Sciabecco Francese by HakeZou - FINISHED - Sergal (Mantua) - 1:49

[HakeZou]

I've been able to devote quite a bit of time to the xebec over the last two days. I've also been able to work a little more quickly, since my parents and in-laws spoiled me with Christmas gifts this year—a set of clamps, a jeweler's pliers set, a precision tweezers set, miter shears, and a Dremel 4000! While my goal isn't necessarily to go fast, the miter shears and Dremel have saved me a TON of time. At this point, the end is in sight for the exterior of the ship. This post covers three things I've been working on for the past two days.   

 

First up, continuing work on the exterior trim and rail caps. The starboard side is finished (except for the swivel gun)! I'm still finishing up the port side, but that should be done tomorrow at the latest, since there's just one rail cap left to attach. Last Wednesday, I posted that I had cut out all of the pieces for this phase of the trim work. The most challenging step involved cutting lap joints into the four vertical trim pieces and horizontal trim piece #1. You'll notice that I had painted piece #1 before realizing I needed to cut lap joints; the black paint made it harder to see my lines, but I made it all work out in the end. These photos show: 1) these five trim pieces after I had glued them together, 2) dry fitting those pieces, and 3) the starboard superstructure with all trim pieces and rail caps installed (except the swivel gun).

 

1)  

2) 

3) 

 

Next, continuing work on the head. As I mentioned in the previous post, the gammon piece is a particular problem here, since there's a typo in the plans. In the end, I glued together four planks to make the gammon pieces. The base is 2x2 limewood. On top of that are two shorter pieces of 2x2 limewood, positioned with a 4mm gap for the bowsprit. And finally, the top piece is 3x2 limewood, with a 2x4 window cut out for the bowsprit. The photos show: 1) After gluing and clamping them together, I roughed out the shape; 2) using the Dremel and a file, I cut out the curve; 3 and 4) dry fitting the gammon piece, with and without the bowsprit; 5 and 6) forward and overhead shots of the completed head; and, because I was on a roll, 7 and 😎 side and overhead shots of the head assembly with the bowsprit.  

 

1)   2) 

3)   4) 

5)   6) 

7)   😎

 

Finally, continuing the theme of "one thing leads to another"... I've been wrapping my mind around the trim on the upper transom (which will be the third and final phase of exterior trim work). One issue is that I'm pretty certain that the pre-cut hole for the sternsprit is in the wrong spot. In order to confirm this, I cut and shaped the sternsprit. But before I can dry fit it and find the correct spot for the hole, I need to build the dividing wall between the aftdeck and the rudder well assembly (the sternsprit is mounted into that dividing wall). But before I can build the dividing wall, I need to build and attach the rudder. Thankfully, the rudder is pre-cut, so that's no problem. However, the tiller needed to be fabricated. This was a new challenge for me, since in all of my previous kits, the tiller was pre-cut. After taking measurements from the plans and reducing them accordingly, I glued and clamped two planks of 4x4 walnut in offset position. After tracing out the shape, I used the Dremel to rough out the tiller, a file to get the final shape, and an emery board to smooth everything out. I still need to cut the slot for the rudder, but I'm pleased with how it turned out. I didn't think to take pictures of the process, so just one shot of the shaped tiller. There is some shaping in the vertical dimension, too, but I couldn't get a decent photo to show that. Where the tiller connects to the rudder, it's 4mm wide; then there is a short transition zone and the full length of the handle is 2mm wide. 

 

[HakeZou]

Tonight, I finished constructing the swivel guns, for which I'd been preparing things over the last several days. Things started off well, but in the end, these were a royal pain. But...they're done, except for a bit of clean up and attaching to the hull.

 

The supports are made of 4x4 walnut. After measuring and cutting to length, I sanded a curve at the bottom. Then, I cut slots to fit the rail cap and trim piece #2 (first photo). After several test fittings, they slipped right into place (second photo). Next, the plans called for beveling between the rail cap and the gun (third photo).

 

   

 

Then things got tough. The plans indicate that the gun mount is a single piece drilled into the top of the support. However, that isn't the case. Rather, the kit provides metal brackets that need to be fastened to the support with a pin. The guns are mounted on the bracket using a thin brass wire (somewhat less than 1mm). The brackets are curved, but unfortunately, that means the holes for the wire don't line up with the holes in the guns. So, after straightening the brackets, I put the various pieces together. This didn't go well. I lost track of how many times I knocked the bracket off the support while trying to mount the gun on it. After much longer than I anticipated, though, I managed to get everything together. During my frustration, I didn't think to take any photos, but here are a couple at the end showing the swivel guns on their supports, and then a final dry fit.

