BETAQDAVE

Yes, indeed!
Absolutely correct.
 
The term "tall ship" was popularized by a poem by John Masefield called Sea Fever:
 
I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.
 
The first line is often misquoted as "I must go down to the seas again." The original version of 1902 reads 'I must down to the seas again'. In later versions, the author inserted the word 'go'. Source: https://poemanalysis.com/sea-fever-john-masefield-poem-analysis
 
Author Joseph Conrad who spent 1874 to 1894 at sea and was quite particular about naval terminology used the term "tall ship" in his works; for example, in The Mirror of the Sea in 1903. 
 
Henry David Thoreau also references the term "tall ship" in his first work, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, quoting "Down out at its mouth, the dark inky main blending with the blue above. Plum Island, its sand ridges scolloping along the horizon like the sea-serpent, and the distant outline broken by many a tall ship, leaning, still, against the sky." He does not cite this quotation, but the work was written in 1849.
 
These early usages appear to be simply poetic descriptions as would be "a big car" or "a long train."  It had no other specific nautical meaning.
 
Modernly, "tall ship" is often used generically in reference to large, classic, sailing vessels, but is also a technically defined term invented by Sail Training International for its purposes and of course, Sail Training International helped popularize the term. The exact definitions have changed somewhat over time, and are subject to various technicalities, but by 2011 there were 4 classes (A, B, C, and D). Basically there are only two size classes, A is over 40 m LOA, and B/C/D are 9.14 m to under 40 m LOA. The definitions have to do with rigging: class A is for square sail rigged ships, class B is for "traditionally rigged" ships, class C is for "modern rigged" vessels with no "spinnaker-like sails", and class D is the same as class C but carrying a spinnaker-like sail. Sail Training International has extended the definition of tall ship for the purpose of its races to embrace any sailing vessel of more than 30 feet (9.14 m) waterline length and on which at least half the people on board are aged 15 to 25. This definition can include many modern sailing yachts that few who use the term to describe large sailing vessels would recognize as "tall ships."
 
Outside of Sail Training International's unique commercial parameters, the term "tall ship" is meaningless as nautical nomenclature and people who use it to describe any particular sort of vessel, such as a large square-rigged one, are only proclaiming their status as landsmen.  
 
 
 

Well, no “tallship” experience here, just small power and sail boats and modern warships.  I’ve found that a properly led single figure 8 with a final twist seems to hold most everything fine, even with synthetic lines.  As for needing extra figure 8 turns to safely slack a line under tension, in my experience it can be done easily with only half a figure 8 turn around a cleat (and presumably a pin). Even large mooring line tension can be safely slacked with only half a figure 8 on the bitts.  It was  however common practice to make extra figure 8 turns on bitts when moored.
 
fwiw,
 
Keith

I hear what you're saying, Frankie, but it doesn't comport with my own experience. Myself, I've never had any problem easing off a length of line from a pin, or horsing up from one, either. If you can hold the line before you even throw it around the bottom of the pin, you ought to be able to hold it just as well when casting it off. If for some reason, you want more friction, it's easy enough to take a quick turn around the top of the pin. 
 
Contrary to your assertion, the coefficient of friction in line under load is not a "linear equation." Each of the turns does not carry an equal portion of the friction or of the load. The first turn carries most all of it. Additional turns are just "window dressing." Ever notice how nothing comes free until you get down to the last turn or so? And, obviously, nobody ever "casts the line off the pin and lets the line run" more than once. 
 
Belaying pins are designed to take vertical strains more or less parallel to the direction of the pin and never horizontal (shear) strains at right angles to the pin, which can snap a wooden pin. The pin itself isn't meant to take the majority of the strain from the line, but rather it's the pin rail itself where the greater part of the strength, as well as friction, comes from. Sheets, which generally carry horizontal strains, should never be belayed directly to a pin rail.  Sheets should be carried through a block or around a winch to provide a fair lead to a cavel or deck cleat. Pin rails are for halyards and other lines from aloft. 
 
I've belayed lots of lines to pins and hitched lots of sheets to cleats in my 70 years and I've never, ever, "needed a knife to get it off," nor even a fid.  That's the advantage of a half-hitch.
 
