captainbob

I couldn't let you down Sjors.......I did get something accomplished.  I started by rigging the lower stays for the mizzen mast.  in the pictures,  I saw that there were two.......one was with hearts,  the other one I couldn't quite make out,  so I used two smaller hearts  {the small wood eyelets I made}.
 

 

 
then I did the upper stay for the mizzen
 

 
I wanted to do more with the shrouds,  but duty called for Gibbs,  and by then it was time for supper.  I did do the two I had set up on the starboard side........I did not tie them off yet though......I want to get the rest of them done before I do that.
 

 
I can't wait to get the back stays on and tighten all these stays up......I have one more main stay to do yet,  and there is one or two that are not as tight as I would like them to be.  I think that if I try to correct them,  it may upset the balance........this last stay that I speak of has the ability to make {one of them especially} matters worse........so I will have to be careful and stay on the positive side of  'absolute zero'.   it will be shrouds now......with a couple more lines to be added to the bow.

Hi Popeye
 
Its the new secret of the military , fully armed undercover stealth yacht... :)
 
Børge

is this the Dragen......or an early period PT boat?    the cannon looks very nice Borge.........I guess one cannon couldn't hurt

A dragon class yacht with cannon?  
 
John

Robbyn,
 
We model builders are a creative people. We are like the writer who says, “I should have said it this way.”  Or the artist that says, “The color is wrong in that area.”  For me when others see my boats they say, “WOW” and “That’s amazing.” But when I look at my boats I see the mistakes and where I could have done better.  Creative people never create perfection in their own eyes.  I have a cross stitch sign over my work bench to remind me of this.  It says:
 
                 “Nobody is purfect.” 
 
Bob

Nicely done.
 
Bob

Robbyn,
 
We model builders are a creative people. We are like the writer who says, “I should have said it this way.”  Or the artist that says, “The color is wrong in that area.”  For me when others see my boats they say, “WOW” and “That’s amazing.” But when I look at my boats I see the mistakes and where I could have done better.  Creative people never create perfection in their own eyes.  I have a cross stitch sign over my work bench to remind me of this.  It says:
 
                 “Nobody is purfect.” 
 
Bob

Robbyn,
 
We model builders are a creative people. We are like the writer who says, “I should have said it this way.”  Or the artist that says, “The color is wrong in that area.”  For me when others see my boats they say, “WOW” and “That’s amazing.” But when I look at my boats I see the mistakes and where I could have done better.  Creative people never create perfection in their own eyes.  I have a cross stitch sign over my work bench to remind me of this.  It says:
 
                 “Nobody is purfect.” 
 
Bob

Robbyn,
 
We model builders are a creative people. We are like the writer who says, “I should have said it this way.”  Or the artist that says, “The color is wrong in that area.”  For me when others see my boats they say, “WOW” and “That’s amazing.” But when I look at my boats I see the mistakes and where I could have done better.  Creative people never create perfection in their own eyes.  I have a cross stitch sign over my work bench to remind me of this.  It says:
 
                 “Nobody is purfect.” 
 
Bob

Robbyn,
 
We model builders are a creative people. We are like the writer who says, “I should have said it this way.”  Or the artist that says, “The color is wrong in that area.”  For me when others see my boats they say, “WOW” and “That’s amazing.” But when I look at my boats I see the mistakes and where I could have done better.  Creative people never create perfection in their own eyes.  I have a cross stitch sign over my work bench to remind me of this.  It says:
 
                 “Nobody is purfect.” 
 
Bob

Well, Stag progresses (more or less).  The spreader has been completed and the topmast shrouds and forestay rigged.  I have also just about got all the rigging on the upper square yard ready for sending it aloft. Oh, and the boom topping lift is also rigged and secured.
 
I made a stupid boo boo just before leaving the museum - trying to rush to get things done, I suppose.  I was checking the lower square yard brace pennants and realised that the starboard after pennant was way too long.  Thinking, "Why did you do that?", I cut it off ready to make a new one next time I'm in at the work bench and only then realised that the starboard forward pennant was way too short!! You guessed it - when I'd fitted them I'd put them on the wrong way round, so all I had needed to do was to soften the glue, turn both pennants through 180 degrees and re-glue them.    Oh, well, a bit of pennant making practice won't hurt. 
 
Here are a few photos of her as of yesterday afternoon.  I realise that the close up of the mast is pretty blurry - I'll try to remember to get a better one next time in.
 
