on 24 January 1945 and Meridian Two on 29 January. As a result, the critical aviation fuel output of the plants at Palembang was reduced by seventy-five percent.
Jim
WC 13” x 9”

Hi all,
 
I've been spending a little more time transcribing the master's logs for Ethalion. It's a fascinating process... Lots of it is repetitive but then you find passages where the entire rig of the ship is taken down and set up again... As others have speculated in the past, it is clear that lots of knowledge was simply assumed - the passage below logged when Ethalion was moored in Hamoaze demonstrating that nicely...
 
 
Tuesday
18th December 1798
Varble

NNW
Light Winds & Cloudy, fitted the Bobstays and set them up. Riggd the foretopmast and Mizen Mast, Sway’d up the fore & main top Masts and set up the fore and Main stays &c. &c. AM Modt and Cloudy, Got the top sail Yards across & Rattled Down the Fore & Main Rigging, Recd 354 Pounds of Fresh Beef Recd also Boatswains stores.
 
It's nice to see the humanity of the Master (James Duckworth) creeping in too... (Not quite a month of Sundays, but seemingly a week with two Thursdays!) . The error continues to the end of the page (with Saturday rather than Sunday) and then suddenly skips back to the correct day... but perhaps the error was never spotted? There have been a few places where that happened. A sign of the similarity of days aboard a ship of war?
 

I found myself writing about putting on the dead eyes on the same day I've been starting to set these up on my build. A pleasing coincidence!
 
For those who would like to read more about the order in which the ship was re-rigged (having had considerable amounts of the rigging condemned), you can find it in the December 1798 entries in the following PDF (a work in progress).
 
LogTranscription.James_Ducker_Masters_ Log17980701-17990630.ADM-52-2983.20190325.pdf
 
More on the build soon.
 
Rob
     

The paper needed is the annoying advertisement paper that comes with the newspaper. The flyers inside. Magazine paper also works. Wefalck these are reversed from where I was using another method.  He is correct you need to have them like this.
 
As for the size of parts I have been able to do 1/700 scale railing for the EDMUND FITZGERALD, Flood grates on My Submodels in various scales and Awards for my German tank crews in 35 scale. 

There is a way anyone can make photo-etched parts. You will need cheap newspaper advertisements the kind with the plastic coating, Ferrick Chloride, thin sheet brass, enamel paint, access to a laser printer, printing paper, clothing iron, 2 Plastic tubs, gloves, eye protection, plastic apron, and a well-ventilated area.
 
1. Design what you need using any program you want.
2. Using the laser printer, print the design on the cheap ad paper. The toner will melt onto the plastic which is what we want.
3. Clean the brass with wet 1500 grit sandpaper. Rinse with plenty of water and let dry.
4. When the brass is dry place the printed design face down so the black toner is in contact with the brass.
5. Place copy paper on top of the design.
6. Use a clothing iron on its high setting  (NO STEAM) and go over the design. This is a slow steady process. Check the transfer of the toner to the brass by carefully lifting a corner.
7. Let the brass cool.
 
8. Soak the brass with the paper still attached in room temp tap water. The water will weaken the paper part and cause it to fall off. A gently rub with the fingertips helps some. This is another time-consuming process. 
8. When the paper is totally gone you can see your design now on the brass. The toner acts as a resist to the Ferric Chloride.
9. Dry the brass and turn it over. Now use enamel paint orf Plasti-Dip to coat the back of the brass. This will stop the Ferric Chloride from eating everything.
10. When the enamel is fully dried you are ready to etch your parts.
11. Heat a pan of water. When just below boiling remove the pan from the heat.
12. Place the bottle of Ferric Chloride into the water and allow it to heat the chemical.
13. Fill one of your 2 plastic tubs with clean cool water.
14. Set both tubs next to each other.
15. When warm, and you have on your gloves, eye protection,  plastic apron, and in a very ventilated area Pour the Ferric Chloride into the empty plastic tub just enough that it will cover your brass.
16. Place the brass into the chemical facing up.
17. Start rocking the tub back and forth. You will notice the brass dissolving from around your soon to be made parts.
18. When the waste brass is dissolved place the parts in the fresh water tub. Swirl them around to stop the chemical reaction. Change water and continue to swirl the parts.
19. If you used enamel paint, the parts are all loose unless you included a fret in your design. If you used Plasti-Dip they are embedded in the plastic.
20. Remove the parts and let them dry.
Have a ball, my friends!!
 
