Charles W Morgan by Gerald Spargo - Model Shipways

[Gerald Spargo]

I have a lot of pictures of the Morgan that friends have sent me from all the forums I have been on, and from the internet. These ones I just posted came from Wayne, who I think is still a member here on MSW. If there are any particular photos you want, I may have them, and could send them your way.

[Littlebob]

Amazing work on your Morgan, the details you have put in make it hard to tell your model from the real ship.

[Gerald Spargo]

Thank you Robert, I love detailing.

 

Well...............the first picture should explain why you might want a display case for your model. That is bad.

 

 

It did clean-up well though. So now I'm all setup, and working on it again. Looking, and working with small stuff again is going to take some getting use to again. Had to use my own seizing instructions to get going, couldn't remember how to tie the battens on.   

 

[Guest Tim I.]

Yikes, that is a lot of dust! Glad that it cleaned up well. As for the pictures, I am trying to glean as many as I can before I start my Morgan. Most likely I will not be able to start until this time next year. Currently I am scrambling to finish a scratch build project by the end of this month, then I will need to finish my Prince de Neufchatel and Niagara before I move on. My Constitution project is on hold as I buy extra materials, and do research. So I will probably work on my Morgan instead of the Constitution. So as my lengthy post says, I have some time to gather information. 

 

- Tim

[torpedochief]

When I was stationed at the Submarine Base in Groton Ct. We were members of the Seaport and most weekends would find us roaming the grounds. I got to Groton as a 2nd Class Torpedoman and left as a Chief. I sorta grew up on the Morgan you might say. To see this build leaves me yearning for the days when my children were young and on cool fall days we would sit on the grass, eat clam fritters and watch the ship.

You are doing so a wonderful job my friend. I hope I learn as much as you have forgotton.

 

 

Chief

[schooner]

Thanks for reposting your pix, this was always my favorite build log.

Your woodworking, painting and chain-forging skills are unequaled. Can't wait to see the rest!

Tim

[Gerald Spargo]

Well, I'm not far very fast. By the time I get to do anything in the evenings, I have enough time to tie on 3 battens.

Hope to be able to commit more time to my build at some point.

 

 

[Guest Tim I.]

Gerald,

 

Frankly I envy a slower pace. Many family members and friends and requested ships, along with my museum work. So this leads to me having to work quickly. I think a much slower and gradual pace leads to excellent work, especially in your case.

 

So no worries! Looking forward to the next update.

 

- Tim

[Landlubber Mike]

Yikes, that is a lot of dust! Glad that it cleaned up well. As for the pictures, I am trying to glean as many as I can before I start my Morgan. Most likely I will not be able to start until this time next year. Currently I am scrambling to finish a scratch build project by the end of this month, then I will need to finish my Prince de Neufchatel and Niagara before I move on. My Constitution project is on hold as I buy extra materials, and do research. So I will probably work on my Morgan instead of the Constitution. So as my lengthy post says, I have some time to gather information. 

 

- Tim

Tim, I'm in the DC area but am supposed to go to a wedding up in CT in the fall.  If my family will let me squeeze it in, I'm hoping to make a trip to visit the Morgan, as I have the kit on my shelf.  If I can make it, I plan on taking plenty of pictures that I can share with you and others on here that might be interested.

 

Sorry to interrupt your log Gerald.    Love your work - your Morgan is setting a very high standard for my future build

Edited June 26, 2014 by Landlubber Mike

[Guest Tim I.]

Sounds great. I am currently in the process of listing my house and hopefully moving into a new one by September. I hope to lay the keel of my Morgan in early January next year.

 

- Tim

[Shiptek]

Terrific attention to details! After I get some experience I intend to refurbish and add some details to the Morgan my grandfather built. I will bookmark this thread as a guide for sure!

 

I trust everyone has seen the pictures from Mystic Seaport regarding the Morgans 38th voyage. That ship is breathtakingly magnificent! I visited Mystic a couple of summers ago during her restoration. I was not a hobbyist then so I don't have any useful photos for you unfortunately. It breaks my heart that I don't have the time, money or resources to see her set sail this summer. I hope anyone who has the opprotunity will go. The Morgan is in New Bedford this weekend through the 4th!

 

Excellent work, thank you for sharing this build.

 

From Mysic Seaport's FB page:

 

[HIPEXEC]

Very nice work!

[Gerald Spargo]

Thanks everyone for the kind comments. It will be nice to see more Morgans being worked on. I may not get a whole lot done this weekend. I have part of a garden getaway to get put up in the backyard. I need to get up what I've got built so far, cause I'm plum running out of room in the shop.

