Pitan

Those figures look great Chris. I'm wondering about the front legs of Aubrey's chair, could the tops be a tad shorter? Maybe just proud of the seat? They look uncomfortable, digging into his right thigh (I doubt the change would affect Maturin's stance).

@chris watton had one at the Society of Model Shipwrights show in Portsmouth earlier this summer, and I spent a lot of time looking at his original. I succumbed to temptation ...

Thanks. I went over the top decorating the back (forward facing) side of the stairs, then realised that the bulkhead door was blind, and I needn't have made the effort.

A little catch-up on her grace, the Duchess. We have a fair amount of re-painting, and a little assembly to report. The pink was remixed, and is subtly darker in tone. This, I think, shows to better effect on the model. The rail patterns and rails have been added. One issue I had on the quarterdeck was the dome base (by the central cabin door). This single piece broke along the grain, and, after a struggle, has been replaced with three pieces. I planned for two attempt, but my first effort works well enough. You can see the spiral stair into the reception cabin here too (How easy would that have been to negotiate in an 18c pannier skirt?). The wales have been painted, but are not attached yet. Here you may see a wooden gauge, made to help guide the upper wale. A start has been made on the Stern fascia, and mid-deck bulkhead (reception cabin wall). I've been reading about the French use of false windows earlier in the 18C, and have decided to make the middle window of the stern fascia blind. In practice, a glazed window would have been very close to the rudder, and probably wouldn't allow much light.

The decks and inner bulwarks have been added: In order to break up the sameness of the deck planking, some planks were given a thin wash of colour (burnt sienna, or transparent yellow iron oxide*), which was rubbed back before spraying a light harmonising coat of oxide yellow. The inner bulwarks are unpainted, and will, likely, retain their natural colour. The next stage will be to clean up excess material, especially the quarter deck / poop deck bulwarks. * Looks like very translucent yellow ochre.

That looks beautiful Chris. Noob question, is that 3d print (by the first hatch) the stove's chimney? It seems to point/vent aft.

After a bit more delay, painting has started on the DoK. Since we're not using standard colours, a couple of bottles have been made up: These have been applied in a conventional arrangement (if lighter tones). The white has been applied a bit early in the build sequence, I hope that doesn't come back to bite me. This slight downward shot shows a little over spray, the (previously masked) area around deck holes.

Hello wefalck, and thank-you Steel in his writing agreed with you: Source: https://maritime.org/doc/steel/part7.php#pg220 I have no idea what it would have been called.

In the 18th century, the Royal Navy had several classes of snow rigged sloops*. The rig is mentioned in The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War 1625-1860 by James Lees, and in The Sloop of War 1650-1763 by Ian McLaughan. Both authors suggest that the later RN snows used a rope hawse (or horse?) rather than the wooden mast used on merchant vessels. While discussing snows, Steel mentions the RN's use of a rope horse to support a try sail. Lees does give a couple of examples for attaching wooden snow masts (pp 11-12). I have not seen how a rope mast was secured, neither at the head nor the foot. There is an indication in McLaughlin that the foot of the rope was tightened with a pair of blocks (possibly deadeyes), but no indication of how the lower block was attached to the ship (Fig 1-9, p 18). My question is, how was the rope mast attached? Are there examples out there? * For example, about 25 sloops built between 1742 and 1747 were snow rigged.

Sorry, very late to the party, but, are you aware of the book The Athenian Trireme by Morrison, Coates and Rankov from Cambridge University Press? This is about a full size reconstruction of a Greek warship (the Olympias) and the archaeological research that went into the build.

It feels like a long time since I posted an update on my DoK build. Second planking is complete. It even looks reasonable in front and side views. Looking at the stern, it is a mess. I think my biggest mistake here was following the instructions and gluing the stern counter and, especially, the stern post this early. Had I left them off, I could have trimmed the lower planks to length before attaching the stern components. Not sure what that would have done for the first five planks, though? Maybe there's an even better way? I've also done the below water-line filling, smoothing the hull in this area. This highlights an issue that was harder to see in earlier photos - my planks at the bow haven't been thinned enough. This is low, under the hull, and won’t be that visible later, but... Now, I need to think about painting the bulwarks. Vanguard suggest blue, red and gold, which are royal colours, but, I feel this is the Duchess of Kingston's personal yacht. The Duchy of Kingston's arms were Argent, semée of cinquefoils gules, a lion rampant sable. Which translates as a white (silver) shield, covered in red cinquefoils, with a black lion rampant. The shield's supporters were also black lions. A picture can be seen here: https://lordbelmontinnorthernireland.blogspot.com/2017/08/1st-duke-of-kingston.html. Click on the picture in that link to see a larger version. The supporters in that link stand upon a blue-turquoise, gold and light red (pink?) structure. The Duchess was born a Chudleigh. The Chudleigh arms are, essentially, an ermine field (black on white), with three red lions rampant - essentially the same colour scheme as the Dukes of Kingston. (Versions can be seen in this link: http://chudleighhistorygroup.uk/articles/town_crest.html). (Ermine is the white winter fur and black tail of a stoat). While common to both families, black, white, and red strike me as a bit masculine for a duchess's yacht. Question is, what colour would she paint her ship?

