RMC

The bobstays are now done. While a little fiddly, they were far easier than I expected. The first photo shows bulldog clips on the lashings to provide some tension. I left them over the weekend, then made any adjustments necessary to make them taught. Tying off the lashings was a bit awkward, but I have found wetting the thread here (and elsewhere) makes it far easier to handle.
 

 
Here they are, complete.
 

 

 

 
Meanwhile the ratline saga continues while I look for any excuse to avoid them. The port side is now done, those for the main and mizzen masts on the starboard side are yet to do.
 
 

The ship's boats are now finished. I ended up using less than half of the fittings supplied. Even so, the boats are quite cluttered, but I am pleased with the result. I hope less really is more, though I have always had trouble convincing my children of that.
 
As well, I have appropriated (ie, stolen) some ideas from Jose who was kind enough to show me his excellent work on the boats. Unfortunately the photos are not as clear as they should be.
 

 

 

 
 
I have also been working on the main yard. It has been an exercise in how not to do it. In addition to a couple of silly mistakes, I have made things unnecessarily difficult by doing things in the wrong order. I suggest the following.
 
1. fit the lower stun sail boom bracket (284)
 
2. fit the low bracket (inner) (286 NOT 288 as shown incorrectly on the plan)
 
3. drill holes for, but do not fit the stun sail boom rings (515 and 515a). These may be added last.
 
4. drill holes to receive foot rope stirrups (524)
 
5. fit the blocks, leaving sufficient space to tie on the foot ropes.
 
6. fit the foot rope stirrups and ropes.
 
Here is my rather painful progress.
 

The main mast is now stepped and the the top has been mounted.
 
To make the sides of the top properly aligned fore and aft, a straight piece of wood strip was placed on one of the hounds (?) and the strip was sighted along the deck planking.
 
 

 

 
The fore top and main topmasts have been dry-fitted.
 

 

 

 
And I couldn't resist - the lanyard on the forward deadeye has been replaced.

The mizzen shrouds are finally finished - though towards the end of the rather painful process I had it more or less under control. Progress has been rather slow with a couple of smallish household disasters taking up quite a bit of time over the last couple of weeks.  Belatedly I found saturating the Syren thread for the lanyards made it behave reasonably well.  The thread for the shrouds is fairly stiff, and with serving, the thread becomes very stiff indeed.  A fair amount of tension (not too much) is needed to straighten it out.  The results are acceptable, though again one of the deadeyes is a mill or so lower than it should be.
 
The port side came out quite well.

 

 

 
The starboard, not quite so well.
 
 

 

 
The catharpins are yet to be done and that's something to look forward to.
 
 
 
 

The bobstays are now done. While a little fiddly, they were far easier than I expected. The first photo shows bulldog clips on the lashings to provide some tension. I left them over the weekend, then made any adjustments necessary to make them taught. Tying off the lashings was a bit awkward, but I have found wetting the thread here (and elsewhere) makes it far easier to handle.
 

 
Here they are, complete.
 

 

 

 
Meanwhile the ratline saga continues while I look for any excuse to avoid them. The port side is now done, those for the main and mizzen masts on the starboard side are yet to do.
 
 

Fixing the bobstays in the same way as the Victory's seems to be a success. It was far easier than I anticipated. I have tried to show the process in the following photos.
 
First, make a loop. The length of thread hanging down shown in the first photo, may be pulled back or forth to adjust the length of the loop.
 

 

 
The loop is tied off at the stem.

 
This shows the bobstay fitted (none of the lashing has yet been finally tied off).
 

 

 
In the two following photos I have tried to show the doubled ropes in a manner similar to those shown on the Victory.
 

 
 
Once the bobstay was fitted, it then occurred to me that with the adjustments that were necessary to make the figurehead fit under the bowsprit, the figurehead may impede the bobstay. Fortunately when I dry-fitted the figurehead there wasn't a problem, though my man looked a little uncomfortable with the rope between his legs.
 

 

 
 

The bobstays on the Victory are apparently doubled as the two following photos show. Is this the usual method for 74 gun ships too? Advice is very welcome.
 

