Chesapeake Bay Crabbing Skiff by DonInAZ - FINISHED - Midwest Products - Scale 1:20 - My first wooden ship build - Small

[John Allen]

:Doninaz,

 

Ready to grab the 6 gallon crab pot, crab boil, corn, potatoes, cayenne, salt, 20 lbs of crabs for this group just about right.

 

True crab story the Boss loves crabs, I mean she would stab your hand for the last crab and smile at you. Very close friend owned his own shrimp boat and crabs were a bycatch.

Boss sezs Im crab hongry, talk to Billy, okay Dear how many, She sezs 1 basket. I sezs Dear a shrimping basket holds 60 lbs of crabs, she sezs I want a basket of crabs I sezs nothing knowing better to just keep da mouth shut. 

I call Billy, Boss wants crabs you going out tonight, he sezs yeah how many I sezs a basket, he sezs wat you gonna do wid 60 lbs of crabs, Boss wants I dun told her it be on her I aint gonna stay up all night doin da boilin and da pickin, he laughs and sezs yea right, Meet me at da dock 6am tommorow.

 

Next day meet da boat me and Billy carry da 60 lbs of crabs to my truck he be laughin like a crazy man, I sezs not funny he sezs happy pickins I sezs no way he sezs yeah.

Get home da Boss got ebry pot and pan out water boilin, da house smell like crab boil and cayenne peppa. (note back then had no outside burners or big boiling pots these purchased right after this nightmare).

She sezs you boil and I be the picka. I sezs Boss this your deal you do the boilin and da pickin. I got the coldest meanest scaryrist  squinty eyed stare would kill a rat at 60 feet. Yea Boss be happy to I be da boiler.

 

9:45 PM that night da boilin and pickin be done,(this done in small pots on a 4 burner stove. Hose smelled liked boiled crabs for days, I had crab hulls and claws for 60 lbs of the little darlins in the back bed of my picmeup truck, smelled for weeks. Well de Boss be happy had plenty of picked crab meat. Boss Happy me Happy Billy called next day sezs how many crabs you be needin today laughin like a hyena.

 

One day theres a crawfish story better than this.

 

Thanks Doninaz for jogging my memory  Billy was the closest friend I had.

 

Hope you add some crab pots, with crabs, less than 60 pounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DonInAZ]

2 hours ago, John Allen said:

:Doninaz,

Ready to grab the 6 gallon crab pot, crab boil, corn, potatoes, cayenne, salt, 20 lbs of crabs for this group just about right.

 

True crab story...

 

Thanks for that John.  How long did it take to eat all that crab?

[DonInAZ]

Just noticed this in the above pics.  This does not show up this bad when looking at the actual model, but I definitely have to see what's going on here.  Looks like peeling paint.

Edited January 29, 2020 by DonInAZ

[John Allen]

18 hours ago, DonInAZ said:

to eat all that crab?

The Boss is how can I say this she is a voracious crab eater, 60 lbs comes down to 15 lbs of picked meat if you know what your doing and depending how big the crabs are. We don't freeze fresh crab we make a lot of crab dishes, au grautin, gumbo, jambalayas, and the best WEST INDIES SALAD, etc. give some to families. It lasts in the fridge a good week, and then we both ate about a pound each as she was picking. That was back in the good old days crab meat has skyroceted, and I lost my main source, eat it on holidays now.

[DonInAZ]

I've been working on getting the centerboard installed into the trunk along with the associated details:

I opted for a brass button head nail on both sides for the centerboard hinge pin.  I just thought it looked more nautical.

I tried to tie off the centerboard line with a correct cleat hitch but when I added a dab of glue it kind of made the whole knot look like plastic. I didn't want to redo it though so I'm chalking that up to lessons learned.  From a distance it doesn't look that horrible. 

The only other issue was drilling the hole for the pin that holds the centerboard up in place.  It's drilled at a slight angle do to the side of the hull not allowing me to drill straight across. 

I could have ordered some finger drills but didn't want to wait.  Like the cleat hitch, it doesn't look that noticeable from a distance. 

Also, what looks like a black line on the corner of the centerboard in the first 2 pics is actually just a shadow. 

Edited February 10, 2020 by DonInAZ

[BobG]

She's looking great and coming right along, Don!

 

Bob

[Mahuna]

Hi Don - really nice work.

