HMS Beagle by Patrick - OcCre - 1/60

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  For warships from the mid 1700s to the 1850s, check out 'Rigging Period Ship Models' by Lennarth Peterson ... first published in 2000, and reprinted in 2011, 2014, 2016 and 2018 (so is likely still in print).  After the introduction, every page is a generous line drawn illustration of some aspect of rigging (labels and terms in English) from the standing rigging on out through full sail.  There are other diagrams for belaying points, etc.

 

  This is the clearest, concise guide I've yet seen, and indeed - one picture is worth a thousand words.  The scale of detail is varied as needed to convey pretty much 'how to do it', and I suppose that many of the elements can be applied to non-military square rigged ships of that era.  I dare say that if one were allowed only ONE reference book for rigging a ship in the subject period  this would be the one I'd pick ... virtually no text, but they show you in pictures - thus suitable for non-English speakers (who can likely use a translation app on their smart phone for the labels).

 

  Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) said to would-be writers, "Don't tell them, SHOW them."

 

[Patrick B]

Hello everybody,

 

The spars of the mizzen mast are done. I will not yet install them, as I will wait for the great mast ones to be completed. I am not sure about the utility of the pale beams held by metal rings on the two bigger spars, nor about their position. Some align them straight on top of with the bigger beams. Other pictures propose them resting a bit backwards. I decided to stick to the plans, leaning them forward of some degrees.

 

 

 

The pulleys are a bit too spaced out from one another. I saw just after that when attached, they won't be straight. It it tied yet, just a simple knot is holding it for the sake of the picture. I will leave them out for now, to ease the rigging of, most notably, the ratlines.

 

 

You can see too that I tried my best to emulate weight on the ropes, by giving them some slack. Don't know if it does any difference, but I tried.

 

 

The rings were the hardest to bend. Especially the endings. Quite a challenge to bend shapes like those at such a small radius, without disrupting any earlier bends. In the end, I'm happy about how it turned out. But the struggle doesn't end yet, as the great mast is still waiting for spars of it's own.

 

I seIzed the blocks with the girthier ropes. Knots would be out of place. Only for the 0.15 mm beige line, I "seize" them with two overhand knots, in alternance.

 

Now that this is done, I am wondering if I should tie the sails on the spars on the mast or on my bench. An other double, or idea if you will, I had about the sails  was wether I should soak them in tea to give them a more more look. I am openened to suggestions. I will see you soon.

 

Cheers,

Patrick

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  Q.  Why wouldn't the planking cooperate with the model maker?  A.  They were on strake.

[Cathead]

Quote

I am not sure about the utility of the pale beams held by metal rings on the two bigger spars, nor about their position

Those are the studding-sail (generally shortened and pronounced as "stun'sl") booms (or yards), they're used to extend the regular yards to pack on more sail when desired. They support the, you guessed it, stun'sls, small extra sails set outboard of the regular ones. Only used under certain conditions.

 

Quote

I am wondering if I should tie the sails on the spars on the mast or on my bench

 

 

My personal feeling is you'll find it easier to do a consistent job of lashing the sails to the yards if you do it on the workbench, but whatever feels right to you. Try it on the bench, and if you're not happy, you can always undo the lashing and try again on the model. But if you start on the model and don't like that, it'll be harder to retry another way.

[usedtosail]

I agree with Eric - adding the sails on the bench works best for me.