HMS Pegasus by Blue Ensign - FINISHED - Amati/Victory Models - 1:64 scale

[Knocklouder]

Wow what a great ship you have built, I have this kit but won't be doing it for awhile several others to do first. BUT most definitely saving this log just amazing work 

[Blue Ensign]

Thank you, glad you like it. 👍

 

B.E.

[Giulio Junco]

I have been building the model of the HMS Unicorn 1748 frigate for many years. I attempted to reconstruct this model in 1:48 scale. There were no construction plans. There were very few elements for reconstruction. Fredrik Henrik af Chapman apparently took the plans from London and published the silhouette of the hull in his book. I started from there and with the help of the curator of the model collection in London, I redid the construction plans, but with some doubts. I'm well underway with construction. The thing that bothered me for a long time were the rigging systems on the bitts. (I also have sails) I found many ideas in your creation and I thank you for this. I have lots of questions to ask, but it would take a lot to write, so I'll do it little by little as needed, if you'll let me. The only question I ask now is: where did you find the little men you put on the ship. Congratulations for your ingenious and skillful work.

[Blue Ensign]

Thank you Giulio, apart from the Capt. included on the Quarterdeck of the finished model, the others were  assembled from various bits of body parts from various sources, completed with  modelling clay. The Capt. is a Mantua white metal figure.

Some of the figures are too rough to include on a finished model but they serve  as scale markers.

 

B.E.

[Blue Ensign]

Anchor cable Rigging – Pegasus

 

I have been contacted a couple of times recently about the rigging of the anchor cables along the deck of Pegasus.

It seems I missed the inclusion of this element when I reconstituted my Pegasus log after the great crash.

So, for the benefit of any who may be interested this is a summary of my approach.

 

Anchor Cable.

The given size is 13" circ which scales to 1.64mm dia. I have gone for a slightly larger dia.  preferring the look of Moropes 1.75mm stuff.

1983

As a nod to authenticity this is left hand cable laid rope, as it should be.

 

I considered how to pass entry down the Main Hatch;

Was the grating removed during the cable stowage process, or were there cut outs in the hatch grating to take the cables?

Something I missed from the early stages of construction tffm shows the Main hatch grating in three sections, so the forward one could be removed to allow passage of the hawser.

2010

The grating was modified to reflect this.

2091

One of the drawbacks of using non-natural Morope is the springiness of the line, which is a big disadvantage when it comes to things like anchor cables where an appearance of weightiness is desirable.

To counter this I immersed the line in diluted pva, followed by stretching to take the spring out of the cable before fitting.

2019

In reality the cables would be stored in the hold but of course there is no hatch on the lower deck. When I fit the cables they will be weighted and coiled neatly out of sight on the Lower deck.

If you are considering adding the anchor cables to the model, beyond simply stuffing the rope ends into the hawse holes, early consideration should be given to the Main hatch gratings.

 

Stoppers

While the Riding Bitts took the majority of the stresses on the cable of a ship at anchor, additional security was provided by use of stoppers attached to ring bolts in the deck and seized to the cable inboard of the Bitts.

 

According to Steel these are the proportions of the stoppers.

Cabled 7" ( 0.88mm ø ) Finished length of short stopper before fitting 8' 3" (39mm at scale);seizing with 1" (0.1mm ø) line. attached to cable with a 2" (0.25mm ø)lanyard

 

There are six stopper ringbolts each side of the deck.

These were made from brass rings and eye bolts clenched together and blackened. These ringbolts also doubled up for the relieving tackles of the Upper deck guns.

 

This is what Steel has to say about stoppers.+

STOPPERS. Short ropes, used to check the cable, suspend weighty bodies, and retain the shrouds, &c. in a fixed position, after being damaged, or otherwise. ANCHOR-STOPPERS are used to suspend the anchor, when catted: BITT-STOPPERS are those stoppers used to check the cable: DECK-STOPPERS are used to retain the cable when the ship is riding at anchor: DOG-STOPPERS are used as additional securities when the ship is riding in heavy gales, or bringing up a ship with much sternway, to prevent the cable from snapping at the bitts, and to ease the deck-stoppers: WING-STOPPERS are used for the same purposes as dog-stoppers: SHROUD-STOPPERS are used to confine a shroud together, when damaged, or shot. FORE-TACK, and SHEET, STOPPERS, are for securing the tacks and sheets, till belayed.

STOPPERS, DECK and BITT, are divided into ten short and two long stoppers. The two long stoppers, from a first rate ship to a sloop, are cut sixteen feet; and, when knotted, to be twelve feet six inches. The short stoppers are each cut twelve feet six inches; to be, when knotted, eight feet three inches long. One end of each stopper has a double wall-knot, and the ends led up through the middle, and whipt with spunyarn: the other end is only whipt with spunyarn.

PREPARATIONS NECESSARY TO BE MADE FOR ANCHORING.

On approaching an anchorage, the anchor and buoy are got clear, and a range of cable stretched along the deck suitable to the depth of water. Care should be taken, that nothing is in the way to check the cable, or stop its running out: then, at a proper distance, a turn is taken round the bits with the cable, thus: First pass the cable from the anchor underneath the cross-piece, then take up a bight of the cable abaft the bits, and throw it over the bit-head. The end of the cable is clinched round the orlop beams in the royal navy, and round the main-mast in the merchant service.