Here is a block and some lances and Harpoons I use
   
     

Hi everyone,
 
I have been working my way through a number of issues fixing the cannon moulds. Following druxey's and Michael's good advice, I have cast plaster sleeves for three of the four masters. I used Hydrostone dental plaster, which worked very differently from plaster of paris. It is a much smoother finish, but it was exceptionally liquid following the recommended mix on the package, of 2:1 plaster to water. I found a manufacturer sheet online which suggested 3:1 plaster to water. I tried this for the second pours and it was better, but still very liquid. The watery mix began to attack the foamcore mould boxes. They are still moist and cold after sitting a day. I will wait until they are bone dry before trying. If I did this again, which I hope I will not have to do, I might try as much as 4:1.
 


But for the 9" long gun, which was not having registration issues as much as the others, I tried drilling for registration pins through the plywood and rubber sandwich on a drill press in two corners. This seemed to work quite well. 
 

And just for fun, I tried pouring with and without first dusting talcum powder into the mould. You can see the fundamental value of the powder (talcum pour on the left, no talcum on the right.) The one on the right goes back into the melting pot.
 

 
Mark
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

My first Civil War stuff.
USS St Clair and. 'City' Class Gunboat on the Mississippi 
13” X 9”
jim

This afternoon's 'Maritime adventure' a 'U' Class submarine during WW2 sunset or sunrise? Either way he'll be diving soon.
13” X 9”

I added the stuns'l booms to the yards and pinned the Topsail and Lower yards onto the masts.
They are just dry fitted and the yards assemblies are not completed yet. I have decided to keep them natural and not paint them black.
Some photo's......

While I move ahead with my forward cant frames and the tree nailing of my aft cant frames to the deadwood, I want to complete my bowsprit.   As I had made a number of rookie errors I thought I'd best get both my sketching and math down clearly on paper.  I've made two bowsprits to date.  The first was a quickly turned cigar shape on the lathe at proper dimensions to simply see the fit in the bollard clearance hole and determine my satisfaction with the diameter (posted earlier).  The second was properly shaped on an Ed Tosti style board as he'd shown on his Young American build.  This last one is not quite right so I will do it again.  Practise makes perfect... or nearly so!
 
To start with I must say I snagged a copy of an excel document entitled Masts and Rigging from somewhere.  I believe it was this forum.  I checked the properties and the author was Danny Vadas.  I've found it to be a very helpful tool to cross check with.  As I cannot see the formulae controlling the results in the cells I need to verify the numbers as best I can.  The following explains the process.  I am new to this so it also serves as my reference for later on as I will do more of this.  I also snagged a copy of another excel document entitled Steels Dimensions by Y. Miroshnikov which is equally as useful.
 
I must say that I found The Fully Framed Model Vol. IV by David Antscherl to have been very helpful because of the photos, plans and descriptions.  The same can be said for Rigging Period Ship Models by Lennarth Petersson.  They helped me understand what I was looking at or searching for.
 
The following detailed explanation is quite long.  I hope you do not mind, but I find the process fascinating.
 
BOWSPRIT with CAPS, BEES and BEE BLOCKS
As mentioned earlier I used REES's  Naval Architecture (1819-1820), page 106, plate VIII for the dimensions, however he does not give much information regarding the Bee's and the Cap.  I had looked at The Anatomy of Nelson's Ships (figure 116, page 185) but something wasn't quite right between this and some Vanguard kit builds I've been following.  I needed to look deeper.
 
Key dates: HMS Bellerophon was ordered in 1782, launched in 1786 and completed in 1787.  This immediately suggests Rees might be a poor choice due to its date of 1819-20.
 
I went to The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War 1625-1860 by James Lee.
 
All the information required is in Section 1.  Mr. Lee agrees with Mr. Rees with regards to the ratio of the tapers of the bowsprit, but length and diameter differ in Appendix I ( Length = 0.6 x the length of the main mast = 104.25 x 0.6 = = 62.55 feet versus 64 feet;  diameter = 62.55/3 x 1.555 = 32.3 inches versus 36 inches).  Appendix II of Lee's reads HMS Valiant 74 gun 3rd rate Bowsprit was 36" diameter x 69'-5" long.
 
Due to the scale of my build (1:64) a difference of 3.7 inches (at scale = 0.06") diameter is not at all noticeable, and 1.45 feet (at scale = 0.27") difference in length is arguable.  As REES shows details I will follow his plate VIII as best I can.
 
Mr. Lee suggests that looking down at the Bees they were somewhat scalloped fore and aft for the time period of my build.
 
The Bees were 2-1/4 times the diameter of the bowsprit at this location (2.25 x 20 = 45 inches long); their breadth would be 2/3rds the diameter (2/3 x 20 = 13.3 inches wide); their thickness inside was 1/4 the diameter (1/4 x 20 = 5 inches thick at the bowsprit) and tapered to 4/5ths the thickness to the outside (4/5 x 5 = 4" thick outboard).  The outboard edge tilted upwards by the thickness of the inner edge plus 1 inch.  This would be 6 inches.  This is all different than what was shown in The Anatomy of Nelson's Ships.
 
