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@Peanut6 Hey Kev-They are speckled trout, aka spotted seatrout. They are very tasty 😀. The cannons are going slowly, but they are going. They look pretty good from the side of the ship 😜. @AJohnsonThanks for the kind words and commiseration Andrew. You always provide much inspiration and encouragement, and I truly appreciate that my good man. @glbarlowHonestly Glen, I like the looks of the Flemish coils on the deck, even though mine aren’t much to look at. I’m not undoing what I’ve already done to start over, but in the future I might take a different approach just as you have 😬, or focus on ships without cannons… Cheers mates! Brian

I have learned the hard way that it pays to ask questions, or plead for help, earlier rather than later. Had I learned about Andrew's approach to making 6 coils at one time a little earlier, I'd be done with my cannon rigging by now. Instead, I have 3 cannons completed with Flemish coils in place, 7 left to go, and all 10 need serious touch-up/clean-up still. Nevertheless, progress is being made, and I have learned a lot along the way that I can apply in future builds. Woof. Here is a picture of the deck as it stands right now: I also happened to be cruising in Shallowbag Bay the other day and noticed that Elizabeth II now had her topmasts on and fully rigged, making her much more attractive in my opinion. And finally, I found some grass flats with some trout/dinner hiding in them. They were some nice fish so I thought I would share. I hope everyone is doing well and having fun, and thanks for looking in and offering advice, it sure does help a lot (even when it will have more impact in future builds). Tight lines! Brian

Greetings from the East Coast, and welcome to the forum. That is a super nice model you are working on Steve. Share more pictures as your time permits, as it is inspirational to see what 31 years of attention to detail can produce.

Welcome to MSW. Everyone loves to see new projects added to the forum, so if you can, start a build log to share your experience with others!

Ohhhhh, that looks efficient and effective!!! Thanks!!!!

@VTHokiEE your coils look so perfect! It seems your method is fast too!

Thanks @VTHokiEE! I tried some other approaches, but then saw one that uses two plates and a spring (I’ll post a picture asap). It works fairly well, and things are going a fair bit better today. I think I have made about 10 today that look good enough to use. I’ll also give your approach a try for comparison!

Have I mentioned recently how time consuming it is to rig and install a mere 12 cannons?!?!?! Holy Toledo, I have all 12 installed now, but there is plenty of touch up to do on the rigging. I've worked on spinning Flemish coils (to finish off the rigging with a flourish) for a few hours the last two days, and I have managed to get SIX (yes, SIX) that look good enough to use. I am using a rig to speed up the spinning, and a hair dryer to hasten the glue drying, and it still seems to be proceeding in uber slow motion. That makes 15 Flemish coils total so far, out of the 36 I need to complete the cannon installation. Someone send help, I need it!

Oh noooooooooo. I feel your pain. I learned the hard way one time, inadvertently cutting two lines instead of one. I'm extra careful now that I have seen how easy it can happen, and how sharp scissors can become all of a sudden. Hope you can recover the strength and willpower for another attempt today!

I wasn't going to say anything, even though that fancy rail mistake was sticking out like a sore thumb poking me right in the eye... 😉

Greetings Michele, I hope you enjoy the MSW forum. I agree with everyone else, all of your work is BEAUTIFUL!!!! Please share your process of building in build logs so others can learn from your incredibly talent. 😃 Best regards from the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Brian

@AJohnson - We got 2.5 inches of rain in 1 to 2 hours, then the clouds started to break right around sunset. Made for an interesting image. Luckily we are on higher ground so our cars didn't float away (this time).

Hah, you beat me to the punch Andrew! I will take some better photos with a real camera before the end of the week, and then you can have a better look at my trials and tribulations with the 10 cannons 😃

Back at the coast and the main shipyard here on Roanoke Sound of North Carolina. I have been able to make modest headway on cannon installation and gun tackle rigging, it still needs some editing and adjusting to make the lines lay down more realistically, and I still need to make a bunch of flemish coils, etc. However, progress is being made and I am going to celebrate it as it happens. 😃 I threw in a nice sunset picture after a heavy rain as eye candy for those stopping by and taking a look at the build! Brian

