0

• CANADIAN FISHING SCHOONER 1921 •

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

SCALE: 3/16" = 1’0" (1:64)Overall length: 32-3/4"

Overall height: 27"Overall width: 5-1/4"

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

MODEL SHIPWAYS KIT NO. 2130

Bluenose

By the early 1900s, the fishing schooner had developedinto a fast, efficient vessel. American and Canadianschooners were similar in design. Both operated on theGrand Banks off Nova Scotia. They carried 10 or moresmall dories from which two-man crews fished.

In the days before refrigeration, fishing schooners had tobe fast, or their catch would spoil before it reached market.Grand Banks’ schooners were divided into two classes:those carrying ice as a preservative and staying out two orthree weeks, and the salt bankers that fished until theirhulls were full. The latter made two or three trips a seasonand were hauled out in winter.

In the United States, most schooners’ home port wasGloucester, Massachusetts. These became known asGloucester fishermen, or just Gloucestermen. In Canada,the boats hailed from Nova Scotia.

The Canadian fishing schooner Bluenose was designed byWilliam J. Roué and built in 1920-1921 at the Smith andRhuland Shipyard in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Launched26 March 1921, she was 143 feet long, 112 feet at thewaterline, with a beam of 27 feet, and displacementaround 280 tons. She was a salt banker, carrying salt inher bins rather than ice.

Bluenose is famous for beating Gloucestermen in theInternational Fishing Schooner Races. She was twicecrowned queen of the Lunenburg fleet, and retains therecord of fastest fishing schooner in Canadian history.

Skippers had raced each other for years, but the friendlyrivalry took on its international flavor in 1920. H. W.Dennis of the Halifax Herald and Halifax Evening Mailoffered a $4,000 prize and the Dennis Cup to the schoonerwinning a series of 40-mile races. His motive was to pre-serve the fishing schooner while stimulating developmentof faster designs.

The first regatta was won by the Gloucesterman Esperantoover the Canadian Delawanna. Seeking retribution, CaptainAngus Walters formed a Canadian syndicate to recapturethe Dennis Cup. This produced Bluenose. In 1921, she out-sailed Elsie, and the following year she bested Henry Ford.

During the 1923 regatta, Captain Walters protested thatColumbia crossed the line ahead of the starting gun. Whenrace officials failed to resolve the issue, Walters becameangry and sailed back to Halifax. He returned in 1930 tocompete for the Thomas Lipton International Trophy, butlost to Gertrude L. Thebaud. In 1931, Bluenose beat Thebaudfor the Dennis Cup. No more international regattas wereheld until 1938, and that was the last one. Bluenose retainedher supremacy over Thebaud and kept the Dennis Cup inCanada forever.

Bluenose was sold in 1942 to carry freight in the WestIndies. She sank four years later off Haiti.

In 1955, Captain Walters and the Bluenose were inductedinto the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.

2

3

TTAABBLE LE OOFF CCOONTENTSNTENTSIntroduction and Credits 2Brief History 4 Before You Begin 5 Tools needed to Start Construction 5How to Work With Plans & Parts 6,7Painting & Staining the Model 8,9

Stage 1: Framing the Plank-on-Bulkhead Hull 101. Bending Wood 102. Center Keel Assembly 113. Installing The Sternpost 114. Cutting the Rabbet 115. Tapering the Stem 116. Installing the Bulkheads 117. Installing the Stern Blocks & Transom Framing 128. Installing the Horn Timbers 129. Covering the Mast Slots 1210. Installing the Waterway 1211. Installing the Knightheads & Hawse Timbers 1312. Installing the Main Rail 1313. Installing the Buffalo Rail, Monkey Board

& Monkey Rail 1314. Installing the Remaining Bulwark Stanchions 1315. Installing the Great Beam & Deck Beam 14

Stage 2: Planking the Plank-on-Bulkhead Hull 141. Getting Started 152. Planking Battens and Belts 153. Planking Butts 154. Spiling 165. Fastening the Planks 166. Planking the Outer Hull 177. Planking Inboard (Ceiling Planks) 188. Planking the Decks 18

Stage 3: Completing the Basic Hull Structure 19

Stage 4: Mounting the Hull 191. Mounting Board with Two Pedestals 192. Launching Ways 19

Stage 5: Adding the Hull Details 201. Fishing & Racing Gear 202. Locating Deck Fittings and Structures 203. Deck Structures 204. Hatches 215. Bowsprit Bitts & Samson Post 216. Boom Sheet Buffers 217. Quarter Bitts 218. Unidentified Object 24

9. Main Boom Crutch 2110. Fife Rail & Fore Boom Crutch 2211. Galley Stack 2212. Bilge Pumps 2213. Windlass & Hoisting Machinery 22

& Jumbo Jib Boom Crutch 14. Catheads & Anchors 2315. Mooring Chocks and Bow & Stern Chocks 2316. Hawse Pipes 2317. Eyebolts & Cleats 2418. Rudder 2419. Dories & Dory Kids 2420. Schooner’s Name 2421. Flags 24

Stage 6: Mast and Spar Construction 241. Shaping and Tapering Masts and Spars 242. Building and Installing the Masts 243. Building and Installing the Bowsprit 254. Building the Booms & Gaffs 26

Stage 7: General Rigging & Sailmaking Information 261. Rigging Options 282. Rigging Plans 283. Rigging Lines and Block Sizes 284. Treating the Lines 285. Belaying Pins 296. Rigging Tools 297. Blocks and Deadeyes 298. Sailmaking 299. Rigging the Model Without Sails 29

Stage 8: Standing Rigging 301. Shrouds 302. Fore and Aft Stays 313. Bowsprit Rigging 314. Footropes 315. Running Lights 31

Stage 9: Running Rigging 311. Jumbo Jib, Jib & Balloon Jib 322. Staysails 323. Fore and Main Topsails 324. Fore and Main Sails 33 5. Flag Halliards 33

Final Touches 33Bibliography 34Scale Conversion Table 34Modelers Log 35-40

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

BLUENOSE Canadian Fishing Schooner

1921Model by Bob Evans

MODEL PLANS AND INSTRUCTIONS BY BEN LANKFORDASSISTED BY ERIK A.R. RONNBERG, JR.

Model Shipways developed the Bluenose kit in 1996. The model is based on several sources. In 1961,John R. Stevens prepared plans for the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.He modified Roué’s original hull lines to include more forward sheer. This change, made during theconstruction of Bluenose, gave the lower deck more headroom. Stevens’ lines were checked against asimilar set prepared by the late Howard Chapelle and now in the Smithsonian Institution. Sail planand spar dimensions are based on Roué’s 1922 sail plan and those taken from the shipduring her racing career.

Stevens’ deck plan was modified to agree with photographs of the ship. Ironwork and other riggingdetails are based on photographs taken during Bluenose’s racing and fishing career, and on contempo-rary fishing schooner practice. Details in a Lunenburg Foundry parts catalog supplemented somephotos. The foundry still manufacturers marine equipment.

Drawings are used with permission from the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic.

Historian and modelbuilder Erik A. R. Ronnberg, Jr., of Rockport, Massachusetts, served as consul-tant. He provided considerable data from his personal Bluenose research papers and photographs.Ronnberg assisted in searching for photo details and reviewed the drawings for technical and histori-cal accuracy. Regarding Model Shipways’ development of the Bluenose plans, he states:

“Bluenose has long been a favorite modeling subject with no sign of her popularity fading. For thisreason, one would expect knowledge of the vessel to be extensive and accurate plans available. Thiswas not the case. Changes to the schooner’s hull were ignored, while fittings, deck machinery, andrigging hardware were assumed to be just like her New England counterparts.

“Ben Lankford’s research and examination of photographs revealed differences in virtually every detail,from how the woodwork was finished to rigging leads. Consequently, Model Shipways’ plans show adifferent Bluenose, one that accurately reflects the practices and traditions of her Canadian builders.”

Erik A.R.Ronnberg, Jr.

Copyright 1997Model Shipways, A Division of Model Expo Inc.

Hollywood, FL 33020

4

5

Bluenose is a beautiful, inter-esting ship and makes asplendid model. Assemblingthe plank-on-bulkhead hulldevelops an understanding ofhow real ships are built, whilelaser-cut parts assure an accu-rate shape. Although britan-nia, brass, and wood fittingsfacilitate construction, manyrequire final finishing prior toinstallation. This is especiallytrue for the britannia castingsand is discussed later.

Take your time building themodel. It has a fair amount ofdetail and small parts.Complete one stage beforemoving to the next. Whenthings go awry, consider doingthem over. A second attemptusually surpasses the first.Practice does make perfect.

A. Knives and saws1. Hobby knife2. No.11 blades3. Razor saw or jeweler’s saw

B. Files and Planes1. Set of needle files 2. Small block plane

C. Clamps1. A few small C-clamps2. Woodenspring-type

clothespins (craft shops have small versions )

3. #16 and #33 rubber bands

D. Carving ToolsSmall woodcarving set, or individual gouges and chisels for carving keel rabbets and tapering the stem

E. Sharpening StoneKeeps tools razor sharp

F. Boring Tools1. #60 to #80 miniature bits 2. 1/16”, 3/32”, and 1/8”

drills3. Pin vise

G. Miscellaneous1. Tack hammer2. Tweezers (a few)3. Small fine pointed scissors

4. Miniature pliersa. round noseb. flat nose

5. Small bench vise 6. Soldering iron or torch

a. solderb. flux

7. Sewing thread for seizing(other rigging in kit)

a. blackb. tan

8. Beeswax block (for treating rigging lines)

9. 1/2” or 3/4” masking tape

10. Wire cutters (for cutting fine wire and strip metal)

H. Sandpaper1. Fine and medium grit

garnet or#100 to #220 aluminum oxide

2. #400 wet-or-dry sandpaper

I. Finishing1. Paint Brushes

a. fine round pointfor details

b. 1/4” to 1/2” flat square for hull

J. Supplies1. Paints2. Primer3. Stains and varnish4. White (polyvinyl acetate

or PVA) or woodworker’s glue (aliphatic resin)

5. Cyanoacrylates (generic name is Super Glue)

6. Five-minute epoxy7. Wood filler

Note: White or woodworker’sglue in yellow or tan will sufficefor most of the model. Five-minute epoxy provides extrastrength for affixing fittings.Cyanoacrylates, such as Jet,Flash, or Zap, produce quickadhesion. For most applications,the medium viscosity, gap-fillingvariety is best. The thin type isrecommended for filling a nar-row crack and tacking bulk-heads to the keel or planking tothe bulkheads.

Tools needed to start ConstructionBefore You Begin

How to Work With the Plans & Parts

Before starting the model, carefullyexamine the kit and study the plans.First, determine if all the listed parts arepresent. Handling them will produce abetter understanding of the kit’srequirements. Try to visualize how everypiece will look on the completed model.Also, determine ahead of time whatmust be done first. The instructions willhelp, but a thorough knowledge of theplans at the outset is essential.

To avoid losing small fittings and hard-ware, sort them into labeled boxes orcompartments. These should have lidsto keep out dirt.

1. The Plans

Six Plan Sheets are provided:1. Laser-Cut Wood Patterns 2. Plank-On-Bulkhead Hull

Construction 3. Hull Plan and Profiles 4. Hull and Spar Details 5. Rigging Profile 6. Rigging Details

Sketches throughout the manual illus-trate various construction techniques.

The Bluenose kit is manufactured to ascale of 3/16” = 1’0” (1:64). Each plansheet is drawn to that scale, except areasenlarged to show detail. Most dimen-sions can be lifted directly off the plansby using draftsman dividers or a “tick”strip (piece of paper such as an addingmachine roll). Lay the paper strip overthe plan, carefully mark the item’slength with a sharp pencil, then transferthe marks to the wood.

A 3/16” architect’s or 1:64 metric scale is ahandy tool. Measuring and cutting partsusing the scale gives a better feel for realsizes. Because these are modelbuilders’plans, actual measurements have been con-verted to the nearest 1/64”. For example, a7/64” block is 7” on the real ship, and a1/8” block is 8”. A 3/16” architect’s or 1:64metric scale is a handy tool. Measuring andcutting parts using the scale gives a betterfeel for real sizes.

Measurements are in inches, but Sheet 4has a conversion table giving equiva-lent real ship sizes in inches, decimals,and millimeters.

2. Making Allowances Along the Way

Try to be exact when following theplans, but use common sense.Adjustments may be necessary to com-pensate for small differences in howyour model is shaping up; perhaps onemast has too much rake (the angle atwhich it sits). Lines should not drapeover fittings or conflict with other lineswhen belayed (secured). If necessary,move a belaying point or fairlead. Putyourself on the ship, imagine perform-ing the task, and use logic.

