bhermann

https://www.vallejogallery.com/2022/item_mobile.php?page=item_page&id=1316
 
George, 
It's incredible how lofty the masts were on McKay's Clippers! Your doing a marvelous job capturing that. 
Meanwhile, I remembered a beautiful 1998 painting by David Thimgan. It depicts Flying Fish entering San Francisco Bay. 

Well - away from 20th century vessels and back to the 19th. I've completed all three topgallant masts, and assembled them into the fore, main, and mizzen. The doublers are all painted white, with everything else "bright". At some point, I will need to add the gilded balls and (I presume) lightning rods, but I think that can wait until the ship is almost done. A couple of photos. The fore and main in situ as it were:
 

 
 
and all three looking to port, and from the stem:
 

 
And, kind of an odd view looking diagonally forward.
 

 
A couple of observations. First, the fore topgallant mast seems to be raked a bit more than I want - I think the spar itself has a bit of a bend. When I put the forestays on I'll move the tip forward maybe 4-5 mm and it will align with everything else. What I am happy about is that there are no obvious problems with the alignment of the masts port and starboard (see the pic from the stem). Second, this was definitely a learning exercise. Even though the birch dowels I used to make the topgallants were denser and stronger than basswood, at this thickness and length there was no way to use my cutting tools without either (a) the spar just bending away from the tool or (b) snapping in two. Even after this discovery, it took 3 tries to do the first, 2 tries for the second, and fortunately only 1 try for the mizzen topgallant mast. Speed is not your friend - if I used sandpaper that was too rough (say less than 100 grit) to "rough out" the shape, I always wound up having the thinnest part snap (even when I wasn't sanding in that region).
 
Interestingly, what did seem to work well was to start at the narrow end (so that I made clear "ridges" where the diameter changed), using 150 grit and then sanding the other segments to make a spar that had the right proportions (i.e. it had 4 segments with specified length and proportionally smaller diameters) but was still too wide, and then go back with a mix of 150 and 220 grit to eventually obtain the proper diameters. For once, I didn't have to remake all of the mast caps. By gently hand sanding the openings wider I was eventually able to get the diameter of the holes sufficiently large to fit the spars. I did bust one of them, but it was less trouble than I expected to make a new one for some reason. In that case I hand drilled (i.e. I spun a 1/8 inch drill but with my fingers) to get the hold opened in a piece larger than the cap, and then sanded the rest of the opening. 
 
Anyway - next steps are to place the remainder of the mast mounted blocks (there are quite a few) and mount them on the ship. I've seen many people do wonderful work mounting the yards before they fully mount the mast - that hasn't been how I've done it in the past, and so for now the plan is to mount before rigging. One thing that has occurred to me is that I should probably make sure that I've drilled and fitted the path for the boat davits in the mizzen channels before I start putting in the shrouds. Drilling afterwards could be ugly.
 
As always, thanks for looking in!
 
Regards,
George K

Well, back to the topgallant masts. Each of the previous failures taught me something, the most important was probably that I was not going to be able to use anything other than sandpaper to shape the topgallant masts, that the birch dowels at that length/thickness were not going to be successfully shaped with my cutting tools on the lathe. So, 100 grit paper to get the approximate shape, and 220 to finish it off, I managed to make the following (I did use  a pointed cutting tool to square the ends). My goal was to properly capture the stepping of the mast (key to successfully mounting the stays) and I think that i did that:
 

 
Here are two other views, the first sitting next to the diagram (this is for the main - which is what is shown in the diagram. All the penciled in numbers are just my conversion of the sizes of the real masts into mm)
 

 
And the second of the piece before I cut the ends off:
 

 
The Tamia tape on the right side of the picture was just to increase the diameter so that it would fit properly in the collet.  I squared the foot of the mast to fit into the appropriate location in the trestle trees, drilled holes for the halyards, and then expanded the size of the hole in the topmast caps, and then trimmed the topmasts to accept the square hole in the cap, and voila, one (partly finished) mast! A couple of views of the mast below, looking directly aft:
 

 
And looking from the port side, in profile, as it were:
 
 
 

 
And a view from the port side with the mast (precariously balanced, and the topgallant leaning slightly aft because it isn't glued in place) on the ship:
 

 
Although the plans suggest that the whole mast above the tops should be bright (with the exception of a gilded ball on the truck) the Butterfield painting shows the topmast from (and including) the trestletrees to the cap in white, with the foot of the topgallant also white to the point where it passes through the cap. I don't really see the spreaders in the painting, but I assume that they too are white. So, first stain on the mast itself, followed by some white paint, at which point I can call the spars on the mainmast done.
 
Moving forward, I will need to scratch build a cap for the fore mast as I broke one of the two same-sized caps widening the round opening. That's no big deal, I think that all of the caps on the Niagara (and 1/4 of the ones on the Fish) were scratch built because I had a tendency to break them opening out holes. Good practice for the eventual RRS Discovery (1901) scratch build.
 
This feels like something of a milestone. I'll say this much, the ship is going to take an enormous case, particularly vertically. Somehow paintings don't really give you a feeling for how much sail these things must have carried but when you see just how high the masts go versus the length of the ship - that drives it home. 
 
As always, thanks for looking in.
 
Regards,
George K
 
 

Thanks for the demonstration, Eric.  Now there is yet another possibility to consider. I like the construction method that follows actual practice this closely.
 
Bob

No update for a few weeks (vacation), but here are some lovely model ships (and one real boat) from the Reykjavik Maritime Museum.
 

 

 

 

 
No hints as to where I might be 🙂.
 
George K

Happy 4th!
 
An update on construction. The topmasts are all completed and mounted on the tops, the caps are painted and secured and we have three nice and straights masts. Finally all of the spreaders are complete (although they are not current glued to topmasts. Some photos. From the sides:
 


 
From above:
 

 

 
And from forward:
 

 
One quick question to anyone in the know. Regarding the chocks on the spreaders. Are they placed in specific locations to direct the flow of the backstays at a particular location on the spreader, or are they located where the backstays naturally fall and are just there to keep them from slipping?
 
As always, thanks for looking in!
 
George K
 
 
 
 

 

Been awhile since my last update. I was stupid enough to dash out onto the wet patio in flip-flops and found out 71 year old's aren’t supposed to do the splits. Injured my right hamstring and just now getting back to normal.
 
I used the mill to make the links needed for the bowsprit rigging. Sorry I didn’t take more pictures, sometimes I get so involved in the work I forget to take photos. I cut a strip of 1/64th thick brass and used double stick Nitto tape to mount it to a piece of wood. Then used the mill to cut out the centers of each link. Used my rotary tool with a cut off disk to separate the individual links. A quick filing rounded off the outside edges to finish them off.
 

 

 

 
Then it was time to assemble the shackles, turnbuckle and to attach them to the bowsprit. Used small brass bolts for the shackle pins. These close-up photos make things look a bit rough but from normal viewing distance they look pretty good. Just need some paint touchup.
 

 

 
Had to sand off the hull paint to firmly attach the bobstay plates. Here’s a pic of the installed plates with the links. Still need to repaint.
 

 
So it’s onward and upward, have to make the plates and staples for the backrope now.
Dave

That is a really sweet job, Ed.  She came out beautifully.  Your time and attention to detail paid off handsomely! 
 
You can bet I will be poring through the documentation of the rigging in minute detail as I get back into my build.  Thanks for taking the time to capture your process so well.
 
Looking forward to seeing what you do with Rattlesnake!
 
Bob

Yesterday, June 25, 2022, I finished building my BLUENOSE I.  This was my first build.  I started on June 15, 2020.  It took 1,325 calendar days to complete.  That's 2 years and 13 days.  I logged 743 hours of actual build time.  That does not include the time spent researching, planning, studying, maintaining a build log on MSW, and all the other things that go into this amazing hobby.  But, you know all about that! 
 
I want to thank all of the people who helped me along the way.  Especially, Suburban Ship Modeler.  His website was invaluable to me.  I also want to thank CPDDET (Dave) and Nirvana (Per) who directly assisted me on multiple occasions.  I took a bunch of pictures to show the finished model to my Model Ship World community!  After a short break, I will be pulling Rattlesnake off the shelf and digging into my next project.  Hope you will follow along!
 
