Jond

Dear Guy first happy New Year The deck looks great and at some point you will add some form on finish to it and it will sing. We don't have much lime wood on this side of the pond, so I found it fun to work with. the variation helps to delineate it too. the herringbone pattern is unique too I recommend you add to your reading list the wonderful book by Michael Palin on HMS Erebus. cheers Jon

08 The end of 2024 and my lower shrouds are all in! As this year draws to an end, our Xmas visitors have gone home, and I got the shop back just today. A little progress was made, but more important was to take some photos to document progress as of the end of the year. 01-02. First up we have two overall shots of the overall scene. One can see a little progress on starting to make up the multiple added spars. I celebrated getting the 13th and final shrouds on the lower main mast just before cleaning up time. Most shrouds still have their little wire hooks. 03-06. here are 4 shots from the four quarters. One might note that the lashing of the dead eyes on the starboard side is progressing. I not different approaches to handling the extra line. In USA schooners the tail drops down and ties off to the last riser. I see some other modelers have taken them up. I have not decided but think I will do what I believe is common at least here in US to drop the lines down and use thin thread to tie them off. 07-09. here we have three photos of the on-deck status. I made up the little brass racks to hold spar spars and things and am now getting to a check list of all those little eye bolts and hidden hocked blocks I need for yard halyard and the like. I am not sure how many I can fit with my awkward thumbs. I much prefer 1:48 where I can see better and handle parts better. I also not that after adding my homemade elm pumps, there really is not a lot of space left to stack boats. That will be a while from now but even so, it seems tight. The kit says raise the boats up high, other builders have the boats low even on a sled, a more practical solution. We’ll see. 10-13 here we are in the rigging, the part I like the best as it is a constant learning curve. I know schooners well. Barks and ships are a big learning challenge for me. Fortunately, I have the Betts book, and I am using that as best I can. I notice subtle differences from earlier builds. One example I learned was the use of chain. Now my chain is 42 links to the inch, which is tiny to say the least. but at 1:75 the links are almost 2 inches. the next size up they would be over 3 inches which I guessed was too big. I foolishly painted the chain after installing because painting first makes it unmanageable, and I have never successfully blackened chain. It’s a bit of a mess and hopefully some more dental work will help. So the year closes with this a big challenge that I look forward to pursuing. My big Schooner is still waiting as I have about four more repairs to make to a local restaurant collection. Mostly busted booms and bow sprits then re rigging. Happy new year

07 time to blend early rigging with other on deck work Thank Keith for following along and others for their likes. It is encouraging. I find that each build teaches us lessons on how to better set sequence. I am not sure however that I can remember previous lessons. Regardless I am moving ahead with masting and standing rigging trying to be sensitive about blocking things out. A good example is to decide what gets done off the boat and brought in all complete. I suspect the top mast work might be better done off boat, but have decided to move forward with lower masts. On a similar note, as tight as things are, I suspect tying down boats stored amid ship may be difficult if left too late. Also, I am beginning to fool around with how to present the model. A funny example to consider is, if the vessel was “pinched “, locked in ice, the rudder and propeller that we all carefully installed should be removed. One might say I should show her just before getting pinched. A little water to be present. We’ll see. Progress The first 2 views show two masts starting to be rigged. I will not lash the dead eyes now but leave them with bent wire connections in case I need to take them out. The mizzen top is being rebuilt as I learned from other builds there was no “top” on that mast. as came in the kit. One can also see I have Styrofoam on the table to get my thinking going on what I want to show. I think the story will be they are pinched and stuck. The second three shots show a little more detail. Up forward I found I need to buy some hearts for the shrouds bob stays etc. There is still a lot of stuff to go inside here, and I am focusing on getting that in before lashing the shrouds. Amidship, I received some pump wheels. I am holding up the center until I figure out which two boats to store there and do I make a sled etc. Further on the mid-section and aft I need to make the racks for spars and do all the other deck stuff before blocking with shrouds. Finally, I have begun the build within the build that is key to Terror project. They reportedly sailed with 12 small boats. There are several lists, and, in the photos, I have accumulated a variety to build. I have currently a total of 12 including the 3 metal hulls that came in the kit. I have always struggled working small and have challenged myself to start with these kits and then see what I learn. In the views I show the group of small boats and then the Amati chain plates that I bought to simplify and I believe improve on the kit. onward we march...