3. Understanding Hull Lines

Beginners may not be familiar with thefollowing hull lines. Buttock lines arevertical longitudinal planes cuttingthrough the hull. Waterlines are horizon-tal planes, and sections are transversevertical planes. Diagonals are planes cutalmost perpendicular to the stationlines. These lines define the hull’s shapeand are used by the draftsman to fair it(create even curves).

A complete set of hull lines is not need-ed for this model, because laser-cutbulkheads and center keel define thehull. Sheet 2 shows the bulkheads. Theyare similar to a ship’s body plan or sec-tions, and illustrate how the hull curvesfrom top to bottom.

4. Using Basswood Lumber

Basswood comes in 1/32”, 3/64”,1/16”, 3/32”, 1/8”, 5/32”, 3/16”, 1/4”,and 1/2” thick sheets and strips. Stripwidths are in the same increments, whilesheets may be 1”, 2”, 3”, or 4” wide.

Note: Model Shipways occasionallysubstitutes lime (Tilia vulgaris), aEuropean wood, for basswood (Tiliaamericana). Both have a fine, uniformtexture and straight grain. Lime, howev-er, has superior steam-bending qualities.

It is often called basswood in Europe.Based on Bluenose’s 3/16” = 1’0” scale,1/64” equals 1” on the real ship, 1/32”is 2”, and so on. Generally, basswoodstrips or sheets can be used as is.Occasionally, a strip must be thinnerthan the supplied size. To maintainscale, sand the strip to the requiredthickness with a sanding block beforemaking the part.

Another way to reduce stock is with ahobby sanding thickness planer (soldcommercially). Those who don’t ownone can chuck a sanding drum into theirdrill press, clamp a block alongside thedrum to act as a fence, then insert thestrip between the drum and block. Thismakeshift tool works quite well.

Sorting the wood in the kit by thicknesssaves time. After selecting and cuttingwhat is needed, return the remainingstock to the proper thickness pile. Don’tworry about using a piece for one itemthat was intended for another. ModelShipways supplies enough extra wood tocomplete the model before running out.

5. Britannia Metal Fittings

Before painting metal fittings, removeany mold joint flash with a #11 hobbyblade, then file or sand smooth withfine sandpaper. Clean parts in dish-washing liquid and warm water toremove traces of mold release agent andany body oils your fingers have deposit-ed. Rinse thoroughly and allow to drycompletely before applying primer.

6. Soldering & Working with Brass

Although paper strips are simpler tomake, mast bands, chain plates, andother metal fittings should be fashionedfrom brass strip. Follow this advicewhen working with brass:

Cut brass sheets and strips with a smallpair of tin snips or heavy scissors.Thicker brass will require a jeweler’ssaw. After cutting, smooth the edgeswith needle files followed by wet-or-dryfine sandpaper used dry. Cutting sliversfrom brass sheet curls and bends it side-ways. To straighten, grip the ends with

6

a pair of small pliers and pull inopposite directions. Thin brass sheetscan be scored with a utility knife andmetal straightedge, then snapped off.Use two or three light passes, cuttingagainst a maple chopping block, birchboard, or glass backing.Drilling holes in brass with a pin vise isa slow process. The solution is to mounta handpiece for flex-shaft machines in ahobby drill press. Several companiesmanufacturer this tool and it is worththe cost. When working with brass, usea 1/4” or thicker piece of maple or birchfor backing. (Avoid softwoods, as theseflare the exit hole.) To prevent the bitfrom wandering, mark the spot with asmall center punch. Lubricate the bitwith light oil and drill slowly to avoidbreakage. Keep rpms under 2,000, orexcessive heat buildup will also breakthe bit. Caution: The brass will becomehot, so clamp the pieces to the drillpress table or hold them down with awooden stick. Do not touch the brass!

Solder: Until recently, modelers usedpure silver solder to avoid the corrosivequalities of lead in soft solder. Today,many solders are lead free. They’recomposed of tin and antimony, arestrong, and melt at less than 450º F.Some brands are mixed with 3% or 4%silver, but still melt easily. Consequently,no reason exists to use pure silver sol-der (melts at 1300º F).

Flux: Purchase pure solder and buy fluxseparately for additional control. Pastefluxes apply more precisely than liq-uids, which run to all the wrong places.

Soldering: The key to soldering is keepingthe brass clean. Use a solvent, lightlysand, or both. Once the parts are cleaned,don’t touch them. Your fingers will leavegreasy spots. Soldering is easy if yourwork is set up properly. First, immobilizethe parts in a fixture or other holdingdevice, then add just enough flux to thejoint to do the job. Remember, solderflows where flux is applied.

Next, cut a small piece of solder and layit on the joint before heating.Experiment with various sizes to learnhow much solder it takes to just fill ajoint. The joint should look like the realthing, not a big glob of fillets. Heat thejoint with a small torch or pencil solder-ing iron. This sequence is important.The larger the parts, the longer it takesto heat the brass and melt the solder.Remove excess solder with needle files.

7

Painting & Staining the Model

Beginning with directions on applyingfinishes may seem strange, but it isn’t.Much time and effort can be saved andmore professional results obtained if thefinishing process is carried out duringconstruction. Paint small parts, masts,and spars before they are installed. Thepainting sequence must be well thoughtout; otherwise, assembly difficulties canarise. For example, painting a cabin orhatch coaming is easier if it isn’t gluedto the deck. Store parts in covered con-tainers until needed. Proper timingwhen applying finishes or using mask-ing tape to define painted edges shouldeliminate unsightly glue marks andsplotchy, stained surfaces. Take advan-tage of these general suggestions:

1. Preliminaries

Sanding and cleaning: Rub down externalsurfaces with 220 grit sandpaper, thenwipe off every speck of dust. Giveuntreated surfaces two light coats ofprimer. Sand very lightly after the lastapplication. Don’t sand down to barewood. After washing your hands, use asoft brush and clean, soft rag or tack ragto gently dust the hull. Use a hobbyspackling compound, such as Pic-n-Patch or DAP, to fill any scratches anddefects, then sand and prime again.

Choosing paint: Glossy surfaces are notdesirable on ship models. A flat finish orone with a slight sheen is best, becauseit doesn’t reflect daylight or artificiallights. Consequently, details show upbetter. However, the undercoat orprimer should be dead flat. A primergives the surface a little tooth and helpstop coats adhere better.

Any of these hobby paints are satisfac-tory; Floquil, Polly-S, Testors, Humbrol,and Model Masters. Jo Sonja artists’paints (used by bird carvers) or HolbeinAcryla Gouache are also acceptable.They are a combination acrylic-gouache.

Hobby paints have a variety ofreflectance levels. For example, Floquil’smodel railroad and military colors arebasically flat. Its marine paints,designed to match original ship colors,vary from gloss to flat and have areflectance reducer. When using amixed group of reflectance levels, finish

the completed model with a flat, clearcoat. It provides durability and sealsany decals or rub-on lettering.

Use either Floquil’s model railroad ormarine colors. Spraying on a coat ofreducer will blend the colors and sub-due a gloss to almost flat. Because ofresins in the reducer, subsequent appli-cations raise the reflectance level fromflat to about semi-gloss or satin finish.Consequently, for nearly dead flat, useone coat of reducer. For a little moresheen, apply several coats. If you startwith flat paint and want some gloss,finish with a crystal or high gloss coat.

Jo Sonja paints are dead flat. To finish,use either a flat acrylic varnish for dura-bility or a gloss varnish to increasereflectance. Other manufacturers havesimilar paint mixes and flat or gloss fin-ish coats. Always read the manufactur-er’s instructions.

Brush painting: Painting with fine, softbristle brushes is probably best for thebeginner. Many skilled modelmakersprefer the brushed-on technique,because its subtle imperfections imparta more lifelike appearance to the model.

Brushes must be soft and of the highestquality. Artist grade sable or syntheticsare the best. Use wider brushes forpainting broad surfaces. If too narrow,the bristles will cause excessive streaking.

When applying paint or stain with abrush, lay down one thin coat in a singlestroke, then move to an adjacent area andcoat it with a single stroke. Never go backover fresh paint. That will tear up thesurface. Wait until it has dried to a hardfinish before applying a second coat.

Spray Painting: Although slightly expen-sive, a Paasche, Badger, Testors, Revell-Monogram, or similar airbrush will pro-duce a first-rate job and is worth theinvestment. Airbrushes are either singleaction (trigger controls only airflow) ordouble action (trigger controls air andpaint) and easy to use. Spray patternscan vary from thin to about 1/2” wideby either adjusting the needle orinstalling a different, sealed nozzle. Insome brands, paint travels through theairbrush body to the needle. Theserequire disassembling to clean. Other

designs bypass the body and bring paintdirectly to the nozzle. These clean by sim-ply spraying solvent through them.

Paints are either water (acrylic) or sol-vent based. Solvent-based paints spraybest. This includes Floquil’s lacquers(thin about 25%) and Model Master’senamels. Polly-S and Model Master’sacrylics are difficult to spray, and mustdefinitely be used with the manufactur-er’s special thinner. Thinning water-based paints with water creates surfacetension problems, resulting in poor cov-erage and spray atomization.Experiment with acrylics. Some model-ers have success and others don’t.

When using solvent-based paints, workoutdoors or equip your shop with aspray booth. These fumes are toxic.

Many brands of aerosol paints producegood results. However, test them onscrap wood before spraying the model.Aerosols put out a lot more paint thanan airbrush, so be careful to avoid runs.

The Floquil paints spray very well whenthinned about 25%. You will find manybrands of paint available in aerosol canswhich can give quite good results. Testthem on a wood block as previouslydescribed before using them on themodel.

Floquil, and other brands, has specialthinners for its various paint lines.Follow each manufacturer’s recommen-dations. Mixing brands is not a goodidea, because they may not be compati-ble. Sometimes, however, no otheroption exists. If so, apply each brandseparately and allow to thoroughly drybefore adding the next. Always test tomake sure the final flat or gloss clear coatis compatible with the paint it covers.

8

9

Masking surfaces: Masking can be atricky process. Some brands of maskingtape are worthless, because they allowpaint to seep underneath their edges.For masking fine stripes or straight andcurved lines, use a graphic arts tapesuch as Chart Pak. It comes in widths asfine as 1/32” and 1/64”. Chart Paktapes have superb adhesion and won’tbleed when firmly applied (burnishingis recommended). Black plastic electri-cian’s tape and Scotch RemovableMagic Tape are also excellent. Scotch’stape has the same, low stick adhesive asits famous Post-It pads. In fact, Post-ItCorrection Cover-Up Tape can be usedfor masking. Rolls are 58-feet long andcome in 1/6”, 1/3”, and 1” widths.

Scribing the waterline: This can be donein a variety of ways. One method is tomount the hull so the waterline is paral-lel to the bench top, then mark thewaterline using a height gauge andsharp pencil or scriber. With or withoutthe aid of masking tape, paint the bot-tom and topside colors precisely to thisline. The scribed line acts somewhat as abarrier against transgressions by eithercolor, but a steady hand is needed.

A second approach is to guess wherethe waterline will lie, but deliberatelyoverrun it when spraying or brushingon the bottom color. Once it has dried,scribe the waterline onto the hull with aheight gauge, then paint down to it.Those with shaky hands should firstapply masking tape to the waterline.

2. BluenoseColor Scheme

The color scheme is shown on the plans.Model Shipways’ paint kit approximatesthe required colors. Purchase it separately.

Framing the Plank-on-Bulkhead Hull

1. Bending Wood

Building a P-O-B hull requires bendingsome wood without distorting itsdesired position (doing so stresses gluejoints and fasteners). Although the termsteam bent is used to identify theprocess, there are three ways to do it.

Steam bending: Hold the piece over akettle of boiling water and bend. Holdthe wood in position until it cools. Itshould remain in that position, but mayspring back slightly.

Soaking: Submerge the piece in warmwater for several hours. Try adding a little household or pure ammonia. Thisspeeds up the soaking process andmakes the fibers slippery so the wood iseasier to bend. After soaking, hold thepiece in position with a fixture and let itdry completely. Some neat devices areavailable for holding steam-bent parts.

Soldering iron: Large soldering ironswith a tubular end are ideal. Clamp theiron upright in a vise. While the ironheats, soak the strip of wood in tapwater. Some modelers prefer bendingaround the tube near the handle (it’s notas hot), while others use the shank.Move the strip back and forth againstthe iron. Its heat turns water into steamand drives it into the wood. The trick isto wait until you feel the wood wantingto yield before starting the bend. Begintoo soon or apply too much pressureand the strip will break.

Wood dries rapidly, so care must betaken to avoid scorching. Resoak andreapply it to the iron until the desiredshape is achieved. Once the piece isformed, it can go directly on the model.Because the wood’s memory has beenpermanently altered, it will never springback to its former shape, meaning nostress on any timber or fasteners. Spendsome time acquainting yourself withthis method and you’ll never botherwith fixtures again.