This thread got me curious and I did a bit of googling. It seems there are many sites purporting to show how to belay a line and hang a coil and almost as many ways the people posting those instructions say it should be done as there are people posting. Welcome to the internet, the world's largest collection of self-appointed experts!  As the saying goes, "Different ships, different long splices." I suppose. Being "of a certain age," when I was growing up and infatuated with all things maritime, having a father in the shipping industry in San Francisco when it was the busiest working seaport on the West Coast, there were still a fair number of old timers around "on the beach" who'd served their apprenticeships "before the mast" sailing around the Horn in the big four-masted barks and all sorts of smaller sailing craft. Some were kind enough to share what they knew (and probably nobody else cared to hear them talk about) with kids like us. That's how we learned our basic seamanship. Somewhere along the way, we lost the continuity of that maritime culture. Today, it's become quaint and of interest to many, but it seems much of it has had to be recreated, rather than handed down in a direct line. A lot of the detail got lost along the way. There was a lot more to it than those "playing pirates" and singing "sea chanteys" today will ever know.  
 
 
 
 

Rather than a drill, I just used my drill press set up as shown below.  I used a drill gauge to hold the lower end of a slightly oversized dowel in place and chucked the upper end in the drill press.  That's how I formed all the masts and gaffs for my MS Phantom.  Worked like a charm for me and I didn't need to buy another power tool. 

I find it quite interesting to learn the reasons why and how things were done on a ship the way that they were.    I'm sure that a lot of us here without any actual sailing experience can learn a lot from those that have.  All of that knowledge can only help to improve our models.

I find it quite interesting to learn the reasons why and how things were done on a ship the way that they were.    I'm sure that a lot of us here without any actual sailing experience can learn a lot from those that have.  All of that knowledge can only help to improve our models.

I find it quite interesting to learn the reasons why and how things were done on a ship the way that they were.    I'm sure that a lot of us here without any actual sailing experience can learn a lot from those that have.  All of that knowledge can only help to improve our models.

Bad news guys, I am afraid that Doris will no longer continue with her presentation of her modeling on our site.  I went to the modelforum.cz to view her Royal Katherine build log and found a quote (July 14, 2019) where she has said as much.    Apparently she was expressing her frustration there at having to repeatedly respond to the same questions over and over even though she had provided many detailed photo tutorials previously. 
     She is apparently on several different modeling forum sites at this time and wanted to cut down on the time spent on them to devote more of her time to actually working on her modeling projects.  Personally, I think that she is looking for more guidance for her from the sites.  Unfortunately for her, she herself seems to be the authority on the subject and there are few out there that know more about the subject than her. 
    However if you want to continue following her work, (with the availability of the translation programs) just go to the modelform.cz website and you can follow her there.   I am saddened by this news as my wife and I can't help but appreciate her artistry and find that I continue using some of her techniques.   Still, I wish her continued success on her modeling.

Rather than a drill, I just used my drill press set up as shown below.  I used a drill gauge to hold the lower end of a slightly oversized dowel in place and chucked the upper end in the drill press.  That's how I formed all the masts and gaffs for my MS Phantom.  Worked like a charm for me and I didn't need to buy another power tool. 

Hi All,
I’m new to MSW and hoping to reactivate a love of modelling that I’ve had since childhood. 
As a child I made literally hundreds of plastic kit models; planes, tanks, ships etc. Mostly WW2 stuff, but some more modern things too.
A few years ago now I saw an advert for a weekly magazine which would guide me through building a model of the Bismarck. I thought this was a great idea and bought the first few editions. However, I began to google what was involved in completing such a venture and soon realised that I would very quickly be out of my depth. There were a whole range of skill sets involved which I knew nothing about. This would be a shed-load of money to spend on something which I knew I would not be able to do justice to.
I decided to shelve the idea and stopped buying the magazine.
Instead I bought a Billings Boats, HMS Renown steam pinnace to try and cut my teeth on. It went OK. Planking was satisfactory, albeit only because I knew the hull would painted and all the filler would be covered over. However, I got cold feet when it came to spray painting the boat. This was another new skill I didn’t have and was concerned about ruining all the hard work I had put in that far. I shelved the build... for ten years!!!
I recently plucked up the courage to complete it though and I’m quite chuffed with the end result.
Confidence boosted, I’ve now bought the Bluenose 2 from Artesania Latina (having decided against the Billings one because of their rubbishy brief instructions). I hope the build logs on here will be very useful, but don’t think I’m brave enough to start a log to expose myself to peer review just yet!
Regards
Colin

Welcome aboard! With the finished pinnace under your belt, you should be well-positioned to finish your new project.
 