 

While trying to avoid doing the ratlines for a while, I decided to revisit the ship's boats. Fitting all the oars while trying avoid the appearance of clutter is a bit of a problem. I have experimented by 'fanning' about half of the oars to make space for the anchors and other bits and pieces. It seems to have worked though I have no idea if the result is 'authentic'. Nothing is yet fixed except the crewman.  I will certainly use Jdieck's excellent ideas of putting three or four barrels into the boats, and his rope coils tied to the anchors.
 
Incidentally, the smallest boat in my has an enclosed bow, unlike Jdieck's - this gives his boat a little more room to stow things. Even the short oars do not properly fit into mine.
 
This is how I propose to arrange the oars. Suggestions are welcome.
 

 

In making up the crows feet for the main stays, the fragility of the euphroes supplied in the kit again became apparent. The first couple of holes towards the bow leave virtually no material around them for support.  Touching the euphroe is enough to bend it - bend it a couple of times or so (and it's hard not to) and it will break.
Consequently I decided to make replacements for the main and mizzen. This time I used a Dremel drill press to make the holes (something I should have done with the fore stay euphroe).  The results are quite good. They are far sturdier than the kit euphroes and very close to their dimensions.  If here is a choice between authenticity and practicality, in this case I think the kit got it wrong.
 
Making the euphroe for the main.

 

 

 
The resulting crows feet have turned quite well after all the trauma. Here the thread has not yet been made off. I will give it a day or so to settle in before making any necessary adjustments.
 

 

 
 

The fore and fore preventer stays are now finished; snaking, and crows feet done. The main and main preventer stays are snaked (?) and the crows feet will be finished over the next couple of days. Here are some photos of progress.
 
Lashing of the fore stay. I don't known if this is correct, but it seemed the most obvious way to do it.

 

 
The mizzen stay - not a very good photo.
 

 
Snaking the main and main preventer stays. I have used Arthur's method which was surprisingly easy (I am a highly reluctant knot tier ) and effective (as expected ). It is however quite difficult to see what is going on. Consequently I hung a sheet of paper over a piece of thread tied between the fore and main topmasts to highlight the two stays and show the process more clearly.
 

 

 
Snaking the fore stays.
 

 
This is what it all looked like before the crows feet for the forestays.
 

 
The crows feet for the fore stays turned out to be a small disaster. One of the holes in the euphoe through which the thread passes was partially blocked. In attempting to unblock it (I used a pin as I don't have a drill bit small enough), I made the hole too large and the euphroe was hanging together by a thread  - but not for long . I made an attempt to salvage it (sticking fine electrical wire along top and bottom) which almost worked and possibly would have if the damage had been somewhere other than the second hole.
 
Here is the sad result (I would have painted it, had it worked ...)

 
I then tried some of the same brass from which the euphroe came to make another.  The brass proved too hard for the drill bit which kept slipping from the spot. By this time I was not rejoicing. Fortunately I then remembered that I had a little copper strip of a similar thickness and width of the euphroe. Here is the result of a rather fraught process.
 
This is the copper strip in process - the holes are a bit wonkey, and further apart than I wanted.
 

 
The finished ersatz euphroe - a bit longer than the original.
 

 
The crows feet after the drama. The new euphroe doesn't appear to be noticeable, though the smaller, original euphroe for the main stays may look a a bit odd. I'll worry about that when I get to it.
 

 

 

 
 

I had trouble in finding how to tie off the lashing to the heart. Petersson was no help and and I couldn't find anything on the net whiich gave me a clue. I settled on putting a loop on one end of the lashing, putting the rest of the thread through to hole in the heart and threading it though the loop. Here is the the loop (before cleaning it up a little).

 
This is a side view showing the loop. I don't know if this is correct, but it works and with so many other pieces of rigging which will eventually be around it, it is unlikely to be noticed - I hope.
 

 
Again, the only way I could stop the lashings overlapping each other, was to glue them in place one at a time using a small bulldog clip on the end of the thread to supply tension.

