The Ship Model Forum

Bosun's mate pop quiz, pointing a rope. From the 1943 Eleventh edition of the 'Bluejacket's Manual. All sorts of interesting stuff about worming and serving wire ropes, making fenders and whatnot.

On the OK City we spent a lot of time (up to eight weeks at a time) sitting off the coast of Vietnam waiting for naval gunfire missions or MiG hunting. It was pretty boring and the bosun's mates passed the time making McNamara's lace, monkey fists and wrapping every vertical and horizontal post, rail and stanchion with all sorts of fancy braids made of "small stuff" (look it up in the Bluejacket's Manual).

Some of it was very intricate. But it wasn't just for decoration. A wet braided ladder rail was much easier to hang on to in storms and high seas than a bare pipe.

Each of the plethora of knots and splices had a purpose in sailing ship days. Darcy Lever's "The Young Sea Officer's Sheet Anchor" (1808) tells how to rig a ship, and shows how to make knots and where to use them. George Biddlecombe's "The Art of rigging" (1925, an update of David Steel's "The Elements and Practice of Rigging and Seamanship" 1794) also shows how to make knots and splices and tells where to use them. These books are fascinating reading if you are interested in how sailing ships worked. You can find Steel's original work on line.

Phil

There are loads of books on sailors' 'fancy-work' actually. Can't give you any references, as I am not so terribly interested in that.

A classical reference for everything to do with knots and hitches is

ASHLEY, C.W. (1944): The Ashley Book of Knots.- p., New York (Doubleday).

There umpteen re-editions, reprints and translations.

Otherwise I have a bibliography of about 65 works on masting and rigging from the last three centuries in various edtions and languages. Many of them I have as either physical or ebooks.

But we are digressing a bit from the subject, I think.

Interesting.

Wefalk said:

Otherwise I have a bibliography of about 65 works on masting and rigging from the last three centuries in various edtions and languages. Many of them I have as either physical or ebooks.
But we are digressing a bit from the subject, I think.

So do I!! (have all those books+ more!!) - getting harder to find, esp. in good condition or original edition. I don't do e-books - my library is a REAL library!!

And so what if this digresses??? - I think it's an interesting sideline - We too, on the 4 ships I served in, had all the exterior railings, ladders, etc. adorned with handiwork by the Bos'ns Mates. Of course, once we went to Bremerton for decomm (USS NEW JERSEY - 1969) all that small stuff was stripped and the railings, etc. painted std. Navy colors. S.O.P. for putting a ship into mothballs.

Thinking back now, I wish I had made some photos of all the more intricate Fancywork that was done - would be an interesting collection of "shipwork art".

Hank

A monkey's fist I made back circa mid 60's is dangling from the lamp beside me as I write this. Even has some nice whipping. The inclusion of a lead ball (non standard) improved the heaving properties, mine is sadly standard. I can still do short and eye splices with some proficiency.

Tugs were then and remain a province of deck seamanship.

Model making is about more than model making.

Tom

My second display case of this type is finished (2mm glass and brass angle iron).

The next showcase to be made will be for the SS Nomadic which is now completely finished.

The topic "Completed ship" has been updated:

viewtopic.php?f=75&t=349477&p=979683#p979683

The Nokomis' display case completed in February 2023:

Pascal,

All I can say is "Wow"! First Class work!!!

Hank

Tks Hank!

Most impressive. This brings back distant memories as mid 60's I served as a deck hand on one of these, but being in a shipyard, we never had any rusty sides or other weathering, meticulously maintained. I remember we had a Filipino Motor mech who always hid out in his beloved and spotless engine room.

Cheers: Tom

Tks Tom!