HMS Terror by Jond - OcCre - 1:75

[clearway]

once finished this diorama is going to look awesome- regards masts, rigging etc i used James Lees 'Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War'

 

Keith.

[Jond]

wow. thank you for your kind words. I sure hope the diorama comes close to your expectations. 

 

I got my new acrylic today in three different color selections, and i think is will work well.   More later but here is a sneak preview. 

 

 

 there still is so much to do that is pure modeling as well.   

 

 

cheers 

[Auger]

39 minutes ago, Jond said:

wow. thank you for your kind words. I sure hope the diorama comes close to your expectations. 

 

I got my new acrylic today in three different color selections, and i think is will work well.   More later but here is a sneak preview. 

 

 

 there still is so much to do that is pure modeling as well.   

 

 

cheers 

That’s beginning to look really nice. The water is great!

[Jond]

11 back to the rigging let’s make our sails

 

There are many U-tube series that help with learning the various processes here. I recommend ones goes there.  I share my process more to encourage others to give it a try.  I am no expert.  I usually do full sailing models, So, what we see here is a bit of an experiment. I furles three sails on the Bowdoin and that is the extent of my experience in this process.

 

1   

To make up the yard arms I chose to use copper wire and brass leads.  I did not blacken it as that requires two processes and I often have residue that rubs off. That cannot happen with these delicate sails.  I used paint, and it really gets covered up with the furling of the sail, so I don’t feel too guilty.

 

• 2
• here when copying the design onto tracing paper one needs to sure the sail will nicely fit on the yard arm.  I say this here a second time, because it really happens…. they seem to grow. Also, I read somewhere that if sails are to be furled, one should only make them about 2/3 their full size.

 

• 3
• here markings on the silk span are cut out and ready to turn back the edges on one side.  I stretch light line on three sides and heavier line where the sail is to be sewn to a spar.

 

• 4 -5
• the strings are taped down and the edges turned back using diluted white glue. After drying the sail is flipped and thin strips applied to the back side [ reef line too.]. Pencil lines are on both sides. 

 

• 6-7.  
• here all the lines are attached, and the sail is ready to be attached to the yard arm.   Finally, we brush water on both sides of the sail and lightly flake it back and forth up to the yard. Then tie loops and let is dry.

 

• 8-10.
• here is the same process for the two try sails. I had to make it up a bit as I have no info in either the kit or Betts book.   The whole assembly is prepared.  I tied off two rings before furling and left the other rings loose.  As this boom would have been very active, I assumed the looseness of no binding rings made sense. They would drop the gaff , shake out the sail and re tie off the hoops when ready to resume sailing next year.   Also, I saw little hope in not taring stuff if I tried to install them all then furl.   There is no strength in wet silk span.  

I am now in mid stream for figuring the how to present the story of taking down top rigging,  I will share that phase in parts 

 

All for now 
 

[Jond]

12 first part of rigging

 

 

I start by admitting I am over my pay grade, especially when showing how things were done 180 years ago.   So, for experts out there I am not challenging anything, just sharing my applied recreational sailor’s logic to show the vessel still in the icy water, and the crew removing three spars.  In general, I tried to dual task lines and not just add extra lines for everything. I break this sequence up by mast.  

 

First however there are a few things I decided as to what the completed vessel would have had going north that affect all three masts. example: I added the fore and main trysails.   I choose to include them for three reasons:

·        First, I defer to the decision of Mathew Betts who included them on his drawings that I understand reflects what he felt represent as the 1845 design.

·        Second is a practical sense. I suspect the main purpose of these two gaffs was for constant movement of objects on deck.  By example, how without them would one load the sledge and then the stacked boats aft of the foremast or again boats on the high racks behind the main mast? 

·        Finally, the need for fore and aft sails to navigate through narrow ice leads.  Having been a recreational sailor, I have respect for these guys threading a needle through ice.  Also, for ferocious wind changes, these sails were easy and fast to set or close.  Useful as a storm trysail as well. As Capt MacMillan of the schooner Bowdoin said in 1920 while explaining why he felt a schooner was the best rig for the arctic.   “…You could rig it and change it easily and quickly.  In the arctic there is either too much or too little wind….”.   Think about trying to maintain steerage in frequent gales.    I can’t image taking the trysails away after they were there for over 4 years of arctic/ Antarctic sailing.  Yes, there was a new steam engine. Many in the Navy thought they were great and the future etc.  I have read not surprisingly that many others as early as 1845 were unlikely convinced.  Especially as they only had a small supply of coal.  Not enough coal to allow sustained operation…I believe that is from Palin’s book. 

 

As to the bow sprits, I am not so sure I am making the right decision here and I may change my mind. Unfortunately, Betts did not consider doing a sail plan.  His two drawings for the spar plan and standing rigging leave a lot of questions.   So, as I have recorded, I changed from the kit design of one long sprit and one jib boom.  I shortened both the sprit and the jib boom and added a long flying jib boom. I have no reason other than Betts drawings.  However, without a sail plan I see no evidence of a third [ flying jib] foresail.   The only reason for the flying jib boom seems to support the royal mast even though the artwork shows no such sail was set.    Way over my paygrade to say or think any more for now unless someone produces a sail plan. 

