ClipperFan
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George, thanks for correcting the record. It's been so many years ago, I've forgotten about the noble Spruance class. Thanks for sharing the under sea video. -
George K, thank you for your service too. The USS Peterson looks like it's an Arleigh-Burke class vessel. That Soviet era Mi-24 Hind helicopter always looks wicked. I have no idea how rugged or lethal it is in reality. What's going on in Ukraine is so upsetting. I miss the old Russia, right after the Berlin Wall came down. Now we seem to re-entering another Cold War.
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George K, I call the abilities you display to scratchbuild such beautifully balanced masts a unique form of artisan craftsmanship. The single image of the main mast stepped in your Flying Fish really drives home how incredibly lofty these McKay Clippers really were. I'm looking forward to your further progress.
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Rob, Priority no 1 is to take good care of the shipbuilding crew. After all, nobody else can fill in for you. Even Donald McKay knew that principal, as he treated his workers as extended family. Things have been so warm here in the Litchfield Hills of Western CT that the city has opened up emergency cooling centers. Take good care of yourself.
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Rob, I googled the distance from Würzburg to Wildflecken. 40 miles due north. From what could read your location was right on the East German border. I for one, am grateful the entire structure, all of it is consigned to the dust bowl of History. Thank you for your service, by the way.
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Rob, the magic of cameras is that we see images of your amazing progress instantly. That belies the amount to time and energy you put in, to make these pictures possible. As a teenager, I've done a small amount of plastic sailing ship model rigging (always scratch building, as their accompanying plans were unrealistically simplistic). I know to a degree, that to get the highly accurate results your model displays, involves hours of thoughtful fore planning and careful meticulous work. I just wanted to acknowledge that.
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Druxey, "Sleep-rigging" what a concept! Now, imagine if you could do that and get a good night's rest at the same time..... Actually I think Rob has just about perfected his masting and rigging technique to mastery level while still getting a decent night's sleep. Besides creating a museum masterpiece with an incredible level of detail, his assembly pace is nothing short of amazing.
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George, I Googled these dates, even though I lived them all. I was terrified by the first and elated to tears at the second. President Kenney's June 26th, 1963 "Nun, Ich bin ein Berliner!" speech electrified me and President Reagan's June 12th, 1987 challenge to Gorbachev to "Tear down this Wall!" signified thawing of the Cold War. To be honest, I never thought it would happen. Nov 9th, 2022 will mark the 33rd anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall which had been erected by East Germany Aug 13th, 1961. For damn near 28 years that thing stood, symbolically immobile. Hard to believe that was so long ago. It's literally a generation that hasn't lived with a divided Germany, the reality of the scary Cold War and seeing the brutal edifice that the Wall represented...... While the Wall put shivers down my spine, I was given an even greater shock a few years later when, for a few months our family lived in Würzburg, West Germany. The location was 3 miles from East Germany. Our dad wanted us to experience the reality of the East German frontier, so he took us to their border. I was shocked to discover an 18 foot stockade chain link fence, topped with nasty, viscious looking cantinas wire wrapped in intimidating spirals on top. Every few meters, there were posts with ominous blinking red lights. Dad told us that meant the entire wall was electrified ... We cautiously watched armed East German soldatan manning a tall guard tower. Apparently we got a little too close as they were staring at us through binoculars. I saw them through my own pair of binoculars. When they suddenly burst out of their enclosure and went to man a 50 cal machine gun mounted on a corner racing us, I told Dad. He said, "oops, we've worn out our welcome! Time to go boys!" We all piled into our little Opel wagon and Dad left a cloud of dust and gravel as he put the pedal to the metal!
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Rob, I originally thought when you said you were going to rig her with sails, that only the lower ones would be furled. Not until you referred to your intention to duplicate the appearance of the ship docked in S.F. 1877 that I took another look at that image and then voila! there they were all along.
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Rob, How it didn't register that those white objects on the yardarms were sails is beyond me. Not until you referred to them did it dawn on me that, it's precisely what you identified. Duh...
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Rob, Honestly, I don't recall seeing a model of a vessel with such consistently, tightly furled sails. Usually yardarms are either completely empty or feature loosely draped sails instead. Having actually had the distinct pleasure of rolling up genuine thick canvas duct tents with the Boy Scouts in the mid 60s, I can say with some authority that it's no easy task to accomplish. Those iron men on wooden ships knew their stuff.
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Rob, Either you have excellent eyes or a more refined printer to be able and pick out such specific details. I look forward to seeing what you discovered.
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Vladimir, Rob raising his fo'c'sle (forecastle as spelled by Mike) was not based on this latest scene of Glory at Fauntleroy. It was decided by the scene of her Cabin Boy facing forward. That's important due to the fact that the Cabin Boy pic was while Glory of the Seas was still a fully rigged sailing vessel. Later documentation from Mike shows her forward bulkhead height was precisely measured as being 5'9". I particularly appreciate how Rob also incorporated her interior forward bulkhead walls as well.
