Bluenose 1921 by GGibson - FINISHED - Model Shipways - 1:64

[GGibson]

1 hour ago, John Ruy said:

Greg, Nice Prep… 👍. What rope are you using? It looks good.
 

I didn’t like the kit supplied Manila rigging, although the Black was good for the standing rigging. I have been using Amati rope I had on my bench, for the running rigging. 

 

John
 

 

 

Thanks, John!  Ropes of Scale - Polyester Rope – Ropes of Scale 

[Ed Ku20]

Hi Gregg,

Checking in on your Bluenose build log after you referenced me in your last post.  Very nice work!  Your rigging is coming along nicely.  I agree, the brass fittings look really sharp on this schooner.  I'm blackening the brass on my current Rattlesnake model.  Brass didn't seem right for a late 1700's pirate ship.  Bluenose was my first ship and I learned a lot from it.  Glad my log has been helpful for you.

 

Keep up the good work!

Ed

[GGibson]

21 minutes ago, Ed Ku20 said:

Hi Gregg,

Checking in on your Bluenose build log after you referenced me in your last post....

 

Keep up the good work!

Ed

 

Thanks, Ed! Yes, your build log has been an excellent reference for me.  Appreciate the work you put in.  And, yes, I know critics will say (rightfully so) that all the metalwork should be blackened, but I really do like the way the shiny brass stands out, so... I go against the purists on that one. <shrug>  Wish I was able to duplicate the shackles, though.  I just haven't had much success in creating those at a small scale and I see where I would need to do many more in some upcoming rigging.

 

For now, I've just been going from spar to spar on the plans to see what rigging I can prepare in advance so that, once I get the masts up and start tying down the shrouds, hopefully most of the rigging will just need to be placed in its spot, connected to eyebolts, pins, etc.  Nervous about it all, but I just keep telling myself to slow down and be patient with it all.

 

Thanks again for peeking in.  Appreciate any advice as I trudge forward!  

[GGibson]

Well, after last week's start with the pre-rigging on stuff coming off the main mast, I continued around the ship and tried to catch every bit of rigging that I could do now, off the ship, for each of the five (5) booms and gaffs.  I've doubled my seven pre-riggings to fourteen (14) and have labeled them (hopefully accurately enough to know where they go!).  The ones on the top row are what I completed since last week.

 

 

Unless I am forgetting another important step in the pre-rigging process, it appears my next task is to get the masts placed so that I can begin on the lower shrouds.  But... before that, I think it is also time to get the Bluenose on its display base/pedestals, and also get the dories and kids firmly placed, as I've been holding off on their placement for fear of snagging them.

 

Might also get the silkspan out that I recently ordered for the sails to see how easily it will be to work with.

 

Appreciate all the advice, likes and comments.

[GGibson]

Another very small update since it's been over a month.  Had some travels to attend the oldest granddaughter's HS graduation and a few other distractions, as well as just taking some time on this area of the Bluenose build.

 

Time to work on the lower mast shrouds.  Cut out the kit-supplied oval deadeyes from the sheet, cleaned them up the best I could (these things are small!), strung them on some thread, dipped them in some stain, and hung them to dry.

 

 

Using some .5mm (0.019") black rope for the shrouds, I tied and seized the eight lengths at the tops of the lower shrouds and, as others have done, created a "spacer jig" with some wire in order to manage the consistent length of each shroud and deadeye.  Getting some small grooves around the oval deadeyes was helpful in securing the rope to the deadeyes before hitting them with some diluted PVA and seizing with smaller thread.

 

Have now just begun to run the lanyards between the oval deadeyes and their respective round deadeyes.  I am using .35mm (0.013") tan rope for the lanyards.  Two lanyards down, fourteen to go.  Can't wait until I get to the ratlines...!! 🤣🤣

 

And, in the "for what it's worth" category, I hate these extreme closeup photos that detail how bad some of this paint job is... Grrr.....

 

      

 

As always, appreciate the comments and criticisms.

[Der Alte Rentner]

13 hours ago, GGibson said:

in the "for what it's worth" category, I hate these extreme closeup photos that detail how bad some of this paint job is... Grrr.....

thus my reluctance to paint my Conny at all..

 

I'm about to embark on planking the spar deck but have been stalling while I consider finishing options.  Hunt applies  multiple coats of clear polyacrylic before he then covers that with multiple coats of paint, which he thins and applies with a brush.  I experimented with stains, gel stains, and dyes as well as paint.  After seeing how nicely black gel stain covered bare basswood, I had hoped I could use this over stained wood  - the idea being, I would try some variant of brown stain on the hull and if I didn't like the result, I would cover the mess with black stain.  Sadly, once the wood has taken a couple of coats of stain, the black gel doesn't cover well.  So, if I decide I don't like the look of the brown stain, I will likely resort to -  ugh!  paint..  

