Skipjack by Shore thing - FINISHED - Wye River Models - Scale 1/2" - First wooden ship build

[Shore thing]

And the fun continued.

 

On one cold and rainy day, I didn't feel like working on the model. Instead I decided to sit on the sofa and watch mindless TV. It wasn't long before the boredom of that got the best of me. I grabbed a small piece of scrap wood and an Exacto knife. A few hours later, some paint and one small cut on my finger I had this. The figurehead for my Skipjack.

 

I used a small drill bit (twisted by hand) to bore out the eye sockets and then inserted some small balls of baked Sculpey clay to make the eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love it. Despite the cost to my finger.

 

 

[thibaultron]

Nice figurehead!

[Shore thing]

36 minutes ago, thibaultron said:

Nice figurehead!

Thanks Ron.

[hof00]

Ditto the Figurehead, Nice!!

[Shore thing]

Another thing the kit didn't supply me with was an anchor. I am very fond of anchors and have a small collection of them on my porch.

 

 

After all the work I've done to add details to the model, there's no way it won't have an anchor. I decided to attempt making one. I chose to replicate the large anchor on the right.

 

I took some 1/16" brass rod and bent two pieces to make the shank and arms.

 

 

They were then soldered together.

 

 

 

Flukes were added to the arms, the excess solder on the shank was filed smooth and a hole was drilled for the stock.

 

 

The stock was bent and dry fit.

 

 

Once again balls were made with Sculpey clay.

 

 

They were added to the stock along with a stop ring and the anchor was painted.

 

 

The completed anchor.

 

 

 

 

Since I don't have a mini drill press, I decided not to try and drill a hole in the stock for the pin because it hangs on the side of the boat in it's folded position.

 

 

 

[SardonicMeow]

Here's a picture I took of the figurehead on the E. C. Collier.  I love how yours captures the same feel and style of this and other skipjack figureheads I've seen.

[Shore thing]

16 hours ago, SardonicMeow said:

Here's a picture I took of the figurehead on the E. C. Collier.  I love how yours captures the same feel and style of this and other skipjack figureheads I've seen.

Thanks for the kind words. I see that we are almost neighbors. The wife and I are originally from Montgomery Co. Md. but now reside in Cambridge.

Obviously, you have been to the Maritime Museum in St' Michaels. It's a fantastic museum to say the least. We make several trips a year to it. It's a great place to take out of town guests or to just spend a day. The E. C. Collier exhibit is a fantastic venue. I especial like that it is a very "hands on" exhibit and that we are able to board the boat to get a first hand experience of what it may have been like to work on a Skipjack. We are hoping that we will be able to take a ride on the Rosie Parks this summer if Covid allows us.

[bobandlucy]

Very nice, both the figurehead and the anchor!

[Shore thing]

My next task was to try and remake the "A" frame for the dredge winch. My first attempt was a total failure. The second attempt was more successful but the scale was off and it looked to "crisp and clean" in comparison to actual frames. I greatly appreciate the help that thibaultron gave me in regards to the height of the frame. With accurate dimensions now at my disposal, I tackled the frame once again. The first chore was to cut 1/8" brass square stock into 1/8" angle. For some reason, my local hobby store didn't carry any and I couldn't find any on line. But, my search skills are....not so good.

 

 

Small feet were cut, drilled and attached to a jig. Legs were bent and a cross bar was also cut and drilled for the blocks that would eventually hang from it.

 

 

Everything was then clamped to the jig and soldered. It was very difficult to get all those pieces held together but I managed. The good news is, I only soldered one clamp to the frame. Luckily it was barely held on and popped off without breaking anything.

 

 

Some cross bracing was added. It was then trimmed, filed and sanded before getting a lacquer thinner bath to remove any flux residue.

 

 

Ultimately, I decided to paint it black. My thought was that it would blend better with the winder. I think it does. I gotta tell ya, it's amazing how many sins a little black paint can hide. I also decided to use the last two Syren blocks I had on the frame instead of making blocks out of metal as they would have been. The reason for that decision was......I didn't want to make them. I think the wood blocks give a nice contrast to all the black gear. The winder, frame and engine box are now permanently mounted to the deck. I'll show you that when I post the pictures of the completed model.

 

 

As is said, "The third times a charm" or something like that. I'm very happy with this frame. It looks much more realistic than the ones I built before.

Edited March 18, 2021 by Shore thing

[Shore thing]

On 3/17/2021 at 2:55 AM, hof00 said:

Ditto the Figurehead, Nice!!

Not sure how I neglected to thank you personally.

 

Thank you.

 

We are just two days away from the start of spring. That means that fall is almost upon you. Enjoy the cooler weather.

[Shore thing]

4 hours ago, bobandlucy said:

Very nice, both the figurehead and the anchor!

 

Thank you.

