Jaager

It takes a library.  It helps if you specialize as to era and ship type i.e. wood vs steel   sail vs steam
 
To dip your toe in:

Historic Ship Models
by Wolfram zu Mondfeld
 
Neophyte Shipmodeller's Jackstay
by George F. Campbell
 
The CD sold here covering the back issues of three journals  have much information.
 
 
 

It takes a library.  It helps if you specialize as to era and ship type i.e. wood vs steel   sail vs steam
 
To dip your toe in:

Historic Ship Models
by Wolfram zu Mondfeld
 
Neophyte Shipmodeller's Jackstay
by George F. Campbell
 
The CD sold here covering the back issues of three journals  have much information.
 
 
 

I was able to source some Holly that was on the hoof.  In order to defeat the competing Blue Mold invasion I immediately cut it into 1" billets and removed to bark, and sealed the ends with a thick coating of leftover latex house paint.
I purchased a 4' x 8' sheet of 1" foil faced house insulation foam. I cut it into 4 x 4' pieces to make the 4 sides of a box.  It does not need to be either strong or tight fitting.  I fit it into an open shelf in my garage.  The ends were made from the 2 x 2 x 1" project Styrofoam that Home Depot sells.   The foil was on the inside face.   A couple of ceramic surface mount light fixtures and a  200W and a 100W incandescent light bulb generated enough heat - often 200W was enough.  A surplus computer muffin fan on one end was sufficient to exhaust the heated humid air.  I had a digital - remember the highest temp thermometer - to make sure it did not get too hot.   I stickered the billets.  A probe moisture meter sufficient for our needs is not expensive.  3 months was more than enough time.  For a temp, I just guessed about a temp that was above what the mold could survive.  Too much heat and the wood may case harden instead of allowing the water in the middle of a billet to migrate out.  There is probably a Zen type factor in all this.
 
You may be able to stay ahead of the checking with your "Lilac" by using a similar setup.  It will still be a month or so before the sap starts rising, if you wish to try this year.  Washington state appears to have a significant Apple growing base.  You are maybe not too far north for there to be Apple trees?  Apple wood is King.  But the only real way to get it is to harvest your own.  The hot box might save you the best part of year in getting a dry supply to use.  
 
Not far south of you is a supplier of Pacific Madrone. (Portland).  The wood reads like it can easily substitute for Pear or Black Cherry.  It is a bear to season.  It requires a specialized kiln operation.  It is not a DIY species per my reading.  It also wants to be picked over in the yard to get the color and grain that is desired.  

A picture of what part has been damaged would allow for more creative suggestions.
There is nothing magic about any wood.  We all have our favorite species, but most of us who do are scratch builders or kit builders who are painting with wood.
I was imagining the pseudo deck beam portion of a typical mold as being the part.  The hull shape being acceptable and the beam being abraded too much.  In that case, it would be covered by the deck, so how it looks would be irrelevant.
 
Even clear Pine would work.
For a one off plywood replacement, you could use what is about the best quality plywood available = aircraft plywood from a hobby store.  In bulk, it is expensive.  For spot work, the expense is not significant.   With a variety of thicknesses, a sum of what is available can get you where you want to be.
 
An advantage of wooden ship models is that all of the parts are easily replaced by other wood.  Unlike synthetic plastics,  it grows in trees.  The kit mfg is just supplying an easy path.  With a bit more work, any of it can be placed by material that is right at hand.  A beginner just lacks the tools and experience to do this.  Unless you reside on an asteroid, there is probably someone nearby who does have the tools and experience to help you with general woodworking.

Is it possible that sturdy hardwood planks be scabbed on either side of each plywood "beam"?

You could keep kits in your conditioned environment.   Work on the model in the garage and take the parts back into the house with you.
 
Any tools that are iron or steel - keep them coated with conservators wax - Renaissance Wax here. 

Is it possible that sturdy hardwood planks be scabbed on either side of each plywood "beam"?

