cdrusn89

I waited to post again until I had something more or less DONE and now the mizzen mast, gaff and quarter deck are pretty much there. I have all of the mizzen braces, halyards, lifts etc. completed, the ends tied off and rope coils in place. I had not intended to use the round coils which you see at the stern (IMHO they are a pain to make) but the cleats there are so small (and hard to get at AND see what you are doing) that I used coils on the deck for two of the lines on each side. At some point in the distant past I broke off the small cleat in the middle on the port side. I had a few of those cleats left over but estimated my chances of successfully getting it glued on as finite but very, very small so I substituted one of the larger ones and then to keep things symmetrical I broke off the center one on the starboard side and repeated the process. Here is another picture of the mizzen mast The tangle of line is for the main topsail yard braces. The one that terminates at a timberhead rather than a cleat. (Number 63 for those following along). I got all the lines terminated at the mizzen mast pin rack and added rope coils on top to hide the fact that the lines were CAed to the belaying pin and/or pin rack. I also managed to add thew rope around the ship's wheel; not sure how I missed that step but it was only annoying having to work one turn at a time then wait for the H2O/PVA to set, then another turn. I managed to drill holes in the deck approximately where they should be (I think) and glued the ends into the holes. And I added the hammock cranes to the forward end on the qdeck. I had to unrig the mizzen stay deadeye to get the center crane in place. My plan is to add the other hammock cranes and lifelines AFTER all the rigging in the center is finished. They are just too inviting a target and not all that sturdy.

All of the rigging shown on Rigging Plan 3 (except the bow sprit/jib boom) are completed. All the lines have been run to their belay point but not yet secured (hence all the clamps you see hanging about). I am working on trying to find the right jig (I have several from previous builds) to make up the "rope coils" to dress up the belay points (and hide any shortcuts (like CA instead of a "proper" securing) but so far there are so many different types I may have to create some additional templates. The very limited space on the shroud cleats is one area where I do not have anything that will work. On the fore and main I had to remove the blocks under the cross trees and add them further outboard on the cross trees in order to get the lines (topsail lifts) to them. As I originally installed them they were "embedded" in the tops of the topmast shrouds and I would had a devil of a time trying to thread a line through them. Aside from those issues everything went "according to plan" except the gaff lift. The plan shows two double blocks with the standing end on the lower block becket and the bitter end going down from the upper block to the pin rail at the base of the mizzen. As best I can tell this "misses" one of the sheaves on the lower block. I just ignored the problem and left the other lower block sheave empty. It is pretty hard to see under the mizzen platform. I was so close to finishing the mizzen I was not up for moving the standing end to the top or replacing the lower with a single.

I obviously can't read a drawing but as Thukydides mentions it was up to the commander whether or not the tar the ratlines. I think the lighter color avoids the shroud/ratlines looking like a spider's web. Fritz - that must be a typo on the drawing should be .1mm not .01mm. As you point out that would way too small.

Fritz, In Daivd Antscherl's book on rigging the Swan Class Sixth rater he says the fore and main ratlines are 1.5" and the mizzen 1". I think that in general line sizes are circumference not diameter so at 1/64 scale and in diameter that would be about (using 3.0 for pi to allow my math skills to work) then the 1.5" line would be .5" diameter at full size and .0078" at 1/64th. That book also states that the ratlines were tarred which was not the case in the Sphinx kit as the tan line was specified for the ratlines. I used Syren Ultra tan in the .008" (aka .2mm) size which is twice the size called out in the plans on all three masts. I found the .1mm 100% polyester line supplied with the kit more difficult to work with. I am surprised that the ratline size would vary from mast to mast unless only the smaller lighter sailors were top men on the mizzen mast.

Lifts/halyards on all three fore mast yards completed. Lines are all terminated with weights (clamps) for now. Moving on to main mast yards starting at the top as I did on the fore -mseemed easier to stay out of my own way but I will not have as convenient assess from the front on the main. One item I had to correct was the lift blocks for the fore yard on the mast. Instead of using bridles around the top mast I used eyebolts in the mast cap - then I apparently put the mast cap on backwards (hard to tell since the hole sizes are almost identical) - had to cut the old ones off and fab new ones to mount on mast cap along side the topsail mast. Would have been really "fun" trying to weave the lift lines through the shrouds/ratlines with the blocks in the old position..

The fore topgallant and topsail yards are in place with the lifts and halyards reeved and taken to there belay points but not yet secured. The alligator clip is holding the other lines at bay while I rigged the fore yard lifts. The fore yards is just "hanging there at the moment. I thought it better to rig the lifts before securing the yard to the mast. Quite the rats nest. This mast is worse than the main since it has the braces and such from the sprit sails running though under the fore platformas well at the lifts and such for the fore yard. (I keep telling myself that things will get easier.) Here is the fore topgallant yard in place. And the fore topsail yard. I have the repaired jib boom in place and the spirt topsail yard "just hanging there" for now. The more flex it has the less likely an errant elbow or wrist will knock it off again. I will revisit the bowsprit after I get the masts done.