Below: Bluenose I full view

Below: Another full view looking down at the deck

Below: Side view, Mounting board and brass nameplate

Below: Side view of bow, anchor, jumbo jib boom and fore deck

Below: View from bow & bowsprit looking aft

Below: Looking down the middle off of port 

Below: Low angle view of all the sails

Below: Close-up of the rigging at the stern

Below: Bow and fore deck looking forward

Below: Looking forward from stern

Below: The Main sail

Below: Close-up of bowsprit bitts and fore deck machinery

Below: Main cabin and quarter deck

Below: Main gaff & peak halliard

Below: Quarter deck level view

Below: 2 Dories

Below: Deck level view on starboard side

Below: Bow & fore deck view from starboard

Below: Sails from above

Below: The Canadian Red Ensign
 

Miscellaneous Final Steps
 
There are just a few final steps that need to be done in order to complete the build process.
 
1.       Install Dory Tackles – There are 4 dory tackles that need to be made and installed.  These are used to swing the dories on and off the ship for fishing.  Two are on the port side and two are on the starboard side. Per the blueprint plans, they are each “lashed” to the shroud closest to the dories on each side.  The end is supposed to be belayed to the sheer pole.  I had an open eyebolt and belaying pin, so I decided to belay them there.  I substituted 5/32” single blocks at the top because I was running out of 1/8” blocks.  I’m providing my drawing of the dory tackle rigging for you.  This would depict the port side on the main mast shroud.  Some of the aforementioned changes were not identified in this pic, so beware.
 
Drawing of how I planned to make the Dory Tackles

 
Upper Block Lashed to the shroud on Main Mast

 
Lower Block for the Dory Tackle

 
Large Hook and belaying point along the main rail

 
The Full View of the Dory Tackle

 
 
2.       Making the Flag and Flag Halliards – The kit provides a nice cloth Canadian Maple Leaf flag.  There’s just one problem…this flag was not adopted by Canada until 1965.  Bluenose I sank after striking a reef off the coast of Haiti in 1946.  It never would have flown the current maple leaf flag.  The Canadian Red Ensign was the flag flown by Bluenose I.  So, I made my own cloth flag as follows.
a.       I downloaded an image of the Canadian Red Ensign and inserted it into PowerPoint.  Since the flag needs to be two sided, I used PowerPoint to invert a copy of it.
 
The kit provided Canadian Maple Leaf Flag!  Looks nice, but historically inaccurate!

 
Canadian Red Ensign inserted into PowerPoint

 
b.       Then I printed this page onto an iron-on t-shirt transfer sheet.  I ironed one side onto a piece of unused sail cloth from the kit.  After it cooled, I ironed on the other side.  This is what I purchased…
 

 
c.       I cut out the flag from the cloth remnant.  I used a pencil to roll the cloth a little to give it some curl!  I used a small 3/32” block to hold up the flag halliard on the main gaff.  The other end is belayed on the cleat on the main boom.  I think it turned out pretty good!
 

 
d.       I cut a couple of more long lengths of the 0.008” tan thread and strung them through the holes in the trucks on the top of the fore and main masts.  I belayed these halliards to their respective sheer poles.  No flags are attached to these that I could find anywhere.
 
Flag Halliard through Truck

 
Flag Halliard belayed to Sheer Pole

 
 
3.       Making the Display Base and Nameplate – The FINAL step is making the baseboard and mounting the ship!  I purchased a nominal 3-foot x 8-inch x 1-inch premium red oak board.  I cut off a 2-foot section.  I used a round over bitt and ran it around the board with my router.  After sanding it smooth, I stained it with the same Minwax cherry I used on the deck.  A couple of coats of wipe-on satin polyurethane completed the board. 
 
a.       A few weeks ago, I ordered a brass nameplate.  I saw in someone else’s build log a cool looking wood block for holding the ship’s nameplate on the base board.  I decided to try this rather than laying it flat on the board.
b.       I was really nervous about mounting the ship to the baseboard.  When I drilled the holes in the keel about 20 months ago, I had a problem fitting the brass pedestals on the keel.  The keel was too wide.  I did a bunch of sanding at the time but, it was still a super tight fit.  I just moved on and figured I would deal with it later.  Later is now here!  I was also worried about how the two differently sized pedestals would work with the pilot holes.  I figured this would cause the pedestals to have to make a slight angle between the board and the ship!
c.       I was able to use a small hammer to force the pedestals the final 1/8” onto the keel.  The paint got a little scuffed, but is barely noticeable.  Test #1 passed!
d.       I had laid out the holes for the baseboard and made them with the drill press before staining.  Now it was time to mount the ship to the board with the screws.  Amazingly the pedestals basically self-adjusted as I drove the screws in!  Test #2 passed!! 
 
I think the base and nameplate turned out really well!


 
BLUENOSE IS COMPLETED!  I will do a final posting with a bunch of pictures from all angles around the ship.  I couldn’t have done it without the encouragement, support and advice from my Model Ship World community!!  Thank You Everyone!
 

I've started making the topmasts, beginning with the main. Rather than use the kit supplied dowels, I'm starting with larger square stock. For the main that means 3/8 square basswood which I am going to turn and then trim to size. So, the stock on my lathe, marked up to show (left to right) the bottom of square portion of the mast, the end of the round segment, and the end of the square segment. I added a mark (after this picture was taken for the beginning of the round section of the mast.
 

 
Here is the mast after turning. You will note that the square ends are way too big, as the lower part of the mast should be about 1/4" square and the upper about 3/16" square. This was the expected outcome of this step.
 

 
Next I took some 100 grit sandpaper and narrowed the square segments so that they were correctly sized, drilled holes for the fid, and made it from two sections of 1/32 x 1/64" blackened brass. The mast is shown below. Once I'v built all three, I'm going to stain it so that it is a little darker.
 

 
Next the trestletrees, crosstrees, and spreaders. These were made out of boxwood stock. In order to get the the crosstrees to be properly aligned on the trestletrees, I  dremeled the cutouts with a cutting blade while the two trestletrees were clamped together. The crosstrees themselves are made from 1/16" x 1/32" stock, and quite flimsy before they were mounted. The spreaders are only 3" square in real life (1/32" at scale), and I was very worried about the loads that they were going to be under. So, I took some blackened 1/64" x 1/32" brass and glued it to the bottom of spreaders. You can see the this in the next two photos of the trees and spreaders from above and below (the marks are where I need to put the cleats and will be removed).
 

 

 
The brass is barely visible, and I may put some on the brace as well. As with the mast, once all three are made I'm going to remove all the pencil marks and stain them. I haven't decided yet if I am going to make the six cleats out of wood (they would be really small and fragile) or put an opened jackstay eyebolt or perhaps a bit of very fine wire. They are going to be sufficiently hidden by rigging that I'm inclined to simplicity.
 
I wanted to get an idea what the whole assembly will look like on the model, so I slipped them onto the mast, and I have to say I am reasonably pleased.
 

 
Thanks again for looking in!
 
Regards,
George K.
 

Making the Balloon Jib Sail
 
The Balloon Jib Sail is the last sail to be made.  It is positioned above the other 2 jib sails.  It is very similar to the Jib Sail in its construction.
 
1.       Make the Sail – The same procedure is used to make and sew the sail.  The strip seams have the same “V” shaped pattern as the jib sail.  It is made using the same procedure as the other sails.
 
2.       Pre-rig the following parts before attaching the sail:
a.       Halliard (Top Corner)
          i.      Strop an S-hook to the upper end of a 1/8” single block and an open loop on the bottom end of the same block for seizing the halliard rope
          ii.      I measure, cut and attach the halliard to the bottom of the block at this time
          iii.      Strop another 1/8” single block to a split ring for the top sail corner
b.       Sheets (Aft Corner) – there are 2 sheets, same as the jib sail.  Measure, cut and attach the 0.021” black ropes for the pendants to a split ring for the aft sail corner
c.       Tack (Bottom Forward Corner) – Measure, cut and seize a tan 0.008” rope to a split ring for the tack
d.       Downhaul – make sure you pre-rigged a 3/32” single block to the first ring on the bowsprit.  Measure, cut and attach a 0.008” tan line to the top corner split ring of the sail
e.       Sew the 3 split rings to their respective corners
 
Below: The pre-rigged Balloon Jib Sail, including the Hanks

 
3.       Hanks – Attach the hanks at each cloth strip stitch point.  I made another batch of split rings for these hanks. 
 