A picture of what part has been damaged would allow for more creative suggestions.
There is nothing magic about any wood.  We all have our favorite species, but most of us who do are scratch builders or kit builders who are painting with wood.
I was imagining the pseudo deck beam portion of a typical mold as being the part.  The hull shape being acceptable and the beam being abraded too much.  In that case, it would be covered by the deck, so how it looks would be irrelevant.
 
Even clear Pine would work.
For a one off plywood replacement, you could use what is about the best quality plywood available = aircraft plywood from a hobby store.  In bulk, it is expensive.  For spot work, the expense is not significant.   With a variety of thicknesses, a sum of what is available can get you where you want to be.
 
An advantage of wooden ship models is that all of the parts are easily replaced by other wood.  Unlike synthetic plastics,  it grows in trees.  The kit mfg is just supplying an easy path.  With a bit more work, any of it can be placed by material that is right at hand.  A beginner just lacks the tools and experience to do this.  Unless you reside on an asteroid, there is probably someone nearby who does have the tools and experience to help you with general woodworking.

Both books in Mike's newsletter sound like they will be winners. 
It is a win for all of us that he could get Grant Walker back on board with the Annapolis project.

You could keep kits in your conditioned environment.   Work on the model in the garage and take the parts back into the house with you.
 
Any tools that are iron or steel - keep them coated with conservators wax - Renaissance Wax here. 

A picture of what part has been damaged would allow for more creative suggestions.
There is nothing magic about any wood.  We all have our favorite species, but most of us who do are scratch builders or kit builders who are painting with wood.
I was imagining the pseudo deck beam portion of a typical mold as being the part.  The hull shape being acceptable and the beam being abraded too much.  In that case, it would be covered by the deck, so how it looks would be irrelevant.
 
Even clear Pine would work.
For a one off plywood replacement, you could use what is about the best quality plywood available = aircraft plywood from a hobby store.  In bulk, it is expensive.  For spot work, the expense is not significant.   With a variety of thicknesses, a sum of what is available can get you where you want to be.
 
An advantage of wooden ship models is that all of the parts are easily replaced by other wood.  Unlike synthetic plastics,  it grows in trees.  The kit mfg is just supplying an easy path.  With a bit more work, any of it can be placed by material that is right at hand.  A beginner just lacks the tools and experience to do this.  Unless you reside on an asteroid, there is probably someone nearby who does have the tools and experience to help you with general woodworking.

Is it possible that sturdy hardwood planks be scabbed on either side of each plywood "beam"?

A picture of what part has been damaged would allow for more creative suggestions.
There is nothing magic about any wood.  We all have our favorite species, but most of us who do are scratch builders or kit builders who are painting with wood.
I was imagining the pseudo deck beam portion of a typical mold as being the part.  The hull shape being acceptable and the beam being abraded too much.  In that case, it would be covered by the deck, so how it looks would be irrelevant.
 
Even clear Pine would work.
For a one off plywood replacement, you could use what is about the best quality plywood available = aircraft plywood from a hobby store.  In bulk, it is expensive.  For spot work, the expense is not significant.   With a variety of thicknesses, a sum of what is available can get you where you want to be.
 
An advantage of wooden ship models is that all of the parts are easily replaced by other wood.  Unlike synthetic plastics,  it grows in trees.  The kit mfg is just supplying an easy path.  With a bit more work, any of it can be placed by material that is right at hand.  A beginner just lacks the tools and experience to do this.  Unless you reside on an asteroid, there is probably someone nearby who does have the tools and experience to help you with general woodworking.

You could keep kits in your conditioned environment.   Work on the model in the garage and take the parts back into the house with you.
 
Any tools that are iron or steel - keep them coated with conservators wax - Renaissance Wax here. 

A picture of what part has been damaged would allow for more creative suggestions.
There is nothing magic about any wood.  We all have our favorite species, but most of us who do are scratch builders or kit builders who are painting with wood.
I was imagining the pseudo deck beam portion of a typical mold as being the part.  The hull shape being acceptable and the beam being abraded too much.  In that case, it would be covered by the deck, so how it looks would be irrelevant.
 