 

When securing a knot, it's better to use matte medium or a diluted white glue to avoid the 'plastic' look.  When I don't want any sheen from glue I use Scenic Glue from Woodland Scenics.

[DonInAZ]

1 hour ago, Mahuna said:

When securing a knot, it's better to use matte medium or a diluted white glue to avoid the 'plastic' look.  When I don't want any sheen from glue I use Scenic Glue from Woodland Scenics.

You read my mind Frank 😉.  I was about to IM you and ask you that very question.  I'll stop by the hobby store and pick up some Scenic Glue before I work on the bow line.  Maybe it would be worth a re-do on the centerboard trunk as well.  I'll think about that.

FYI, I was trying to use slightly diluted aircraft canopy glue (because it dries crystal clear) but as you can see it imparts a glossy plastic looking sheen to the rope...which I don't care for.

Edited February 10, 2020 by DonInAZ

[DonInAZ]

Here is a close up of the centerboard trunk cleat.  You can clearly see where the Nylon rope absorbed the canopy glue and looks discolored and reflective.

 

[DonInAZ]

Got the bow line attached.  I decided to add a ring fitting rather than just tying the line directly to the stern post.

 

I need to make the rope lay down a little flatter and trim just a smidge off the end that hangs off the side.

Edited February 12, 2020 by DonInAZ

[DonInAZ]

We're getting closer to done on this little boat.  Next up is installing the rudder and tiller (hopefully this week), then work on the display base (this weekend) and finally start on the mast, sail and rigging (next week).

Edited February 12, 2020 by DonInAZ

[markjay]

It's looking good!

[DonInAZ]

Got the pintles and gudgeons onto the rudder piece.  In hindsight it would probably have been easier to attach the gudgeons to the hull first but it's too late now...  I actually used JB Weld up to this point due its ability to bond metal well but will probably have to go with a glue that dries clear and is easy to clean off the hull as I'm bound to get a little glue where I don't want it while attaching this assembly... More pics coming soon!

[DonInAZ]

Balancing act...

I didn't want to take the time to create a jig to hold the rudder in place while the glue dries, so I jury rigged a setup to hold the sternpost horizontal until it can be moved.

[DonInAZ]

The lower grudgeon is a fraction too low but there's nothing I can do about it now. Still have to do a little paint touch up at the pintle attachment points.

At first I thought I had put the pintle and grudgeon assemblies on upside down but after checking online I see it done both ways so I'm calling it good.

Edited February 15, 2020 by DonInAZ

[DonInAZ]

Tiller is just a friction fit at the moment as there is another blue paint spec to deal with (visible in the below pic).  But after that, the rudder assembly is basically complete and it will be onto the display base. 

Edited February 15, 2020 by DonInAZ

[DonInAZ]

Staining the base pieces in "dark walnut"

Edited February 16, 2020 by DonInAZ

[DonInAZ]

Display base complete:

...on to the mast, sail and rigging!

 

Edited February 16, 2020 by DonInAZ

[yvesvidal]

Adorable.

 

Yves

[DonInAZ]

On hold for a few days (waiting on parts)...

It was recommended that I switch over to use scale rigging line from Chuck over at Syren.  After taking a look at their website, I thought it looked AMAZING and ended up ordering 3 different sizes in 2 colors.  I will definitely be using the Syren line for the rigging of the mast and boom.  I have to decide whether to replace what I've already done, which would only be the bow painter and the 2 centerboard lines.  I'll think about that.  I'm not really happy with the centerboard cleat tie off as it got glue-soaked and looks "fake" to me.

Stay tuned,

Don

Edited February 18, 2020 by DonInAZ

[MEDDO]

Very nice progress.  Just getting caught up on the build.  Once you go Syren you never go back haha!

[DonInAZ]

Thanks Michael,

I also picked up some single sheave blocks (3mm, 4mm & 5mm) from Syren.  I was going to use an old AL or MS (not sure which) surplus block I had, but once again, Chuck's products just look so much better.  David (Duanelaker) used a 5mm wood block to replace the plastic block in the kit and I had to admit it looked SO much better!  So yes, it appears I've caught the Syren bug as I will be using their products in my future builds whenever possible.

[DonInAZ]

Looking for input:

If I decide to redo the rigging that I've already done, should I go ahead and swap out the metal cleats (which I was going to use in place of the plastic ones) for wooden ones (from Syren of course)?  Would they have likely been wood or metal on a typical crabbing skiff in the Chesapeake Bay region?