Overall views of the model



 
A blurry mast!

 
The deck showing an ever more crowded area around the foot of the mast.

 
The upper yard almost ready to go aloft

 
John

The hull planking is on and first sanding complete.  Hand sanding to a fine finish will be next.  I left a section of planking off to expose the framing, but I have decided against installing most of the below deck items inside the hull.  I left a little DNA on the keelson after a little slip of a chisel, so there is no denying who built this thing.
 
I put in a few inside planks for strength and the two mast steps are in place.  The deck frames are started.  There are a few carlings where there are deck structures and to set up the masts' partners.  Once the deck is framed the stanchions and bulwarks will follow.
 
Allan

Lines were rigged connected course yard to course yard the same distance from the center-line on each side of the model.  Lines that would serve as braces ran from the main course yard ends to the quarters of the hull and to the springs on the post, and then to the winch.  This way the winch would swing the main course yard and the connecting lines would move the fore and mizzen yards at the same time.  This is not how the model will eventually be rigged for running, but it would do for a test sail.
  Video of Brace Testing
 
The fids were pulled, the topmasts lowered, and batteries put on the chargers.

 
The next day, July 10th, 2011, the model and it's equipment and accessories, were stuffed into the Tahoe.

 
I took the model, and my lady who was to be the official videographer, supplied with camera and tripod, a quarter mile down the road to Sloop's Cove on Stoney Creek, where the neighborhood has a public pier and water access - such as it is.

 
At the site I raised the rig, bolted on the ballast, and tested the systems.

 
Getting her into the water, I placed the sandwich bags full of lead bird shot left over from the ballast torpedo and weighing about 12 pounds, into the hull and moved them about to trim her.  There still wasn't enough weight to get her down the the LWL and she stood about 1-1/2 inches high in the water.

 
Then off she sailed.

 
And some of the video...

 
It wasn't an unsuccessful day, but it was a bit disappointing.  The winds were too light and variable, and in the creek there, they swirled and eddied about.  The model never really got more than a few feet of any real sailing.  When it would puff strong for a bit, she handled it fine, then it would shift and catch her aback.  She also handled the occasional wakes from passing boats quite well.  Then, about an hour in, the battery died.  I later found it had failed completely and needed to be replaced.  The model was near the middle of the 100 yard wide creek and headed toward a boat dock about 50 feet away from me.  I went into the water and swam over to meet her.  She gently bumped her forestay against the dock and stayed there till I got to her.  I'm not much of a swimmer and quickly wished I had brought one of my floatation vests to make the job easier - but it was in the 90's and the water felt pretty good.  Next time I'll have some form of chase boat; a kayak, inflatable, or preferably a pram I'll build.
 
 
   
 
Note: That thing at the base of the mizzen is an on-board camera.  It took some incredibly boring video.  If I can get some editing software that will let me put it up split-screen fashion in sync with the other video, I'll post it somewhere.
 
Video of the Recovery or how the big bald ape rescued the model ship from certain doom without himself drowning.
 
Then it was out of the water, off with the ballast, down with the rig, and into the truck.
 

Never thought I'd say this but that's a good looking Kraken.  
 
 
Bob

Thanks to all of you.  I'm sure with all the help and encouragement I will get there.
 
Bob

Ah, she was such a lovely boat.  It will be nice to see the model.
 
Bob

Hey Harvey, you are too much, love the humor.   
Yup, a full scale sub and then hijack a cruse liner and rob the rich and famous     
No, it's my father's sub at a scale of 1:50.  She was 76 meters long.
 
Well, since my wife and I could not build a 1:1 sloop I wanted to present her with a model but then she wanted it fully equipped and ready to sail. You know that she actually asked me if I was going to put a turd in the commode but that would stink up the boat too much   
Yeah, I could have bought one of them cheapy black plastic toilet seats and then treat it with Preparation H to shrink it but -- - -- - ah, no. So I made it from wood and no doo doo in the bowl.  Actually a dry chem doesn't have a bowl, "stuff"drops right down into the holding tank, kinda.  I told her to let her imagination go wild. You should have seen the look she gave me       
 
Thanks for stopping by, 
 
Cheers,
 
 

Richard,
 
Like you I was white collar and now retired.  And like you I want a small mill.  I only scratch build and  I add brass parts where it will look good.  But I still have not found a need for a mill.  Even the Dremel set up is not used as a mill, it is a small drill press.  I still want a mill but even the price of a Vanda-Lay is hard to justify for a tool I would not get much use from and have mainly for bragging rights.  Like my other tools, if the need ever arises then the justification is there but until then I remain mill-less.
 