Stage 1

Fig. 1-3 Cutting Bulkhead Bevels

Inboard Bevel

Cut Bevel & Sand

Mark Bevel

10

Fig. 1-1 Center Keel Assembly

Building Board

Weight

Straight Edge

Wax Paper or Plastic Wrap

Fig. 1-2 Cutting the Rabbet into each Side of Center Keel

Fit a Scrap Piece of Plank as You Carve

Plank

Chisel Out

Amid Ships

Rabbet Cut Depth

Rabbet

Aft & Bow

Bearding Line

Bearding Line

2. Center Keel Assembly

The first step in constructing the hull isto assemble the laser-cut center keel.With a sharp pencil, mark the referenceline and bulkhead stations on both sidesof the center keel. Be especially criticalwhen locating the reference line; it is akey to proper alignment. Measure fromseveral points on the plans.

Lay a sheet of waxed paper or plastic wrapover a flat building board or table, andplace the center keel halves on top. Affixthe joints with white or woodworker’sglue. Use a steel or aluminum straightedgeto align the reference line. If necessary, addweights to hold down the parts. Let theadhesive dry at least overnight, preferably24 hours (Figure 1-1).

3. Installing the Sternpost

The keel and stem are part of the centerkeel, but the sternpost is a separatepiece. Taper the sternpost per the plansand glue in position.

Option: Cut the rabbet before installingthe sternpost.

4. Cutting the Rabbet

Measuring from the P-O-B plans, markthe rabbet and bearding lines on bothsides of the center keel with a pencil. Atthe stern and bow, cut a 1/16” deep rab-bet with a hobby knife. Now, using a1/8” wide chisel, start at the beardingline and cut toward the rabbet. The1/16” thick hull planking must lie flushagainst this cut area. Figure 1-2 showshow the rabbet changes at midship. Tohelp judge the angle of the rabbet, posi-tion a scrap piece of plank against thekeel as you cut.

5. Tapering the Stem

Taper the stem according to the plans.

6. Installing the Bulkheads

Laser-cut bulkheads include timber-heads. These extend above the deck toform bulwark stanchions. Compare thebulkheads with the patterns on Sheet 1,determine which is which, and labelthem A through O. Test each to makesure it slides into the center keel slots. If the fit is too tight, sand the slots.

Bulkheads should fit snugly with a littletolerance for glue.

Using a pencil, mark the reference lineon every bulkhead. It must align withthe reference line on the center keel.This assures an accurate hull with eachbulkhead correctly related to the others.

Next, use a tick strip to transfer thebevels from the plans to the bulkheads.Mark them in pencil. Cut the bevelswith a #11 hobby blade (Figure 1-3).Deck bevels and side bevels near amid-ships are diminutive. Barely perceptibleones are sanded in after the bulkheadsare installed.

Bulwark stanchion extensions: Bulkheadsare 3/16” thick, but the stanchion exten-sions should be 1/8”, so cut them back(Figure 1-4). Stanchions between bulk-heads are added in Step 14.

Glue the bulkheads in place. Make suretheir reference lines match the one onthe center keel. Use a small machinist

square to set each bulkhead perpendicu-lar to the center keel, then tack or tape atemporary strip to the top of the bulk-head to hold it in place while the gluedries (Figure 1-5).

Model Expo sells the Fair-A-FrameBuilding Slip (Ms 105), a device thatholds the center keel steady and bulk-heads perpendicular to it. Purchase itseparately.

Once the bulkheads are installed, tack ortape a temporary batten to the sides ofthe hull just below the deck (Figure 1-6).This is a critical step. Measure the spac-ing between each port and starboardbulkhead and retack the battens until thehull is aligned. Although the center keelwas assembled flat, it could warp andproduce a banana-shaped hull. When itlooks correct, check it again.

Option: When the hull is aligned, addpermanent struts between bulkheadsclose to the exterior, then remove thebattens. Now examine the bottom of

11

Cut to 1/8”

Fig. 1-4 Forming Bulwark Stanchions

Fig. 1-5 Gluing Bulkheads to Center Keel

Pin or Tape

TemporaryWood Strip

Square

Glue

Fig. 1-6 Temporary Battens for Hull Alignment

Check Spacings

Check Keel WithStraight Edge

Tack TemporaryStrip Both Sides

Optional Permanent StrutBetween Bulkheads

Check Alignment Visually inAll Directions

every bulkhead. It should feather outand lie precisely on the bearding line.If not, trim until it does. Also checkthat the top of each bulkhead at thecenterline is flush with the top of thecenter keel. Since alignment is basedon the reference marks, slight errorscan occur. Sand or add shims until thebulkheads and center keel surfaces areflush (Figure 1-7).

Next, sand in the remaining bevels.Check the hull’s fairness by laying a1/8” square basswood batten againstthe bulkheads at various locations(Figure 1-8). Correct bumps and dipsby sanding or adding shims. This isan important check, for manufactur-ing or assembly errors can occur andthe hull planks must lie flat againstthe bulkheads.

7. Installing the Stern Blocks & Transom Framing

Port and starboard filler blocks buttinto Bulkhead O and the center keel.They support the stern frames andprovide more area on which to gluehull planking (Figure 1-9). Follow theplans when carving them.

8. Installing the Horn Timbers

Install the 1/8” square horn timberson the center keel per the plans. Theysupport the ends of hull planks at thecounter (Figure 1-10).

9. Covering the Mast Slots

Cut the pieces shown on Sheet 2 fromscrap wood, then glue to both sides ofthe two mast slots in the center keel.Make sure they are securely fastened,because access to them is impossibleafter the deck is laid. Notice the twomethods shown. If a flat piece is used,cut a tenon in the bottom of the maststo fit the slots (Stage 6, Step 2).

10. Installing the Waterway

The waterway in the fore deck is3/32” thick. First, fit the plankbetween the bulwark stanchion exten-sions, then the other two inboardplanks. Note: The third (innermost)plank has a slight bevel on its inboardedge (Figure 1-11).

Fig. 1-9 Stern Blocks and Frame

Fig. 1-8 Checking Hull Fairness With a Batten

Bulkhead

Batten

NeedsShim

Needs Trim

Notch forFrames

Needs Trim or ShimDepending on Fairness

with Next Bulkhead

O.K.O.K.O.K.

QuarterFrame

Block

Carve ThisFill toShape

FakeStanchion

Bulkhead O

12

Fig. 1-7 Correcting Bulkheads at Bearding Line

Flush

Bearding Line

Add Shim

Trim if NecessarySmooth Flow into Rabbet

The waterway on the quarter deck is fit-ted similarly, except it is flush with the1/16” thick deck planks

11. Installing the Knightheads & Hawse Timbers

Knightheads and hawse timbers are 1/8”thick. On the real ship, hawse timbersangle forward. After mounting them, drillthe hawse holes, then add the anchorcable chafing block (Figure 1-12).

Option: Use a solid sheet for the hawsetimbers and knightheads.

12. Installing the Main Rail

The forward and aft main rails are lasercut, but make the middle portions fromstripwood. Use a scarf joint about every 6inches, and position the rail with pins(Figure 1-13). Be careful how the rail isaligned. Remember, it must evenly over-hang the hull planking and bulwark stan-chions. When properly positioned, gluethe segments to the stanchions.

Note: The main rail is wider wherebelaying pins are located.

13. Installing the Buffalo Rail, Monkey Board & Monkey Rail

Only the forward and aft sections ofthese rails are laser cut. Fashion the mid-dle sections from stripwood. Install likethe main rail, keeping alignment in mind.

The forward buffalo rail is 1/8” thick.However, it may be supplied as two 1/16”pieces. Simply glue them together. After therail is in place, taper according to the plans.

The monkey rail has a round section atthe deck step. Carve this from stripwood.

When affixing the rails, be sure to cleanup any excess glue around the joints.Clean joints are a must.

14. Installing the Remaining Bulwark Stanchions

Fashion the three bulwark stanchionsbetween each bulkhead from 1/8” squarestrip. Place a scrap plank outboard to main-tain the proper alignment when mountingthem (Figure 1-14).

13

Fig. 1-10 Horn Timbers

HornTimber

Fig. 1-11 Fore Deck Waterway Planks

Bevel Edge

Deck Plank

Fig. 1-12 Knighthead & Hawse Timbers

Fill in for Hawse Timbers

FakeStanchion

Chafe Block

Bulkhead A Drill Hole Knighthead

15. Installing the Great Beam & Deck Beam

The great beam (two laser-cut pieces)at the quarter deck step sits atopBulkhead H. Glue the laser-cut deckbeam forward of Bulkhead H. Thisbeam provides a landing for the foredeck planking (Figure 1-15).

That completes the basic hull framing.Touch up rough spots with sandpaper.Consider painting the bulwarkstanchions before continuing.

Planking the Plank-On-Bulkhead Hull

Here are some shipbuilding terms usedin the planking process.

Plank: Single length of wood used toplank a hull or deck. A strake is a contin-uous line of planks from wherever itbegins to where it ends.

Garboard: Planking strake adjacent tothe keel.

Sheer strake: Upper line of planking ona hull.

Wale: Heavy layer of strakes below thesheer strake. Bluenose has no wale.

Belts: Group of planks along the hull.Belts are laid out using battens (tempo-rary strips of flexible wood). A ribband isalso a batten. It holds frames in positionduring planking. Ribbands are removedas planking is completed.

Spiling: Process for marking and cuttinga plank to a given shape.

Edge-bending or springing: To bend aplank edgewise.

Fair: Refers to smooth, gradual curveswhen planking.

Nib or nibbing: Eliminates the taperededge of one plank from running intoanother at a sharp angle by squaring offthe pointed end and inserting it into anotch in the following plank. Nibbinggenerally applies to decks, but some-times hull planks are nibbed.

Fig. 1-13 Installing The Main Rail

Fig. 1-14 Installing Fake Bulwark Stanchions

Fig. 1-15 Great Beam & Deck Beam at Step

Laser Cut

Pin & Glue

BHD

Deck PlankDeck Plank

FWD

Laser Cut Beams

Bulkhead H

BHD

Fake StanchionsBatten to HelpAlignment

Cut FromWide Strip

14

Stage 2

Equal Spaces

Stealer: Plank inserted into anotherplank or between two adjacent planksto reduce their width. Or, when twoplanks taper toward a narrow end, bothmay have to be cut off and a widerplank substituted to leave enough woodfor fastening.

Counter: Underside of the overhangingportion of a ship’s stern.

1. Getting Started

Most modelers find planking tedious.Work slowly and think of each plank asa project unto itself. Since hull sides areidentical, simultaneously cut one pair ofport and starboard planks to shape. Fitthe plank on one side, then the other.Don’t rush. Speed results in frustrationand a poor job.

Before starting, secure the hull upsidedown it in a vise or cradle. Somethingportable that rotates is ideal. Model Expo sells a planking vise (MX25) forthis purpose.

2. Planking Battens & Belts

Hulls are easier to plank when dividedinto belts. Each is designed to lay theplanks against the bulkheads withoutexcessive edge bending. They gentlysweep up at the ends like the deck sheer.Planks within a belt are usually evenlyspaced, tapered, and fitted. Belts preventerrors from accumulating

When selecting a belt width and the num-ber of planks it contains, consider how theplanks taper and lay against the bulk-heads. Taper too much and not enoughstock is left for fastening. Then a largerplank must be substituted for two planksto increase the width. Planks too widewon’t lay flat. In some areas, the distancebetween planks widens rather than tapers.If it becomes too wide, a stealer must beadded. While these alterations are accept-able and employed on many ships, thebest run of planking limits their number.(Figure 2-1 illustrates some inserts.)Bluenose requires no stealers.

Sheet 2 shows the planking layout. Foreand aft views plus a profile view pro-vide a complete picture.

15

Fig. 2-1 Planking Shown Using Stealer Inserts

Stealer

SinglePlankInsert

A. Planks Getting Too Wide

B. Planks Getting Too Narrow

Fig. 2-2 Staggering The Planking Butts

Bulkhead

Real Ship Must Have 3Strakes Between Buttson Same Frame (ModelMeets Rule With PlankLength Selected)

Real Ship Must Be 5’ or More (Model Meets Rule)

Fig. 2-3 Spiling The Planks When Edge Bending Cannot Be Accomplished

3. Use Compass-Run Steel Point Along Plank in Place &Mark Parallel Line on New Plank With Pencil End

4. Measure Width &Mark, Draw Curve

Cut OutPlank

1. Plank Already in Place

2. Wood: Lay Along Bulkheads Without Edge Bending

3. Planking Butts

Few trees grow as tall as ships are long.Consequently, real planks were generally20 or 30 feet in length. Some buildersthink a plank as long as the model is easi-er to use. They scribe in fake butts or omitthem. Although this can be done, workingwith shorter planks has its advantages.For example, tapers mark quicker andonly one hand is needed to hold and fas-ten the plank. Should a mistake happen,just a small piece is affected. So, the fol-lowing is based on scale-length planks.