 

I have received advice to go with pinstripe tape masking and to use an air brush to get a better outcome with paint.  Having seen so many spectacular close ups of brushed-on paint jobs, if I do paint, I'll be investing in yet another tool and accessories.  Fun times ahead.  🤣

 

By the way, I still haven't tried gluing stuff to the experimental tiles I've prepared with poly and stain finishes.  There are many items that need to be tacked on to the hull.  How well does Super Glue stick to Hunt's 6 to 8 coat poly/paint finish on the hull? 

 

 

Upon further review:  I was also asked why I don't cover the basswood hull planking with a different second layer, as if the norm for European kits.  I do have the planking material from the Constructo kit, and I might achieve the natural wood finish I desire, but I'm not sure I'm up to the rigors of a second round of planking. 😒  Though, this would cover some of the flubs made on the first round.  🤔   Stalling, stalling, stalling...  😁

 

Nice work Gregg.  As for the close up photos, I suspect that most viewers of your completed Bluenose won't be looking at her with magnifiers.  It's amazing how little detail one's Mach 1 eyeballs pick up.   

 

[John Ruy]

Greg, Your Deadeyes and Lanyards look great. 👍 As for paint, I stick with thin Acrylics and seal with a semi-gloss Acrylic Polyurethane. Surface prep with fine sanding (nail emery boards) works. One thin coat of color and one coat of polyurethane. Be sure to vacuum al dust off prior to Painting.  For natural finishes I use Shellac, one coat. Keep it thin…

 

Steady as she goes, lookin good. 

John 

Edited June 20 by John Ruy

[Der Alte Rentner]

8 minutes ago, John Ruy said:

As for paint, I stick with thinned Acrylics and seal with a semi-gloss Acrylic Polyurethane. Surface prep with fine sanding (nail emery boards) works. One thin coat of color and one coat of polyurethane. Be sure to vacuum al dust off prior to Painting.  For natural finishes I use Shellac, one coat. Keep it thin…

In my experimentation with Acrylic paint, even un-thinned paint does not cover well in a single coat.  When thinned to minimize brush marks when dry, no less than three coats were required to get a clean, smooth and uniform finish.   

 

When you mention surface prep, are you talking about readying the surface for gluing on additional pieces?  or for the initial coat of paint? I'm concerned with the former, given the numerous features that will be affixed to the hull after painting.  Thoughts?  Advice?

[John Ruy]

22 minutes ago, Der Alte Rentner said:

In my experimentation with Acrylic paint, even un-thinned paint does not cover well in a single coat.  When thinned to minimize brush marks when dry, no less than three coats were required to get a clean, smooth and uniform finish.   

 

When you mention surface prep, are you talking about readying the surface for gluing on additional pieces?  or for the initial coat of paint? I'm concerned with the former, given the numerous features that will be affixed to the hull after painting.  Thoughts?  Advice?

Thin Acrylic, not “Thinned”, all you need is a hint of color and seal. You should be able to achieve it in one coat. 

CA glue will work with the poly coatings. It is better to stick with wood to wood on things like the Chanels on the sides of the hull. You will need the sheer strength. 
 

Of course I’m talking small components here. The hull is a different story.  Airbrushing multiple coats is a must. 
 

That’s been my experience…

John

Edited June 20 by John Ruy

[mtbediz]

4 hours ago, Der Alte Rentner said:

In my experimentation with Acrylic paint, even un-thinned paint does not cover well in a single coat.  When thinned to minimize brush marks when dry, no less than three coats were required to get a clean, smooth and uniform finish.   

 

When you mention surface prep, are you talking about readying the surface for gluing on additional pieces?  or for the initial coat of paint? I'm concerned with the former, given the numerous features that will be affixed to the hull after painting.  Thoughts?  Advice?

I don't try to get a very smooth surface in wooden models because in real life, wooden ship surfaces are not as smooth as a metal surface. Especially the lines at the junction of the planks are evident, making the model more realistic.

[Der Alte Rentner]

On 6/20/2024 at 9:05 AM, John Ruy said:

It is better to stick with wood to wood on things like the Chanels on the sides of the hull. You will need the sheer strength.

As I just learned in my experimentation on the Constitution. I simulated afixing channels onto a sample board that had been prepped with four coats of polycrylic. I also attached one of those eyebrows that goes over the gun ports. The channel popped off without much encouragement. Ironically, the eyebrow hung on tenaciously. No polycrylic for me until at least the channels have been properly secured.