I guess both good and bad things come in threes. I broke the mizzen and fore top gallant masts and now the jib boom. It broke just at the hole where the sprit topsail yard was installed. An obvious weak point. This is the "scene of the crime" after I cleared away most of the "wreckage". I flattened off the two ends of the jib boom, drilled a #60 hole in the center (hopefully) of each end and fit them back together with a .040 phosphor-bronze pin inserted into both ends. A few drops of thin CA and a stand in for the fore top gallant stay to keep the two pieces aligned vertically and let the CA set. I plan on wrapping the affected area in .012 dark brown line to add some additional support. How the sprit topsail yard gets attached is TBD for now but a hole and pin is NOT in the plan..

I completed all of the rigging shown on Rigging Sheet 2. Then I added the Spritsail and Sprit topsail yards to the bowsprit and jib boom. I followed the instructions and used small (.032" music wire) pins to hold the yards to the jib boom and bow sprit. If I had it to do over again I would put the pin on the ship not the yard. I had the devils own time trying to "find the hole" and get the yard seated correctly. I used five minute epoxy to attempt a "secure" bond. After the glue dried I fashioned the slings for the yards and glued them in place with CA. Hopefully nothing will fall off between now and completion. With the two yards in place I finished the rigging shown on Rigging sheet 2 and the rigging for the bowsprit and jib boom shown on Rigging Sheet 3. Then I began to contemplate what to do next. Looking at Rigging sheets 3 and 4 I noted that the braces for the two bowsprit yards run through double blocks, two on each side under the foremast platform. Figuring that this is the most uncluttered time to try and run lines through these blocks I secured the two spritsail braces to the fore main stay collar (or thereabouts) and ran them through the blocks on the yard, through the two sets of block and down to the pin rail at the aft end of the forecastle. I ran the sprit topsail braces similarly. I left enough extra line in place so these can be out of the way while getting the fore yard in place. I also added the lines for the fore yard lifts as they start at the two double blocks also under the fore platform. I am tempted to start at the top of the foremast adding the yards and rigging moving down rather than add all the yards and then start rigging the halyards lifts and braces.

All the back stays are now complete. I tied off the deadeye lanyards but have not "secured" them yet "just in case" I need to tighten or loosen something as the fore mast rigging progresses. As you can see the main top gallant stay looks a little slack here. Hopefully the fore top mast (or top gallant) stays will "take up the slack". Which means that the fore mast crowfeet are next since I do not want to have the fore top mast stays in the way trying to thread the crowsfeet. Here is the model is it stands now and close-ups of the fore mast backstays areas.

Thanks TJ and Tim - as you can see I have incorporated both suggestions. But not before I snapped off the fore top gallant mast into three pieces. I did not attempt to repair this one - cut down/removed the shrouds and fabricated a replacement which is now ready for rigging the back stays (which I sorta forgot some where along the way). While neglecting the back stays I did manage to get the fore and preventer stays in place. While doing that I noticed that in my hurry to move along I neglected to include the lashings on the sides of the closed hearts on the main and main preventer stays so that was one more thing I had to fix. After a couple of tries doing it with the main preventer in place I finally gave up and cut the lanyards, removed the heart from the fore mast and added the lashings then reinstalled everything. Now on to the fore mast back stays.

It is beginning to look like a ship! I installed the remaining main stays (Top Mast, Top Mast Preventer and Top Gallant mast). No issues aside from having to work around the shrouds, ratlines etc. Here are the tackle ends on the three upper main mast stays. I have not yet secured the lanyards for the main preventer stay. I seized a small thimble above the double block at the top to provide a convenient place to terminate the stays. And then the moment I have been dreading for a good bit - adding the bowsprit/jib boom. Such an inviting target for wayward elbows, shirt sleeves etc. But I can't add the fore mast stays without so - "Let's be particularly careful from here on". I did the gammoning first but not before I had to undo the boomkin stays as they really got in my way rigging the gammoning, I needed about 1.5" of CA hardened end on the 0.25" Syren Ultra Brown line so I could tread it through the slots in the bow platform floor and find the other end. I also rigged the four bowsprit stays which took a bit of effort trying to thread the deadeyes since I seemed invariably to be on the wrong side when trying to tread the deadeyes. Lanyards have not yet been treated with 60/40 PVA water but that is next. And here is the model as it stands now Not sure the back of the plans is any better than the grey door. I am looking to buy some white poster board to make a better background.