[texxn5]

Hi Gerald, thank you so much for posting this build log again. I look forward to watching the progress. I should be back in the shipyard by the end of Sept or Oct. You should be far enough ahead off me to really help me with the rigging. I'll get the missing pictures of mine up, but unfortunately it will be after I get back home. The missing pictures are on my other computer. I do have a flash drive with me that might have them on it, but right now I can't find the drive. Packed somewhre in the RV. I put in quite a few details on the tryworks area. Mostly tools and things to clutter it up. Keep it up. I was making and installing deadeys and chainplates when we left in May. Question, did you use a seizing machine on the lines?

[Gerald Spargo]

I used a serving machine that I made years ago when I first started the rigging. Made of wood, and old printer parts. There is also a rope with an alligator clip that goes with it so I can serve short lines too.

 

[Gerald Spargo]

This is my vertical ropewalk that I use for making my rope. 

 

[texxn5]

Thanks for the pictures. I have one of Alexy Domanoff's serving machines. I don't have the rope walk though. In your opinion should I try to make my own rope or is the kit thread good enough. I've never tried to make my own and wonder if it's worth the effort. I don't think I've heard very many comments on this subject, but seems like a lot of the guys do it.

[Gerald Spargo]

It would just be a matter of how much work you want to put into it I guess. Making your own, makes the rope look more realistic. It also gives you the satisfaction of making your own rope, just like you made all the other parts on your ship. All that scratch building of everything on that deck doesn't have to stop with the wood, and metal. It can continue with the rope, all the way to the top of the mast. In the end, it would just make you all that much more proud of what you accomplished.  

 

I don't mind making my own rope, but it wouldn't bother me to much to use kit rope either. I made my own standing rigging because I couldn't do what I wanted with the nylon rope that came in the kit. The lower shrouds that are served, are the actual kit rope. Didn't see any reason to make rope, just to cover it up with serving. The rest of the standing rigging will be handmade though. Running rigging, I'm thinking about using kit rope. Not necessarily Model Shipways though. I don't like how the nylon hangs onto that bend it gets from being wrapped around those plastic tabs.

 

I did use Model Shipways rope on my Bluenose ll, and I thought it looked fine.

 

Now with that all said, we also have Chuck. If you want more authentic rigging, but don't want to make it, then we can get it from Chuck, and let him do the work.     

[coolknight]

I live on the CT RI line. I am also into a build of the Morgan myself. I visted the ship in Mystic during the restore, then in New Lodon CT, and then last week in New Bedford along with the Whaling Museum. There is nothing better.

[Scoot]

A view of the Morgan a few hours ago. She is headed east through the Cape Cod canal Wednesday Morning.

[texxn5]

That really looks impressive Gerald. Would love to be there to see her. Do all the whaleboats have a blue trim at the top or are they diffferent colors? I'm not sure I've ever seen them all together before?

[docidle]

Gerald,

Thanks for reposting your build. When I first returned to the hobby after a 40 year hiatus, I found your build and was blown away to say the least. I have a Revell CWM that I have been building/not building for the last year, trying to copy some of your work. I hope you do not mind.

Steve

[Gerald Spargo]

Hey Scoot, thanks for that pic, that has got to be an awesome site in person.

John, the way I take it, is whaling ships would pick up new whaleboats from different builders to replace damaged ones where ever they docked at, so they could continue on with they're voyage. So they probably were not all the same. 

docidle, I don't mind at all if you copy what I am doing.

 

I'm on the home stretch with the lower shrouds.

 

 

 

I made a change on the way though. I was every once in awhile stretching the distance of all 5 shrouds with the battens, because that's what the plans showed. But, I couldn't find this in any of the photos that I have. So I removed that part of the batten.

 

 

 

[Guest Tim I.]

I have the same chopper tool in the background. Mine does not always cut flush at a 90 degree angle.

 

Your shrouds are looking great!

 

- Tim

Edited July 11, 2014 by Tim I.

[texxn5]

Looks good Gerald, I'll be there too someday soon.

[Gerald Spargo]

My chopper's the same way, but the true sander next to it takes care of that problem.

[Gerald Spargo]

Hey John, can't wait to see your rigging going up. Just don't let that Morgan curse get to you. I'm looking forward to getting to the running rigging.

[texxn5]

Yeah Gerald, I'm looking forward to getting the shrouds done. My problem to start will be to figure out how long to make them so that they meet the deadeye correctly and then getting them siezed properly.

[Scoot]

Couple more pics as the Morgan is escorted through the east end of the Cape Cod Canal Wednesday morning.

If you can zoom in on the photos, you see how she is rigged at the present.

Should be boarding her in a couple of weeks, so will have plenty of pics.

 

Scoot

[Guest Tim I.]

Some nice photos of the C.W. Morgan under sail during whale watching: https://www.facebook.com/mysticseaport/photos/a.10152579095224288.1073741868.27795854287/10152579095334288/?type=1&fref=nf

 

- Tim