 

Thanks

Edited June 24 by Der Alte Rentner
Typo

[GGibson]

Another small update as I complete different phases of the rigging process (and I haven't even gotten to the fun stuff yet!)...  A few weeks ago, I had run the shrouds for the lower masts and had begun to attach the lanyards to each of the sixteen sets of deadeyes.  I was pleased in how that all came out, with all of the deadeyes appearing to be spaced well and even with one another.  I'll work on the ratlines very soon.

 

      

 

With the lower shrouds rigged (short of the ratlines), I then completed the lines for the spring stay, the jib stay and the jumbo jib stay.  All pretty much straight-forward runs.  I wish I knew how to create nice shackles, as I simply used some brass jump rings in place of shackles where they were called for.  Perhaps by the time I get to the builds waiting in the wings, I'll come up with a good method/process.  I realized I had not previously prepared and installed the jumbo jib stay bail that wraps around the bowsprit, so I roughly tried to shape one using 1mm brass rod and inserted each end into the deck.

 

I also noted as I was working on running the line for the spring stay between the main mast and fore mast that I had not placed the futtock shrouds (two on each side (port and starboard) that are brass wire pieces starting as eyebolts on the trestle tree spreaders and are bent to the hoops in the futtock band.  Inserted those and secured with a drop or two of CA glue.

 

      

 

      

 

Well, I think other than working on the aforementioned lower shroud ratlines, my next step may be the top masts, and everything associated with securing those.  Hope I haven't forgotten anything else that may be more difficult as the rigging process continues!

 

As always, appreciate everyone's time in reading, liking (or laughing), and comments.  For those in the USA celebrating the Independence Day festivities this week, please have a safe and awesome celebration with friends and families!  God Bless the USA! 

[John Ruy]

2 hours ago, GGibson said:

I wish I knew how to create nice shackles, as I simply used some brass jump rings in place of shackles where they were called for. 

Hi Greg, Nice work. I know progress can seem pretty slow at this point in the build, but you’re doing well. 
 

As for shackles, I reshaped some small jump rings. This photo shows the three step process. 
 

Hope this is helpful. Carry on Sir, you are doing great. 👍 

Edited July 4 by John Ruy

[Fubarelf]

13 hours ago, GGibson said:

Another small update as I complete different phases of the rigging process (and I haven't even gotten to the fun stuff yet!)...  A few weeks ago, I had run the shrouds for the lower masts and had begun to attach the lanyards to each of the sixteen sets of deadeyes.  I was pleased in how that all came out, with all of the deadeyes appearing to be spaced well and even with one another.  I'll work on the ratlines very soon.

 

      

 

With the lower shrouds rigged (short of the ratlines), I then completed the lines for the spring stay, the jib stay and the jumbo jib stay.  All pretty much straight-forward runs.  I wish I knew how to create nice shackles, as I simply used some brass jump rings in place of shackles where they were called for.  Perhaps by the time I get to the builds waiting in the wings, I'll come up with a good method/process.  I realized I had not previously prepared and installed the jumbo jib stay bail that wraps around the bowsprit, so I roughly tried to shape one using 1mm brass rod and inserted each end into the deck.

 

I also noted as I was working on running the line for the spring stay between the main mast and fore mast that I had not placed the futtock shrouds (two on each side (port and starboard) that are brass wire pieces starting as eyebolts on the trestle tree spreaders and are bent to the hoops in the futtock band.  Inserted those and secured with a drop or two of CA glue.

 

      

 

      

 

Well, I think other than working on the aforementioned lower shroud ratlines, my next step may be the top masts, and everything associated with securing those.  Hope I haven't forgotten anything else that may be more difficult as the rigging process continues!

 

As always, appreciate everyone's time in reading, liking (or laughing), and comments.  For those in the USA celebrating the Independence Day festivities this week, please have a safe and awesome celebration with friends and families!  God Bless the USA! 

Looking great Gregg!

[bobandlucy]

You're doing beautiful work these days, Gregg.

 

Bob

[Der Alte Rentner]

Please don't tell me those turnbuckles work.  If so, did they come that way in the kit?  Or do you have a motorized micro metal lathe with which to cut the threads.  (mostly kidding! 😁)

 

Looking fabulous there John Ruy!

Edited August 4 by Der Alte Rentner

[GGibson]

Wow!  It's been almost a full two months since I've posted any kind of build log update.  I've been in the shipyard here and there over that time, in between a few trips, having all the grandkids for a week's activities here, watching the oldest granddaughter prepare for and then head to her first year away from her home at college some 8-9 states away, and just some general summertime tinkering around the house.  Anyways, thought I'd get a small update in.  And I took only a few pictures and hardly any detailed notes on these last activities.