4.       Install Balloon Jib Sail to Stay – The balloon jib stay was only temporarily shackled to the very first ring on the bowsprit a long time back!  The balloon jib stay was already seized during pre-rigging.  I set up this stay to help hold the masts in their position up to this point.  I first removed the temporary brass rod pin that I used to hold it in place.
a.       Thread the balloon jib stay rope through the hanks on the sail
b.       Insert the mini-bolt and nut on the shackle.  I use a drop of CA glue to lock the nut onto the bolt and then trimmed off most of the excess bolt after the sail was completed
 
5.       Balloon Jib Halliard – Hook the block with the S-hook to the eyebolt on top of the foremast.  Lace the tan halliard rope down to the block on top of the sail, back up to the upper block and then belay at pin #14
 
Below: The Balloon Jib Halliard blocks at the top of the fore topmast.  Also, note the Downhaul seized to the split ring

 
6.       Balloon Jib Sheets – There are two Balloon Jib Sheets; one on the port side and the other on starboard.  The sail can be rigged to be on either side, depending on the wind.  On my ship the port side hangs loose and the starboard side is pulled tight to hold the “clew“ corner down (lower aft corner).
a.       The tight sheet is on the starboard side.  A 0.021” black line is seized to the split ring at the clew corner of the sail.  It forms a pendant to which a 1/8” single block is seized on the other end.
b.       A 0.021” tan line starts at the eyebolt just aft of the pin rail on the starboard railing with an S-hook.  It runs through the block and back down to belaying pin #40.
c.       The loose sheet is on the port side.  The pendant runs over the jib sail before getting loosely connected exactly the same as above.  Use belaying pin #41.
 
Below: Two Balloon Jib Sheets seized to the split ring on the lower aft corner of the sail

 
Below: 1/8” block at the end of the pendant for the “tight” sheet on the starboard side

 
Below: View of the entire lower tackle for the Balloon Jib Sheet.  Notice the “loose” port side sheet in the background behind the Fore sail

 
Below: S-hook on the starboard railing for the Balloon Jib Sheet

 
Below:  Aft tackle end of the Balloon Jib sheet belayed at pin #40 on starboard rail

 
Below:  The “loose” sheet on the port side is draped over the jib stay

 
7.       Balloon Jib Tack – The Tan 0.008” line that was seized to the sail corner ring is seized to the same ring as the balloon jib stay on the other end.
 
Below:  The Tack seized to the lower sail corner.  Next pic, the Balloon Jib Stay and Tack line both seized to the same shackle at the tip of the bowsprit

 
8.       Balloon Jib Downhaul – This rope was already attached to the split ring at the top corner of the sail.  The downhaul runs down to a 3/32” single block attached to the eyebolt at the end of the bowsprit.  I attached this block during pre-rigging a while back.  From the block it runs down the bowsprit, thru the fairlead at the tip of the bow and is belayed at pin #1.  This line is left a little loose.
 
Below: The Balloon Jib Downhaul block S-hooked to the eyebolt at the tip of the bowsprit

 
Below: The Balloon Jib Downhaul (Port side) runs through its fairlead and is belayed at pin #1

Below:  The completed Balloon Jib Sail

All the sails are now installed.  Below is a picture of my Bluenose with all the sails!!

 
There are only a few remaining tasks before the ship is finished.  1. Install 4 Dory tackles, 2. Install the flag halliards, including the Canadian flag and 3. Mount the ship on the base, which I've been working on already.  You can see it on the table behind the ship in the above pic.

Well, an update. I've been working on the lower masts while I finish odds and ends on the deck. Lots of photos for me (well 6) but we are in a period where many things get done but the ship doesn't change much in overall appearance. With additional paint, the main was painted, and it is time to start adding additional details, including the iron reinforcing on the tops and the holes for the fairleads.
 
The first new thing that needed doing was the spencer jackstays on the fore and main masts. They are theoretically 1" or 0.01" at scale. I built mine from 24 gauge black steel wire and 0.75 x 6 mm brass eyebolts that were chemically blackened. That would make them about 2x scale, but it isn't terribly noticeable. The jackstays on the yards were smaller and I will likely use a finer wire when I make them. Here is the foremast with the spencer jackstay.
 

 
Next I made the futtock shrouds from deadeyes and some fine gauge black wire. The ends were threaded through the pre-drilled holes in the top and attached to a large eyebolt that is filling in for the individual mounting points on the relevant iron. Finally I drilled a hole in the masts for the gaffs and mounted a piece of 24 gauge wire that will eventually become the gooseneck. I have seen people use circles cut from blackened copper tape to make fairly convincing hinges at this scale and that is the plan for these gaffs. Here are photos of the fore and main masts with the jackstays and the futtock shrouds.
 


 
This picture also shows that I installed the amidships ladders. I ultimately used the castings, they seemed as good as I was likely to make on my own, and (on the fore) that I've started installing the blocks for the bunt and clew lines. Ideally the blocks would be of four sized (two different sizes on the main/fore) and a second (smaller) set of two sizes on the mizzen. The kit comes with three sizes of single block and functionally all 4 block sizes were closest to the 3/32 inch size - so all 24 will be the same size. 
 
The mizzen required a spencer mast, which I built from a dowel and a some strip brass bent to accept a 24 gauge wire that will be the gooseneck, the spencer and then wraps around the lower mast. I also added the futtock shrouds, and here is a photo:
 

 
So, the ship looks like this now with all of the masts in place (but not yet glued in). The mizzen is slightly more raked than I want, but the picture makes it look worse than it is. I am going to get in there with my Dremel so that it will stand at the same rake as the fore and main.
 

 
Finally, a view of the ship from the bow showing the masts which. Again, the alignment appears a little off because they have no shrouds and are not glued in place.
 

 
Next up - on the right of the final photo you can see the brass belaying pins that I hit with some patina. I think I need to give them another treatment to make them more uniform, but otherwise they are ready to be placed. Finish stropping the rest of the blocks that are mounted on the tops (16 down, 8 to go) as well as a couple of blocks for the mizzen braces that mount on the top, and then it's time to make the topgallant masts. I build (but don't rig) the entire mast before doing it's final mounting and starting to put the shrouds in place. Hopefully that time will start to come soon. In the interim I will probably start to rig the boswsprit to give me another area to make some obvious progress.
 
As always, thanks for looking in and the encouragement.
 
Regards,
George K
 

Making the Staysail
 
The Staysail is the largest of the topmast sails.  An interesting, short pendant is used for a fairlead between the throat halliard and the tack lines.
 
1.       Make the Sail – I needed to make a lot of adjustments to get the Staysail to fit in the space between the fore and main masts.  I attached the paper template to the stays with plastic clips to hold it in place and marked and trimmed the adjustments a little at a time until it fit according to the blueprint plans.  The strip seams run parallel to the longest (aft) side.  The Staysail was made using the same procedure as with the other sails.
 
2.       Next step Pre-rig the following before attaching the sail:
a.       Split rings are required for all 4 corners of the sail.  As with the other sails, I attached them to their blocks or seized ropes first, before sewing them to the sail itself.
b.       Halliard (Aft-Top) uses 0.021” tan rope
          i.      Use an S-hook to attach a 5/32” single block to the eyebolt on the forward side of the main topmast
          ii.      Seize the halliard line to a split ring for the sail
          iii.      Sew the split ring to the sail
          iv.      Thread the line through the 5/32” block and prepare a long hook to seize on the lower end later
c.       Throat Halliard (Forward-Top)
          i.      A 5/32” single block should already be pre-rigged to the spring stay bail on the fore mast head
          ii.      Seize the 0.021” tan throat halliard line directly to the split ring for the sail throat
          iii.      Sew the split ring to the sail
d.       Tack Rope (Forward-Bottom)
          i.      Seize the 0.008” tan tack rope to a split ring and sew it to the tack corner
e.       Sheet Rope (Aft-Bottom)
          i.      Attach a 1/8” single block to a black 0.021” rope to make the upper pendant
          ii.      Seize the upper pendant to split ring
          iii.      Make-up the lower tackle for the sheet with a 1/8” single block stropped to an s-hook on one end and an open loop on the other.
          iv.      Seize the 0.021” tan tackle line to the open loop end
f.        Make-up the short black pendant rope for the halliard / tack combo using one of the extra 1/16” x 1/16” fairleads that were cut for the clew lines.  Thank goodness I made two extras.  One of those is lost in the carpet somewhere!
 
Below:  Making the Pendant that pulls the throat halliard toward the tack

 
Below:  The completed Staysail pre-rigging

 
3.       Staysail Halliard – A more complex halliard was used for racing, but a very simple one was used for fishing.  Since I’ve been outfitting my Bluenose as a fishing ship, I decided to use the simpler rigging. 
a.       The tan 0.021” halliard rope is seized to the split ring on the Head (top) corner of the staysail.  The halliard runs up to the 5/32” single block that is S-hooked to the eyebolt on the main topmast.
b.       The fall from the block has a long hook attached to the end.  This is hooked to the sheer pole on the main mast.  Seize this to the halliard after setting up the rope on the ship to get the right length!
 