Finally, finished.

 

 
Progress on the ratline front. The ratlines for the fore mast are now finished. While I am becoming a little quicker and a little better at it, doing a couple more masts is not an inspiring prospect.
 

The bowsprit is now mounted. I have delayed this as long as possible.  It's one more invitation to bump and destroy. I had quite a bit of trouble finding the correct way to gammon the bowsprit. The plan was singularly unhelpful - to me at least.
 
 The only thing that seemed clear  is that there is a loop formed at the end of the gammoning which goes around the bowspprit and then the rest of the gammoning  is wound around it in some mysterious way. I eventually found a reference to the process on this website under masting and rigging.  It showed some photos taken from an unnamed book which did prove helpful. If anyone would like a photo of the photo, let me know.
 

 
Here is the gammoning partially completed,
 

 
and completed.
 

 
How the bowprit looks at the moment:

 
I can see a copy of my guide in the background of the following photo. I'm not sure if I have the gammioning right, but it looks OK and it's not going to be changed now.
 

 
 

The main and main preventer stays are now attached. Lashing the hearts proved quite awkward. The holes in the hearts provided for the lashing were circular which made it difficult to keep each strand from overlapping previous strands. It would have been far easier to file flat the surface where the lashing was to go. By the time I had figured that out it was a bit late. I solved the problem of the strands wanting to overlap each other by gluing each strand (50:50 PVA) individually  - doing one, waiting for the glue to dry, doing another .......
 
Here is a photo of the lashing for the main stay partially done.  The line is held taught by a weight on the end (a pair of spring tweezers).
 

 
The lashing (almost) complete.
 

 

 
 
The lashing for the preventer stay in progress:

 
and how it all looks at the moment.
 

 

Lashing collars - help needed.
 
I have looked fairly extensively over this website and elsewhere, and cannot find the method by which collars are lashed to the bowsprit.  I have thought of putting a half hitch on one loop and winding thread through the other, then making a few turns through both loops, finally tying off with another half hitch.  I guess this would work, but it doesn't seem to be very satisfactory. It results in a couple of loose ends for a start.
 
Does anyone have suggestions?  Here is the problem ...
 
.
 
Here is some progress on the bowsprit. The fittings are now complete. As has so often been the case, I have appropriated one of Arthur's ideas with the bees. I remembered I had some fittings left over when I used parts of Cornwall Model Boats carronades to modify the ones provided in the kit. Included were two little brass rollers that I have now used a sheaves in the bees (?). Perhaps the brass is a bit obvious and I may end up painting them brown, but the idea seems to have worked. But if I need two more there will be a problem ......
 

 
I hope I have now fixed all the dead eyes that need to be fixed on the bowsprit.. (If I haven't, please let me know.)  From the plans, I found it a bit difficult to figure out just what is going on, and I'm not all that confident that I do have it right.  Doing all of this off the model is likely to be easier than waiting until the bowsprit is mounted.
 

 

 
This how things are working out.
 

 
In the meantime, the ratlines march on.
 
 

Work on the stays is now quite advanced. All the mouses are complete  and all that needs to be done is to attach the various blocks and related rigging. However almost all this needs to be done on the model, and it looks to be a fairly daunting series of jobs.
 
Here are  the main stays
 

 
and how they will eventually be fixed.
 

 
The mizzen stay
 

 
and roughly how they will all look.
 

 
I have now started rigging the bowsprit. I am following Petersson - using collars for the forestays. One is complete (below).  The photo shows what appears to be bubbling of the paint. It hasn't.  The photo was taken in full sun and perhaps this caused the appearance.  Very odd.

 
Doing all of this has enabled me to avoid  as much as possible doing the ratlines.  Only a couple of thousand-odd knots to go. I can't bring myself to actually count them.  Here is progress, such as it is.
 

I have taken Jdieck's advice and started on the fore and main stays. This means that I will have to finish rigging the bowsprit, so I will have plenty to occupy me while (almost) avoiding the ratlines. The lops of the forestays are now done.  Serving the loops with their mouses (sic?) proved to be rather fiddly and the result could have been better. At least I have learned a few things and I hope to do a better job on the main stays.
 
