boltropes.

3 days spent sewing ropes around sails, forming mounting eyes and fitting clew and sheet blocks.
fine needle and thread, bright sunlight and a big magnifying glass for this job. just the sprits'l to comlete the suite.

hrs 169.

sails.

pinned old sails onto board over tissue paper.

drew outline of sails, then removed sails.

added vertical seam lines and hem allowance.

cut out patterns and pinned to callico with warp of cloth running top to bottom of sails.

cut out each sail.

ready to start sewing.

used finest needle, very light brown fine thread

and stitch length set to 1mm.

set top thread tension slightly less than bottom.

sewed all vertical seams.

this use of different tension puts a "belly" in the finished sail.

the seams are only to show sails made up from multiple bolts of canvas.

will do hems tomorrow.

off to mold pm to watch caernarfon rugby 1sts play mold.

hrs 155.

re-rigging completed.

today, after a few days doing other things, completed work on mizzenmasts. used thixofix to attach rope fender around ships boat. secured boat to maindeck with bluetack.
everything finished and ready for sails. however for'd end didn't look right without bobstays, from head to bowsprit, so added a pair. now it looks right.







next job = sails.




hrs 150.

main topmast and mizzen mast rigging.

repaired and refurbished topmast crosstrees and flagstaff supports/guides.

once flagstaff in place made up new outrigger blocks and rigged tops'le yard, starting with topping lifts which are rigged the same as foretops'le yard but hauling part secured to pins on poop for'd rail.

next rigged braces. standing parts secured around base of topmast below guide, hauling part rove through guide blocks secured with wire through for'd end of mizzen top f&a supports, then secured on pins on for'd poop rail next to topping lifts.

moved onto mizzen mast then, starting with mizzen shrouds then topmast shrouds. top is drilled for four shrouds each side but only two shrouds each side used.

next came the dodgy bit referred to in previous post. by this i mean the mizzen yard topping lift arrangement. the only evidence on the model when i first got it to support what i have done were the remains of three lashing approximately as seen on the yard here. the block going up to the crosstrees was absent as was the block on the yard. there was a rigging plan for "revenge" which does it like this, and a drawing i did like this. i don't remember doing it or where i got the info, but it does work, and doesn't look out of place. the hauling part is lead to a short outrigger block secured to top of main topmast then secured to for'd poop rail.

all that remains is the mizzen ratlines, crosstrees and flagstaff. all rigging not concerned with sails will be completed.

hrs 145.