Below:  The Staysail Halliard rigged at the top to the main topmast

 
Below:  The lower end of the Staysail Halliard is seized to a hook that is attached to the sheer pole

 
4.       Staysail Throat Halliard and Tack combo – The staysail throat halliard and the tack are interconnected by a short pendant.
a.       The throat halliard is seized to the split ring on the Throat (forward upper corner).  It is laced through the 5/32” single block on the spring stay bail and then through the fairlead at the tack corner of staysail.
b.       The 0.008” tan tack rope is seized to the split ring at the tack (forward lower) corner of the sail.  Use the Driftwood thread for this line.  It runs directly to belaying pin #9 on the port side of the fore mast.
c.       A short pendant made out of 0.021” black rope is also seized to the Tack corner of the staysail.   Make a fairlead from a short piece of 1/16” brass tube.  The pendant keeps the halliard pulled close to the tack.
d.       The .021” throat halliard is ALSO belayed at BP#9 on the port side of the fore mast.
 
Below:  The upper view of the Staysail Throat Halliard

 
Below: The Staysail Throat Halliard runs through a “fairlead” that is tied to the tack split ring with a pendant.  Note the Tack Rope seized to the same split ring

 
5.       Staysail Sheet – 0.021” black rope is seized to the clew (aft lower) corner split ring.  My sheet is set up on the starboard side due to the sail position. 
a.       Upper Pendant – This 0.021” black line forms a pendant about half way down to the deck.  A 1/8” single block is seized to the bottom of the pendant.
b.       Lower Tackle – Tan 0.021” line is seized to a 1/8” single block at the railing.  The lower tackle starts at the lower block, which is S-hooked to an eyebolt at the railing.  Then it runs to the upper block, back down thru the lower block and is belayed at #38, which is right next to the eyebolt.
 
Below:  Staysail Sheet upper black pendant is seized to a block that has a tan line for the lower tackle laced through it

 
Below: Staysail Sheet lower tackle is belayed at the starboard railing

 
Below:  The finished Staysail completes the three topmast sails.  View from Starboard and following pic from Port

Only the Balloon Jib sail remains!
 
 
 

Making the Fore Topsail
 
The Fore Topsail is almost identical in its construction to the main topsail I just completed.  It is a bit smaller, there are fewer mast hoops and there are supposed to be 2 sheets & 2 tacks.  The main topsail was never switched when tacking.  The fore topsail was switched from one side of the ship to the other after tacking. 
 
1.       Sewing the Sail – Make the Fore Topsail using the same process as with the main topsail.  Make sure to bring the curved area further away from the mast than I did.  Mine was crowded too close to the mast which makes the rigging difficult to work on and for displaying the ship.
 
2.       Pre-rigging Steps – I pre-rigged the following parts before attaching the sail:
a.       Prepare 4 split rings for the rigging in the 4 sail corners [Head, Clew, Tack & Throat]
b.       Seize three 3/32” single blocks to the Split Rings for the Head, Clew & Tack corners!  These are for the Clew Line, but are easier to attach to their split rings now
c.       Prepare the blocks and lines for the fore topsail halliard the same as was done for the main topsail
          i.      Attach a 1/8” single block to a split ring for the top of the sail
          ii.      Strop a 1/8” single block with an S-hook on one end and an open space for seizing the halliard
          iii.      Measure & cut the tan 0.021” rope required.  Seize it to the upper block.  Sew the ring to the sail
          iv.      Lace the rope through the block with the ring and then the block with the S-hook
d.       Prepare the blocks and lines for two fore topsail sheets at the Clew corner (aft).  I had already pre-rigged these 4 blocks when I made the fore gaff
          i.      If still necessary, pre-rig two 1/8” single blocks for the tip of the fore gaff and two more for the eyebolts under the fore gaff jaws
          ii.      Measure & cut two lengths of tan 0.021” rope.  Seize these both to a split ring.  Sew the ring to the Clew corner of the sail
e.       Prepare the Tack by seizing the measured amount of 0.008” tan line to a split ring & sew to the tack corner of the sail
f.        Follow the exact same procedure as discussed for the main topsail to prepare the fairleads and clew line
 
Below: The pre-rigged Fore Topsail is ready for installation

 
3.       After loosely tying the halliard and sheet to hold up the sail, tie the Mast Hoops similar to the main topsail.
 
4.       Complete the install of the Fore Topsail Halliard.  The fall is belayed at pin #15 (P) together with the Clew. 
 
Below: Fore Topsail showing the halliard blocks; the upper block for the clew line and its fall running down toward the deck,; also some mast hoops

 
5.       Both Fore Topsail Sheets start at the ring on the sail
a.       The tight sheet runs thru starboard side block at the end of the gaff, runs across the gaff to the starboard eyebolt at the jaw.  The fall is belayed at pin #20 (S) on the main rail
b.       The loose sheet is supposed to go from the ring up & over the main topmast stay.  I need to apologize to all of the historical purists out there, I thought this looked really bad!  In the interest of aesthetics, I decided to run it directly thru the port block at the end of the gaff and then thru the gaff jaw port side eyebolt.  I left it semi-loose and belayed at pin #19 on the port rail.
 
Below: Fore Topsail sheets with their blocks at the end of the fore gaff.  Clew line & block at sail corner

 
6.       The Fore Topsail Tack was seized to the ring on the bottom corner of the sail.  The fall is belayed at pin #10 (S).  I only attached 1 tack.
 
Below: Fore Topsail lower tack corner and the tack line seized to the corner split ring

 
7.       The Clew Line starts at the split ring located at the lower corner of the mast hooped edge of the sail above the curved section.  It runs through the fairleads and the 3/32” blocks in 3 corners of the sail.  It ends at the block on the very top of the sail and the fall runs straight down the port side of the main sail where it is belayed to pin# 15 (P)
 
Below:  The completed Fore Topsail

 

Hey All,
Shout out to Per, Dave (CPDDET), Bob H, Dave (Dave_E), Todd, Jonathan, Dan & Jim!  Thanks for all your encouragement!  That really means a lot to me.  I am getting close to finishing and it's pretty unbelievable.  June 15th will be 2 years since I started this project.  I'm hoping to be done around that date or at least by the end of the month!
 
Thanks & Best regards,
Ed

Making the Jib Sail
 
The Jib is the first sail I’m going to make that is not installed using a boom, a gaff or both.  It is held entirely by its rigging lines.  It sits above the jumbo jib sail and is connected by the jib stay to the bowsprit.  Like the jumbo jib, the jib sail is attached at the top to the jib stay using hanks.  The cloth strip stitches have a different “V” pattern unlike the previous sails that I installed. 
 
1.       Sewing the Sail – The jib sail was made using the same procedure as with the others.  I finished the sail by sewing split rings at the three corners.  Attach a 3/16” single block to the top ring for the halliard.  I was worried about how to attach the forward lower corner to the bowsprit.  I could not find any information about the actual connection point.  I ended up simply inserting the ring on that corner into the shackle for the jib stay. 
 
Below: Jib Sail paper template and sail cloth with fabric markings made for sewing

 
Below: Single block seized to the top ring for the halliard

 
2.       Hanks –Attach the hanks at each cloth strip stitch point.  I made another batch of split rings for the hanks.  See the end of post #61 in case you missed the write-up for the process.
 
Below: Jib Sail ready to install.  Note the “V” shaped pattern for the strip stitching.  Hanks are installed.

 
3.       Install Jib Sail & Stay – The jib stay has not been permanently seized to the bowsprit yet while waiting for the following steps to be completed.
 
a.       Thread the jib stay rope through the hanks on the sail.  When done, I used my plastic clips to hold it up high on the stay for the next step.
b.       Double seize the stay to the shackle.  Get the stay tight without pulling the mast out of position.
c.       Insert the sails forward corner ring into the shackle next to the jib stay.  Since my jib sail is set to the starboard side of the jumbo jib sail, I placed the ring starboard of the jib stay.
d.       Insert the mini-bolt and nut to complete the shackle assembly.  I waited until the sail was finished before gluing the nut permanently
 
Below:  Port & Starboard views of the Jib Sail and Jib Stay attachment point on the Bowsprit

 
4.       Jib Halliard – The Jib Halliard holds the top of the sail up.  Tan 0.021” rope is laced between three 3/16” single blocks at the fore mast head.  The top two blocks were attached to the long links during pre-rigging.  The fall on each side must run through the fairleads on the front of the large trestle tree spreader.
 
