Bluenose I by Ed Ku20 - FINISHED - Model Shipways - 1:64

Ed Ku20 · May 16, 2022

Time to Start Making Sails

So, it’s time to start sewing sails! The last time I sewed anything was to put a button on a shirt and that was a long time ago! I didn’t think that experience would be much help toward this endeavor. My wife got a sewing machine as a wedding gift. In the past 40+ years, I know she’s made a few things, but it’s not something she would say she has any expertise in. When I told her I needed to sew sails for this model I’ve been building, she pointed toward the corner of the basement and ‘said there’s the machine…good luck!’ She did show me how to perform some basic functions. Being an analytical type of guy, I found a PDF of the original manual for our sewing machine model. Between my one lesson with my wife, studying the manual and practicing on some scrap material, I gained enough confidence to try making my first sail.

I’ve mentioned numerous times that I’ve relied quite heavily on the website of Suburban Ship Modeler’s Bluenose build. I have to give his website a ton of credit for helping me through this first ship build. He described the exact same experience I had when it came time to sew sails. He mentioned two things that made a lot of sense to me. First, he purchased some extra sail cloth material from Model Shipways! Sounds like a great idea…check, did that! Second, he said he started on the Jumbo Jib Sail because it is small compared to the main sail or fore sail and if you messed up, you could start over without wasting a lot of material. It took me 3 tries to get something that I felt was acceptable.

Between what I learned from SSM and from my own trials & errors, here is the method I ended up using to make my sails. Each sail I made; I got a little bit better. For me, getting the size of the sail just right is the hardest part!

MY PROCEDURE FOR MAKING SAILS

1. Preparing the sail cloth – Wash, dry and iron the sail cloth before starting to work with it. The cloth will shrink quite a bit and you will get rid of a bunch of initial frayed edges.

2. Make a Tracing Paper Template – for each sail I made a paper template to get the size right. There are differences between the plans and the size/shape of my ship. Start out by laying tracing paper over the blueprint plans. I marked each corner and a point in between the long side of the sail. Use a ruler to draw lines between the marks to create the outline. On some sails you have to trace any curved lines.

Below: Making the template on tracing paper from the plans. I started highlighting the outline of the sail on the plans to make it easier to see

3. Make a Paper Template Using Carbon Paper – Next, I use the tracing paper template on top of a piece of copy paper with carbon paper sandwiched in between to make a paper version. Paper clip the 3 layers together. For the larger sails, I had to tape some paper together to make it big enough. I used a ruler & my ball tip stylus to draw lines between the marks to create the outline on the paper. Cut out the paper template. Position the paper in place on the ship for the sail. Adjust the size as necessary to fit the boom, gaff or stay line. The hardest thing is to get the paper sail properly in position.

Below: Looking left to right; Completed paper template, Carbon paper, Tracing paper template taken from plans

4. Mark the Sail Cloth – transfer the paper template marks to the sail cloth using a fabric marker. Use corner point and mid-point dots to provide positioning of straight lines with a ruler. Use the fabric marker to complete the outline from the paper template. Next, I make a second line approximately 5/32” outside of the main outline. This is for folding and sewing the hem. Make a 3rd outer line for cutting out the sail cloth about 3/4“ from the 1^st line.

Below: Sail cloth outlined with the fabric marker and cut out around the third outline

5. IMPORTANT: be sure to place the marker lines on the “display side”. The excess cloth for the hem should fold over to the “non-display side”. My display side is the Port Side, so the hem needed to be on the starboard side.

6. Cut out the Sail – I use a rotary cutting tool to cut around the 3^rd outline edge. This cut doesn’t have to be perfect. Cut a notch in each corner for folding the hem.

7. Sewing – Fold over the hem line toward the starboard side. Pin the cloth between the 5/32” line and the outside edge. Make sure there is enough clearance for the sewing machine “foot”. I used a “natural” color thread because I didn’t want my stitches to stand out too much. I thought darker thread would show mistakes too easily. Start stitching on the sewing machine. Run forward then reverse to secure each end. Use a short stitch length to maintain the proper scale on the ship. After one side is stitched, cut off the extra cloth real close to the hem stitch with sharp scissors. Move on to the next side and repeat for each edge.

Below: Hem on the edge of the sail after cutting off the excess cloth from near the hem

8. Sewing Strip Lines – Sails on ships do not come in 1 huge piece of cloth. Strips of cloth are stitched together. The plans show the pattern for these stitches on each sail. Use the same stitch type to put in the strip lines across each sail. I drew in the strip lines with the fabric marker following the pattern in the plans. I started just inside the hem. I made the strip lines about 3/8” apart.

Below: Sewing the strip lines along the fabric marker lines

9. Reef Bands – The main & fore sail also have 2 reef bands each. I read that these are used to shorten the sail in rough weather. I ran this right over the strip lines. I used a zig-zag type stitch to make the wider looking railroad track pattern. A 1-inch-long rope is inserted through the sail along the reef band. These are inserted where the strip line crosses the reef band. I use a darker “Driftwood” thread for these to get a little more contrast. I used some fabric glue to hold the ends flat against the sail. I also used fabric glue around the hem line & corners to secure the stich ends. This also helps prevent fraying at the ends of the cloth, which seemed to happen quite easily.

Below: Completed reef bands stitched over the strip lines

10. Corner Brass Rings – Hand sew a small brass ring in almost every corner of the sail for attaching the halliards and sheets. Check the plans to see where they are required. There are a few corners that are not attached this way.

Below: Hand sewing in the brass corner rings. Note the ropes inserted into the reef band

11. Hanks – hanks hold the jib sails to the stay rigging lines. I used small rings made from the Artistic Wire. See the separate section below for the procedure I use to make them. Attach them to the long side of the sail by making a hole along the edge with a needle and slipping the hank into the hole.

Below: Hanks attached to the Jib Sail

12. Finishing touches – Trim any loose threads. I iron the sail again to get it flat and smooth. Use a wet cloth or sponge to remove any leftover fabric marker. Your sail is now ready to rig to the ship!

Below: The completed Fore Sail, including reef bands and corner rings

PROCEDURE FOR MAKING SPLIT RINGS USED FOR HANKS & CORNER RINGS

1. Start with a length of 3/32” brass tube, a length of .025” brass wire and some pliers

2. Wrap the wire around the 3/32” brass tube real tight

3. Slip the coil of wire off the tube and cut it up one side with flush cut wire cutters

4. You will end up with a bunch of split rings. I then file the ends smooth and bend them into a neat ring shape

My next post will be specifically about making and installing the Jumbo Jib Sail.

Ed Ku20 · May 19, 2022

Make & Install the Jumbo Jib Sail

As explained in my previous post, I started with the jumbo jib sail because it is small. So, I was able to practice my new found sewing skills without wasting a lot of sail cloth material! Please refer to this previous post #61 for the full procedure I use to make all the sails.

1. Sewing the Sail – I used some cloth remnants my wife had laying around to practice on before trying to sew on the actual sail material. This sail is fairly simple compared to some of the others. The strip lines run parallel to the long edge on the aft of the sail. Unfortunately, I was so focused on making the sail I didn’t get any pictures of what I did on this one! [Refer to post #61 for the full details & pictures on sail making]

2. Attach the Hanks – the “hanks” hold the sail to the jumbo jib stay. I use split rings made out of the Artistic Wire to simulate the hanks. I made a hole with a needle in the sail at every point where the strip line came to the top of the sail. I opened the split ring slightly and pushed an end into the hole. Below is a picture of the jumbo jib sail and boom at the start of the rigging process. Three lines were “pre-rigged” earlier: the inhaul tackle (already attached to the boom), jumbo jib boom sheet (shackled to its horse and left lying on the deck) and the topping lift (set aside with the rest of the pre-rigged lines).

3. Lacing the Sail to the Boom – first the aft end of the sail is connected to the band on the boom by the split ring I sewed into the corner. Then, the Bluenose plans show two ways to lace the sail to the boom. I chose the continuous line method. It is simpler and allows you to tighten/loosen the tension on the sail. I used the thread I purchased to substitute for the 0.008” tan rigging line for the lace. I threaded a needle and inserted a lace through the sail at every point where the strip line came to the bottom of the sail.

