Thanasis

Finishing my model I wanted to make also something that I would place it on the deck as a decoration. From my photos I stood on some, which are showing islanders in front of their boats, having spread their trading stuff at the dock, usually clay pitchers. I thought it would be nice if I could manage to place such a cargo on the deck of my model. I wasn't thinking to handmade something from clay, since the pitchers should be identical and elegant and I'm not that skilled. So as always do, I went to the "place of inspiration", a local fake jewelry store. I spent about an hour watching all of its stuff and making combinations in my mind. I bought some beads and ear-piercing items and by cutting in half plastic rings, I came to what I wanted. A proper painting gave me a good result. ..................... Thank you all, that ignoring the warning had the kindness to follow my build log. You can see the finished model at the gallery. http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/gallery/album/1182-aegean-tserniki-vessel-rigged-as-penna/

Thank you all. Navigation lights After many tries with unlikely materials, I turned back to simplicity. I took two colored led lights in a proper size, I removed the wires and gave them a “hair cut”. With the use of a rotary tool, I turned their curved end, to flat. Then I cut gold painted narrow paper strips and by making loops I covered the upper and lower parts. Every loop was secured at its end with ca glue. I used more gold paper to cover some of the middle part. To finish, I painted gold the flat upper part. I think I had a decent result... Place of the anchor. As you might have noticed in all previous photos of the real boats, appear not to have something (e.g. a cathead) that would suggest how the anchor was being raised to the side of the boat. Well, there wasn't anything. The anchor was being raised at sea surface by a windlass and then by the use of some pulleys (the same attached on the mast for lifting the cargo), it was being hoisted to the deck. Moreover, there wasn't any particular place to be stowed on board. It was just being leaned and secured on the gunwale, as is shown in photo from another Gr. boat*. * The photo shows a member of a French mission in a Gr. boat circa 1900 in Cyclades Islands. ......................... So I did the same on my model...

Thank you all. Thanks Bob but I think it’s far away from being a lesson. I can accept it as a lazy-sailmaking, though… It was something owed from my previous build log. http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/2601-tsernikoperama-from-greece-by-thanasis/#entry69074 Thanks

Still here?...Thank you. Sails I started making the sails by measuring their imaginary lines on the model. Then, I transferred their shape on a thin cardboard and made the needed corrections in contrast with the model. Finally, by using those cardboard sails, I cut new ones from a thin cloth. On another piece of cloth, I applied a mixture from water and white carpenter’s glue in a ratio of 3/1. When the cloth-mixture dried, I cut long strips and in a width as the half of the size of the supposed leaf (panel) of the sail. I used those strips to cover the edges of the sails by folding them over and secured them with white glue. I also cut and placed reinforcement patches from the same stiff cloth. Boltrope. I started placing the bolt rope using white glue (what else…?) and forming eye splices at the corners. I had read that following this method, some mates had used waxed paper in order to avoid glue-messing on the working surface. I used just strips of masking tape and by working on its sticky surface-side, I had no problem… Some more details had to follow before the end. Thanks

Thank you all but be ready for another (likely) disturbing tip of mine... Belaying pins... How many and with what cost? I read in market about 2,50 € (2,78 $) price per about 20 pieces.! Really...? How about 1,50 € ((1,67 $) per 60 pieces... From a low cost shop I just bought a hairbrush with plastic pins (1,50 €). See the outcome in photos… So, the belaying pins were placed and ............. I was ready to set sails…

Multiple seizings are also prepared. False seizings of course...Either from glued thread or wire, makes no difference in cheating... Some of the rigging phase. Thanks

Baggywrinkles Baggywrinkles came out easily. Although I had made some experiments in the past, this time I followed something different. So I made them by folding a piece of a Velcro tape, (the piece with the loops) over a small tube (e.g. from a cotton swab) and the use of ca glue. For those who are going to try this method, cut a piece of Velcro at a length as close to the perimeter of the small tube. You will cut the extra length afterwards. Then leave the tube to be strong glued on the edge of the Velcro tape and then start the folding, using the ca glue and making small progress every time. And some progress on Mast-"half boom"-Jib boom. Thanks Ps: Sorry for my English...