 

  

[BobG]

Lots of very nice progress, HakeZou!

[HakeZou]

Thanks, Bob! Nice to hear from you!

 

Three more updates tonight. First, I've finished and installed the rudder. I'm mostly happy with it. I'm satisfied with how both the tiller and rudder turned out, individually. When it came time to join them, though? I'm not sure if the problem is my novice skill set or not having the right tool for the job—probably both—but the tiller isn't true to the center line and it's a good thing that the joint is completely hidden once the ship is finished! If anybody has tips on cutting the angled hole into the tiller (including how to determine the angle before cutting), I'd appreciate it. The step is done for this ship, but the advice will be very helpful once I do my next one.

 

Anyhow, I previously posted about shaping the tiller, so will skip over that here. The first photo is of dry-fitting the tiller onto the rudder. Next is the installation of the rudder hinges. In previous kits, I've really struggled with this step. But this time, things went remarkably smoothly! Since the rudder is a little thicker than the ones in my previous kits, I could trim the pins a little longer and that really made all the difference. There is a small issue with the middle hinge on the sternpost, since that ended up going in about .5mm too low (you can see this in the third photo). But apart from that, everything lined up perfectly and the hinge pins dropped right in. 

 

 

And a couple shots of the rudder well assembly, with the rudder installed. One without the rudder well cover and the other with it.

 

    

The last step was to build and install the dividing wall between the aftdeck and the rudder well assembly. This took some rather finicky work with the file. I had to account for the camber of the deck, as well as bevel the ends of the planks to account for the shape of the bulwarks, which widen vertically and narrow horizontally. It's not perfect, but pretty darn close.

 

 

You'll notice the unfinished edge of the rudder well cover is still visible in those two photos. Eventually, the mount for the sternsprit will go on top of the dividing wall in that spot. I'm still working on that, but should finish it up in the next couple of days.

 

Apart from the sternsprit and its mount, the only other remaining piece to be added to the exterior of the ship is the trim piece on top of the upper transom (the first photo in this trio shows the trim on both transoms prior to installing the rudder; there's a bit of clean up work to do on the upper transom, but you can see the general idea). The plans call for this last piece to be made from five blocks of 2x3 limewood, shaped to follow the curve and to join with each other at angles. I'm not confident enough in my skills to try that, so opted for a slightly different approach that seems safer, even though it uses up more woodstock. The second photo shows what I'm doing. I glued together three scrap planks from previous kits, one 2x4 and two 2x3 (yes, they're different woods, but they'll be painted black in the end). After finding the center line, I traced the arc of the upper transom using the plywood sheet that it originally came in. That gave me the lower edge. Then, I marked about 20 or 30 dots at points 2mm above the lower edge. After playing connect-the-dots, I had my upper edge. The third photo is a dry fit of the lower edge. So far so good, except that I had sanded down the edges to join with the bulwark. Since that photo, I've added a couple shorter pieces to the bottom and am sanding those down to fit. Once the bottom edge fits, I'll cut and sand the top edge, then paint and install.

 

 

Finally, I put in the hawseholes. I used the router attachement for my new Dremel, which was conveniently the perfect size. However, the stress level really ratcheted up when I brought the Dremel close to the ship, knowing that one slip could have disastrous consequences! Thankfully, everything went smoothly! From this camera angle and with this lighting, you can see that I was carving into the bulkheads of the frame. They look really obvious in the photo, but are much less noticeable in real life. 

 

 

Next steps: I'm very near the end of this phase of construction. All I have left to do is complete and install the sternsprit, its mount, and the last trim piece. After that, I'll clean up the trim pieces and railcaps at the stern, do some touch-up painting and apply finish, and finally mount the ship permanently onto the stand. Then, it's on to the deck fittings! 

[BobG]

Moving right along! Excellent build log also.

[HakeZou]

I've just arrived at the next landmark point in the construction of this ship! Except for some finish, the exterior of my xebec is complete! Today, I used the router attachment on my Dremel tool to drill out a new hole for the sternsprit in the upper transom, which allowed me to attach that. There was much trepidation involved and I ended up needing to do some creative filing and touch-up painting after the router slipped. But, in the end, I'm pretty happy with how that turned out. The sternsprit isn't true to the center line, so it's not perfect, but given that it was the first time I did this particular task, it's close enough for jazz. Today I also attached the swivel guns and mounted the ship on its stand.

