HMS Speedy by usedtosail - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - Scale 1:64

[usedtosail]

I finished up the rigging on the driver boom and moved on to the adding the lift lines to the yards. I started with the lower yards and worked my way up to the topG yard lifts. I think the hardest part of adding these was threading the lines down through the mast tops to the deck without having them foul other lines. I also added the jib boom guys to the bowsprit, which go through eye bolts on the sport sail yard and end with tackles hooked to eye bolts in the hull. These were pretty straight forward.

 

I am now to the point of adding the sheets, tacks and other sail control lines. I have also been going back and replacing lines that I didn't like the look of, mostly because I had already tied them off and trimmed them but they have gone slack. I am really not happy with the ratlines. As you can see in the close up picture in the previous post, the knots have not stayed tight and many off the end knots have come loose. I may go drastic and remove them all and redo them, even though I have to work around other lines now. I have not have this problem to this degree on past builds, but I used a polyester thread on this model where I usually use nylon thread.

 

In any case here how the model looks at this point.

 

[AJohnson]

Great job Tom, your sails look great, I can really appreciate the effort you have gone to get such good results on a square rig, adding sails to a Cutter is enough for me at the moment!  
As for the rat lines, yes I feel your pain and the dilemma, but as everything thing else is so great on your build, it would be a shame not to try and tackle them. 😑

[usedtosail]

Thanks Andrew. I will be addressing the rat lines as they are now to see what I can do to make them look better. I may be able to replace the few worst ones and clean up the rest.

[usedtosail]

I have added the sheets, tacks, and clew lines for the courses but have not tied them off yet. I used a thinner line than suggested on the plans as those lines just looked too thick. I also added the leech lines and buntlines to the courses and added the sail control lines to the jib and topmast staysail.

 

 

 

I am currently adding the sheets and clew lines to the topsails and topG sails, and the leech lines to the topsails.

[usedtosail]

I finished adding the sheets, clew lines, tacks, leech lines and bunt lines to all of the sails. I tied off the ends of all the lines so far and fixed them in place. I trimmed the lines that ended at cleats or belaying pins but not those that are tied to the fore or main bitts.

 

 

 

There are so many lines tied to the fore bitts, as per the belaying plans on each rigging sheet, that I am not sure how to finish these off. Do I lead each line down to the deck and add a rope coil for each one, but they would have to be stacked on one another. I thought about making some bigger rope coils and draping them over the bitts but haven't tried it yet. Any ideas you guys have would be appreciated. Some of the braces are also tied to the bitts so I won't add anything until all the lines are on the bitts.

 

I am now starting the braces and then will finish off with the bowlines. I still have the lines that go down from the ends of the gaff to add and the anchor lines to wrap around the fore bitts also. Plus adding rope coils to the lines on the belaying pins and cleats, but it is getting close.

[usedtosail]

Braces are all installed and tightened. I also added the vangs to the gaff.

 

 

Next up are the bowlines. I have also been making a lot of rope coils, both to go on belaying pins and others to go on cleats and layer on the deck. I am waiting to add them until all the lines are installed.

[usedtosail]

After almost 2 weeks away, I am back onto this model. I added the fore sail bowlines and tied them off to the fore bitts.

 

 

 

I am now working on the main sail bowlines and still making rope coils. 

[usedtosail]

All the bowlines are installed and tied off. I have started adding the rope coils to the belaying pins and cleats, with only a few left to add. I have been playing around with the many lines on the bitts and how to add rope coils to them. What I came up with was to cut the excess line a little longer so the lines tied to the bitts can reach the deck, then glue rope coils on top of the lines. Here is the first layer of rope coils on the fore and main bitts. After these dry I will add more, but not as many as there are lines, as I think that would not look good.

 

 

 

I am still making rope coils and will add them as I make them. I also need to re-glue a few cannons to the deck, and add the anchors, swivel guns, and Capt. Cochrane.

[usedtosail]

I am getting close to the end now. I finished making rope coils and have added them to the deck areas and belaying pins that have rope on them. I secured a few loose cannons that I bumped during the rigging process. I have tied the anchors to the anchor lines and then lashed them to the hull, both through the first gun port and the cat heads. I need to clean up the excess lines and drape the anchor lines around the fore bitts.

 

Here is the deck area I showed in the previous post with more rope coils added. I doubt in a real ship that there would be piles of rope lying on the deck but I have no idea how else to show the excess lines that should be there. The photos in the instruction book show the lines just cut off at the bitts with no excess shown at all, which is not realistic to me. I did a search for rope coils on bitts but found nothing, so I am going to start a thread in the rigging section to see how others have dealt with this.

 

 

Here is the starboard anchor lashed to the model. I am only putting one anchor on each side.

 

 

Once the model is complete I will be making a case for it which should take another couple of months.

[Der Alte Rentner]

I'll be very interested to see what kind of feedback you get at that rigging thread. I've done some Blue Water sailing aboard Schooners and one tall ship and can tell you that no Captain would have had rope coiled on the deck, especially under sail. Any excess excess would be coiled and hanging off a belaying pin.

 

When I get back home, I'll check the photo albums to see if I happened to have caught any detail that would be appropriate to this discussion.

 

Again, I'll be very interested to see the feedback on this subject.

 

Excellent workmanship, however.

Edited November 12 by Der Alte Rentner
Typos

[usedtosail]

Captain Cochran has joined the party so this model is now finished. I finished up the anchors and added the swivel guns too. I used a straw and gently blew the dust and other crude from the deck. Here are some quick photos but I will take some decent photos soon.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for taking an interest in this build.

 

[AJohnson]

Congratulations Tom on a fantastic build, the extra details; including the wonderful sails, really make for a stand out model. 

[Der Alte Rentner]

Can't wait to see the final pictures. Excellent workmanship, beautiful build.

[usedtosail]

Here are pictures of the completed model. I will set up a gallery with more photos in it.

 

 

 

 

[ccoyle]

That's beautiful, Tom! Congratulations!

[Der Alte Rentner]

I see that the sails have some shape, and it's via rigging.  What are the lines called that bow the sails to forward?  I don't recall seeing such on the tall ship I sailed on.

 

Bravo! Very nicely done.  

[usedtosail]

Those are bow lines.

[helmarsowick]

Tom Lauria has a good you tube on hanks and coils. Very simple and they look good.

[Der Alte Rentner]

20 hours ago, usedtosail said:

Those are bow lines.

I only knew two definitions for bow lines, the first was the line was the one you used to secure your boat in a slip - along with stern  and spring lines.  The second was the knot commonly used aboard a boat.  I had to do an online search to find the definition or use you put them to..

 

 

I couldn't find one of my own photos from my '95 Soren Larsen passage from Sydney to Auckland, but I do have this one that I got from their promotional postcard.  No bowlines that I can see (or remember). 

 

From my profile, admittedly from the wrong side of the sails, but no evidence of bowlines here.

 

 

Learn something new every day.

 

Thanks for the education, Tom

Best  

 

Edited November 16 by Der Alte Rentner
added content

[Cathead]

Great job on a beautiful model!

[usedtosail]

Just a couple of last photos of the model going into its case and the final result. I will hold onto it for a few years until my grandson is old enough to care for it and then move it into his room at his house.

 

 

 

[chris watton]

Your Speedy looks fantastic, very well done!

[DB789]

That’s a wonderful Speedy, I love the sails. She’s my next build, but won’t be as good as yours! 

[usedtosail]

Thank you Chris and Dan.

 

Dan, I think your Speedy will be great.

[Oboship]

A very beautiful and detailed build!

Looking at your Speedy I can hardly imagine I would ever post pictures of my version here... 🤔

Uwe