Snug Harbor Johnny

Before setting up shop, you can always consider replacing the carpet with a smooth work floor that will be easy to sweep or vacuum.

Another alternative for armament configuration is that shown in the depiction below (and a likely accurate one at that), with 6 guns on the lower deck (per side) and one on the deck above astern of the main shrouds - making for a broadside of 7. the higher gun would have extra range, and I've seen (but can't lay hold of right now) two French galleons having 5 guns on the gun deck (per side) and 2 on the deck above (a protected extension of the weather deck). So there are several plausible ways to go, at your discretion, any of which may be valid. An alternative to a pair of guns close to the bow (on the gun deck) would be two of lesser caliber (thus somewhat lighter) located on the forecastle deck (although the space is somewhat limited there), thus still 'at the bow' (bow chasers?). The lighter gun mounts could be angled at will to the side, at a more forward angle, or even ahead if the bowsprit sail was raised (or the yard for it positioned further down on the bowsprit. A lower position of that yard seems preferable anyway, so that the the helmsman manning the whip-staff in his shelter under the small poop deck would have a forward view that cleared the yard on the bowsprit. Once again, there are a number of permutations of options that can fit the period information know.

Just look look at 19th c. clipper photos showing furled sails, and its amazing how compact and 'un-bulky' they can be when sitting atop a yard - and there are a couple MSW builds that simulate this. Forget trying to take a cloth sail having the full area, then trying to bunch it. It will only take a narrow strip of thin cloth to look right. The top of the sail where it is bent to the yard or to jackstays is concealed by the folds of the sail plopped on top of the yard, secured by a few gammoning lines. Therefore there is no need to have jackstays at all, or to attach (bend) the bit of cloth to the yard ... no need to worry about reefing lines (and reef tackle can be omitted without much notice - even though it would still be there otherwise) ... and no need to fuss with cringles on a bolt rope or even to sew a bolt rope around the sail perimeter - only on the 'mouse ears' on the clews (bottom sail corners) sticking out, which will be the only sail edges that show. Gammon lines are fastened for quick release as shown below. Before jackstays, one end of the gammon could have an eye splice, and the quick release would be tied after first passing through the eye. No need to include a luff line, and one can have a couple bunt lines emerging from under the folded sail, thus no need for bunt blocks on the yards ... or the bunt lines can be omitted as well - another 'sleight of hand', as there will be plenty of rigging displayed on the model: Lifts for the yards, downhaul tackle where applicable, halyards, clew lines, sheets and braces. Of course, none of this affects the standing rigging done with darker rope. Before furling, the clews are hauled up by deck hands. Men on the yards lean forward and grab partway down the sail (an arms reach) and pull it up and over the top of the yard (leaning back a little as they do this in unison). Then by leaning forward again, that fold of sail is held by body pressure against the yard as another bit of sail is pulled up. Once gathered, the clews are pulled out a bit and allowed to hang. Canvas that is about .025" thick would only be .0005 at 1:48 scale - thinner than a sheet of paper ! So I did a little exercise to tape a strip of paper to a simulated yard, then fold the corners up and then folded the lot (origami style) on top of the "yard" ... and was able to tug out the clews to become 'mouse ears'. Below are a couple pictures of the concept to remove as much cloth as practical to portray a furled sail on a model. Instead of individual gammoning lines, I just spiraled a line over the folded paper for convenience. On a model, there would be separate gammons spaced on the yard.

Ausgezeichnet !!

Ahh, the strong wind and snow called Chinook explains the name of a military twin rotor helicopter used for troop insertion and extraction in Viet Nam. Its powerful down drafts would subject those below to gale force winds driving dust and grit everywhere. So it was known to Grunts as a 'Shithook'.

Ahh, the 1:120 version - well thought of by many. I believe included was a second set of yard with the studding sail booms molded in the inward position. With the boom out, sails are recommended,

