keelhauled

Very Nice work there. Looking good!

BTW, yes, I have this model. I'll be going through your build over and over, just like I did for the Cutty. However, there are other ships in line first. I bought it for retirement.

Thank you, Harry! especially since you weren't looking forward to explaining the work I had several unfortunate events over the past two years that took me away from my normal daily life. I'm now going through my notebook to see where I left off and hoping to get back to work soon. take care, Marc

I hope that Donna is doing well. My thoughts go out to her still every time I go into my shop.

Hi Mark, She is looking good. Looking forward to seeing your progress! All the best Marc

Hi Nenad, Catching up on your work over the past couple of years. Wonderful progress!!! You are always creative and talented in solving problems. best Marc

Hi Bob, thank you so much for your wishes and support. I have the build itch and looking forward to being able to get out of bed soon and start working on her again! best, Marc

Harry, Nice job on the plates! Can you provide more info about how your plate embosser works and how you built it? best, Marc

Harry, I've been catching up on your build. As always, very nice work sir! You are a ship modeling machine This ship is on my list. If I can ever get my first model finished🤣 warmest well wishes! Marc

Hi everyone, Whatever happened to Marc and the build? I'm still alive and the ship is still in the state of the last posting. Just after my last post I had Kidney stone issues, then my Father had a fall and passed without ever regaining consciousness. Then I finally got the kidney stone resolved, which was followed by a life-threatening medical issue that required emergency surgery and half a year of recovery. That takes us into 2024 which had me dealing with additional family loss and medical fun. Then we adopted a puppy during the summer that has taken up our time. At the beginning of 2025, my dog and I had unplanned surgeries (not together😉). She is healed and I still have a week or so of recovery left. Now we're caught up to the second week of January 2025. I have the model in my family room so that I look upon her almost everyday. I'm hoping to get back to work in the next couple of months. stay well and I wish you a happy New Year. Marc

Hi Harry! Happy New Year! I hope your summer is going well. Had a great time in Melbourne and Sydney a couple of months back. It was business, but I got a day free on two weekends. spent it on the water! best, Marc

Additional comments on the position of the cro-jack Sheets on the pin. I was recently in Australia and got to spend time on another tall ship. I spoke to one of the crew about the topic. He said that it made sense to him and that the cro-jack doesn't usually have that much stress on it since it isn't usually used in heavy weather. He said that it should only take three or four hands to to comfortably to pull the the sheets when setting the sail since the bulwark fairlead is being used. To adjust the sheet in fair weather it would only take one hand. He made his point by handing me the sheet and asking me to adjust it. I couldn't believe how little effort it took. I could have done it with one hand. He said he wouldn't be concerned with belaying that line to a pin if it was large enough to accept it and the sail plan reference to belaying to a pin sounded correct to him. best, Marc

Hi, I just came across this post. Bruma, I know that it is too late for a response to help you, but it might others who are looking for the same answer. the research I've done matches how you rigged the spencer in the stowed position. I rigged mine in the same manner, brailed. nice model, Marc

Hi Marco, You are very kind. At about 4am this morning I woke and realized that I forgot the sheets! crazy the way my mind thinks. I remember spending too much time researching that topic. In general, I found contemporary paintings (don't like as reference) and photos (often to overexposed or grainy) which showed clippers having both sheets with single and sheets with whips. For the Cutty I couldn't find a photo where I could see staysail sheets. As you say, Campbell shows the Cutty with singles. The painting by F Turdgay painted in 1872 which is with Campbell's plans used for the restoration, has the Maintopmast staysail with whips and the others appear to be singles. As a result, I don't think it matters. Time to be our own captains best, Marc