 

My next work session will focus on applying finish and studying the deck fittings, but for now, some (larger than usual) photos to celebrate! First, a shot of the bow. There's a little issue with the port headrail, which refuses to stay put; after the finish is applied, that should be resolved when I lash the bowsprit down.

 

 

 

Next up, an overhead shot of the aftdeck. It's a real shame that the alignment problems with the rudder and sternsprit go in opposite directions. It really exaggerates the issue! 

 

 

Next, starboard and port views. I'm pleased with how the trim ended up! There's one piece that's slightly out of alignment...but it's close enough that I may be the only one who notices! The two swivel guns are lined up with the aft-most gunport...the camera angle makes that look a little funky on the port side.

 

 

Finally, a shot of the stern. The paint job isn't quite perfect, but otherwise I'm happy with this end. The camera angle makes the alignment of the waterline on the rudder and the hull look funky, but you can see in the other photos that it's okay.

 

 

[BobG]

These are such beautiful ships. I love the hull shape. You're going to have a very fine model!

[HakeZou]

Thanks, Bob! I had never heard of a xebec before I decided to buy this kit, but I've also fallen in love with the shape. Very sleek!

 

Progress will be slowing down for awhile now. It's Pinewood Derby season around here, and my son and I need to get to work on his car. Then, I'll be preparing for the new semester. So, I'll still get some time in on the xebec, but nothing like the last two or three weeks have been.

 

I'll share more as soon as I have something to share!

[HakeZou]

It was the best of days, it was the worst of days... Today, we finally finished restoring the basement, after a broken sewer line. Fresh paint, after a contractor installed new drywall and carpet. (The carpet isn't ideal for shipbuilding, of course, but we're hoping it'll help insulate the basement and dampen the sound when I'm practicing trombone.)

 

Tonight, I moved all of my shipbuilding stuff out of the kitchen and set up again in my basement workspace. Most of the tools are on the shelves just out of frame to the left. But the plans are up on the wall, along with the instructions (yes, there's only a page-and-a-half of instructions for the kit, though the plans are double-sided). The wood stock for this kit is sorted to the left, thread and hardware are up by the tool basket, and scrap wood from previous kits is to the right. Lots of space in the middle for the current project.

 

 

You'll notice, however, that the xebec is off it's stand, despite my celebratory post a couple of days ago. That's the bad news. While I was brushing on a coat of finish, it took a dive off the stand, bounced off the dining room table, and landed on the hardwood floor. I'd say my kids learned some new words today, but they tell me that they've already heard them in the school lunchroom.

 

Yet, this bad news could be a lot worse. My construction has been solid. The only damage after that fall? The swivel guns and their brackets are loose. So, I need to redo those again (AARGH!) and I need to find a better way to mount the ship on the stand. I had previously just glued it into the slots on the pedestals, but this time I'll add a couple pieces of 2mm brass wire to give additional support.

 

[HakeZou]

Now that I've remounted the ship on it's stand, I've been able to focus on a few smaller tasks. First, I've installed all the cannon and hatches, since I had built them a while back. There are ten cannon visible and two more in the cabin, directly below the supports for the swivel guns.

 

 

I've also been getting some practice with lashing and wooldings. I lashed the bowsprit to the head; as expected, the port headrail is now staying put. The lashing is a clove hitch, five turns around everything, and another clove hitch at the other end, with Dritz Fray Check used as glue to hold the knots in place. As for the wooldings, I've finished one anchor stock and tomorrow will do the last one on the other anchor. This took a bit of experimentation, but I finally worked out a system and am able to tie each one in only a minute or two, using common whipping. I pin one end of the thread to the stock using a small binder clip. Then I make a smallish loop on top of the stock. I hold the end of the loop in place with my left index finger (I hold the anchor in my left hand by opposite half of the stock). After making five turns around the stock, I pin the working end of the thread against the stock with my left index finger (to keep the tension on the working end; no need for it to stay on the loop anymore). With fine-point tweezers, I pass the working end through the loop and pull the knot to. Next, I use the tweezers to compress the turns around the stock, so they lay tightly against one another. I switch to flat tip tweezers, one in each hand, in order to really pull the knot tightly. After that, I glue everything into place with a couple drops of Fray Check. Once that dries, I trim off the loose ends and add a drop of Fray Check to each to prevent any fraying.

