JanV

good to see you back Anja, I will follow you again

good to see you back Anja, I will follow you again

good to see you back Anja, I will follow you again

good to see you back Anja, I will follow you again

all,
 
My Halve Maen build was already on hold, but during our move to a new house in November 2015, she got lost because one of our friends put her box on the pavement instead of in our car.
 
After that the enthusiasm to build was completely gone. I spent last year enjoying my other hobbies.
 
But, as a Dutch saying goes: 'Blood is thicker than water' and the urge to build another ship came back.
 
So, May I present to you the Spanish Galleon Nuestra Señora del Pilar De Zaragoza (Our lady of the pillar of Zaragoza), a Spanish Treasure Galleon.
 

 
Measurements
Length: 1110 mm
Height: 970 mm
Width: 520 mm
 
History
During the 17th and 18th centuries Spanish galleons served the Spanish crown as merchantmen and warships. Many of them sailed between Acapulco and Manila, transporting South American silver to the Philippines and exotic goods from Asia to Mexico, from where the treasures were sent back to Spain.
 
Commisioned in 1731 and launched in 1733, Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza (Our Lady of the Pillar of Zaragoza) was one of these Manila Galleons built of the finest Philippine wood, she was 112 feet on deck and displaced 1,000 tons. A 4th rate of the Cavogonda class, she was fitted with 50 cannon, two stern chasers and six swivel guns. She carried a crew of 385 men.
 
For twenty years she sailed the route from Mexico to Manila and in 1750 underwent a complete refit in the Port of Cavite. In 1750, on her last voyage, she set sail from Manila bound for Acapulco. Despite being overloaded, and contrary to the opinion of both pilots and Master, her Captain insisted on weighing anchor at the beginning of September. En route for the Mariana Islands, in the Pacific, they began to have difficulties after sailing into a heavy storm, and she sank taking all of her crew down with her.
 

Frames dry fit.
 

Frames glued in place. Reinforcing pieces not glued yet.
 

Frames glued in place.
 

Last three frames fitted and glued. Reinforcing pieces glued.
 

Close-up bow section
 

Close-up stern section
 
 
Enjoy and thank you for watching.
Anja

Hi Mates,
Well I am partially “confused”. Returning to the bowsprit area, for my first attempts at securing the deadeye ropes, and then actually starting the ratlines.
THEN - JanV was right – way back – when he posted, “how will you remember where all of those pre- attached bowsprit mast ropes are supposed to go”?
Now working from the Vasa museum rigging sheet, the Billings sheet, and the Corel -no sails - sheet just don’t know what I’m doing right or wrong ha ha ..
AND Fred Hocker recently posted that the Vasa Museum rigging plan sheet is wrong and is no longer being sold. The Vasa II book will have the correct rigging plans within – a book that is already two years beyond its promised publication date L
 
Updated pics. Need to add a fid for the flagpole? Probably.

 
As a novice, I thought that pre-attaching the blocks and lines would be easier before securing the mast to the bow.
That said I am actually moving forward – now that part is satisfying.
I did finish the upper main platform and added the rat lines (crosstree blocks are missing – I just realized as well) well at least those will be easy.
 

Finished the mainmast upper platform, and discovered that several blocks are also missing at the already installed crosstree for the lower main platform– grrr
These learning experiences are actually valuable as often as I include -grrrr - in my remarks, The next build will benefit from these learning experiences.
 
Cheers mates,
 

 

Hi Sjors
 
Looking forward to see your updates.

Hi Sjors
 
Looking forward to see your updates.

Hi Mates,
 
Thanks for the likes much appreciated.
 
Tigersteve thanks for your kind words.
 
Dave We shall see – thanks – I am enjoying the learning of how these ships were made to function – sort of “state of the art” technology of their days. Which as ours does today changes as more is learned.
 
Parenthetically, we are certainly, today, spoiled by comparison. When I was working and having to cross the Atlantic from LAX to LHR in a 747 at 36,000 feet. Champagne in hand CD player [yes CD player J] and Sony headphones around my ears, looking down at the ocean –it struck me that C Columbus in his wildest magic mushroom dreams could NEVER imagine  - ever – this reality of a crossing.
 
