Mayflower by Ferrus Manus - FINISHED - Heller - 1/64 - A ship for my Uncle Jay

[Ferrus Manus]

The fore top shrouds are complete. 

[Ferrus Manus]

The main topmast shrouds and the fore and main topmast stays are complete. 

[Ferrus Manus]

The mizzen shrouds are complete, and i redid the mizzen stay lanyard. 

[Ferrus Manus]

Especially since my original use of the kit-provided shrouds was met with resounding booing and jeering, i am proud to say i have tied the first pair of ratlines on the fore topmast shrouds. I cut the sheer-poles off the original kit shrouds and reused them for my own shrouds. 

They don't look horrible, do they? 

[Ferrus Manus]

The fore topmast ratlines are complete. 

[Ferrus Manus]

Today, i completed the main topmast ratlines. I also put in the fore and main backstays. 

[Ferrus Manus]

Starting on the lower masts: 

The fore lower shrouds are done. On to the ratlines. 

[GrandpaPhil]

Looking good Ferrus!

[Ferrus Manus]

I made the fore lower ratlines today: 

[Baker]

So much better 😉

[Ferrus Manus]

That's it for the standing rigging!! 

I am very proud of myself for doing something i have never even attempted before, and i hope you guys are too. 

[GrandpaPhil]

You did well!

[Ferrus Manus]

Alright, guys. It's time to start the running rigging, and i have an idea. I think it might be time to experiment with a furled and hauled-in spritsail, as per Baker's demonstration on the Pelican: 

There are, obviously, two ways we could show the spritsail on the model:

Which one do we think would be better? While this is a display model, i would like to portray it as it would have looked while sailing on the Pilgrim voyage. This is the process of shortening sail on a galleon:

It is very plausible that the spritsail might not have been needed in some situations. An added benefit of taking in the spritsail for the purpose of this model is it would look better than if the spritsail was flying, because i have never figured out how to fly a spritsail on a model and have it look natural. 

What do you guys think? 

[Ferrus Manus]

I made and attached the catheads... 

...and i made my executive decision. 

The rigging of the spritsail will be done tomorrow. 

[Ferrus Manus]

Now, there are two ways the yard could be positioned when furled. 

The first preserves the overall symmetry of the ship, while the second avoids the tangling of rigging on a yard that would ordinarily be perpendicular to the bowsprit. For that reason, i am likely to go with the second option. 

[Ferrus Manus]

In the process of rigging the furled spritsail: 

[Ferrus Manus]

The rigging of the spritsail is done. 

This one was fun, owing to the fact that i have never rigged a spritsail like this before. 

[Ferrus Manus]

I'm getting a good head start on the fore course. 

[Ferrus Manus]

I've now done all the large lines on the fore course. I also went to the model shop for some line and thimbles, which will be used later. 

[Ferrus Manus]

Merry Christmas to all my fellow shipwrights on Model Ship World. Today, i finished the fore course. 

[Knocklouder]

Looks good my friend.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year  all the best for the new year.  

[Ferrus Manus]

I can get away with erroneous rigging and shoddy repairs on this build, because that's probably how the real Mayflower looked at the time of her Atlantic crossing. 

[Isaiah]

Merry Christmas and a happy new year. 🎅🎄

 

I had no idea you were working on this model but it looks very nice.

[Ferrus Manus]

Thanks! Stick around, it gets better. 

[Ferrus Manus]

I also got the main course started. I rigged the main lift topping lifts, parrel lines, and braces. 

[Ferrus Manus]

I got the rigging for the mainsail done, and i'm currently working on making the fore topsail. 

 

[Ferrus Manus]

It seems at this point like i'm able to get one sail done per day. At that rate, we'll be done with this build by New Year's Eve. 

This is the fore topsail: 

This is the VOC Duyfken, a small Dutch fluyt, flying topsails in the same manner as the Mayflower: 

[Ferrus Manus]

The finished main topsail: 

This picture, to my surprise and enjoyment, looks like a ship from one of Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom's paintings:

 

[Ferrus Manus]

Today, i got the rigging of the mizzen lateen sail completed. 

And with that, the sail rigging phase is complete. All that has to happen is for the flags to be made, the anchors rigged, and the stand painted. All of that will likely happen tonight and tomorrow. 

[Ferrus Manus]

With the finished anchors, flags, and stand, we now are left with a finished Mayflower. I told you guys i would have this done by the new year. 

While this ship might not be perfect, it's certainly good enough. I tried things i had never attempted before, and i did things that i never thought i would be able to do. I believe i advanced my abilities with this one, and set new standards that will remain in place for builds to come. While some parts of the build might not be perfect, or perfectly accurate, Uncle Jay won't care. He will think it's an amazing piece of art and worthy of a place in a museum, and i won't correct him. 

This ship holds a special place in my heart. Without the inconsequential little galleon we know as the Mayflower, the nation in which i live would not exist. Without the motley crew of outcasts and religious refugees looking for purity, honesty and prosperity, history would have turned out much different. 

Thank you for sticking around for this one. Thank you for the encouragement (you know who you are) with respect to the shrouds and ratlines, and even though this build didn't involve a lot of talking, i still felt your presence. Happy New Year, and i hope that your 2024 is better than your 2023, however good or bad this year may have been for you. I will see you all next time, probably very soon. 

 

Until then, fair winds and calm seas.