Looks good
Some more canvas to go ....
/ Robin

Paul,
I just stumbled on your build, and have to say your work is phenomenal! Those handmade sails are worth whatever you paid for them; they look great! What catches my eye, though, are the reefs. Do plan to treat those with something in order to get them to hang straight?

Thanks guys for the nice comments. The reefs are pretty stiff and just need some adjustment with tweezers.

It's been a few days, but I've finished the last bow spirit sail for a total of six so far. There are 18 sails so I'm now 1/3 of the way finished!

Making good progress I see
How many sails still to go? Still 12 ?
/ Robin

Yup, still 12 to go. I'm in Cambridge MA for a few days babysitting so the build is taking a little break.

After a short break I've started up again. I'm now working on more sails as the corrected ones arrived last week.




I took a break to build Robby the Robot from the movie Forbidden Planet (1956). It has lights and sound too:

Hey there, young feller!!

I was wondering what happened to you, as I haven't seen any posts from you in a while. I was afraid I was going to see some news article about "Utah man wanders into desert"!

When I first saw the picture of Robby, I thought it was the robot from "Lost in Space" - they look similar. But then I realized LIS's robot had a circular (?) thing on its head.

How big is the robot? Does it have any mechanical movements? And (drumroll, please!) what kind of battery does it run on?

Robbie is 7 inches tall, has only lights and sound - no mechanical movements. It runs on a 9 volt battery. It's a kit produced by Polar Lights, I added a photo etch set as well as an aftermarket electronics set that gives it lights, fiber optic lights, and sound.

Here are some images of the installed fore topsail. Some areas of the rigging are getting really tight, and hard to get to.

Astounding work!

Coming along nicely

Thanks guys for the nice comments!I've finished the fore topsail – and the foremast. Here are some pictures. I'm not sure I have the foremost jib sail installed correctly. It seems that it should be attached further forward on the bowsprit that I have it, suggestions would be appreciated.

What I have to say is:
It's hard to tell without a 90 degree side view to compare against the drawings. My impression from the angled views is that it doesn't look wrong. Further forward implies higher up and then the sail seems to come more into the lee of the mainsail on the fore mast. Further aft/down brings it into the lee of the larger jib sail.

Have you measured against the drawing?

Maybe, just maybe, you should let the lower edge of the fore most jib sail hang down a little more? I get the impression that horizontal winds hitting that sail would mostly generate a downward force instead of pulling forward. Hard to tell from the angled views though ...

/ Robin

Edit: Was that forward jib sail movable ??
Link to large image: (from 1933 ??)
http://iwradio.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/03/Victory-sailing-model-1933-1985_289_1-no-crew-NMRN.jpg

Modern day photo showing where that boom is "today"
http://www.hms-victory.com/sites/all/modules/nmrn_bones/img/poi_2-r-1.jpg

Comparing with the above images I would say you have it correct,
halfway up that section of the bow sprit (halfway between the ends of the first and second sections of the bow sprit)

Thanks for the quick reply Robin! I really don't like the location of the flying jib, It doesn't jive with reference material – specifically John Mckay's book "The 100-Gun Ship Victory" page 106. This shows the flying jib attachment located out at the formost tip of the bowsprit. The first photo, taken at right angles to the ship, shows the flying jib at the at the old location. The second photo shows the flying jib at the new location, and the last photo is at an angle on the starboard looking back at the stern.

Oops!! Sorry!!
I misunderstood you.
I was looking at the foremost sail hanging from a boom under the bowsprit. That boom is visible in photos even when the sail is not attached. The images I linked too show this boom in two slightly different positions.

Time for a restart:
1. Having all those feet of bowsprit in front of the foremost sail seems like a waste of wood.
2. Maybe they had some good reason for not having the sail attached as far out on the bowsprit as possible.

This is what Francis Swayne (naval painter, born 1725, died 1782 have to say about it) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Swaine


Thomas Buttersworth https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Buttersworth


I would choose the forward position.

More images by Buttersworth:
http://prints.rmg.co.uk/artist/2910/thomas-buttersworth
Especially this one:


/ Robin

I wasn't able to find out who painted this but it was sold by Cotswold Antiques ....

Thanks for the reply Robin - I do like the current flying jib sail position much better. I've now installed the lower main mast sail, I now have installed 9 out of the 18 sails, so I'm halfway through. Another 500 hours!

museum worthy!

Paul, is it possible to tighten the stay for the second jib sail (the middle one)? Maybe all the stays need tightening ..
It looks as if the stay sags down a little near the bow-sprit which brings the lower end of the sail closer to the bow.

Or maybe that stay should be attached further forward on the bow-sprit ??
When I compare with the paintings I get the impression that the stay is attached to the very end of the middle section of the bow-sprit ...

/ Robin

Thanks - I'll take a look at that.

Ok - thanks Robin - there was some adjustment needed.

I've finished and installed the main topsail.

One problem with plastic models of sailing ships is that booms and masts made of styrene are not stiff enough. This makes it very difficult to avoid slack ropes and stays. I was almost afraid of mentioning those stays between the fore mast and the bow sprit in case tightening them would bend the bow sprit upwards. You have done a good job so far
With all the sails forward the old lady looks a little naked around the back end
There is one stay between the fore and main masts which looks a little slack in the latest set of photos. The third from the top, maybe also the second from the top. Don't pull the main mast crooked ...

/ Robin

Yes, I agree about the stays. I'm gong to have to make some adjustments when all of the sails are up to fix things.

5/14/2017 I've now installed 14 of the 18 sails and have completed most of the rigging.