HMS Bounty’s Jolly Boat by Ken_2 – FINISHED - Artesania Latina – 1:25

[Ken_2]

The HMS Bounty set sail from England in August of 1787 on a Botanical mission.  The famous mutiny occurred in July of 1789, nearly 2 years later.  Captain Bligh and 18 other sailors were set adrift in the Jolly Boat designed for a maximum of 15 people, and not designed as an ocean going vessel.  They were given minimal supplies.  Captain Bligh and his men sailed the subject open boat 3,618 nautical miles to the Dutch settlement on Timor, part of today’s Indonesia. This boat was 23 feet long.  They were provided with 5 days provisions, water, a sextant, nautical tables, charts and at the last minute 4 cutlasses were provided.

I have had this kit in my closet for some time, and I thought I would assemble it since, 1) summer is fast approaching and I do not want to get involved in a complex boat build until next fall, when I may have more free time, and 2)  but, if I wait until next fall, some of my newly acquired modeling skills may be forgotten.  So, it seems like this is a good way to stay current, empty my closet, and be ready for something more challenging, later.

The quality of the instructions and materials are typical of Artesania Latina.  The instructions are to look at all the photographs and read all the documentation provided in the kit.  I have done this, and I am ready to begin.

[Ken_2]

Step 1, assemble the outer keel, frames, and bow reinforcements.  I removed all the parts.

[Ken_2]

Then I removed the laser char.  The char (the effects of heating the wood while cutting for later assembly) leaves a wood surface that looks burned and is a rough surface, both of which can hinder surface bonding with glue. I spent some time studying the best way to remove this char.  As best I can tell, one does not need to remove all the darkened wood for gluing, but only smooth it.  So, I sanded all charred surfaces with 220 grit sandpaper to smooth it out.  Further, if the surface is to be seen, one needs to sand it further, such that all darkened wood is removed.  Some people did this even if it was to be painted, since the darkened wood has a different finish, which may show in the finish of the paint.

For this part of the boat, I think most of the wood will not be showing.  Thus, I just used 220 grit to smooth down all the char.  By looking ahead, I see a portion of the frames will show (as seen in the red circle below).  After dry fitting and before I glue these frames on the keel, I did a more careful sanding of the parts of the frames that will show, and I will study the keel more carefully.  I think the false keel will hide the charred surfaces.

[Ken_2]

I glued the deck on the frames using wood glue (not instant glue as recommended).

Next I cut the floor boards.  There is no extra wood provided, only seven 310 mm lengths of floor board.  One 310 mm piece for the 187 mm center board and six 310 mm pieces for the six 140 mm boards and six 167 mm boards

Edited March 31, 2022 by Ken_2
changed 300 mm to become 310 mm

[Peanut6]

Welcome to the Jolly Boat club.  Hope you don't mind me pulling up a chair and following along.  I'm very curious to see if you run across any of the same issues I had and if so, how you deal with them.  I attached my deck boards at this point and later wished I hadn't because they hindered clamping surface availability during the hull planking and kept popping off (maybe I'm just ham-fisted).  With this being an open boat there is plenty of accessibility in order to attach the deck boards after the hull planking is complete.  Good luck and have fun.

 

kev

[allanyed]

  Considering the information you have from the kit, you may want to also get hold of the W. E. Mays book on ship's boats which gives actual scantlings for every part of various types of boats from long boats to pinnaces to launches, which is the type of boat Bligh used.    Or, you can easily check out the many boats plans at RMG and/or on the Wiki Commons site.    https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Ship_plans_of_the_Royal_Museums_Greenwich   

 

From the Pitcairn Museum  

During the events of the mutiny on the Bounty, three boats were launched: first the jolly boat which was found to be rotten through with worms and would certainly have sunk, then the cutter which also leaked and simply would not hold the large number of loyalists who preferred to go with Bligh, and finally the launch. . .

 

It could be the museum has it wrong, but I would trust them before this kit based on the photos which show a lot of mistakes in their design.  Other members here may have some better contemporary information on this, including the various definitions of jolly boats at various times in the ages of sail.     

 

Allan

Edited April 4, 2022 by allanyed

[Ken_2]

Kev:

Thanks for tagging along.  I need all the advice and help I can get.  I know what I am doing, and just can't do what I know! ha!