Don

Edited February 20, 2020 by DonInAZ

[DonInAZ]

Ok so I've made the executive decision to leave what I've done on this model as is and finish it with the supplies I have on hand.  

I could tear out the nylon Model Shipways line and redo everything with the superior Syren line, but to be honest, I'm just not that unhappy with how it looks to risk messing it up.  For my first wooden boat model, I'm actually pretty satisfied with how it's turned out so far and from a 1.5 - 2.0 ft viewing distance, the many little issues it has don't really show that badly to my untrained eye.

One thing I have done in the past with other modeling projects, is to try to be too much of a perfectionist (not that my work here has been anything even close to that).  All too often I will keep trying to fix or redo areas I perceive as "flawed" and end up either making things worse or ruining a project altogether.

My next kit is going to be the "Chesapeake Bay Flattie" (also by Midwest) which has substantially more rigging than this little boat does and so I will make use of the Syren line and blocks on that project from the very start.  I will also use the experience I gained on this model to make that one hopefully better.

Anyway, I hope this decision doesn't disappoint anyone who might be following this build or reading it in the future...

Now, let's get on with it!

Don

 

[DonInAZ]

Pre-punching the holes for the luff lacing line to make threading easier. 

Edited February 23, 2020 by DonInAZ

[DonInAZ]

Got the halyard line in place as well as the luff lacing line anchored and ready to lace.

I still have not found a method of securing these tiny lines without making them look glue-soaked. 

I tried the scenic cement but it didn't hold.  CA and dullcoat hold but don't look that great.

Edited February 28, 2020 by DonInAZ

[BobG]

On 2/10/2020 at 9:46 AM, Mahuna said:

When securing a knot, it's better to use matte medium or a diluted white glue to avoid the 'plastic' look.  When I don't want any sheen from glue I use Scenic Glue from Woodland Scenics.

Frank, I am experimenting with several types of glue since I am doing some rigging for my first time ever on my Medway Longboat. I didn't like the how shiny and stiff the thin CA was and the watered down white glue didn't seem to hold too well. So I got a bottle of the Scenic Glue and it is really thick...almost like paste. Is that normal for this type of glue? If so, do you have to rub it into the knots. I think it's to thick to be adsorbed by the rope.

 

I just saw an older post from you where you recommended Liquitex Acrylic Matte Medium. Is that a better choice for gluing knots and rigging?

 

Thanks,

Bob

Edited February 29, 2020 by BobG

[DonInAZ]

Lacing the luff edge of the sail to the mast.

Pre-punching the holes for the lacing was essential for this step...especially if you've use any kind of treatment to "firm up" the sail cloth. 

As stated in a previous post, I'm not using the Syren rigging line for this build ( but will be using it on the next model of the Chesapeake Bay Flattie).  For the lacing,  I used the line that came with the kit (which is very lightweight - think heavy sewing thread).  It comes white in color and so to give it more of a tan look, I soaked it in hot, thick, black coffee for a couple of hours.  Then I ran it across the beeswax several times and result was something I was pretty satisfied with.

Edited February 29, 2020 by DonInAZ

[DonInAZ]

Here's a good example of the camera picking up things I couldn't see myself from 12" away.

Apparently at some point the rigging line started picking up fibres and animal hair, as well as some fraying from passing through the sail cloth over and over during the lacing step.

I'll definitely try to clean this up a little but only noticed it after posting the pic in the previous post. 

Edited February 29, 2020 by DonInAZ

[Brewerpaul]

Hey-- I just picked up on your build while looking over recent logs. As an enthusiastic Maryland transplant, I'm interested in anything Maryland and Chesapeake Bay Crabbing caught my eye.

Nice job, on a sweet little boat! I see you're continuing the Chesapeake Bay theme with your next build. Maybe you'll get to the Pride of Baltimore II eventually! I have one of those sitting on the shelf as my second once I finish my Constitution cross section.

Ever picked crabs at a crab feast? It's great fun and goes on for hours.

Remember the old show Homicide:Life On The Streets? It was one of the earlier gritty cop shows and took place in Baltimore. Occasionally some of the cops went out to dinner to eat crab and it just looked like TOO much fun; brown paper on the tables, heaps of crabs with little wooden mallets to crack some of the stubborn claws.  I so wanted to try that but nobody in upstate NY did such a thing. I finally got my chance when we moved here 3 years ago, and I wasn't disappointed.