 

After getting the lower shrouds placed, it was time to tie in what seemed like a thousand ratlines!  Like everyone else does when placing ratlines, I made a lined template in order to have some relatively consistent spacing.  I also used some 0.81 brass rods, blackened them, and placed the sheer poles at the base of each set of shrouds.  Once you get into a routine of tying clove hitches, it goes pretty well.  I would do about 4-5 rows at a time, then hit the knots with a spot of glue and once dried, clip the excess 0.009" line from each end. Then another 4-5 rows, etc., etc., etc... 

 

      

 

      

 

As I said earlier, did not take many notes as I was preparing and installing a lot of the standing rigging, but I will go through what was done fairly quickly.  There are several MSW Bluenose build logs that have great detail on their rigging procedures.  I relied on them heavily and encourage others to do the same.

 

Spring Stay - Runs from the main mast's spring stay bail to the fore mast's spring stay bail.  I used 0.027" black line.

 

Jib Stay - Runs from the fore mast cap to the bowsprit.  I used 0.019" black line.

 

Jumbo Jib Stay - Runs from the fore mast to the jumbo jib stay bail.  I wish I would have realized way back when I first inserted the bowsprit that this jumbo jib stay bail would be wrapped and secured around the bowsprit.  At this point, it was way too difficult for me to come up with anything like that, so I "settled" for shaping a 0.81" brass rod piece so it fit around the top of the bowsprit and was secured into the deck underneath.  It's the best adaptation I could come up with.  I used 0.027" black line.

 

 

At this point, it was time to drop the top masts into their places.  They still fit snuggly, and with the iron fids in place, it did not seem like the masts needed any additional glue.

 

Main Top Mast Shrouds and Fore Mast Spreader Lifts - The main top mast shrouds run from the top of the mast down to lanyards that then connected to the spreaders.  The fore mast spreader lifts run from a band about a third of the way up the top mast down to lanyards that are connected to the fore mast spreader.  I used 0.019" black line for the shrouds and 0.009" light beige line for the lanyards.  I then tied ratlines to each of the shrouds and spreader lifts, but only did about a dozen ratlines on the main mast shrouds, reaching about a third of the way up the top mast on each side, using 0.009" black line again for the ratlines.

 

Pullback Stay - Runs from the top of the fore mast to the main mast cap. Still having a bit of difficulty shaping a shackle like how John Ruy explained he did his, so I simply used a small jump ring to connect to the bowsprit. I used 0.019" black line.

 

Balloon Jib Stay - Runs from the top of the fore mast to the end of the bowsprit.  I used 0.027" black line.

 

Main Mast Top Stay - Runs from top of main mast to fore mast cap.  I used 0.019" line.

 

Flying Backstays - Two sets of backstays run from the top of the main mast to either side of the stern transom.  The main runs start from the main top mast using 0.027" black line.  They run down to a 5/32" double block.  This block is then laced with a 5/32" single block using 0.013" light beige line. The single block is connected with a "S" hook to a 0.013" black line tied to an eyebolt on the transom.  The beige line then falls to a belaying pin on the rail.  I have not permanently secured the top of these backstays to the main top mast or the fall line to the belay pins at this time, as I fear they would get snagged and be in the way when I work on the remainder of the running rigging and the main boom.  So, the lines will come down from the main top mast as I do that work.

 

          

 

              

 

I am going to see if I can get some running lights placed on the two sets of foremast shrouds.  Then it is time to get the running rigging that I prepped months ago attached where it belongs on this Bluenose!  Those of you who have followed my progress (or lack thereof) on this Bluenose (thank you, by the way!) may recall that I have wrestled with how to finish my Bluenose... with sails, without sails, or furled sails.  And I have leaned each of the three ways multiple times over the almost-two years I have worked on her.  Well, stand by for my decision...!

 

Thanks to all for taking the time to read, comment and criticize!  Appreciate all of the support, whether it's been your input here or my peeking in on your own Bluenose build logs and having one of those "Oh, yeah!" epiphanies.  Thanks!  

 

 

 

[John Ruy]

Greg, Nice work on the shrouds and standing rigging. Your Bluenose looks great. 👍

[bhermann]

17 hours ago, GGibson said:

I am going to see if I can get some running lights placed on the two sets of foremast shrouds.  Then it is time to get the running rigging that I prepped months ago attached where it belongs on this Bluenose!  Those of you who have followed my progress (or lack thereof) on this Bluenose (thank you, by the way!) may recall that I have wrestled with how to finish my Bluenose... with sails, without sails, or furled sails.  And I have leaned each of the three ways multiple times over the almost-two years I have worked on her.  Well, stand by for my decision...!