Thank you all. Before I start the rigging, I had to prepare some details… I had noticed that, all of these penna rigged boats had their two forestays attached in the mast by the use of two hearts. So to be accurate I had to build those all four thimbles... At this scales...ouch. But it wasn’t only this... Some of the boats in photos appear having baggywrinkles attached on the last, towards to the stern, shrouds. So I had to add also two of those in the list… Thimbles I had some ideas on how to make thimbles (e.g. to bend a thick needle of a syringe and then file the outer side) but I decided to go with something easier… So I took a piece of cable in a proper diameter and leaving the wires inside, I removed some of it (a peel)…Then I removed the wires and took a piece of the damaged cable. In fact now I had a tube which has been opened at its length. Then all I had to do was to bend this tube, leaving the groove at the outer side of it and from which the thread was going to pass making a loop. I prepared four of those thimbles and attached the two of them on the mast.

Thank you all for your comments-likes. Vaddoc You are not a "poor amateur" and you know it (I have seen the way you work)... I don't like to take many photos while I work for many reasons.. It takes time-I have many back and forth but most of all I consider myself as "an example to avoid". Wait to see...

More.... Thanks

Painting phase...Long and time consuming... Even a Gr boat, I wanted to give her also an oriental character, since the interaction between the two Nations was continuous. After many combinations I came up to this...

So, placing all fittings on the model I had a first impression on how it was going to be… And a closer look on some details. Windlass Decoration board Bridge- "Katsoulas"- tiller- rudder I have forgotten to mention that the scale it’s 1:24 Thanks

From what I have read, the centerboard method was never used in Greek shipbuilding at the era of sails. In contrary a keel weight (from stones) was a common practice, almost in every type of Gr. hulls-vessels. I’m almost sure that Tserniki vessels rigged as penna, should have keel weight, which in a combination with its draught (pretty much great), was giving the necessary stability. As about a fix boom I can only guess that, alike the bowsprits in many Gr. vessels, this “half-boom” was also chosen to be constructed as movable, facing that way the traffic congestion in some ports, or to have the ability (by moving them) to approach (with prow or stern) narrow docks. Thanks

After the theory, some progress… So, making a summary, I had to build… A windlass for the anchor. Even at that time was already in use the pump handle windlass, I chose to make a simple one, since some of those vessels didn't have at all. A coach-roof and a small hatch. A cargo hatch. The stem for the “half boom” and some bitts. A decoration board for the poop deck. The “κάτσουλα” (katsoula). A peculiar wooden piece that used to be formed by the shipwrights at the upper end of the stern of Tserniki vessels, connecting that way the two sides of the gunwales. Two options of a tiller. Some metal work…rudder hinges- chaineplates-cleats. Thanks

Thank you all. Vaddoc that’s a good question… Certainly more free space on the deck must be the first reasonable explanation. But having been dealing with this rigging, I have come to another possible theory. Starting from the joint of the “half-boom” with the stem, we can see that this was not something special...Just a metal dowel attached at its one end, which was passing through a ring (tube) at the top of the stem. This was giving the ability for certain and limited movements-maneuvers. In all photos showing those vessels sailing, this “half-boom” stays secured on the “bridge”, which should be both considered as immovable…. Again from photos, I found that there were two kinds of rigging for the “half-boom”, assuming for different sizes of vessels. I consider both kinds just only as securing lines, rather than tackles to handle the “half-boom” in sailing. I have also noticed that the sheet line of the sail, usually appears just holding the clew, going through the edge of the boom although some times appears also as a part of let’s say it “boom traveler”. So in conclusion and without being a sailor, I think there was no need for a typical boom (would be a long and heavy with additional rigging) just only a pole (boom) to keep the sail extended from the stern. The handling of the sail was being made by loosing or pulling the proper lines-ropes (in this case the sheet line, instead of moving the boom). See the below photo. The vessel is in state of reefing, having lowering the top of the sail. There were no reefing points, guessing in an absence of a typical boom. ............. Thanks

What was strange but attractive in that rigging, was a kind of boom, which was holding the external edge of the mainsail. This “half-boom pole” was attached on a stem towards the stern, while it was also supported by a construction known from other vessels, which was called as “bridge”. Measuring all available drawings and photos in proper angle, I found that the position of the stem varies from 2/3 to 3/4 of the length of the boat, while the length of the “half-boom pole” is about the half of the boat’s length. In addition I had the information that according to the Greek book “About ships’ rigging” of 1919, for the typical version of penna (normal boom), the mast was usually placed at the 1/3 of the length of the boat and in an angle of 10°-15° towards the stern. Then I felt ready to go on.