Below:  Two views of the Jib Halliard at the fore mast head.  Note the three blocks attached and the tan line running through the fairleads (eyebolts).  The seized heavy black rope is the top of the Jib Stay which is shackled to the Jib Stay Bail

 
a.       The rope on the port side forms a pendant with a 1/8” single block at the end.  The tackle below starts at the bottom of the pendant block and runs down to a 1/8” single block on the main rail (just forward of the first shroud).  Use an S-hook to attach the block to the eyebolt.  The tackle fall ties off to itself with a clove hitch
 
Below: Jib Halliard port side; this is the end of the pendant and start of the tackle

 
Below:  Jib Halliard port side; lower end of tackle S-hooked to eyebolt on main rail.  Note the clove hitch tied off just above

 
b.       The rope on the starboard side runs straight down where it is belayed at pin #16 on the main rail.
 
5.       Jib Sheets – There are two Jib Sheets; one on the port side and the other on starboard.  The jib sail can be rigged to be on either side of the jumbo jib, depending on the wind direction.  The windward side hangs loose and the leeward side is pulled tight to hold the “clew“ corner down (lower aft corner).  I’m rigging my sails so the windward side is on the port.
 
a.       The tight sheet is on the starboard side with the sail.  A 0.021” black line is seized to the split ring at the clew corner of the sail.  It forms a pendant to which a 1/8” single block is seized on the other end.  A 0.021” tan line starts at the eyebolt just aft from the anchor pad on the starboard railing.  It runs through the block and back down to belaying pin #12.
 
Below: Jib Sheet on the “tight side”.  I pre-rig most of this rigging before attaching the sail

 
b.       The loose sheet is seized to the same split ring but is laid over the jumbo jib stay to the port side.  The lower tackle is belayed to pin #11.  It is rigged the same as the starboard sheet, but left loose so it doesn’t pull down on the jumbo jib.
 
Below: Jib Sheet on the “loose side”

 
6.       Jib Downhaul – Install the Jib Downhaul with 0.008” tan line.  This rope is attached to the split ring at the top corner of the sail.  The downhaul runs down to a 3/32” single block attached to the 2nd eyebolt from the end of the bowsprit.  This block was attached during pre-rigging a while back.  From the block it runs down the bowsprit, thru the fairlead at the tip of the bow and is belayed at pin #2.  This line is left a little loose.
 
Below: Jib Downhaul seized to the top corner split ring

 
Below: Jib Downhaul 3/32” block S-hooked to the bowsprit

 
Below: Jib Downhaul runs thru a fairlead (eyebolt) and is belayed at pin #2

 
Below:  The Completed Jib Sail

 

How I Made Rope Bundles for Laying over Belaying Pins
 
Hey, I'm no expert and this is my first build.  I’m sure there are a lot of ways to make rope bundles.  I looked at several on-line and came up with something that worked for me.  However, I will admit, I’m still tinkering with the procedure.  Hope this is a helpful starting point to other newbies like me.  First, I made a simple jig.
 
Making the jig
1.       Find a suitable scrap piece of 2x4 in the wood bin.  Some people use plywood.  I like the way the 2x4 raises the work off the table a bit more, so I can get my hands all around the jig.
2.       Put 2 small nails in the top of the wood block close to the edge.  I set mine 19/32” apart.  I started with 1/2“ but, I widened them a little because the wrapped end was not reaching the deck.
3.       Cut the heads off both nails
4.       Smooth down the edges of the nails with a metal file
5.       Make a small narrow cut in the bottom edge of the board to place & hold the starting end of the rope.  I also made a second cut 90 degrees left of the bottom nail to hold the wrapping end.
 

 
Using the jig
1.       I cut a piece of rope about 8 inches long.  Insert the starting end into the cut near the bottom nail to hold it in place.  Wrap the rope around both nails about 3 or 4 times.  Finish by going around the bottom nail, over the top of the rope coil.  Tuck the loose end into the cut in the left edge of the jig to hold it in place.
a.       For light weight rope (0.008” thread) wrap 5-6 times
b.       For medium weight (0.021”) wrap 3-4 times
 

 
2.       Lift the rope coil with a prying tool to the top of both nails to make space underneath for the next step.
3.       Wrap the excess rope end around the rope coil, near the bottom end about 4x.  Put an overhand knot in the last turn and resecure it in the notch on the left side.
 

 
4.       Place some CA glue on the wrap from step 3 to hold the knot.  Also put glue where the starting end passes through the wrapped area to secure it.
 

 
5.       When dry, pry the rope coil off the nails
6.       Trim both loose ends.  Leave a little bit of the end coming off the wrap.  Trim the starting end flush with the coil to hide it from view.
 

 
7.       Trim off the loose end from the rigging line that is secured around the belaying pin.  You need to make room for the coil of rope.
8.       Place the unwrapped end over the belaying pin on the ship
9.       Put a dab of glue between the belaying pin and the rope to hold it at the top.  Place more glue on the side of the pin rail and under the rope coil and pull the other end down over the rail while holding with tweezers until the glue dries.
 

 

Well, I am one of them...🙂

I've enjoyed putting them together.  I have to credit Per for encouraging me to start a build log.  I wasn't too sure of what I was doing at the beginning. But I gained more and more confidence as I moved along.  I'm happy to hear that my efforts will help someone else.  
 
Bob, I hope you get back  to working on your Bluenose. It's a beautiful ship. In fact, I'm thinking about traveling to Lunenburg to see Bluenose II.  I expect to be finished before then, but would love to see the ship and that little seaside town!
 

Make & Install the Main Sail
 
1.       Make the Sail – The Main Sail is the largest sail on the ship.  After completing the jumbo jib and fore sails, I was ready to make the main sail.  I used the same sail making process as with the first two.  Like the fore sail, the Main sail has two “reef bands”.  I had to tape together 2 sheets of tracing paper to cover the size.  I used an large sheet of paper for the paper template.
 
Below: Paper template for the Main Sail; The tracing paper template can be seen to the left

 
Below: Finished sewing the Main Sail including the two reef bands

 
Below: Inserting the split rings on the corners of the Main Sail

 
 
2.       Lacing the Sail to the Boom & Gaff – first the aft end of the sail is connected to the Clew Band near the end of the boom using the split ring that was sewed into the corner.  The 0.008” Buff thread is used for the lace.  I threaded a needle and inserted a lace through the sail at every point where the strip line came to the bottom of the sail.  I attached the top of the sail to the end of the gaff using a few stitches to sew it onto the eyebolt at the bottom of the end cap.  Then I laced the top of the sail to the gaff in the same way as the boom.
a)       Problem!  At this point I test fitted the gaff – sail – boom assembly on the main mast.  I discovered that it was too tall!  It was going to be too close to the crane for the throat halliard to fit.  I was so far along; I didn’t want to start over on a new main sail.  So, I decided I would try to rip out the hem/seam at the top of the sail and fold it over an extra half inch and resew the hem.  This actually worked!  I cleaned up the edge with scissors and ironed everything nice and flat.  I thought it looked just as good as before when I was done!
 
3.       Attach the Main Boom/Gaff to Mast – Both the Main boom and gaff use Parrel Beads to attach to the main mast.  I used 0.021” tan line to thread the beads onto the boom/gaff.  I only glued the knot on one side and left the extra rope uncut on the other side, in case I needed to remove them for any reason.
 
Below: Parrel Beads holding the Main Boom.  These allow the boom to move around the mast without excessive wear

Below: Parrel Beads holding the Main Gaff

 
4.       Tie Mast Hoops to Sail – The parrel beads now held the boom & gaff to the mast.  I held the gaff in position temporarily with a plastic clip while tying the mast hoops.  I used the same process to attach the sail to the hoops.  About a half inch space was provided between each one.  Only the bottom one was double hooped.
 
Below: Main Mast Hoops tied to the main sail

 
In my posts on pre-rigging, I covered the Main Sail in detail.  I don’t want to bore everyone with more of the same.  I will give a brief explanation here and mostly show pictures of the completed rigging.  I covered the Main Boom in post #50; including Boom Sheet, Crutch Tackles, Topping Lift and Quarter Lifts.  I covered the Main Gaff in post #51; Throat Halliard & Peak Halliard.  View these posts for details like block sizes, rope thicknesses and belaying pin numbers.  I will start with the Halliards, because that is what I did next to get the main gaff attached.  If anyone has questions or would like more details, please just let me know.
 