 

Thanks to all for taking the time to read, comment and criticize!  Appreciate all of the support, whether it's been your input here or my peeking in on your own Bluenose build logs and having one of those "Oh, yeah!" epiphanies.  Thanks!  

 

 

 

That is some very nice work, Gregg!  I can't wait to hear what you decide on the sails.  My own debate on that has kept my Bluenose in limbo going on 11 years now.  Sails?  No sails? Cloth sails?  Silkspan sails?  Maybe your decision will inspire me at last!

 

Bob

Edited August 27 by bhermann

[mtbediz]

She looks so nice Greg.

[GGibson]

1 hour ago, mtbediz said:

She looks so nice Greg.

 

Thanks, Mustafa!  Always trying to attain the quality of work I see from many of you other guys that continue to inspire me and help to push myself to do better.  Appreciate your time, sir! 

[GGibson]

2 hours ago, bhermann said:

That is some very nice work, Gregg!  I can't wait to hear what you decide on the sails.  My own debate on that has kept my Bluenose in limbo going on 11 years now.  Sails?  No sails? Cloth sails?  Silkspan sails?  Maybe your decision will inspire me at last!

 

Bob

 

Thanks, Bob!  Appreciate the kind words!  If we both need inspiration on which way to go, we need look no further than @John Ruy's recently completed Bluenose.  He did some awesome sail work to finish his ship! 🏆

[John Ruy]

2 hours ago, GGibson said:

 

Thanks, Bob!  Appreciate the kind words!  If we both need inspiration on which way to go, we need look no further than @John Ruy's recently completed Bluenose.  He did some awesome sail work to finish his ship! 🏆

Greg, Thanks for the compliment on my Bluenose Sails. My personal preference has always been to build my ships with a full compliment of Sails. IMHO that’s how a sailing ship model should look. That said, I have built without sails and enjoyed the finished product. The choice is really yours to make.
 

@bhermann Bob the choice between cloth and silk span is really about scale. For my Bluenose I used the thinnest muslin material I could find at Joann’s Fabrics. Most kit supplied cloth is too heavy to look to scale. 
 

Carry on Greg, you are doing a great job. 
 

John

[GGibson]

38 minutes ago, John Ruy said:

Bob the choice between cloth and silk span is really about scale. For my Bluenose I used the thinnest muslin material I could find at Joann’s Fabrics. Most kit supplied cloth is too heavy to look to scale. 

 

I have a supply of both the light and medium texture silkspan tissue from Sig Manufacturing.  SIG SILKSPAN TISSUE - Sig Manufacturing (sigmfg.com)

[Der Alte Rentner]

On 8/27/2024 at 8:49 AM, bhermann said:

That is some very nice work, Gregg!  I can't wait to hear what you decide on the sails.  My own debate on that has kept my Bluenose in limbo going on 11 years now.  Sails?  No sails? Cloth sails?  Silkspan sails?  Maybe your decision will inspire me at last!

 

Bob

After seeing this post to Gregg, I took a look at your Bluenose build.  Sorry to see that it's been collecting dust for so long.   Here's hoping you get back to the ship yard sooner rather than later.   This may be a stupid question, but can't you finish it without sails, then change tack later if you feel you must add them?    

Edited August 28 by Der Alte Rentner

[bhermann]

On 8/28/2024 at 9:58 AM, Der Alte Rentner said:

After seeing this post to Gregg, I took a look at your Bluenose build.  Sorry to see that it's been collecting dust for so long.   Here's hoping you get back to the ship yard sooner rather than later.   This may be a stupid question, but can't you finish it without sails, then change tack later if you feel you must add them?    

That's an interesting thought.  I suppose it's possible, but I think it would make adding the sails more challenging.  Great, one more thing to mull over - this should hold me up another two years

 

Bob

[GGibson]

So, got to the point where I had to make a decision on my Bluenose sails.  Do I put sails on it, do I try to make furled sails, or do I put as much rigging on as I can without sails?  For the past year or so, in anticipation of this decision, I have gone back and forth with this decision.  I have read countless articles on furled sails, I have watched NRG workshops on how to make sails and furled sails, read and re-read multiple MSW forum topics on sails, and have been marveled at much of the work others have done in creating their sails, whether it was for a Bluenose or for a different ship.  On my three previous ship builds, I prepared sails.  Albeit much simpler than what the Bluenose requires, I thought I did “ok” with the sail process.