Because this is a plank-on-bulkheadmodel, butts must occur on bulkheadsand won’t simulate shipwright practice.Use a plank length (about 7” or 37 scalefeet) to cover four bulkhead spaces.Occasionally, a longer or shorter plankmay be necessary to avoid stubby piecesat the bow and stern.

To emulate shipwright practice, staggerthe butts (Figure 2-2). This also appliesto deck planking. Covering four bulk-head spaces follows the rule; i.e., threefull plank widths between butts on asingle frame. One plank covering threebulkhead spaces won’t work, because thatleaves only two full planks between butts.

4. Spiling

Edge bending planks on real shipsoccurs on a limited basis. Wood is rigid,so many planks must be cut to shape.Spiling (Figure 2-3) is simply a matter oftransferring curves to a straight plank,then sawing them out. To test if spilingis required, lay a tapered strake againstthe hull and see if it can be edge bentinto position without excessive force. Ifnot, then spile and cut the strake to shape.In most cases, basswood strips are flexibleenough to edge bend in place.

5. Fastening the Planks

A commercial plank clamp is available,but is more trouble than it is worth. Itscrews into bulkheads, leaving a bighole to contend with when installingsubsequent planks. Model Expo, how-ever, sells a hull planking clamp(MX103) that relies on side clamps tohold planks in place. Or, use metalpush pins to position planks, but becareful not to split the wood. If neces-sary, drill a pilot hole first. Smear alight film of white or woodworker’sglue along the edge of the plank with

your finger, then touch each bulkheadwith thin cyano to quickly affix theplank. Be careful not to glue your fin-gers to the model.

While glue alone will secure a plank,small brass brads or wooden treenailsprovide additional holding power andduplicate shipwright practice. If usingfine, brass brads, cut off and discard theheads, then hammer in. Treenails arecommercially available, but making yourown is easy. Buy a package of long bam-boo skewers, strip off short lengths, andpull through a drawplate to the desireddiameter. Drill holes through the plankinto the frame, dip the treenail in whiteor yellow glue, and drive in place. Nipthe dowel flush with the planking or buya treenail cutter. It mounts in a hand-

piece, and is an expensive accessory.Another alternative is to whittle flattoothpicks (round ones don’t work aswell) to a point. Place the entire tooth-pick in the hole, rap sharply with a 10-inch bastard file, and break off theremaining portion. A file works betterthan a hammer, because its serrated sur-face catches and firmly holds the headof the toothpick, permitting it to be dri-ven in tightly. Exterior stubble isdressed and sanded smooth whentreenailing is completed.

For more authenticity, add treenailswhere each frame is located on the realship. Treenails are essential if the modelis left bright (unpainted).

16

Fig. 2-4 Hull & Transom Plank Intersections

Hull

Transom

OPTIONS

Fig. 2-5 Plank With Cove & Scuppers

Scupper

Bulwark StanchionWaist

Cove

Fig. 2-6 1st Two Strakes in Belt A Bulkheads

View Foreshortened

6. Planking the Outer Hull

Belt Layout: Planking from the deck tothe keel is tapered fore and aft.Consequently, the hull is divided intoBelts A through D.

On Sheet 2, use a tick strip to mark thebelt seams along each bulkhead.Transfer these points in pencil to themodel. Now temporarily tack four,1/16” x 3/32” basswood battens alongthe port and starboard belt lines.Battens assure an accurate run of planksby correcting any errors in drafting, tickstrip marking, or transferring.

Once the six battens are in place, checktheir flow. Look at the model from theside and from the bow and stern. Do thebattens have a pleasing, smooth curve?Are they symmetrical? If necessary,adjust the lower battens referring to theplanking profile on Sheet 2. Wheneverything is fair, make sure the beltseams are clearly visible. Remark thosethat aren’t. Now, either remove the bat-tens or leave them in place until theyinterfere with installing a plank.

Tapering Plank Edges: As planking pro-ceeds, the edges of a particular plankmay require tapering to butt flushagainst its neighbor. Properly machinedplanks have square edges. Butting themtogether on a hull may produce smallgaps. Most are sealed with glue orwood filler, or caulked on a real ship.Plank edges are often deliberatelysloped to ensure they butt against eachother, while providing a sufficient gapfor caulking. To create a perfectlysmooth hull without gaps, trim eachplank edge as it is fit. The decision totaper or rely on filler is yours.

Planking the Transom: Cover the transomwith 3/64” planks. Transom and hullplanks most likely intersect in a miter.However, one option is to butt theplanks at the joint (Figure 2-4).

Planking above the Waist: Planking is1/32” thick from the rail to the waist,and fairly uniform in width. Narrowplanks are used on Bluenose, but widerones are a modeling option.

Plank from Waist to Deck Level: This1/16” thick plank (or several narrowones on the real ship) requires specialtreatment before gluing in place. First,either scribe or omit the cove (groove atthe top edge). Once the plank is paint-ed, the cove will show up. Next, cut

small scupper slots in the plank at decklevel (even slightly oversize ones will stilllook good). Each side of the bulwarkstanchions has scuppers (Figure 2-5).

Laying the Planks in Belt A: Planks belowdeck level are 1/16” thick. Each belt isdone separately, so planking can startwith any one. However, it’s logical tobegin at the top and work down. Belt Ahas eight, 1/16” thick strakes. The maxi-

mum plank width, at Bulkhead H, isroughly 1/8” on the model (8” on thereal ship). Use 1/8” wide strips for themidship area and 3/32” strips wherethe taper permits.

Lift the plank widths from the hullplanking layout with a tick strip. If anybatten locations were changed, dividethe space on each bulkhead into eightequal plank widths. Set the slide on

17

Fig. 2-7 Planks at Counter

Horn Timber

Stern Block

Counter - Sternpost Intersection View From Below

Rabbet

Planks

This Plank Goes on Counter

This Plank Goes to Sternpost

in RabbetHorn Timber

Fig. 2-8 Fashion Piece

Transom

Waist

Notch Over Waist

Fig. 2-9 Coaming Supports

Supports for Coaming and End of Deck plank

Center Keel

Coaming

Bulkhead

your proportional dividers to the numberof planks in Belt A. Span the width ofBelt A with the long legs. The distancebetween the points on the short legs isthe width of each plank in the belt. Markthese lines on the bulkheads with a pen-cil. Belt A is now completely marked.

The next step is to cut planks to fitbetween the marks. Belt A doesn’trequire spiling, so make straight taperedplanks. Start at Bulkhead H. Use fourplanks, one from Bulkhead H toBulkhead L, another from Bulkhead Lto the stern, Bulkhead H to BulkheadD, and Bulkhead D to the stem. First,lay a piece of planking stock overBulkheads H through L. In pencil, marktheir overall length on the plank, thenthe position of each bulkhead. Next,using a set of dividers or tick strip, liftthe plank widths from the marks on thebulkheads and transfer to the stock.Draw a line through the points and cutthe plank. Trace this tapered plank toobtain another for the other side of thehull. Repeat for the remaining planks inBelt A.

Install the planks. Repeat the process forthe next strake, but stagger the butts(Figure 2-6). Use four planks, one fromBulkhead G to Bulkhead C, anotherfrom Bulkhead C to the stem, BulkheadG to Bulkhead K, and Bulkhead K tothe stern. This last plank spans aboutfour-and-a-half bulkhead spaces.

Moving to the next planking strake,stagger the butts starting at Bulkhead F.Continue until the other strakes in BeltA are completed.

Note: Planks in Belt A and a few in BeltB extend to the counter and glue to thehorn timbers (Figure 2-7)

Laying the Planking in Belt B and Belt C:These belts have eight strakes about thesame width as those in Belt A. If thetemporary batten is still in place, removeit. Lay the planks for Belts B and C, butremember to stagger the butts.

Laying the Planking in Belt D: This beltcontains the garboard strake (next to thekeel) and contains only seven strakes.Note: Planks widen near the stern, souse wider stock.

Sheet 2 shows a complete planking pro-file. Follow it to determine plank widthsin Belt D aft. The hull planking layoutdoesn’t show all the planks aft, so theprofile view is necessary.

Plank Variations within a Belt: Suppose abelt has seven planks the same width,but the eighth one must be wider tocomplete the belt. Cause for worry?Certainly not. No planking job, even onreal ships, is that precise. After all, theseare hand-cut planks and slight varianceswill occur. The important thing is tokeep their flow smooth.

Fashion Piece: Once planking is complet-ed, add the fashion piece at the stern(Figure 2-8).

Natural Wood, Double Plank Option:Most wooden ships have one layer ofexternal planking. However, manybuilders are familiar with double-planked European kits or want a natur-al wood finish typical of Navy Boardmodels. Even though Bluenose should bepainted, its hull can be double plankedwith the kit’s walnut strips. To cover the exposed rails, cap themwith walnut, stain them a similar color,or substitute walnut when makingthem. Follow the basswood plankingprocess. Using longer strips will workbetter now, because plank shapes are

already defined. Simply lift dimensionsfrom the hull and cut the walnut. Whencompleted, sand and finish the hullwith Floquil oil or glaze, or tung oil.Finally, add a coat of wax, then polish.

7. Planking Inboard (Ceiling Planks)

Only the inboard transom is ceiled with3/64” planks.

8. Planking the Decks

Coamings: Before planking the deck,decide how to treat the hatch, cabin,skylight, and companionway coamings.The recommended approach (followsshipwright practice) is to glue the coam-ings to their appropriate bulkheads,then plank around them. Be sure to glueand pin 1/8” thick scrap wood under-neath each coaming’s free sides prior toinstallation. This takes the place of deckbeams and provides a permanent land-ing for the planks (Figure 2-9).

18

Fig. 2-10 Nibbing IdeasNibbing Strake

Planks

Optional Strip Over Planks

Correct Nibs

No Nibs

Fake Nibs

Thin Wood or Paper Strip Over Planks

The alternative approach is to installthe coamings, hatches, and deck struc-tures on top of the deck, but remem-ber to reduce their height by 1/16”.

Deck Planks: Deck planks are 1/16”thick. They taper going aft on thequarter deck, and run more parallel tothe cabin than the centerline. To omitthis detail, run planks parallel to thecenterline without tapering. While notcompletely accurate, it will still lookpresentable. Planks are parallel to thecenterline on the fore deck.

Prepare a deck plank by painting oneedge black or dark brown to simulatecaulking. Be careful! Too much paintwill penetrate too deeply withunsightly results. Do a test first. If itdoesn’t work, edge glue the plankswith brown woodworker’s glue. Thisadhesive dries dark enough to repli-cate caulking.

Procedure: Start deck planking at thecenterline and work outboard. Scrapeoff any glue that squeezes out beforeadding the next plank. Butts can beincluded or omitted. On the real ship,they don’t show up as readily as theseams. Butts can also be scribed afterthe plank is laid. If desired, fastenplanks with brads or treenails (seehull plank discussion).

Nibbing Strakes: A nibbing strake goeswhere deck planks meet the waterways.Installation is a little tedious, so thestrake could be omitted and the deckplanks feathered instead (Figure 2-10).

Completing the Basic Hull Structure

Thoroughly examine the hull forstarved glue joints. Fill these withwood glue or model spackling com-pound, then smooth the hull,buwarks, and deck with sandpaper.

Mounting the Hull

Mount the hull as soon as basic fram-ing and planking are completed toprevent damaging fittings when han-dling the model. Proper mounting isimportant, because future alignmentswill require a true waterline. Twobrass pedestals and a baseboard aresupplied. Another approach to dis-playing the model is on a launchingways. Scratch build the platform orpurchase the kit. Model Expo sellsthem (MSL0010, 0018, 0024).

Models should be cased to protectthem from dirt and damage.Furthermore, most competitionsrequire entries to be cased. A case is acheap insurance policy. However, thekit’s baseboard may be too small toserve as the base for the case. A case’soutside diameter should be 4” longerthan the model (2” fore and aft), 4”wider (2” port and starboard) and 2”higher. If the baseboard doesn’t mea-sure 36-3/4” long by 9-1/4” wide,make a new one to accept a case.

1. Mounting Board with Two Pedestals

Round the top edges of the baseboardor cut a simple chamfer. Those withaccess to a router can cut mouldingsalong the edges. Paint or stain thebaseboard. Alternatives: Prefinishedbaseboards are available or make yourown from basswood, cherry, walnut,bubinga, or rosewood.

Mount the model with the waterlineparallel to the baseboard. BecauseBluenose has a slight drag to her keel,the forward pedestal is a little tallerthan the aft one. Drill pilot holes in thekeel and baseboard for the pedestalscrews. If something goes awry andthe balance is off, add a brass shimunder one pedestal to correct it.

2. Launching Ways

Models without sails display best on alaunching ways. They are easy toassemble and fasten to a baseboard.With a large enough baseboard, abuilder can create a diorama based ona shipyard activity. Drill holes in thekeel for the anchoring rods, then fol-low the directions to achieve the prop-er waterline level.

