San Francisco Bay Scow Schooner by palmerit - Midwest Products - 1:48

[palmerit]

For my next model, I'm doing the San Francisco Bay Scow Schooner by Midwest (sold by Model Shipways / Model Expo). This is another example of a Midwest model that Model Shipways / Model Expo has reissued. It looks like this came out just last October 2024. I picked it up for a fairly cheap price, more than 1/2 off, during a Model Expo sale a couple months ago. It looks like it has been redesigned a bit. Someone online said that it does not look quite the same as the model they build in the 1990s.

 

I found online a link to an article describing these scow scooners: https://www.wisconsinshipwrecks.org/Files/scow-schooner-regional-context.pdf

 

I'm continuing my approach of having multiple models going on at once. It lets me just let paint or glue dry on one model and work on another model. It also lets me work on something that I'm keen to work on rather than feeling like I need to plough ahead on a step that I need to think hard about, research, or that I need a break from. 

 

I liked how this model looked and it seems like a straightforward build. I might try on this model to do a few things that deviate from the instructions, which would be a first for me.

 

I think this might be the first build log for this reissued model. I couldn't find any other in a search. It'll also be a first for me to go solo.

Edited Tuesday at 12:27 AM by palmerit

[palmerit]

Inside the kit. 

[palmerit]

The instructions call for drawing on the deck planks with a pencil. I’m going to try adding actual planks. A first. And first deviation from instructions. We’ll see how it goes. 

Edited April 26 by palmerit

[ccoyle]

I think by now you definitely have the skill set to up the detail a notch on this kit. As you know, these kits have made numerous compromises to make them easier for beginner/intermediate builders. If you want to spruce things up, look for photos of Alma online -- she is an actual San Francisco Bay scow schooner and still sailing. It's even possible that the original Midwest design is derived from Alma, since her lines were taken off during a HAER survey, and you can see those here.

 

From Wikimedia Commons

 

Really looking forward to watching this one!

[Jim Lad]

An interesting looking sailing vessel.

 

John

[palmerit]

Kind of frustrating that for a “new” 2024 reissue they didn’t get the laser cuts right on the keel. 

[JacquesCousteau]

Looks like a fun build! Adding a planked deck is a great idea, just don't forget to take into account the extra thickness/height when continuing with the build.

[palmerit]

Need to write the part numbers on the sheets, following the layout map on a page at the start of the instructions. 

[palmerit]

Slow assembly of the frame. So different from a Vanguard model. Need to align and clamp every individual frame piece. Glad I bought a set of 100 of these Lego-like pieces on Amazon a while back. 

[palmerit]

My first deck planking. After it dries I’ll trim the edges and cutouts, do a light sanding, and add some stain. 

 

I used the usual (standard) approach of running pencil lead along one edge (both one long edge and one shallow edge). From everything I've read, a dark sharpie or other marker is too dark and the ink bleeds and is not subtle enough for a ship of this scale. I've seen some people recommend India ink. But I think the pencil let works well. It's what I used on the NRG Half Hull.

 

It's good to get in a rhythm with this. I think I only forgot to pencil the short edge between board a couple of times.

 

I wasn't quite sure how to stagger the deck boards and whether they should be random or follow a rough pattern. I think next time I'll try to research the best ways to do this and mock out some possible patterns (or try to just do them entirely random). Note sure I quite like how the pattern turned out. I think I have blunt ends too close to one another in a few spots because I didn't fully plan ahead. I was trying to keep in mind what I learned by doing the NRG Half Hull, but keeping in mind didn't quite turn into execution. I should have created a pattern beforehand. I also wasn't quite sure what to do on the short sections in the middle of the hull. In the middle I had some planks butting together. In the rear end I had them all as full pieces. I wanted to see how the two options looked.

Edited Tuesday at 03:05 PM by palmerit

[Jim Lad]

Coming along very nicely.

 

John

[palmerit]

I’m kind of stumped. 
 

The instructions say to dill through the indents of F-2. Don’t know what an “indent” is and there’s no mark showing where to drill. 
 

Says to do the same for F-7 and in this case there are two plus marks on either side. The illustration shows two holes but they are closer to the middle than the marks. Argh. 
 

Maybe I’ll wait until later in the build to figure out where the holes should none and drill them

then. 