Here is the mouse for the fore stay.  The end with the greater taper was done with a pencil sharpener (thanks Arthur).  With hindsight I should have made a greater taper on the other end. It would have made it easier to serve.
 

 

 
Here is the loop that fits around the mast, served and with the mouse.

 

 
The following photos show the fore and fore preventer stays loosely fitted around the mast. Things are obviously very crowded indeed and it is difficult to see just what is going on. It all looks like a bowl of demented spaghetti. Attaching the yards is going to be quite a job.
 
 

 

 
Here are the stays looped around the mast and all the previous rigging (jeers, shrouds etc.).  Is this correct?
 

 

 
I would have preferred to have the loops slightly larger, but the result is acceptable.

 
 
 
 

The ratlines are now started. For the lower masts there are only about  1,800 knots to go .
 
I decided to begin with  every 5 rows - the ones that stretch from the first to the last shroud. By doing this, I am hoping that the spacing of the shrouds will not be affected.  According to the instructions (I had almost forgotten about them) the spacing of the ratlines should be 5 to 6mm. I chose 6mm - more for sanity than authenticity. The fewer knots the better.  I began with a template and superimposed the knot-tying process over the template.
 
Here is the template.  The rows are horizontal (ie, parallel to the keel) , and the every fifth row - the longer rows - are marked heavily.

 
The few rows completed and pictured took about 40 minutes per row - what with a couple of mistakes and a certain amount of bad temper.  I found wetting the fine thread made it slightly easier to handle.  The half hitches were more likely to stay tied (though not invariably) and it was easier to get the right 'hang' of the thread. Once things seemed to be about right, I applied 50:50 white glue and water and made any needed adjustments (eg, tightening knots) while the glue was still wet.  That way, the adjustments stayed adjusted!
 
The following photo makes the rows towards the top look as if they are not parallel. In fact they are (after this photo was taken, I checked to make sure). The template had just fallen back a little as I had removed one of the clips holding it.
 
 

 
This shows things a little more clearly.
 

 

 
The process was about as relaxing and enjoyable as playing a bad round of golf, so I will finish the job a little at a time while working on other things. I'm hoping this may preserve what remains of my good humour and make me slightly easier to live with.

I have decided to use a truss pendant to mount the crossjack to the mizzen mast. As Arthur pointed out, the plans are ambiguous in their treatment (two drawings; two different methods). I have also followed Peterssen and hope it turns out alright in the end.
 
The idea is simple: make a loop on the end of the thread, the length  of which will reach roughly to the deck; make a second separate loop with an eye through which the length of thread passes, and on the end of which is a double block. This will eventually lead to a single block attached to one of the channels towards the stern  (I haven't decided where just yet).

 

 

 
With ropes going every which way it is difficult to see what is going on, but I hope these give the general idea.
 

 

 
This shows the block on the end of the pendant, roughly where it will eventually  be when the whole thing is finally fitted.
 

 

 
I think my next step will be to put on the ratlines, something to which I have not been looking forward.

The jeers for the foremast are now done. I can't now think of a reason not to fit the fore topmast.
 
The photo below has turned out to be quite poor, but I hope it gives the general idea.
 

 
The following photos show the jeers temporarily fitted.
 

 

 

 
With all the blocks hanging off the top as well, it's certainly looking rather crowded.
This is how the whole thing looks ready for the topmast.
 

 

 
 

The tops are now, I hope, at a stage where I can mount the respective topmasts.  The lifts for the yards are finished and the blocks on the caps are ready (at this stage I don't know what they will eventually do). These are all temporarily installed.  I have not yet put on the safety railings (they look as if they will get in the way at the moment), and it may be useful to do the jeers.  I have posted the following photos mainly to get some reaction regarding the readiness (or otherwise) to finally put up the topmasts. It seems to be easy to overlook some vital step that will be difficult to remedy later.
 