[hof00]

Hi Chap,

Yup, Autumn, (Fall), is almost here. I am happy about that, it'll save me watering the new grass seed, I'll get a break from the garden and get some time in the "Ship Room!!" (Hopefully.... 🙂)

 

Cheers....HOF.

[Shore thing]

With only four more posts to go before the completed project photos, I am getting very close to the end of this journey. The next step was another one of those tedious challenges that I'm not very good at, the trail boards.

 

Although once again being offered help from Ron, I decided to attempt to make them on my own. Thanks Ron.

 

I started with the template that was included with the kit and drew out the name complete with potential embellishments. Then I cut a piece of wood in that shape.

 

 

 

It didn't fit very well. It could be because of changes I made to the shape of the cutwater but regardless, it wasn't a good fit. 

 

 

Adjustments were made and the fit checked until I was satisfied. Then they were painted a deep blue and I hand lettered the name with gel pen.

 

As I discussed earlier, I was indecisive as to what the name should be. I wanted to name her after my wife Jan. She suggested naming her after my daughter Alexandra Marie. Clearly, one would have been MUCH easier but I ended up going with my wife's suggestion. That is why the number 94 is stenciled on the dredging license. There was no room left for the embellishments.

 

 

Unfortunately, even after a week, the gel pen was not completely dry and I smudged it with my thumb while gluing it to the hull. #$&%#$#@

I'll fix it someday when I have nothing better to do. Right now the frustration hasn't worn off and I'm not over that "OH NO" moment.

 

 

Edited March 20, 2021 by Shore thing

[Shore thing]

Hanging the Yall was still on the list. I thought it would be best to wait until the model was close to completion before it was installed. As I worked through the process in my mind, I realized that there was nothing to tie off the lifting/lowering lines to. Some brass wire was twisted around the framework of the davits and soldered in order to create cleats.

 

 

They don't look that great but I was hoping that once covered with line and embellishments they would look better.

 

 

I may make a larger coil of line and try to get it to look more like it's hanging rather than a stiff coil.

 

 

I rigged the Yall. In reality, it would be hanging from triple blocks but I don't have any. Doubles will have to do.

 

 

Balls were added to the ends of the support davits and then painted with the gold paint that matches so well. The pot metal propeller was also given a coat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 22, 2021 by Shore thing

[thibaultron]

Coming along nicely!

[Shore thing]

Rigging.

 

I am sure that many of you will find my next comment funny, especially those who have rigged much more complex ships. So do I.

 

Even though there is only a small amount of rigging on this ship, at the beginning of the build, I was intimidated by the thought of having to do it. As usual the key was to spend time doing research and visiting some of the Skipjacks in the area to see first hand how they were rigged. It became apparent that the rigging would have to be done in stages along the way. For instance, the sails would have to be produced and attachment points such as the mast hoops added before any rigging could be strung. The mast hoops would need to be slid over and down the mast before any lifting blocks, hounds or the shrouds could be installed. The boom lift, main sheet traveler and the blocks for the main sheet halyard were then added. Slight adjustments were made between the three after the sail was lashed to the boom and raised to it's final position. A similar process was applied to the jib as well. 

 

As stated in an earlier post, a good bit of this work was stripped away and redone in order to replace some of the materials I used with one's that looked more realistic.

 

By now, the majority of the rigging was complete. There was only two things left to rig. They were the boom hoist and lazy jack. I had decided to do them last and at the end of the build because of the delicate nature of them once installed. I rigged the boom hoist will very little trouble. The only issue I encountered was that the directions had me mount the boom hoist lifting block at the top of the mast. In reality, it goes at the point where the hounds and shrouds attach to the mast. So I relocated it and then proceeded to the lazy jack. That's when the REAL problem arose. I didn't have enough of the tan rigging rope I had bought from Syren to complete the jack. Simple enough to remedy was my though. I'll just buy some more. Well, that was not to be. Much to my surprise and disappointment, due to COVID, Syren was out of stock. To make it worse, they are not sure if they will continue to offer the rope in the future. Although disappointing, it's perfectly understandable. With all the millions of people out of work or forced to stay at home because of this world wide pandemic, hobbies, arts and crafts have boomed in popularity. After all, we all need something with our new found spare time. My wife has also found that finding supplies for her hobby is much more difficult these days. We will endure!!!

 

 With only two of the five jacks strung I pondered my options. Buy matching rope from another company?....couldn't find it. Buy a different kind and re- rig the hoist and jack? Don't really want to do that unless there is no other option. I tried to stain some white rigging rope I had but that didn't work to my satisfaction. Perhaps I'll be able to find some heavy thread that matches the color at a fabric store, we'll see. With only one more step to go, I'm going to declare this build finished when that's completed regardless of the jacks. I'm sure that someday in the near future a solution will be found. I'll add the remaining jacks then.

 

Here's a few pictures of some of the rigging and associated components'.

 

I added the gold ball at the top of the mast. It's supposed to signify that the boat is paid for. They are generally white but I like the gold.