Now that I think about your lesson about delaying the "attachment of the deck" advice, I see it would have been better for me to not attach it either.  I've been absent for a while building a new work bench and spray booth (pictures to follow soon).  but now I am getting back into working on the boat.  I am currently stuck on what colors I will use and where.  I wish I had thought of the color scheme sooner, but thankful I thought of it before I progress further.

 

All of the completed Bounty jolly boats look so good.  From wood to wonderfully colored boats.  I'm thinking my frames and deck will be a wood color, and the hull will be a combination of mostly white with some trim colors.  I may use the frames as it, or paint them somewhat darker, like yours.  If I elect to paint the frames it will be difficult to paint with the deck attached.  I can tape everything off and paint.  Thats a lot of work, but good practice on my taping skills.  These days I use wood glue which can often be taken off with warm water.  So, once I get back into the "harness", I'll make a choice on the color scheme, make a little more progress, and then post a few days' worth of work.  I say days, ... when really, I mean evening and weekends.  We are providing full time day care for our grandchildren 1, 2 and 3 yrs old.  This is a full-time job!  Thus, I am progressing pitifully slow.  I'd apologize, but my wife is teaching me so much about children, I have come to believe that being a positive influence on these wonderful kids has become my 1st hobby, and modeling is now my 2nd hobby.  So "ahead slow" it is.  🙂

 

Blog with you later

Ken

Edited April 17, 2022 by Ken_2
spelling

[Ken_2]

Allan

 

Thanks for that link.  I will find examples of launches in that link and study them carefully.  This will be very useful.  I seem to learn best by not doing what I'm told and finding out later why the right way is best.  So, whether i can learn from these ships plans before I assemble this boat or after I assemble it, I will be better for the link - Thanks.  I am currently struggling for a unique but somewhat period correct color scheme.  I think I have one, but like i said I, may find it is not quite right after I have painted the boat. 

Ken

Edited April 17, 2022 by Ken_2
spelling

[allanyed]

The following drawing is based on 23 foot launch plans at RMG and scantlings from W.E. Mays' book so maybe can help you.   I am not sure of the resolution you will get here, but if you would like a high res version in whatever scale you want, feel free to PM me.  A side note: the davit and davit side supports in the stern were most likely removed for Bligh's voyage.  As to color, maybe some of the models at RMG will give you some ideas.  One of many examples can be seen at  https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-66539

Allan

[Ken_2]

As I progress through this build process, I realize I need a paint color scheme for the boat, and a better airbrush station than my cardboard box.  I’ve been meaning to upgrade my workspace in the garage, so I took this time to pause work on the boat and built a new work bench.  I also took time to filter all the junk that I have collected over the years, and store it better, or throw it out.  Now that most of my junk has been organized, I then built a new spray booth.

[Ken_2]

I am still studying my color scheme, but I have decided to keep the interior of the launch as natural wood.  Thus, I can go back to working on the boat now.  I will only paint the hull, rigging, oars, and other deck equipment.  But one lesson learned is that I need to identify a color scheme before I start building my next boat, rather than pick my colors part way through the assembly process. 

With all this garage stuff out of the way, I am now proceeding to add the floor boards to the Jolly boat.  I had previously cut all the floorboards, before my garage upgrade, but as I went to place them in, not all of these fit on the frames as shown in the instructions.  I had to “widen” the upward curve of 4 of the frames, in order to lay all the floor boards flat (see red circles below).  In addition, not all of the seven strips of apparent mahogany were of the same color.  One of one of the seven strips was whitish.  Rather that trying to paint or stain this wood, I decided to cut a new floorboard from another mahogany strip that was left over from another boat.

[Ken_2]

Next, we are to attach the stern thwarts and batayolas (or bow rail).

I struggled knowing how to “fit” the bow rail until I looked at the large illustration and Peanut6’s build log (nice build log Kev, lots of helpful information).  It is supposed to be at an angle.