[palmerit]

I found that someone scratch built a scow schooner - not a build log, but there are some photos I can reference:

 

[palmerit]

The last pieces of the hull bulkheads are pretty challenging to attach. The point where they attach has just a tiny notch. No obvious way to make them aligned properly. 

[palmerit]

I used Super Phatic glue, which cures fairly quickly compared to PVA but not as quickly as CA. It let me set the pieces and then adjust a bit before the glue cures fully. Hoping I got them aligned reasonably well. 
 

Definitely letting them dry overnight before continuing to the next steps.  

Edited Wednesday at 01:57 AM by palmerit

[palmerit]

Finished deck, stained with Minwax “Colonial Maple”. 

[palmerit]

Bending the rail. The instructions called for soaking the wood overnight in an ammonia/water solution. I just soaked them for an hour in water I got boiling and poured onto a cake pan.

 

I laid the plans on a double layer of cork board, put Saran Wrap over top, and pinned to the shape on the plans. I’ll let them dry at least overnight. 

[Jim Lad]

That railing has bent very nicely considering its width.

 

John

[ccoyle]

12 hours ago, palmerit said:

The instructions say to dill through the indents of F-2. Don’t know what an “indent” is and there’s no mark showing where to drill.

 

If you read ahead in the instructions, can you deduce what the holes are for? Also, does the kit include 1:1 plans, and do those show the hole locations?

[palmerit]

27 minutes ago, ccoyle said:

Also, does the kit include 1:1 plans, and do those show the hole locations?

The 1:1 plans only show side view, top view, and sail.
 

I’ll study some more. Perspective drawings show the holes so I could approximate but I don’t want to end up getting them in the wrong position if they need to be more precisely placed. 

[palmerit]

Here's the link to the Alma, which is apparently the last survivor of this class of boats:

https://www.nps.gov/safr/learn/historyculture/alma.htm

https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery.htm?id=3D3F9A47-D4DE-3CE6-089EB6E5DB6376B6

 

[ccoyle]

1 hour ago, palmerit said:

Alma, which is apparently the last survivor of this class of boats

Alma is the last San Francisco Bay scow schooner, but not the last scow schooner.

[JacquesCousteau]

45 minutes ago, palmerit said:

Here's the link to the Alma, which is apparently the last survivor of this class of boats:

https://www.nps.gov/safr/learn/historyculture/alma.htm

https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery.htm?id=3D3F9A47-D4DE-3CE6-089EB6E5DB6376B6

 

Very cool! I have vague memories of having seen the Alma over a decade ago, although at the time my interest was more drawn to the larger ships in the museum. What a missed opportunity! 

 

Noting the curved sides of this model, I feel like it looks a little less like the Alma, which has very straight sides, and a bit closer to the Robbie Hunter, plans of which are in Chapelle's National Watercraft Collection book. Although I don't know how the scale would match up.

 

Another source you may want to look into is Roger Olmstead's "Scow Schooners of San Francisco Bay". It may be available as an interlibrary loan. I know there are a few articles on scow schooners available from the Nautical Research Journal, too.

[palmerit]

1 minute ago, ccoyle said:

but not the last scow schooner

Thanks for the clarification. The NPS site said "The last of her kind ..." 

 

Does "San Francisco Bay" scow schooner just refer to where they plied their trade or did it also refer to the class of boat (style, size, function).

[ccoyle]

Scow schooners had regional variations, depending on the local sailing conditions, intended purposes, local shipbuilding practice, etc. So a San Francisco Bay scow schooner is the variation of the basic form that worked San Francisco Bay and the San Francisco - San Joaquin Delta.

[palmerit]

Shaping the battens along the keel and side. This boat has fairly straight bottom and sides (not planks). It’s flat bottomed and fairly boxy. These battens provide the structure the hold the sides. 
 

The instructions say to just glue part and then bend using windex. I instead soaked in hot water for a bit. I just have them clamped in place to dry. I’ll glue them in place after they’ve dried to their shape. 
 

I’ll need to still add sheer battens along the stop. The two I installed are what the bottom pieces of the boat are glued to. The sheer battens (and chine batten) are what the sides are glued to. 
 

Very different construction from anything I’ve built so far. 

Edited yesterday at 03:26 AM by palmerit

[palmerit]

Adding more of the framing. 

[palmerit]

There isn’t much to glue the battens to, just some tiny notches in the frame pieces. Lots of clamps and this is a case where rubber bands are especially useful. 

Edited 17 hours ago by palmerit