Hi J, and welcome aboard. As you can see, you get a lot of good advice on the forum, but it may differ such that you don't get always get a consistent answer to your question. Without a doubt, most if not all the experts think there needs to be considerable thought put into the ship selected for a first build, with respect to both complexity and subject matter interest. But from there it takes some time to understand how each model differs in complexity and what it has to offer with respect to your personal interests. For me ( a total newbie), I started with a relatively simple build (HMS Bounty's Jolly Boat by Artesania Latina), and it took me over a year to finish. I amassed a lot of tools and materials while doing it, and learned quite a bit a long the way. The subject matter was of interest, but it was the learning and application of new knowledge and skills that held my attention through to completion. My second build is much more complex and challenging, and what is holding my attention is still learning and the developing and application of skills, with a good dose of interest and admiration in this relatively unique bomb vessel. It's going on two years now....slow and steady....and I still have the hard stuff to do. The MSW community can and does offer a lot of assistance and encouragement to new builders to help them progress through to a finished model the builder can take pride in displaying in your build log and your home or office. Take your time, browse the forum a lot, ask questions, get several opinions, make a solid decision, start a build log, seek more encouragement and advice, and enjoy an awesome hobby! If I can help, I will =)

Greetings Jerry, welcome to MSW. Your question about what ship to build next is a good one. Having finished the relatively simple build of the HMS Bounty's Jolly Boat by Artesania Latina, I jumped overboard into deep water and am in the extended process of building the Bomb Vessel HMBV Granado by Caldercraft. I looked through the build logs before choosing this one, and one of the primary reasons I selected it was that there are numerous finished build logs for this kit on the forum, and every one of them is an extremely helpful resource. In addition, each one of the build logs produces a wonderful finished product, and sets the bar very high for those that follow. I second all of the advice offered by others: review the build logs and forum content thoroughly, think carefully, and consider available resources and time. Then make a wise decision so you can learn and enjoy and share your experience and knowledge with others as you go along! I'll be looking forward to following along on your next adventure if you share a build log. Cheers mate, Brian

Thanks @AJohnson, Words of wisdom that are most appreciated. I will do it! I've got a list of questions for Granado's master shipwrights. 😃

Hey Wayne, Hope all is well with you. While I am working on installing the cannons with all their gun tackle I thought I would take the opportunity to ask a quick question on the Granado that has been bugging me for about a year now: Where did you squirrel away the canopies to the mortars. Did you just suspend the one (which looks so nice!), and the other 3 went back into the box? It appears to me that there is little to no room for stowing them in any fashion that wouldn't look haphazard, and I don't think it would look much better having all 4 suspended. I will look at Joe's and some of the other build logs to see how they worked this out, but I thought I would see if I could get your line of thinking on this... Best regards, Brian

Hey Victor, Welcome to MSW from the East Coast of North Carolina. Looking forward to viewing your build log if you choose to create one!

Greetings Chestcutter! Welcome to the MSW forum and well wishes from the Outer Banks of North Carolina! Looking forward to seeing your build log and hearing more from the other side of the equator. Cheers, Brian

Welcome to the best model ship forum in the universe (I am just guessing here =).

Welcome to the forum Rich!

Hey Steve, Welcome to MSW! Looking forward to seeing your model ship builds as time permits. Start a log and start taking some pics! Best regards from the East Coast (Roanoke Island, NC), BT

Welcome to MSW Alexandre! Looking forward to seeing your ship models.

Hey Kev - I am hoping you can unlash the bow sprit gingerly, using a minimum of acetone, and not have much problem with messing up the staining you have done. Slow and steady mate! Speaking of slow and steady, I know what you mean about life not helping with ship building. However, having a job is likely going to be a good thing in the end, and while working on a tree that has fallen is not a good thing, at least it didn't do any damage to your house or car, etc. Finally, having fun with family is a great thing. Got to take things as they come at you some times. Here in NC, I have only managed to get one of the ten cannons installed in the gun ports so far....it's fiddly, and my hands are not so steady. Luckily my eyes aren't that good either, so I can't perceive the shaking so much. I'd have to say it looks pretty good all tied and glued in place, but we will have to wait and see if I can match its appearance with the other nine cannons before I get all proud of myself. At this pace, I should be done with the Granado in 2035 I believe, and I don't have a lot of reasons for being so slow other than fear of the unknown and lack of talent. Good luck and send pictures as your progress (on the build, not the tree =). Cheers! Brian