HM Colonial Cutter Mermaid by olliechristo - FINISHED - Modellers ShipYard -

[Jim Lad]

Nice to see the rigging started, Ollie - and it's looking really sharp!

 

John

[dgbot]

You are getting there Ollie

Now you just have to do the rats. Just take your time and it will be over before you know it.

David B

[olliechristo]

Thanks again. Yeah can't believe I'm this close.. I'm about to fit lanyard strips. They are glued only at the moment..

 

Kit doesn't say how to fix them. Wondering what the proper procedure is.. When I lash it like in kit photo it looks different.. Regards Oliver

[olliechristo]

Also I noticed that they are not on all ships shrouds? And wondering what the purpose of them is exactly.. Regards Oliver

[olliechristo]

Do they look too bulky to anyone else, or do you think it suits.. 2x3mm walnut is what kit says..

[aliluke]

Yes they look too bulky to my eye, I'd incline to 3/4 that size - a guess. Purpose - firstly a spreader for the shrouds and secondly a step on to the ratlines for the sailors but that's a guess too. One thought is that your sailors would have to have very long legs to get onto the lines. Your lanyards may be a bit long. Don't change them! Just a thought.

[olliechristo]

yeah i had thought that too.. too hard to change anyway.. i read one thing then i read another, its all good..  but yes maybe i refine them a bit and lower them a tad.. are they just lashed on alistair?

[dgbot]

My advice would be to decrease the dimension a little so it looks closer to scale then lash it in.

David B

[ringbolt2013]

The lanyard bar is really no more than a place to keep "needful things" on a sailing ship. It's old fashioned "lash it up here" to keep it out of the way type of thing. When the shrouds became steal cables it became a rod that slipped through a hole in the turnbuckles to lock them in place so the tension did not change.

When I was young I got the rare opportunity to talk rigging with a man that actually sailed around the horn in an Ericson Line windjammer. A big honor!!

Had him all to myself for a whole day! He was 85.

 

Tom

[Jim Lad]

Ollie,

 

The 'lanyard strip' is called a sheer-pole.  It's main purpose was to stop the deadeyes from twisting or, as Tom has said, in a ship with the shrouds set up with bottle screws, it was used to lock the screws.  When fitted, it should sit right down on the tops of the deadeyes but is lashed in the manner shown in the kit plan photo.

 

With regard to the Mermaid, the contemporary paintings don't show a sheer-pole, and I'd be surprised to see them on a ship of this size and period.

 

If you really want to fit them, yours looks a little over scale.

 

By the way, when you come to the ratlines, note that the contemporary painting show them as being on the forward three shrouds only.

 

John

[olliechristo]

Thanks all.

 

John, thanks so much, very interesting and informative.. I have some new decisions to make...I wondered if strip sat down on deadeyes, makes more sense to me that it does... Many thanks ollie

[olliechristo]

I think I'm going to leave sheer-pole off... I have learned so much from you all.. Next build will be a breeze ;-)

 

I added top mast rope. Not sure exactly how that operates in reality. Looks like it raises the top mast out of the cap ? Any.how it's fitted as instructed.. Rat line business is next. Front and back stays... Realising blocks could be refined down more, but all good..

 

Most don't do black ratlines I gather.. I read they were lightly tarred.. Will probably go with fawn.. Regards Oliver

[egkb]

Hey there Ollie, am just catching you up after some MSW down time over here (that's code for me just being plain lazy) and can say that I loved the wee boat stowed on the deck (though at the stern was grand too)

Your mast is looking the absolute business and the shrouds are coming along a treat, though I'd agree with Alistair (Aliluke) in that it could be a big step up for the sailors to reach the lowest ratline (not sure if I'm remembering correctly but I seem to recall a rough 'ratio' existing for the separation of the Deadeyes.. but I may be wrong here)

 

A pleasure to finally catch up

 

All The Best

 

Eamonn

[ringbolt2013]

The topmast rope was used to lower the topmast to the deck prior to a bad storm. Lowered the top hamper and centre of gravity. The whipping and vibration can roll the mast right out of her in a blow!   Coming along nicely there Ollie!!

 

Tom

[olliechristo]

Hey Eamonn buddy, it's been too serious around here without you :-) nice you have back, good to have some time away from model at times, my girlfriend would let me build a.100 ships if I took her to see tori Amos..