 

 

 

The lazy jack with only two lifting lines.☹️

 

 

The boom hoists.

 

 

The final step is to mount the model on it's base. I'm working on that challenge now and will post the results soon.

 

 

 

 

[Shore thing]

An update to my lack of rope issue. I went to a fabric store and was able to find a heavy, twisted thread that was very close to the color of the rope I have been using. As of now, I haven't rigged the last few lifting lines on the lazy jack but will soon. Worst case is that I will need to replace the two that are already rigged. 

 

The base.

 

The kit supplied me with a basic wood base that held the boat in cradles. In the instruction booklet the boat was shown on a driftwood base. I really liked that look and decided to use it. The wife and I took a drive to a few of the nearby areas that we know driftwood washes ashore. A piece was found that would do the job. Naturally, it was wet and heavy. It was put in the oven on the lowest setting and left to bake for several hours. It took three times to get the wood to the point where it was dry enough. Then the wood was treated with wood hardener in order to firm up some of the soft areas and preserve it in general.

 

 

I particularly liked this piece because the grain seemed to flow through the wood like waves, I decided to use that to my advantage and painted some white on it to simulate white cap waves.

 

 

The next step was to chisel out a spot where a block could be mounted in order to give me a place to attach the brass plate I had ordered. The block was stained so it wouldn't stand out.

 

 

 

The reason for the plate and the words on it stems back to the beginning of the build. The builder of the model in the instruction book had painted his boat to look like a well worked ship. It was complete with mud and rust stained decks as well as piles of oysters laying about. At that time the intimidation factor of just being able to build the boat from a jumble of sticks was all I could endure. That's when I decided to "bling" the boat up by using bright brass fittings and having it look clean and new. After all, they were all that way at the beginning of their service. Hence the words "Maiden Voyage".

 

Since I wanted the boat to be closer to the base, I didn't install the center board. The model was attached to the base by means of a dowel that was inserted through a hole in the bottom of the boat and a corresponding hole in the driftwood. I also mounted it so that it was heeling to port. As we all know, sailboats heel to one side or the other while under sail, unless there's no wind. And then you're just, adrift. Mounting it this way helps the deck to be more visible as the mantel it sits on is rather high.

 

 

 

And now it's finished. 

 

 

 

[Ryland Craze]

Congratulations!.  Beautiful model and the driftwood base really adds to the model.  You did a great job on building this model and it definitely looks at home on your mantle.

[thibaultron]

I love the base! Great display!

[Shore thing]

In closing.

 

I never imagined that this journey would take almost four years to come to fruition. Granted, the model spent a good bit of that time not under construction and just sitting on a shelf collecting dust. Regardless of that, there were many, many hundreds of hours invested into the building of the model and all the research that was necessary to build it to the best of my abilities. It got to a point where the research was as fun and interesting as actually building the model. I read a small library’s worth of books and traveled to a good many locations in order to see some of the few remaining boats in person. Fortunately, there are a  number of opportunities on the eastern shore where they can be seen. Several of them are here in Cambridge. We are lucky enough to have not only the “Lady Katie” and the “Nathan” still afloat, but the town has a shipyard that was until recently storing two others that need to be restored. It now has one of “Lady Katies” sister ships, the “Martha Lewis” in its yard undergoing an extensive renovation. The Town also hosts the annual Skipjack race. Add to that, there’s the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St’ Michaels. They have the third sister ship to the “Martha Lewis” and the “Lady Katie, the “Rosie Parks” as well as the “H. M. Krentz” and the “E. C. Collier”. Taking trips to these locations and events has given my wife and I many hours of enjoyment. It has also helped me learn more about Skipjacks than I ever though I would.

 

The building of this model presented me with too many challenges to mention. Starting with the overwhelming sense of intimidation I felt upon opening the box and staring at a jumble of sticks, to learning to sew, do metal work and tie knots in thread for rigging. With the help of this site, I was able to hone my skills and gain the confidence needed to make the many improvements that brought the model up to a more accurate example of a Skipjack. This site also gave me an even greater appreciation for those of you who build models such as frigates, cutters, schooners or anything else that has more than a few feet of rigging. The amount of effort and skills that have been demonstrated by so many of the members is amazing. Beautiful work people.

 

Thanks to everyone who followed my build, made suggestions, gave positive comments and for all the “likes”.

 

I will post an album sometime in the near future. In the mean time I have already purchased and started building another model. Stay tuned.

 

Reed

 

 

 

 

 

[Shore thing]

4 minutes ago, Ryland Craze said:

Congratulations!.  Beautiful model and the driftwood base really adds to the model.  You did a great job on building this model and it definitely looks at home on your mantle.

 

1 minute ago, thibaultron said:

I love the base! Great display!

Thank you very much.

 

Reed

[ccoyle]

Great work, and I really like the display. Always a treat to see a finished model from one of the lesser-known manufacturers as well.

 

Cheers!

[Shore thing]

Thanks Chris.