06 time for a check up on deck progress. thank you one and all for your likes. I, like many others, get to this stage of a build and go… oh my! there really is a lot to do! I have been working away and making some progress. Thanks again to those that went ahead of me, as I am spending time looking at their posts and Bett’s book for help. Those before me said; Beware the kit has some issues. Well, I am trying to fix some things. It is fun to do. I will not try to list every change as I go, but I am off and running. The following images capture a few attempts to follow the plans from Bett’s book. A few examples are nice, and few ended in my “oops: I scaled his plan and used it for layout. First up were all those port lights…no problem found. One who fully studies his plans first, might see that the literal scale of parts as shown on his plan are noticeably smaller than the model kit drawings or parts. This issue comes up a few different times. I marched ahead just using his plan and got bit. On my first attempt I used the layout to cut holes for the bitts. A week or so later I got the little Massey pump kit parts outs and there is no way to fit them between the bitts as shown on the drawing. I had to plug two holes and recut the forward bitts, so the pumps would fit between. I also picked up that there are a pair of bitts on the aft side of the main mast to carry both the load of the fife rail and the pump handle. I chose to keep using the kit sized bitts and that is what I got. This 1:75 and MM vs inches throws me off. Perhaps all the bitts should be smaller. Who knows. The last picture shows what I have going forward. 1-2 shows the plan and holes and the big pumps. I moved the holes, added the double/pair of aft bits and just ordered some flywheels. Forward bitts and things I suggest the same. I was only able to fit 4 pins in the forward curved rails. It seems that all this timber is oversized. So be it. Same thing for the stern davits. I did bring them down to be closer to the plan. I think 5x5 means ( 5x75=375/25 = 13 inches. Much too big in my mind for davit. 3-4 Second were things that I tried but decided not to use. First up was the windless, where I used the plywood parts as a template for a boxwood piece. But then looking at the cast metal I decided to make my own. 5 I was able to go to a meeting of our local Model club, Downeast Shipmodelers Guild associated with Maine Maritime Museum. A skilled member shared with me that painting the hull black was a much better presentation than the walnut-stained wood he saw earlier at our recent club showing. I thanked him! 6- 8. I learned from previous blogs that the main davits were critical and different from the kit. I tried to use their smarts and have progressed as they need to go in early. I also made my attempt to make the water closet/ bowsain’s locker. I still am a little dubious on this subject. Some 50 men on board and only one head other than the captain’s personal seat of ease. Normally officers share something the aft galleries, but these were removed for arctic service. Therefore, as I find Betts drawing nonspecific as to port and starboard but only one drawing conflicts with his addition of the forward door on the port side on his model. Thus, I made them as if both were heads but added the questionable door on the port side. The things we can get hung up on ! 9-11 . I got an order of lettering for three different builds. I think the Terror came out OK. I had two more-dimension issues. Based on many comments of earlier builds, I went online and ordered a 3 D printed 10 spoke wheel. It was for a close scale, but it is easy to see way too big. I retired it and went with the kit wheel. However, I note that even it is too big to satisfy Bett’s drawing. We do the best we can and move on. A third issue is the reported elm pumps just aft of the forward gangway. I ordered the best I could find but it is double the size. I used it for a model and made my own. I set the Amati 20MM pump behind to show how big it is. Well, there is so much to do we shall just keep on as winter and the holidays are headed our way Cheers

This update covers some down time as I travelled North through the Northwest passage in August and a few extra activities in the model shop this fall. Before setting EH aside for a bit of a rest last August , I had fun on the shop toys making some of the deck furnishings and spars. 01-04. these photos capture making the masts and setting them up for the right rake 05-9 capture the annual visit of my daughter and some of her friends. She loves to make sails. So since I am out of prepared silk span she prepared four large sheets for me, sure enough to make the sails this winter. I also have found a better image to use for the sail planning. 10 Finally we see EH sitting on the shelf as the rebuild of the schooner Zebedee Cliff took over the shop