The joke is now, of course – that in a 100 years from now travellers will look at antique digital flashes of history and laugh about people having to spend 16 hours, packed with 450 others in an Airbus A380 just to get to Australia ha ha ……
 
My father was in the airline business for most of his life – I followed and worked as a pilot for quite a few years. (Champagne was when I was just sitting doing nothing)
 
==============================
 
 
Back to business: I’m sure that I’m “preaching to the choir” here, but wanted to share some techniques that you prob. are already using – but here goes.
 
1) For threading deadeyes (or any rope for that matter) I first use Gorilla Gel, and run a bead at one of the ends of a rope. Then as I clean off the excess glue (thumb and forefinger with a cloth), I twist the rope ends tighter into their turns - as I’m pulling the rope through the cloth. 
 
This results in a hard “needle like” - tip after the glue dries. Then nip the ends to create a thinner entry point making threading deadeyes much easier. It also allows using ropes that are larger and possibly more to scale.
 
The big eye needle (I have not tried) it would seem would require a thinner scale rope because as you pull the needle out the inserted line then doubles over as it is pulled through the deadeye –??
 

 
To secure the deadeye ropes
 
First I insert (in this case) a thread between the doubled tied shroud, looping it twice. Then, twice wrap the deadeye rope around its shroud; hold it in place, and securing it with a bit of G-S Hypo Cement. Let it set then. The last bit is then very simple just run the left over rope through the two thread spools, tighten and nip.
 

 
OOPS mistake – should have done this work for the mizenmast before securing it to the ship. Hmmm grrr - Still learning protocols.
 

 
Learned that not all deadeyes are created equally. In the future need to look through more carefully making sure that eyelets are more equally spaced before attaching to shrouds. Yes I did finally realize that rotating them does help.
 
Also the upper mast rigging work is easily done at the bench – I have not yet tried working with the other shrouds already on the ship Hmmm?
 
OH !!! Ferit, as I have mentioned before you are the one that introduced me to G-S Hypo Cement SO perfect. Thanks again.
 
Apologize about the long opening personal notes in this post J
 
 
Cheers,

almost finished
 

 

 
only a mast and sails to make

During the last weeks continued with the long boat, changed the seatings and made a mast  
   
 
   
 
 
 
after the painting I will add some ropes and sails.  
 
   
 
Due to our planned move in February I will till that time, during the weekly meetings with our model club, do some preparations for the rigging.  

Jan,
 
Good luck with your move. Congrats on the new house.
 
BTW Your long boat is an excellent image from the original. Nice work.
 
Cheers

Hello to all of you.
 
Everyone wants to see an update and to be honest.....me too !
Today I have make two spars for the front mast and hopefully tomorrow the last one.
I will make pictures of that before I try to find out how I have to attach those things to the masts.......
 
Anja has almost finished two hammock nettings and when they are ready also pictures will follow.
 
So please keep on building and when the time is there you will see an update.
I'm now to busy to catching up with all the build logs !
 
Sjors

Hi Sjors
 
Looking forward to see your updates.

Hi Mates,
 
First thanks for dropping by and the likes. AND
 
Lawrence, I just don’t know how to respond. Your post is well so touching indeed. I am so pleased that you have found this build a pleasure to follow – however slowly it has evolved.
 
Your words are so encouraging; we have all seen builds that make our jaws drop here at MSW. For you to place some of my work on that level, well it’s touching indeed. BIG thanks.
 
PS: I think, by-the-way that you finished your entirely awesome HMS Victory in the time that it took me just to make the crows nests (;-)
 
===============================
 
Minor update on upper foremast;
 
Mistake;
Deadeyes were way too large for the upper platform. I learned through a posting that deadeyes should be about half the width of a corresponding mast. That (in scale) is almost impossible to do – that said my use of the same size deadeyes as with the lower shrouds was all wrong; lack of foresight.
 
