BANYAN

A small update. I have rigged the fore mast lower yard and the method seems to work. Photos of fitting the main mast lower yard will follow in my log. I assemble the parrels on the bench top using two lanyards/ropes with a very small eye on one end of each. I seize the eyes together and this forms one end of the parrel rope with each tail end reeved through the ribs (6) and trucks (2 rows of 5). I use electronics micro-hook clamps (don't know the name) to pinch the rope at each end of the outer ribs to keep the assembly in place temporarily, leaving sufficient length of the seized ends of the ropes to form a loop that will easily slide over the pre-rigged yard. I then offer the yard to the mast about 3 inches (75mm) below the tops, pass the tail end of the ropes around the mast and then counter-wrap these around the yard, pulling through the excess of the loop on the other end and cinch them loosely. I then remove the clamps and tighten the ropes a little more, but being careful not to prevent the whole assembly being able to move up and down the mast. I then wrap the tail end of the parrel rope back around the mast within the hollow of the ribs, pass around the yards on the other side and return the tails back to the other side where I tie them off (around the yard). I then attach the tye sling strops (seize the two loops of each together) around the yard and hoist the yard back up to its required position carefully adjusting the parrel as it goes up. Net result looks OK. However, I think the beads I am using for the trucks are a little small as the parrel assembly does not wrap around the mast as much as I think it should. I hope this is of some use to others. cheers Pat p.s. Can anyone tell me what size the cat-hook (triple block) should be for Endeavour? For other dimensions (spars etc), I have used a 6th rate as the equivalent, so that should suffice - I can't find anything except for a 1st rate.

Great recovery to separate those parts Alan, i am sure you had made sure there was 'adequate' glue on all parts which must have frustrated the heck out of you when doing this cheers Pat

Nice find with that watercolour Dashi; wish I was aware of this when constructing my stern works. cheers Pat

Chuck, I really like the look of your latest offering. this will be a very nice addition to the 19th century longboat. Add mee to your furture sales list please. cheers Pat

Thanks Nick, an interesting concept which I may employ. cheers Pat

I am pretty sure there are small programmable device the RC people use on which you can record the music/sound, and the triggers, length to play etc. Some kind hearted soul whom has the ability may be able to dub the selected music with creaks, graons and oar splash even Too ambitious? cheers Pat

Wow, that is looking good mate; love the evil eye stare Have you though of adding a small sound device to play "funeral/eerie" music as he rows to mask the servo noise (no sneaking up otherwise ) cheers Pat

Frustrations aside Greg, she is a little beauty and well worth you efforts. Quite the miniature fleet you have started there cheers Pat

Terry, taking a closer look at your initial photo, I note that the gap at the top of the door is smaller to the rear (left of photo), and that the door appears to be angled slightly inwards towards the rear (more of the after jamb is visible). This gives the impression it is slightly ajar which is consistent with a hinged door. Would not a sliding door have a consistent gap right across the top? That said, earlier photographs (due to the camera focal length) can give a false impression and this could simply be a trick of the light. This also does not explain the hardware, or lack of visible doorknob/handle. Could it simply be masked/shadowed, or removed for maintenance (hence door ajar)? I have also attempted to clean-up the shot just a bit and can make out what could be the hint a handle (circled); what do you think - I could be just jumping at shadows here? Click on the image for larger view. cheers Pat

Very neat work Dave; looks spot-on! How did you cut the square hole for the boom through the cap? it is an excellent fit, I had a lot of difficulty with that. cheers Pat

Nice work Greg, that would have been very tricky to hollow out those gun shields in soft plastic- kudos! cheers Pat

Your build is looking great Dashi, very clean work. cheers Pat

I have not seen such (exterior) doors during my service; however, as JUD points out, the high coamings may have been deemed sufficient if the ship was a relatively dry one? I am researching an 1855 built steam screw/sail sloop which had open gratings set into a raised box type coaming around the funnel. This elicited similar questions from me as I thought the boiler room may have been prone to flooding with such an arrangement. Hence my earlier response re location etc. The consensus of reply WRT to my query was that high coamings (which it had) and being a relatively dry ship in most weather may have influenced this design. cheers Pat

Hi Terry, cannot answer your question directly but it would help us to have a little extra info (especially WRT the watertight aspects of the door). For example, the location of the deck house it services, direction it was facing (into the elements or aft where a little more sheltered). This may allow some of our better informed members to establish the likelihood of of water ingress? cheers Pat

Welcome back to the fray mate! Look forward to your updates.