Below: A pretty good picture showing the jumbo jib laced to its boom. One of the "hanks" is showing too

Below: In case someone is interested, this is the thread I used to replace the Model Shipways 0.008". The "Buff" was used for the lacing above. I used a lighter weight "All Purpose" thread to stitch the sails on the sewing machine - color is called "Natural" which is very close to the sail color.

4. Jumbo Jib Halliard – this piece of rigging holds the sail up by the top corner. Before we attach the sail to the jumbo jib stay, the halliard needs to be ready to connect to the sail. During pre-rigging I attached a pair of 3/16” single blocks to the eyebolts under the iron gate on the fore mast. An S-hook was stropped to the blocks. We also need to strop another 3/16” single block to the split ring stitched to the top sail corner. This is easier to do while the sail is off the ship. Once the above steps were completed, I attached the sail to the JJ Stay.

a. Attach Jumbo Jib Sail to the Jumbo Jib Stay

i. Disconnect the jumbo jib stay from the jumbo jib stay bail and thread it through the hanks on the sail. Use plastic clips to hold the sail up off the deck while I seize the stay to the JJ Bail.

ii. The stay is double seized to the jumbo jib stay bail that was installed back in post #56. I got the stay as tight as possible without bending the mast.

Below: Jumbo jib stay double seized to the brass JJ stay bail

b. Set up the rigging for the JJ Halliard

i. Tan 0.021 rope runs between the upper 3 halliard blocks. I estimated the amount of rope required then cut & strung it thru the blocks. All the rigging lines were left somewhat loose until all the rigging for a sail under construction was finished. Only then did I tighten/secure each line.

Below: the 3 blocks at the top of the jumbo jib sail halliard

ii. The rope on the port side runs straight down to the main rail where it is belayed to pin #13

iii. The rope that runs down the starboard side ends with a pendant about half way down. A 1/8" Sgl Blk is seized at the end of it. The lower tackle rope starts at an eyebolt just forward of the last deadeye. An S-hook is seized to the end of the tackle rope and goes up to the pendant block, then back down toward the deck where it is tied off to itself with a clove hitch.

iv. This was my first clove hitch. I found an awesome website that shows you how to tie every conceivable hitch knot: https://www.animatedknots.com/hitch-knots

Below: JJ Halliard, Starboard side, Lower tackle. And next pic is a close-up of the hitch knot!

5. In-Haul Tackle – Now that the jumbo jib sail can be held up by the hanks & halliard, it’s time to attach the boom. I put together all the rigging for the in-haul tackle during pre-rigging. This is a complex piece of rigging that holds the forward end of the JJ Boom to the wood block on top of the bowsprit. Here are my steps for completing the rigging.

a. Way back when we made the bowsprit a horse was bent into shape out of brass wire and inserted into a pair of holes on top of the bowsprit just forward of the Samson Post assembly. At the time this horse was not supposed to be glued down until now! The first step is to remove the horse and insert it thru the pair of U-shaped staples under the end of the boom. The chain on the in-haul is already pre-rigged so, the first link is in the aft staple on the end of the boom.

b. The chain is attached to a shackle and then a pair of blocks are laced together with 0.021” tan rope. One of those blocks is attached to an eyebolt that was inserted during pre-rigging into the top of the bowsprit, part way under the bitts of the Samson Post. The rope is tied off to one of these bitts. I also tied off the end of the sail lacing to the horse. I could not figure out how to keep the sail from sliding up the boom. There is no band for attaching a split ring. I never found any information about how to do this, so I just improvised!

Below: Close-up of the In-Haul Tackle and fore end of the JJ Boom

6. Jumbo Jib Boom Sheet – I decided to do the sheet next because I knew the access would be tight for connecting this rigging. This is a great example of the advantage to pre-rigging what you can before the rest of the rigging and sails are in the way. I had left the horse in front of the fore mast loose. So, during pre-rigging I was able to get the shackle and bolt inserted before securing it to the deck. Right now, I just had to finagle the shackle on the upper block into the sheet band bail under the end of the boom. Then it’s just a matter of tightening up the lines. I waited until all the JJ Sail rigging was completed before making the final tie-off on belaying pin #6.

Below: Close-up of the Jumbo Jib Boom Sheet rigging

7. Jumbo Jib Boom Topping Lift – The topping lift holds up the aft end of the boom. This was pre-rigged.

a. The rigging starts with a brass wire hook that attaches to the brass link/plate that was inserted into the mast under the iron gate and spreader. The hook is eye spliced to a black 0.021” rope. The rope stops about half way down forming a pendant with a 1/8” double block at the end of it.

Below: Topping Lift uses a brass wire hook that is attached to the link on the mast to hold the black pendant

Below: The upper pendant ends with a double block that begins the lower tackle

b. A tackle made from tan 0.021” rope runs between the upper 1/8" Double Blk and another 1/8" Single Blk at the lower end on top of the JJ boom. The Single Blk is attached with a long brass hook to an eyebolt on the end band of the boom. The tackle run starts with a seized loop on top of the lower Blk, then up thru the Dbl Blk, down thru the Sgl Blk, back through the Dbl Blk.

c. The fall from the upper block is belayed at pin #5

Below: Topping lift is connected to the boom end cap with a long hook. The fall can be seen belayed to pin #5 at the base of the fore mast below. Also notice the split ring sewed into the sail is bolted to the band on the boom.

8. Jumbo Jib Sail Downhaul – the Downhaul is used to pull the sail down to the deck when required. This is made from some thin 0.008” tan thread.

a. The downhaul begins with a seized loop attached to the same split ring at the top corner of the sail where the halliard is connected. I just seized this in place on the ship. The line hangs loosely & runs down to a block near the forward end of the boom

b. A 3/32" Sgl Blk near the boom is seized to a 1" long black rope that's seized to the jumbo jib stay bail. The loose end of downhaul runs through this block and is tied off on the Samson bitt. The post used for the in-haul and for the downhaul is determined by the side the sail is set.

Below: The 1” long rope with the block that is sticking up is for the Downhaul line. (Please refer back to the first picture of the JJ Stay seizing above, to see how the downhaul is tied off to the starboard bitt)

Below: Finished Jumbo Jib Sail on boom (taken later after the Jib Sail was installed in front of it)

Ed Ku20 · May 24, 2022

Make & Install the Fore Sail & Make New Bilge Pumps!

Before I started working on the Fore Sail, I decided that I had to do something about my Bilge Pumps! I used the Britannia metal ones from the kit. They were very misshapen and looked bad!

Below: The original Bilge Pumps

I tried to find something that was ready-made to purchase, but I couldn’t find the right scale or anything that resembled the ones on the blueprint plans. So, I decided to try my hand at some minor kit bashing and make my own. I was inspired by what CPDDET (Dave) did with the metal pumps he bashed on his lathe. Very impressive work! But I don’t have a tool like that (yet!). Therefore, I decided I needed to do something with wood. I started with a 3/16” diameter dowel and drilled out the center with a 3/32” bitt. I cut off two ½” lengths for the pipe. Then I took a scrap piece of thicker sheet wood that had the right height and used the jeweler’s saw to rough cut the shape. Drilled a hole in the center. I did a bunch of hand sanding to get it somewhat to the shape in the plans, although slightly larger. I glued the dowel onto a circle of thin birch sheet wood for the base. Finally, I bent some brass strip into a couple of U’s to simulate the brackets for the plunger handles. I painted the whole thing with Testors black enamel paint. A long way from Dave’s work, but I’m much more satisfied with this, compared to what I started with above!

Below: My new “bashed-up” Bilge Pumps!

FORE SAIL

1. Make the Sail – The Fore Sail is quite a bit larger than the jumbo jib. But, the process for making it is the same. The big difference is that the fore sail has two “reef bands”. These required setting up the sewing machine to make a zig-zag stitch to simulate the bands. This took some extra practice runs and adjusting to get the width and thread tension right. After the bands are stitched, some 1” long threads are poked through all along the band at each point where a seam crosses. I glued these down with some fabric glue to keep them flat against the sail.