5.       Main Throat Halliard – This rigging holds up the fore end of the gaff.  This was completely pre-rigged and is the same as the fore gaff.  There are three parts; what I call the primary tackle, straight fall to the deck, a pendant and lower tackle on starboard.
 
a)       Main Throat Halliard – Primary Tackle that holds up the Gaff (view from starboard & view from port)

b)      Main Throat Halliard – Straight fall to deck on port side

c)       Main Throat Halliard – Pendant & Tackle on the starboard side (view of upper end & view at the rail)

 
 
6.       Main Peak Halliard – This rigging holds up the back end of the Main gaff with an array of ¼” single blocks.  Like the Throat halliard, there are three parts.  Parts two and three for the Peak Halliard are the mirror image of the Throat. I also made up most of the Peak Halliard during pre-rigging.  Be sure to thread both ends of the halliard line through their respective fairleads (eyebolts) on the trestle tree spreader
 
a)       Main Peak Halliard – Array of blocks on top of the Gaff; note the ropes passing through the fairleads on the spreader on the way down to their belaying points

b)      Main Peak Halliard – Fall for rope running straight to the deck on starboard side

c)       Main Peak Halliard – Tan pendant rope spliced to double block on lower tackle on port side (behind ratlines)

 
 
7.       Main Boom Sheet – I pre-rigged the Main boom sheet earlier (see my post #50).  The main boom sheet holds the boom down toward the deck.  Together with the Crutch Tackles on either side, this is one of the most impressive riggings on the ship, in my opinion!  The big triple block under the boom sheet band sets everything else up.
 
Below:  The fully rigged Main Boom Sheet; tied off on starboard bitt

 
8.       Boom Crutch Tackles – These two tackles on either side of the sheet keep the boom from moving from side to side.  These were also pre-rigged and detailed in post #50.
 
Below:  The fully rigged Main Boom Sheet & Crutch Tackles before rigging is tightened up

 
9.       Main Boom Topping Lift – The topping lift holds up the aft end of the Main boom.  There are three parts to this rigging.  a) The black pendant that starts at the shackle on the main mast cap; b) lower tackle at the end of the boom; c) “Fall” rope that is belayed at the pin #26 on the starboard boom jaw
 
a)       Main Boom Topping Lift – top of upper pendant showing black line shackled at main mast cap

b)      Main Boom Topping Lift – Lower tackle at end of main boom lacing between sheaves on boom end and blocks

 
c)       Main Boom Topping Lift – A “horizontal fall” runs across the boom and is belayed at the main boom jaw

 
Below: Main Boom end viewed from off the stern showing topping lift

 
 
10.   Main Boom Quarter Lifts – There are 2 of these.  One on each side of the main sail.  These were made in pre-rigging.  There are three parts.  But the tackle is at the top and the pendant is at the bottom of this rig.
 
a)       Quarter Lifts – Upper Tackle is S-hooked to the brass U bracket under the trestle tree

 
b)      Quarter Lifts – Lower pendant is S-hooked to the quarter lift band on the main boom (that's the topping lift running through the fairlead just behind the band)

 
c)       Quarter Lifts – Fall from upper tackle is belayed at pins #30 & 31 (#31 is the farthest on the right)

 
NOTE: In the above picture of the belaying pins on the port side of the main rail, I started making some rope bundles.  I am hanging these over the belaying pins where falls from the rigging above have already been belayed.  I plan to do a quick post on how I make these in the next one up.
 
11.   Tighten up all the lines, secure them to their belaying pins and add rope bundles.  Knot & glue the lines through the parrel beads.  I also permanently rigged the Flying Backstays 
 
It took me 86 actual build hours over 36 calendar days to complete the three sails closest to the deck.  Each of these having its own boom.
 
Below:  Main Sail Complete!  a) Underside of the Main Boom; b) Looking at the aft deck; c) Three lower sails with booms are finished)

 

Well, some progress on the lower masts. The fore and main were mostly constructed, but not painted or any additional details added. The mizzen needed the ring of belaying pins, which is the next item I worked on.  I marked out the relevant circles on a piece of appropriate thickness wood from the kit, drilled a pilot hole and then used a conical grinding bit in my dremel to make the hole. I then drilled out the holes for the pins, and finished the outside with a sanding bit. It was the only way I thought I could make it without having the whole thing break into a million pieces when I drilled the holes for the belaying pins. As it was, it split in two, but a little glue and we were back in business, as seen below:
 

 
Next up was to paint the lower masts. I started with some Tamiya flat white from a spray can to get a base on the pieces, followed by brushing on Tamiya flat white to get good coverage. Unfortunately, I ran out of paint, so I've only done the fore and mizzen. The photo below shows the mizzen and the main, and you can see the difference between the spray only and the final look (the unpainted portion of the mizzen will be out of sight).
 

 
Oh, while i was waiting for paint to dry I mounted the ships boats on the main deck house (the mast is not yet attached, and it's an optical illusion that it is facing forward).
 

 
I then spent some time on the foretop. After painting, the holes for the futtock shrouds and fairleads had to be reopened. In addition, the plans indicate that the tops had an iron band around the curved edge. I made this with some black, 24 gauge steel wire, bent to shape on the edge of the top, and leaving the holes for the futtock shrouds uncovered (so basically there were 5 pieces of wire, each between one of the 6 holes). The futtock shrouds were  made from 1/8 deadeyes (the closest I had to 10" at scale) and black 32 gauge wire, anchored onto the futtock band using a large eyebolt. Here is a picture of the mast from the starboard:
 

 
And a similar shot showing the mast top from above, with the 'iron band')
 

 
Finally the same shot of the whole ship, but with the focus on the deck, rather than the mast top.
 

 
Next up are the rest of the mast tops and futtock shrouds, and the belaying pins. Then the topgallant masts and I can start putting some shrouds in place.
 
As always, thanks for the likes and encouragement.
 
Please have a good Memorial Day weekend, however you choose to mark it.
 
Regards,
George K.
 

Make & Install the Fore Sail & Make New Bilge Pumps!
 
Before I started working on the Fore Sail, I decided that I had to do something about my Bilge Pumps!  I used the Britannia metal ones from the kit.  They were very misshapen and looked bad!
 
Below:  The original Bilge Pumps

 
I tried to find something that was ready-made to purchase, but I couldn’t find the right scale or anything that resembled the ones on the blueprint plans.  So, I decided to try my hand at some minor kit bashing and make my own.  I was inspired by what CPDDET (Dave) did with the metal pumps he bashed on his lathe.  Very impressive work!  But I don’t have a tool like that (yet!).  Therefore, I decided I needed to do something with wood.  I started with a 3/16” diameter dowel and drilled out the center with a 3/32” bitt.  I cut off two ½” lengths for the pipe.  Then I took a scrap piece of thicker sheet wood that had the right height and used the jeweler’s saw to rough cut the shape.  Drilled a hole in the center.  I did a bunch of hand sanding to get it somewhat to the shape in the plans, although slightly larger.  I glued the dowel onto a circle of thin birch sheet wood for the base.  Finally, I bent some brass strip into a couple of U’s to simulate the brackets for the plunger handles.  I painted the whole thing with Testors black enamel paint.  A long way from Dave’s work, but I’m much more satisfied with this, compared to what I started with above!
 
Below:  My new “bashed-up” Bilge Pumps!

 
FORE SAIL
 
1.       Make the Sail – The Fore Sail is quite a bit larger than the jumbo jib.  But, the process for making it is the same.  The big difference is that the fore sail has two “reef bands”.  These required setting up the sewing machine to make a zig-zag stitch to simulate the bands.  This took some extra practice runs and adjusting to get the width and thread tension right.  After the bands are stitched, some 1” long threads are poked through all along the band at each point where a seam crosses.  I glued these down with some fabric glue to keep them flat against the sail.
 
Below: Paper template for the Fore Sail

 
Below: Finished Fore Sail with the two reef bands.  Also, a close-up of the reef bands & cloth strip lines

 
2.       Lacing the Sail to the Boom & Gaff – first the aft end of the sail is connected to the band on the boom using the split ring that was sewed into the corner.  The 0.008” Buff thread is used for the lace.  I threaded a needle and inserted a lace through the sail at every point where the strip line came to the bottom of the sail.  I attached the top of the sail to the end of the gaff using a few stitches to sew it onto the eyebolt at the bottom of the end cap.  Then I laced the top of the sail to the gaff in the same way as the boom.
 