Ahoy Jim ! By 'Captain's walkway' (a modern term?) I mean the 'wrap-around' gallery, or promenade that goes around the stern ... nothing to do with a quarterdeck or even a poop deck. The wrap-around walkway was present on many Spanish ship and on larger warships of various nations. Poking around, there is an entry in the Plymouth Black Book concerning Drake building the Pelican at Plymouth in 1575. His circumnavigation (after a couple false starts) began from Plymouth in January of 1578 - so the Pelican (to become the Golden Hind later) was about 2 1/2 years old, and 3 years old by the time Da Silva saw it, ergo it was not 'new'. Since it looked 'French" to Da Silva, it was most likely the latest "race built" type first adopted by the French. The term 'race' was from the French rase' - meaning shaved - in that the poop deck was removed. You show a number of artists' depictions of the vessel that are modern, or well beyond the 16th century. You have to take them as conjectural, all with likely good points - some getting closer to the mark, just as the more darts you throw at a dartboard the better your chances of getting one near the center. Weighting the period testimony and period drawings more heavily, I think the (half scale) sailing version photo you posted come very near to the mark. The Baker log has many great details, and should be looked at for tips and techniques. In the end, no one can say for sure 'exactly' what the GH looked like. But then most ships go through many modifications, and as experience builder note, one should try and portray a given time in a vessel's life (e.g., Polris before Shackleton bought it, as modified in England before the expedition, as modified in South America before setting out for Antartica, and stuck on the ice shelf prior to sinking. Each will have a different appearance.) Ergo, the way GH looked on the big voyage may well have been modified after the return so there could be a big show the next year when the French Ambassador dubbed Drake a Knight in the presence of Queen Elizabeth (my mistake to think she did the dubbing herself, since that might seem to put too much honor on who the Spanish considered a pirate) aboard a refurbished GH. So one could imagine a lot of added decoration and pre haps a stern walkway as well ...

I did some research a while back (buried now in my papers somewhere ... and I've commented in another build log in the past, which might be hard for me to find) on the most likely configuration of the Golden Hind (GH), which has long been depicted with great variation as to size, armaments, decoration, etc. - in that the original is long gone and with out a definitive artist's sketch or painting naming it. The recorded testimony of Nuno Da Silva (the Portuguese navigator capture by Drake on his circumnavigation) to the Spanish authorities and also to the Inquisition provide information on the GH by someone qualified to make those assessments. Reading a translation of the entire documents was a fascinating account of the voyage from the Caribbean to the West coast of Mexico, where Da Silva was let off. He stated that the GH was 220 tons (in Old Portuguese tons), and that converts to about 180 modern tons. The size of the GH was about the size of the modern replica you have posted photos of (102' on deck) ... except ... note the bulging nacelles added at the waterline that were needed to make the replica seaworthy. The 'as built' replica with a 20' beam proved unseaworthy, and the effective addition of a couple feet on either side at the waterline solved the problem - and point to a proper beam of 24 - 25 feet at the waterline. This would have added more breadth on deck, as the hull lines would flow smoothly up from the waterline with some tumblehome. Da Silva stated the broadside was 7 guns per side through gun ports, plus 4 at the bows (2 astern as typical, and 2 forward), and that the ship was not new and of French style. You note the problems that would exist trying to load cannon on the weather deck, and Da Silva testified that they were all below (thus having enough room to operate fully, protected from the weather and adding stability to the ship by lowering the center of gravity). So only some anti-personnel rail guns may have been above deck. Some contemporary depictions are included below: Note that there are no 'Captain's walk' on any of the above (or below) depictions. In the Elizabethan picture above, there is a broadside of 7 (the hatch below the row of gun ports may be a 'communication' port - much like the one on the Warship Vasa. There are 2 guns astern, and note the port for a forward firing gun at the bow (there would be another on the port side) - also like the ones on the Vasa. This is very likely what the GH hull looked like. The high angle of the bowsprit at that time would keep the bowsprit yard with sail above the line of sight of the near-forward pointing gun ports. Above is a depiction of Drakes 'Caribbean Fleet' (a later venture), and none of the ships have a Captains walk - not even the largest (one anchored and one entering). The ship entering (firing a salute from the aforementioned forward guns) would be like the GH. The Drake cup, the base of which is from a coconut given to the Queen by Drake, given back to Drake as a gift from the Queen, has a 3D silver miniature GH on the lid, as well as an engraved GH on the bowl from an episode of the circumnavigation. There is no Captain's walk on either. Spanish ships of that era (and some other nationalities) did have captains walks, and there are pictures of these extant. My theory is that they look fancier, and so later artists depicting the GH (then a ship of fame) with such a stern walkway because ... it just looks better. The condition of the GH, that barely was able to limp home with treasure aboard, was likely poor. So perhaps in the time between the ship's return and the knighting ceremony for Drake in a new docking place on the Thames, the GH was spruced up a bit up the Deptford creek and had any ornamentation re-painted - or even expanded upon. The name change from Pelican to GH happened during the voyage, so the idea of a gilded hind as a figurehead (as well as elaborate E.R. and heraldry on the stern) seem either artistic license, or something added after the voyage.