Below: Paper template for the Fore Sail

Below: Finished Fore Sail with the two reef bands. Also, a close-up of the reef bands & cloth strip lines

2. Lacing the Sail to the Boom & Gaff – first the aft end of the sail is connected to the band on the boom using the split ring that was sewed into the corner. The 0.008” Buff thread is used for the lace. I threaded a needle and inserted a lace through the sail at every point where the strip line came to the bottom of the sail. I attached the top of the sail to the end of the gaff using a few stitches to sew it onto the eyebolt at the bottom of the end cap. Then I laced the top of the sail to the gaff in the same way as the boom.

Below: Fore Sail laced to the Fore Gaff

3. Attach the Fore Boom to Mast – The U-shaped fitting on the end of the boom needs to be connected to the gooseneck shackle at the bottom of the fore mast. It was a bit tricky holding everything steady while I threaded a mini bolt & nut onto the fittings. But, finally success!

Below: Fore Boom attached to Gooseneck fitting. Also note the double set of mast hoops getting tied to the mast

4. Tie Mast Hoops to Sail – First I needed to connect the gaff jaw to the mast using the “Parrel Beads”. I bought a bag of these beads (100 ct) from Modeler’s Central. I held the gaff up temporarily with a plastic clip while tying the hoops.

a) I cut a bunch of 4” long pieces of thread for the mast hoops.

b) I used a large needle to insert the 0.008” Driftwood thread through the forward side of the sail, close to the edge, for tying the mast hoops. I started at the top and allowed ½” between each hoop per the plan.

c) I placed a dot of CA glue on the knot and trimmed the ends off once it was dry

d) The plan says to use double hoops on the bottom two spots, but I only had enough hoops to double the bottom one!

Below: Parrel Beads hold the gaff jaw to the fore mast and mast hoops are all tied in place

5. Fore Throat Halliard – This rigging holds up the fore end of the gaff. There are three parts. There is the primary tackle that hold up the gaff. The port side has a straight fall to the deck. The starboard has a pendant and a tackle.

a) Tackle holding the gaff – during pre-rigging I put together the pair of blocks that attach the gaff to the fore mast crane. I ended up replacing the two “long hooks” with shorter ones, because there was not that much height in between, causing the blocks to almost be touching. I used the 0.028” heavy tan rope for the primary rigging on this tackle for these large blocks.

i) A 9/32” triple block is attached with an S-hook to the link on the Crane on the fore mast. A ¼” double block is laced below it. 2 hooks connect the double block to the 2 eyebolts on top of the gaff jaws

Below: Fore Throat Halliard primary tackle attached to the crane

b) Fall for rope on port side – This side of the .028 rope runs straight down to the deck. What’s different about it is that the line passes through a ¼” single block that is S-hooked to an eyebolt glued to the deck right next to the mast. I pre-rigged this entire assembly earlier. After the block, the line goes to belaying pin #7 at the bottom of the fore mast.

Below: Single ¼” block next to the fore mast (just left of the anchor chain box)

c) Pendant & Tackle on the starboard side – A pendant is seized to the top of a 1/8” double block that begins the lower tackle. At the main rail is another double block that is S-hooked to an eyebolt adjacent to Pin #18. The tackle run begins at the bottom of the upper double block with a 0.021” tan line spliced underneath.

Below: Double 1/8” block at the top of the starboard tackle

Below: Double 1/8” block at the main rail next to belaying pin #18

6. Fore Peak Halliard – This rigging holds up the back end of the fore gaff with a complex array of blocks. Like the Throat halliard, there are three parts. But the Peak halliard is the mirror image of the Throat. I also made up most of the Peak halliard during pre-rigging.

a) Blocks & Tackle on top of the Gaff end – When the fore mast and gaff were made, we set-up 3 brass bands with eyebolts on the mast and 2 on the end of the gaff. During pre-rigging I stropped 5 - ¼” blocks with S-hooks for attaching to these positions. I again used the 0.028” heavy tan rope for the primary rigging on this tackle for these large ¼” blocks. The blocks were simply unhooked from the eyebolts and set aside after pre-rigging.

i) Important Note: The two rope ends that exit the upper and lower blocks on the mast pass through the eyebolt fairleads on the front of the trestle tree spreader. I did not seize the top rope to their lower blocks until NOW so that these lines could be threaded through their respective fairleads.

Below: Peak halliard upper tackle blocks installed

b) Fall for rope on starboard side – The rope end from the upper block on the mast runs straight down to the deck. This mirrors the Throat halliard, except it’s on the opposite side of the mast. The 0.028” rope passes through a ¼” single block that is S-hooked to an eyebolt glued to the deck next to the mast. I made up this block during pre-rigging and left it laying on the deck, hooked to its eyebolt. During installation, I threaded the rope end thru the block and belayed it to pin #8 at the bottom of the fore mast.

Below: Straight run to deck on the starboard side to belaying pin #8

c) Pendant & Tackle on the port side – The rope end from the lower block forms a pendant that is seized to the top of a 1/8” double block that begins the lower tackle. This is the block that cannot be seized until the assembly is installed and this line is threaded thru its fairlead. The lower tackle looks just like the Throat halliard set-up only it’s on the opposite side. At the port side main rail is another double block that is S-hooked to an eyebolt adjacent to Pin #17. The tackle run begins at the bottom of the upper double block with a 0.021” tan line spliced underneath.

Below: Sometimes you have to get creative! Notice the ship is on the floor in the background so I can use my helping hands to rig the upper pendant to the lower tackle for the Peak Halliard

Below: Lower tackle for the Peak Halliard, showing upper & lower double blocks hidden behind the ratlines

Below: Peak Halliard, showing lower double block of the tackle & belaying pin #17 on main rail

7. Fore Boom Sheet – I pre-rigged the fore boom sheet earlier. I did not discuss it in my pre-rigging post, so will provide some details here. There is a lot going on with this sheet in a very small amount of space! Let’s take it in pieces.

a) The upper double block – there are two 3/16” double blocks. The upper one is connected to the bail on the boom sheet band using a brass wire link. The bottom of this block has 0.021” tan rope seized to the strop around the block. The tan rope runs down to the lower block and is then laced through each block twice.

b) The lower double block – the black stropping line on the lower block is formed into a slightly longer than normal loop on the bottom. A “pin” made from a kit eyebolt connects this block to the ring on the boom sheet buffer.

c) Fairlead Shackle & Pin – I made the fairlead from a short slice of 1/16” diameter brass tubing. I tied a length of 0.021” black line around the tubing on one end and around the eyebolt “pin” on the other. Next, I slipped a shackle through the ring on the buffer. While holding the shackle upright with tweezers, I slipped the eyebolt pin through the holes in the shackle with the strop loop sandwiched in between!

d) Tying off the Sheet – the tan rope comes off the upper block, through the fairlead tube and is tied off at belaying pin #21 on the fife rail bar.

e) I recommend that all of this be done in pre-rigging so you have room to get access to the deck! All I had to do to finish the rig, was connect the link to the sheet bail and tighten up the line at the belaying pin.

Below: The completed fore boom sheet. There is another view in the pic covering the Topping Lift just below

8. Fore Boom Topping Lift – The topping lift holds up the aft end of the fore boom.

a) The topping lift starts at the metal link on the front of the main mast just under the trestle tree. An S-hook is eye spliced to a 0.021” black line. The S-hook is connected to the link. At the end of this pendant a 1/8” double block is stropped and seized. The pendant is eye spliced to the block.

Below: Topping Lift black rope is S-hooked to the plate/link on the main mast

b) Another 1/8” single block forms the bottom of the tackle with the double block above. This block is stropped on both ends. The .021” tan rope that makes the tackle is seized to the top of the single block. A long S-hook is stropped to the bottom of this block. The seized tan rope runs up to the double block, back down and up again. The long hook is attached to the eyebolt on the end cap for the fore boom.