Note: Stain or paint the baseboard orlaunching ways before mounting the hull.

19

Stage 3

Stage 4

Adding the Hull Details

1. Fishing & Racing Gear

On the plans are symbols of a fishand pennant. The former identifiesequipment used primarily for fish-ing. It was removed during a regattato reduce weight. The pennant sym-bolizes racing gear. Fishing para-phernalia is provided. Withoutdories, anchors, and windlass hoist-ing machinery, the model looks bare.

2. Locating Deck Fittings & Structures

If hatch and companionway coam-ings were not installed when plank-ing the deck, locate them alongwith the fife rail, boom crutches,galley stack, samson post, bowspritand quarter bitts, windlass andhoisting gear, bilge pumps, chocks,and dory kids. To locate items, mea-sure from a known bench marksuch as the centerline or center of amast. Lightly mark their positionsin pencil on the deck.

While eyebolts, ringbolts, and cleatscan wait, installing them now is agood idea. Once they’re mounted,clean and finish the deck. Then,when rigging commences, these fit-tings are ready and waiting.

3. Deck Structures

A companionway, skylight, deck-house, and steering wheel box areprominent deck features (Figure 5-1and 5-2). Build them either asplanked structures or substitute1/16” or 1/32” basswood sheets.Another option is to make them frombasswood blocks (not provided).

Panes for the cabin skylight can beglass (microscope slide cover) orsheet plastic with the undersidepainted light blue. Cut mullions andstringers from brass wire; or, fake itand paint on the dividing bars.

20

Fig. 5-1 Deck Structure Details

Optional Tabs to SecureSides of Coamings

Use About 2 Cabin BeamsBetween Ends For Support

Groove

Plank or Sheet TopMoulding

Typical Coaming

Typical Corner PostCabin Top

Simplified Corner

Side

Deck Optional CornerPost with Rabbets

1/16”or1/32”Plank or Sheet

Optional Rabbet in Coaming

Fig. 5-2 More Deck Structure Details

Steering Wheel Box

Cabin Skylight

Solid Block Option

Forward Companionway

SillFrame

GrooveChamfer

Top andMouldingCombined

Slides

Lift Out Panels,Just Glue in

Place

Hinge-Brass, Paper or Paint

Brass Bars or Paint

1/32” or 1/16”

Block to HoldSteering

Wheel Shaft

Fig. 5-3 Hatch Detail

Eyebolt and Split Ring

Groove

Coaming

Option-Use Two Pieces to Avoid Rabbet

Hatch Covers 1/32”Plank or Solid Sheet

Stage 5

4. Hatches

Make hatch covers as either plankedstructures or from 1/32” thick sheet.Dip lifting ring shafts in cyano, theninsert in two diagonal corners on eachcover. Don’t forget the eyebolts in thedeck. They secured the canvas coversthat went over the hatches in badweather (Figure 5-3).

5. Bowsprit Bitts& Samson Post

Install the samson post and bowspritbitts, but not the filler blocks or plat-form (Figure 5-4).

6. Boom Sheet Buffers

The real fore and main sheet buffershave rubber rings to take the strain offthe lower block. The kit provides sim-plified Britannia castings. Install these,then the foremast’s laser-cut platformand its fore and aft legs. However, themain rail forms the main boom’s plat-form. Both platforms have a hole for thebuffer ring. Lower sheet blocks hook tothe ring (Figure 5-5).

Note: The plans show the main buffer alittle longer than the fore buffer.Although the kit has only one size, itfits under either platform.

7. Quarter Bitts

Drill a hole for the quarter bitts or pegthem with a dowel (Figure 5-6).

8. Unidentified Object

The object to port and aft of the cabinmay be a scuttle; or, more likely, a stor-age tub for the main sheet hauling tack-le. Cut it from sheet stock and round thetop edge.

9. Main Boom Crutch

The laser-cut main boom crutch fits overa flat strip with a notch. If the model isdisplayed with sails, either lay it ondeck or omit the crutch. It is stowedwhen underway.

21

Fig. 5-4 Bowsprit Bitts & Samson PostSupport Blocks forWindlass Brake Beam

Platform

Bitts

Support Blocks

Bowsprit

Mortise for Bowsprit Heel

Chamfers

Samson Post

Use Dowel orSet in SquareHole on Deck

Fig. 5-5 Fore Boom Sheet Buffer

Shackle to Sheet Block

Buffer Castings

Glue in Holes in Deck

Laser Cut Platform Legs

Fig.5-6 Quarter Bitts

Wood

Chamfers

Dowel or Set Bitt inSquare Hole in Deck

10. Fife Rail & Fore Boom Crutch

The main fife rail, rail bar, knees, foreboom crutch, and crutch pad are laser-cutparts. Stanchions are Britannia, but makethe bitts from stripwood (Figure 5-7).Drill holes and insert belaying pins.

11. Galley Stack

At the base of the Britannia galley stackis a pad. The plans show a substitute, a“Liverpool” (straight) stack, since thestack varied at times.

12. Bilge Pumps

Britannia bilge pumps are aft of themain fife rail. No levers are provided,because they are generally stowed whennot in use. They can be duplicated frombrass wire or strip. Drill holes in thedeck to accept the pumps, then affixwith cyano or epoxy.

13. Windlass, Hoisting Machinery & Jumbo Jib Boom Crutch

If configuring the model for fishing, addthe Britannia windlass, hoisting machin-ery, and engine box. When racing, the boxand hoisting mechanism were removed.

The jumbo jib boom crutch top and kneesare laser-cut parts. Make the bitts fromstripwood. Before installing the assembly,attach the hoisting mechanism.

Windlass: Laser-cut bitts and ridingknees are split to fit around the wind-lass shaft (Figure 5-8). Glue on thequadrant castings. Use brass wire forthe links connecting the quadrant to thebrake beam on top of the bowsprit. Addthe pawl on the samson post.

Although hoisting machinery doesn’tneed a brake, it has one for backup.Handles are stowed below, not in thebrake beam.

Counter shaft and stand: The shaft, withpinion gear and sprocket, fits into twostands. If necessary, ream the holes in thestands so the shaft will fit, then glue thepieces together. Be sure the pinionengages the large gear on the windlasswhen gluing the assembly to the deck(Figure 5-8).

22

Fig.5-7 Mainmast Fife Rail

Drill Holes For Belaying Pin

Laser Cut

Make Bitts & SnatchCleat From Stripwood

Dowel or Insert in Square Hole

Laser-Cut Boom Crutch & Seat

Casting

ChamfersLaserCut

Drill Hole for Belaying Pin

Fig. 5-8 Windlass & Counter Shaft

Samson Post Break Castings

Starboard Drum

Port Drum

Brass Wire LinksPawl-Casting

Barrel-Casting

Castings

Stand

Drill Out Holes, Epoxyor Super Glue to ShaftCounter Shaft Assembly

Glue QuadrantCastings to

Windlass WithEpoxy

Wood orBrass Strip

Make PartsFrom Wood

Strip

Fig. 5-9 Winch Gears & Friction Clutch

Drill Out Holes

Block Inside Box

Wood Box

Epoxy All Parts

Winch Sprocket Counter ShaftSprocket

Chain Drive

Castings

Friction Clutch

Pawl Castings

Make Clutch LeversFrom Brass Strip

Fake With Thread or Wire

Glue Spots

No Parts ProvidedInside Boxes

Laser-Cut BoomCrutch Top &

Knees

Slot for Boom Crutch

Winch shaft, gear, sprocket, and winch heads:This assembly fits on the jumbo jibboom crutch bitts. Starboard winchhead, bearing, and sprocket are alreadyon the shaft. Slide the large winch gear,bearing, and port winch head onto thestarboard side. Enlarge the holes if theseparts don’t fit. Glue the assembly to theboom crutch bitts, then add the portand starboard winch head pawls(Figure 5-9).

Make the clutch lever from brass strip.

Clutch shaft: On the lower clutch shaft isa bearing and pinion. The pinion mateswith the winch gear. The shaft goes to aclutch under the clutch box cover.However, the clutch isn’t included.Simply place the shaft in the box andglue it to a block. Add a clutch levermade from brass strip (Figure 5-9).

Engine and clutch cover boxes: Make theboxes from 1/64” or 1/32” stripwood.

Sprocket chain: A single, riveted rollerchain (like on a bicycle) connects thecounter shaft sprocket and winch shaft.For the model, fake it using doublethread or fine brass wire.

14. Catheads & Anchors

Attach eyebolts to the Britannia cat-heads, then make the fitting for the deckor just drill a hole in it (Figure 5-10).During a race, catheads were removedand anchors stowed below as ballast.Model Shipways’ Grand Banks’ anchorshave Britannia shanks, but make theirstocks from stripwood. The plans showhow to stow the anchors, and the typeand amount of cable required.

15. Mooring Chocks & Bow & Stern Chocks

Chocks are Britannia. Check the plansfor their locations.

16. Hawse Pipes

Epoxy the Britannia hawse pipe lips inthe predrilled holes at the bow.

23

Fig. 5-10 Detailing The Catheads

Drill Holes& InsertBrass Wire

Eyebolt inBuffalo Rail

Simplified

CatheadsCasting

Make a Socket or JustDrill Hole in Deck

Fig. 5-11 Making Eyebolts

Drill Rod

Brass Wire

Twist

GlueHoldsTightly

1

3

2

Fig. 5-12 Pintles & Gudgeons

Pintle, Brass Strip

Solder or Glue Pin

Pins- Solder orGlue, Cut Off

Option - Omit Pins andGlue Strips to Hull

Option - Omit Pins andSolder Strips

Gudgeon

17. Eyebolts & Cleats

Eyebolt locations are shown on Sheets 3and 6. Drill a hole wherever one isrequired. Attach blocks to eyeboltsrequiring them. Using a toothpick orMicrobrush, spread a thin film of cyano-acrylate on the bolt, then insert. Don’toverdo the glue. When all are mounted,test the bond by tugging on each eyebolt.

Eyebolts are simply brass wire bent intoa loop. To close the loop, touch with alittle solder or epoxy. Figure 5-11 showsan easy way to produce scale eyebolts.The twisted wire shank traps glue andensures a permanent bond.

18. Rudder

Taper the laser-cut rudder according tothe plans. Make pintles and gudgeonsfrom brass strip (Figure 5-12).

19. Dories & Dory Kids

Fashion the portable dory kids fromstripwood, then glue or pin them to thedeck. Kids and their dories wereremoved during racing.

Use the laser-cut building fixture(Figure 5-13) for laying up the eightdories’ sides, bottoms, and transoms.Make frames, thwarts, and oars fromstripwood. Since the number of doriesvaried, add more or less as desired.Detail can be omitted on the lower nest-ed boats, because it isn’t visible. Stowlower boat oars and thwarts in the topboat or somewhere on deck.

Place port and starboard dory halves inthe fixture, then add the bottom andtransom. Hold the sides against the fix-ture with the laser-cut clamps. Buildingdories is a little tedious, but after thefirst or second one things should gosmoothly. Using a cyanoacrylate mayhelp. Spray on an accelerator to reducethe setting time.

20. Schooner’s Name

The transom and bow carry the ship’sname. The best way to add this detail is tobuy dry transfer lettering (sold at art andoffice supply stores or model railroadshops). It probably isn’t available in thecorrect color, so purchase black lettering,then paint over it. After rubbing them on,apply a coat of flat, clear varnish.

Another method is to make your owndecals by using dry transfer letters on aclear decal sheet.

21. Flags

Although the plans don’t show any,Canada’s flag should fly from the flaghalliard on the main gaff. Depending onhow Bluenose is presented, racing pen-nants could go atop the fore and maintopmast. Make flags from cloth or paperand paint them with acrylics.

All that remains is masting and rigging.Before continuing, recheck everything,sand, and paint. Painting is difficultonce the spars are up, so do it now.

Mast & Spar Construction

1. Shaping & Tapering Masts & Spars

Dowels are provided for masts andspars, but require shaping and tapering.Sheet 4 shows them to scale with criticaldimensions given at maximum diameterand at the ends.

Spar tapers: Fishing schooners are a littledifferent from other ships. Notice on theplans that the forward side of masts,lower side of gaffs and bowsprit, and topside of booms is a straight line. This isdone to better match the sail or positionmast hoops. All other faces are tapered.

To avoid confusion, identify the straightside on each spar with a pencil mark atboth ends. Taper the dowel with a file.Or, lightly slice it with a hobby blade orsmall plane, then sand to its final shape.Using a lathe or electric drill to taperthese dowels doesn’t work due to thestraight edge.

2. Building & Installing the Masts

Fore and Mainmasts: Both lower mastsare basically round, except for the flatarea by the trestle trees and cheeks. Amore pronounced taper occurs from thetrestle trees to the tenon at the cap(Figure 6-1).

