JacquesCousteau

Welcome! Those are some very impressive builds!

Nice research work!

Very nice, subtle effect!

Very nice work, the details really bring the yards to life!

Thanks, Keith! I decided to work a bit on the side seats before planking the hull and blocking a lot of access, although I'll be gluing them in later. I took the photo below as my guide, although I'm modifying it to fit with the bulkhead aft. As you can see, the seats are supported by a framework that rests on columns at the front end and, at the back, is held up by supports that run back to the hull and are attached to a stringer and the frames. Source: https://penobscotmarinemuseum.historyit.com/items/view/digital-collection/298307/search?resultsMode=search&searchInterfaceId=1&search=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 I won't be able to attach the stringer or supports running out to the hull until the hull is planked, but I can fabricate the front of the seats, with the columns, now so that I can make sure they're even. Everything was made from basswood. I stained the framework a darker color than the seat planks. Unfortunately, due to the fragility of the 1/16‐inch square basswood columns, I did not include the decorative elements visible in the photo above. I left the planks long at the aft end, as they will be covered by the seat back, and left the columns a hair oversized so I could carefully trim them to fit properly. And here both seat fronts are dry-fit. The seat planks need a bit more staining. For now, these will be removed so as to not interfere with finishing the floor planking after covering the hull.

Very nice work! The diagonal planking is interesting, did it somehow help strengthen the hull against ice?

A bit more progress with the cockpit. Originally I was planning on cutting away the sides of the frame under the aft cockpit seat, hence why I only planked partway to the sides. But then I noticed that Ansel describes the Ranger as having a full bulkhead running across the hull under its aft seat. That made sense to me, so I redid the planking. I also added the central portion of the seats. The planking for the side benches, not yet added, will run back over the bulkhead all the way to the back of the seat. As can be seen, I needed to glue supports over the portions I had already scored on the bulkheads, and re-scored a new line to remove to upper portion of the bulkhead after planking the hull. Next, I wanted to get a sort of dirty, weathered whitewash on the bulkheads--like they were in need of a new coat of paint after a hard season. I began by applying a dark wash as an undercoat, followed by a white wash on top. I tried using tape to selectively strip off random portions of the white wash, but it didn't quite work as planned. I then decided to try to add at least the central portion of the cockpit floor planking, figuring it would be slightly easier before planking the hull. I drew inspiration from the photo shown in an earlier post of a Friendship Sloop cockpit, which had short central planks with a finger hole in the middle, presumably to allow the central planks to be removed for bailing. I colored the planks with a dark wash before gluing them in place. This is as far as I can plank the floor without removing a portion of the bulkhead, so the rest will have to wait until the hull is planked. I already cut planks to the right width and gave them a dark wash, though, so it won't be too difficult then. Unfortunately, my attempt to color the seat by staining and then adding a dark wash revealed some glue stains. I think I may remove the central seat and redo it.

Thanks, @Kenchington, lacking much nautical experience myself there's a lot that I'm still learning, and it's wonderful to be able to benefit from the knowledge of others. I hadn't considered that about the plumb vs raked bow's suitability for different conditions, but what you say makes a lot of sense. I had been considering trying to pare back the top of the stem a bit and doing away with the gammon to get more of a plumb bow, but I think that doing so will throw off the lines of the hull a bit too much. Besides, much like those fishermen, I have to admit that the clipper bow looks quite nice, and I don't think I'll be modeling anything with one anytime soon, so I think I'll keep the kit design for the bow after all. This also makes a lot of sense. Incidentally, Chapelle also mentions that there were some of the larger lapstrake-planked centerboarders with this type of hull design were rigged as schooners. I found a photo of one such vessel from the 1870s in Rockland, Maine, below, which I estimate around 30-32 feet in length. Incidentally, it looks to have a gammon at the bow. I think I'm on fairly firm ground, then, to try and build my model with lapstrake planking and the clipper bow. Source: https://penobscotmarinemuseum.historyit.com/items/view/digital-collection/193711/search?resultsMode=search&searchInterfaceId=1&search=eyJxIjp7InNmMTI3IjoibGFwc3RyYWtlIn0sIm9iIjoic2NvcmUiLCJvIjoiZGVzYyIsInBzIjoyNCwidiI6ImdyaWQiLCJyY2kiOjAsInNzZiI6MCwicHJlIjoxLCJpcCI6MSwicmEiOltdLCJ2aWV3TW9kZSI6ImdyaWQiLCJwZyI6MX0= Your point about fishermen's pride in their boat and interest in decorating them is also very well taken. It reminds me of what I saw while researching and building my Canoa de Rancho model. These were extremely utilitarian boats. But it was still possible to see some decorative elements or other aspects showing their owners' pride in the vessels. This was most obvious in the names given to them--I'm particularly thinking of one small, open vessel, a little rowboat no more than 15 feet long, with the name "The Whale" (La Bayena [sic]) grandly written in large letters across the bow. But some (though a minority) also had aesthetically pleasing shapes carved into the supports running under the aft portion of the wide rail/poling platform along the sides of the boat, with no apparent functional purpose. Or one photograph where they raised up the peaked roof on top of some very elegant balustrades, presumably originally intended for use on a building but repurposed, probably both because they were available and because the owner liked the way it looked (if he didn't, he could have easily just used ordinary lumber for the same end). What an experience! I have to ask, can you still eat salmon today? I had a friend who, in high school, worked one summer in an Alaska salmon cannery. He wanted nothing to do with salmon for a long time afterward. Very minor progress on the model, I've planked the fore end of the aft cockpit seat. Once the glue fully cures, I'll be able to sand the top smooth and plank the seat itself.

