Yankee Hero 1889 by ahb26 - FINISHED - BlueJacket Shipcrafters - Scale 3/8"

[ahb26]

After completing Emma C. Berry, I was looking around for a new project.  I didn't seem to be in the right frame of mind to take on a big, long-duration build, especially one that required lots of intricate rigging, but I still wanted something that would present some new challenges.  I chanced upon a completed Yankee Hero in the Gallery and it really caught my eye.  This is one of BlueJacket's novice-level models and I hadn't previously paid it much attention, but after looking through a few logs, I realized that this model was a good fit for me for the following reasons:

• It rewarded careful work with a very attractive finished product - a chance for me to concentrate on fit and finish, not my strong points.
• Yankee Hero is a New England work boat - better still, a Maine work boat - and a nice companion piece to Emma C. Berry (same scale, same era, similar geography).
• I could get some experience carving a solid hull.  (My inherited Joe Lane revenue cutter came to me with most of the hull work already done.)
• There were opportunities to add details to the basic kit.  (More on this later.)
• The model is relatively small -  easy to display.
• There are some excellent build logs.  Forewarned is forearmed!
• Most of all, Yankee Hero just seemed like the right project for me now.

So I placed my order with BlueJacket, and on Feb. 3, it arrived on my porch.

 

 

 

 

[ahb26]

History and research

Before I got too deep into the project, I read the manual's description of Yankee Hero's history and looked around on the web.  The manual describes how numerous Eastport Pinkys, also called 'Quoddy Boats, were used to haul sardines from the fishing weirs to the processors in the northeast corner of Maine.  Yankee Hero was distinguished only in that her builder created half-hull and rigged models, which survive and presumably form the basis of the kit.  Searching on the Web, I couldn't find much additional information about Eastport Pinkys in general or Yankee Hero specifically, which leads me to believe that some cosmetic details, such as color scheme, might be speculative.

 

While I didn't find much about the boat as it was used in the 19th century, I did discover that reproductions have been created more recently for use as day sailors or camping boats.  The WoodenBoat site offers plans for an Eastport Pinky.  But the best find was a set of plans drawn by Roger Long in 1972, and later made available by him for unrestricted download at https://www.cruisingonstrider.us/27Pinky.htm. Here you can find lines, construction and rigging details, cabin layout - almost everything you would need to build the full-sized boat. Now, there's no guarantee that these plans are a faithful guide to how Yankee Hero, or any other Eastport Pinky of that era, might have appeared or been built.  But they do illustrate opportunities to add details that were omitted in the novice-friendly  kit.  Some of those details (such as scuppers) would almost certainly have appeared on the original boat.  Others might not have.  I intend to incorporate details from the Roger Long plan that seem appropriate - or that catch my fancy, for that matter.  I'd encourage anyone who builds this kit to at least have a look at these plans: they are fascinating.

Edited February 9, 2022 by ahb26
Grammar

[ahb26]

And so we begin.  The first step is to shape the bow and stern to match the supplied templates.  I found no issues at the stern.  The bow required a bit of sanding but was generally close to the template.  I also checked the deck against the top surface of the hull, and found (as others have) that the deck was too long at the stern - better that than too short!  Near the bow, the deck was slightly smaller than the outline of the hull; I made a mental note to sand away the excess when I get to the sanding stage.

 

At this point I should mention that I initially planned to plank over the hull with left-over planking from Emma C. Berry.  I thought about this a lot and eventually abandoned the idea: it seemed it would be difficult to do properly and was likely as not to end in tears.

 

Once the bow and stern shapes are correct, the next step is to establish the "center plane," essentially a line from the center points at the tops of the bow and stern down the stem and stern and along the keel. The kit provides a clever way to do this that worked well.  Following this, lines are drawn either side of the center plane to mark the edges of the 1/8" thick stem, keel, and sternpost.  This photo shows the lines marked, clearly off-center from the pre-carved hull.  The plans note this possibility.  Following the instructions will ensure that the center plane is at right angles to the top of the hull, which is what matters.

