Friendship Sloop "Gwenfra," own design by Piet - 1:25 scale - Finished

[Piet]

Thanks to all for your "like" votes.

 

@ Bob, you are always welcome aboard my friend.

 

This post will be the last episode of my freedom sloop project.  I had failed to make pictures of the sail making process, I just got too preoccupied I guess.  However, the sails were made with some very fine linen my dear wife picked up in an off-white.  Instead of actually sewing all the seems I folded the edges and glued them.  The battens in the mainsail were sandwiched between the mainsail cloth and strips of cloth, also glued with fake stitches drawn in with pencil.

For the jibs I made small brass rings I threaded to the sail edge and onto the brass stays.

To keep the sails as if filled with the wind I soaked them in a mixture of water with some white glue in it.  I shaped them as they were drying.

Not much more to say, everything is well known to most modelers and there seems to be enough how to data available here in MSW.

 

So then, I'll close this project with ten pictures of the sloop's final stage.  I have named her after my dear bride of 50 years, Gwenfra, which is according to her mother, an old Welch name.

 

Name on the bow is Gwenfra.

 

Name on the stern is Gwenfra.

 

Clos-up of the mainmast area.  All sheets are belayed

 

Clos-up of the gaff lifts.

 

Clos-up of shrouds and gaff rigging belayed.

 

Captain Piet at the helm.  The Admiral Gwenfra is in the galley getting Piet some coffee.

 

A seagull's view on Friendship sloop Gwenfra.

 

Freedom sloop Gwenfra seen starboard front

 

Another seagull's view.

 

Bow view of Freedom sloop Gwenfra.

 

 

Fair winds and calm seas to all,

[captainbob]

Congratulations on a fine build. 

 

Bob

[pete48]

Looks Fantastic. Congrats on a beautiful boat

[trippwj]

BEAUTIFUL!!!  Very well done - Congratulations!!!!

[Jim Lad]

Great stuff, Piet - she looks wonderful!

 

Where are we going for our fist sail?

 

John

[capnharv2]

Beautiful job Piet! Thanks for posting this build. Gotta love Friendship Sloops!

 

Harvey

[Piet]

Thank you Cap'n Bob, Pete, Wayne, John and Harvey for having followed this build and your comments, it's really appreciated.

 

This particular model had several reasons for me to build.  First was that my wife and I were going to build a simple version of a sloop but due to certain circumstances we had to shelf that idea.  Thus came the need to build a model of a real sloop I would build if I were a lot younger with unlimited resources.  The other reason was to use this project to get used to working with wood in order for me to design and build a mid 17th century Dutch VOC ship.

 

That project was started soon after this sloop was completed and can be seen under the name VOC ship Surabaya below my signature.  The challenge (to me) was to design my own ships and see how they would come out.  This to me is the ultimate in scratch building.  Yes, I made mistakes and learned from them but that is all part of the fun in scratch building.

 

My wish is to see more people build a scratch model instead of a kit, not that there is anything wrong with kit building but there is something special in doing the research on a ship or boat and then translating the drawings and paintings into a model.  There is really very little difference in these processes, you just have to make your own parts.

 

Well John, I think that our first port of call will be Bermuda.  We'll cast off from Flagler Beach and sail to Jacksonville via the Intercoastel and then south - east across the Atlantic.  Then from there, who knows - - - Costa Rica?

Ah, just dreaming my friend.

 

Okay, now to figure out how to put this model in the gallery.

 

Cheers to all and happy modeling 

[Jim Lad]

What? South east?  Not west across the Pacific?

 

John

[Piet]

Well John, I am afraid she's a little to small for such a long voyage.  Not much space for provisions.  So we'll have to build a larger boat or wait till my VOC ship "Surabaya" is finished   

Have to muster a few hundred people for the crew though but it's with free room and board   

 

Cheers,

[BANYAN]

A very fine build Piet, sorry to have missed most of this great log

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Omega1234]

Hi Piet

 

I'm sorry I missed this build, too, but I joined MSW too late.

 

What a magnificent and beautifully detailed sloop. I love it!

 

All the best

 

Patrick

Edited March 13, 2016 by Omega1234

[Piet]

Thank both of you, Pat and Patrick, for visiting my humble shipyard and your very kind swords.

Yes, it was my first attempt building a ship model since the early 1950's when in trade school in the Netherlands.  Just to get back into it again to gain some experience.

 

A shame that my build log disappeared with the crash of MSW version 1.0

 

Cheers,

[Omega1234]

First attempt, Piet??? Now I feel even more inadequate! LOL

Edited March 13, 2016 by Omega1234