05 back to work on finishing he hull I am finally back in the shop and focused on this build as my big 1921 schooner was just put away and the third 1916 schooner is still resting. I start by sharing the decision I made to paint the hull. The main reason is because I want to try to use the model as a prop while telling the story of this amazing vessel, as its part in the saga of the Northwest Passage. That story must include ice. My TV aged out and I came home with a new one last week and saved the Styrofoam. I will collect other grades and then think more about what a reasonable approach to making ice might include. I have atleast seen some real old age ice pack and it is a strange combination to say the least. For one thing a natural finished model half buried in ice would not make sense. Therefore, despite painting not being a high skill off I go. As I restart this build, I am working first on the general hull completion and also on the deck furniture and masts. This way I can move around the shop and do a little of each and move on. First up, and before I decided to paint, I built out the stern. Oops! I wish I hand decided to paint before. Oh well 1-3. here are three shots showing the stern work as it progressed before paint For the metal bow plaiting I decided to use the copper tape I have. There are so many comments on many blogs about whether to show rivets or not. I believe dots on decking or dots on exterior planking are great. I even have run a pounce wheel when the copper stays exposed. Perhaps a cop out, but under paint I chose to move on not using the pounce wheel. 4-10 here are 7 shots showing the copper tape on. I use compound cement under the tape so it will stay. I have never had just tape remain uncurled in place. I then simply brought the paint over the top. In the final shot we see that work has begun on masting as well. I took this shot because in the winter the morning sun comes through the leafless trees directly into the shop for maybe a half hour and it is fun to be there and see the different lighting. next up progress on deck All for now

Thank you Robin I am just getting back to working on the model. I am thinking more about how best to tell the story. I am watching U-tube shows of sailors going through the passage and one things seems sure. The storms are crazy. Also they seem to last for days, unlike here where maybe two days its it. cheers

I love the ice. I am at a similar stage and thinking of how best to tell the story. cheers

Step 3 get the rigging back together and finish Much of this stage involved repairs, then resetting rigging where it went before and finally adjusting for the raised balustrade taking the forward running rigging. Another final step involved the transom. In the following cropped image, we can see that when launched, our schooner had what I assume to be a mahogany transom. 01. Several years ago, I bought some mahogany veneer. I was happy to find my second use in many years. At first, I cut out the shape, but alas there was no way to get it to flatten over the shape of the transom. Obviously if I sliced it into say 1/8-inch strips it would have gone on nicely. I don’t find mahogany veneer likes that type treatment. In the four views we see the fist “no fit” followed by a mid-section cut away and multiple bands to hold it. Then two views of the final, unfinished. I have ordered letting in vinyl. And will apply it. 02-05 Here I have several views of the focused area of alteration. I also added a little more detail to the aft cabin. Please remember this is a RC boat to begin with, and there are too many areas that could use more and more detailing. The photos did not show the little bars on the cabin features meant to avoid fowling lines. Perhaps these sailors were confident. 06-09. So yesterday I moved her back to here resting place. {Please see her now in the gallery with her older sister ADA Cliff, the three masted schooner built in the yard in 1917. Starting with the completion of ADA in 1917, Zebedee E Cliff, mayor of Somerville Mass took over the yard and they built 4 each four masted schooners based on the ADA Cliff design concluding in 1921 with our altered vessel named after the good mayor himself. 10-11 I am sorry about the scale difficulty but here we are with two rather large bookends. I will share a photo of the naming when it hopefully occurs in a week or so. Cheers