It is necessary to have water near the bits to prevent its firing by the friction. Stoppers and ring ropes of all kinds should be ready for use. The stock lashing being cast off, and nothing but the anchor stopper and shank painter retaining the anchor, men are stationed to stand by them, and let go at the moment ordered.

To secure the cable when out, DECK STOPPERS are thus previously prepared: they are turned into the ring bolts on the deck, round a large iron thimble, and fastened with a throat and end seizing. Each stopper has a laniard spliced round the head, under the knot, by which several turns are taken round the cable, and the end stopt.

BESIDES the deck stoppers, others are used as an additional security to the cable; such are the BIT STOPPERS, &c.

BIT STOPPERS. Each stopper is reeved through a hole in the standard knee, against the fore part of the riding-bits, and is turned in or spliced. It has a laniard spliced round the head, under the knot. When used, several turns are taken with the laniard round the cable, and the end stopt. It is to check the cable in bringing up the ship. Another bit stopper much approved of, is about four fathoms long, and tailed out like a nipper at one end, and knotted at the other. Let this stopper be rove through the hole in the standard knee. To pass it, let it be held aft, inside, over the cable, and under the bits, outside the cable; then worm it round the cable before the bits. Then, as the cable runs out and it is required to check the ship, haul tight the worming; and, by the cables drawing forward, it will tighten the stopper, and bend the cable so close to the bits as effectually to bring the ship up. This stopper is not likely to jamb, Therefore is extremely well calculated for bringing a ship up with ease; as, by slacking, and hauling tight the worming, the cable may be suffered to run out, or be checked at pleasure.

In heaving up in a heavy sea, when, by a sudden pitch of the ship, the messenger or nippers give way, this kind of stopper will be found extremely serviceable; for, upon these occasions, this stopper may be always passed ready, and the bight triced up abaft the bits, with a rope-yarn clear of the cable.

 

Another bit stopper, made with a large eye, that it may be thrown over the bit head, and shifted over from side to side, is also much approved of.

 

DOG STOPPERS. One end is clenched round the main-mast, and the other end wormed in the cuntlines of the cable, and stopt in several places; then brought back with several turns over its own part, and the end stopt. It is of little service, unless it be long enough to clap on above the coamings.

WING STOPPERS. One end is clenched round the orlop beams in the wings, and the other end is clapt on as the dog stopper.

RING ROPES are occasionally made fast to the ring bolts in the deck and to the cable, by passing the ends through the ring of the bolt, and through the bight, then clapt on the cable with cross turns, and the ends stopt. Ring ropes may be better single than double; they are passed with less confusion of turns. To pass a single ring rope, and have it in readiness to check upon veering away the cable, take also three slack turns through the ring bolt and round the cable, one before the other, and hold up the parts fair; then take as many slack turns of worming round the cable, before the ring, and they held up fair, leaving sufficient room for the cable to pass through. When the cable is to be checked, haul tight the worming; and by the cables running out, it will readily draw the turns tight through the ring, and bind the cable so close to the ring, as to prove an excellent stopper. Ring ropes are similar to the laniards of stoppers, to check the cable when freshening the hawse, or to add security to the stoppers in a heavy sea.

 

For the stoppers I am using Chuck's tan rigging line .035" which conveniently scales to 0.88mm ø spot on for 7" circ. cable.

2131

The first job is to attach the stopper to the deck bolt. It should be turned into the ring of the bolt using an iron thimble and finished with a throat and an end seizing.

I use a needle to work the seizings of 0.1mm line.

Good job I hadn't glued the ring bolts in place.

 

At the scale involved for me at least, I don't think it viable to represent the thimble  as it would be very small and thin inside the bight of the stopper line, the throat and end seizings present no difficulties.

 

I  decided to fit three stoppers each side, partly to demonstrate the purpose but mainly to secure the anchor cable and keep it taut from the Bitts to the hatch.

To determine the length of the stopper I did a temporary fit against the anchor cable and marked off the length.

The next real tricky problem is how to represent a Matthew Walker knot at the end of the stopper.

 

Having looked at how you form one of these, I dismissed trying it in a nano second, there are far simpler ways of driving yourself mad.

So, this is my approach:

Take some of the stopper cable and soak it in diluted pva. Form a very tight ring and slice it where the two ends cross. Immediately seal the cut ends with ca.

Using ca apply the ring to the stopper and use more ca to glue the two end of the knot together.

This is the result.

2141

At scale I think the knot looks ok, the overall length of the stopper is only 15mm.

2140

The anchor cable is secured along the deck for fitting of the bitts.

8989

09000

Constant minor adjustment to the cable and the stopper is required as it is seized to the cable, to keep things looking reasonably taut.

8990

8992

8993

The anchor cables are coiled and secured between the frames below decks. Note they are crossed as they enter the hatch, this was an accepted practice to make handling easier, and in  modelling terms it also allows a better lay of the cable.

 

So, if you're thinking of attaching the cables to the anchor this job needs to be done at a no later stage than this to avoid access problems on the model.

Note:

This arrangement is stylised in the sense that the anchors are at the cathead but I'm showing the cables around the riding bitts and secured along the deck with stoppers. Securing the anchors like this would normally be when the ship is at anchor, and the stoppers are to relieve the strain on the bitts.

 

My intention was simply to add interest to the deck details whilst showing how anchor cables were secured.

 

B.E.

 

08/07/2024