So pulled them out, had to make up some smaller chainplates. Used wire that was then joined together with CA Gel glue, and painted flat black. Not correct – but such a minor area that will become lost in the aggregate.  So fixed that.
 

 
Then Karl was helpful and led me in the right direction regarding the upper yard hailing rope bit. I took it a step further and decided (right or wrong) to add a sheave within the upper mast. I assumed (there’s that word again) that a sheave was probably how it was done. Though Anderson does not make that specific detail clear (I might have missed that text?)
 
  
 
Foremast all done now onto putting the upper main bits together THEN attaching the two other uppers at once.
 

Getting a bit nervous regarding that swing-arm light. In a nightmare to be I was thinking of hanging a large double fluorescent fixture with chains from the ceiling of my son’s room.
 
 He’s no longer on my payroll !!J , and I use a corner of that room as my shipyard. Notice the nightmare idea. The admiral would force me to walk the plank for sure.
 
PS: Not complaining lucky to have the space, I know that some builders need to move their work after each session, but lighting needs to be re-visited. Bowsprit and upper fore just for this photo - not installed.
 

Hi Sjors
 
Looking forward to see your updates.

Looking forward to see your future updates

Looking forward to see your future updates

Hi Sjors
 
Looking forward to see your updates.

Hi Sjors
 
Looking forward to see your updates.

Looking forward to see your future updates

Karl,
 
Thanks again! yes I think that this would be the easiest to do
I will add two blocks below the fore and main upper platforms, then just drill a hole near the tops of the fore and main upper masts.
There should be a sheave also inserted - don't think so - already too much to think about. - All of this rigging is very new to me, especially if I add sails. I am, however enjoying the learning--AND the help
 
Muy amable de tu parte para ayudar de nuevo (:-)
 
PS: Going to Colombia in a couple of weeks need to practice my Spanish 
 
Cheers
 

 

Hi Mates,
 
Need your kind advice, if you don’t mind.
 
As work continues on putting together the upper masts for all three masts, I realize that I did not think about (nor understand) what method should be correctly used for hailing the mid and upper yards.
 
I went to Anderson, but it still left me a bit confused.
 
Putting ropes over the cap does not appear in any Vasa model that I have seen including the 1/10th (but I have NO good pics of that area) And I assume that grooves would be needed in the caps?
 
PS: All lower yards for all three masts have pulleys cut into each mast – so that is easy enough (pulley may be the wrong term). That part I understand.
 
  
 
Then I thought that I would add a second ring under the caps, but then it seems that those are actually used for hoisting topmasts. Makes great sense, but then why need the fid??
 

 
That leaves two other options;
 
Drill another hole in the upper masts adding a pulley within – I think that I’m too far gone for that option
 
Or add two more blocks under each of the platforms to use to hail the yards. 
 
Last pic is obviously a complex and prob. 18th century vintage
 
The two extra blocks under each platform could be the easiest to do.
Any thoughts will be appreciated indeed.
 

 

Thanks all for the warm welcome back!
 
So here's some progress. The forward strokes of the spriketting are done. Two layers of wood are used, they are now thin enough to bend by hand and set them in place to do the final shaping to match the waterway. They are done anchor stock style, so not having to do wet/warm bending them is a big plus. 
 
The first layer is intentionally done a bit wider and cut to size after the second layer is fixed (the surplus is seen in the second pic)
Getting to fay the planks into the waterway called for some additional sanding and shaping to get a clean transition.
 

 

 
The quick work will be thinner and can probably be done with a single layer of planking. 
 
Remco
 

Capt. Steve, thanks for that tip - will use it when I get to the main caps. Thanks for your nice thought as well.
 
Karl, I also need to thank you a second time. You were so kind to send me jpg's, in sections, from your master Billings rigging sheet. These have been SO HELPFUL - so appreciated. Thanks again.
 
PS: When I get to the sails I will have to spend a lot of time looking through your's and Frank's build log again (:-)