 

 

Next steps, after finishing the last woolding: finish and install the companionways (which I've started painting) and start on the belaying pin racks.

[HakeZou]

Today, I finished and installed the companionways. There are two of them, which go from the maindeck up to the aftdeck on either side of the ship. The sides of the companionways come precut (though very generously so; there's more than twice what's needed). The steps are from a plank of 1x3 walnut packaged with the sides. The first photo shows some of the excess precut sides and the two companionways after assembly. The second photo shows them painted and installed. They turned out fine, but the scale of the steps is wildly off. At 1:49 scale, those steps would be 4 feet apart—I have long legs, but that's a bit much even for me! At first, I tried using a file to add slots for four more steps, which would put the steps 2 feet apart...but I realized that I just don't have the right tools to do that well. So, I decided to just go with it. If you're reading this and plan to do the kit, you might consider whether you want to cop out like I did or if you would rather find a plan for more realistic companionways.  

 

   

 

I've also cut the pieces for the belaying pin racks and bulwark supports. There's a lot left to do here, but I figured I'd share a photo near the starting point. The foremast and mainmast belaying pin racks are identical. I've rounded the inboard corners, but haven't yet checked if I need to do any shaping on the side attached to the bulwarks. The mizzenmast pin rack will require considerably more shaping, but I haven't started that. I'm part way through shaping the bulwark supports to the bulwark. Once I'm done with that, I'll shape the inboard side. There are two supports between each of cannon that are out in the open, so there's a fair amount of finicky and repetitive work to do before the job is done.

 

[HakeZou]

I've been continuing to work on the pin racks and bulwark supports. First, I measured out and planned the inboard shape of the supports and the mizzenmast pin racks. I shaded the portions that needed to be sanded out.

 

 

 

Then, I used the Dremel, a round file, and a sanding stick to do the shaping. The bulwark supports aren't perfectly consistent and the spacing of the drill holes aren't perfect, but I'm reasonably happy with how they turned out.

 

 

 

And now, I'm started painting them. With 22 small pieces, this step is not a speedy process! First coat is on one half (or so) of each piece.

 

[HakeZou]

It's so satisfying to draw big red X's in the instructions and plans as I finish steps! The glue is still drying, but I've finished and installed the bulwark supports and belaying pin racks. It was really striking to notice how much of a difference the supports made in terms of the overall impression! A few photos, beginning with details of the maindeck and the aftdeck/rudder well. Then a couple shots of the full ship.

 

       

 

As I was working on the belaying pin racks, I realized I had a problem. There are no instructions for the rigging and the rigging plans are a real mess. There are 56 connection points for the rigging (only 14 of which have been installed so far). In the plans, not all of them are used and most of the belaying pins have two or three ropes connecting to them—I have very little practical experience with sailing, but it just doesn't seem like a great idea to have three pieces of the running rigging belayed on a single pin! 

So, I drew up my own rigging plans. After a couple of drafts, I came up with the sketch below (which are taped onto the wall above my workspace, hence the piece of blue tape). The numbers down the left side of the paper are for one side of the ship. The kit doesn't come with sails, but I purchased the sail kit from Mantua and am planning to install them. With three lateen sails and a jib, I'll need 61 connection points. (Actually, maybe 64...I'm still working out exactly what needs to be done with the clews of the lateen sails.) I set about studying images of xebecs from the Musée Nationale de la Marine and reading Daniel Lescallier's 1791 Traité pratique du gréement des vaisseaux et d'autres batimens de mer (Practical Treatise on the Rigging of Ships-of-the-Line and Other Boats, of which vol. 1 is the text and vol. 2 is the illustrations). Based on that research, I discovered that some of the rigging was usually attached to a lower rail on the bulwark supports. Even though the kit doesn't call for one, I have started adding such a rail, which should get me all of the points that I need. 

 

 

The terminology may be unfamiliar to some, so quick explanations. Ources, garantes, and ostes are some of the French terms for the rigging of a lateen sail. The ources are two ropes at the bottom end of the antenne (the antenna or yard); these are the primary ropes for adjusting the antenne to catch the wind better. The antenne connects to the mast about a third of the way up its length. The garantes are two ropes that descend from a pendent about two-thirds of the way up the antenne's length; on a ship this size, the garantes are the primary ropes for swinging the antenne. The ostes are two ropes that descend from a pendent at the top of the antenne and seem to be there primarily for stability. The ostes are also run through the clew of the sail, before separating to be fixed at belaying pins or bitts.