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Rob, This is perfect. While it's appreciated personally, should a second article continuing on the rigging of your glorious model, such complete images will be enjoyed by magazine readers as well.
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Rob, Honestly, I never tire of seeing your beautiful model, especially the overall shots. Your second attempt at capturing your model in a similar pose as Mike's latest image is quite close. Just take another from a slightly higher angle and you'll get it exactly. What's really thrilling though, is how closely your model consistently is to Glory of the Seas herself. One request I make. When you do these lovely overall shots, can you please include the entire vessel? Thanks!
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Pat, Looking at Glory's fo'c'sle in the latest image shared by Mike, it appears that the ladders were repositioned so that they now both face inward from the bulkheads.
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Rob, since you've decided to take a leap of faith on those annoying cavils, if you like I can share images from deck scenes of Benj. F. Packard, a Maine Downeaster built in the 1880s which still mounted them. You cite William Webb's Extreme Clipper Young America as an example of a vessel from a decade earlier that dispensed with them, as a reason to be concerned that it would be historically inaccurate to include such potentially anachronistic devices on a vessel launched years later. I have a theory about that... Webb was from New York city. Meanwhile, McKay who settled in Boston, originally emigrated from Nova Scotia, a locale famous for their seafaring fishing boats. McKay strikes me as a "traditionalist" who doggedly pursued purely sail powered vessels long after Webb had moved onto steam powered ships. Knowing that fact and the simple practicality of traditional cavils, I'm very confident they were installed on Glory of the Seas.
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Rob, I applaud your willingness to stretch your understanding of what items did and did not go on a sailing Ship built over 150 years ago. Your cavils look very nice. I hope you won't have much of a challenge installing the last 2 just in front of the rear coach house.
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Keith Black, Believe it or not, that inglorious monstrosity is the relocated helmsman's location. Apparently all the added structures for her factory work blocked the helmsman's view entirely. So the Wheelhouse was elevated to the mizzen top. The final insult to a once beautiful, lofty Clipper....
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Rob, In his latest message, copied to you, Mike included this impressive image as additional proof that the mooring bits on Glory's fo'c'sle were double wooden rectangular posts. Even though you had already replaced them, Mike wanted you to see indisputable evidence that you made the right decision. It's from 1922-23 and shows Glory of the Seas near the beach at Fauntelroy, Washington. According to Mike it's one of few scenes taken from above her. This confirms conclusively that you made the right choices, both by raising fo'c'sle height which this image proves and replacing iron mooring bits with double rectangular wooden ones, also clearly visible on her fo'c'sle deck. In addition, her cathead locations are much further back then previous images led us to believe. Your previous measurements showed her first fairlead chock in her splash rail was 9' the second being 6' further back. Visual evidence made it look like the catheads were 4' back from the second fairlead. However, from this beautiful image, the catheads are about 12' back from that second chock. One, I wish this image had been available before I sent my Glory of the Seas plan view to Nautical Research Journal for potential publication; two and three, my large sketch has to be revised yet again, along with the plan view. It just goes to show as more accurate pictures are unearthed, we continue to improve and refine our understanding of her overall appearance. For now, I'm going to send a note to the NRJ editor explaining about this latest discovery and offering to submit revised plans. Meanwhile, it's my considered opinion that, when it comes to specific deck fittings, Mike is the undisputed authority.
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Druxey, From Dictionary of Nautical Terms, cavil: a large cleat for belaying the fore and main tacks, sheets and braces to. (see KEVELS)
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Rob, your model, your choice. I will refer to the Crothers book for his position and will communicate back to Mike. Any further discussion, if something develops, will be in pm, as to not clutter up your board. Fair enough?
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Rob, Mike's latest email asked me why there are no cavils on Glory's main deck bulkheads? I had no decent answer, other than to say "oops!" Then I took a closer look at his main deck plans, which I shared on post #3001. Sure enough, he has depicted 4 cavils, port and starboard. There's a pair in the fore, opposite her fore companion and another pair opposite her stern quarter, just before the rear coach house, opposite her stern quarter hatchway. You can clearly see the stern quarter cavil, as there's nothing to obstruct the view. The fore cavil is almost impossible to make out. However, looking at the call-outs on the plan view, I can make out the 4 cavils. Refer to Clipper Ship Captain Appendix and it's much easier to see. I'm probably going to permanently seal my reputation as "the gadfly" of the Glory of the Seas but (you know there's always a "but") my actions are always done as an act of genuine affection for accomplishing the full authenticity of McKay's final magnificent clipper.
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Rob, I echo Pat's sentiment. It will require access to a Thesaurus in order to source new words to express our awe at your elegant craftsmanship. Just reviewing the meticulous accuracy of your highly detailed Royal yard is stunning. This is even before you add in your brilliantly customized furled and weathered sails. It is indeed a wonder to behold.
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George, Been to Reykjavik, even seen a volcanic isle erupt from the window of a DC-7 back in '65 on our memorable flight to West Germany.
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