Flying Fish by Rick310 - Model Shipways - 1/96

[Rick310]

Finally finished rigging the mizzen topmast.  This included the shrouds, lanyards, backstays and the ratlines and the mizzen topmast stay.  

I also finished rigging the mizzen topsail reef line, and the bunt and leech lines.  These are not yet permanently secured to their belaying pins.  The topsail bowlines were also temporarily run to their blocks on the aft side of the main top to get them out of the way for the time being.

One major flaw with the plans, in my opinion, is the lack of information on which lines run through which holes in the fairleads in the top and on the shrouds.  Also, the plans fail to show accurately the relationship of the pins in the rack rail to the shrouds.  This often results in a specific pin not being as close to the shroud fairlead to insure a straight path.

The result is that I have to modify which lines are belaying to which pins. I am not able to follow the belaying diagram which I’m sure was based on accepted practice. This  probably explains why I had to run the mizzen  peak halyard aft due to interference with the mizzen top.

The run of the bowlines are my interpretation base largely on the Flying cloud model at the Boston Fine Art Museum.  May be wrong but seem logical to me knowing that the run of the bowlines had to be such that they would not interfere when lowering the yard quickly, same as the braces.

If anyone has any thoughts, I would love to hear them!

[MrBlueJacket]

Masterful work, Rick!

 

Nic

[Rick310]

Thanks Nic!  I keep waiting for this to get easier!

Rick

[Keith Black]

28 minutes ago, Rick310 said:

I keep waiting for this to get easier!

 Rick, it gets easier after the last knot is tied.   Rigging is a difficult long drawn out process that at times seems never ending. 

[Rick310]

Very true!!

I told myself that rigging would be easier so I wouldn’t get overwhelmed!

Rick

[Keith Black]

5 minutes ago, Rick310 said:

I told myself that rigging would be easier so I wouldn’t get overwhelmed!

 Did self call you a liar? 

[Jared]

It is such a relief and really satisfying when you finally are able to declare the model finished!  Keep up the great work 

[Rick310]

Keith,
I lie to myself all the time, that I can actually finish this build.

 

Rick

[Rick310]

Thanks for the encouragement Jared!

Rick

[Rick310]

As an aside, I had to take the spreaders off all 3 cross trees as the opening for the shrouds, backstays and stay, especially if the shrouds are served.

This involved soaking the spreaders with acetone for 20-30 minutes and carefully prying them off the cross trees , trying not to break them.

For anyone making this model, I recommend not attaching the spreaders until the top masts are rigged.

Even with the spreaders removed, there really isn’t enough room for the shrouds and backstays.

Rick

[Keith Black]

3 hours ago, Rick310 said:

I lie to myself all the time, that I can actually finish this build.

 No, no, you can and you are going to finish this. You're way too invested not to. 

[Rick310]

Keith, I have no intention of quitting!!  
My wife and family would murder me !!

Rick

[gak1965]

Really nice looking Rick! I know this is a small detail, but how did you get the fairleads on the shrouds so neat? It was a perpetual source of frustration trying to get them to stay in place.

 

Regards,

Geirge

[Rick310]

George, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you!  
After filing a groove in the deadeyes/fairlead with a round diamond file, I glued black thread in the groove on the inward side of the fairlead (away from the shroud).  I used titebond wood glue.  When that had set, I wrapped the thread in the groove around the shroud and tied an over hand knot.  Then I wrapped the thread back round the fairlead and tied another over hand knot that was then glued with cyano.

I found the failed would still rotate around the shroud, so to keep them in place, I touched them with a drop of cyano to the shroud.

Sorry for the long explanation!

Rick

[gak1965]

On 11/13/2025 at 9:41 AM, Rick310 said:

George, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you!  
After filing a groove in the deadeyes/fairlead with a round diamond file, I glued black thread in the groove on the inward side of the fairlead (away from the shroud).  I used titebond wood glue.  When that had set, I wrapped the thread in the groove around the shroud and tied an over hand knot.  Then I wrapped the thread back round the fairlead and tied another over hand knot that was then glued with cyano.

I found the failed would still rotate around the shroud, so to keep them in place, I touched them with a drop of cyano to the shroud.

Sorry for the long explanation!

Rick

 

That's quite clear, thank you!

 

And sorry for my late reaction. Life changes, etc...

 

George

[Rick310]

Hope all is well in Cleveland!

It really is a great city that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves!

Plus, 2 great hospital systems!

Rick

[Rick310]

Well, it’s been 3 months since my last post.  
In that time I made the 5 lower yards, main and fore topsail yards, fore, main and mizzen course yards.  Actually made 6 as I broke the yard arm on the fore topsail yard trying to push one of the bands on and had to remake it.  Good news is it’s better than the first one. I also made the stunsl booms prior to making the stunsl irons.

There were a lot of iron work on each yard.  These were made from copper tube and sheet.  Each had to be individually fitted to the yard.  All the iron work was blackened.

Yards were painted flat black, bands pushed on,sheaves rivited in and the yards rivited to the parrels.

Blocks are strapped with 26 ga copper wire as were the stirrups.  Foot ropes are .012 black ( dark brown) rope from Syren as are the blocks.

Currently in the process of attaching the blocks with their rigging to the yards.

[RVB]

From Rick to Rick

Absolutely fantastic build!! When I built Model Shipways USS Niagara I felt just like you and Keith that the rigging would never end. Many times I swore to myself that I would never rig another ship again. But I didn’t hold true to my promise. It was like the molar root canal that you prayed the filing would just get over and wished you never got involved in it. Such a great deal of satisfaction when you finally finished it. Beautiful build. 
Best Rick

[Rick310]

Thanks Rick!!

loved your build also!

As an Endodontist, there were plenty of molar root canals I wished I’d never had started!!

Rick

[MrBlueJacket]

On 10/6/2025 at 6:10 PM, Jared said:

It is such a relief and really satisfying when you finally are able to declare the model finished!  Keep up the great work 

Actually, I think a model is never "finished" because you can always see something to add......

 

Finished means you have decided to stop working on it.

 

Nic 😉