Bob

I was away from this build for a little while.  I’m trying to plan ahead and thought that ultimately I would need to build a display case for the Bluenose.  We have a fantastic woodshop in our community so I spent the last two weekends over there getting to know some of the woodshop members and familiarizing myself with all the machinery.  They have everything you could want.
 
Found one of the members builds what he calls “toys.”  They are more like scale models rather than toys.  I’ve already been told by some of the other members that I’m as crazy as he is because of the small work I’m doing.  Guess I’m in good company.
 
Onward with the build; the jaws will have to be made from scratch (as with the mast caps) because the originals are cut from the same Walnut as was the Fife Rail.  In fact one of the jaws has already cracked when I removed it from the sheet. 
 
I used the scrap 1mm plywood for the jaws that I used for the mast caps.  Each jaw is cut to make two identical parts that are then glued together.  I now have a much better fit around each mast and can control the width and taper of the slots to better fit the boom or gaff it will go to.
 
The other task at hand is tying all the blocks that will be secured to the Bowsprit, masts, booms, and gaffs.  This is a tedious chore.  This must be what a rat’s nest looks like.  My mother always said that’s what my room looked like.

Thanks, Tim!
 
A little progress...
 

 

 

 

 

I'm using brass rod for the topmast fids, but I drilled and inserted some brass tube into the topmast heel to strengthen the fid hole.  Metal plate will be put on the bearing surface of the trestle-trees.
 
 
 
 
The caps I made were just rough outs, so I made a new set from laminated aircraft plywood and one of oak for the bowsprit.
 
 
 
 
The caps got some eyes installed, and the tops got blocks for the heads of the trys'l masts, then everything got painted.
 
 
The bowsprit started with a bit of research.  The paintings of the ship in 1856 and 1862, the earliest known photo from 1871, and the rigging documentation of the period all agreed closely enough.  I basically used "Plate 51" from Luce's Textbook of Seamanship 1891 edition along with the 1871 photo as my guide's.
   
 
The heel block for the jib-boom and the bees got things started.  The heel block is notched into the bowsprit, glued, and pinned - I think it'll stay there.  The jib-boom was notched to fit

 
The cap was banded with some of the copper tape used on the hull's bottom, and some eyes.  It also got some copper strap glued and pinned to take the notched heel of the flying jib-boom.

 
A "wythe" was made from copper and it was glued and bolted to the shouldered end of the jib-boom.  The flying jib-boom slides out through this and steps into the strap on the cap.

 
Banding for the bob-stay chains, fore-stay, and the heel strap for the jib-boom were all made with copper sheet.  The heel strap is also bolted through the heel-block.  The forestay bands are anchored with a copper nail under the bees and wrap under the bowsprit and through the bee on the other side.  The holes in the bees for the t'gallant fore-stay are sheaved with 6mm brass sheaves.
 
 
The bees were permanently attached with 4p finish nails as pins, brass nails through the t'gallant fore-stay sheaves, and glue, of course.  A set of spreaders and a dolphin-striker were made from maple, fitted with hooks, and everything was painted and stained.
 
 
 

Hello Friends,
 
Thank you all for your "likes", really appreciated.
 
A few things happened in the progress of this build in this installment.  I started the deck planking here and made my own plywood again.  I decided to use plywood instead of planks.  for a small boat it seemed logical and easier.  In real life we would use marine grade plywood but here I used my own method of making plywood.  The deck was going to be painted anyhow with non-skid paint.
I also "planked' the vertical sides of the cabin above the deck and cut the portholes in it.  I used file folder paper for the portholes and clear plastic from small food packaging trays from the supermarket.
I also finished the galley cupboards and made the doors for them as well as doors for the hanging closets in the cabin. 
I also installed the seat supports in the cockpit and drilled the hole for the helm shaft.  A tricky one because the largest collet for the flex attachment did not go up to the drill size I needed. So I had to drill the final hole by twisting the drill bit with my fingers.
 
Attached are four pictures that'll tell the story better.
 

I had to remove the table and top bunks to give me some space for the Proxxon flex extension.  I also poly urethane the cabin and galley.  The deck is partially covered and is still a little too large but over all it fits nicely.  This is my own made plywood and is about 2 mm thick.  I forgot how I clamped the side deck pieces.  In this picture you can hardly see the top bunk tracks.  The galley cupboard doors are also made and hung. I made two doors on the port side and the cupboard is also a bit larger then the starboard one.
 