Step 2. Get the deck house, balustrade and other deck work done This second step was basic. There is continuous humor however, as my forced dimension compromise is needed to achieve the goal of switching schooners. Declaring the scale different to make the length of the vessel close [ changing from 1:48 to 1:40 does not increase cabin height and all the other work. I hope the audience will forgive me. Here are a series of progress images showing the fore cabin coming together. The sides went on, then the roof deck, then the stove pipes, the boiler hatch, doors, portlights etc. The main mast fife rail hand to be replaced as well and then the balustrades brought forward. So here we are with the deck work basically complete. Other than a few things like the stove pipe supports, angle braces put on the aft cabin, figuring how to rig the jumbo sail with the high roofed forecabin, we need to get the rigging back in place. Ultimately the naming will be a little challenge, possible experiment and I frea another needed compromise. That will include another story. All for now

Keith It's great to see your build up and running. Just yesterday I was looking back at your old build of HMS Terror, trying to nail down where to put bitts. I am happy to see this lesson spread out at just the right time. thank you our railway in town is not as exciting as yours. it is part of the 24 inch series that was popular here in Maine, especially in the lumber industry. There never was a train down here at the end our peninsula, but some years ago an enthusiast bought and relocated one here. It is a loop and fun with North pole express etc. cheers jon

3 decking Decking is an interesting project. It really includes other things that we hopefully think about before we lay the deck and go darn, I wish I had painted that waterway before I glued the decking plank next to it. Notwithstanding a few of those oops’s here we are. I share a few photos of the progress and few showing the crew on board after finishing the deck and thinking about the fore cabin and raising the foresail. I used a little hand rubbed poly over a combination of three stains to try to match the old decking , and it seemed to come out reasonably close. By light washing some of the stain and poly over the old decking it all looks close enough for folk music. The white paint on the old girl however looks tough, but I remind all this vessel was pond sailed over two summers and has sat idle for years. It will take several more attempts to get things close enough, but I doubt she’ll ever be ship shape. Also, painting around completed rigging is a tough order. The point here is that if one had all the time in the world, one would remove much more rigging that I have done, then sanded and painted everything before re rigged it all. I admit here that is not the current plan. The rebuild of this pond sailor is just to have it represent a Boothbay Schooner to accompany the research I did years ago to tell the story of the 12 four-masted schooners built here. Finally, as an old, retired engineer I just have a problem with Charles Notman’s extended poop design. I am now very happy that is no longer the case on the only four masted schooner I have. Progress 1 here is a cropped image of the real Zebedee Cliff fore cabin. This image is what I will try to emulate. 2-4. progress planking. 5-6 last planks are in, and the hatch combing and waterways are in and painted 7-8 the crew arrived and the deck house under roofing is ready. 9-11. the decking is stained and two light coats of hand rub poly. The stain is this sequence….. first cheery, second special walnut[ medium], third golden sunset. Then I did a light wash of the walnut stain over the old decking and two more light coats of poly. So, Step 1 is done now for step two. Cheers

thank you John She isn't up to your museum work but she is definitely a lot of fun to do and I look forward to more local celebration of years gone by in our past shipyards. cheers

Keith I thank you for your continued interest and willingness to encourage all who share enough interest in this incredible history to build this model. I also enjoyed reading all of your posts and hope someday to see more on your build of HMS Erebus. Now that we have learned that Parks Canada is diving on the [ now Canadian] Erebus first as it is some danger for underwater losses, I can't wait to see their update. Also to note I finally saw the fictional monster involved story called The Terror based on the fantasy book describing the demise of the crew. The Prop built with Matthew Betts input was fantastic. I'll leave off my opinion of the story as presented. Perhaps someone might use that prop to tell of McClure, and all the others who also were stuck in the North and survived. Finally there is an older fictional book by Clive Cussler, Artic Drift. I highly recommend it. Clive guessed as his heros found the two vessels, on in 1,000 feet of water and and the other up on an Island...... thanks again Jon