The mizzen top:
 

 
the main top;
 

 
and the fore top.
 

 
This is how it all looks.
 

 

 
Advice is invited.
 
 
 
 
 
 

The fore and main slings are now completed. If there is a trick in all of this, it is to make the sling the correct length. This requires the position of the respective yards
 
First, a loop is made.

 
The length from the loop to the eye is determined (see below).
 

 
The overall length of the sling is determined by taking the sling over the cap to join the first loop.
 

 

 
Here, the fore yard is temporarily attached to the mast. Holes have been drilled into the yard and the mast and a pin inserted to support the yard. The length can now be measured from the cap to the eye of the sling. See second photo above.
 

 

 

 
I hope I am now able to mount the fore and main topmasts.
 
I have now received the 0.62mm Syren thread, so now the first job is to complete the futtock shrouds for the mizzen - and then make another sling.
 
 

Arthur: thanks again for all your help. I had already prepared the various blocks off the model as you have suggested.  It was the ordering with which I had problems.  I shall follow your advice regarding fitting the foot ropes.
 
I have Petersson's book, which, while very useful, is limited.  Aside from the book by Lees (I have had difficulty obtaining a copy), is(are) there a book(s) that may help with the terminology? I find at the moment I'm flying in the dark.
 
PS: if you and Jason ever get to Sydney, the drinks are on me.

The lanterns are a bit of a problem. The castings for the lids are about 1mm in diameter smaller than they should be. Partially mitigating the problem I suggest filing the ends of the brass lantern frames. While this improved the fit of the casting over the frame, the frame still was fraction  too large.  So once bent to shape and glued, the exterior corners were then lightly filed, and the interior corners filled with a dab of a water-based white gap filler (For Australians, Selly's No More Gaps)
 
Incidentally,  do not paint the frames before bending as I did. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but as soon as the fitting was bent, most of the paint came off.
 

 
Here are the frames filled, filed and painted.
 

 
The (almost) finished lanterns. The next two photos show the frame still slightly proud of the cast lid.
 

 

 
The following photo shows a slight gaps between the castings and the frame. I have filled the gaps with the gap filler diluted with a little water. I little on the point of a pin put on the gap, then immediately wiped off with a dampened tissue - and ... No More Gaps.
 

 

 
The results are just acceptable, but the yellow and white colour scheme specified tends to highlight any small defects.  With hindsight I would have blackened the castings, and perhaps the frames as well.
 
In a day or two, once the fumes of the CA are gone, I will use Krystal Klear to make the windows for the frames.
 
I have just noticed that photo 379 has been repeated, and I can't get rid of it for reasons which escape me.

I have now finished the futtock shrouds for the fore mast.  This has been a very fiddly job and the results are just adequate.
I used a bulldog clip and later an alligator clip hung on the end of the shrouds too keep them taut as I tied them off.

 

 

 
Finished.
 

 
I have substituted Syren thread for the kit-supplied stuff and it has come back to bite me in a small way. The quality of the thread is excellent, but it comes in  Imperial measurements (seems odd, for a republic. ) In each application I have taken the nearest metric measurement of the thread specified.  In the case of the shrouds for the mizzen I have used 0.88mm Syren thread which is specified as 1mm in the kit.  (In fact, if you actually measure the Syren thread it is indistinguishable from 1mm.)  The futtock shrouds for the mizzen are specified to be 0.75mm thread. Alas, I only bought the 0.88 stuff (which is of course quite close to 0.75.)  However to use the 0.88 for both the shouds and the futtock shrouds would not look 'right', so I am now waiting for delivery of the Syren thread which measures at 0.63mm.
 
If there is a lesson in all of this, be careful of measurements if you specify non-kit thread.

Having  painted a couple of dozen oars for the ship's boats, the question then arose, how to fit them all into the boats? It seems to me you can't without the boats disappearing under a pile of oars. I have placed 4 oars in two of the boats and this seems to work reasonably well. If anyone can suggest how to fit in the remaining oars I would certainly be grateful. If not I have a heap of painted oars if anyone wants them.