Below: Fore Sail laced to the Fore Gaff

 
3.       Attach the Fore Boom to Mast – The U-shaped fitting on the end of the boom needs to be connected to the gooseneck shackle at the bottom of the fore mast.  It was a bit tricky holding everything steady while I threaded a mini bolt & nut onto the fittings.  But, finally success!
 
Below: Fore Boom attached to Gooseneck fitting.  Also note the double set of mast hoops getting tied to the mast

 
4.       Tie Mast Hoops to Sail – First I needed to connect the gaff jaw to the mast using the “Parrel Beads”.  I bought a bag of these beads (100 ct) from Modeler’s Central.  I held the gaff up temporarily with a plastic clip while tying the hoops.
a)       I cut a bunch of 4” long pieces of thread for the mast hoops.
b)      I used a large needle to insert the 0.008” Driftwood thread through the forward side of the sail, close to the edge, for tying the mast hoops.  I started at the top and allowed ½” between each hoop per the plan.
c)       I placed a dot of CA glue on the knot and trimmed the ends off once it was dry
d)      The plan says to use double hoops on the bottom two spots, but I only had enough hoops to double the bottom one!
 
Below: Parrel Beads hold the gaff jaw to the fore mast and mast hoops are all tied in place

 
5.       Fore Throat Halliard – This rigging holds up the fore end of the gaff.  There are three parts. There is the primary tackle that hold up the gaff.  The port side has a straight fall to the deck.  The starboard has a pendant and a tackle.
a)       Tackle holding the gaff – during pre-rigging I put together the pair of blocks that attach the gaff to the fore mast crane.  I ended up replacing the two “long hooks” with shorter ones, because there was not that much height in between, causing the blocks to almost be touching.  I used the 0.028” heavy tan rope for the primary rigging on this tackle for these large blocks.
          i)  A 9/32” triple block is attached with an S-hook to the link on the Crane on the fore mast. A ¼” double block is laced below it.  2 hooks connect the double block to the 2 eyebolts on top of the gaff jaws
 
Below: Fore Throat Halliard primary tackle attached to the crane

 
b)      Fall for rope on port side – This side of the .028 rope runs straight down to the deck.  What’s different about it is that the line passes through a ¼” single block that is S-hooked to an eyebolt glued to the deck right next to the mast.  I pre-rigged this entire assembly earlier.  After the block, the line goes to belaying pin #7 at the bottom of the fore mast.
 
Below: Single ¼” block next to the fore mast (just left of the anchor chain box)

 
c)       Pendant & Tackle on the starboard side – A pendant is seized to the top of a 1/8” double block that begins the lower tackle.  At the main rail is another double block that is S-hooked to an eyebolt adjacent to Pin #18.  The tackle run begins at the bottom of the upper double block with a 0.021” tan line spliced underneath. 
 
Below: Double 1/8” block at the top of the starboard tackle

 
Below: Double 1/8” block at the main rail next to belaying pin #18

 
6.       Fore Peak Halliard – This rigging holds up the back end of the fore gaff with a complex array of blocks.  Like the Throat halliard, there are three parts.  But the Peak halliard is the mirror image of the Throat. I also made up most of the Peak halliard during pre-rigging.
a)       Blocks & Tackle on top of the Gaff end – When the fore mast and gaff were made, we set-up 3 brass bands with eyebolts on the mast and 2 on the end of the gaff.  During pre-rigging I stropped 5 - ¼” blocks with S-hooks for attaching to these positions.  I again used the 0.028” heavy tan rope for the primary rigging on this tackle for these large ¼” blocks. The blocks were simply unhooked from the eyebolts and set aside after pre-rigging.
          i)   Important Note: The two rope ends that exit the upper and lower blocks on the mast pass through the eyebolt fairleads on the front of the trestle tree spreader.  I did not seize the top rope to their lower blocks until NOW so that these lines could be threaded through their respective fairleads.
 
Below:  Peak halliard upper tackle blocks installed

 
b)      Fall for rope on starboard side – The rope end from the upper block on the mast runs straight down to the deck.  This mirrors the Throat halliard, except it’s on the opposite side of the mast.  The 0.028” rope passes through a ¼” single block that is S-hooked to an eyebolt glued to the deck next to the mast.  I made up this block during pre-rigging and left it laying on the deck, hooked to its eyebolt.  During installation, I threaded the rope end thru the block and belayed it to pin #8 at the bottom of the fore mast.
 
Below: Straight run to deck on the starboard side to belaying pin #8

 
c)       Pendant & Tackle on the port side – The rope end from the lower block forms a pendant that is seized to the top of a 1/8” double block that begins the lower tackle.  This is the block that cannot be seized until the assembly is installed and this line is threaded thru its fairlead.  The lower tackle looks just like the Throat halliard set-up only it’s on the opposite side.  At the port side main rail is another double block that is S-hooked to an eyebolt adjacent to Pin #17.  The tackle run begins at the bottom of the upper double block with a 0.021” tan line spliced underneath.
 
Below:  Sometimes you have to get creative!  Notice the ship is on the floor in the background so I can use my helping hands to rig the upper pendant to the lower tackle for the Peak Halliard

 
Below: Lower tackle for the Peak Halliard, showing upper & lower double blocks hidden behind the ratlines

 
Below: Peak Halliard, showing lower double block of the tackle & belaying pin #17 on main rail

 
7.       Fore Boom Sheet – I pre-rigged the fore boom sheet earlier.  I did not discuss it in my pre-rigging post, so will provide some details here.  There is a lot going on with this sheet in a very small amount of space!  Let’s take it in pieces.
a)       The upper double block – there are two 3/16” double blocks.  The upper one is connected to the bail on the boom sheet band using a brass wire link.  The bottom of this block has 0.021” tan rope seized to the strop around the block.  The tan rope runs down to the lower block and is then laced through each block twice.
b)      The lower double block – the black stropping line on the lower block is formed into a slightly longer than normal loop on the bottom.  A “pin” made from a kit eyebolt connects this block to the ring on the boom sheet buffer.
c)       Fairlead Shackle & Pin – I made the fairlead from a short slice of 1/16” diameter brass tubing.  I tied a length of 0.021” black line around the tubing on one end and around the eyebolt “pin” on the other.  Next, I slipped a shackle through the ring on the buffer.  While holding the shackle upright with tweezers, I slipped the eyebolt pin through the holes in the shackle with the strop loop sandwiched in between!
d)      Tying off the Sheet – the tan rope comes off the upper block, through the fairlead tube and is tied off at belaying pin #21 on the fife rail bar.
e)      I recommend that all of this be done in pre-rigging so you have room to get access to the deck! All I had to do to finish the rig, was connect the link to the sheet bail and tighten up the line at the belaying pin.
 
Below:  The completed fore boom sheet.  There is another view in the pic covering the Topping Lift just below

 
 
8.       Fore Boom Topping Lift – The topping lift holds up the aft end of the fore boom.
a)       The topping lift starts at the metal link on the front of the main mast just under the trestle tree.  An S-hook is eye spliced to a 0.021” black line.  The S-hook is connected to the link.  At the end of this pendant a 1/8” double block is stropped and seized.  The pendant is eye spliced to the block.
 
Below: Topping Lift black rope is S-hooked to the plate/link on the main mast

 
 
b)      Another 1/8” single block forms the bottom of the tackle with the double block above.  This block is stropped on both ends.  The .021” tan rope that makes the tackle is seized to the top of the single block.  A long S-hook is stropped to the bottom of this block.  The seized tan rope runs up to the double block, back down and up again.  The long hook is attached to the eyebolt on the end cap for the fore boom.
 
Below: Double block at the top of the tackle run is connected to the end of the pendant

 
Below: Single block S-hooked to the end of the fore boom (note also, another view of the boom sheet is visible)

 
 
c)       The fall from the upper double block is tied off on the Fife Rail Bar, per the blueprint plans.  Wrap it around the starboard corner. 
 
Below:  Fall from the upper double block is shown tied off at the fife rail post on the corner

 
 
9.       Fore Sail Downhaul – The downhaul is used to pull the sail/gaff down when it is not being used.  A 0.008” line is seized to the eyebolt at the bottom of the endcap on the gaff.  The rope is kept loose.  I made a coil of rope at the lower end and tied it around the middle of the fore boom.  I used a few touches of CA glue to hold it in position.
 
Below:  View of the Fore Sail Downhaul where it is seized at the gaff and also attached at the boom on the other end

 
10.   Tighten up all the lines and secure them to their belaying pins.  I applied some CA glue to the gooseneck shackle and then cut off the excess part on the end of the bolt
 
 
Below:  The completed fore sail!
 