[Peanut6]

Very nice bench and paint booth, both look quite sturdy and serviceable.  I'm glad my build log is of help to you and hopefully to others.  That was the primary goal and just sharing my experience.  I try to go back and add warnings/cautions/suggestions/be-carefulls/etc. at the appropriate place(s) when I discover an error I've made after the fact.  I haven't used any paint on my Jolly Boat.  Everything is stained or just the natural wood.  If you do decide to use stain, please please please use a water based stain.  Not knowing any better at the time, I used an oil based stain and it posed big problems for me later in my builld.  The oil based stain creates a barrier so the PVA cannot reach into the wood thus the bond is not nearly as strong (my keel pieces and transom post kept falling off).  I would also suggest using isopropyl alcohol instead of water to debond PVA.  Water will cause the wood to swell and raise the grain which may create extra work for you, where isopropyl alcohol does not.  I found a sanding block work well on installing the bow rail as I was able to create a single plane across the multiple surfaces.  Take your time, have fun and most importantly don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have.

[Ken_2]

I cut and glued the seats in place with the wood provided, and now I am ready to start the planking process.  But as I measure and plan for the planks, I can’t help thinking that the appearance of the Ramin wood seats could be improved.  I am committed to not painting the interior, so all that is left for a different seat “look” is to use a different kind of wood.  Since I have a large sheet of Cherry Wood laying around, I cut a strip of wood 8 mm wide, and I like that better.  I also have a sheet of Oak.  I will unglue a few Ramin seats and set them aside.  I will proceed to start the planking process, and at some future point, I will select which wood I like and re-install the seats.  Who knows, maybe I will paint after all!?

[Ken_2]

On to planking.  I’ve decided not to use the taper planks that were provided in the kit.  I’m going to use the lessons from the NRG Half Hull Planking Project.  I measured each frame and calculated how many planks I will use, and how much to taper them, and if I will need drop planks and/or Stealers.

The picture below is my first draft of the planking plan.  I renamed the first 2 bow frames 1 and 2.  I found the leading edge of the 1^st frame was 24 mm long.  Frame 6 is the widest at 62 mm.  The provided planks are 5mm.  The picture below, of my excel, is what I used to start my planning.  It is not obvious what I have done.  Still, I am learning and this is my best.  The resultant “tailoring of planks” is in the Red text.  This red text is to be the adjusted width of each plank at each frame (except the first two planks.  These slightly adjusted after installation and started with a 6 mm  width).

A summary of the Excel:  The Excel is intended to: 1) keep the planks from getting too narrow at the bow, 2) to keep them in line with the sheer of the boat, and 3) provide me a starting point for shaping the width of the planks.  The garboard and the broad strake are at a fixed 6 mm width.  The rest of the planks start at a 5 mm width and are to be shaped.  The Red text below applies to these 5 mm planks and is the final width after “narrowing” of these planks at each frame.

Edited May 2, 2022 by Ken_2
clarity

[Ken_2]

I faired the frames and installed the 6 mm garboard and the broad strake planks on each side.  These first 2 planks did need a bit of narrowing at the bow, to make a close fit to one another and to allow for the false keel.  I can’t tell if they are too wide, which will cause more curving than the top sheer.  Once these were installed, I remeasured the remaining open frames to ensure I had the right distance to place the remaining ten 5 mm planks.  Then I cut 10 strips of wood, each with the width of a plank for each frame as noted in the Excel sheet above (e.g. 2.4 mm).  I then use a pencil mark on each frame with that same width.  This, to ensure I had the right measurements, and to measure progress as I add planks to the fames.  Then marked the first 5 mm plank with the desired width, in preparation for narrowing.  And installed it.

Edited May 2, 2022 by Ken_2
clarity

[Ken_2]

That’s all for this week.

[Peanut6]

Good start on the planking.  Starting with the 3rd plank, I would suggest you really look at how much you've faired frame #9, per your chart.  The reason I say this is because the first couple planks don't touch #9 and getting a nice transition and good contact with the keel upright from frame #8 is pretty easy.  I had a very difficult time getting a smooth transition from #8 thru #9 to get sufficient contact with the keel upright until I got to the transom.  I was only catching the very end.  And really didn't see the high spot, hard transition and lack of surface contact for a few planks.  On my second planking go-around I faired #9 to the point I was afraid I'd gone too far, though things smoothed out considerably and was able to get a better purchase on the keel upright.

 

Another thing, if you plan on staining the hull, be sure the wood filler you get is stainable.  I didn't and wished I had, check out my build log to see my problems.  Since then I've learned that Elmer's makes an interior water based filler for light colored wood and another for dark colored wood that is stainable.  Haven't tried it but plan on using it on my future builds.    