Below: Double block at the top of the tackle run is connected to the end of the pendant

Below: Single block S-hooked to the end of the fore boom (note also, another view of the boom sheet is visible)

c) The fall from the upper double block is tied off on the Fife Rail Bar, per the blueprint plans. Wrap it around the starboard corner.

Below: Fall from the upper double block is shown tied off at the fife rail post on the corner

9. Fore Sail Downhaul – The downhaul is used to pull the sail/gaff down when it is not being used. A 0.008” line is seized to the eyebolt at the bottom of the endcap on the gaff. The rope is kept loose. I made a coil of rope at the lower end and tied it around the middle of the fore boom. I used a few touches of CA glue to hold it in position.

Below: View of the Fore Sail Downhaul where it is seized at the gaff and also attached at the boom on the other end

10. Tighten up all the lines and secure them to their belaying pins. I applied some CA glue to the gooseneck shackle and then cut off the excess part on the end of the bolt

Below: The completed fore sail!

Edited May 28, 2022 by Ed Ku20

Ed Ku20 · May 30, 2022

Make & Install the Main Sail

1. Make the Sail – The Main Sail is the largest sail on the ship. After completing the jumbo jib and fore sails, I was ready to make the main sail. I used the same sail making process as with the first two. Like the fore sail, the Main sail has two “reef bands”. I had to tape together 2 sheets of tracing paper to cover the size. I used an large sheet of paper for the paper template.

Below: Paper template for the Main Sail; The tracing paper template can be seen to the left

Below: Finished sewing the Main Sail including the two reef bands

Below: Inserting the split rings on the corners of the Main Sail

2. Lacing the Sail to the Boom & Gaff – first the aft end of the sail is connected to the Clew Band near the end of the boom using the split ring that was sewed into the corner. The 0.008” Buff thread is used for the lace. I threaded a needle and inserted a lace through the sail at every point where the strip line came to the bottom of the sail. I attached the top of the sail to the end of the gaff using a few stitches to sew it onto the eyebolt at the bottom of the end cap. Then I laced the top of the sail to the gaff in the same way as the boom.

a) Problem! At this point I test fitted the gaff – sail – boom assembly on the main mast. I discovered that it was too tall! It was going to be too close to the crane for the throat halliard to fit. I was so far along; I didn’t want to start over on a new main sail. So, I decided I would try to rip out the hem/seam at the top of the sail and fold it over an extra half inch and resew the hem. This actually worked! I cleaned up the edge with scissors and ironed everything nice and flat. I thought it looked just as good as before when I was done!

3. Attach the Main Boom/Gaff to Mast – Both the Main boom and gaff use Parrel Beads to attach to the main mast. I used 0.021” tan line to thread the beads onto the boom/gaff. I only glued the knot on one side and left the extra rope uncut on the other side, in case I needed to remove them for any reason.

Below: Parrel Beads holding the Main Boom. These allow the boom to move around the mast without excessive wear

Below: Parrel Beads holding the Main Gaff

4. Tie Mast Hoops to Sail – The parrel beads now held the boom & gaff to the mast. I held the gaff in position temporarily with a plastic clip while tying the mast hoops. I used the same process to attach the sail to the hoops. About a half inch space was provided between each one. Only the bottom one was double hooped.

Below: Main Mast Hoops tied to the main sail

In my posts on pre-rigging, I covered the Main Sail in detail. I don’t want to bore everyone with more of the same. I will give a brief explanation here and mostly show pictures of the completed rigging. I covered the Main Boom in post #50; including Boom Sheet, Crutch Tackles, Topping Lift and Quarter Lifts. I covered the Main Gaff in post #51; Throat Halliard & Peak Halliard. View these posts for details like block sizes, rope thicknesses and belaying pin numbers. I will start with the Halliards, because that is what I did next to get the main gaff attached. If anyone has questions or would like more details, please just let me know.

5. Main Throat Halliard – This rigging holds up the fore end of the gaff. This was completely pre-rigged and is the same as the fore gaff. There are three parts; what I call the primary tackle, straight fall to the deck, a pendant and lower tackle on starboard.

a) Main Throat Halliard – Primary Tackle that holds up the Gaff (view from starboard & view from port)

b) Main Throat Halliard – Straight fall to deck on port side

c) Main Throat Halliard – Pendant & Tackle on the starboard side (view of upper end & view at the rail)

6. Main Peak Halliard – This rigging holds up the back end of the Main gaff with an array of ¼” single blocks. Like the Throat halliard, there are three parts. Parts two and three for the Peak Halliard are the mirror image of the Throat. I also made up most of the Peak Halliard during pre-rigging. Be sure to thread both ends of the halliard line through their respective fairleads (eyebolts) on the trestle tree spreader

a) Main Peak Halliard – Array of blocks on top of the Gaff; note the ropes passing through the fairleads on the spreader on the way down to their belaying points

b) Main Peak Halliard – Fall for rope running straight to the deck on starboard side

c) Main Peak Halliard – Tan pendant rope spliced to double block on lower tackle on port side (behind ratlines)

7. Main Boom Sheet – I pre-rigged the Main boom sheet earlier (see my post #50). The main boom sheet holds the boom down toward the deck. Together with the Crutch Tackles on either side, this is one of the most impressive riggings on the ship, in my opinion! The big triple block under the boom sheet band sets everything else up.

Below: The fully rigged Main Boom Sheet; tied off on starboard bitt

8. Boom Crutch Tackles – These two tackles on either side of the sheet keep the boom from moving from side to side. These were also pre-rigged and detailed in post #50.

Below: The fully rigged Main Boom Sheet & Crutch Tackles before rigging is tightened up

9. Main Boom Topping Lift – The topping lift holds up the aft end of the Main boom. There are three parts to this rigging. a) The black pendant that starts at the shackle on the main mast cap; b) lower tackle at the end of the boom; c) “Fall” rope that is belayed at the pin #26 on the starboard boom jaw

a) Main Boom Topping Lift – top of upper pendant showing black line shackled at main mast cap

b) Main Boom Topping Lift – Lower tackle at end of main boom lacing between sheaves on boom end and blocks

c) Main Boom Topping Lift – A “horizontal fall” runs across the boom and is belayed at the main boom jaw

Below: Main Boom end viewed from off the stern showing topping lift

10. Main Boom Quarter Lifts – There are 2 of these. One on each side of the main sail. These were made in pre-rigging. There are three parts. But the tackle is at the top and the pendant is at the bottom of this rig.

a) Quarter Lifts – Upper Tackle is S-hooked to the brass U bracket under the trestle tree

b) Quarter Lifts – Lower pendant is S-hooked to the quarter lift band on the main boom (that's the topping lift running through the fairlead just behind the band)

c) Quarter Lifts – Fall from upper tackle is belayed at pins #30 & 31 (#31 is the farthest on the right)

NOTE: In the above picture of the belaying pins on the port side of the main rail, I started making some rope bundles. I am hanging these over the belaying pins where falls from the rigging above have already been belayed. I plan to do a quick post on how I make these in the next one up.

11. Tighten up all the lines, secure them to their belaying pins and add rope bundles. Knot & glue the lines through the parrel beads. I also permanently rigged the Flying Backstays

It took me 86 actual build hours over 36 calendar days to complete the three sails closest to the deck. Each of these having its own boom.

Below: Main Sail Complete! a) Underside of the Main Boom; b) Looking at the aft deck; c) Three lower sails with booms are finished)

bhermann · May 30, 2022

Nice save on the mainsail height, Ed. Much nicer than having to start again! These detailed posts on rigging and sails will be invaluable to me (and others, I'm sure) when doing this portion of the build. My Bluenose has been languishing for several years at this point, your work is inspiring me to get moving again!

Bob

Nirvana · May 30, 2022

1 hour ago, bhermann said:

These detailed posts on rigging and sails will be invaluable to me (and others, I'm sure) when doing this portion of the build.

Well, I am one of them...🙂

Ed Ku20 · May 31, 2022

I've enjoyed putting them together. I have to credit Per for encouraging me to start a build log. I wasn't too sure of what I was doing at the beginning. But I gained more and more confidence as I moved along. I'm happy to hear that my efforts will help someone else.

