ship of the line Pennsylvania (please reply with any info)

[threebs]

These are photos of the "bow like cross trees". I do not know how to attach shrouds from the cross trees at the top of the photo to the bow structure, or even if there are any. Lee's book does not say.

[carr]

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[threebs]

I need some input on running rigging. I know it was no where near as heavy as standing rigging of course, but, it must have had some sort of standardized size when given the load it would have to move? Did the diameter of the lines increase as they moved up the mast from yard to yard? I imagine the rope needed to lift the main topsail would need to be heavier than that which lifted the topgallent? I am thinking one inch diameter line for the lower yards and down proportionately as the yards get smaller? Any one help here?

[threebs]

Never mind I found what I need in the index of Lee's Masting and Rigging book!

[threebs]

I was showing a relative, (no, not my wife), this post and he/she commented that I never seemed to acknowledge the kind compliments I get from the commentors on on this post. So, I thought a little explanation and an apology is in order.

I was born half deaf, and in the era I was raised, my peers we not very understanding. As a result I pretty much a loner all my life with few friends. I turned to books and model making to fill the void. Also as a result my social skills are not very good. I am sort of bashful and except for my family unused to compliments. So, I do not always know how to respond. If in the future I do not seem very forth coming in my replies, I am sorry and I hope you will understand.

[carr]

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[threebs]

I have been working on the yards a lot lately. There is a lot more to do than I remember from my Victory Model 30 years ago. I am trying to get as many blocks as I can on the yards before installing them. As this ship will not have sails, I do not need the leech or bunt line blocks, so I will be leaving those off. Everything attached to the yards needs to be served, and attached primarily with rose lashings (or a close approximation). I made the slings as you can see, and I am making the trusses now (no photos of those yet). I am also putting on shrouds at the top gallant to royal yards tressel tree. I will post photos of how I attached them later. I also made and sort of installed the spanker and gaff booms.



I apologize for the messy deck, I will vacuum it clean when I finish installing the yards. Once the yards are done, I think all that is left is the anchor assemblies, the davits, and the ships boats???

[threebs]

I have been working pretty consistently on the ship. Since my last post I have been putting in a minimum of an hour everyday. and closer to two most days.
Serving every block connection that connects to the yards takes a lot of time. Also, lashing thimbles to every block that hooks to an eye bolt also adds time.
I had forgotten how careful you have to be trying to get your paws into the rigging to belay lines and add rope coils. running the lines can be fustrating when you go to tighten up everything and the block twists so you have to re run the whole thing

[carr]

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[carr]

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[threebs]

The preventer stays are in as far as I can tell. I have not snaked them (it looks like usually only the main stay and preventer are snaked). The way this ship's main and preventer stay are rigged, they do not run one on top of the other, but, rather side by side. Tehy tie off at eyebolts on wither side of the fore mast just a few few feet back from the bow wale/bulkhead. No crowsfeet on this ship. From what I can tell, it looks like they were only on ships prior to 1810 when rigging design seemed to have taken an evolution of sorts.

[carr]

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[R.Ricardo]

Fantastic job you're doing here. It's a inspiration for when I'll do my Constitution.

[threebs]

I have the Main yards on now, only the braces left, then the fore mast yards.

[carr]

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[threebs]

Thought I'd post a few more photos. It completely slipped my mind that I had not rigged the topgallent to royal rat lines on one side!! How do you forget things like that? At least one photo shows parts broken away, I had to do that in order to make the rigging to the fife rails easier. Also I should have done the ratlines I mentioned BEFORE I put up the yards, but, I was itching to get them up after so long, so I hope I can be forgiven? If you look at the photo of the fore mast as apposed to the main and mizzen, you can see where it would have be MUCH easier to do the ratlines earlier. Now, I have to work around the yards and the rigging. Ah, well, live and learn, right?

[threebs]

I have some photos of my progress. ALL of the rigging I am going to do is done. The photo of the whole ship does not include the spreaders or it's rigging, nor the bumpkin stays. I need to ask a question here to see if anyone knows weather or not I need to add "pudding" to the anchor rings? As this ship used chain in place of rope, I suspect the chain would wear away the rope wrapping on the anchor ring pretty quickly I would imagine. I suspect the rope wrapping on the ring was needed when a rope was used to reduce wear on the rope where in rubbed on the ring? The measurements on the anchor plans were reduced from 3/16th to 11/32 scale. I made a previous set of anchors that were too small, ah well, I can always use them on my USS United States when I build her. I will start her when I begin rigging my Columbus. I have several areas that need repair as I bumped them lose or off, especially the chains.

[JIM BAUMANN]

Really great to see the dedication that you are paying this model of yours

its taking its time but the results speak volumes!

Jim Baumann

[carr]

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[threebs]

As I have been making the anchors and buoy's, I have been reading about the fish davits. What I cannot figure out from the writings and photos of ships showing the anchor areas, is not every photo shows the davits, in fact, very few do. I have come to the conclusion that they are temporary use items. That is in this case only broken out when the anchor is dropped or lifted? And, to assist in stowage. Can anyone tell me if I am right, part right, or wrong about this. If I am right, and since the anchors will be rigged "stowed", then I do not need to make the fish davits, only the octagonal footer on the hull near the front of the fore chain wale?

As I wait hopefully for an answer, I am going to start making the ships boats.