Good catch, I had forgotten about that! Looks like it's in Goode's fisheries report, on page 670 here: https://archive.org/details/fisheriesfishery52goodrich/fisheriesfishery52goodrich/page/670/mode/2up That certainly sounds profoundly uncomfortable, being stuck in a cuddy with a bunch of lobster. On the theme of variations among Muscongus Bay vessels, it seems like the Penobscot Marine Museum has digitized some more photos since I last checked, including several of smaller craft. The one below is interesting in that it seems to be lapstrake planked, at least judging by the fairly prominent strake lines. Source: https://penobscotmarinemuseum.historyit.com/items/view/digital-collection/203749/search?resultsMode=search&searchInterfaceId=1&search=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 The vessels below, meanwhile, are larger, but also lack the clipper bow. It's hard to tell whether they are centerboarders or not. Source: https://penobscotmarinemuseum.historyit.com/items/view/digital-collection/372136/search?resultsMode=search&searchInterfaceId=1&search=eyJycSI6WyI4NjM5Il0sImlwIjoxLCJvYiI6InNjb3JlIiwibyI6ImRlc2MiLCJwcyI6MjQsInYiOiJncmlkIiwicmNpIjoxLCJzc2YiOjEsInByZSI6dHJ1ZSwicmEiOltdLCJwZyI6OCwidmlld01vZGUiOiJncmlkIiwiZmFjZXRTdGF0ZSI6ImVKeE5qa0VMd2pBTWhmOUx6cnVJSUxOSEQ1UGRGSS9pb2JaeEJMcTFKcTB3eHY2N1ladmdLUy92NVh0a2d2NkdBVjJtT01ocGJLekQzQkFHRDJhYUsrZzNJMlRrZGtnbC85dG5qaVhKaXFNQzk4Y3Z1ZGdPWlR0dEI4cGt3OXFCL2xxUVI0MkEzMHBBZmRnZlFUbEtZSFlWeENjWUVCY1pRUmZWSHNXcFROcDJyT0NqVHNmazFXRkhDeUh5V21aU3hHUXVxSkZkZjBrZG1IcWV2OVRzU2FzPSJ9 Finally, the photo below shows a a contrast between the larger, clipper-bowed Friendship sloop at right, and the smaller, plumb-bowed vessels at left. Source: https://penobscotmarinemuseum.historyit.com/items/view/digital-collection/192568/search?resultsMode=search&searchInterfaceId=1&search=eyJxIjp7InNmMTI3Ijoic2xvb3AiLCJkYXRlIjp7InN0YXJ0IjoiMTkwNS0wMS0wMVQwMDowMDowMFoiLCJlbmQiOiIxOTA1LTEyLTMxVDExOjU5OjU5WiIsIm9wZXJhdG9yIjoiaW50ZXJzZWN0aW5nIn19LCJwZyI6MCwib2IiOiJzY29yZSIsIm8iOiJkZXNjIiwicHMiOjI0LCJ2IjoiZ3JpZCIsInJjaSI6MCwic3NmIjowLCJwcmUiOjEsImlwIjoxLCJyYSI6W10sImV4Ijp7ImRhdGUiOjF9LCJ2aWV3TW9kZSI6ImdyaWQifQ==

All excellent points! Some degree of abstraction is necessary for understanding, but some categories contain more variation than others. For the various vessels classified as "Muscongus Bay Sloops," it would be great to have more information about the rationale behind different design choices. Why lapstrake vs caravel planking, why a plumb bow vs a clipper bow, etc. Some of these we can guess at: obviously, the size depends on the resources and purpose of the person who ordered the boat, smaller vessels are better suited for closer inshore work, and smaller means less space for a cuddy or fish well. Others are less clear to me: why lapstrake vs caravel planking, for instance--a matter of cost? builders' tradition? would one style be better suited for some sizes?--or why a plumb bow vs a clipper bow (I suppose a clipper bow might look a bit silly on a very small vessel, but I don't know what the minimum size would be).