Bob, I hope you get back to working on your Bluenose. It's a beautiful ship. In fact, I'm thinking about traveling to Lunenburg to see Bluenose II. I expect to be finished before then, but would love to see the ship and that little seaside town!

CPDDET · May 31, 2022

Excellent, excellent, excellent

Dave

Dsmith20639 · May 31, 2022

Your rope bundles appear out of scale (bigger) with the Iines they are attached to. Did you use a different size rope?

Ed Ku20 · May 31, 2022

They actually are all the matching size. Working left to right, 1, 2 & 4 are 0.021" lines. The 3rd one over is the main topsail clewline. That is a 0.008" line and I made the rope bundle from the same .008 size. The fall lines may appear to be smaller because they are stretched a bit tighter and I used some CA glue to hold them in place. That stuff tends to absorb/spread up the line and also makes them look darker. In other places there are a couple of lines that are 0.028" thick. I used the 0.021 for those rope bundles because the 028 doesn't fit as well around the belaying pin.

Ed Ku20 · June 2, 2022

How I Made Rope Bundles for Laying over Belaying Pins

Hey, I'm no expert and this is my first build. I’m sure there are a lot of ways to make rope bundles. I looked at several on-line and came up with something that worked for me. However, I will admit, I’m still tinkering with the procedure. Hope this is a helpful starting point to other newbies like me. First, I made a simple jig.

Making the jig

1. Find a suitable scrap piece of 2x4 in the wood bin. Some people use plywood. I like the way the 2x4 raises the work off the table a bit more, so I can get my hands all around the jig.

2. Put 2 small nails in the top of the wood block close to the edge. I set mine 19/32” apart. I started with 1/2“ but, I widened them a little because the wrapped end was not reaching the deck.

3. Cut the heads off both nails

4. Smooth down the edges of the nails with a metal file

5. Make a small narrow cut in the bottom edge of the board to place & hold the starting end of the rope. I also made a second cut 90 degrees left of the bottom nail to hold the wrapping end.

Using the jig

1. I cut a piece of rope about 8 inches long. Insert the starting end into the cut near the bottom nail to hold it in place. Wrap the rope around both nails about 3 or 4 times. Finish by going around the bottom nail, over the top of the rope coil. Tuck the loose end into the cut in the left edge of the jig to hold it in place.

a. For light weight rope (0.008” thread) wrap 5-6 times

b. For medium weight (0.021”) wrap 3-4 times

2. Lift the rope coil with a prying tool to the top of both nails to make space underneath for the next step.

3. Wrap the excess rope end around the rope coil, near the bottom end about 4x. Put an overhand knot in the last turn and resecure it in the notch on the left side.

4. Place some CA glue on the wrap from step 3 to hold the knot. Also put glue where the starting end passes through the wrapped area to secure it.

5. When dry, pry the rope coil off the nails

6. Trim both loose ends. Leave a little bit of the end coming off the wrap. Trim the starting end flush with the coil to hide it from view.

7. Trim off the loose end from the rigging line that is secured around the belaying pin. You need to make room for the coil of rope.

8. Place the unwrapped end over the belaying pin on the ship

9. Put a dab of glue between the belaying pin and the rope to hold it at the top. Place more glue on the side of the pin rail and under the rope coil and pull the other end down over the rail while holding with tweezers until the glue dries.

Ed Ku20 · June 4, 2022

Making the Jib Sail

The Jib is the first sail I’m going to make that is not installed using a boom, a gaff or both. It is held entirely by its rigging lines. It sits above the jumbo jib sail and is connected by the jib stay to the bowsprit. Like the jumbo jib, the jib sail is attached at the top to the jib stay using hanks. The cloth strip stitches have a different “V” pattern unlike the previous sails that I installed.

1. Sewing the Sail – The jib sail was made using the same procedure as with the others. I finished the sail by sewing split rings at the three corners. Attach a 3/16” single block to the top ring for the halliard. I was worried about how to attach the forward lower corner to the bowsprit. I could not find any information about the actual connection point. I ended up simply inserting the ring on that corner into the shackle for the jib stay.

Below: Jib Sail paper template and sail cloth with fabric markings made for sewing

Below: Single block seized to the top ring for the halliard

2. Hanks –Attach the hanks at each cloth strip stitch point. I made another batch of split rings for the hanks. See the end of post #61 in case you missed the write-up for the process.

Below: Jib Sail ready to install. Note the “V” shaped pattern for the strip stitching. Hanks are installed.

3. Install Jib Sail & Stay – The jib stay has not been permanently seized to the bowsprit yet while waiting for the following steps to be completed.

a. Thread the jib stay rope through the hanks on the sail. When done, I used my plastic clips to hold it up high on the stay for the next step.

b. Double seize the stay to the shackle. Get the stay tight without pulling the mast out of position.

c. Insert the sails forward corner ring into the shackle next to the jib stay. Since my jib sail is set to the starboard side of the jumbo jib sail, I placed the ring starboard of the jib stay.

d. Insert the mini-bolt and nut to complete the shackle assembly. I waited until the sail was finished before gluing the nut permanently

Below: Port & Starboard views of the Jib Sail and Jib Stay attachment point on the Bowsprit

4. Jib Halliard – The Jib Halliard holds the top of the sail up. Tan 0.021” rope is laced between three 3/16” single blocks at the fore mast head. The top two blocks were attached to the long links during pre-rigging. The fall on each side must run through the fairleads on the front of the large trestle tree spreader.

Below: Two views of the Jib Halliard at the fore mast head. Note the three blocks attached and the tan line running through the fairleads (eyebolts). The seized heavy black rope is the top of the Jib Stay which is shackled to the Jib Stay Bail

a. The rope on the port side forms a pendant with a 1/8” single block at the end. The tackle below starts at the bottom of the pendant block and runs down to a 1/8” single block on the main rail (just forward of the first shroud). Use an S-hook to attach the block to the eyebolt. The tackle fall ties off to itself with a clove hitch

Below: Jib Halliard port side; this is the end of the pendant and start of the tackle

Below: Jib Halliard port side; lower end of tackle S-hooked to eyebolt on main rail. Note the clove hitch tied off just above

b. The rope on the starboard side runs straight down where it is belayed at pin #16 on the main rail.

5. Jib Sheets – There are two Jib Sheets; one on the port side and the other on starboard. The jib sail can be rigged to be on either side of the jumbo jib, depending on the wind direction. The windward side hangs loose and the leeward side is pulled tight to hold the “clew“ corner down (lower aft corner). I’m rigging my sails so the windward side is on the port.

a. The tight sheet is on the starboard side with the sail. A 0.021” black line is seized to the split ring at the clew corner of the sail. It forms a pendant to which a 1/8” single block is seized on the other end. A 0.021” tan line starts at the eyebolt just aft from the anchor pad on the starboard railing. It runs through the block and back down to belaying pin #12.

Below: Jib Sheet on the “tight side”. I pre-rig most of this rigging before attaching the sail

b. The loose sheet is seized to the same split ring but is laid over the jumbo jib stay to the port side. The lower tackle is belayed to pin #11. It is rigged the same as the starboard sheet, but left loose so it doesn’t pull down on the jumbo jib.

Below: Jib Sheet on the “loose side”

6. Jib Downhaul – Install the Jib Downhaul with 0.008” tan line. This rope is attached to the split ring at the top corner of the sail. The downhaul runs down to a 3/32” single block attached to the 2nd eyebolt from the end of the bowsprit. This block was attached during pre-rigging a while back. From the block it runs down the bowsprit, thru the fairlead at the tip of the bow and is belayed at pin #2. This line is left a little loose.

Below: Jib Downhaul seized to the top corner split ring

Below: Jib Downhaul 3/32” block S-hooked to the bowsprit

Below: Jib Downhaul runs thru a fairlead (eyebolt) and is belayed at pin #2

Below: The Completed Jib Sail

wool132 · June 4, 2022

Excellent work!

