JacquesCousteau

Very nice job on a tricky repair! You mention being unhappy with it, but I think it looks much better and is work to be proud of.

Glad to see you picking this build up again! Good idea to use filler on the hull interior, I thought the planks were too uneven on the interior of my peapod build.

Very nicely done on what looks ike a surprisingly tricky kit! The natural wood color looks great.

A bit more on the build, plus more context on the history of the lancha chilota. I'm making progress on the hull fairing. One lesson that I learned from the Half Hull model was the importance of fairing well, so I've been taking my time with it, fairing a bit here and there and checking regularly with a batten. I've shimmed the second and sixth bulkhead, which seems to have mostly fixed the alignment issues I was having, and think I'm nearly there. A major challenge has been the lower portion of the bow, where the planking needed to take a sharp turn around the foremost bulkhead while also twisting sharply. I ended up sanding the bulkhead down beyond what the plans call for, because I couldn't find any other way to get a smooth curve there. A batten still doesn't quite form a smooth curve there, but a piece of curved, spiled wood (a bow plank I ended up discarding from the Half Hull) does seem to fit pretty well. Given the broad hull form, I think this model will be a bit tricky to plank well. With the hull nearly faired, I finally added the transom. I didn't have any way to really square this up, so I basically eyeballed it while holding it in place. After it mostly dried, I checked the distance between the transom and the bulkhead ahead of it on each side. The port side was about 1/3mm closer than the starboard, so I propped it to the correct shape with the extra support beam I added. Once this is dry, I can finish the hull fairing and add the stempost. Not a particularly exciting build log entry so far, I have to admit, which brings me to... The Lancha Chilota's Development: Design Characteristics In post #10, I wrote a bit about how the Lancha Chilota developed because of a combination of factors in the late nineteenth century: the growing availability of milled lumber and iron/steel tools and furnishings, the growing demand for trade, and some degree of foreign influence. All that's well and good, but it leaves out the question of how the lancha chilota itself changed over time and space. To start to answer this question, José A. Garnham's website says, on the basis on information from locals, that the lancha did change over time, if only subtly, in hull form and rig. These differences were subtle enough that some informants stated that there was no variation, but I feel that photos do demonstrate some changes. (Source: https://lanchaschilotas.com/diferencias-entre-la-lancha-chilota-antigua-y-la-calbucana/ ) Early lanchas, according to Garnham's informants, were rigged with a relatively short gaff and long boom well overhanging the stern. Their bowsprits were angled upward following the curve of the sheer, and their prows were relatively angled projecting forward. Over time, though, he writes, lanchas changed over to a new design called the Calbucana, as it first developed in the port of Calbuco. The lancha calbucana used a longer gaff that was more sharply angled upward and a shorter boom. The bowsprit was more horizontal, and the prow was more vertical. These changes made the calbucana a more weatherly craft than earlier lanchas. The higher-aspect-ratio gaff sail was more efficient to windward, while the deeper bow and lower bowsprit helped the vessel point upwind. Based on photos, the earlier type was practically superseded by the calbucana--although I have to note that I personally can only distinguish the difference in mainsail shape and don't really see the difference in the prow or bowsprit in the photos. Below: Early-style lanchas with their sails hung to dry at Angelmó, Puerto Montt, in the 1920s. The short gaff and long boom are noticeable. The same source link also includes other photos of 1920s lanchas that show similar rigs. Source: http://ceph-puerto-montt.blogspot.com/2009/02/album-del-recuerdo-imagenes-de-nuestra_22.html Below: A lancha calbucana in 1964. The changes in the mainsail's shape are apparent, if the purported differences in the prow and bowsprit are less so. Source: https://www.memoriasdelsigloxx.cl/601/w3-article-124898.html All of which is to say, the lancha chilota developed over time into a more weatherly, efficient vessel. As with most working vessels, describing them as "traditional" can paper over a rich history of changes over time. Beyond that, lanchas were highly variable in a number of respects. While some had nearly vertical sides, others had more dish-like hull forms. The depth/prominence of the keel also varied, as did the degree of sheer, the sharpness of the bow, and the breadth of the transom. Some degree of variation in form can be seen in the photos below. It's unclear to me whether these differences in hull form reflected regional differences, differences between builders' techniques, different design purposes, or a combination of these factors. Source: https://www.memoriasdelsigloxx.cl/601/w3-article-86076.html Source: https://www.memoriasdelsigloxx.cl/601/w3-article-86073.html Moreover, while nearly all lanchas had flat transom sterns, at least some had overhanging and/or rounded sterns. In this respect, these vessels resembled the larger two-masted schooners (also usually referred to as lanchas) that operated in the region and which I'll be writing a bit about in a future post. Below: a large single-masted lancha in 1950 with a notably rounded stern, quite distinct from typical lanchas. Source: http://ceph-puerto-montt.blogspot.com/2009/02/album-del-recuerdo-imagenes-de-nuestra_22.html Related to design, I've been trying to work out the location for the wale, and have concluded that there were a wide range of possibilities. Some vessels seem to have had a wale or rubbing strip at about the level of the deck, just under the scuppers at the bottom of the bulwark, like the vessel on the right in the photo below, or a bit lower (as given in the plans). Others, like the lancha on the left in the photo below, don't seem to have had visually distinct wales at all. Source: https://www.bibliotecanacionaldigital.gob.cl/bnd/629/w3-article-613545.html Still others, like this vessel here, seem to have had a thick wale at deck level with a bulwark of equal thickness above, and a thin wale (or a rubbing strip?) below. Source: https://www.memoriasdelsigloxx.cl/601/w3-article-86081.html So, I think I have a lot of flexibility in plotting out the wales. More broadly, all of these variations in hull design, and the fact that there's very little we know about the "why" behind them, suggests why local history is important in part to preserve local traditions of knowledge that are threatened by the homogenizing effects of development. At the same time, the lancha chilota itself owes its existence to a similar process by which it replaced the dalca.