 

In prepping for the Bluenose sails, there was also much thought about the type of material to use.  After reading about many variations, I was pretty much sold on using silkspan.  It seems to be thin enough to best resemble actual sails at the scales we are mostly building at, whether we are going with full sails, furled sails, square sails or sails on schooners.  So, I got some silkspan!

 

Almost everyone who has provided feedback on the “sails or no sails” argument for the Bluenose have sided on the “sails” side.  The Bluenose, with its full sails on display, just looks… majestic! So, I had to give it a try.  Practiced a bit first on making the balloon jib sail, as it is about the smallest of them all.  To sew hems/edges or not to sew.  With no access to a sewing machine, that decision was the easiest one I had to make.  In short, it didn’t work well and I struggled. 

 

I promise, on the ships that I have waiting up on the shelf… the Santa Maria, the Constitution, the America…, I will make a much better attempt at sails.  But, for this Bluenose, I am going to finish it without sails.  I have seen at least one picture of a completed Bluenose without sails, and the contrast of the black standing rigging and the lighter colored running rigging is pretty cool in its own right.  So, please don’t judge me too harshly, but I am completing this Bluenose without sails.  With that said, here’s how I did it…

 

RUNNING LIGHTS

 

Before I get to the running rigging, a quick note about the running lights that were added. Using some of the 3/64” stock sheets I had, I cut two small shelves for each of the running lights to be placed on. (Hadn’t used the Lego blocks since doing the deck buildings!) Painted the two Brittania castings black with their center lenses red and green.  Red one goes on the port side, green running light on the starboard side.  Drill a couple small holes on either side of each shelf in order to tie to the forward shrouds, each about 4-5 ratline lashings up from the sheer pole.  Pretty straight-forward.

 

  

 

          

 

The Model Shipways Bluenose Instruction Manual, beginning on Page 31, has a decent explanation of how each of the sails should be installed, as well as how various lines and blocks are attached, where they set in the rigging, etc.  I will follow those guidelines.  Somewhere I read a recommendation to work front to back, starting at the bow.

 

Back in late April/early May, I did as much of the prep rigging as I could, getting the various masts and spars ready to be placed on the ship.  I’m learning now, though, that there were a few lines that didn’t get made before now.  At the bow, two of those lines are the balloon jib halliard and the jib halliard.

 

BALLOON JIB

 

The balloon jib halliard and downhaul line were not terribly complicated.  At the top of the foremast, hook a 1/8” single block with an S-hook on one side to the mast, with the other side of the block laced with 0.017” tan halliard line.  When rigging without sails, this tan line needs to be long enough so that the halliard block is brought down close to the bowsprit, back up to the upper block and then belayed at pin #14 (2^nd pin from the stern).  The downhaul line is seized to a 1/8” single block that is reeved with the halliard line. That 0.009” downhaul line runs through a 1/8” single block that is attached to the very end of the bowsprit and is then belayed to pin #1 at the stern.  The sheets for both the balloon jib sail and the jib sail can either be removed with the sails or they can be left lying on the deck.  For now, at least, until I get everything else rigged and all of the belayed and coiled ropes that I do want displayed placed on the ship, I am leaving the sheets off. 

 

 

      

 

JIB

 

The jib halliard and downhaul rigging were a bit more complicated than the balloon jib sail.  The 1/8” single block at the end of the bowsprit was shown in one of the pictures above (the 2^nd block from the end).  Two (2) 3/16” single blocks with S hooks are prepared that will be connected to the two long links on either side of the jib stay bail at the top of the lower fore mast.  I didn’t connect the S hooks to the links right away, though, as it would be easier to reeve the blocks with the fall line without them connected.  Another 3/16” block is also prepared, this one with the 0.009” seized on one side.  Since the halliard block on this jib will also be pulled down with the downhaul attached, similar to what we did with the balloon jib, we want to have sufficient 0.009” line attached so that it will go through the downhaul block at the end of the bowsprit and then belayed to pin #2 at the stern.

 

Another 1/8” single block is prepared with a 0.017” tan line attached on one side and a 0.013” line on the other.  The 0.013” line needs to be long enough for it to run from the block, which will sit about half the distance between the trestle tree and the rail, down to the rail, through a 1/8” block that is connected to an eyebolt just forward of the 1^st shroud, back up through the single becket block and the tackle falls back down and ties to itself towards the rail with a clove hitch.

 

The 0.017 line needs to be pretty lengthy, as it goes up through the fairlead, through the starboard-side block at the trestle tree, down through the halliard block which, without its sail, is pulled down close to the downhaul block on the bowsprit, back up through the port-side trestle tree block, through the port-side fairlead, and belayed to pin #16 on the starboard side.  Whew!