Jonathan

Nirvana · June 4, 2022

Ed, that is beautiful work.

Almost finished!

jlefever · June 4, 2022

A really nice project. Looking forward to seeing it finished.

JIm

Ed Ku20 · June 5, 2022

Hey All,

Shout out to Per, Dave (CPDDET), Bob H, Dave (Dave_E), Todd, Jonathan, Dan & Jim! Thanks for all your encouragement! That really means a lot to me. I am getting close to finishing and it's pretty unbelievable. June 15th will be 2 years since I started this project. I'm hoping to be done around that date or at least by the end of the month!

Thanks & Best regards,

Ed

allanyed · June 5, 2022

Hi Ed,

I love the schooners and your hull, fittings and furniture look great!

Something you may want to consider for future builds for realistic looking sails is to use a non-woven material like silk span and also forget sewing. There is no woven cloth in existence or a sewing method that will be to scale at 1:64, or even 1:48. There is a lot of information on this here at MSW and there is an excellent booklet by master builder David Antscherl on making proper sails that you can get from SeaWatch books for about $8.

Allan

Edited June 5, 2022 by allanyed

Ed Ku20 · June 8, 2022

Hi Allan,

Thanks for the tip. This is my first build. I did my best with the materials provided in the kit. I'm curious just to see how you can make a sail without any sewing! I just completed sewing the last sail, so it's too late for this build.

Ed Ku20 · June 8, 2022

Making the Main Topsail

I decided it’s time to move on to the topsails. That includes the Main Topsail, Fore Topsail and Staysail. I still have the Balloon Jib Sail to complete, but I’m saving that for last. The Fore and Main Topsails have very similar rigging. They are both attached to their respective masts using Mast Hoops.

1. Sewing the Sail – The Main Topsail was made using the same sail making procedure as with the others. I wanted to make sure that I sized the sail so there is enough room for the rigging in the top two corners. The sewing is a bit more complicated by the fact that there is a curved portion in the lower forward portion of the sail. In hindsight, I wish I had brought the curve out further away from the mast. I felt that the lower masthead was a bit crowded (more so with the fore topsail).

Below: Tracing Paper outline of the Main Topsail taken from the plans & Plain Paper version

2. Pre-rigging Steps – I pre-rigged the following parts before attaching the sail:

a. Prepare 4 split rings for the rigging in the 4 sail corners [Head, Clew, Tack & Throat]

b. First, seize three 3/32” single blocks to the Split Rings for the Head, Clew & Tack corners! These are for the Clew Line, but are more easily attached to their split rings now

Below: Seizing the tiny 3/32” blocks to the split ring using David Lester’s “Figure of Eight” method

c. Prepare the blocks and lines for the main topsail halliard at the Head corner (top-forward)

i. Attach a 1/8” single block to a split ring for the halliard

ii. Strop a 1/8” single block with an S-hook on one end and an open space for seizing the halliard on the other end. This block hangs on the eyebolt on the top ring of the main topmast

iii. Measure & cut the amount of tan 0.021” rope required. Seize it to the block with the S-hook. Sew the ring to its corner of the sail

iv. Lace the rope through the block with the ring and then the block with the S-hook

d. Prepare the blocks and lines for the main topsail sheet at the Clew corner (aft)

i. Remove the pre-rigged 1/8” single blocks from the tip of the main gaff and the eyebolt under the main gaff jaws

ii. Measure & cut the amount of tan 0.021” rope required. Seize this rope to a split ring. Sew the ring to the Clew corner of the sail

iii. Lace the rope through both of the blocks with the S-hooks

e. Prepare the rope for the Tack by seizing the measured amount of 0.008” tan line to its split ring. Sew to sail

3. Pre-rigging the Clew Line

a. Three 3/32” single blocks should already be completed as per step 2. b.

b. Cut 9 fairleads that are 1/16” long from 1/16” OD brass tubing [I made 20 at the same time so I had enough for the Fore Topsail, plus a couple of extras]

Below: Cutting the tubing. Blue tape is used to mark the length required. Pic #2 – The prepared fairleads

c. Tie a 0.008” thread size line around each tube. I set up my helping hands for this step

d. Applying a dot of CA glue to the thread. Be careful not to glue the tube to the jig wire!!

e. Tie the clew line fairleads between the corners. I spaced 3 evenly across the top edge, 4 on the bottom edge and then 2 below the curve

Below: Using needle & thread to insert the fairlead tubes into the sail and tie them on. They are supposed to be set on the Port side, according to the plan

f. Run a long length of the tan 0.008” thread starting from the forward throat split ring and exit at the head corner at the top

Below: The fully pre-rigged Main Topsail is ready for installation

4. Install the Main Topsail Halliard and Sheet, loosely at first, to hold the sail up for tying the mast hoops.

a. The halliard starts at the upper block S-hooked onto the mast, then laces through the block on the sail and then back up again. The fall is belayed at pin #37 (P).

Below: Main Topsail Halliard. Note the block & fairlead for the Clew Line

b. The main topsail sheet starts at the ring on the sail, runs through the block at the end of the gaff, runs across the gaff to the eyebolt under the gaff jaw. The fall is belayed at pin #32 (S) on the main rail.

Below: Main Topsail Sheet runs through the block at the end of the main gaff

Below: Sheet runs across the gaff to the block under the gaff jaws. Note the tan Tack Rope attached to the bottom of the topsail.

5. Tie the Mast Hoops to the sail, similar to main and fore sails. Approximately ½” between hoops.

Below: Tying on the mast hoops

Below: Mast hoops finished

6. The Main Topsail Tack is seized to the ring on the bottom corner of the sail and runs straight down the starboard side of the main sail. The fall is belayed at pin# 24 (S) on the fife rail.

7. The Clew Line starts at the split ring located at the lower corner of the mast hooped edge of the sail above the curved section. It runs through the fairleads and the 3/32” blocks in the 3 corners of the sail. It ends at the block on the very top of the sail and the fall runs straight down the port side of the main sail where it is belayed to pin# 33 (P)

Below: The completed Main Topsail. View from port side. Pic #2 view from starboard

CPDDET · June 9, 2022

Very nice work, Ed!

Ed Ku20 · June 10, 2022

Making the Fore Topsail

The Fore Topsail is almost identical in its construction to the main topsail I just completed. It is a bit smaller, there are fewer mast hoops and there are supposed to be 2 sheets & 2 tacks. The main topsail was never switched when tacking. The fore topsail was switched from one side of the ship to the other after tacking.

1. Sewing the Sail – Make the Fore Topsail using the same process as with the main topsail. Make sure to bring the curved area further away from the mast than I did. Mine was crowded too close to the mast which makes the rigging difficult to work on and for displaying the ship.

2. Pre-rigging Steps – I pre-rigged the following parts before attaching the sail:

a. Prepare 4 split rings for the rigging in the 4 sail corners [Head, Clew, Tack & Throat]

b. Seize three 3/32” single blocks to the Split Rings for the Head, Clew & Tack corners! These are for the Clew Line, but are easier to attach to their split rings now

c. Prepare the blocks and lines for the fore topsail halliard the same as was done for the main topsail

i. Attach a 1/8” single block to a split ring for the top of the sail

ii. Strop a 1/8” single block with an S-hook on one end and an open space for seizing the halliard

iii. Measure & cut the tan 0.021” rope required. Seize it to the upper block. Sew the ring to the sail

iv. Lace the rope through the block with the ring and then the block with the S-hook

d. Prepare the blocks and lines for two fore topsail sheets at the Clew corner (aft). I had already pre-rigged these 4 blocks when I made the fore gaff

i. If still necessary, pre-rig two 1/8” single blocks for the tip of the fore gaff and two more for the eyebolts under the fore gaff jaws

ii. Measure & cut two lengths of tan 0.021” rope. Seize these both to a split ring. Sew the ring to the Clew corner of the sail

e. Prepare the Tack by seizing the measured amount of 0.008” tan line to a split ring & sew to the tack corner of the sail

f. Follow the exact same procedure as discussed for the main topsail to prepare the fairleads and clew line

Below: The pre-rigged Fore Topsail is ready for installation

3. After loosely tying the halliard and sheet to hold up the sail, tie the Mast Hoops similar to the main topsail.

4. Complete the install of the Fore Topsail Halliard. The fall is belayed at pin #15 (P) together with the Clew.

Below: Fore Topsail showing the halliard blocks; the upper block for the clew line and its fall running down toward the deck,; also some mast hoops

5. Both Fore Topsail Sheets start at the ring on the sail

a. The tight sheet runs thru starboard side block at the end of the gaff, runs across the gaff to the starboard eyebolt at the jaw. The fall is belayed at pin #20 (S) on the main rail

b. The loose sheet is supposed to go from the ring up & over the main topmast stay. I need to apologize to all of the historical purists out there, I thought this looked really bad! In the interest of aesthetics, I decided to run it directly thru the port block at the end of the gaff and then thru the gaff jaw port side eyebolt. I left it semi-loose and belayed at pin #19 on the port rail.