Cheers!

Welcome to MSW 
Having completed one wooden model places you ahead of a lot of people on this site. Its easy to be inn awe of some of the work done by people in here but most of us are just trying to do the best we can because of the love for the hobby. 
You should definitely start a build log,  because at any turn  you need advice the great people on this site are more than willing to advise and help. 
Thirty thousand heads are better than one.
Good luck with your build.
Cheers
Peter 

I found a pair of micro-scissors for eye-surgerey (Castrovejo-style) as per Wefalck’s suggestion. Nifty little devices that sit well in the hand. Thanks!

Wefalk, how right you are about the 'dark, pre-internet days'.
Looking back perhaps 30 years, nearly all schools had well equipped workshops often running night classes. Long gone.
My oldest friend is my school metalwork teacher. He was one of the old school and it was sad to see how he didn't cope with the changes in his field. The workshop environment totally went out the window. All his skills and equipment suddenly became 'redundant'. He's getting on now, but is still willing and happy to share his time and knowledge with an appreciative 'student'.
Sadly, they are rare as hens teeth.

BETAQDAVE , I've been doing that for years too. Even done it with copper, brass, alloy and the odd bit of iron and steel.
I never kidded myself there was any precision involved, but with care it's amazing what can be done with the simplest of tools.
If you can find some old magazine features from the 20's, 30's and 40's those guys mostly had nothing but enthusiasm and imagination.
Hell, I was involved with producing a book called 'Engineering Through Trouble'.
The story I remember most was a wartime aircraft factory, building a prototype. They needed a new air-screw spinner, quickly. The tool shop began listing the new press tooling etc. they'd need. Argh! The cost! The time! One guy says 'Get old Burt from the factory floor to take a look'.
So they talk to Burt, who looks at the drawings. He takes a sheet of aluminium and sets it up on a lathe. He'd trained as a metal spinner in a pan factory before the first war. An hour later he pops the new spinner on the board room table. To everyone's astonishment it was nigh on perfect and turned within a thousandth of an inch to the drawings! Burt had been sweeping the floor over ten years. And that's the truth.

Rather than a drill, I just used my drill press set up as shown below.  I used a drill gauge to hold the lower end of a slightly oversized dowel in place and chucked the upper end in the drill press.  That's how I formed all the masts and gaffs for my MS Phantom.  Worked like a charm for me and I didn't need to buy another power tool. 

Rather than a drill, I just used my drill press set up as shown below.  I used a drill gauge to hold the lower end of a slightly oversized dowel in place and chucked the upper end in the drill press.  That's how I formed all the masts and gaffs for my MS Phantom.  Worked like a charm for me and I didn't need to buy another power tool. 

Bad news guys, I am afraid that Doris will no longer continue with her presentation of her modeling on our site.  I went to the modelforum.cz to view her Royal Katherine build log and found a quote (July 14, 2019) where she has said as much.    Apparently she was expressing her frustration there at having to repeatedly respond to the same questions over and over even though she had provided many detailed photo tutorials previously. 
     She is apparently on several different modeling forum sites at this time and wanted to cut down on the time spent on them to devote more of her time to actually working on her modeling projects.  Personally, I think that she is looking for more guidance for her from the sites.  Unfortunately for her, she herself seems to be the authority on the subject and there are few out there that know more about the subject than her. 
    However if you want to continue following her work, (with the availability of the translation programs) just go to the modelform.cz website and you can follow her there.   I am saddened by this news as my wife and I can't help but appreciate her artistry and find that I continue using some of her techniques.   Still, I wish her continued success on her modeling.