 

One issue I am seeing with these halliard blocks being pulled down is that the long halliard lines are twisting a bit, and not running as “parallel” as I’d like them to be.  I pulled the line back out and tried to get as much of the twist out of the rope as I could, but a bit concerned in keeping them from getting twisted again as I reeve them back through the various blocks.  Something for me to watch as I move towards the stern.

 

       

 

        

 

JUMBO JIB

 

The rigging associated with the jumbo jib sail will be the first time I am placing one of the five (5) spars on the ship, inn this case the jumbo jib boom.  The instructions say that, without sails, one should set the boom in the crutch and, similar to what we did with the jib halliard, bring the jumbo jib halliard block down low.

 

The fore end of the boom was connected to the traveller block using the inhaul tackle U-shaped bras piece and some more of the same chain I used to replicate the anchor chain.  The jumbo jib sheet line was run from the aft end of the book down to the horse on the deck and then belayed to pin #6.  The jumbo jib topping lift starts at the fore masthead using black 0.013” line to a block, then 0.009” through 1/8” double blocks and belayed to pin #5.  There is also a jumbo jib stay (not sure if mentioned prior) using 0.017” black line that runs from the foremast to the fore end of the jumbo jib boom just in front of the traveller block.  The downhaul is also connected to that jumbo jib stay bail.

 

        

 

         

 

FORE BOOM & FORE GAFF

 

Since, without sails, the fore boom and fore gaff are positioned so close together, I am discussing both at same time, and the pictures I took reflect that positioning, so… here goes.

 

The instructions for no sails state to rest the boom in its crutch and to lower the gaff on top of the boom with the hoops stacked.  The gaff and boom should be lashed together with short lines.

 

First off, then, was to secure the end of the boom to the foremast’s gooseneck piece.  Ran into a bit of an issue here, though.  Probably made the gooseneck a bit too big, which causes the fore boom to sit away from the foremast just enough that it is too long to comfortably rest on the crutch.  And I did not think I could remove and remake the gooseneck at the base of the foremast without destroying that base, so… I decided to raise the foreboom slightly off the crutch, which in turn also allows for a better display of the fore boom sheet and its connection to the fife rail.  Also connected the topping lift rigging, running from just below the main mast trestle tree to the end of the fore boom.  After the adjustment on the above-mentioned hiccup, I thought the fore boom looked pretty good.

 

       

 

       

 

Next up was to connect the fore gaff just above the fore boom with the fore mast hoops in between.  Although I did a lot of pre-rigging on the fore gaff previously, I needed to finish a few things and prepare for hooking the gaff to the fore mast, so I stuck it in my little “extra hands” clips to make sure I had all the lines ready before getting the gaff on the ship, as well as to get the thread and parrel beads ready at the jaw to wrap around the fore mast.

 

 

There are two sets of rigging for the fore gaff, the throat halliard and the peak halliard.  The throat halliard runs between a triple block on the mast and a double block on the gaff.  One end of the line from the triple block goes straight down to a block on the deck and then belayed to Pin #7.  The other end of the line from the triple block runs to another set of double blocks on the starboard side, which are attached to the rail with an eyelet and belayed to Pin #18.

 

The fore peak halliard was a bit more complicated, as the rigging line was run from the belay at the base of the mast at Pin #8, through the block on the deck, through the starboard side spreader on the trestle tree, and then weaved (if that’s an appropriate term here) alternately through the three mast blocks and the two blocks attached to the fore gaff, then back down through the port side spreader to a similar set of blocks and line as the throat halliard finish, except on the port side, with the belay at Pin #17.

 

Here are a series of pictures I took after-the-fact showing those connections.

 

      

 

        

 

      

 

STAYSAIL RIGGING

 

Another issue I had some difficulty understanding clearly was the rigging for the staysail, whether it was going to be with sails or without.  I wasn’t quite sure how the peak halliard was to be rigged, and I had seen previous build logs doing it differently than others.  So, I went to the best source I could find – the Bluenose II, Saga of the Great Fishing Schooners book by L.B. Jenson which was lent to me by a fellow local modeler, and I have referred to frequently in this Bluenose build.  Mr. Jenson’s description of how the staysail halliard should look is below.

 

 

The Model Shipways instruction for the staysail rigging plans without sails stated to bring the peak halliard block to the foremast and hook it to the throat halliard and to remove the sheet and tack.  Although I posted this picture above with the fore gaff rigging, you can see in the picture below the staysail peak halliard coming down from the top left and hooking to the staysail throat halliard.  You can also see on the lower left side of the picture the foresail sheet lines (port and starboard) hooking to the throat halliard block, as well, since the sails are down.