A small update, to say I've been away for a week, but am back and the duchess' yacht is still in progress. The second layer of planking has started. The green pins on the starboard side are a happy accident. I'm having problems at the stern, with bending hull planks up. I'm using a lot of heat to make those bends, and we can see scorching as a result. At this stage, I realise that I followed the instructions and added the stern post before the second planks. The planking process would probably be easier if I'd swapped the sequence (i.e. second planks should be before the stern post).

Looks complex Nick. I don't recall using edge bending on my Sherbourne, though I did bend the planks using an electric plank bender (mine isn't Amarti, but this is similar https://www.amatimodel.com/en/tools-and-equipment-parts-per-model/product-electric-plank-bender-b7205.html). Every few rows of planks, I heated the planks with the iron, to get them to conform to the hull. (Use a splash of water to prevent scorching.)

Thanks Knocklouder, Was that three times those rails broke for you? At least they can be repaired

Help, a long time ahead of need, but I expect I'll want guidance for these rails. These are side rails, but I'm concerned that they'll be very vulnerable when attached to the model. Is there a trick to preventing breakages, or limiting the damage, that I can apply now? TIA

A bit more progress - the outer bulwarks, stem and keel skins are on. The figurehead guard has been modified to accommodate the extra width. Clamped here, because the glue is still drying.

The instructions say to soak the Stern Counter Pattern – Lower (part 77) in boiling water for an hour and a half. Well, I didn't boil it for that long, but the lower counter pattern did get its soaking. It was then bound to a cylinder that happened to be the right size to fit under the yacht's stern, and left to set over night. Unwrapping the part this morning, it'd taken on the desired curve. This is (I believe) dry fitted, but looked similar glued. And now, with the Stern Counter Pattern – Upper (part 78) glued, filled and filed back. The next stage will be the side patterns, meaning yet more overnight soaking.

Progress with the inner planking; the garboard plank clamped. The inner planking is on, awaiting filling and smoothing. There is some scorching visible here: A hot plank bender is first used to curve the plank to the hull for fitting. After glue has set, I then come back with the plank bender, and press the boards down to the bulkhead form.

Last week, a few bits and pieces for rigging the Duchess arrived from Chuck at Syren Ship Modelling. These won't be used for a while yet (and some might divert to my Sherbourne). Today, I dropped the duchess on her stem, and succeeded in breaking off the bow pattern (part 49). Not an intended action, but it is, at least, recoverable. The figurehead support I'd made earlier shattered, but preserved the form of the pattern. The bow pattern, back in place, together with the first of the inner planks. I'll repair the support, and, while it worked before, hope that experiment isn't repeated.

Inner (core) bulwark assembly under way. The near (starboard) bulwark is glued. The far (port) bulwark is attached at the stem and first two bulkheads are glued, clip & clamps establishing the proposed future set of the wood. The string (coarse boot lace) makes an effective strap.

Thanks Bob I'll probably leave the knight's head off. It is known to be fragile, and I can't see a helmet in the RMG drawing (here: https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-460861)

A small update. The bulkheads have received more shaping and the bow core is added. One detail, I made a guard for the figurehead support Made from scrap wood, I hope to reduce the risk of breakages in this area.

I was at the Society of Model Shipwrights exhibition in Plymouth last week, stationed next to Chris Watton's stand. One model, in particular, caught my eye, the "Royal Yacht, Duchess of Kingston – 1778" kit. The ship was built in an old-fashioned style, early 18C, rather than late 18C, but, for me, this adds to the appeal. Once home from the show, I placed an order. It was in the next post and, arrived in my porch on Monday. A remarkably quick turn around. The kit is based on plans held at the National Maritime Museum, and it is known that the duchess owned (at least) one yacht. Soon after the Duke of Kingston's death, she sailed the vessel to Italy, and had it conveyed up the Tiber to Rome (according to the Newgate Calendar https://www.exclassics.com/newgate/ng308.htm). Now, I have a Vanguard Sherbourne, about ready for fitting out - delayed for want of small (< 2mm) blocks, and really shouldn't start another build before that is complete. Shouldn't? I have started another build, the Duchess of Kingston's yacht. Assembly started last night, with me testing the fit of the MDF core, which led to gluing the same. A bit more work today led to the fitting of a deck (not sure which deck this'd be, with that much space it could be a lounge) I did deviate from Vanguard's instructions, in that they call for bevelling of some bulkheads before adding to the model. While some doublers at the bow and stern were bevelled before gluing, the bulk heads were delayed until after the ply decks were complete. And, with all MDF and structural decks fitted.

Oh, that sounds interesting. The shallop was one of my first models, and the Viking ship is on my wish list.

Looks like good progress. Off topic, I'm intrigued by your scenic materials (I think), and, (maybe) figure armatures in the background of your last photo.