 

 

In the photo, I've started to remove wood around the stern.  I wouldn't call it "carving" at this point, more like "hacking" as I learned how to use the knives.  Pretty much all of the shaping was done with the two blades shown.  At first I thought I  should get a rotary tool for the job, but in retrospect I'm glad I didn't.  I probably would have made a mess of things.  Once I learned to use them, the knives did the job pretty easily.

 

The kit plans do not include section lines or templates for the hull.  I can understand that these might be a bit much for a novice builder, possibly causing more harm than good.  But I would have liked to have them, if only to see if the finished hull is as symmetrical as it appears to be.

 

 

Trial-fitting the stem to the bow - not sure how much shaping I had done at this point.  It looks pretty good in the photo, turned out to be not quite so good when glued on later.

 

I used MH Ready Patch (of which I have an inexhaustible supply) to fill imperfections in the hull.  Most were dings or chatter marks that came with the hull; a few were my doing.  Generally speaking, the hull as supplied was in very good shape.  After multiple iterations of fill-and-sand, I decided the hull was finally ready for a trial coat of primer.

 

 

I used Krylon "Rust Tough" primer, which I have on hand.  (I may end up using this as the below-waterline hull color.)  The pins were left in place so I wouldn't lose the location of the holes.

 

 

I was generally pretty pleased with the results.  After light sanding, there were a few remaining dings, and one area at the stern where I didn't like the shape I had created.  I filled and sanded that.

 

 

The next step was to attache the stem, sternpost, and keel.  I did the stem and sternpost first, holding the pieces in position with pins and applying pressure with rubber bands.

 

 

Then the keel (after trimming it to length) and a section of the stem that didn't get enough glue the first time:

 

 

There were a few gaps between these pieces and the hull, mostly at the stem.  I filled these and they await sanding.

 

 

In this photo, you can see the area I repaired previously under another coat of primer.  I'm still not 100% happy with it and may revisit it.

 

There is still quite a lot to do before I paint the hull, but this is a good stopping point while I consider next moves.

[ahb26]

Time for an update.  The instructions call for building the hold and cabin assembly next, and this fit with my plans.  It was a pretty straightforward process.  I made sure things were square and glued the panels for the hold together with carpenter's glue.

 

 

The kit supplies cast fittings to represent the windows and shutters on the cabin sides.  Instead of the fittings, I decided to cut the panels and build frames and shutters.  I added "glass" cut from the clear plastic cover of the manual.

 

 

To attach the cabin sides and front onto the cabin's back panel, which I had previously glued to the hold, I placed the deck on the hull and held it down with a rubber band to get the curvature correct, then positioned the side panels with the front, marked their positions on the deck, and glued.  The resulting structure had no lateral rigidity, so I glued in a cross brace.  The pins, made from 1/16" brass tube, were added to position the cabin-hold assembly precisely, for reasons that will be explained in the next post.

 

 

[ahb26]

We now reach the first major modification to the kit.  I have a lot of 1/8"x1/16" basswood left over from Emma C. Berry, where I only planked a little more than half the deck.  I decided to use it to plank Yankee Hero's deck instead of using the supplied pre-cut sheet deck.  I also wanted to crown the deck - the carved hull does not have a crown and it might be difficult to get the sheet deck to conform to a crowned shape in any case.  My plan was to use some of the scrap from ECB to make up "false beams" that I could glue to the deck.

 

 

This illustrates why one should never throw anything away.  I also wanted to install a covering board around the edge of the deck, rather than taking the planking right to the edge.  I planned to cut the covering board from the supplied sheet deck.  The Roger Long plans include a detailed cross-section of the deck edge:

 

 

The part identified as the "false planksheer" is what I am calling the covering board.

 

The purpose of the locating pins in the cabin and hold is to keep the assembly precisely located during the process of adding the "false beams" and later the planking, while at the same time allowing the assembly to be removed.  With the cabin and hold in place, I marked the location of the beams and set about cutting them from my scrap.  This wasn't easy, as the thin pieces tended to break along the grain while cutting.  I resorted to a good deal of sanding to get the shapes I wanted.   Here, most of them are glued in place but not yet trimmed at the ends or faired.