Thanks for the help on the terminology! I learn something new every day. As for the ceilings, it seems that there was a lot of variation. Chapelle's plan is derived in large part from a caravel-planked vessel that he says was very similar to the larger Friendship Sloop except for the centerboard, and he states that deck arrangements on the centerboard vessels ranged widely: some had a very large open cockpit, some added a small cuddy, and some (as in his plans) had a deck arrangement similar to the Friendship Sloop. He doesn't say anything about ceilings for the centerboard vessels, but when discussing the Friendship Sloop, says that most had very extensive ceiling planking covering the entirety of the hull interior, and "Thus, the boat had almost a double skin" (pg. 274). Of course, the Friendship Sloop cockpit in the photo in my previous post has visible frames and so no ceiling (at least along the sides of the cockpit). The replica Muscongus Bay sloop built in the 1970s, also shown in the previous post, clearly has extensive ceiling planking. I'm still deciding whether or not I'll plank my ceilings. Part of it will depend on whether or not I go with lapstrake or caravel planking for the hull, and relatedly, the style of frames that would go with each. If caravel, the frames were thin and bent, which would be easy to represent. If lapstrake, the frames perhaps would be sawn and notched, which would be a lot more work (although I have to do more research on lapstrake construction to check that). In this case, adding a ceiling would allow me to cover up an easier-to-make, inaccurate bent frame. All something to consider! It would be very interesting for someone to model one of the earlier, smaller, more open Muscongus Bay sloops, but at that point you'd be modifying the kit design enough that it would really have to be a complete scratch build.

Thanks, Rick! I've been mostly focused on my Bateau de Lanvéoc build, but needed a bit of a break from some tedious sanding and headaches with the cant frames. On the Lobster Smack, the next step is to work on the cockpit. Having deepened it a bit, I added the kit version of the floor, which will serve as a surface to plank over later. I then used some scrap to raise the benches to a more comfortable height, taking Ranger as a guide. This will be a support only, with the bench itself made of multiple planks added on top. I then turned my attention to the forward cabin bulkhead. In the photo below, of a replica Muscongus Bay Centerboard Sloop under construction in 1979, you can see that the bulkhead was vertically planked. (You can also see that, unlike on this model, the tip of the centerboard case protrudes a bit into the cockpit). Source: https://penobscotmarinemuseum.historyit.com/items/view/digital-collection/193047/search?resultsMode=search&searchInterfaceId=1&search=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 Planking it was straightforward. I think that planking the cockpit floor will have to wait until the hull is planked, as the floor needs to extend to either the frames or the ceiling planks. But, there's still some work to do on the cockpit before I go on, specifically, the aft bench. Photos show a variety of types of benches. The photo below shows the cockpit of a Friendship Sloop (so, similar but a bit larger than this model), apparently a yacht. It's notable that the frames are visible, and that the benches are lightly built over a framework around the rudder post. Source: https://penobscotmarinemuseum.historyit.com/items/view/digital-collection/298307/search?resultsMode=search&searchInterfaceId=1&search=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 Meanwhile, this photo--apparently of Ranger, and taken from DeeDee's build log, as the image link there no longer works--shows a simple, single bench with a vertically-planked front at the aft end of the cockpit. Source: I think I'll combine aspects of both designs. The aft bench (which apparently is technically called the stern sheets? There are some aspects of nautical jargon I will never understand) will be a sort of box, like on Ranger. I'm wondering whether it would at all make sense to include a cabinet or two in there, as it seems like it could be a useful storage space on each side of the rudderpost. I think it makes sense to include side benches, as well, for more flexibility when sailing, but these will be built on a framework like in the Friendship Sloop cockpit I shared above.

The empty thwart notches are definitely a bit odd. You may be able to find more about the possible cap rail or partial decking in Howard Chapelle's American Small Sailing Craft (which can be checked out from the internet archive, last I checked). There's a lot of info on small Chesapeake workboats there.

Very nice job! Looks like you had a good time building it, and will be ready to tackle your next model.

Thanks, all, I appreciate the likes and comments! @druxey, I'll definitely give that a try to sharpen the scraper. I have a curved scraper that should be useful inside the bow and stern. I’ve also started making some curved sanding blocks from scrap pine. Still considering whether to fair the exterior or interior first, but I'll be ready either way.