I will be following Mr. Lee for the Bee's and Bee Blocks.
 
Below the Bees are the Bee Blocks.  They were 7/9 times the length of the Bees (45 x 7/9 = 35 inches long).  They were half the width (13.3 / 2 = 6.65" wide) and 2 inches per foot of length in depth ( [35 / 12] x 2 = 5.83 inches deep).
 
There were two holes in each Bee at one for each of the the foretop stay and the foretop preventer stay and one spare per side.  These holes were elongated slightly fore and aft to better receive the stays as they passed through the Bees and Blocks.  There were no sheaves at this time.
 
What size hole do I need in the Bee for the Stay to pass through?
If I know the size of the rope I can determine the hole size needed to clear.
 
I went back to The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War 1625-1860.
In Appendix I it explains that the sizes of  fore topmast stay and the fore topmast preventer stay are calculated to be a proportion of other considerations....
 
The topmast stay is 1/2 the size of the lower stay.
The lower stay is 1/2 the diameter of the lower mast.
The fore topmast preventer stay  was 3/4 the size of the topmast stay.
 
 
The foremast was the same proportions as the main mast.
The main mast diameter from 1773 to 1794 was 9/10 inch per 3 feet of length.
How long was it?
 
In my time period the main mast length was 2.23 times the ships beam.
The ships beam per the contract was to be 46 feet 9  inches (561 inches).
561 x 2.23 = 1251.03 inches (104.25 feet).
The main mast diameter would be 104.25/3 = 34.75 x 9/10 = 31.3 inches diameter.
The foremast would have been the same diameter.
 
Now things start to not make sense to this novice.
If the lower stay (rope) is half the diameter of the lower mast it would be 15.65 inches diameter!
I think he meant size of rope which was the circumference not the diameter!
 
The diameter is the circumference divided by Pi (3.1416).
15.65/3.1416 = 5.3" diameter rope.
 
The top mast stay is half this 5.3 x 1/2 = 2.65 inch diameter (or 8.33 inch rope by circumference = 2.65 inch diameter)
The topmast preventer stay is three quarters this or 2.65 x 3/4 = 1.98 or simply 2 inch diameter.
 
I will  make the holes 3" diameter (at 1:64 scale is 0.05" diameter = #55 drill bit).
 
Since I'm all warmed up I may as well carry on with the Jib Boom details and get it over with.
 
JIB BOOM
I took the dimensions for my Jib Boom directly from REES's Plate VIII.  The major diameter is 11" and the overall length is 51'-0".  Only the heel end is octagonal in shape for a distance of 4'-4".  The length differs from what is described in The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War 1625-1860.  Mr. Lee directs the length of the hex shape at the heel to be 3.5 times the diameter (3.5 x 11 = 38.5 inches).  Mr. Lee also directs the length of the Jib Boom to be 0.41 x the length of the main mast (0.41 x 104.25 = 42.7 feet).  This is a difference of 8.3 feet (1.5" at 1:64 scale).  The diameter is to be 7/8 inch per 3 feet of length or 12.5 inches.
 
Mr. Lee also gives some drawing details for the Heel Lashing Hole and Heel Rope Sheave.  The slot in the Jib Boom for the Heel Lashing Rope Sleeve (sheave) is horizontal and the length of the slot is 1-1/16 x the diameter of the Jib Boom (1.0625 x 11 = 11.7 inches).  The slot is located a distance of 1.5 times the diameter from the heel of the Jib Boom (1.5 x 11 = 16.5 inches whereas Mr. Rees locates this at 2 feet).  The Heel Lashing Hole runs horizontally and is halfway between the Jib Boom heel and the slot for the sheave  (8.25 inches).
 
There is another sheave located at the head of the Jib Boom for the Jib Outhauler.  This sheave runs up and down (vertically).  Mr. Lee directs it to be located "a few inches abaft the rigging stop".  For my time period the rigging stop was tapered back to a shoulder.
 
Mr. Rees shows the horizontal heel sheave slot to be 18" long x 4 or 5" wide.  The outhaul couldn't possibly be the same size as the head of the jib boom is so much smaller in diameter than the heel (7.3" versus 11").  In my novice opinion there seems not enough "meat" left either side in the boom to support it.  To double check this I need to know the size of the Heel Lashing and Jib Outhauler ropes which will determine the sheave sizes.
 