[BobG]

Wonderful work, HakeZou. She's looking great!

 

On 1/3/2021 at 10:52 PM, HakeZou said:

I'd say my kids learned some new words today, but they tell me that they've already heard them in the school lunchroom.

Now that's funny! 🤣

[HakeZou]

Thanks, Bob! 

 

I'm back to working on the deck fittings, starting with the easiest part, the aftdeck. Apart from two strips of eyebolts, the remaining work here is the mizzenmast. The first photo shows the various pieces. By the time I took the photo, I had already shaped the mast, so you'll note that the bottom portion is squared off and the top is tapered (from 5mm to 3mm, so it's a bit subtle). 

 

 

After attaching the pieces of the square base, I dry-fit the mast and did some sanding to make sure everything lined up well (first photo). 

 

 

 

Next up was the masthead, which was the most challenging step. After measuring and marking the slots, I drilled a hole through the main block. Then, I lined up one side piece against the main block and drilled through it, after which I did the same thing with the other side. I double-checked the alignment by running a piece of brass wire through all three holes. Thanks to the 2mm cushion on the width of the side pieces (main block is 4x4, side pieces are 1x6), I was satisfied with my first attempt. After cutting out the two slots from the main block, I glued on the side pieces and inserted the brass wire to ensure that everything was aligned. Finally, after sanding down the side pieces, I trimmed the brass wire and hammered down the ends to form rivet heads. (That last touch was inspired by watching Leo Goolden's "Tally Ho" videos. It took a lot of patience since I was using a lightweight crafting hammer, but I'm really pleased with how it looks.)

 

 

The plans call for drilling a 3mm hole into the bottom of the masthead, then sliding it over the end of the mast. But since my selection of drill bits only goes up to 2mm, I had to look for another solution. In addition, drilling a 3mm hole into a 4mm-wide block seemed risky, especially given my skill level. So, instead I drilled 1.5mm holes into the ends of the mast and the masthead, so I could attach them using a piece of brass wire. (In the photo above, the masthead and 1.5mm wire are dry-fit onto the top of the mast.)

 

Last up was shaping the mizzenmast support piece. Nothing much to say about that process. I measured the angle against the mast, made the cut, and sanded it until it lined up perfectly. Then I used my Dremel tool to add the curves on the after side of the support piece.

 

 

I'm going to wait on making the antenna until I'm ready for the standing rigging, so all that's left for now is painting and gluing everything together. Then, it'll be on to the mainmast assembly.

[HakeZou]

So, in my last post I said that I was done with the aftdeck, except for the strips of eyebolts. Oops. I had forgotten about the balustrade! Over the last several days, I've been working on that. I started by cutting out the five necessary pieces: a main block, top and bottom rails, and side supports (first picture). Then, I measured and marked up the main block and rails (second picture). I started by marking the lines on the main block: vertical lines every 3 and 5mm, alternating. Then horizontal lines across and 2.5mm on either side of the center. After that, I freehand drew the circles and shaded them in. For the rails, I started by marking the lines 1.5mm on either side of the center, then lined those up with the main block and marked the ends of the block. 

 

  

 

The next challenge was cutting the holes out of the main block. I used the router tip on my Dremel for this. After a bit of sanding, I snapped the photo (too early!) and then went back with a round file to improve the shape of the holes. Next, I sanded a flat side into the rails, sanding only between the lines that I had marked for the ends of the main block. And then came the real problem. I measured out the position of the rails on the side supports. Unfortunately, I have a hard time keeping my pin vice drill in place when I'm drilling holes with larger bits (a 2mm bit in this case). So, when I tried dry-fitting the rails into the side supports, I discovered that the holes were off. I also discovered that my 2mm dowel was generously sized and wouldn't fit into the 2mm holes. So I grabbed my round file and very patiently expanded and extended the holes. I also tapered the ends of the rails until they fit. In the end, it came together pretty well (second photo), though I'll be hiding the left side when I display the ship If you look very carefully at the left support, on the topside of the bottom rail, you'll notice that hole is so big it's even visible from this angle.

 

  

 

After a bit more sanding and rounding off the tops of the side supports, the balustrade was ready for painting and installation. (Side note, in this photo you can really tell that I've applied finish inside the cabin, but not yet to the rest of the decks!)

 

 

Now, I really am ready to start working on the mainmast assembly. I'll get to that once I clean and reorganize my workspace...things have really gotten out of control with two projects going on! (The other project was building a Pinewood Derby car with my son. The races were today and he got fastest in his den and 5th overall in the pack!)

