JerryTodd

Did someone say boat howitzer? I needed to research this a bit for Constellation's launch

Lanyards and other "adjustment points" of that nature would definitely not be tarred with the coating Luce describes, mainly because it would prevent seeing any deterioration or damage on lines that wear most on the inside - like in the holes of the dead-eyes. Pine tar protects the line, mainly from molds, and keeps it supple, while allowing any wear to be visible and dealt with before it becomes critical - but it would be tarred beyond what it received in it's manufacture, making it much darker than the rest of the running rigging.

The set-up for "adjusting" lanyards is perfectly capable of overcoming whatever "tar" they might have put on them. The odds are Stockholm Tar was used, but something was used, no passage making ship is going wandering about with bare lanyards. Yes, the system shown is from a Navy manual where there's enough crew to send the mast through the bottom of the ship, but the system's the same outside the Navy as well.

Or staple on some bed-sheet from the thrift shop.

Made a quick 3D model of the hull. Nothing precise, but it gives me a better feel for the shape And I can compare it to the other models

I think you're displaced, not misplaced, we know where you are

There's differences between the drawings and the actual boat as she appeared in 78/79. As mentioned before, I refer to photos, especially of her out of the water, to alter my drawings to match. The shape of the forefoot is much rounder on the actual boat; The propeller opening is more complex. She has a 5 bladed prop today, she had a 3 bladed prop back then; The shape of the rudder is very different from the drawings; She was originally an unpowered schooner. When they installed an engine, they added the structure aft of the stern post, and lengthened the hull into that yacht-like transom; When I was aboard her in 78 she was all white with buff rails and still had the full house with the wheel enclosed. In 79 the house was shortened so the wheel was outside and the raised portions of the rails fore and aft were painted forest green. It's this 79 appearance I plan to finish her in.

The plans arrived after a 7 day tour of central Maryland - thank goodness for Priority Mail! I had one page scanned at Office Depot, which cost all of $8 USD, and not the astronomical price Independence estimated it would. I'll get the other pages scanned later not only to re-scale, but to preserve them because they apparently hadn't heard of acid free paper back in 1971 and these are showing some age. Checking my scan with the paper version to make sure nothing was distorted beyond usability, I found my other drawings based on greatly enlarged images and photos were off, not a lot, but more than I would have preferred. I started working on scale drawings to work from, which I'll have printed when they're complete, including a pattern for each form, keel, keelson, deck arrangement, and the spar and rigging plan - all full size. Based on this more accurate information, Gazela, at 1:36 scale, will actually be the smallest of my models. (Pride is 1:20 scale) Length on deck: 50 inches (127cm) Length of hull: 51.3 inches (130.3cm) Beam: 8.8 inches (22.4cm) Beam over the rig (main yard): 18.67 inches (47.4cm) Length over the rig: 59.3 inches (150.6cm) Height overall (less ballast keel): 35.7 inches (90.7cm) Depth (less ballast keel): 5.3 inches (13.5cm) Sail area: c. 247.5 sq inches

There would be at least two lower stays on each mast, probably three on the foremast, and two stays with deadeyes or bullseyes on the cross-trees, for each topmast. The foremast would have backstays for the topmast where the tops'l peaks, and the t'gallant if there is provision for one, both on block-and-tackle, "running back-stays." The main tops'l would have at least one running back stay where the main-tops'l's jack yard peaks. The fore would have rats at least as far as can reach the tops'l yard as would the main if there's a square set on it, otherwise, the main probably didn't have any at all, or only on the lower shrouds. The main on sharp-raked craft would also have two running fore-stays from the mast-head to either side of the base of the fore-mast, and did not have a stay running from mast-head to mast head - it would foul the fores'l gaff peak. This is pretty standard for Baltimore clippers, pilot boats, revenue schooners, coastal schooners, etc.

I made a lower offer and the seller accepted it, and upon learning what I needed them for, seemed very happy about it. So, I guess there may be some entries in this log soon - at last!

Finally found a set of those plans on ebay, of all places. They want $60 with shipping, and right when car registration and insurance are due, so, so much for that idea. http://www.ebay.com/itm/152432476708?_trksid=p2060353.m2763.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Some pics I found online over the years showing Trin out of her dock, in drydock, and other a-typical angles. I never did get why they set her up with the yards in the set positions.

HMS Shannon, who took the Chesapeake, was a Leda class boat, and Unicorn, which also still exists, is a contemporary of Trincomalee and also a Leda. It's pretty lame considering some of the garbage that's offered as kits that there's no kit for these three notable vessels of a very notable class.

Well, at a Toyota dealer I'm surprised you didn't end up in a Dodge truck.

I'm a long way from needing jolly tars as yet; my need is for 1850's US sailors, Marines, and officers.