Welcome aboard mate ! Let' see ... 5/64 is not used much these days as a 'scale', so I'll have to try and figure. If the cannon is 5/8" long, that would be .625". Now in the scale of 1:128 (not uncommon in "old' kits, like Scientific models sold in the 70s) .625 x 128 = 80" ... or 6 feet 8inches long ... perhaps a plausible size. Looking on line at a data point (if it is the same Essex) a hull of 185' at 1:128 scale would be about 17.3" ... (185/128 x 12) also a plausible model size. So if MS doesn't have anything suitable, (and my educated guesses are right) you might try looking on line for model cannons that are 1:128 scale.

I noticed the high price of plexiglass also ... but saw that thinner (and less heavy) acrylic sheets were much less. So when I suggested acrylic, I wasn't referring to the higher priced polycarbonate (plexiglass). Glbarlow said that his models are not behind a barrier, and that he uses a gentle blower (perhaps a hair dryer blowing at low speed without heat) at intervals (quarterly?) to keep dust from accumulating. This is something I might try first, before going to the trouble to install any acrylic. This is because our home has forced air HVAC for heating/cooling, and there is a BIG pre-filter that has an accordion shape for more surface area (the kind that removes allergens pollen) right before the air circulator. I change this at least twice a year, and order replacement filters in a carton with 4 - and they cost $35 each (much lower than either the HAVAC man or retail). The air handler runs continuously - which is better for the heating/cooling system and house comfort as well. Its amazing how much stuff is taken out of the air by the filter.

I've pondered of this situation before, and thought of one approach to try in our parlor. A long shelf would be installed along one wall, perhaps just above 'chair rail' height, using brackets available in most home centers. The brackets would be fastened into the studs behind the wall, found with a stud finder - they are generally spaced at 16" intervals, but can vary. Wood shelving would lie on the brackets (and there are often a variety of available finishes - or fashion your own). To get the length required, shelf ends can be held together on on the underside using thin metal joining strips fastened with short screws. Then a little above the tallest ship to go on that level, another long shelf is installed above ... and one could perhaps have three levels to display models. At intervals on the front edges of the shelving would be spaced small threaded rods with the outside ends bent 90 degrees to make an "L" shape. One could hang acrylic sheets from these retainers (through holes drilled into the acrylic), and each piece would be trimmed just long enough to cover the gap between the shelves (there would be a clear panel on the ends of the shelves. This arrangement would keep out most of the dust and provide a good view of the models, yet the models would be easily accessible by lifting and removing the acrylic sheet in front. It would also be easy to re-arrange the display as desired.

Rather than try to modify some of the bulkheads before assembly, assemble them first and then deal with any bulges in the "fairing" process. If you flex a piece of thin, straight spring wire stock over the bulkheads, it will be easy to see any bulge. Then by sanding and frequently re-checking with the wire, you can achieve smooth lines/transitions.

My bearding line is where I stop shaving ... 😉 'Don't think 1.5mm (about 0.060") will make much difference, but you're likely to reduce the frames a bit when fairing, and then there is liberal sanding of the first planking to perfect the lines - which will take more off the thickness (just don't sand through). Thus you can easily whittle down the difference to 0.75mm without fretting over the frames.

'Haven't even thought about lights ... No builders have said a thing about them above deck (or anywhere), and so far no above deck photos have been pointed out to show any. Below deck there were lights, but only a 'cutaway' model would have them ...

Whatever you produce, I’d be interested in. I have had this kit for two years - and initially did a kit review because of the overall value to an intermediate modeler. I studied the known lines of the original hull, and found that the kit bulkheads can be easily altered (if desired) near the bow (to reduce the flare slightly) and stern (for a little more fullness). I’ve followed every build of Endurace with interest to see every modification that could be considered when I eventually do it myself. The kit configuration appears to be as it set sail from South America - with a covered steering mechanism and the dog kennels. I bought 3D brass stanchions for the railings (an upgrade from the PE verticals), as well as better deadeyes and blocks … also a Rope Rocket from Syren to make my own scale rope, and a 2 bladed screw. The 3 bladed propeller provided came in handy for the Gorch Fock restoration in progress - to gain better familiarity with rigging. So whenever you make extra 3D items, feel free to private message me to make any arrangement. Smooth sailing, mate ! Johnny