 

 

I should point out that I glued 1/16" square strips to the bottoms of the cabin sides and front since they no longer were sitting on the deck.

 

I scribed the deck (not quite as wide as shown in the photo)...

 

 

and cut it out.  I left the center strip back to the mast to possibly serve as a king plank.

 

 

However, the mast hole in the plank didn't quite line up with the hole in the hull, so I removed the plank and cut a new one.

 

Finally, I glued the covering board to the deck and false beams, using CA.  Some fettling was required but the edges of the board line up with the hull edges pretty well, and I will sand everything flush.  I plan to cover the seam between the board and hull with a 1/8"x1/32" "rub rail" as shown in the deck edge detail. 

 

 

To my relief, the hold-cabin assembly slips back in without difficulty.

 

 

Now I need to finish painting the cabin, and work on the hull in preparation for painting.

[ahb26]

Puttering along while I wait for Model Expo to get around to shipping the paint I ordered.  I got the rudder set up, first mounting the pintles and offering up the rudder to the stern post -

 

 

then mounting the gudgeons.  I ended up with a little more space between the sternpost and rudder than I wanted -

 

 

but still relatively pleased with the outcome.  I continued to work on the hull and worked out the placement of the waterline.  I tried the painting white boot top area, intending to mask it when applying the hull colors, but I wasn't pleased with the result, so I sanded everything off and resprayed with a gray primer.  This of course exposed more imperfections.

 

 

After going back and forth about the order of operations, and still waiting for the hull paint, I decided to tackle the toe boards with the assumption that it would be a messy operation, requiring more sanding to clean up glue.  I have a large supply of 3/64" strip stock left over from Emma C. Berry and decided to use some of it (cut down to 1/8") for the toe boards instead of the supplied 1/16"x1/8" strips - easier to bend and slightly less chunky.  I cut scuppers in each strip, then wet them and bent them to shape.

 

 

Gluing the toeboards to the covering boards was, as expected, challenging and a bit messy.  I learned enough that if I had to do it again, I'd do a better job - isn't that usually the way? 

 

 

The stern was tricky since the hull seems to dip down there slightly, resulting in a gap between the toeboards and the hull.  I had made up a small extension to the sternpost and tried to fit the toeboards to that, but I finally ended up filling the junction of the toeboards with a small piece of wood, as I have seen others do.

 

 

Now it's more filling and sanding.  Yankee Hero at this point is a bit of an ugly duckling and it's difficult to envision the beautiful swan I hope she will become.

 

I also built the bowsprit and Samson post.

 

 

That's it for now.

[ahb26]

Well, the paint arrived just after I submitted the last post.  Hull painting is finally complete, but it was an arduous process and other activities demanded my time so it all took a while.

 

I drew a waterline - dictated more by how the hull sits in its cradle than by the line in the plans and templates - and painted below the waterline with Vallejo Model Colors Cavalry Brown, brushed on.  I have not previously used Vallejo paint. The paint covered very well and dried completely flat. The color is very close to Model Master British Crimson that I have used on previous models - not quite as red.

 

 

Next I ran a strip of the 1/16" tape supplied with the kit around the top edge of the painted area.

 

 

So far, so good.  I had chosen a Model Expo dark green for the hull color.  It didn't cover that well and required several coats.  I didn't try to keep it off the tape since I intended to remove the tape later.  (This is pretty much in accordance with the instructions.)  The green is shinier than the brown.

 

 

Now, for a color accent, I masked off the rub strip and painted it yellow (another Model Expo paint). 

 

 

This is not in the instructions, but I thought it might be a reasonable addition.  (It's also an homage to the colors used on early Team Lotus race cars, before they started painting their F1 cars like cigarette packs.)  I stripped off the masking tape and...

 

 

The masking tape did not prevent leakage, and it also pulled up some of the green paint.  I don't think that paint adhered to the primer all that well.