Fore and Main Topmasts: These are squareat the heel, then round above. Drill ahole in the heel, then file it rectangularto accept the fid (prevents mast fromfalling through the top). A fid is a rec-tangular bar (Figure 6-2).

24

Side Laser Cut Clamp Use TemporaryStrut Until Interior

Structure isComplete

Glue WithSuper Glue

Laser-Cut Jig

Glue to aBaseboard

Bottom

Fig. 5-13 Building a Dory

Stage 6

Trestle Trees and Spreaders: Fashion trestletrees and spreaders from stripwood.Between the spreaders is a brass rod(Figure 6-3).

Pin Saddle (foremast) and Boom Rest (mainmast): These are laser-cut, port and star-board halves. Make the chocks fromstripwood (Figure 6-4).

Metal Fittings: Duplicate ironwork onmasts, booms, gaffs, and bowsprit frombrass strip and eyebolts. Refer to (Figure 6-5) for details and procedures.

Mast Hoops: Slip on the laser-cut hoops.Forget them now and they’re impossibleto install later.

Mast Assembly: Once every part has beenprefitted and mast hoops slipped on,assemble trestle trees and spreaders onthe lower masts, then add the topmasts.

Option: Some modelers prefer to buildmast assemblies as they rig. Step lowermasts, attach shrouds and lower stays,then add the topmasts. Be sure to con-stantly check alignment.

Mast Heel Tenon: For those who placed aflat piece over the mast slots on the cen-ter keel (Stage 1, Step 9), cut mast heelsin a rectangle to fit the slot.

Mast Wedges and Mast Installation: Stepmasts in the center keel slots and checktheir alignment. Wedge as necessary.Don’t glue them! They may have to beremoved for restoration in years to come.

Laser-cut port and starboard rings repre-sent mast wedges covered with a mastcoat (canvas). Shape the rings and slipthem around the masts. Secure to thedeck with a touch of woodworker’s glue.

3. Building & Installing the Bowsprit

The bottom of the bowsprit is a straightline. The spar is round forward of thebowsprit bitts and square with chamfersaft. Cut a tenon to fit the mortise in thesamson post.

Installation: Slide the bowsprit throughthe bow opening into the samson postmortise, then glue the filler blocks on topof it. Now complete the laser-cut platform(Figure 5-4).

Fig. 6-1 Mast Head

Tenon for Cap

Slab

FlatArea

Bolster

TrestleTree

Cheek

25

Fig. 6-3 Trestle Trees & Spreaders

Fig. 6-4 Fore Pin Saddle & Main Boom Rest

Holes for Futtock Shroudsor Spreader Lifts

Brass RodFlatten Ends

Slot for Shroud

Spreader

Fairlead

Bolster

Trestle Tree

Pin

Brass Gate

Simplified

Clip Brass, Paperor Just Glue

Drill Belaying PinHoles at Foremast

Chocks From Stripwood

Laser-Cut Half

Recessed Metal StrapOption - Omit

Fig. 6-2 Topmast Heal

Round

Square

Wood or BrassFid Iron onReal Ship

26

4. Building the Booms & Gaffs

The jumbo jib and fore booms havemetal fittings at their forward ends. Themain boom and fore and main gaff havelaser-cut jaws. Form a curve at the gaffjaw’s throat (Figure 6-6).

Installation: Rigging in hand is easierthan when spars are on the model, sodon’t install the booms and gaffs until thesails are laced or other rigging applied.

Reminder: Finish detailing and paintingthe spars before setting them aside. Oncerigging commences, they must be readyto mount.

General Rigging &Sailmaking Information

Newcomers to the nautical worldshould learn the following riggingnomenclature. Old salts can skip thispart and grab a mug of grog. BecauseBluenose has no square sails, many termsdon’t apply, but may come in handy onyour next project.

Each edge and corner of a sail has aname. On a fore-and-aft sail, the top isthe head, bottom the foot, aft side theleech, and forward side the luff. The for-ward lower corner is the tack, aft lowercorner the clew, forward upper cornerthe throat, and aft upper corner the peak.A triangular sail is similar, except theupper corner is called the head. It hasno throat or peak.

Cringles, sewed into corners of sails orelsewhere, are metal thimbles to whichlines are attached. They are named pertheir location; for example, clew cringle.Grommets are either buttonhole-stitchedround holes in the sail or brass grom-mets. They are used to pass a linethrough the sail. Sails are bent to theiryard, stay, gaff, or boom.

Standing rigging: Fixed lines supportingmasts and spars. Standing rigging isgenerally wormed, parceled, and servedwith a light line. It also is tarred; hence,its black or dark brown appearance.

Shrouds: Transverse lines supportingmasts. Deadeyes are wood and havethree holes for reeving the lanyard.Lanyards are lines used to tightenshrouds. On modern ships, metal turn-buckles have replaced deadeyes. A heartor bullseye is similar to a deadeye,except it has one hole and is used onmore permanent installations.

Chain plates: Iron bars or rods on thehull for holding deadeyes. Topmastshrouds have no chain plates. Instead,futtock shrouds (lines or metal bars) runfrom the deadeye or bullseye to themast band. If the futtock shrouds extend

just to the lower shrouds, they generallytie to a wooden or metal rod called afuttock stave. Catharpins, lines keepingthe futtock shrouds taut, brace in thelower end of the futtock shrouds andsecure to the futtock staves.

Stays: Fore and aft lines supporting themasts. Backstays provide side and aftsupport. They are generally angledslightly aft. A running or flying backstayhas a movable tackle on deck.

Fig. 6-5 Making Metal Fittings From Brass

Solder or Not

Pins to HoldWhile Soldering

Option-Use Method LikePeak Halliards

Cut Off, Shape & DrillHole After Soldering

Inside Ring

OutsideRing

Solder Then Cut Off

Wire

Solder

Eyebolt

Cut Off After Soldering

Solder

ShapeAround aDrill Bit

Could AlsoBe CutFrom BrassTubing

Bail From Wire

Main Mast CapMulti-Eye Band

Sheet Band

Band For Peak Halliards

Solder Set-Up

Drill Hole For Bail Pin

Fig. 6-6 Gaff Jaws

Shape Laser-CutJaw to Form Curve

Stage 7

27

Bobstays: Support the bowsprit fromupward loads. Bowsprit guys, some-times called bowsprit shrouds, supportjibbooms and bowsprits from sideforces. Bowsprits occasionally have avertical strut below the jibboom cap toincrease the stays’ downward pullingforce back to the hull. This strut is themartingale or dolphin striker. Headstays run through the jibboom, downto the dolphin striker. Head stays runthrough the jibboom. down the dolphinstriker, and back to the bow. Martingalestays are separate, and start at the jib-boom rather than continuing from thehead stays.

Running rigging: Lines that move, reevethrough blocks, or operate sails and spars.

Blocks: Wooden or metal shells withsheaves (pulleys) for handling lines. Apurchase (tackle) consists of severalblocks and a line to provide a mechanicaladvantage for handling sails and spars.

Halliards or halyards: Lines for raisingand lowering a sail, yard, boom, gaff, orflag. The part of a halliard attached to ayard is called a tye. For gaffs, the outerhalliard is the peak halliard. At the gaffjaws is a throat halliard, named for thepart of the sail it operates. Downhauls,outhauls, and inhauls drag a sail along aboom or up and down a stay.

Sheets hold the lower corners of a sail orboom. When not in use, sails are furled(bundled on the yard, boom, or mast).Clew lines pull up the corners of asquare sail, leechlines pull up the sides,and buntlines pull up the belly for furl-ing the sail. Brails are like buntlines,except they pull loose-footed fore-and-aft sails toward the mast for furling.Bowlines, attached to the sides of asquare sail, pull it forward. These areused primarily on 18th century andolder ships.

Reef bands: Horizontal reinforcing bandson the sail. They have short lengths ofrope called reef points. In heavy weather,sailors tie the reef points to a yard orboom to shorten the sail.

Parrels or parrals: Lines or devices forholding yards, booms, and gaffs to theirrespective masts and spars. A truss, jeer,and sling are similar to a parrel. Theselines or iron fittings hold a yard upagainst the mast. They are most com-mon on lower yards, which generallydon’t move up or down.

Braces: Lines attached to the ends ofyards for directing their angles andholding them taut. Lifts are standing orrunning lines for holding yards whenlowered. A topping lift is a line holdingup the boom when the gaff is down orabsent. Vangs, port and starboard lines,prevent a gaff from swinging sideways.

1. Rigging Options

Like the real ship, the model can berigged four ways. Consider these options:

Full set of sails: Tends to hide detail.

Sails furled: Here is a pleasing compro-mise. Reality is maintained without sac-rificing detail.

Sails furled and hoisted: This creates theillusion of a ship in port with some sailsstill drying after a day’s run. Mix furledsails with open ones or sails half up.Possibilities abound, so look for a pleas-ing effect. Study paintings for ideas.Marine artist John Stobart’s work is anideal reference.

No sails, gaffs lowered on the booms: Now the ship is in port with her sailsremoved for repairs. Most modelerschoose this approach, and beginnersshould definitely opt for it.

2. Rigging Plans

Sheets 5 and 6 show the masts andspars with attendant rigging. They aredrawn so every line is clear and itsbelaying point known. Study them andhave a complete picture of each rigbefore starting. Do this and rigging willproceed smoothly.

3. Rigging Line and Block Sizes

Because more line diameters are shown onthe plans than provided in the kit, refer tothis guide:

Use every available diameter to enhance themodel’s scalelike appearance. Additionalsizes are commercially available. Some

modelers substitute the kit’s nyloncordage with linen or cotton lines.Blocks are in scale inches, but not all arecommercially available. Follow this guide:

Options: Sand a block to more closelymatch the plan size or scratch build them.

4. Treating the Lines

Note: Standing rigging on Bluenose waswire, but the kit substitutes thread.

Worming, Parceling, and Serving: Lines onships were wormed, parceled, andserved wherever chafing might occur.Shrouds are a prime example. Worminginserts thin pieces of line (worms)between the strands. Parceling windscanvas strips saturated with tar aroundthe wormed part. Happily, this isn’t nec-essary on the model. Most modelersprefer not to serve (binding the wormedand parceled area in the opposite direc-tion with spun yarn). They use cordageas is after applying a heavy coat ofbeeswax. Those who want to shouldserve only the largest shrouds andstays. Use fine silk or linen thread.Avoid cotton. It’s too fuzzy.

28

Block Sizes Blocks in Kit3/64” to 3/32” 3/32”7/64” and 1/8” 1/8”9/64” and 5/32” 5/32”11/64” and 3/16” 3/16”13/64” and 7/32” 1/4”

Lines on plan Lines in kitLess than 0.012”dia. 0.009”0.012” to 0.018”dia. 0.017”0.020” to 0.027”dia. 0.030”

29

Seizings: Seize lines with cotton, nylon,or silk thread. Do not secure lines withknots. Knots are for shoelaces. Touchseizings with diluted white glue(Figure 7-1).

Beeswax: Protects lines against moistureand lays down fuzz. To soften beeswax,hold it to a light bulb. Run the lineacross the beeswax, then through yourfingers to soften and smooth it. Do thisseveral times to thoroughly coat the line.

5. Belaying Pins

Sheet 6 includes a complete belayingpin plan. Each belaying point and itsappropriate line have the same number.Some lines run through fairleads beforethey belay. Sketches on the plans showwhich lines have fairleads.

Because no belaying plan exists forBluenose, general fishing schooner prac-tices were followed.

6. Rigging Tools

Some homemade tools are essential forthe rigging process (Figure 7-2). Similarshapes are commercially available.

7. Blocks & Deadeyes

Bluenose had internally stropped blocks.This is difficult to do at 3/16” scale.Figure 7-3 offers some alternatives.

8. Sailmaking

Choosing the proper material is critical.Sailcloth must be lightweight, yet fairlyopaque. Tightly woven cotton is accept-able and available from Model Expo(MS0567). Although linen is ideal, mostis too heavy for 3/16” scale models.

Wash sailcloth several times topreshrink it. When dry, iron the cloth,but be careful not to scorch it. Next,lightly draw the seams and hem(tabling) lines in pencil, then sew theseams using light tan cotton thread. Asewing machine makes fast work of theproject. Practice on scrap cloth. Balancethe needle thread tension so it doesn’tpucker the material. No reinforcementpatches are required. Instead, simplysew two lines to represent reef bands(Figure 7-4).

When done, iron the sails. Be careful notto burn them. Next, cut the sail shapeusing Line A in Figure 7-4. Fold thehem, iron it flat, and sew as close toLine B as possible. Tuck the ends andhand stitch the corners. The sail is readyfor stretching.

Sewing Aids: Visit a fabric shop and pur-chase a bottle of Fray-Chek. Running orbrushing it along the edge of the clothprevents the material from unravelingwhen cut and produces a sharp edge.Apply it to the sail before rolling the hem.