Rather than a drill, I just used my drill press set up as shown below.  I used a drill gauge to hold the lower end of a slightly oversized dowel in place and chucked the upper end in the drill press.  That's how I formed all the masts and gaffs for my MS Phantom.  Worked like a charm for me and I didn't need to buy another power tool. 

Well, you have to admit that the number of times people ask to see videos of her sculpting process is a little out of control.  Firstly, she always incorporates them into the log, so they can be found there, if curious minds look a little.  Then, there’s her presence on YouTube where quite a number of those videos reside in one place.
 
I have to say that as many times as  I’ve watched these videos - despite how easy she makes it seem - I had such a time replicating anything passable.  I gave up, for the time being.

This is why I prefer to just click on 'like', rather than to add a meaningless eulogy. If you don't have to ask a question or otherwise add substantially to the discussion, than better don't say anything.
 
It's a bit of a vicious circle: ploughing through a long building log in the hope to find somewhere the answer to a question is quite tedious for the reader too, if one has newly discovered a log; so I think it is fair to ask a question, even though it might have been asked before. Perhaps the builder then might consider a separate thread on FAQs or noting down the number of the post, where something has been described previously and to refer to that post.
 
I can fully understand that at some stage one may want to cut down on the presence in fora, it just becomes too time consuming and distracts from the 'real' thing.

Bad news guys, I am afraid that Doris will no longer continue with her presentation of her modeling on our site.  I went to the modelforum.cz to view her Royal Katherine build log and found a quote (July 14, 2019) where she has said as much.    Apparently she was expressing her frustration there at having to repeatedly respond to the same questions over and over even though she had provided many detailed photo tutorials previously. 
     She is apparently on several different modeling forum sites at this time and wanted to cut down on the time spent on them to devote more of her time to actually working on her modeling projects.  Personally, I think that she is looking for more guidance for her from the sites.  Unfortunately for her, she herself seems to be the authority on the subject and there are few out there that know more about the subject than her. 
    However if you want to continue following her work, (with the availability of the translation programs) just go to the modelform.cz website and you can follow her there.   I am saddened by this news as my wife and I can't help but appreciate her artistry and find that I continue using some of her techniques.   Still, I wish her continued success on her modeling.

so sorry to hear that Dave........I book marked the site    I guess all we can do is hope she changes her mind.  her talent will be missed here.

Bad news guys, I am afraid that Doris will no longer continue with her presentation of her modeling on our site.  I went to the modelforum.cz to view her Royal Katherine build log and found a quote (July 14, 2019) where she has said as much.    Apparently she was expressing her frustration there at having to repeatedly respond to the same questions over and over even though she had provided many detailed photo tutorials previously. 
     She is apparently on several different modeling forum sites at this time and wanted to cut down on the time spent on them to devote more of her time to actually working on her modeling projects.  Personally, I think that she is looking for more guidance for her from the sites.  Unfortunately for her, she herself seems to be the authority on the subject and there are few out there that know more about the subject than her. 
    However if you want to continue following her work, (with the availability of the translation programs) just go to the modelform.cz website and you can follow her there.   I am saddened by this news as my wife and I can't help but appreciate her artistry and find that I continue using some of her techniques.   Still, I wish her continued success on her modeling.

Bad news guys, I am afraid that Doris will no longer continue with her presentation of her modeling on our site.  I went to the modelforum.cz to view her Royal Katherine build log and found a quote (July 14, 2019) where she has said as much.    Apparently she was expressing her frustration there at having to repeatedly respond to the same questions over and over even though she had provided many detailed photo tutorials previously. 
     She is apparently on several different modeling forum sites at this time and wanted to cut down on the time spent on them to devote more of her time to actually working on her modeling projects.  Personally, I think that she is looking for more guidance for her from the sites.  Unfortunately for her, she herself seems to be the authority on the subject and there are few out there that know more about the subject than her. 
    However if you want to continue following her work, (with the availability of the translation programs) just go to the modelform.cz website and you can follow her there.   I am saddened by this news as my wife and I can't help but appreciate her artistry and find that I continue using some of her techniques.   Still, I wish her continued success on her modeling.