[HakeZou]

This week, I've been working on the remaining deck fittings for the maindeck—save the strips of eyebolts, which I'm going to do after the rest of the deck fittings are done. There are several units involved here: the mainmast, masthead, mast partners, mainmast bitts, and two supports at the forward end of the maindeck. And, of course, the antenne, though I'm going to wait to do those until I'm ready to work on the rigging. The various pieces are shown below.

 

 

 

I decided to start with the forward supports, which have bitts at the top of them. These are the last of the pre-cut pieces that come with the kit. They just needed to be sanded down (from 5mm thick to 4mm). Then I added some beveling to the top of the bitt and rounded its throat. I also added some notches into the forward edge that will lap the after edge of the foredeck (which you can see in the first of the dry-fitting photos).

 

    

 

Next up was the square bottom for the mast. I didn't take any photos, but I just used the same process as I did for the mizzenmast. Then on to the mast partners and mainmast bitts. The bitts are made of 4x4 walnut, with beveled ends and a rounded throat for the rigging (1st photo). A bit of inconsistency here, but it should look alright once the ropes are attached to them. The partners are made from 2x8 limewood and were the most complicated to shape (2nd and 3rd photos). While the measurements were given in the plans, I needed some fussy work with a file and sanding stick to get everything to fit just right. Although I drew the forward and aft angles as straight lines, I added a little bit of curve and rounded the ends while sanding. Finally, some dry-fitting (last three photos...taken before I had finished shaping the mast partners). Things are a bit crooked in the photos, but I'll get that straightened out once I glue everything together. For now, I was just worried about getting everything to sit flush on the deck and getting the mast to fit snugly between the partners and bitts.

 

           

 

After taking these photos, I tapered the mast and assembled the masthead, using the same process as I did for the mizzenmast. Next steps: painting, attaching the masthead, and installing the maindeck fittings. I'll post photos once that's done. Then, on to the foredeck!

[HakeZou]

I got a lot done yesterday and today. One of the pleasures of virtual conferences is that my desk and my worktable are so close by...so during the panels I've been working on the xebec while listening to the speakers. (I've taken a lot of notes, so I'm not completely tuning out the conference!) First up, some photos of the maindeck, which now has all of the fittings installed except for the strips of eyebolts. The bitts are a little crooked because, once the were painted, the fit was so snug! It's a little bit exaggerated in the photos, but there in real life, too.

 

    

 

 I've also cut out and begun working on the fittings for the foredeck and foremast assembly. I've actually shaped the cable channels, cat davits, and bitt, in addition to partially assembling the masthead and square base. Photos will come in the next post.

 

 

One more day of the conference, so the rest of the foremast assembly should come together very quickly...especially since I've got the hang of assembling the masthead and square base now.

[HakeZou]

Things are moving along on the foredeck and I'm currently painting the various pieces. I thought I'd share some photos of the foremast assembly, since that's the most interesting part of the foredeck fittings.

 

Taking care of the masthead, squarebase, and bitt were all straightforward and similar to what I've shown in previous posts about the other two masts. However, the mast partners are significantly different this time. The mast is raked and the forward edges of the partners line up with the mast. The bitt rests on top of the partners and against the mast, so needs to be tipped forward a bit. And, of course, the after end slopes downward. So, I started by marking the triangle that needed to be cut off from the forward end (left side of the photo), then marked a line for the after side of the mast. That allowed me measure out the forward side of the bitt; with a couple 90-degree angles, I measured the bottom side and then connected the dots for the after side (the shaded square in the middle). After that, I just drew a line from a point 2mm behind the bitt to another point 2mm above the deck (giving me the triangle on the right side of the photo).

 

  

 

After cutting out the partners, I did a quick dry fit and snapped some photos before finishing the sanding. Although I don't have a photo of it yet, I also added a 6x6mm square attached to the after side of the bitt and the partners; the plans don't call for it, but I needed a place to belay the staysail halyard. Once all of the painting is done and these pieces are installed, I'll add some final photos. 

