Chaconia by Javelin - 1/100 - RADIO - LPG Tanker

[Jim Lad]

So, just about finished then! 😀

 

John

[Javelin]

I'm really short of time nowadays, so not much progress. Also wanted to add pics of the real ship, but having some hardware issues, so I'll just show some progress pics. 

Started by painting (and currently mounting) the forward catwalk. 

 

 

During the painting process I decided to finally continue that forecastle. 

First was the Chafing Chain. It's part of the obligatory Emergency Towing System of tankers. Small tankers only have one forward, larger ones also have a system aft. 

The forward system consists of a Smit Bracket (yellow thing in the pictures), with a chain connected. In an emergency, the chain is led overboard through the Panama fairlead by either the tanker's winches or the assisting tug's winch and then connected to the tug for emergency towing. Due to a chain's strength it survives the chafing of towing in heavy swell etc. Steel wires aren't so good for that and wires deteriorate much faster than chains. 

 

The heavy chain was connected to the bracket and stowed in a small coaming. On most ships it's also covered with canvas, but invariably it ends up as a pile of rust...

 

 

I also still had the chain stoppers to do. They transfer the forces of the anchor and chain to the vessel structure rather than keeping it on the winch brake and/or gearbox. 

 

I've seen about as many versions as I've seen windlasses, so no real standard there. Generally it's a big block that's hinged between two shackles of the anchor chain with a counterweight to aid in removing it when the anchor is hoisted again. Once it's in place, the chain is lowered so that the next shackle rests on the stopper block (transfer of forces, windlass loses tension). 

 

 

 

 

I also finished the stairs to the forecastle, first stairs to be finished in over 5 years! 

 

[Keith Black]

 Roel, I love the way you've kept everything to the same scale. It keeps everything realistic and believable. Always a pleasure seeing each new post. 

[Jim Lad]

Just lovely to look at, Roel!

 

John

[Glen McGuire]

I appreciate the explanation you give for the actual purpose of each new thing added to the ship.  Every post is a learning experience!   Fascinating build log to follow.

[Javelin]

First I finished that forecastle by adding the bosun store hatch and associated davit. For the davit handling rope I used normal orange sewing thread to replicate the commonly used orange polypropyle rope. 

 

The experience of actually finishing an area was quite addictive, so I decided to move just aft of the forecastle and finish that area first. 

Truly finishing it, also means creating the stairs, a task I'm not looking forward to. There is really a huge amount of stairs on this vessel and all are different. 

I was planning to leave them for last, but I believe this may have resulted in me not making them at all or ending up with a builder's block. 

So now on to the forward part of the deck, where I just installed the catwalk. 

 

First stair steps. I made a new jig for the steps.

I already produced a lot of steps for the future as well. 

 

Then they go in the jig. 

 

 

And once we have a stair, I produce the handrails, also with a jig. This jig has both sides of the rails, but the length is not fixed. So I make the sharp end (upper)first, the check the required length with the stair. Then I mark it and form the blunt (lower) end of the rail.

 

There are 4 long and 2 short stairs on the part in front of the deck house.  Here is the forward most stair. You can also see part of the railing on deck level that goes from that stair to the forecastle stair. This is another part of the "safe acces to tanker bows" as required by regulations. 

 

 

And here is one of my secret weapons: 

 

I use a lot of these free paper measuring tapes from Ikea and other shops. Their flexibility comes in handy, from time to time I also cut them in smaller pieces for easier use. 

Edited Saturday at 06:39 AM by Javelin

[wmherbert]

The stair jig is a marvelous idea. Thanks. It's little ideas like this one that make reading building logs so worthwhile.

Bill