Shame they never consider 1:35 scale - all you can find in 1:35 is WWII mud-slingers

Water World and Heaven's Gate were epic movies, epic failures that is. There's a few kits that fit that version of "epic."

Bolt-ropes are sewn on in a paticular way. They do not attach to the edge of the cloth, but actually lie ON the cloth. On square sails the lie on the forward face of the sail so they are less apt to rub on shrouds, etc behind the sail. The stitching that holds them to the sail comes out of the sail, goes over the edge and into the bolt-rope, through the sail, and goes around again and through the next strand over. In reality the thread goes between strands and through the third, then into the sail. Going through one strand isn't critical on a model. The stitches advance along the sail with the lay of the bolt-rope so it buries itself in the lay of the line. I skip 3 or 4 rope strands, where-as the real thing is stitched in every strand of the bolt-rope. That's totally up to you. The real thread is waxed flax, heavy and doubled. On a model, one strand of light thread should be scale enough. Pull it snug in the direction you're sewing towards, not back where you've already sewn or the sail will draw up and kink. The sail will pucker a little into the lay of the rope - that's fine and as it should be, it wraps the sail around the bolt-rope. Every so often, a few turns are made, a whipping, typically every yard or so, on either side of grommets, eyes, and the like. These serve as pull-stops. If the stitching should break somewhere, being a whip-stitch it'll easily pull out, the whippings try to keep it from pulling out too far. This obviously isn't critical on a static model, but it can be seen if you look at real sails and besides adding a touch of realism, is a good place to start a new thread because the whole thing doesn't have to be done with one length of thread. I make cringles and eyes for my RC model's sails by taking a turn around a rod of the right diameter, like toothpicks, and whip it at the overlap. The real things were usually spliced in. That can usually be represented by just whipping a join of two ends of the bolt-rope with enough overlap for the eye and whipped at either end of the eye. In the pics, note how the stitching disappears into the lay of the bolt rope on the front of the sail. You need to hold out the sail and the bolt-rope as you sew it, don't stretch them, just keep some tension on both. My sails tend to be a much larger scale (1:36) than most models here, but with some good magnification, it's not difficult to do. I find it easier to insert the needle between strands on the front side, through the third (or not, it's your call), into the sail, snug it up, move 3 or 4 strands over, and do it again. I reinforce my bolt-ropes with fabric glue as they are working sails

I don't think I have $1k into a 8 foot long RC sailing ship, including radio gear. It may be pushing $400.

So it IS a boat you've been building! Some folks put a cover over the drum of the winch servo. It has to fit close to keep the line from getting between the flange and the cover, but the idea is to trap the coils of the sheet on the drum when there isn't tension. While to my eye it's looks sketchy; like if you pay out the sheet in no air, and the coils get inside each other on the drum; but the folks that use this seem happy with it; like John Dowd on his Bluenose and J-class Endeavor and Antony Bell on his Jolie Brise. Here's the works in Dowd's J-Class, note the main sheet winch on the left; My sail arm servo runs the "3-arm-sheeter" for the heads'ls, and it also sheets the driver/spanker (there used to be a difference) on the servo's arm directly. It sheets out the spanker with the servo centered, and sheets in when moved left OR right. With a servo-stretcher giving it 180° of travel, that gets me plenty of sheet. The spanker sheet anchors in the waterway, runs through a block on the boom, then to a fairlead in the opposite waterway, and on to the servo - so it is "doubled." My issue with the whole thing is the servo moves too fast. I'm sure there's some expensive item available that will deal with that, but I don't have one. Speaking of tension on drums, you may consider mounting your brace winches on their sides so the drum is vertical. Slack is much less of an issue this way, and it may help you out with space limitations and access. This pic shows two winch servos with a couple of Bizarroland drums to illustrate the idea, I hope. The braces would run athwartship from the drums, but you can turn this anyway you like I'd think. This idea is based on the old Rattlesnake that inspired me in the first place. L'Heureaux used a motor and slipping belts that I doubt gave him very good fine control, but that's not an issue with winch servos. The braces don't develop so much slack for this to be a problem if the flanges are deep enough, the spanker sheet can develop much more slack and could be a problem, even with the winch on it's side..

Most boats had a swell for the shrouds and stays like you'd see on a t'gallant mast for instance, but some had cleats or wedges instead. The shrouds tend to be looped around and clamped with a couple of wire clamps, but further back they were seized with wire. One newer boat I saw had a sort of spider band on the mast and the shrouds had thimbled eyes shackled to it.

I hope there aren't any batteries in there anywhere

Got 2 yards of gray Supplex from a different supplier than usual. It was much cheaper than their normal price; a remnant maybe? It seemed a little dark, but not so bad in the photo, for the sails of a British frigate.

I wager everyone that's built an extended frame model has had this little joke creep into their head.

Don't let these pudgy phalanges hear you, or I'll never get them to do what I want.