What you point out makes a lot of practical sense Jerzy, but I cannot avoid the advice from several eminent authors that state that the lower yard parrels, where still used, had been rigged as static (no fall with purchase or tye with tackle) by mid 18th century. Hopefully I will get to find out what the replica is doing but failing that I think I need to stay with the consensus of the various authorities even though the practical element is difficult to follow. Thanks for the input; appreciate your time to read and comment. Pat

Thanks Dashi; that is what I was hoping to do, great to have it confirmed as the better option. TFFM also states this so I will do away with the tye/tackle option at this stage. cheers Pat

Hi again folks, I am getting myself further confused (not hard to do) According to the AOTS - Capt. Cookes Endeavour, the Fore and Main lower yards were fitted with 2 row parrels (6 ribs with 5 trucks per row). Ray Parkins does not discuss/show them at all in his H.M. Bark Endeavour. According to Marquardt (18th century rigs and rigging), the version of parrels used on English ships changed during the 18th Century and were not in common use after mid-century. Early in the 18th century, the version that could be adjusted with a truss fall and purchase were phased out in favour of the standing parrel (which is the version described by David Antscherl in TFFM vol 4 - I think). James Lees and Mondfeldboth provide similar info/advice and the Truss, with fall ending in a tackle secured to an eyebolt adjacent to the mast at the deck, was in common use on English Ships from the mid-18th century onward. Noting Endeavouur is mid-century (ish), it is possible that Endeavour still had Parrels in lieu of Trusses but I would like to be sure if possible. If parrels were in use, they would have been the standing version which I assume, based on the above info, did not have a tye tackle or purchase? So if standing, does this mean they were seized at the yards, with the seizings cut each time the masts had to be lowered, or swayed/braced at the more extreme angles? John, if you revisit this thread, can you recall if the replica uses trusses or parrels please? Can anyone enlighten me please?

Many thanks Pat

Thanks for the feedback guys. John and Mark, that appears to be a solution (faking it ) but, if possible I wish to do them properly and may have conceived a method which I describe below. i will certainly revert to this if i cannot get the real deal to work. Allan, many thanks. I read that info after posting and it gave me a couple of ideas. My rigging actually works, so I intend to lower the temporary 'stub' yard and fit the actual yard to the lifts/slings while in a lowered position to gain more manoeuvre room. I will make up the parrels as described by David in the TFFM and temporarily hold the parrel assembly together with some sacrificial light cotton thread wrapped around the hollow in the ribs. I will then tie/size one end of the parrel ropes (with the eyes) around the yard on one side of the mast, wrap the rope and parrel around the mast then loosely tie the other end of the ropes around the yard on the other side of the mast and haul these as taut as i can allowing some room for the parrel to slide up the mast. I will then raise the yard into position, tighten the parrel and then wrap the ropes as described by David. One further point raised by a member off-line is the handling of the tail ends. Do the tail ends of these parrel ropes tie off on the parrel, or are they led via block to the deck to allow them to be re-tensioned or loosened as required to work the yard? I'll see if this method work for me and advise. Thanks again all for the very helpful info. cheers Pat

Very nice Ulises; that paint effect on the decorations looks very effective. cheers Pat

Great progress Mark; wonderful what a little confidence allows you to do cheers Pat

Thanks Mark and S - I did that with the jib etc and intended to do so for the lower yards at least, but my real issue is fitting the parrels. To fit these correctly they need to be threaded on the bottom row first, then a loop taken around the yard and the top row threaded (or vice versa) then around the other side of the yard; then the whole assembly must be pulled taut and several passes of the line made around the parrels and the yard. That is my issue - how to achieve this without damaging anything, as some force is necessary to pull the parrels taut around the mast after threading. Even the threading will be very difficult in such a tight space. i would be very interested in any techniques people have used for this? Sorry guys, my initial question was not specific enough and you have answered my initial question. cheers Pat

Very effective solution to the fuse removal issue Glenn, a tricky job made easier and safer. Your skills are superb mate; the engines and boilers are miniature works of engineering art! Always a pleasure to visit your log (and drool ) cheers Pat

How come I find your logs well after you have started Rusty (my fault for not being diligent enough) - great looking build (again). the deck looks spotless; really nice! cheers Pat