Elia

John, Stag looks tremendous. She looks close to complete, too. Have you thought about how you'll display the completed Stag? Cheers, Elia

Allan, With your update today I've now just noticed your POF banks schooner. Very nice! You are moving along smartly. I'll happily follow along. Cheers, Elia

Ed, I too very much look forward to this next build of yours. Clippers are such elegant and majestic ships - I'm glad you chose her. Cheers, Elia

Tim, The lifts assembly is looking good. I can't wait for you to start shaping the rough hull. That is a gorgeous scene. Do you know when it was taken? Beautiful ships... Elia

Dan, Another fishing schooner here fan who will watch with great interest your Ben Latham build! Cheers, Elia

Tim, Neat build. Atlantic is one sleek ship. I've always admired it and considered the kit as a future build. I really look forward to seeing your half hull develop. Cheers, Elia

Eddie, I've been away from MSW for a little while and have just recently returned...to find this smart little Elsie build! Very very nice work. The keel and sternpost repairs were very well done. The hull painting is sharp too. I wish you all the best on your procedure and a speedy and full recovery, and look forward to more of your work. Elia

Alfons, Very nicely done eyeband version 2. That really looks the part. Elia

Robert, Those catheads look very sharp. Could you elaborate on using the scroll saw to cut the sheave slots? They look fantastic, as do the sheaves. I agree also regarding swiss pear - I really like working with it. It can take a really clean, crisp edge, much like boxwood. Cheers, Elia

Russ, The schooner is coming along very nicely. The stanchions, the margin planks and scarph joints, and the hawse holes and lips look very good. Elia

Michael, That painted margin plank/covering board looks sweet! I got a good laugh at the 'painter' pictures - I had to do a double take - the size of the model makes them seem feasible. The mast 'ironwork' look great - really really nice. Boy that is one sharp looking cutter model. Elia

Stephan, Bummer. I understand - once spring and summer arrives I tend to become outdoor focused, and my modeling time wanes. I look forward to your progress once you return to Hesper. Maybe the time will allow you to think through a solution or two on that transom, counter, stanchions, etc. Cheers, Elia

Jim, Your Bluenose is coming along very well, and I love that last photo, 'deck1', showing smart nibbed deck planking, the main rail, the cabin, main mast bitts and rail, and all of that forward deck furniture and dories. Very nice! Elia

figuerres, Very nice work on your Bluenose model. The hull, deck furniture, and masting and rigging all look very good. I look forward to seeing future work. Cheers, Elia

Sarah, I'm now just catching up with your Harriet Lane build here at MSW 2.0. Your model and progress look great. That little jig and the resulting deadeyes and chainplates are impressively tiny. Very nice work. Cheers, Elia

Jcoby, It is good to see your build log again! Really nice work here. Elia

Ron, Nice little jig there. I like the approach, the soldered ring and drilled metal sheet, and the results look good to me. Very nice. I think hardwood is the way to go with the deadeye material - provides strength of breaking or tear-out in the small finished detail. Very nice. Elia

Bob, One last thought - I had considered removal of the entire strake in which the cove was cut, but chose against that course of action due to all of the quarterdeck scuppers being cut into it. I would have had to really finesse cutting those in without damaging the stanchions, and I'm certain damage would have resulted, both to the stanchions and the waterway/covering board. Elia

Beautiful work Rusty, beautiful work. Elia

Alfons, I've only got a few sources of information pertaining to mackerel seine purse fishing. They are the following: 1. Smuggler model, plan sheets and instructions, by Blue Jacket Shipcrafters. Kit, plans and instructions were created by Eric A. R. Ronnberg, Jr. Excellent. No need to elaborate on this for you. 2. Benjamin W. Latham model, plan sheets and instructions, by Model Shipways. The principal plans and instructions were created by Eric A. R. Ronnberg, Jr. in 1973. Also excellent. The model plans were revised to a POB design by Ben Lankford in 1994. The plans include a sheet pertaining to the details of boats and equipment of seine purse fishing. The schooner was built in 1902, so it is about 25 years later on than Smuggler. There may be subtle differences in the seine equipment due to the difference in era - I don't know if differences exist or what specifically they might be. Similar to the Smuggler plan sheet the Ben Latham plan sheet includes plans for a dory and a seine boat. It also includes the following: (i) dip net detail, (ii) a dory scoop detail, (iii) kerosene lantern details [used for night fishing illumination], (iv) a splitting knife [tiny at 1/48 scale], (v) a mackerel plough [another knife, also tiny at 1/48 scale], (vi) a seine purse net weight, (vii) barrel details, (viii) splitting board details [a tray on which the fish were dressed], and the piece de resistance (ix) the seine purse net. The seine purse net is ~1400 feet long by ~140 feet deep. Obviously very difficult to model to scale - it might look like a giant pile of cheese cloth if I tried it. Bob Steinbrunn did a very nice job on a 'representative' seine purse on his Smuggler model, as seen in SIS last year. 3. Down to the Sea, The Fishing Schooners of Gloucester, by Joseph E. Garland. Probably my favorite book on these schooners and the Western Atlantic fisheries of the 1870s through 1920s. It covers the evolution of the fishing boats, the fleets, the technologies employed, and colors a pretty grand picture of the Gloucestermen and Canadians who fished the banks, from Georges out to the Grand Banks. Stories on the dangers and difficulties fill the pages, along with the fishermen's races, life as a fisherman, etc. The book has many black and white photos from which a myriad of details can be seen. There aren't any dimensioned drawings which a modeler could use, but the photos and descriptions are well worth the purchase price. 4. The American Fishing Schooners, by Howard I. Chapelle. The definitive volume on the (Western) Atlantic fishing schooners. Not a great deal on seine purse schooners or gear here, but always worth a look. I hope some of these are of use to you. Cheers, Elia

Bob, Well done on the jaw repair. Elia

Robert, That hooked scarf jointed rail looks great - well worth the time and effort put into it. Cheers, Elia

Tim, That hull looks too sweet. Very very nice. Cheers, Elia

Bob, I'm afraid that once this shipbuilding crew here gets their mind set on something - there is no stopping them. Attached is a current picture of the progress. The horror of it all!! I had intended to take pictures in-process but became engrossed in seeing the remediation through. The old cove section has been cut out of each waist/side. A new un-coved strip of wood has been glued in its place. The wood was taller (stood proud of the adjacent loft surface) than required and was subsequently chiseled and sanded near flush. Putty/filler was applied to fill the inevitable gaps and gouged damage which resulted during the extraction/removal process (ham fisted shipwright in action). Then it was all sanded flush. A few touch-ups with the sand paper, a cleaning of the surface, and I'll apply some primer/sealer. Then on with the yellow striping. My decision to remove the cove, and not fill it with putty/filler, was due to a concern that the cove was so small that putty/filler wouldn't get a good bite or grip, and during the painting (and masking tape removal) process it would peel or break out. With the new strip of wood the yellow strip will only be painted over solid wood. I think the masking tape will be able to be burnished well on the wood, will seal well (fingers crossed), and a decent yellow stripe the result (again fingers crossed). I haven't yet taken a photo of the little cutting tool I made but can do so if anyone is interested in seeing it. It pretty much looks like the sketch. With a little modeling time I think I'll be able to proceed ahead again soon. Cheers, Elia

Bob, That dory looks absolutely great. I hope mine look half as good as that. On my model, Arethusa employed 10 to 12 dories. Regards, Elia