 

Took me forever but finally have the shackles mostly done for the bowsprit rigging. 
 
Started off wrapping a thin brass strip around a 1/16 brass rod. Then drilled a hole in each one for the pin. The rest of the shaping was done with files.
 
Still have to clean these up and blacken them. The pin (a small brass bolt being used) will be trimmed after being installed.
 

 

 

Make & Install the Jumbo Jib Sail
 
As explained in my previous post, I started with the jumbo jib sail because it is small.  So, I was able to practice my new found sewing skills without wasting a lot of sail cloth material!  Please refer to this previous post #61 for the full procedure I use to make all the sails.
 
1.       Sewing the Sail – I used some cloth remnants my wife had laying around to practice on before trying to sew on the actual sail material.  This sail is fairly simple compared to some of the others.  The strip lines run parallel to the long edge on the aft of the sail.  Unfortunately, I was so focused on making the sail I didn’t get any pictures of what I did on this one!  [Refer to post #61 for the full details & pictures on sail making]
 
2.       Attach the Hanks – the “hanks” hold the sail to the jumbo jib stay.  I use split rings made out of the Artistic Wire to simulate the hanks.  I made a hole with a needle in the sail at every point where the strip line came to the top of the sail.  I opened the split ring slightly and pushed an end into the hole.  Below is a picture of the jumbo jib sail and boom at the start of the rigging process.  Three lines were “pre-rigged” earlier: the inhaul tackle (already attached to the boom), jumbo jib boom sheet (shackled to its horse and left lying on the deck) and the topping lift (set aside with the rest of the pre-rigged lines).

 
3.       Lacing the Sail to the Boom – first the aft end of the sail is connected to the band on the boom by the split ring I sewed into the corner.  Then, the Bluenose plans show two ways to lace the sail to the boom.  I chose the continuous line method.  It is simpler and allows you to tighten/loosen the tension on the sail.  I used the thread I purchased to substitute for the 0.008” tan rigging line for the lace.  I threaded a needle and inserted a lace through the sail at every point where the strip line came to the bottom of the sail.
 
Below: A pretty good picture showing the jumbo jib laced to its boom.  One of the "hanks" is showing too

Below: In case someone is interested, this is the thread I used to replace the Model Shipways 0.008".  The "Buff" was used for the lacing above.  I used a lighter weight "All Purpose" thread to stitch the sails on the sewing machine - color is called "Natural" which is very close to the sail color.

 
4.       Jumbo Jib Halliard – this piece of rigging holds the sail up by the top corner.  Before we attach the sail to the jumbo jib stay, the halliard needs to be ready to connect to the sail.  During pre-rigging I attached a pair of 3/16” single blocks to the eyebolts under the iron gate on the fore mast.  An S-hook was stropped to the blocks.  We also need to strop another 3/16” single block to the split ring stitched to the top sail corner.  This is easier to do while the sail is off the ship. Once the above steps were completed, I attached the sail to the JJ Stay.
a.       Attach Jumbo Jib Sail to the Jumbo Jib Stay
          i.      Disconnect the jumbo jib stay from the jumbo jib stay bail and thread it through the hanks on the sail.  Use plastic clips to hold the sail up off the deck while I seize the stay to the JJ Bail.
          ii.      The stay is double seized to the jumbo jib stay bail that was installed back in post #56.  I got the stay as tight as possible without bending the mast.
 
Below: Jumbo jib stay double seized to the brass JJ stay bail

 
b.      Set up the rigging for the JJ Halliard
          i.      Tan 0.021 rope runs between the upper 3 halliard blocks.  I estimated the amount of rope required then cut & strung it thru the blocks.  All the rigging lines were left somewhat loose until all the rigging for a sail under construction was finished.  Only then did I tighten/secure each line.
 
Below: the 3 blocks at the top of the jumbo jib sail halliard

 
          ii.      The rope on the port side runs straight down to the main rail where it is belayed to pin #13
          iii.     The rope that runs down the starboard side ends with a pendant about half way down.  A 1/8" Sgl Blk is seized at the end of it.  The lower tackle rope starts at an eyebolt just forward of the last deadeye.  An S-hook is seized to the end of the tackle rope and goes up to the pendant block, then back down toward the deck where it is tied off to itself with a clove hitch. 
          iv.      This was my first clove hitch.  I found an awesome website that shows you how to tie every conceivable hitch knot:  https://www.animatedknots.com/hitch-knots
 
Below: JJ Halliard, Starboard side, Lower tackle.  And next pic is a close-up of the hitch knot!


5.       In-Haul Tackle – Now that the jumbo jib sail can be held up by the hanks & halliard, it’s time to attach the boom.  I put together all the rigging for the in-haul tackle during pre-rigging.  This is a complex piece of rigging that holds the forward end of the JJ Boom to the wood block on top of the bowsprit.  Here are my steps for completing the rigging.
a.       Way back when we made the bowsprit a horse was bent into shape out of brass wire and inserted into a pair of holes on top of the bowsprit just forward of the Samson Post assembly.  At the time this horse was not supposed to be glued down until now!  The first step is to remove the horse and insert it thru the pair of U-shaped staples under the end of the boom.  The chain on the in-haul is already pre-rigged so, the first link is in the aft staple on the end of the boom.
b.       The chain is attached to a shackle and then a pair of blocks are laced together with 0.021” tan rope.  One of those blocks is attached to an eyebolt that was inserted during pre-rigging into the top of the bowsprit, part way under the bitts of the Samson Post.  The rope is tied off to one of these bitts.  I also tied off the end of the sail lacing to the horse.  I could not figure out how to keep the sail from sliding up the boom.  There is no band for attaching a split ring.  I never found any information about how to do this, so I just improvised!
 
Below: Close-up of the In-Haul Tackle and fore end of the JJ Boom

 
6.       Jumbo Jib Boom Sheet – I decided to do the sheet next because I knew the access would be tight for connecting this rigging.  This is a great example of the advantage to pre-rigging what you can before the rest of the rigging and sails are in the way.  I had left the horse in front of the fore mast loose.  So, during pre-rigging I was able to get the shackle and bolt inserted before securing it to the deck.  Right now, I just had to finagle the shackle on the upper block into the sheet band bail under the end of the boom.  Then it’s just a matter of tightening up the lines.  I waited until all the JJ Sail rigging was completed before making the final tie-off on belaying pin #6.
 
Below: Close-up of the Jumbo Jib Boom Sheet rigging

 
7.       Jumbo Jib Boom Topping Lift – The topping lift holds up the aft end of the boom.  This was pre-rigged.
a.       The rigging starts with a brass wire hook that attaches to the brass link/plate that was inserted into the mast under the iron gate and spreader.  The hook is eye spliced to a black 0.021” rope.  The rope stops about half way down forming a pendant with a 1/8” double block at the end of it.
 
Below: Topping Lift uses a brass wire hook that is attached to the link on the mast to hold the black pendant

 
Below: The upper pendant ends with a double block that begins the lower tackle

 
b.       A tackle made from tan 0.021” rope runs between the upper 1/8" Double Blk and another 1/8" Single Blk at the lower end on top of the JJ boom.  The Single Blk is attached with a long brass hook to an eyebolt on the end band of the boom.  The tackle run starts with a seized loop on top of the lower Blk, then up thru the Dbl Blk, down thru the Sgl Blk, back through the Dbl Blk.
c.       The fall from the upper block is belayed at pin #5
 
Below: Topping lift is connected to the boom end cap with a long hook.  The fall can be seen belayed to pin #5 at the base of the fore mast below.  Also notice the split ring sewed into the sail is bolted to the band on the boom.

 
8.       Jumbo Jib Sail Downhaul – the Downhaul is used to pull the sail down to the deck when required.  This is made from some thin 0.008” tan thread. 
a.       The downhaul begins with a seized loop attached to the same split ring at the top corner of the sail where the halliard is connected.  I just seized this in place on the ship.  The line hangs loosely & runs down to a block near the forward end of the boom
b.       A 3/32" Sgl Blk near the boom is seized to a 1" long black rope that's seized to the jumbo jib stay bail.  The loose end of downhaul runs through this block and is tied off on the Samson bitt.  The post used for the in-haul and for the downhaul is determined by the side the sail is set.
 
Below:  The 1” long rope with the block that is sticking up is for the Downhaul line.  (Please refer back to the first picture of the JJ Stay seizing above, to see how the downhaul is tied off to the starboard bitt)

Below: Finished Jumbo Jib Sail on boom (taken later after the Jib Sail was installed in front of it)