Good luck on the repair! If nothing else, it will be good practice. I know I've seen a few build logs where people had to replace planks after accidentally wearing through them on the final sanding, so I know it can be done, but it certainly looks challenging.

Very nice job painting the hull. The minimalist approach really highlights the fine lines, and the green is a nice touch.

Nice job! I definitely had to deepen the bow rabbet on mine. Getting the curves right at the bow and stern is a challenge, but now you'll have a better idea of what to expect for future builds.

Welcome! I agree that it would be helpful to hear more about your specific interests. Basswood is very commonly used in kits and in scratchbuilding, as it's cheap, readily available, and easy to work with. There are a lot of techniques for smooth finishes, and you can find plenty of discussions about that topic if you search for them. Build logs are also useful resources. Finally, you mention waterproofing, but you don't have to worry about that unless you're making a remote control model. Best of luck!

I've been doing some fairing, something that takes a good bit of patient work and doesn't really produce interesting photos in the middle of the process (e.g., "here bulkhead 3 has been sanded by about 1/128 of an inch, I will check fairness with a batten a dozen times and continue sanding"). So far it's coming along well and is a good bit faster than the multiple months I spent fairing the Half-Hull, although it does look like bulkhead 6 and the lower half of bulkhead 2 will need to be slightly shimmed. While working on that, I turned my attention to something I should have figured out a while ago. As I mentioned above, the plan provides for a combined backbone/keel/stem piece, which I split into separate parts. The plans didn't show a visible sternpost, instead showing the planks simply running to the trailing edge of the hull (with the sternpost presumably inside covered on the sides by the planking. This seemed weird to me, so I looked at photos of the Quenita (the vessel the plans are based on). It was hard to tell what was going on at the stern, as the area was covered in a thick layer of tar or caulk or something. Source: https://lanchaschilotas.com/dscn7156/ In any case, I thought it looked like the planks might indeed run to the edge of the stern. I figured it might be an oddity of the type, so I decided against making a visible stempost and figured I would come back to the question later. As I'm getting closer to planking, I took a deeper look at other examples. Although there aren't many close-ups of this area, I found a few that do indeed show a visible sternpost. The Voladora, a yacht lancha that was built beginning in 2008, does show a sternpost from the sides. It's rabbeted at an angle, such that it's relatively wide where it joins the keel, but tapers (on the exterior) to where it meets the transom. Source: https://lavoladorachiloe.blogspot.com/2008_06_27_archive.html?m=0 The model lancha held by the Museo Regional de Ancud, which I linked to in an earlier post, shows something similar. Checking elsewhere on this site, I noticed that this is basically how the Syren Medway Longboat handles its sternpost, as well. So, before I add the transom (which I've unglued the plank from in the meantime), I'll need to add a sternpost to the aft end of the backbone. I don't think it should be too tricky to add.

Looks great!

I think your friend will be very happy!

Very nice! What are you using for the cargo?

Thanks! I think I will plank it after adding it, so I'll need to wait a bit until I have access to my exacto knife again so I can pry the plank off after soaking the joint in alcohol. I finished the framework except for the transom, adding support pieces to better support it at the stern. I can't use the binder clips or the square to check evenness on the transom, so I'm planning on fairing the rest of the hull first and using battens to line it up, and adding more support beams once I have it squared.

