USS Cape (MSI-2) by Dr PR - 1:48 - Inshore Minesweeper

[Dr PR]

That's only because I didn't show you a close-up! It is mostly going according to plan, but I had a problem on the port bow. I broke the sheer strake with too much pressure trying to get it to conform to the curvature of the hull. I glued it in place anyway, but it had a bit of an upward bow between bulkheads 1 and 3. That threw off the following planking, and I ended up with a "smile" between a couple of strakes. I cut a filler piece and glued it in place and now the strakes run fair. However, the taper was a bit off and now I am having to cut the port strakes a bit narrow between frames 5 and 1 to make up the difference. It won't show after the hull is sanded and painted.

 

I have also had problems with plank thickness. I am checking plank width carefully and beveling the high side of each plank to fit snugly against the strake above it. But some of the planks are too narrow at the end, as if they were pulled out of a thickness sander too early causing the end to be too thin. I only discovered this after gluing a plank into place and then realizing that the plank that butted against the thin end was quite a bit thicker. Again, I cut a filler piece and glued it in place. Then after sanding the hull is smooth at that joint. Now I check the thickness as well as the width.

 

I am using a 1 in 3 planking scheme. The planking butt joints are at bulkheads 5, 10 and 15, repeating every third strake.

Edited Friday at 06:37 AM by Dr PR

[KeithAug]

Phil

 

Thanks for the detail on your planking trials, tribulations and successes. I'm sure that a lot of us are greatful of the learning points.

 

I was interested in the photos of the present day vessel. The picture of the planks at the bow shows rather short lengths running at a different angle to the main hull planks. What is the reason for this odd arrangement. is this something that was done to effect a repair later in life?

[Dr PR]

Keith,

 

Those planks are the anchor lining to prevent the anchor from chafing or cutting into the hull planking. The ship also had these linings on each side aft of midships. The port lining was where the ship's boat was put over the side, and the starboard lining was where the large float (or "pig") for the acoustic mine sweep sounder went over the side. There were two more linings on the port and starboard side at the stern where the minesweeping cable floats went over the side.

 

I can see these planks better in some of the higher resolution photos I have of the ship, but I don't know the actual dimensions. I haven't found these in any of the blueprints. They may have been added after the ship was built. These linings were found on all the minesweepers I saw while I was in the service.

 

One problem I faced was trying to figure out how low on the hull the linings went. In the photos they go down to the water line - but then what? Fortunately, Austin Cox (the current owner) sent me a photo of the ship in the slings when it was in the shipyard, and it shows these lining planks go all the way down to the keel! End of problem! The same photo showed how that thick garboard strake faired out at the bow - another thing the blueprints don't show.

 

As you know from your Cangarda build, photos of the real thing are a treasure!

Edited yesterday at 04:15 AM by Dr PR