captainbob

"managed to scrape by (pun intended)."  Did you have to say that.  Ah, well, it's beautiful work anyway.
 
Bob

Michael, 
 
Even your tools are a work of art.  Beautiful.
 
Bob

Hi all,
 
Years ago I read "Sailing Alone Around the World" by Joshua Slocum, and in January 2012 I decided that I would build his boat, the "SPRAY", in 1/48 scale POF with bent framing. The way Slocum built it.  I started asking questions on this forum, and I want to thank all those who answerd with help.  The information on this forum is invaluable.
 
Then the research began.  In the first chapter of his book, Slocum said he was given an old "fishing smack".  So I looked for fishing smacks of 1800.  About when his was built.  Someone suggested the "Emma C Berry" for framing, so I hunted for information on that boat.  I also gathered as many plan drawings of the "Spray" as I could find.  About five.
 
Now it was time to check and redraw the plans.  The first thing I discovered was that ALL the plans had errors.  Things like, the shear and section views would agree and the shear and the plan views would agree, but the width of the plan was no where near the same as the width of the sections.  Of the drawings I had, the drawing from the appendix in the book was the closest.  So I traced that into an old copy of AutoCad and worked out the errors.
 
Checking the fishing smacks plans had shown a frame spacing of from 15" to 22" I chose 18" for framing the Spray.  I drew a section at each frame.  I offset a line .031" inside to subtract the 1.5" planking Slocum used.  The frames will be 3" X 5" so again I offset another line .062 inside the planking for the frames.  This gave me the section lines for the plug I will carve to shape the frames.
 
I am going to plank only half the deck and deck houses so I can show the insides, taken from the sketches in Slocum's book. (See below)
 
Bob
 

I'm pulling up a chair now.
 
Bob

Any iron, nails, old chain links, screws, will rust in the vinegar it doesn't have to be steel wool. I first used a similar set up to age wood.  First paint the wood with brewed tea, that adds tannic acid to the surface.  Then paint it with the rusty vinegar.  The wood turned a nice gray.  I also saw a friend paint walnut with the rusty vinegar, without the tea, and it looked like a fine ebony.  Try it, it's just vinegar.
 
Bob

You're doing such a good job.  We can already see what a fine lady she will be.
 
Bob

Mix epoxy or polyester resin 50/50 with alcohol and paint the inside with that.  When the alcohol evaporates it will leave a thin layer of the epoxy which is more durable then varnish.
 
Bob

Ah, yes.  Fun in the makeing. 
 
Bob

I’m sure most of us have had that feeling, the build is complete but it just doesn’t feel right.  Well that’s what happened to me with the dory.  I decided I wasn’t finished with the dory build.  I had placed fishing items in the dory but it just didn’t feel complete.  I tried to start the little yawl, which is my next build, but I kept coming back to the dory.
 
Finally I decided to make it into a diorama.  To place the dory in the ocean, at home, as it were, where it spent most of its time.  Many fishermen used trawl lines but this fellow is fishing with a hand line.  I just seemed right.
 
I got a lot of help from several of you here at MSW.  But I especially want to thank Dan for taking me through it step by step.
 
        Dan, this one’s for you.
 

 

 

 
Bob
 
Now maybe I can build the yawl for the admiral.
 
 

Thanks Popeye.   Now here’s the rest of it.
 
I did not like this boat when I started it but the more I built the more it grew on me.  I titled it the Malabar Jr.  but I modified it so much that it is no longer a Malabar Jr. it’s just a yawl, Y’all.
 
First the profile.

 
And a bow shot.

 
The foredeck

 

 
And the cockpit.

 
Bob

Wow!  It’s been almost a month since I’ve added to this thread.  Well I did a little more adding to the deck furnishings and details.   Those who have done a web search are sure to see more that could be added, but for now I’m going to call it finished.  As I said early on, years ago I had wanted to build the Hoga in a larger scale as an RC boat but that never happened.  This build was a “make do” so I could say I built it, but it is not the boat in the water I had dreamed of and I am not happy with it.  So it’s time to say, “Enough, It is finished.” and go on to other builds.   Here are pictures as it is now.  Good enough to put on the shelf.
 
Bob
 

 

 

Hi All,
 
OK.  So I played, had fun and finished this little boat. There's not much to say about what was done to finish.  The sails were made and installed with the running rigging.  In the last picture of the cockpit, notice the cam cleats.
 
Now on to other boats.
 
Bob
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 

Thank you, thank you, thank you. 
 
It feels good to be building again but I see I’m back in my old habits.  I build and forget to take pictures until I finish, so no one sees what I do.   If anyone is interested in how I do a part or process please ask.  Anyway this is where I am for now.
 
Bob
 

 

 

 

 

 

OK.  I did it again.  I finished the boat and didn’t take pictures until the end.  I keep telling myself, ‘next time I will take pictures and let my friends see how I build’, but I keep forgetting.  Anyway I had a seated lady figurine that I show as sailing the boat.  The admiral says she thinks this dragon is better than the first and she is happy with it.  Now I get to go on to other things without feeling guilty.  What a relief.  Here are the pictures.
 
Bob
 

 

 

 

Hi all,
 
Years ago I read "Sailing Alone Around the World" by Joshua Slocum, and in January 2012 I decided that I would build his boat, the "SPRAY", in 1/48 scale POF with bent framing. The way Slocum built it.  I started asking questions on this forum, and I want to thank all those who answerd with help.  The information on this forum is invaluable.
 