 

 

Bummer.  I touched up with the green paint as best I could, then removed the white tape and replaced it with fresh tape to make the boot top.

 

 

But let's face it, the surface above the rub strip is far from perfect.  Rather than live with it, I decided to do another round of sanding and filling in that area.  That took a while - results in the next post.

[ahb26]

After sanding, filling, repainting, and several rounds of touch-up, I was satisfied enough with the paint, but I was nervous about how fragile it was - especially the green.  I have not previously used a matte varnish on hulls but it seemed like a good idea in this case.  The photo shows the not-yet-varnished hull and a test piece I made up to make sure the spray enamel matte varnish was compatible with the paint.

 

 

Judging by the test piece, the varnish does a good job of protecting the paint.  Here is the varnished hull:

 

 

 

The varnish dulls the gloss of the green paint and white stripe tape, and de-emphasizes the flaws.  However, the bottom of the hull is slightly shinier now since the varnish is not as completely flat as the paint.  Now it's on to the topsides!

[MrBlueJacket]

To prevent underbleed, brush or spray either clear or the underlying paint on the edge of the tape.

[ahb26]

Deck planking is done - a long, fiddly process.  I planned to start at the bow with a king plank and work out from that.  The sides of the king plank needed to be parallel with each other and with the sides of the hold structure - I got close but not perfect.  Gluing it in...

Next I glued in, at long last, the hold and cabin assembly, locating it with the dowels I installed previously.

I installed the planks in three groups. The first group built out from the king plank to the planks that run along the sides of the hold.  Again, it was critical to get these right since the remaining planks would be fitted to them.  I cut and fit the planks on the hull but laying them out on the plan gives a better idea:

Note the slight asymmetry - the sides of the hold are not quite on the centerline I used for the king plank, as shown by the differing widths of the long outer planks.  Everything glued in...

I sanded and varnished the individual planks before gluing them in since there was not enough room to properly sand the deck.  Next I filled in the area between the long planks at the stern, working toward the middle.  Here the planks are dry-fitted, with a wider plank in the middle.  Note the slight taper in the wider plank, resulting from lack of parallelism in the starting points and/or the crown of the false beams.

Once those planks were glued in, I filled out the sides of the deck.

I replaced the wide central plank behind the hold with a normal-width plank and a little tapered sliver.

It's not perfect but I'm pleased with the look.  Putting the crown in the deck was a lot of work and created some problems, and it's hardly noticeable, but I'm still glad I did it!  Next I need to install the mitered trim strips around the cabin and hold, a job I am not looking forward to.

 

[ahb26]

The hull is more or less complete.  The molding around the base of the cabin and hold was fiddly as expected but turned out OK after a bit of filler and paint touch-up.  I installed the bowsprit, gammon iron, and Samson post, and made up the sheet traveler, drilled the holes and fit it, but it's not glued in yet - I'll do that in the rigging process.

 

The camera reveals the gaps between some of the deck planks and the cover board - they sure didn't look that bad when I was gluing them in...

Next step is to shape the spars and outfit them.  At this point I have a question.  The kit does not show shrouds for Yankee Hero.  The rigged model created by her builder doesn't have them, and an etching taken from a photo of a similar boat does not appear to have them either.  However, modern versions of Quoddy boats of the same size as Yankee Hero do have shrouds.  I'd like to add them - in part because I like the look, but also from a practical point of view, it would be useful to have additional bracing for the mast since it doesn't have much penetration to the hull.  In order to get the mast to the correct rake angle, I will need to shape the bottom end so it has a slightly loose fit, further increasing the need for lateral stabilization. So the question is: Would it be reasonable or expected for Yankee Hero, or a similar boat of her size, to have shrouds in that era?

 

[ahb26]

In the last month, I've made progress and reached the point where there are just a few details left.  I made up the boom rest and pin rail assembly, using the cut-off stub of mast dowel to get the shape right.

I decided to forego the shrouds since the instructions plainly state that there were none.  The forestay and topping lift do a good job of holding the mast in place at the correct rake, once the main sheet is tensioned.  Here is an intermediate state of rigging:

and as completed.