More work on the bulkheads. By now, I've added almost all of them to the hull. I've also been adding support pieces, as can be seen below. These are crucial because I didn't do a great job of cutting out the slots, leading to a good bit of play which was actually useful in allowing me to properly align each bulkhead but which would have led to very weak joints. Adding 1/8-inch thick supports along the edges of the joints has significantly strengthened the framework. I've used a combination of methods to ensure proper alignment. Large binder clips help keep the bulkheads square. To check symmetry, I've been drawing a horizontal line across the widest point of the bulkhead, then marking the midpoint and using a small square to mark a perpendicular line (which intersects with the slot). I then line up the internal and external corner of the square along this vertical line in order to draw two lines coming off at a 45-degree angle. This provides me with more points to check symmetry. (As can be seen below, I also carved out a portion to mark the location of the fore hatch. One difficulty is that I wasn't able to bring my exacto knife, so I've been using a tiny cutter lent by family.) The horizontal lines across all the bulkheads helps with visually lining everything up once you dry-fit the remaining bulkheads, but eyeballing it can only get close to proper alignment. So, when test-fitting, I use the square as below (except held by hand) to check the distance to the widest point of the bulkhead and the height. I can then check to make sure it's the same on both sides, which can sometimes require sanding the slot a bit wider. Once it fits evenly, I glue it in place, check again for evenness with the square, and then use a binder clip to hold it square. I also use a string glued to the tip of the prow to make sure that the outer tips of the bulkhead are equidistant from the prow, as Wefalck suggested. (The string is also helpful for making sure that the center lines all align.) Once the bulkhead is firmly in place and the glue has dried, I glue supports to the aft end of the joint and along the fore side of the next bulkhead slot, dry-fitting the latter and binder-clipping it square to make sure the supports are properly fitted. With all that, it's been somewhat slow progress, but progress nonetheless. I can definitely see how a building jig would be necessary for a more complex POF build, but so far it seems like I've figured out a way to work around my self-created issues with this build. I think I may have to add a shim or two to properly fair the hull, but we'll see once I start sanding, and it shouldn't be anything too challenging. In any case, I've been adding support pieces closer to the edge of the bulkheads to make sure that everything stays in place while fairing. The framework is now pretty sturdy. Finally, a question. Is it generally recommended to plank the transom before or after it's attached? I started planking it, thinking that it would be easier to do off the hull and that I could then fair it in place, but I'm concerned that if I need to shim it to get the hull fair, I'll need to pull off all the planking and redo it.

Thank you, this is extremely helpful! I hadn't realized the Glad Tidings was a good point of comparison, but it definitely is. The parts lists online are useful to a point, but the plans are much more helpful.

Thank you to @wefalck, @Thukydides, and @Paul Le Wol for your suggestions. Javier Barón's work is fantastic, and I'm considering whether I want to use a similar method to his to make one of the small boats that often were towed by lanchas. Although I considered filling in the spaces between bulkheads, I decided against it, both because the bulkheads are fairly closely spaced and because I'm planning on making an open POF build next and see this model as good practice for planking that hull. Before adding the bulkheads, I added some blocks at the bow to provide a stronger basis for gluing. I also marked the bearding line and gave the backbone a preliminary sanding so the planking will run smoothly. This process will be finished during fairing. As for squaring up the bulkheads, I unfortunately don't have any legos at the moment. But I do have binder clips that provide a square edge. I started at the bow, first slightly shimming the bulkhead to sit about 1/64‐inch higher so it properly lined up with the rabbet. After getting it at a right angle to the backbone and propping the assembly upright on a flat surface, I adjusted the bulkhead left and right to get it properly centered. I used a small square to measure the distance from the edge of the bulkhead to the backbone, the height of the left and right corners, and the distance from the tip of the prow to each bulkhead corner (following Wefalck's advice, I will use string to do this in the future, but the distance was short enough at the moment to use the square). Everything measured up even. I also added some 1/8-inch square supports on the fore side to strengthen the joint so that it won't come loose when I fair the hull later, using another binder clip to clamp them while the glue dries. Once this side is ready, I'll add similar supports to the aft side, and will move on to the next bulkhead.