 

 

Also, a couple quick pictures of the belay ropes on the port and starboard sides of the fore mast.  Don’t think I have mentioned before, but my plan is, once I get all completed with the rigging and belaying, to come back on all the belay pins and place some rope hanks and coils so that the belayed ropes look complete.

 

       

 

MAIN BOOM & MAIN GAFF

 

The placement of the main boom and gaff and associated rigging was a lot like what we did for the fore boom and gaff.  Positioned the main boom jaws around the main mast and tied the parrel beads in order to secure the boom against the mast.  Had a nice piece of foam that worked well in holding the main boom in place while tying the jaws to the main mast.

 

 

Worked on positioning the main sheet and boom crutch while the boom rested on the crutch, but quickly discovered that once everything was rigged, the boom sheet was really squished, with the blocks on the boom and the boom sheet buffer super close to one another and it just didn’t look good.  So, like I did with the fore boom, I raised the main boom a bit higher off the crutch, and the main boom sheet and boom crutch tackles looked much better.  We’ll go with that!

 

A whole bunch of the pre-rigging work for the main boom topping lift was done earlier.  So just needed to connect the rigging at the aft end of the main boom to the main mast cap.  And, actually, I should say that I placed the main boom topping lift before completing the boom sheet and boom crutch tackles so that all three lines could be tighten snuggly.

 

I waited on placing the quarter lifts on the main boom until I had placed the main gaff at its lowered position, as the lines would get in the way of the main gaff placement and I would be sure to snag something and…. break.

 

The main gaff rigging was very similar to what I did for the fore gaff.  First things first, I secured the jaws to the main mast above the mast hoops, inserting a few parrel beads to fill the space in front of the mast.  Each of the three parrel bead connections look pretty sharp on this ship.

 

I tied a temporary line to the end of the main gaff, running it up to the top mast in order for it to stay in roughly the position it would sit parallel to the main boom.  The main throat halliard was strung similar to the fore throat halliard.  There did, though, seem to be an issue with what was shown on the belay plan in the instructions since the belays for both the throat halliard and the peak halliard were on the same side of the ship as the tackle falls.  So, I changed the main throat halliard belay to Pin #23 and the main peak halliard belay to Pin #22.

              

The peak halliard setup, you guessed it, was similar to what was done with the fore mast setup, too.  Don’t remember if I mentioned this earlier, but without sails and the gaffs pulled down, I needed to make sure I had plenty of line to get from point A to point B.

 

For the rigging done without the topsail, I hooked both the main topsail halliard and the main topsail sheet that would have been hooked to the sail to the main masthead above the peak halliard blocks.

 

Once I had the main boom and main gaff placed and secured with the needed rigging, I then completed the aforementioned quarter lifts, port and starboard.  I also placed the flying backstays.  I had previously attached the eyebolts and short black line into the deck close to the transom, as it would have been difficult to place them now.  Two black 0.027” lines were run from the top mast to each side of the ship, ending with double blocks.  Tan running rigging is then hooked to the black line attached to the deck and falls to belaying pins #44 & #45.

 

Finally, I tied the lazy jack line (both port and starboard), running from about halfway up the respective quarter lift lines, seized at that point, and running down to the lazy jack loops that were placed on the main boom when I initially prepped the main boom with its bands, eyelets and cleats.

 

Pictures of the main boom and main gaff were taken after all of this was pretty much completed.

 

      

 

      

 

 

I am sure I have forgotten to run some rigging somewhere and have undoubtedly not explained much of the rigging that I have done very well.  But, as someone else mentioned in their completed Bluenose build log, once you get to this rigging part and putting up sails (or in my case, not putting up sails), it many times gets difficult to rig AND to document, and suddenly… you’re done!

 

With that said, I do have to complete the rope hanks at each of the belay pins and some rope coils to be placed on the deck, and I also must get the flags made and get their halliards up on the ship, so not done done, but we are getting close.  I will, of course, also go around the ship and see if I really have missed something.  But, for now, here are a few shots of my no-sails Bluenose.

 

      

 

 

As always, I appreciate the all the peek-in’s, likes, comments and criticisms. 

[mtbediz]

You're doing a great job, Greg.

 

I stay away from the idea of adding sails to my models because I could not achieve a realistic appearance in my first models I built. I also noticed that the sails concealed the detail work on the ship and the details in the rigging. Of course, if you can give the sails a realistic appearance, this will contribute to the model, but I could not achieve this.

Edited September 24 by mtbediz

[GGibson]

Appreciate the encouraging words, Mustafa!  Thank you, sir!

[hamilton]

Looks gorgeous Gregg!

hamilton