Even clear Pine would work.
For a one off plywood replacement, you could use what is about the best quality plywood available = aircraft plywood from a hobby store.  In bulk, it is expensive.  For spot work, the expense is not significant.   With a variety of thicknesses, a sum of what is available can get you where you want to be.
 
An advantage of wooden ship models is that all of the parts are easily replaced by other wood.  Unlike synthetic plastics,  it grows in trees.  The kit mfg is just supplying an easy path.  With a bit more work, any of it can be placed by material that is right at hand.  A beginner just lacks the tools and experience to do this.  Unless you reside on an asteroid, there is probably someone nearby who does have the tools and experience to help you with general woodworking.

Based on history, for about any kit,  the only profit to be had is in the personal experience found in its assembly (and for plastic)  the finish applied.  For plastic, the skill and challenge is in the surface presentation.  For wood, the finish is just something that has to be done.   The challenge is in the fabrication.   With even an elaborate  wooden kit, an excellently build model would probably only sell for what was the original retail cost.  The hundreds or even thousands of hours expended on the completion is an uncompensated donation.
 
About the only ones who value a ship model are those who build them,   Anyone in the 1% who would pay top dollar would also want something unique - scratch built by a name brand modeler.   Most anyone else cannot cannot see the difference between an actual ship model and a starving artist decorator kitch piece of junk.

Based on history, for about any kit,  the only profit to be had is in the personal experience found in its assembly (and for plastic)  the finish applied.  For plastic, the skill and challenge is in the surface presentation.  For wood, the finish is just something that has to be done.   The challenge is in the fabrication.   With even an elaborate  wooden kit, an excellently build model would probably only sell for what was the original retail cost.  The hundreds or even thousands of hours expended on the completion is an uncompensated donation.
 
About the only ones who value a ship model are those who build them,   Anyone in the 1% who would pay top dollar would also want something unique - scratch built by a name brand modeler.   Most anyone else cannot cannot see the difference between an actual ship model and a starving artist decorator kitch piece of junk.

Based on history, for about any kit,  the only profit to be had is in the personal experience found in its assembly (and for plastic)  the finish applied.  For plastic, the skill and challenge is in the surface presentation.  For wood, the finish is just something that has to be done.   The challenge is in the fabrication.   With even an elaborate  wooden kit, an excellently build model would probably only sell for what was the original retail cost.  The hundreds or even thousands of hours expended on the completion is an uncompensated donation.
 
About the only ones who value a ship model are those who build them,   Anyone in the 1% who would pay top dollar would also want something unique - scratch built by a name brand modeler.   Most anyone else cannot cannot see the difference between an actual ship model and a starving artist decorator kitch piece of junk.

Based on history, for about any kit,  the only profit to be had is in the personal experience found in its assembly (and for plastic)  the finish applied.  For plastic, the skill and challenge is in the surface presentation.  For wood, the finish is just something that has to be done.   The challenge is in the fabrication.   With even an elaborate  wooden kit, an excellently build model would probably only sell for what was the original retail cost.  The hundreds or even thousands of hours expended on the completion is an uncompensated donation.
 
About the only ones who value a ship model are those who build them,   Anyone in the 1% who would pay top dollar would also want something unique - scratch built by a name brand modeler.   Most anyone else cannot cannot see the difference between an actual ship model and a starving artist decorator kitch piece of junk.

Based on history, for about any kit,  the only profit to be had is in the personal experience found in its assembly (and for plastic)  the finish applied.  For plastic, the skill and challenge is in the surface presentation.  For wood, the finish is just something that has to be done.   The challenge is in the fabrication.   With even an elaborate  wooden kit, an excellently build model would probably only sell for what was the original retail cost.  The hundreds or even thousands of hours expended on the completion is an uncompensated donation.
 
About the only ones who value a ship model are those who build them,   Anyone in the 1% who would pay top dollar would also want something unique - scratch built by a name brand modeler.   Most anyone else cannot cannot see the difference between an actual ship model and a starving artist decorator kitch piece of junk.