I recently began work on a 1:32 model of a Lancha Chilota, a kind of small coasting sloop used in Chile from roughly 1900-1970. (Link in signature). I'm trying to figure out what diameters of rope I should use for the rigging. After doing some searching and not quite finding what I was looking for--most rigging references and posts on this topic are about warships from 1650-1850--I thought that I would post directly here. Sorry if this question has been answered elsewhere! From what I can tell, much of the standing rigging was wire, while the running rigging was rope. A couple photos that show what I'm talking about: Source: https://www.memoriasdelsigloxx.cl/601/w3-article-86081.html Source: https://www.bibliotecanacionaldigital.gob.cl/visor/BND:320806 I recognize that it's very unlikely that someone will know exactly what diameters of rope and wire were actually used, and my sense is that these vessels would have likely used whatever was at hand and effective for the job rather than following fully standardized rules. For my build, my goal is more to choose material that will look in-scale than to figure out how to exactly replicate the rigging. I've had a hard time figuring out what diameter of material would be appropriate for a vessel of this size (around 25-30 feet long) in this period, though. I found some information in Willits D. Ansel's The Whaleboat showing that around 1910 , whaleboats generally used 9/16-inch line for the shrouds and 5/8-inch line for the halyards (I'm assuming this is diameter, as the rope would be quite thin if it's circumference). In 1:32 scale, this would correspond to roughly .45mm/.017in and .5mm/.019in rope (using sizes available commercially from Ropes of Scale--at this time, I am not able to make my own rope). However, while a whaleboat is of comparable length, a Lancha is a much bulkier vessel seagoing vessel with a lot more sail area, so I assume the equivalent lines would need to be thicker. Moreover, the wire standing rigging would have presumably been thinner than rope rigging of corresponding strength. Changing gears, I saw that the parts list for the Model Shipways Willie Bennett skipjack kit, which is also in 1:32 scale and models a workboat that also used wire standing rigging, includes .012in and .02in wire, as well as .021in and .028in rope, all of which are sizes that I could approximate with available sizes of black and tan rope from Ropes of Scale (respectively, .35mm and .5mm black rope, and .6mm and .7mm tan rope). However, the Willie Bennett is a larger vessel, 42.5ft long vs the 26ft lancha I'm modeling, so presumably the lancha could use rather thinner lines. All that considered, at the moment I'm thinking of representing the wire standing rigging with .25mm/.009in and .45mm/.017in black rope, and the rope running rigging mostly with .5mm/.019in and .6mm/.023in tan rope. Does anyone have a sense of whether that would look out of scale, or have suggestions for more accurate measurements? Thanks in advance!

While traveling, I brought along the second test sail to try out. Unlike the first one, it's made of tissue paper instead of a coffee filter, and has reinforcement strips glued around the edge and panel lines drawn on (I didn't bother getting them fully even, as this is just a test). After wetting it and furling it (flattening one half to mimic how it will look resting on top of the rancho), I have to say that I think I like the look of the coffee filter better. In too many places, this sail took on sharp creases that don't look so much like fabric. Maybe I didn't soak it enough, but I did run it under the sink which seems like it should have been enough. The reinforcement strips are also nearly invisible and started peeling off in a couple places. So, for the final version, I think I will 1) make it out of a big coffee filter, and 2) not bother with panel lines or reinforcement strips (although it will get bolt ropes). This is taking some time, but I'm looking forward to having a result I like.

Also, if anyone has any suggestions about how to best ensure that bulkheads are even and square on the backbone, I'd love to hear them.

A bit more prep work on the lancha's skeleton. As mentioned above, the backbone was a bit oversized, so I trimmed off the excess on the front and bottom. I also extended the space for the transom. Later, I marked off the space for the rabbet (not pictured). There were a few places where I had cut too close to the line and the bulkheads needed to be built out a bit. In a couple places where it was more of a gouge, I added a bit of wood filler. For other spots, I built up multiple layers using thin scrap strips from planing. After the photo below, this was then sanded smooth. I was worried about imprecisions in cutting the slots, so I started thinking up ways to check before gluing how things are lining up. I hit upon the idea of loosely placing a 1/8x1/32-inch batten along the sheer line, clamped in only a few locations, as a way of doing a preliminary check for fairness. In general, the results were reassuring in that nothing seems to be disastrously off. A few bulkheads will need to be adjusted, especially number 6, which is notably short on one side creating a dip, and number 8, which is sitting a little high, and the bulkheads haven't been properly squared yet to the backbone. But other than those, the battens produced a more or less fair line. I was even able to use them to confirm that the transom, which I was worried I had cut too low, sits at the proper height. Next up, I'll be adjusting the fit (especially for bulkheads 6 and 8). I'm also going to add a 1/8‐inch-square strip along the bow so that the planking there can smoothly run into the rabbet. This will also substantially strengthen the projecting bow of the backbone, which is extremely flimsy due to crossgrain.

Welcome, and very nice job on the hull!

Incredible job!

Very nice job so far!

When I tried to custom order 1/32‐inch thick sheets earlier this year, Ocooch told me that the thinnest they could do was 3/64-inch.

Thanks! That would make sense, and if I remember correctly a lot of Spanish fishing boats had something like this. But, as far as I can tell they didn't do this on Canoas. Every photo I've seen is pretty clear that the only lines running down from near the top of the mast are the backstays and the halyard. Some photos also show the yard hanging quite a ways off the mast, suggesting a rather loose parrel. I'll have to think about it more. In any case, I'll be away from the build for a bit. I'm visiting my in-laws for Day of the Dead, and will be trying my hardest to eat my weight in tamales, mole, and pan de muerto over the next several days.