Below: Fore Topsail sheets with their blocks at the end of the fore gaff. Clew line & block at sail corner

6. The Fore Topsail Tack was seized to the ring on the bottom corner of the sail. The fall is belayed at pin #10 (S). I only attached 1 tack.

Below: Fore Topsail lower tack corner and the tack line seized to the corner split ring

7. The Clew Line starts at the split ring located at the lower corner of the mast hooped edge of the sail above the curved section. It runs through the fairleads and the 3/32” blocks in 3 corners of the sail. It ends at the block on the very top of the sail and the fall runs straight down the port side of the main sail where it is belayed to pin# 15 (P)

Below: The completed Fore Topsail

CPDDET · June 10, 2022

Getting closer and closer to the end, Ed. And looking very nice!

Ed Ku20 · June 13, 2022

Making the Staysail

The Staysail is the largest of the topmast sails. An interesting, short pendant is used for a fairlead between the throat halliard and the tack lines.

1. Make the Sail – I needed to make a lot of adjustments to get the Staysail to fit in the space between the fore and main masts. I attached the paper template to the stays with plastic clips to hold it in place and marked and trimmed the adjustments a little at a time until it fit according to the blueprint plans. The strip seams run parallel to the longest (aft) side. The Staysail was made using the same procedure as with the other sails.

2. Next step Pre-rig the following before attaching the sail:

a. Split rings are required for all 4 corners of the sail. As with the other sails, I attached them to their blocks or seized ropes first, before sewing them to the sail itself.

b. Halliard (Aft-Top) uses 0.021” tan rope

i. Use an S-hook to attach a 5/32” single block to the eyebolt on the forward side of the main topmast

ii. Seize the halliard line to a split ring for the sail

iii. Sew the split ring to the sail

iv. Thread the line through the 5/32” block and prepare a long hook to seize on the lower end later

c. Throat Halliard (Forward-Top)

i. A 5/32” single block should already be pre-rigged to the spring stay bail on the fore mast head

ii. Seize the 0.021” tan throat halliard line directly to the split ring for the sail throat

iii. Sew the split ring to the sail

d. Tack Rope (Forward-Bottom)

i. Seize the 0.008” tan tack rope to a split ring and sew it to the tack corner

e. Sheet Rope (Aft-Bottom)

i. Attach a 1/8” single block to a black 0.021” rope to make the upper pendant

ii. Seize the upper pendant to split ring

iii. Make-up the lower tackle for the sheet with a 1/8” single block stropped to an s-hook on one end and an open loop on the other.

iv. Seize the 0.021” tan tackle line to the open loop end

f. Make-up the short black pendant rope for the halliard / tack combo using one of the extra 1/16” x 1/16” fairleads that were cut for the clew lines. Thank goodness I made two extras. One of those is lost in the carpet somewhere!

Below: Making the Pendant that pulls the throat halliard toward the tack

Below: The completed Staysail pre-rigging

3. Staysail Halliard – A more complex halliard was used for racing, but a very simple one was used for fishing. Since I’ve been outfitting my Bluenose as a fishing ship, I decided to use the simpler rigging.

a. The tan 0.021” halliard rope is seized to the split ring on the Head (top) corner of the staysail. The halliard runs up to the 5/32” single block that is S-hooked to the eyebolt on the main topmast.

b. The fall from the block has a long hook attached to the end. This is hooked to the sheer pole on the main mast. Seize this to the halliard after setting up the rope on the ship to get the right length!

Below: The Staysail Halliard rigged at the top to the main topmast

Below: The lower end of the Staysail Halliard is seized to a hook that is attached to the sheer pole

4. Staysail Throat Halliard and Tack combo – The staysail throat halliard and the tack are interconnected by a short pendant.

a. The throat halliard is seized to the split ring on the Throat (forward upper corner). It is laced through the 5/32” single block on the spring stay bail and then through the fairlead at the tack corner of staysail.

b. The 0.008” tan tack rope is seized to the split ring at the tack (forward lower) corner of the sail. Use the Driftwood thread for this line. It runs directly to belaying pin #9 on the port side of the fore mast.

c. A short pendant made out of 0.021” black rope is also seized to the Tack corner of the staysail. Make a fairlead from a short piece of 1/16” brass tube. The pendant keeps the halliard pulled close to the tack.

d. The .021” throat halliard is ALSO belayed at BP#9 on the port side of the fore mast.

Below: The upper view of the Staysail Throat Halliard

Below: The Staysail Throat Halliard runs through a “fairlead” that is tied to the tack split ring with a pendant. Note the Tack Rope seized to the same split ring

5. Staysail Sheet – 0.021” black rope is seized to the clew (aft lower) corner split ring. My sheet is set up on the starboard side due to the sail position.

a. Upper Pendant – This 0.021” black line forms a pendant about half way down to the deck. A 1/8” single block is seized to the bottom of the pendant.

b. Lower Tackle – Tan 0.021” line is seized to a 1/8” single block at the railing. The lower tackle starts at the lower block, which is S-hooked to an eyebolt at the railing. Then it runs to the upper block, back down thru the lower block and is belayed at #38, which is right next to the eyebolt.

Below: Staysail Sheet upper black pendant is seized to a block that has a tan line for the lower tackle laced through it

Below: Staysail Sheet lower tackle is belayed at the starboard railing

Below: The finished Staysail completes the three topmast sails. View from Starboard and following pic from Port

Only the Balloon Jib sail remains!

Ed Ku20 · June 22, 2022

Making the Balloon Jib Sail

The Balloon Jib Sail is the last sail to be made. It is positioned above the other 2 jib sails. It is very similar to the Jib Sail in its construction.

1. Make the Sail – The same procedure is used to make and sew the sail. The strip seams have the same “V” shaped pattern as the jib sail. It is made using the same procedure as the other sails.

2. Pre-rig the following parts before attaching the sail:

a. Halliard (Top Corner)

i. Strop an S-hook to the upper end of a 1/8” single block and an open loop on the bottom end of the same block for seizing the halliard rope

ii. I measure, cut and attach the halliard to the bottom of the block at this time

iii. Strop another 1/8” single block to a split ring for the top sail corner

b. Sheets (Aft Corner) – there are 2 sheets, same as the jib sail. Measure, cut and attach the 0.021” black ropes for the pendants to a split ring for the aft sail corner

c. Tack (Bottom Forward Corner) – Measure, cut and seize a tan 0.008” rope to a split ring for the tack

d. Downhaul – make sure you pre-rigged a 3/32” single block to the first ring on the bowsprit. Measure, cut and attach a 0.008” tan line to the top corner split ring of the sail

e. Sew the 3 split rings to their respective corners

Below: The pre-rigged Balloon Jib Sail, including the Hanks

3. Hanks – Attach the hanks at each cloth strip stitch point. I made another batch of split rings for these hanks.

4. Install Balloon Jib Sail to Stay – The balloon jib stay was only temporarily shackled to the very first ring on the bowsprit a long time back! The balloon jib stay was already seized during pre-rigging. I set up this stay to help hold the masts in their position up to this point. I first removed the temporary brass rod pin that I used to hold it in place.