. Tom you are.a wealth of knowledge and great support to keep me inspired.. that explains it, makes much more sense now.. Cheers mate...

 

So regarding the jump up to rats.. Scaled down I stand as a man 37mm high.. The taped off ruler shows this height.. Perhaps it's deceiving because she is such a small vessel.. Most are working at smaller scale? Hmm anyway I think the crew will manage..

Edited May 16, 2014 by olliechristo

[egkb]

Good to hear there will be no Ruptured Groins on Mermaid Ollie..

 

E

 

I'm afraid the nearest Tori gets to ye guys this tour is over in South Africa.. sure that isn't too far

[Jim Lad]

Ollie, I think she'll look better with no sheer-pole!

 

Good to see that you've rigged the top rope.  These little ships were ridiculously "over hatted" as the 19th century sailing ship men said - over rigged for us mere mortals - they needed to be able to get the top hamper off pretty quickly if the wind started to blow up too much.

 

John

[olliechristo]

I love how much this hobby is teaching me..   So i wanted to get my front stay on, then i'm onto ratlines.. 

 

I did a few tries at getting it right.. Re did it all in the end, doesnt take long..

 

The deadeye supplied was the same as others used on shrouds but it needed drilling out as the kit said to use the same 1mm black cord to reeve it.. 

 

i drilled the holes a bit too large, the deadeye looked a bit small and i actually didnt like the black, tried a few cords till i got looking good,, hand made my first dead-eye.. wasnt hard, made it a bit larger than supplied ones...   

 

I'm taking my time now and very happy with the way she is looking..  Ollie

 

[aliluke]

You're a natural Ollie. Great work. Couldn't believe at first how tall that sailor was but you're right. I retract my comment, no problem for that guy to leap onto the rats.

[olliechristo]

Thanks guys, i'm getting a bit better at noticing things out of scale.  So the kit says 5mm between ratlines.. that equals 240mm or 10 inches ..

Will see how that looks, not sure what the standard is...  Going to try get them underway today.. just gotta go clothes shopping Ollie

[Jim Lad]

Ollie,

 

In the mid to late 19th century, ratlines were 12 to 18 inches apart.

 

John

[BANYAN]

Hi Ollie, great to hear you are enjoying the journey.  Apart from you learning, logs such as yours are interesting to follow, not simply for the build what others can learn along the way also.  Your log has helped me in the case of the ratlines (thanks John) as that was a tid-bit I wasn't aware of.

 

keep pluggin' on mate, the build is looking great!

 

cheers

 

Pat

[ringbolt2013]

Bow deadeye is dead on Ollie!! Right on...should be a bit bigger than the shrouds!! After all it's taking more stress!  Good eye!!

 

Tom

[KenW]

You are building a really great looking boat.  Excellent workmanship and I like the color scheme.

Really well done.

Cheers.

[olliechristo]

Ok, rats are done on starboard side.. reasonably happy with it, oh ok... I cant complain for a first go

 

It's not as easy as one would like and i'm sure it will go smoother on second run..  

 

I was brave enough to throw in a macro..  Black card helps find the fuzzy bits...

best if you dont use waterbased marker to mark out card, it runs when glueng.. 

 

I have a grip on the cow and clove hitch now, handy to know..   I used the principle of doing every forth run and then coming back to fill in..  Ollie

 

 

[olliechristo]

Oh and no i didn't miss a run, they just are not needed..

[aliluke]

Nice, nice and very nice. You have avoided the hour glass effect on the shrouds and the rope colours look spot on.

[ringbolt2013]

Yes!! Very nice.  Looking good Ollie!

[Moo]

Leanne, I really hope you get her back in action! I should be able to help with some issues if they arise with the building... Looking forward to it..

 

Hey Ollie - it's all looking so great. I started at the beginning of your build log and have been copying & pasting all your posts and the various pieces of advice from other members to form a kind of 'practicum' for the Mermaid... leaving out most of the 'attaboy' type posts (as well deserved as they are), so far it's around 240 A4 pages. It's going to be such a useful reference as I work on mine   thank you to everyone who has contributed, your input has just added to the value of the quality work Ollie has displayed and achieved in his own right..

Now, just to find some time to get back to my own build...

[Jim Lad]

Just catching up ,Ollie.  Those ratlines look really good, mate!

 

John