Mr. Lee directs that the Heel Lashing is the same size as the Bowsprit Shroud Lanyard which were the same size as the Gammoning which were 0.44 of the Forestay.  The Lower Stays are 1/2 the diameter of the lower mast.  The lower mast was the same proportions as the main mast... 9/10ths  inch per 3 feet of length of the fore mast, which was 0.93 x the length of the main mast which I'd already determined to be 104.25 feet.
 
104.25 x 0.93 / 3 x 9/10 x 0.5 x 0.44 = 6.4 inches circumference / 3.1416 = 2 inches diameter rope.
 
From Steels I find the sheave diameter is 5x the thickness of the sheave but in Lee's it is 4x; the sheave thickness is 1/10th more than the rope diameter; the breadth of the sheave hole is 1/16 inch greater than the sheave thickness; the length of the sheave hole is the sheave diameter plus one rope diameter in Steels whereas in Lee's it is 1-1/3 x the sheave diameter.
 
A sheave for a 2 inch diameter rope would be 2.1 inches thick x 10.5 (Steels) or 8.4" (Lee's) inches diameter.  The sheave slot would be 2.163 inches x 12.5 or 11 inches.
 
For the Jib Heel Lashing on my drawing I find a 10.5 inch diameter sheave does not suit my 9.5" across flats hex shaped heel of the jib boom.  I made my Heel Lashing Sheave 8.4" diameter and the hole 2.2" x 11".
 
Search as I might I cannot seem to identify the rope size ratio for the Jib Outhauler.  The Mast and Rigging spread sheet (which has proven to be reasonably accurate up to now) suggests the Spritsail Yard Halliard and Running Lifts and the Fore Trisail Outhauler are all 1" diameter.  As these are all in the same general area it seems reasonable for the Jib Sail to be similar.
 
The sheave for a 1" diameter rope would be 1.1 inches thick x 5.5 or 4.4 inches diameter.  The hole would be 1.163 inches wide  x 6.5 or 5.7 inches long.  Again the differences are those between Messrs. Lee and Rees.
 
I will use the 5.5 inch diameter sheave and the 1.1 inch wide x 6.5 inch long slot for the Jib Outhauler.
 
This fits nicely in my drawing.  PDF attached!
Also a couple pictures from my second Bowsprit.
 
****
This exercise took a number hours over just as many days.  I needed to walk away and shake my head clear a few times, review a number of books and re-read passages many times.  This is the kind of stuff that cranks me up and gets me jumping for more! 
Yes I really enjoyed it that much.
 




Bowsprit + Jib Boom.pdf

Thanks for commenting Chad. I’ve been looking a Civil War stuff, and it looks interesting, so a good chance I’ll get round to doing something. 
Latest one 
German Heavy Cruiser 'Prinz Eugen' escorting the Battleship 'Bismarck' (right) into Grimstadfjord Bergen May 1941.
13” X 9” Watercolour 
Jim
 

This afternoon's painting. Corvette HMCS Arvida and Sloop HMS Mermaid passing stores by Line 
Watercolour 13” X 10”

Inferno 
A torpedoed Tanker sinking by the bows with a corvette standing by to pickup survivors ………perhaps!
W/C 13” X 8”
 

Ok let me take a moment to tell you about the program that will be using this model in the classroom. The school is located in Astoria, Oregon. They have 120 students in the Maritime program. There are 18 instructors. The kids must be under the age of 26 and underprivileged. They have to meet an income requirement. That is family income below a certain level. They come from all over the US. They live on campus and the program consists of 18 months of classroom and 6 months of experience. At the end of the training. They must pass a few exams. If they complete the program and get a passing grade. They get certified by the US Coast Guard and Union membership. The Union takes on the responsibility of finding a job. Currently everyone who completes the program finds a job.
 
One of the critical tests is Rules of the Road. The student must be able to look at the model,read the lights, and tell you what they stand for. He/She must also know the dispersion angle of all the lights. So my challenge is to get it right when I build the model. I don't want a student to fail just because I screwed up.
 
Besides the learning that I am doing for this project. It is nice to know that all this work is going for a good cause.

Minesweeper HMS Halcyon and  Liberty Ship (take your pic for a name!) in ice off the Kola Inlet 
Watercolour 12” X 7”
Jim

Its a chucky "Syren Brand".  You cant buy it in any store.   I get it custom made and dyed in Europe.  Unfortunately I dont plan on selling the raw stuff retail.  That is a trade "secret" of sorts.   The only way to get it is to buy my finished rope.  Its too expensive for me to start supplying the raw stuff to folks and I wont make any $$$.  Sorry.   Unfortunately you are left with trying the usual suspects that have been talked about on this site.  I want my Syren Rope to be special and I only want it to be available in rope form from my store.  Too much competition out there and I need avery edge I can get.  I have been asked before but unfortunately that is the case.  Sorry.
 
Chuck