 

 

Tonight, I also started preparing the only remaining part of the deck fittings: the strips of eyebolts mounted on the decks. As I've mentioned previously, the rigging plans for the kit are problematic, especially if you are including the sails. There aren't enough anchor points, so many of the eyebolts and belaying pins have multiple ropes—as many as 4!—on one anchor point. So, I'm adding some strips and expanding some others. From front to back on each side, the plans call for strips of 3-2-4-3 eyebolts. In my rigging plans, however, that has become 4-2-2-4-4, as you can see in the first photo (forward is the left side). The second photo shows the eyebolts provided in the kit, mostly because they were not what I expected. Rather than being shaped from brass wire, they've been stamped out of a brass sheet. Not sure how common that is, but it's definitely not what I've seen in my previous kits.

 

      

 

Also, an updated shot of my rigging plan. (Note that I've gone back and forth between the terms staysail and jib...still getting the hang of the terminology! Also misused the term "clew stay"...the key thing is that I know what I mean, right?)

 

[SimonR]

I recently started a Sergal President which is a similar kit to yours, so I'll be keeping an eye on this thread, thanks! Your making great progress!

 

[HakeZou]

Thanks, Simon! That President kit looks like a fun challenge. I hope that the rigging plans for that one are better, since that part is so much more complicated than the xebec!

[HakeZou]

Time for another celebratory post! I've finished the deck fittings, so all that remains to do is the rigging! I've put on the first coat of finish, so figured it was a good time to take these photos. First, a few shots of the full ship from different angles. Then the bow and a shot of each deck. (Note: I'm waiting until everything else is done to reinstall the swivel guns.)

 

[BobG]

She's going to be a showpiece, HakeZou!

[HakeZou]

I've started the rigging now and am quickly remembering just how challenging this stage is! I've assembled the three antennes, though I still have some finishing work to do. (They're currently painted and partially finished, but they will need wooldings, pendants, halyards and sails before they're done. Each antenne is made of two pieces attached with a scarf joint. A small table saw would have made quick work of this, but since I don't have one my best option was a file, sanding sticks, and a lot of patience. Step 1: I measured the two halves against the sail to find my marks. Step 2: I used a square file next to the mark, making sure I had a right angle at the end of the joint and filing down to my target depth. Once I was done with the file, I used an 80-grit sanding stick to bring down the rest of the joint, using finer grit sticks to do the final leveling. I also tapered the ends of the joint. Step 3: Then I glued the two halves together. In the photos, you can see a full view and detail view of each of those steps; at this point I still needed to taper the ends of the antenne and do a bit of smoothing around the joints, but I did do that before moving into painting.

 

 

 

A quick note, since you probably noticed the odd seam in the bottom pair in each photo: I screwed up and mismeasured the foremast antenne. Well...I measured and cut perfectly, I just looked at the wrong place on the plans and used the measurements for the mizzenmast antenne instead (the top pair in the photos). Since I didn't have enough dowels on hand to recut both halves, I had to make do and glue on an extension to one of the miscuts. Once I finished sanding and painted, the seam was invisible, but it's still pretty obvious in those photos

 

As I add the rigging, I'll be working from back-to-front because the sails overlap and it'll be too awkward to do it in any other order. So, between coats of paint and finish on the antennes, I rigged the mizzenmast stays. And here I came face-to-face with a problem. In my previous kits, I've attached the stays to the masts before attaching the masts to the ship. But with the complicated mast partners, I've already attached everything firmly. So, I'm left with the awkwardness of rigging directly on the finished ship. So far, so mediocre. There are two stays on each side, though only the forward stay has a purchase (which I guess is the correct term for the two double-sheave blocks?). Things turned out reasonably well on the port side, but the starboard side is a bit of a mess. I pulled too hard at one point and had to replace the seizing on the pendant block (that went better the first time!) and afterward couldn't get the blocks to straighten out. I also couldn't get the lines as taut as I would have liked on that side. I should get better at this as I go, since I still have 18 more lines with this kind of purchase!

 

   

[BobG]

8 hours ago, HakeZou said:

I've started the rigging now and am quickly remembering just how challenging this stage is!

Yes, it can be. The first time I did any rigging was on my Medway Longboat build and I was dreading it but there's a first time for everything. Once I got going on it, however, it became my favorite part of the build. The rigging adds some much intricate detail to the ship and makes it come alive. Take your time as you go along. Your model will look spectacular when you're done.

[HakeZou]

Hi Bob! I know what you mean about the rigging. Although it can be frustrating with my big clumsy fingers, there's something really satisfying about seeing the rigging going up. One big perk of having the masts already installed is that all of the rigging will be functional (at least until I put Fray-Check on the knots!). Once each antenne is ready, it will be hoisted into place by its halyards, then aligned via the ource and oste lines, and stabilized in place with the garante lines. The staysail will be hoisted by its halyard, too, and then its clew will be tied down. 