Welcome to MSW John.  It may be too late but you might consider setting it aside for now and starting with one or more of the high quality three vessel starter series from Model Shipways designed by David Antscherl.  These are very accurately designed and will teach you great techniques and habits rather than the opposite.
 
It is a blessing and a curse, but you now have over 42,000 potential teachers and advisors here at MSW.
 
Allan

Mark,
What ship are you working on?  Rigging buntline, lift, and similar blocks on the yards is definitely a great way to go.  Rigging shrouds and ratlines off the ship,,,,,, no advantages and a lot of disadvantages.  There are good books on rigging as well as dozens of logs here that show good techniques.   Look at Ed Tosti's build log on Young America as one of many examples.
Allan

Mike,
 
Your list reminded me of a trail that I gave thought to when I was wading into this.
 
To continue with your theme but broaden your possibilities, skill, and confidence,
The deadrise boats, skipjacks, and log canoes of the Bay can be a side branch investigation.
These were built by backyard builders, not schooled in the art.
There is a paperback by Steve Rogers covering a skipjack - the methods are a bit eccentric compared to the methods done here.
H.I. Chapelle wrote a paperback - "Notes on..."  that is available second hand.
Ben Lankford  wrote a paperback to accompany the model of the Willie J Bennett that he developed for Model Shipways, that may possibly be found second hand.
The S.I. has skipjack plans for sale.  The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum used to sell actual blue prints for various Bay fishing craft.
 
My point is that this branch is a very approachable area for a first time scratch build.  It does not require a second mortgage to obtain the needed tools and wood.  It just requires and interest in the subject.   
 
You have been wise in your path so far.  If you are tempted by the flash of lots of guns, liners, frigates, clippers, etc.  be mindful: that way lays a time sink and possible quicksand.  When you know, when you do not have to ask if you should,  that is when those can be essayed with confidence.

Mark,
I will take on the role of curmudgeon for this. and advise this:
 
Take good care of and store your collection carefully.  You may wind up selling off many of them.
 
Two of the camps here are
1) kits as a gateway to scratch building (a small group)
2) kits as an end in themselves 
If you catch bug number 1  ....
If you are one for whom what is popular or sticking to the well trod paths are things to be avoided......
 
The OcCre kit is probably best kept for last.  Not up to the quality of the others  and a full set of 3 masts and all that rigging plus lots of guns.
 
The MS Flying Fish is a 1850's era large clipper,  The kit is 1:96 scale.  There is a lot of detailed rigging and a scale that requires art and finesse to do well.  It is a real challenge to do well.
 
The hull of the whaleboat is  just a step beyond what you are doing.  This kit is about the equipment details.  There is a small book by a former NRJ editor.  There are articles in the CDs in probably all three journals that are for sale here.
 
For the fishing vessels,  HIC wrote a book that provides graduate level details.
 
For the solid hulls,  check out StewMac for good quality rasps.  I doubt that a POB kit mold is sturdy enough  for a rasp.
 
If you want your expenditure to pay off, try to avoid the historian,  topic specialization, and explore new paths bugs.
 
 

This not intended to high jack.  It is fun to take a sidebar for  a wider view of this project.  It is interesting and unique.  It is also a bit of an exploration of the taproot of watercraft evolution - at least in Europe - in the place where most of the early action was. 
 
To speculate:
The pacific islanders used outriggers to add stability.   The illustrations at the beginning had me thinking "outrigger" for this.
 
This looks like a scaled up version of a dugout - which seems like the logical progression.
In the Bay, early backyard builders constructed "log canoes".   There was still old growth timber - tall trees with a significant diameter.
The vessels were not the sort of shape that comes to mind as canoe the personal watercraft.    The length was constrained by maximum log length, so they were not as long as the Med vessel here.  They had a greater beam to length ratio.  They were made of 3 or 5 logs joined side by side.  The thickness would make the hull resistant to puncture.  
My thought with this is that Dorian vessel would be maybe something like three logs butted end to end at the center line and two overlapping rows on either side.   As the large trees were all cut down,  I can see how the hard won skills in joinery and waterproofing would evolve to using split out planks to replace the logs.