A top port side view. I made a hatch opening for the forecastle/sail locker/appliance compartment.  The mast stump is only a temporary thing.  Here you can see the cockpit seat supports and the helm shaft hole.  The cabin upper sides are also made from home made plywood.  It was a fun experiment but too time consuming.  It would be better to buy 1 and 2 mm plywood in the hobby store.  That's what I have done for the O 19 sub I'm building. I have glued 2, 3 and 4 layers of 1 mm ply together to get the thickness I needed.  It's very strong and can be shaped into an airfoil when needed and won't twist or warp!.
 

Starboard top side view.  Here you can see the top bunk tracks and the galley cupboard doors. Yes, they do also have handles on them and work.  Here you can also see the hanging closet doors, they too have handles on them and work.  btw the hinges are made from file folder paper.  The stick stuck in a hole in the build board is what I have used to apply small daubs of glue, mainly for the hinges and door handles. 
 

Side view, starboard side.  Not much else to add except that the deck still needs to be trimmed.  Looking at it now I could have made the cabin just a smidgin higher but when she is in the water she seems to exude speed this way.  I thought of making the forward end bowed but that would have taken away a lot of headroom in the head and washroom.  I had to use very little wood filler on the model but only where needed to hide the plank seems when painted. I was pretty successful in achieving a nice smooth finish.
 
Cheers 

I never actually got around to posting in the Y'all log, but it turned out beautifully Bob.
I'm really intrigued by Tugs and a fire tug is even better, but a fire tug that actually lived through Pearl is an amazing choice for a build. I love the uniqueness of your builds
IIRC the Yawl was just a picture made 3d by gifted hands. As my father is ex-navy the naval aspect and significant role she played in one of life biggest human dramas really makes this quite a special build. I admire your skill and choice of such an unusual build. I'm looking forward to see your research become real. 

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

Hello all,
 
I am going to step away from sails for this build and build a boat I’ve wanted to build for a long time.
 
When I started modeling boats I was in an RC boat club in Indianapolis. We sailed One Meters in the summer and in the winter we ran scale RC boats in indoor swimming pools.  That’s when I saw a picture of a fire boat called “The City of Oakland”.  I wanted to build it 25” long (1:48 scale) with working water pump and monitors.  That was about ten years ago.  Since then I have been searching the web for all I could find.  And what I found changed my mind as to the build.
 
City of Oakland

 
The City of Oakland was originally the yard tug HOGA YT-146.  The keel was laid down 7/25/1940, Launch date was 12/1/1940 and it was delivered to Pearl Harbor 5/1/1941.
 
(This is from the web)  City of Oakland, ex-Hoga, is of exceptional significance in American history as the only known surviving yard craft present at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet on December 7, 1941.
 
Hoga fought fires on Battleship Row for 72 hours.  The actions of the tug's skipper and crew did not go unrecognized. On February 1942, ADM. Chester A. Nimitz, CINCPAC, commended McManus, his men, and their tug for a job well done:
 
 “For distinguished service in line of your profession as Commanding Officer of the Navy Yard Tug HOGA, and efficient action and disregard of your own personal safety during the attack.... When another ship was disabled and appeared to be out of control, with serious fires on the fore part of that ship, you moored your tug to her bow and assisted materially in extinguishing the fires.  When it was determined that the damaged ship should be beached, as there was serious danger of her sinking in the channel, you assisted in the beaching operations in an outstanding manner.  Furthermore, each member of the crew of the HOGA functioned in a most efficient manner and exhibited commendable disregard of personal danger throughout the operations.”
 
Placed on loan to the Port of Oakland, California, in 1948, it was returned to the navy after 40 years of service.  Recently it was awarded to the City of North Littlerock, AR.  to be in their museum. At present it is in a boat yard near San Francisco being prepared for transport to North Littlerock  
 
Hoga is one of about 30 of the Woban YT-138 class.  The problem in this build is that there are no line drawings of this boat.  I have many, many pictures and internal equipment drawings but no lines.  I hope to build the Hoga as it was at Pearl Harbor prior to the attack.  I got the build plans for the Billing’s kit and I will scale the bulkheads and keel to 1:96 and see where to go from there.   So wish me luck and follow along with me. 
 
Bob
 
Hoga at sea trials

 
Hoga at Paerl Harbor