STS Leeuwin II by tallshiptragic - 1/56 as she is today 2015

[Tallshiptragic]

Poop deck is starting to look very busy now. I was putting the helm station off for awhile, though now it's almost done. On the dash are four repeaters showing, depth, wind angle and wind speed, speed over ground and course over ground. Next to these are the displays for each engine showing, rpm, engine temp plus shut down buttons and ignition keys - these keys are only a second step as the engines are actually started below. Also in front of the helm on the dash is a gyro compass repeater - the actual gyro compass is in the chart house. I'll use decals to show these on the helm station.

 

The other item I've made is the megnatic compass.

[Tallshiptragic]

Just wanted to see how the masts would look

 

All lower masts are steel and only the top masts are wood. The foremast is a little different as compared to similarly rigged vessels, the fore lower and top masts are one single mast, with the t'gallant mast a separate piece. The first futtock is still just above the fore course yard but the mast continues up to the base of t'gallant.

[Omega1234]

Hi Anton

 

I knew that you'd be itching to get the masts in place, even it was only as a trial fit!!! I'm exactly the same as you, in that regard.

 

In fact, being able to temporaily install the masts is really one of those milestone moments, that, more than anything, really gives you a true indication of the dimensions of the model. Will you be putting the sails on as well?

 

Cheers and all the best

 

Patrick

Edited March 27, 2015 by Omega1234

[Tallshiptragic]

Hi Patrick

 

Yeah I couldn't resist still a long way off fitting them proper but like you said, it does give a good indication of the final size of the model.

I will be including sails - a tall ship model without sails, unless it's in an admiralty style with exposed planking etc just doesn't look right to me. Obviously sails are bent off especially during refit... But still looks odd.

 

I've yet to decide whether or not I'll have them set or have them with harbour furls.

[*Hans*]

Hey Anton,

 

You're making a very nice ship over here - with some remarkable fine details! 

Personaly I should fit her with furled sails - as this still give you a nice view on rigging and decks (although it makes it a bit more difficult as the fabric is often to thick to make realistic furled sails).

[Jim Lad]

She's coming along very nicely!

 

John

[Tallshiptragic]

Hey Anton,

 

You're making a very nice ship over here - with some remarkable fine details! 

Personaly I should fit her with furled sails - as this still give you a nice view on rigging and decks (although it makes it a bit more difficult as the fabric is often to thick to make realistic furled sails).

  

She's coming along very nicely!

 

John

Thanks Hans, I am leaning to having furled sails. I might set the mizzen sail as if she is at anchor. In very light winds we set the mizzen to keep her pointed into the wind. I've also decided to show the port davit rigged outboard with one of the dory's attached with the starboard dory secured on deck, again just to show how it all works. I won't be using fabric for the sails - as you say it always looks over scale and our sails when furled are very very tight fuels so most likely will be using tissue paper or the like.

 

Thanks very much john. We're back in a couple days from this voyage to do a few day sails and prep for our run up north of WA, so hopefully get some modeling in before we head off for that stint.

[Tallshiptragic]

A bit of déjà vu for our chief mate yesterday morning. His last ship the Queen Mary 2 passed us. He was the chief officer on the Mary before coming to us.

 

The first photo, we tried to replicate an old Cunard poster from the 30's of a sailor on the bowsprit of a tall ship while the first queen Mary steams past. Think we did a good job of that one. The second one I took aloft on the foremast.

Edited April 3, 2015 by Tallshiptragic

[Tallshiptragic]

Back ashore, so thought I'd get some more deck detailing done.

 

There's a few wooden deck boxes to still be made up, anchor windlass and bollards but first I wanted to get the life raft containers made up.

 

I used plastic tube as the basic structure, covered the ends with sheet and strip and half rounds for the supportive bands and seal. So far only the basic structure are done but all 6 have been started. Making them together one step at a time is far easier than only making one full container at a time.

 

Leeuwin has 6 25 person liferafts, one aft, one forward and four midships. These are all SOLAS so completely enclosed offshore life rafts with individual epirbs.

[Tallshiptragic]

All six canisters made up. The four midships are slightly smaller than the ones forward and the one on the poop deck as there different makes but still 25person rafts.

 

The black straps are the packing bands which I used black coated copper wire. The tie down straps are artist tape which is glued down but colour wise match the real straps perfectly. The hydrostatic release is just plastic tube painted orange to match what we have on Leeuwin - does the job I think. The weak link on our canisters are attached to the shackle which holds the strap and hydro release so the painter is attached to this and the left side of the canister.

 

Also the canister on the poop deck is fixed slightly off centre on purpose as the real one doesn't quite sit perfectly

 

All that's left is to add decals, I'll make these up on my next print run of decals.

[Tallshiptragic]

Added bollards today and also made up the rescue boats bow line. This is attached to the port aft spring bollard. A lanyard is attached to the bow line to one of the stantions on the poop deck - this is for easy and quick retrieval after launching to keep the line away from the port prop. At the end of the bowline is a spliced eye. On the rescue boat itself there is an attachment spliced on to an eye on the bow with a wooden toggle- this toggle goes through the eye of the bowline attached to the ship. Again this is for an easy release and not having to worry about untying knots in an emergency. Another lanyard is attached to the rescue boats toggle to the inside of the rescue boat. One to easily pull the toggle out and pull the line into the rescue boat without leaning over the side.

 

A mouthful, so have attached a sketch to show it clearly I hope

Edited April 7, 2015 by Tallshiptragic

[Omega1234]

Hi Anton

 

....now that's real attention to detail; as only one could have who actually works on the real thing itself.

 

Nicely done.

 

Patrick

[Tallshiptragic]

Hi Patrick, thanks.