Instead of the Britannia blocks supplied with the kit, I used 3/16" Model Shipways walnut blocks.  I used BlueJacket mast hoops instead of the supplied split rings.

For the jib sheets, I used smaller-gauge BlueJacket rigging line left over from a previous kit, and ran them through 1/8" Syren blocks rather than directly through the eyebolts.

As I was trying to figure out how to glue the tiller to the rudder in just the right place and angle, it occurred to me to pin them and allow the tiller to pivot vertically.  With some difficulty - the slotted area of the tiller is fragile and I broke it while drilling - I was able to do so.

The instructions mention that the standing room area could be closed off from the hold by a system of panels running in grooves, to prevent the catch from spilling in.  I gave some thought to how this might look, and came up with this:

The frame is glued to the back end of the hold and panels are dropped in as needed.

With the rudder installed, the tiller rests on the sternpost and is parallel to the deck - just dumb luck on my part!

So all that is left is the anchor and the name and port transfers.  Next post should show the finished product.

 

[ahb26]

Yankee Hero is finished.

The dry transfers didn't want to transfer so I replicated them in MS Word and glued them to thin strip wood for placement on the hull.  Not ideal.

I soaked the anchor line in the dregs of my morning coffee to give it some color.

Thanks to all who looked in and left a thumbs-up!

[GrandpaPhil]

Congratulations!  Well done!

[MrBlueJacket]

Very nice. Your customer file ow shows you will get a 10% discount on the next kit you buy from us.

 

Nic

[ahb26]

Thanks!

[Mike Collier]

It looks really good! I’m thinking that will be my next kit!

[BobG]

This is a lovely little boat! Nice job, Andrew!

[ahb26]

Yankee Hero suffered a mishap at the hands (paws) of our cat.

The model was displayed on top of our upright piano.  He never goes up there - until he did, with the specific intent (I am convinced) to create mayhem.  Poor Yankee Hero tumbled to the floor.

The tip of the boom was broken off, along with one side of the boom jaws.  The top block of the gaff halyard was pulled out of the mast, and the rudder's top gudgeon was torn off.  The display cradle was also damaged.

 

I fixed the cradle, and the rest of the repair was put on the back burner while I finished the Muscongus Bay lobster smack.  After surveying the damage, I glued the tip of the boom back on with an internal pin for strength, and glued the boom jaw segment back in place.  The gaff rigging was intact but hopelessly tangled, so I re-rigged after replacing the top block into the mast.  I worked the boom back into place with new parrell beads and refit the topping lift rigging (the boom broke at the hole through which it passes).  I glued the gudgeon back onto the stern and touched up the paint.  Finally, I tightened the gaff halyard to get tension on all the lines, and belayed it.

A lot of fiddly work but worth the effort.  Now I have to find a safe spot to display it!  The lobster smack is on top of my tall dresser - the cat never goes up there...

 

[MrBlueJacket]

On 7/4/2023 at 9:29 AM, ahb26 said:

The lobster smack is on top of my tall dresser - the cat never goes up there...

 

I think you've said that before.......

 

Nic

[Rick310]

Well done and nice recovery!!

Rick

[CF53]

Greetings!!  How did you attach the blocks to the boom and mast!  I’m not seeing the process in the manual and looking at pics I’m unable to see it in detail.  Thanks and regards …..

[ahb26]

On 10/10/2023 at 11:49 AM, CF53 said:

Greetings!!  How did you attach the blocks to the boom and mast!  I’m not seeing the process in the manual and looking at pics I’m unable to see it in detail.  Thanks and regards …..

There is a pretty good photo of the top of the mast and other rigging back in post #13.  I don't recall what the manual said about it, but I did my own thing, more or less.  I believe the ring bolts inserted into the mast came with the kit, or were leftover from some other kit.  I strapped the blocks with fine steel wire, leaving a length of wire at one end of the block, and looped that end through the ring bolt. Fine needle-nose pliers and a good flush cutter are essential.

[CF53]

Thanks….. sorry for the delay in my response