04 My transit of the NW Passage I won’t try to tell the whole story but will at least include a few images of my tracing the route of the Franklin Expedition through the NW Passage this August/September. 1. here is copy of the total route we took. The trip is managed extremely well by Adventure Canada... Greenland We started from the airport 100 miles up the fiord at Kangerlussuak. Ports of call included the towns of Sisimiut and Ilulissat. We also had a stop on Disko Island. We know that the two vessels HMS Erebus and HMS Terror took on supplies from a supply vessel at Disko Island, a common port of call for whalers and other explorers before heading either north to Melville Sound or straight across Davis Strait. 2 On shore at Disko Island, we were with our geologist, as he explained another episode in the evolution of the arctic. He turned out to be a critical part of this story. Baffin and Devon Islands 3 We crossed the Davis straight and landed at Pond Inlet. This town is there for a former airbase, now an airport, at the north end of Baffin Island, as well as the large Iron mine in the region. This view is the Pond Inlet overview looking north toward Bylot Island. 4 here is the NE corner of Baffin Island. This location is often mentioned as a rendezvous site for the Franklin follow up exploration fleets, whaling fleets etc. 5 We rounded Bylot island to enter Lancaster sound and reached Dundas Harbour. Dundas Harbour is where in the 1920’s RCMP officers were stationed, so that Devon Island would be considered occupied. They did not do well as two were dead when the replacement vessel returned three years later. 6 Running to the west, we stopped at Beechey Island. Beechey Island is the known last winter encampment of the Franklin expedition. Here are the graves of three of their members and one for a rescue party sailor who died years later. 7 As one of our team leaders suggested, only a British admiral would have considered that this nice, protected harbor would be a great place to winter. One would be frozen in for 9-10 months where there was no vegetation nor food of any kind. There were polar bears that were hunting seals out on the ice, and that was it. 8 Several years later, a wrecked schooner at the north end of Beechey Island was demolished and used to build a Cache by Hudson Bay Company and called Northumberland house. It was intended both for any Franklin rescue/ searchers or others in need. Franklin’s route 9 we ran into sea ice traveling west from Beechey Island. We enjoyed a wonderful sunset zodiac outing with great photo ops. 10 here is the map showing the mystery of the southern route taken by Franklin from Beechey Island . The Peel sound was often full of Ice as was the Bellot strait. The mystery is how to get to the point NW of King Williams Island, the point of Franklin’s final capture by old sea ice. There are many theories of what route was taken after leaving Beechey Island. One thing I learned is a study now underway by Parks Canada and the geological institute in Ottawa. The annual diving now taking place on HMS Erebus is focused on the damaged side of the hull that is slowly being crushed and is slowly collapsing. It is the naval officer's cabins being searched now, because the scientific officer's cabins are in good shape, and will be explored in later years. There are only about two weeks of diving each summer, so time is of the essence. What was found in these naval officer cabins is a surprise; it is a collection of 16 rock samples. These samples are being analyzed. Let’s wait for the actual scientists to publish their findings, but the short version is this tale. The geologist on our cruise is the geologist doing this study. He can take a rock sample and identify which coastline of which island is the source. Thus if the sailors collected souvenirs along the way that is a way to trace the route….hold that thought. The ice this year was different than the last few years. The tour normally travels south down Prince Regent Inlet and through the Bellot Strait. This year we went up around the sea ice we encountered and sailed down the Peel Sound into the Franklin Strait. 11. On the way, we landed at Prescott Island just off the east coast of Prince of Wales Island. It as a first time ever landing by Adventure Canada, our Expedition team. 12. Not only were there hundreds of Beluga whales there, but we also found a distinct red rock. Our geologist cut out samples for the study. [ obviously he is allowed to do so…smile] He also predicted that this new sample will match one of the 16 samples that he knows well…….wow. we were there when he found it! I can’t wait for the next Parks Canada publication on their progress. The tour then made two transits of the Bellot strait. 13. Here is the monument showing the northernmost point of continental North America, halfway through Bellot Strait. Yes it is further north than Alaska! The finding of Franklin’s route 14 Later that afternoon we were cruising along headed for Cambridge Bay on the south shore of Victoria Island and we crossed the straight where HMS Erebus and HMS Terror were [pinched] stuck. We saw no ice whatsoever! What was great was in mid afternoon, we saw a fogbow….how appropriate. The tour ended in Coppermine, now Kugluktuk. A place of much history, but for another day. I look forward to getting back into this build. More house guests just left, so maybe next week. Cheers Jon