 

Yeah I never built her in the past because of it. Problem is we'll be in refit in two months so some deck fittings at change. The rig always changes depending on which set of sails we have on. Currently we have the oldest set of sails on her, some from the 90's and some from the early 2000's. While the sails are technically the same size - depending on who was the sail maker at the time, they may be cut differently so positions of buntlines etc are not always in the same spot the joy of a real ship!

[Tallshiptragic]

Roughed out the pin rails both on the bulwarks around the fore and main mast shrouds and the pin rails around all masts. You will see there are extra rails where the fore and main shrouds will be, these are purely steps to help step onto the shrouds.

 

The rails are just pinned in place at the moment. Final cleaning up and of course addition of the pins still needed.

[Tallshiptragic]

Wanted a couple less cluttered pics so pulled the model out into better light.

[Jim Lad]

She's coming along really well!

 

John

[Omega1234]

Hi Anton

 

...it's like a real feast for the eyes. The more you study each photo, the more details jump up at you!

 

Looking really nice.

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

[Tallshiptragic]

Thanks very much guys. I'm quite happy with how she's coming about. Still a lot to do on her decks before I look at making up the masts - inlets for water, fuel, deck lights electrical outlets and ship to shore power connection. Not to mention the two dorys, which will be models in themselves!

 

And for those of you who only like ships with guns, I've decided to mount the two signaling swivel guns on each quarter.

[Tallshiptragic]

Started work on the anchor windlass. Main drum housing, gypsies - what the chain actually runs over, warping drums, and hand brakes for the gypsies. The only thing left really are the hand winding brakes on the ends of the warping drums- these disengage the gypsy while the warping drum still rotates.

 

There's a sort of 'a' frame over the front of the windlass which the sea chains are attached too as the fore bell. These aren't actually part of the windlass as such so I'll make them up separately.

[Tallshiptragic]

Anchor windlass and belfry completed.

[Omega1234]

Very nice!!!

[Tallshiptragic]

Thanks Patrick, but you can't use the windlass without the controller

 

That's the yellow thing with the cable coming out and looping around haha

This plugs into a socket on the hatchway next to the windlass, beneath the on/off switch for the windlass.

[Tallshiptragic]

Had a little fun with something different tonight. Hull draught numbers. I've used a rub on dry decal white number set for this, which requires patience but looks much better than a decal in my opinion as it's just the numbers straight on the hull.

 

If you're not familiar with draught numbers, the metric system which I've only encountered on the ships I've sailed on are numbered in 20cm positions. 1M or 10, followed by 2, 4, 6, 8 - 20cm,40cm etc until the next metre which would be 2M or 20. The numbers themselves in the metric system are 10cm in height as standard which works out to 1.7mm in 1/56 scale. Around the stern, as the hull slopes significantly compared to the bows, the numbers increase to a height of 18cm on the hull - this of course will be different on all ships as the angle a stern slopes will be different to the next. This is done as to look at the numbers from the waterline they are still at the correct levels. The stern numbers are also in line with the props. On naval vessels the draught numbers would change here and show the draught of the projected item from the hull (eg: props, stabilisers etc and would have 'proj' at waterline level as to not confuse anyone about the actual hull draught. A separate stern hull draught would then be shown on the centerline of the transom. Leeuwin doesn't luckily, and even though the stern draught numbers are inline with the props show the hulls actual draught as the props don't project below the keel.

 

Pic 1- bow draught numbers

 

Pic2 - stern draught numbers using larger font

 

Pic 3- side profile showing how the numbers are inline on the hull when looking at them from the waterline.

[Omega1234]

Hi Anton

 

Nice! It's the little details such as this (hull numbering) that makes your ship so authentic.

 

Certainly looks like you're not far off from the finishing line.

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

Edited April 9, 2015 by Omega1234

[BANYAN]

Finally had some time to take a good look through your build log; and a what a pleasure to see your progress through this model - a very nice build indeed.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Tallshiptragic]

Hi Anton

Nice! It's the little details such as this (hull numbering) that makes your ship so authentic.

Certainly looks like you're not far off from the finishing line.

Cheers

Patrick

  

Finally had some time to take a good look through your build log; and a what a pleasure to see your progress through this model - a very nice build indeed.

 

cheers

 

Pat

Thanks Patrick and Pat for checking in. She has come along easily and quickly though it helps knowing the ship as intimately as I do. Sometimes I find it difficult also to just study the plans without knowing certain things. This ship is quite an easy build for me in that respect. Though even once the hull and deck is complete which you're right, probably won't be long... The masts and rig are just as complicated. Luckily though, I've de-rigged this ship, removed sails, bent on sails, taken off yards, repaired turnbuckles, tarred stays and shrouds, replaced running rigging on the real thing, it should come together again quite easily, and I'm the chef! Haha

[CaptainSteve]

... and I'm the chef! Haha

 

I was wondering just exactly what your role was, Anton !!

 

Seriously. You've a stunningly beautiful build going there.

But, y'know, I'll just have to be sure to compare your work to the real thing ... next time I'm down in Fremantle !!

(Purely so as I can inform the rest of MSW of your build accuracy, o'course)

Edited April 9, 2015 by CaptainSteve

[Tallshiptragic]

Hi Steve, haha yeah officially I'm the chief catering and supply officer. So I look after the catering and store supplies for the ship as well as the voyage budget. So I'm the hardest worker on board! But I'm also a ticketed officer, keeps my options open plus I can stand in as bosun/second mate.

[Tallshiptragic]

My average day onboard, baking bread to running the foredeck

[CaptainSteve]

That's one heck of a career, Anton.

(I envy you !!)