 

No way forward now but slow and steady, with a focus on improving my skills. One nice thing is that the blocks that came with the kit are much, much better than what I've seen in my previous kits. These are walnut, shaped consistently and well, and the holes for the sheaves are all drilled out cleanly. There's a little inconsistency on the placement of the holes—within a tolerance of maybe .5mm—but all 50 blocks are usable. 

 

Some time next week I'm hoping to hoist the mizzen sail. I'm really looking forward to seeing that—a few of my colleagues are, too, since my ships are all visible in the background during our Zoom meetings!

[HakeZou]

Put in a little time tonight on the mizzenmast antenne, working on the wooldings. I'm thrilled with how they turned out! I am planning a nice photoset showing the various stages in rigging the antennes....but, well, I'm just really pleased with how these look and thought I'd show off a little. (Thanks for indulging me!) The photo shows the clean side; the knot is on the back. But even on the knot side, the loops are lying against each other this nicely!

 

 

After putting these four wooldings on, I got nervous about the thread supply. So, I measured the entire spool and cut the pieces necessary for the two anchor cables and the 10 wooldings on the other antennes. Had the kit come with the amount of 1mm thread promised, I would have run short. Thankfully, there was a bit extra, so I had enough for everything. After cutting everything, I made a coil of cable that I'll eventually put on the foredeck, near the cable channels and cat davits.

 

[HakeZou]

I wasn't planning to finish hanging the mizzen sail tonight. I was just going to do some of the prep work and hang it tomorrow or Friday. But at a certain moment, I had reached a point of no return and had to finish the job all the way. 5-plus hours later, it's done and I'm mostly satisfied with it. At the very least, I've learned about that will be helpful when I hang the main- and fore-sails. 

 

My original plan for today was to sew a brass ring into the clew of the sail and to attach the pendants to the antenne (for the halyards and the ostes). But then I ran into a problem with the halyards . Because of the pendant blocks on each halyard, the sail cannot be lowered all the way to the deck; as a result, the halyard pendants have to be attached to the antenne directly on the ship; further, the sail has to be attached to the antenne first. My plan to hoist the sail properly was thus crushed. 

 

So, the new plan was: 1. Sew the brass ring into the clew. 2. Attach the sail to the antenne, which I did using ten individual loops. 3. Attach the pendants for the ostes. 4. Run the halyard pendants through the masthead and tie them onto the antenne. 5. Run the middle segment of the halyards through the purchases and tie off on belaying pins. 6. Run the ostes from the sternsprit, through the clew, through the pendant blocks, and tie off on belaying pins. 7. Attach the ources to the forward end of the antenne and tie off on belaying pins. For the main- and foresails, I'll be able to do the ources before the ostes, which will help a lot.

 

Things went mostly well. The bottom tie on the sail slid up just a little bit before the FrayStop glue dried, so the sail is a little loose there. The portside halyard is a bit too loose—I'm not certain whether the antenne shifted on me or whether the thread stretched out from repeated pulling. It's not bad, but pretty noticeable to me. The stern belaying pins were really frustrating. There just isn't enough room to maneuver, even using angled tweezers. The starboard ones look better because I did them first, when there was still room to move around. On the port side, I ended up just tying off the ropes on the top part of the belaying pin. In the end, I'm going to put a couple loops of thread on top of all the belaying pins, so I wasn't too worried about belaying the ropes perfectly and I cut the ropes close to all the knots.    

 

Port side, full view.

 

Detail shots of the mizzen sail from the windward (port) side and leeward (starboard) side.

  

 

Detail of the rigging from the windward (port) side.

 

[HakeZou]

It's been a busy week, so I haven't gotten much done on the xebec. The next big goal is to hang the mainsail. Toward that end, tonight I seized the ropes on ten blocks (I'd attached the ropes to the blocks a couple weeks ago), then tied those blocks down to the eyebolts on the deck. The eight blocks closest to the mast are the bottom parts of the stays. The two to the far right (one on each side) are the bottom parts of the halyards. The last eyebolts on the right are the attachment point for the standing ends of the garantes. Those ropes will each run from the eyebolt, up to a single-sheave block tied onto the antenne, then back down to a belaying pin on the aftdeck.

 

  

 

Next step: preparing the antenne—blocks will be tied on for the garantes and ostes, then the sail will be tied on.

[BobG]

Nice job on the rigging. She's coming right along.