Stitch-Witchery and Wonder-Under arebasically the same product. They areheat fusible bonding tapes. Stitch-Witchery comes in a roll and is bondsensitive on both sides. To join twopieces, simply place a strip betweenthem and iron.

Wonder-Under comes in sheets with athin, paper backing on one side. Thismaterial is useful for bonding lettersand numbers to a scale sailboat’s sail.First, buy the colored fabric for thenumbers. Place the Wonder-Under sheeton the cloth with the paper backing up.Iron the sheet to bond it to the material.Next, cut out the letters, numbers, logo,or whatever with scissors or a sharpblade. Peel off the paper backing, posi-tion the letter on the sail, and iron. Thistechnique also works for making flagsfrom colored cloth.

When racing, Bluenose’s mainsail car-ried an arabic “1” or “2” near its head.

Stretching the Sails: This step assures thesail’s proper shape, since sewing mayhave altered it. Using the original pat-tern, trace the sail’s outline onto a pieceof paper. Place the paper on a solid, butporous backing, such as a wood or corkboard. Now wash the sail again and layit over the outline. Stretch the wet mate-rial to the sail’s outline, then securewith stick pins through its outer edges.When dry, the sail will have resumed itsproper shape. Iron it one more time.

Boltropes and Reef Points: Boltropes canbe omitted, since they are nearly invisi-ble at 3/16” scale. However, to includethem, follow the tedious method inFigure 7-4. The sketch also shows howto install reef points.

Furled Sails: Don’t furl sails made fromsailcloth and cut to the original’s scalesize. The material is usually too heavy,resulting in a bulky furled sail. To solve

this problem, either proportionallyreduce the size of a sail by one-thirdwhen using sailcloth (Figure 7-5), orbuy a lighter material such as Silkspan(model airplane covering tissue).Depending on their size, even Silkspansails may require being reduced by one-third. Test the percentage reduction todetermine how much material is neededfor a neat, tight furl.

Even furled sails need some seams andhems, as these details are visible.

9. Rigging the Model Without Sails

Include most of the lines, such as hal-liards and downhauls, that remainwhen sails are removed. These areshackled together, tied off, or secured tosome other stowage point. Sketches hereand on the plans show some details.

Standing Rigging

Standing rigging is black. Before start-ing, sort lines by size, coat withbeeswax, and keep them handy. Usecotton, silk, or nylon thread for seiz-ings. Treat this with beeswax. Keepwhite glue at the ready for dabbing ona seizing if necessary. Usually sewingthrough the shroud followed by a halfhitch will prevent a seizing fromunraveling.

Shackles: These are difficult to make at3/16” scale, so substitute a split ring.

1. Shrouds

Begin the standing rigging by makingthe lower shroud chain plates frombrass strip (Figure 8-1).

The lower shrouds are set up in pairs(Figure 8-2). To do this, make a tempo-rary brass wire fixture to space the dead-eyes as seizing progresses (Figure 8-3).The fixture should be longer than thefinal spacing of deadeyes. Reeving thelanyards will tighten the shrouds to theirfinal proper spacing. Make a test shroudfirst to see how much it stretches.

Stage 8

30

Figure 8-3 also shows the sequence forreeving lanyards. When looking out-board at any deadeye, always start witha knot in the upper left-hand deadeyehole. Consequently, port deadeyes havethe knot aft and starboard deadeyeshave it forward. Keep an eye on themasts. Rigging the shrouds can pull themout of alignment.

Note: The upper deadeyes (laser cut) onthe lower shrouds are oval. On the realvessel, wire rigging is spliced just abovethe upper deadeyes. Wrap thread aroundthe shrouds to simulate the splice.

Shrouds for the fore and main topmastrun through spreaders, then set up atthe hull. They have smaller deadeyes.

Main topmast shrouds start at thespreaders and set up to futtock shrouds(Figure 8-4). Make the futtock shroudsfrom brass wire.

Spreader lifts replace the fore topmastshrouds (Figure 8-5).

Once the shrouds are up, add the rat-lines (Figure 8-6). Make the sheer polefrom brass wire, then paint it.

Before installing the ratlines, give thema generous coating of beeswax. This willhelp hold them in a slight downwardcurve. If the ratlines tend to bow up, tugthem gently into position. Touching theloops with white glue will help freezethem. Ratlines are difficult to do if tiedwith clove hitches. Use half hitches andavoid pulling the ratlines too tight,thereby altering the spacing betweenshrouds. The step or space between rat-lines should be a scale 14 to 15 inches.

Note: Ratlines on the upper main top-mast shrouds do not extend to the top,so a crew member can furl topsails atthe lower masthead.

2. Fore & Aft Stays

Install the fore and aft stays unless anoptional method was selected. Be care-ful not to pull the masts out of align-ment. Begin with the forward lowerstays and work aft and up.

The jumbo jib stay sets to a bail boltedto the deck. Make it from brass wire(Figure 8-7). The jib and balloon staybelay to fittings on the bowsprit.

Fig. 8-1 Lower Chain Plates

Fig. 8-2 Lower Shroud Sequence

Fig. 8-3 Setting up Shroud Deadeyes

Deadeye Strop

Wire

Split Ring

Solder

Simplified

Stbd

1

1

2

Pull Tight

Twisted Wire Jig

Seize

Start KnotHere

Hitch toShroud

LanyardLookingOutboard

23

3

4

4

Stbd

Port

Port

Pin

File

Brass Strip

31

The pullback stay and main topmaststay have a lanyard at one end to tight-en the stay. While details heighten amodel’s appearance, these lanyards canbe omitted and the stays simply seizedto the fitting. The spring stay has an eyesplice at both ends. It belays to the bails.

Topmast Flying Backstays: During races, aport and starboard main topmast flyingbackstay was rigged. Those who arebuilding Bluenose in this configurationcan install one backstay tight and theother slack.

3. Bowsprit Rigging

Backropes, guys, and bobstays are tight-ened with turnbuckles. Make them frombrass (Figure 8-8), along with the bob-stay and guy plates (Figure 8-9).

4. Footropes

The bowsprit has footropes and stir-rups, but the main boom just hasfootropes. Apply a heavy coat ofbeeswax to coax these lines into pleas-ing curves. Freeze them with a touch ofwhite glue if necessary. Footropes thatdon’t droop properly look awful.

5. Running Lights

Glue the Britannia running lights to aflat piece of stripwood, then attach theboard to the fore shrouds (Figure 8-10).

Take another look before moving on.Check that a mast wasn’t pulled out ofalignment. Now is the time to correct anymistakes.

Running Rigging

Decide whether to rig with or withoutsails or with a few furled. The follow-ing discusses the choices and how torig them. Although the riggingsequence isn’t critical, starting at thebow and working aft is recommended.

Stage 9

Attach as many lines as possible tosails or spars before mounting on themodel. Play out enough line for reev-ing, handling, and belaying. Don’t bein a hurry to snip them flush. They mayneed retensioning as rigging progresses.

Sheet 6 contains the belaying plan. Belaythe line, then add a coil to each belayingpoint.

1. Jumbo Jib, Jib & Balloon Jib

Installing sails: Substitute split rings forhanks. Real hanks are difficult to make at3/16” scale. Set sails either to port or star-board, but be consistent. It looks better.

Jib and Balloon Jib: Fit halliards and tackstightly. Downhauls can be either tight orhung a little loose. Tighten the sheet on thesail side. The other sheet drapes over thestay and hangs loosely toward the belayingpoints. Again, apply a heavy coat ofbeeswax so these lines droop on command.

No sails: Bring down the halliard blockwith the downhaul attached (Figure 9-1). Sheets are removed with the sailsor left lying on deck.

Jumbo Jib: Lace the sail to the boom by amethod shown on the plans. Sheet andhalliards set up tight.

Hook the topping lift to the end of theboom. However, because it also servesas a fish tackle (hoists anchors), it couldhook to the eyebolt in the buffalo rail.

No sail: Set the boom in its crutch, tightenthe sheet, and bring down the halliard block.

2. Staysail

Tighten the staysail’s sheet, halliards,and tack. Notice the unique racing halliard. Install it or the simpler fishinghalliard.

No sail: Bring the peak halliard block to theforemast and hook it to the throat halliard(Figure 9-2). Remove the sheet and tack.

3. Fore & Main Topsails

Seized them to the mast hoops (Figure 9-3).

Fore Topsail: It has a double sheet andtack. Tighten one, then run the loosepartner over the main topmast stay sothe sail can be set on either side.

32

Main Topsail: It always sets on the portside of the main peak halliards, but withthe tack over the main gaff on the star-board side. This sail has one sheet andtack. The clewline feeds through fair-leads and blocks.

No topsails: Hook the sheets to the hal-liard, bring them to the mast, and hooksomewhere at the masthead.

4. Fore & Main Sails

Lace the sails to the boom and gaff and tothe mast hoops. Note: Double hoops pro-vide added strength near the boom.When in place, add the parrels to themain boom jaws and fore and main gaffs.The fore boom sets to a gooseneck.

Foresail: Attach the boom tackle per theplans. Hook the topping lift to the endof the boom. Reeve the peak and throathalliards, then the sheet, and tighten inthe correct position. Add the downhaulat the end of the gaff.

No sail: Rest the boom in its crutch. Lowerthe gaff on top of the boom and stack themast hoops in a pile. Lash the gaff to theboom with short lines. Remember, peakand throat halliards are longer when thegaff is down, so play out plenty of line.

Although not usually done on real ships, oneoption is to leave the gaff up. Some modelerslike to fill the space with something.

Mainsail: Rig the mainsail like the fore-sail except for the topping lifts. Port andstarboard quarter lifts are primarily forracing. At mid height on them is a linefunctioning as a lazy jack (contains sailand keeps it off the deck when furling).The main topping lift is mostly for fish-ing, but has been used with the quarterlifts during races.

Baggywrinkle is on the main topping liftand quarter lifts. This fuzzed-up ropeprevents chafing. Simulate it by gluingon some cotton or other material, thenpainting it to look like rope.

No sail: Lower the gaff, set the boom inits crutch, and add the crutch’s port andstarboard tackle. Note: The plans showtwo types of boom crutch tackle. Bothcould be used for fishing, but the chainversion is more common.

5. Flag Halliards

Both topmasts and the main gaff haveflag halliard.

FINAL TOUCHES

When the model is rigged, recheckevery line and make sure the seizingsare sound. If necessary, add another dabof glue. Touch up shiny spots on stand-ing rigging with black paint or black liq-uid shoe polish. Use a tan stain orbrown liquid shoe polish for running

rigging. Check if any painted woodenparts were fouled during the riggingprocess and make repairs.

Congratulations

Bluenose is finished! Take a moment torevel in your accomplishment. You’vepersevered when the going becamerough and your effort has producedresults. You’ve developed skills younever knew you had, increased yourvocabulary, and become a time traveler.We hope you’ve enjoyed your voyageand look forward to sailing with you onyour next shipmodeling project.

33

1 mm = .03937 of an inch

To find tenths of an inch:.03937" x mms = tenths of an inch

To find mms from tenths of an inch:Tenths of an inch ÷ .03937" = mms

FORMULAS FOR CONVERTING MILLIMETERS AND INCHES

.20mm (.008")

.25mm (.010")

.40mm (.016")

.50mm (.020")

.60mm (.024")

.75mm (.030")

.80mm (.032")

.90mm (.035")

.95mm (.037")

1.20mm (.047")

1.25mm (.049")

1.30mm (.051")

1.50mm (.059")

1.60mm (.063")

1.70mm (.067")

1.75mm (.069")

2.00mm (.079")

2.50mm (.098")

.10mm (.004")

RIGGING LINE DIAMETERS Bibliography

1. Bluenose, by Brian and Phil Backman. Toronto: McClelland andStewart, 1965.

Probably the best book on Bluenoseand a major reference for Model Shipways’ kit. W. R. MacAskill’s photos of the ship sailing are outstanding. Also has photos of Bluenose II.

2. Schooner Bluenose, by Andrew Merkel. Toronto: Ryson Press, 1948.

Original photos by W. R. MacAskill (later duplicated in Backman’s Bluenose). Good text.

3. The Frigate Constitution and Other Historic Ships, by F. Alexander Magoun. Salem: Marine Research Society, 1928. Reprinted by Dover Publications in 1987.

Contains a history of fishing schoonersand plans developed from Bluenose’soriginal design drawings. However, they do not reflect Bluenose as built. Good photo of the ship under sail.

4. American Fishing Schooners,1825-1935, by Howard Chapelle. New York: W. W. Norton, 1973.

Contains Chapelle’s Bluenose hull lines and sail plan plus a wealth of details on fishing schooner construc-tion and rigging.

5. American Fishermen, by Albert CookChurch. New York: W. W. Norton, 1940.

Many photos of Bluenose in races withGloucester fishermen and closeup bowand stern views.