Hi everyone, I was asked about the details for rigging the main staysails on the Cutty. I thought that others might have the same questions, I know that I did. So, I thought that I would share my reply here. It isn't clear from many sources where lines are belayed or some of the details. Here is my take on it. Based on my info here is what I believe this info to be correct. For these references my primary source is Campbell’s plans. It took a lot of research to find this info and some dry rigging runs to verify. I messed up on my Cutty and forgot the staysail whips on my model until it was too late to correct the oversight. I was too focused on the halyards. However, Campbell and others do not have whips for the staysails. Who knows?! I’m not saying that this is absolutely correct, but it makes sense and is based on Campbell as much as possible. The block sizes, line sizes, fairleads and whips are from Campbell. The actual pin locations and the aft foremast pin rail is based on other references. That fore aft pin rail is debated. Main Topgallant (t’gallant) staysail. The Topgallant staysail halyard is doubled. The halyard is attached to the lower eye of a two-eye single 8” block Starts attached to the strop above the cringle for the lifts. In execution I moved up above the backstays so that the block cleared the stay. I believe that it is a 2 1/4 inch hemp line. The halyard goes down to and through another single block which is attached(shackled) to the main t’gallant staysail’s peak cringle and back up and through the 8” block where it started. The line then goes down to the starboard topgallant fairlead then down to the pinrail below and forward. The 2” downhaul is attached to the shackle at the peak cringle of the sail where the halyard is attached and runs through the hanks to the tack cringle of the sail and to an 8 inch single block then is which is attached to the topgallant stay below the roller. If you do not have an aft pin rail the line goes down to the port side. Here it terminates in a whip (If you decide to use one, otherwise belay directly to the sheeve or the pin), where the downhaul ends in an 8 inch single block. the whip line is spliced to a hook fastened to the lower band – aft port side. The whip runs up through the single block and back down to the spider band and is made fast to a belaying pin- aft port side. (there are three pins and eyes on the aft side). If you have the aft pin rail which is the same as the fore pin rail, the line goes down to a whip and instead of belaying to the spider band, the line either goes directly to the port pin on the rail or goes through fore to aft the outer port sheave of the pin rail and up to the belaying pin. The topgallant staysail is a held to the foremast using a strop passed around the fore mast and shackled to the tack cringle. The block is just below the strop Royal staysail The royal staysail is doubled and the same rig as the t’gallant. The differences are that the halyard is 2 ¼ inches with 6 inch block. The downhaul is a 1 ¾ inch down haul. The halyard goes through the port royal backstay fairlead and to the pin rail to the pin just forward of the backstay. The downhaul whip uses the center eye and belaying pin on the aft side of the foremast spider or the center pin in the pinrail if you have one. Main staysail The main staysail is doubled and same rig as the t-gallant. The differences are as follows. The halyard and downhaul are both 2 ¼ lines. Campbell says that the downhaul block is 6”. The down haul block is attached to the main stay just aft of the spider band on the starboard side (see photo). The mainstaysail is a held to the main topmast stay using a strop shackled to the tack cringle and the leg of the stay just before the seizing begins. This stop needs to be long enough to allow the sail to clear the deck house. The halyard block is attached to the port side 2nd most aft eye of the trestletree (fore aft) of the top mast crosstree. There are 5 eyes on the trestletree – going from forward aft this is the 4th eye, port side. The halyard goes to the port topmast backstay fairlead, forward hole (there are three holes) and to the pin rail to the pin just forward the stay. The downhaul whip (if you use one, or directly to the belaying pin) uses the starboard eye and belaying pin or the starboard outer sheeve and pin if you have an aft pin rail. I know the photo has the downhaul belaying directly to a pin (no whip) on the portside. I have photos with it belayed on the starboard- I think that they moved the line so that it wasn't in the way of repairs (see the barrier next to the mast and the lines leading forward to block visitors from the port side of the deck). What can you say? Also, I don't see how you would use a whip in this case with the block so close to the deck. Hope this helps, it’s taken me a few hours to put together, but a pleasure if it helps you. Marc

Thanks Rob!

Vladimir, l meant to ask you why you weren't working on your rigging. If you are willing to share. Best Marc

Hi Harry She's taking shape. It's a very cool process. I like the lookof th cladding Best Marc

Thanks Rob Campbell has them labeled bollards on the general arrangement plans for the Cutty and Underhill uses bollards in his Cutty Sark book and got used to thinking of them labeled that way. However, I am used to the term bollards being used for these items ( both single and double cylinders) on the docks and piers and bitts on the boats in the US and Carribean. Maybe it's an example of differences in the terms used in different regions to refer to the same item. Thanks Marc

B.E. I wanted to express again my gratitude for your help. It really means a lot to me that you took the time to look through references to answer my questions. My sincerest appreciation Best Marc

Crojack sheet mystery solved. This is one of those cases where you've searched over the plans numerous times and missed the information in front of your face. Maybe this doesn't happen to you, it's only me. I posted the question under rigging on this site. B.E answered with directing me to Longride's Cutty Sark book. I had seen the information he referred me to which addressed the standing location of the sheet, but not the working portion of the sheet's belayed position., However, thanks to B.E., I went back through all of Campbell's pans again. comparing the Longridge info against Cambell's plans. I found that the info I was seeking regarding the belaying point is in the Rigging Plan. I guess that I spent too much time looking at the sail plan. However, I did look at the rigging plan several times and missed the comment pointing to the sheet: "4 inch hemp rope through sheave in bulwark and belayed on pinrail." You were right Harry! I had actually, given up searching and had decided to add another set of bollards to mount aft of the pinrail for the crojack sheets. I made two sets of the bollards from steel on my lathe and soldered them in place on a brass channel. I made pins in the bollards to provide unnecessary support and alignment . I also launched a single bollard into outerspace (or at least my ceiling) when I was parting it. No use looking for that tiny part in my cluttered garage. Here's my handiwork. My first attempt at making bollards. Not great, but better than the castings. Now they aren't needed. Oh well.

Hi all, Thanks to B.E., I went back through all of Campbell's pans again. The belaying point is in the Rigging Plan. I guess that I spent too much time looking at the sail plan. However, I did look at the rigging plan several times and missed the comment pointing to the sheet: "4 inch hemp rope through sheave in bulwark and belayed on pinrail." In Campbell's plan the sheet is belayed to the pinrail not the bollards like the other sheets and as she is now. Mystery solved. Thanks Marc

Hi B.E. thank you for researching this issue! I can see the standing portion of sheet being made fast to the quarter bumkin. However, the working end continues up through an 11" block attached to the sail and then it has to go back back to ship. Where is the mystery. Campbell's plan shows and the actual ship has the working end continuing through a fairlead. I really appreciate the help. best, Marc

Still need help.. I'm still open to insight and suggestions. Can you belay a sheet that size to a pin? Thanks

Very nice work. The boats look great!