a. Thread the balloon jib stay rope through the hanks on the sail

b. Insert the mini-bolt and nut on the shackle. I use a drop of CA glue to lock the nut onto the bolt and then trimmed off most of the excess bolt after the sail was completed

5. Balloon Jib Halliard – Hook the block with the S-hook to the eyebolt on top of the foremast. Lace the tan halliard rope down to the block on top of the sail, back up to the upper block and then belay at pin #14

Below: The Balloon Jib Halliard blocks at the top of the fore topmast. Also, note the Downhaul seized to the split ring

6. Balloon Jib Sheets – There are two Balloon Jib Sheets; one on the port side and the other on starboard. The sail can be rigged to be on either side, depending on the wind. On my ship the port side hangs loose and the starboard side is pulled tight to hold the “clew“ corner down (lower aft corner).

a. The tight sheet is on the starboard side. A 0.021” black line is seized to the split ring at the clew corner of the sail. It forms a pendant to which a 1/8” single block is seized on the other end.

b. A 0.021” tan line starts at the eyebolt just aft of the pin rail on the starboard railing with an S-hook. It runs through the block and back down to belaying pin #40.

c. The loose sheet is on the port side. The pendant runs over the jib sail before getting loosely connected exactly the same as above. Use belaying pin #41.

Below: Two Balloon Jib Sheets seized to the split ring on the lower aft corner of the sail

Below: 1/8” block at the end of the pendant for the “tight” sheet on the starboard side

Below: View of the entire lower tackle for the Balloon Jib Sheet. Notice the “loose” port side sheet in the background behind the Fore sail

Below: S-hook on the starboard railing for the Balloon Jib Sheet

Below: Aft tackle end of the Balloon Jib sheet belayed at pin #40 on starboard rail

Below: The “loose” sheet on the port side is draped over the jib stay

7. Balloon Jib Tack – The Tan 0.008” line that was seized to the sail corner ring is seized to the same ring as the balloon jib stay on the other end.

Below: The Tack seized to the lower sail corner. Next pic, the Balloon Jib Stay and Tack line both seized to the same shackle at the tip of the bowsprit

8. Balloon Jib Downhaul – This rope was already attached to the split ring at the top corner of the sail. The downhaul runs down to a 3/32” single block attached to the eyebolt at the end of the bowsprit. I attached this block during pre-rigging a while back. From the block it runs down the bowsprit, thru the fairlead at the tip of the bow and is belayed at pin #1. This line is left a little loose.

Below: The Balloon Jib Downhaul block S-hooked to the eyebolt at the tip of the bowsprit

Below: The Balloon Jib Downhaul (Port side) runs through its fairlead and is belayed at pin #1

Below: The completed Balloon Jib Sail

All the sails are now installed. Below is a picture of my Bluenose with all the sails!!

There are only a few remaining tasks before the ship is finished. 1. Install 4 Dory tackles, 2. Install the flag halliards, including the Canadian flag and 3. Mount the ship on the base, which I've been working on already. You can see it on the table behind the ship in the above pic.

Ed Ku20 · June 26, 2022

Miscellaneous Final Steps

There are just a few final steps that need to be done in order to complete the build process.

1. Install Dory Tackles – There are 4 dory tackles that need to be made and installed. These are used to swing the dories on and off the ship for fishing. Two are on the port side and two are on the starboard side. Per the blueprint plans, they are each “lashed” to the shroud closest to the dories on each side. The end is supposed to be belayed to the sheer pole. I had an open eyebolt and belaying pin, so I decided to belay them there. I substituted 5/32” single blocks at the top because I was running out of 1/8” blocks. I’m providing my drawing of the dory tackle rigging for you. This would depict the port side on the main mast shroud. Some of the aforementioned changes were not identified in this pic, so beware.

Drawing of how I planned to make the Dory Tackles

Upper Block Lashed to the shroud on Main Mast

Lower Block for the Dory Tackle

Large Hook and belaying point along the main rail

The Full View of the Dory Tackle

2. Making the Flag and Flag Halliards – The kit provides a nice cloth Canadian Maple Leaf flag. There’s just one problem…this flag was not adopted by Canada until 1965. Bluenose I sank after striking a reef off the coast of Haiti in 1946. It never would have flown the current maple leaf flag. The Canadian Red Ensign was the flag flown by Bluenose I. So, I made my own cloth flag as follows.

a. I downloaded an image of the Canadian Red Ensign and inserted it into PowerPoint. Since the flag needs to be two sided, I used PowerPoint to invert a copy of it.

The kit provided Canadian Maple Leaf Flag! Looks nice, but historically inaccurate!

Canadian Red Ensign inserted into PowerPoint

b. Then I printed this page onto an iron-on t-shirt transfer sheet. I ironed one side onto a piece of unused sail cloth from the kit. After it cooled, I ironed on the other side. This is what I purchased…

c. I cut out the flag from the cloth remnant. I used a pencil to roll the cloth a little to give it some curl! I used a small 3/32” block to hold up the flag halliard on the main gaff. The other end is belayed on the cleat on the main boom. I think it turned out pretty good!

d. I cut a couple of more long lengths of the 0.008” tan thread and strung them through the holes in the trucks on the top of the fore and main masts. I belayed these halliards to their respective sheer poles. No flags are attached to these that I could find anywhere.

Flag Halliard through Truck

Flag Halliard belayed to Sheer Pole

3. Making the Display Base and Nameplate – The FINAL step is making the baseboard and mounting the ship! I purchased a nominal 3-foot x 8-inch x 1-inch premium red oak board. I cut off a 2-foot section. I used a round over bitt and ran it around the board with my router. After sanding it smooth, I stained it with the same Minwax cherry I used on the deck. A couple of coats of wipe-on satin polyurethane completed the board.

a. A few weeks ago, I ordered a brass nameplate. I saw in someone else’s build log a cool looking wood block for holding the ship’s nameplate on the base board. I decided to try this rather than laying it flat on the board.

b. I was really nervous about mounting the ship to the baseboard. When I drilled the holes in the keel about 20 months ago, I had a problem fitting the brass pedestals on the keel. The keel was too wide. I did a bunch of sanding at the time but, it was still a super tight fit. I just moved on and figured I would deal with it later. Later is now here! I was also worried about how the two differently sized pedestals would work with the pilot holes. I figured this would cause the pedestals to have to make a slight angle between the board and the ship!

c. I was able to use a small hammer to force the pedestals the final 1/8” onto the keel. The paint got a little scuffed, but is barely noticeable. Test #1 passed!

d. I had laid out the holes for the baseboard and made them with the drill press before staining. Now it was time to mount the ship to the board with the screws. Amazingly the pedestals basically self-adjusted as I drove the screws in! Test #2 passed!!

I think the base and nameplate turned out really well!

BLUENOSE IS COMPLETED! I will do a final posting with a bunch of pictures from all angles around the ship. I couldn’t have done it without the encouragement, support and advice from my Model Ship World community!! Thank You Everyone!

wool132 · June 26, 2022

Congratulations - job well done on the model and the documentation!!!

Be sure to take time and celebrate! 🎉

Jonathan

Nirvana · June 26, 2022

Very well done! Congrats to the final!

Now what is remaining is a case!

Ed Ku20 · June 26, 2022

Yesterday, June 25, 2022, I finished building my BLUENOSE I. This was my first build. I started on June 15, 2020. It took 1,325 calendar days to complete. That's 2 years and 13 days. I logged 743 hours of actual build time. That does not include the time spent researching, planning, studying, maintaining a build log on MSW, and all the other things that go into this amazing hobby. But, you know all about that!

I want to thank all of the people who helped me along the way. Especially, Suburban Ship Modeler. His website was invaluable to me. I also want to thank CPDDET (Dave) and Nirvana (Per) who directly assisted me on multiple occasions. I took a bunch of pictures to show the finished model to my Model Ship World community! After a short break, I will be pulling Rattlesnake off the shelf and digging into my next project. Hope you will follow along!

Below: Bluenose I full view