Crowsfeet may be my new most disliked activity. To add insult to injury the drawings (Sheet 21) shows 16 "loops" on the main when in fact there are 22 (11 holes in the euphroe block and 22 holes in the platform. As I learned on the mizzen I drilled out all the holes to #60 to reduce the frustration trying to thread the line in from below. I managed to get the "hang" of these on the mizzen. Luckly I started there as the main has twice as many lines and it was a challenge to keep track of where the next line went and did go up from the bottom or down from above. I lost track at three the number of times I had to remove the last few lines because I did get it correct. I would also drill out the holes in the euphroe block to #72 - the .008" line, swelled up by thin CA to make it stiff is almost an interference fit to the euphroe block holes as supplied. That is the bad news, the good news is I took a "sawg" at how much line it would take to do all 22 loops and came out about 5" long. Not bad IMHO. And here is the "final product". I will tighten up the lanyard on both the main stay and main preventer when I get the last two blocks installed on the main stay (Fore Topsail Yard brace blocks).

Ratlines are COMPLETE!! The last set on the fore top mast are done and I can say that after the first couple of sets it kinda became just "a task". If I had it to do over again I would probably not use the Syren .008" tan ultra line for the ratlines. I have probably a dozen places where the clove hitch has become "undone" at one edge or the other. I used 6/40 PVA/Water to try and stabilize the knots but obviously either the PVA/Water was not up to the task or I did not apply it liberally enough. Blue Jackets sells a .005" 100% cotton line (although it is (or was) pretty close to white rather than tan) that would probably have been better for this application. I am told 100% cotton ties better (aka more secure) knots than the polyester blends and it is closer to the specified .1mm than he Syren. Here is the final set of ratlines. Top gallant shrouds are next but I wanted to get some other "business" between the main and fore mast done first. Having previously prepared the main and main preventer stays I chose to install them now. The supplied "mouses" worked as advertised but I am planning on putting a coat of clear flat on them at "clean-up" to reduce the "shine". On the real ship they are made from rope so no shine. The preventer stay went pretty much "by the book" although I have not terminated the lanyard yet in case it needs to be tightened when the rest of the main mast stays are in place. The main stay was another matter. The drawing (Sheet 21) shows the main preventer stay as having closed hearts on both ends but does not show detail for the main stay. I assumed it was the same as the preventer and added a closed heart (7mm) at the end of the main stay. The drawings says "Main stay collar goes through hole in bow knee and up through holes in the bow platform". Holes in the platform are easy enough to find but I could find no indication of a hole in the bow knee on any of the drawings included. Not wanting to drill more holes and unsure of exactly how I would be able to adjust the "legs" of the bridle that holds the forward heart I decided on a different approach. The drawing calls for "G" size line (.5mm) for the main stay bridle. I thought that a bit under-size (it is the main stay after all) and chose to use 1mm line instead. I also had to use a small needle file to "smooth out" the slot in the closed heart so the line would fit comfortably. I installed the 7mm closed heart on the bridle, added a "T" size thimble on both legs of the bridle and ran the two "legs" through the holes in the bow platform. I used a piece of 5/8" plastic tube as a stand in for the bowsprit and ran the legs outside the bow rails with 2oz weights on each leg. With weights tensioning the bridle I installed the lashings between the two hearts and adjusted to get a "proper" spacing. With the lashings in place and secured (temporarily) I used medium CA to glue the bridle legs, thimble and bow platform together on each side. A little black paint touch-up and this should "work". All that is left is to cut off the bridle "legs" below the bow platform.

I have been busy (doing other than model making) since my last post but have made some progress in getting the masts/shrouds/ratlines completed. I have both the main and mizzen masts completed with all the ratlines, shrouds and back stays. I also managed to rig the mizzen stay and the associated crowsfeet. I think I found something I dislike more than ratlines. Maybe it is because this is my first experience with crowsfeet but it certainly takes some fore thought and practice (I rigged it at least three times). I drilled out all the holes in the platform with a #60 drill to make it easier to thread the line through from below. I lost track of the number of failed attempts at getting the thin (.008") line through what I was sure was an even smaller hole. Also a good idea to check that none of the holes are clogged with paint or otherwise inaccessible due to potential misalignment of the two platform pieces. I have not secured the lanyard in the deadeye yet - am waiting until all the stresses in the mizzen stay work their way out. Can't have slack stays. While all this was in process I managed to snap the mizzen top gallant mast off about one third the way up. I managed to save most of the rigging but had to destructively remove the mast cap in order to get the repaired mast back in place. Luckily I still had the mast caps from kit #1 so I was able to trim up the mast top and use that. Still needs paint. Since I just sort of fit the two mast pieces back together more less matching the two pieces as best I could but there were still a few obvious voids or places where some of the material was lost. I added a seizing over the affected area to hide the damage. I would add the seizing to the other top gallant masts but the main is already in place with all the rigging so that is probably in the "too hard" pile. I could paint a black band to match I suppose. Here is a close up of the mizzen after the repairs.

Mizzen mast shrouds and back-stays completed. Another milestone. Since I have all the top mast ratlines on the main mast done I am going to proceed and complete the main mast before moving on to complete the fore top mast ratlines and then add the top gallant and back stays there. Forgive the "cluttered" images but this program will not upload a picture cropped with Apple's Photo app for some reason. I hope to take out some thge top gallant mast rake with the mizzen mast stays.