[allanyed]

Very nice work Ken!   I have looked at  pictures of various Bounty "jolly boat" builds here and comparing the photo of the frames above I just noticed the overall shape looks nothing like a launch, but rather, a cutter, and I wonder why this was done.  As mentioned earlier the famous journey did not use the jolly boat which was rotted, nor the cutter which was too small and leaked, but rather the launch.   The below shows what I mean about the shape.  The sketch below is a collection take from various contemporary plans at RMG.  

 Allan

[Ken_2]

Very interesting.  This seems to be a short coming of the kit

[Ken_2]

Thanks Kev, for the heads up on the complexity about how the planks fit in the stern as they transition from the keel to the last frame (i.e. there is a small bonding surface).  I studied this and modeled the assembly with a few left over planks (picture below).  I decided to make the aft portion of plank # 4 flair to 5 mm so that it filled the last of the keel.  And sized the 5^th frame per my excel (i.e. 3.4 mm).  this seemed to make a smooth transition.  I then placed the prototypes in position and they seem to fit. 

[Ken_2]

To address the bonding surface, I beveled the frames to match the curvature of the planks (I do this as I go).  And I added a bonding pad at the front and stern to ensure adhesion.

[Ken_2]

I then laid two more planks.

[Peanut6]

Ken_2, it gives me warm fuzzies to know there is the slight possibility I was of help to you.  Your filler block from #9 to the transom is great, plus it can't be seen from above, nice job.  And your plank width adjustment at the transom/keel union is great foresight, again nice job.  Obviously you saw I kinda' smusched/smashed that plank into place at that location.  If you're still referring to my build log, be sure to check out what I said about sanding down the planks along the keel upright (once hull planking is completed) before attaching the keel and keel post.  That is unless you have mad metal bending skills I don't possess.  And we still don't look at my bottom gudgeon.

[Ken_2]

I moved my workstation to the garage last spring and continued planking.  But after working in the garage, family activities overtook me, and I was only able to work a month or so before summer completely took my time.  (I like to sail on rented boats, hike, and cut wood for the winter.  I also have been working on outside chores around the house).  The following was prepared for my next post a while ago, but it was never posted, until now.  This post is from last spring, but since I am back “at it”, I’m hoping more will follow on a regular basis.

 

It seemed to me that the next planks will require a significant bend sideways (edge setting) at the bow and stern to keep the planks laying straight when running forward and aft.  (See the pictures below).  Thus, I decided to spile these next few planks until I could use the kit provided straight planks again. 

[Ken_2]

I spile the wood by laying tape on the boat and mark the tape where I want the next plank to lay.  I remove the tape to a sheet of wood and cut the next plank, whose width is bit thicker than needed, so I can “tailor” it to fit on the boat.  I sand one side to fit close to existing wood, and then sand the other side to have the proper width of the plank, as determined by excel measurements.  When the resultant plank fit, I then soak the trimmed plank in hot water for 5 minutes and clamp it in place and let it dry overnight.  Once dry, I dry fit the plank in place, make few more sanding adjustments, and then use superglue to install the plank.  When clamping the wet wood, and gluing the plank in place, I aways start at the bow, as it is easier to deal with the sharp curve first rather that after the other parts are clamped/glued.  And when gluing, I start by gluing only a few frames at a time.  Once a plank is installed, I repeat the same process for the other side.  I will spile several more planks until my leftover planks from another kit can be used (sanded to fit without spiling.

Edited September 7, 2022 by Ken_2
clarity

[Ken_2]

Once the plank is dry, it retains the shape, so I am able to sand the edges once more for a better fit.  Then I glue it on.

[Ken_2]

[Ken_2]

For me, the planking has always been the most difficult task, and my results always seem to be somewhat lacking.  So last year, I purchased the "NRG Half Hull Planking Project" (https://thenrgstore.org/).  The Planking tutorial provided good instructions, many new concepts, and allowed me to focus solely on planking and provided lots of practice.  Although the work accomplished on this Bounty Jolly boat is still far from museum quality, it is the best I have done so far. 

The following 3 pictures show my progress in this kit.  The next steps will be to sand the hull smooth, lower the top plank to be even with the frames, and trim the planks and the stern and bow.

[allanyed]

Great to see you taking the time to spile the planks on a small boat.  The difference in appearance is very noticeable and looks great.

Allan