So at that time as you can see, penna rigging was consisted mainly by a big triangular sail attached either on a leaning backwards mast, or on a leaning backwards antenna, which in its turn was hanging from a typical mast. The version with the antenna was the older (first) one since there are sources claiming that it was brought in Mediterranean Sea by the Arabs and was first adopted by the Turks. Thus the title of another similar drawing as “Osmanli cektirmesi ” (Ottoman work-boat) referring rather to the type of the boat “çektirme tekne”. ... Back to early 1900’s…Although until the end of the century the “on the mast” version was used by the Greeks, in some photos of NE Aegean ports, those two versions appear side by side. However we can't specify the nationality of those seamen, since at that turbulent time, Islands and boats had changed ownership but also because of the trade between the two coasts, that was kept. ................ I decided to follow the “on the mast” version on my model and so my search turned to that direction. New photos determined the formation of the deck… ................ Thanks

Margin plates-false frames and gunwales were set. (I know, I know... but there’s a lack of photos.) ........ ........ At this point and before the formation of the deck, I had to find more details about the penna rigging. My search was continuous in collections and forums, looking for old b/w photos of the area in which that rigging has been developed (ports-historical events of NE Aegean up to western coasts of Black Sea). What I found, in a combination with a few notable points in the photo of the real boat, convinced me that she was rigged as penna. The leaning backwards mast with a sail folded on it and a small shadow of a stem, I considered them as good clues. .................. So, at that time early 1900's according to some information of books and the photos I have found, there seem to be two versions of penna rigging. I think you can see the differences. Thanks To be continued...

Thanks for the comment Vaddoc. I don't know what happened to your try but I really never had such a problem, even with a curved stem. You might be using thinner planks than I do. In any case allow me to show you what I do. Planking the hull, I bring the edges of the planks as close they can be at the prow and stern. Preparing the surface to receive the stem, I draw two pencil lines next to the either side of the axis of the prow and at the size as the thickness of the stem. That space between the lines I flatten it, following the proper shape (straight or curved) and taking much care not to go out of those lines. Small repairs are made by white glue and sawdust. Thanks

Planking was continued by the traditional way... ................ The stem and stern-post were set. After a good filing the surface became quite smooth. Thanks

I redrew the plans of the hull at the size of the model I wanted to built, using the extreme method of pencil and paper... I drew the lines of the false keel and the positions of the frames. I cut the false keel and the frames from plywood, while I cut strips of beechwood for the planking. I had chosen the “planking on bulkheads” method and I started building the hull with only one layer of planking. The hull was going to be built up to the level of deck, placing later the final keel, stem and stern-post. Thanks

Thank you all. Vadoc you are right . I have also the book you're mentioning and the author (we are known) is cites more at Gr. shipbuilding, classifying the penna sail-rigging (bermuda rigging) as a lateen one (?). I've been always attracted by penna rig and through my amateur research, I think I have come in good results. But one thing at a time... Thx

Hi mates. Starting a new model by the end of last summer, I had the drawings of a hull and short of a photo. The drawings were giving me the lines of a hull while the photo, taken in 1927, was showing rather the shape of the real boat. It was a Tserniki vessel being anchored among others, at the port of Mytilene Island (N.E. Aegean Sea) and I thought these would be enough for a good start. Some for the history… Tserniki was a double ended vessel with a straight stem post, leaning forward. Its name might comes from the Turkish vessel “Tsikirne” or from a vessel used on the Danube which was called “Cernik” or “Cirnik”. However it appears to have been used extensively by Greeks and in many other versions. (Different angles of the stem post or even with a stern counter) Tserniki vessels were mainly built by shipwrights of the Eastern Aegean islands and coastal towns of Asia Minor and were used as small transport vessels or fishing boats. Although I had no any rigging plan and the photo was showing nothing more than a single mast, I took the challenge, seeking also the joy of a further research… ............. ................. ... Thanks

Thank you all. Greg. You can find those ties in many sizes, while what I usually use (width of 2,5mm &3,5mm -03⁄32in-09⁄64in) I think matches with a scale of 1:25-1:30. Thx

Gears from cable ties. Any diameter-width-color... Thx