 

To work

 

1-2.

in these 2 photos we see the two trysails furled to the gaff and both a downhaul [vang] and the single blocked line for handling movement on deck.  I suggest they may have added a block with multi part lines for easier leverage in handling items on deck.  I may add one myself if there is room to do so after setting up for lowering masts.  The three spars to be moved into storage, weigh between 350 and 500 pounds and tackle would have been necessary.

 

 

Starting the Mizzen Mast:

·        I followed the work of earlier builders, bloggers and used cross trees and no upper royal mast. I read they were using all those British Admiralty standards and just followed as best as I could. The known expectation of frequent gale force winds makes those high sails less useful and dangerous.  Also, the artwork showing them sailing away from Disko Island had no royals on any mast, so that layout makes sense.

·        I am not sure what one calls or the function of the flat vertical planks on either side of the banded lower masts.  Please note they are not on the Betts mizzen.  

·        Then after much thought, [and I may be dead wrong here] I chose to remove the composite rings and side planks.   The mizzen was small enough [ similar to the big schooners we built here in Maine up to through 1930’s.}  they needed to have hoops for the sail, so they would most likely have been a solid piece limited in diameter accordingly.  Otherwise, there would have been a Spencer mast [ identical to the trysail masts] like larger barks and full ships. I unfortunately did not think this through early enough to include rings and chose not to disassemble the mizzen to add them.  I needed to scrape and sand up the mizzen after removing the “side boards” and chose to leave it rough.  Later, after say 1860 all the USA big schooner masts were dark brown due to aged oil or grease etc. added to the masts for smooth movement of the hoops.  This mizzen could possibly not have been painted white. I stop here in deference to my lack of British knowledge. I left it roughed up and did not repaint it.

 

·        3-4  here we see my first go I furled the spanker on the boom.  This too would have been Yankee doings as the sail would have been lashed to the boom.  I say looking through others’ work that this sail was loose footed.  Therefore, I went ahead and redid the furling to the gaff. The second image shows the rough mizzen mast where hoops would surely rubbed off paint.

 

Before completing the mizzen, I need to share a surprise as the acrylic sheets from China showed up in days, not weeks. Etsy was my source, and they sell them at the size I wanted in groups of 6.  I chose 2 each of three colors.  They are not textured, but I can deal with that down grade. 

 

5-7  

here we see three colors in the first view, a dark ocean blue , and very light and I hope icy blue and a mid-range sea blue.  I chose the icy blue, and with a larger 16 by 24 size sheet I moved things around a bit.  I then used the previous cut out as a template and got what I hope will work out …..icy toned water beginning to freeze.

 

Back to the mizzen and some of my moves.

 

8-10 

I respect the other builders of this model who are more familiar with British Navy standards etc.  I have over the years collected a parallel library of America Non-Navy standards.  My example is all the work by William Crothers. I would guess there are more similarities than differences but leave that discussion for the experts.  In my build, the combined topping lift/lazy jacks, the life lines, the out haul, the boom tackle[ preventer] are all from my New England approach. I have to admit I just went ahead building them that way and then looked at other builds and said oh no..I am wrong again.  These three views try to capture the spanker fitout, then the boom detail, then the upper mast. At this point only one block is there for the topsail. I am debating when to add the flag and how to soften it.

 

New up the main

 

Cheers

[clearway]

She certainly looks the part- i have heard the two ships were merchant rigged regards running rigging and Matthew mentions the  large iron truss still attached to the foreyard so i will be fitting an iron swivel truss to my Erebus (i rigged my Terror with chain trusses navy style) and would alter the way the yard halliards / tyes are rigged.

 

as regards the flying jib it would not be furled on the flying jib boom which is why you don't see  it on illustrations and the boom would be run out if it was needed with the sail then run up.

 

Keith

[Jond]

Thank you Keith for the insight and gentle push.    I was outside earlier this morning. It is 15 F here with winds steadily gusting past 20mph.  The snow is too hard to shovel.  After 15 minute the dog looked at me and sort of said what are we doing out here.  We could be in the shop!😃

 

After digesting your comment the light bulb went off.   If it were July - August and they we sailing for two days across the Davis Strait, sure push up that extra sail off that extra boom.  But by fall it was easily 15deg F and wind often much more than 20 mph, and they would not have that extra jib boom rigged.   You and the local weather convinced me....the flying jib boom shall ride on deck in storage.   

 

11-12   

for the record here are the last two photos of her rigged [ minus the sail of course} 

 

cheers and thanks as always for for your comments...

[clearway]

you are welcome- it is good seeing a different take on the diorama as most i have seen show the ships ice bound or in open water- looking great so far.

 

Keith