6. Thomas F. McManus and the AmericanFishing Schooners–An Irish-AmericanSuccess Story, by W. M. P. Dunne. Mystic: Mystic Seaport Museum, 1994.

Some Bluenose photos and an account ofthe International Fishing Schooner Races.

Museums

The Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic,Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada

One of 25 Nova Scotia museums withBluenose exhibits. Also has some originalBluenose plans.

Mariner’s Museum, Newport News,Virginia

Research library has most of the bookspublished on Bluenose plus several goodphotographs of deck layout and the shipunder sail.

1.00mm (.039")

34

Diameters in Tenths of an Inch Diameters Converted to 3/16" Scale

Inches in 10ths ÷ 64=5/16" .3125" .005" (.12mm)3/8" .375" .006" (.15mm)1/2" .5" .008" (.20mm)5/8" .625" .009" (.25mm)3/4" .75" .012" (.30mm)7/8" .875" .014" (.35mm)1" 1" .016" (.40mm)

1-1/4" 1.25" .020" (.50mm)

Inches in 10ths ÷ 64=

4" .06" (1.52mm or 1/16")5" .08" (2.03mm or 5/64")6" .09" (2.28mm or 3/32")7" .10"(2.54mm or 7/64")8" .13" (3.18mm or 1/8")10” .16" (4.06mm or 5/32")12” .19” (4.83mm or 3/16”)

Lengths for Lifesize Vessel Lengths Converted to 3/16” Scale

Diameters for Lifesize Vessel

B L O C K S

R I G G I N G

S C A L E C O N V E R S I O N T A B L E

35

MODELER'S LOG

Date Time Notes

36

MODELER'S LOG

Date Time Notes

37

MODELER'S LOG

Date Time Notes

38

MODELER'S LOG

Date Time Notes

39

MODELER'S LOG

Date Time Notes

MODEL SHIPWAYSA Division of Model Expo Inc.

P.O. Box 229140, Hollywood, FL 33020

MODELER'S LOG

Date Time Notes

When done, iron the sails. Be careful notto burn them. Next, cut the sail shapeusing Line A in Figure 7-4. Fold thehem, iron it flat, and sew as close toLine B as possible. Tuck the ends andhand stitch the corners. The sail is readyfor stretching.

Sewing Aids: Visit a fabric shop and pur-chase a bottle of Fray-Chek. Running orbrushing it along the edge of the clothprevents the material from unravelingwhen cut and produces a sharp edge.Apply it to the sail before rolling thehem.

Stitch-Witchery and Wonder-Under arebasically the same product. They areheat fusible bonding tapes. Stitch-Witchery comes in a roll and is bondsensitive on both sides. To join twopieces, simply place a strip betweenthem and iron.

Wonder-Under comes in sheets with athin, paper backing on one side. Thismaterial is useful for bonding lettersand numbers to a scale sailboat’s sail.First, buy the colored fabric for thenumbers. Place the Wonder-Under sheeton the cloth with the paper backing up.Iron the sheet to bond it to the material.Next, cut out the letters, numbers, logo,or whatever with scissors or a sharpblade. Peel off the paper backing, posi-tion the letter on the sail, and iron. Thistechnique also works for making flagsfrom colored cloth.

When racing, Bluenose’s mainsail car-ried an arabic “1” or “2” near its head.

Stretching the Sails: This step assures thesail’s proper shape, since sewing mayhave altered it. Using the original pat-tern, trace the sail’s outline onto a pieceof paper. Place the paper on a solid, butporous backing, such as a wood or corkboard. Now wash the sail again and layit over the outline. Stretch the wet mate-rial to the sail’s outline, then securewith stick pins through its outer edges.When dry, the sail will have resumed itsproper shape. Iron it one more time.

Boltropes and Reef Points: Boltropes canbe omitted, since they are nearly invisi-ble at 3/16” scale. However, to includethem, follow the tedious method inFigure 7-4. The sketch also shows howto install reef points.

Furled Sails: Don’t furl sails made fromsailcloth and cut to the original’s scalesize. The material is usually too heavy,resulting in a bulky furled sail. To solvethis problem, either proportionallyreduce the size of a sail by one-thirdwhen using sailcloth (Figure 7-5), orbuy a lighter material such as Silkspan(model airplane covering tissue).Depending on their size, even Silkspansails may require being reduced by one-third. Test the percentage reduction todetermine how much material is neededfor a neat, tight furl.

Even furled sails need some seams andhems, as these details are visible.

9. Rigging the Model Without Sails

Include most of the lines, such as hal-liards and downhauls, that remainwhen sails are removed. These areshackled together, tied off, or secured tosome other stowage point. Sketches hereand on the plans show some details.

Stage H

Standing Rigging

Standing rigging is black. Before start-ing, sort lines by size, coat withbeeswax, and keep them handy. Usecotton, silk, or nylon thread for seizings.Treat this with beeswax. Keep whiteglue at the ready for dabbing on a seiz-ing if necessary. Usually sewing throughthe shroud followed by a half hitch willprevent a seizing from unraveling.

Shackles: These are difficult to make at3/16” scale, so substitute a split ring.

1. Shrouds

Begin the standing rigging by makingthe lower shroud chain plates frombrass strip (Figure 8-1).

The lower shrouds are set up in pairs(Figure 8-2). To do this, make a tempo-rary brass wire fixture to space thedeadeyes as seizing progresses (Figure8-3). The fixture should be longer thanthe final spacing of deadeyes. Reevingthe lanyards will tighten the shrouds totheir final proper spacing. Make a testshroud first to see how much it stretch-es.

0

Figure 8-3 also shows the sequence forreeving lanyards. When looking out-board at any deadeye, always start witha knot in the upper left-hand deadeyehole. Consequently, port deadeyes havethe knot aft and starboard deadeyeshave it forward. Keep an eye on themasts. Rigging the shrouds can pullthem out of alignment.

Note: The upper deadeyes (laser cut) onthe lower shrouds are oval. On the realvessel, wire rigging is spliced just abovethe upper deadeyes. Wrap threadaround the shrouds to simulate thesplice.

Shrouds for the fore and main topmastrun through spreaders, then set up atthe hull. They have smaller deadeyes.

Main topmast shrouds start at thespreaders and set up to futtock shrouds(Figure 8-4). Make the futtock shroudsfrom brass wire.

Spreader lifts replace the fore topmastshrouds (Figure 8-5).

Once the shrouds are up, add the rat-lines (Figure 8-6). Make the sheer polefrom brass wire, then paint it.

Before installing the ratlines, give thema generous coating of beeswax. This willhelp hold them in a slight downwardcurve. If the ratlines tend to bow up, tugthem gently into position. Touching theloops with white glue will help freezethem. Ratlines are difficult to do if tiedwith clove hitches. Use half hitches andavoid pulling the ratlines too tight,thereby altering the spacing betweenshrouds. The step or space between rat-lines should be a scale 14 to 15 inches.

Note: Ratlines on the upper main top-mast shrouds do not extend to the top,so a crew member can furl topsails atthe lower masthead.

2. Fore & Aft Stays

Install the fore and aft stays unless anoptional method was selected. Be care-ful not to pull the masts out of align-ment. Begin with the forward lowerstays and work aft and up.

The jumbo jib stay sets to a bail bolted

to the deck. Make it from brass wire(Figure 8-7). The jib and balloon staybelay to fittings on the bowsprit.

The pullback stay and main topmaststay have a lanyard at one end to tight-en the stay. While details heighten amodel’s appearance, these lanyards canbe omitted and the stays simply seizedto the fitting. The spring stay has an eyesplice at both ends. It belays to the bails.

Topmast Flying Backstays: During races,a port and starboard main topmast fly-ing backstay was rigged. Those who arebuilding Bluenose in this configurationcan install one backstay tight and theother slack.

3. Bowsprit Rigging

Backropes, guys, and bobstays are tight-ened with turnbuckles. Make them frombrass (Figure 8-8), along with the bob-stay and guy plates (Figure 8-9).

4. Footropes

The bowsprit has footropes and stir-rups, but the main boom just hasfootropes. Apply a heavy coat ofbeeswax to coax these lines into pleas-ing curves. Freeze them with a touch ofwhite glue if necessary. Footropes thatdon’t droop properly look awful.

5. Running LightsGlue the britannia running lights to aflat piece of stripwood, then attach theboard to the fore shrouds (Figure 8-10).

Take another look before moving on.Check that a mast wasn’t pulled out ofalignment. Now is the time to correctany mistakes.

Running Rigging

Decide whether to rig with or withoutsails or with a few furled. The following

discusses the choices and how to rigthem. Although the rigging sequenceisn’t critical, starting at the bow andworking aft is recommended.

Attach as many lines as possible to sailsor spars before mounting on the model.Play out enough line for reeving, han-dling, and belaying. Don’t be in a hurryto snip them flush. They may needretensioning as rigging progresses.

Sheet 6 contains the belaying plan.Belay the line, then add a coil to eachbelaying point.

1. Jumbo Jib, Jib & Balloon Jib

Installing sails: Substitute split rings forhanks. Real hanks are difficult to makeat 3/16” scale. Set sails either to port orstarboard, but be consistent. It looks bet-ter.

Jib and Balloon Jib: Fit halliards and tackstightly. Downhauls can be either tight orhung a little loose. Tighten the sheet onthe sail side. The other sheet drapesover the stay and hangs loosely towardthe belaying points. Again, apply aheavy coat of beeswax so these linesdroop on command.

No sails: Bring down the halliard blockwith the downhaul attached (Figure 9-1). Sheets are removed with the sails orleft lying on deck.

Jumbo Jib: Lace the sail to the boom by amethod shown on the plans. Sheet andhalliards set up tight.

Hook the topping lift to the end of theboom. However, because it also servesas a fish tackle (hoists anchors), it couldhook to the eyebolt in the buffalo rail.

No sail: Set the boom in its crutch, tight-en the sheet, and bring down the hal-liard block.

2. Staysail

Tighten the staysail’s sheet, halliards,and tack. Notice the unique racing hal-liard. Install it or the simpler fishinghalliard.

No sail: Bring the peak halliard block tothe foremast and hook it to the throat

0

halliard (Figure 9-2). Remove the sheetand tack.

3. Fore & Main Topsails

Seized them to the mast hoops (Figure9-3).

Fore Topsail: It has a double sheet andtack. Tighten one, then run the loosepartner over the main topmast stay sothe sail can be set on either side.

Main Topsail: It always sets on the portside of the main peak halliards, but withthe tack over the main gaff on the star-board side. This sail has one sheet andtack. The clewline feeds through fair-leads and blocks.

No topsails: Hook the sheets to the hal-liard, bring them to the mast, and hooksomewhere at the masthead.

4. Fore & Main Sails

Lace the sails to the boom and gaff andto the mast hoops. Note: Double hoopsprovide added strength near the boom.When in place, add the parrels to themain boom jaws and fore and maingaffs. The fore boom sets to a goose-neck.

Foresail: Attach the boom tackle per theplans. Hook the topping lift to the endof the boom. Reeve the peak and throathalliards, then the sheet, and tighten inthe correct position. Add the downhaulat the end of the gaff.No sail: Rest the boom in its crutch.Lower the gaff on top of the boom andstack the mast hoops in a pile. Lash thegaff to the boom with short lines.Remember, peak and throat halliardsare longer when the gaff is down, soplay out plenty of line.

Although not usually done on realships, one option is to leave the gaff up.Some modelers like to fill the space withsomething.

Mainsail: Rig the mainsail like the fore-sail except for the topping lifts. Port andstarboard quarter lifts are primarily forracing. At mid height on them is a linefunctioning as a lazy jack (contains sailand keeps it off the deck when furling).The main topping lift is mostly for fish-ing, but has been used with the quarterlifts during races.

Baggywrinkle is on the main toppinglift and quarter lifts. This fuzzed-up

rope prevents chafing. Simulate it bygluing on some cotton or other material,then painting it to look like rope.

No sail: Lower the gaff, set the boom inits crutch, and add the crutch’s port andstarboard tackle. Note: The plans showtwo types of boom crutch tackle. Bothcould be used for fishing, but the chainversion is more common.

5. Flag Halliards

Both topmasts and the main gaff haveflag halliard

FINAL TOUCHES

When the model is rigged, recheckevery line and make sure the seizingsare sound. If necessary, add another dabof glue. Touch up shiny spots on stand-ing rigging with black paint or black liq-uid shoe polish. Use a tan stain orbrown liquid shoe polish for runningrigging. Check if any painted woodenparts were fouled during the riggingprocess and make repairs.

Congratulations - Bluenose is finished!Take a moment to revel in your accom-plishment. You’ve persevered when thegoing became rough and your effort hasproduced results. You’ve developedskills you never knew you had,increased your vocabulary, and becomea time traveler. We hope you’ve enjoyedyour voyage and look forward to sailingwith you on your next shipmodelingproject.

0

0