Then the research began.  In the first chapter of his book, Slocum said he was given an old "fishing smack".  So I looked for fishing smacks of 1800.  About when his was built.  Someone suggested the "Emma C Berry" for framing, so I hunted for information on that boat.  I also gathered as many plan drawings of the "Spray" as I could find.  About five.
 
Now it was time to check and redraw the plans.  The first thing I discovered was that ALL the plans had errors.  Things like, the shear and section views would agree and the shear and the plan views would agree, but the width of the plan was no where near the same as the width of the sections.  Of the drawings I had, the drawing from the appendix in the book was the closest.  So I traced that into an old copy of AutoCad and worked out the errors.
 
Checking the fishing smacks plans had shown a frame spacing of from 15" to 22" I chose 18" for framing the Spray.  I drew a section at each frame.  I offset a line .031" inside to subtract the 1.5" planking Slocum used.  The frames will be 3" X 5" so again I offset another line .062 inside the planking for the frames.  This gave me the section lines for the plug I will carve to shape the frames.
 
I am going to plank only half the deck and deck houses so I can show the insides, taken from the sketches in Slocum's book. (See below)
 
Bob
 

How do I answer so many? Let me answer the questions and for the well-wishers, thank you, thank you, and thank you.
 
Keith here are some pictures of the top sails, the rigging was taken from Chapelle’s book “The American Fishing Schooner”.  The top sail is held tight at the peak and clew, but the tack is brought down on what appears to be the wrong side of the gaff, this is to hold the loose tack close to the mast instead of flying out.  There are two ways to rig the top sails.  The most used seems to be single halyards with the main top on one side and the main top on the other.  The other which I used is with double halyards so the sails can be set so they do not rub against the peak halyard.  To put the sail over it must be bundled and passed over the peak halyard and reset on the other side.  For the main top sail clew there is only one halyard, so I used a cheek block on the gaff.  The fore top sail need to be brought between the spring lines also.  To aid in this there is a clew line that goes around the edge of the sail and bundles it against the top mast where it can be pulled through by the halyard.  I did not add the clew line.  The clew requires two halyards, so a double block is used at the gaff peak.  There are two sheets attached to the tack the one in use holds it on the windward side of the gaff.  The other goes up next to the sail, over and to the outside of the peak halyard lines, then down under the peak halyard lines and over the gaff to be belayed on the other side.
 

 

 

 

 
 
The lady in question, (Admiral, Wife, “She who must be obeyed”) is disabled and wanted it where she could see it all day.  So it is in front of a mirror, on her special table, just inside the front door, with no case.  So be it.
 

 
 
The launch I am looking for is a Victorian clipper bow excursion boat.  Could be steam powered.
 
I don’t foresee another schooner in my future but who knows. 
 
The difference between the cod fisher and a mackerel seine schooner (as it turns out this is neither) is the cod schooner would be carrying several dories on board.  The cod is a large fish and are fished for by men in the dories and when brought on board, are cleaned laid out in the hold and salted, and kept there until the hold is full.  Mackerel are smaller fish and are caught in a net (seine).  A boat called a seine boat takes the net out in a large circle and brings it to the schooner where the fish are brought aboard, cleaned and packed in barrels with brine. 
 
Bob
 

Sorry it’s been so long since my last pictures.  It’s been one of those times when everything that could go wrong did.  Let’s leave it at that.  I have however finished the Lettie to the admiral’s delight.  She is now dressed in all her sails and rigging.  So here she is in all her finery.
 
 

 

 

 
 
Don't know what is next.  The admiral likes to see sails but I'm leaning towards a launch.  We'll see.
 
Bob

Completed
 
Yes, the Pequot is now finished.  If you look closely at the pictures on the Pequot web site you will probably find details that are missed.  This is because I could not find enough information on those parts.  Some details I know are not correct but it was better to put something in those places than to leave them empty.   It has taken a year from start to finish, and this is the smallest scale I have worked in but it has been a fun build.  I want to thank everyone who has followed me in this endeavor.  I consider you all my friends. Now for some pictures.
 
Bob
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just realized I haven’t shown an overall picture in some time.  So here it is.  Almost done but not quite.
 
Bob
 

 

So here we are finished.  It was fun building these two boats.  But I don’t think I will build two at the same time again.  One is enough.  Thank everyone for looking in and commenting and thanks to the likers also.
 
So what next?  I’ve wanted to build the SS Mariefred.  I down loaded lines from the museum but they are so far out that I don’t know if I can correct them.  I also want to build the Alma tug from Morro Bay.  She was instrumental in saving the lives of the seamen whose tanker was sunk by a Japanese sub of the coast of California during WWII.  Then there is the Thealka.  A little side wheel steamer whose name should have been The Alka but the painter forgot to put in the space.  And again I want to build the Lagunitas RR ferry in HO scale for my nephew who’s into that sort of thing.  And that’s just a few of the boats on my list.
 
Bob
 
Meanwhile here are the pictures.
 

 

 

 

Antony,
 
Just found your build.  Great work.
 
Bob

Very nice, she's a lovely lady.
 
Bob

Glad you're back.  I've missed you and your build.
 
Bob

It's all coming together nicely.  Fine brass work.
 
Bob

Wonderful detail.  It looks fresh from the boat yard.
 
Bob