Help with Mounting Sails

[BigBad]

I’m working on my third build, the first was a shrimper and the second was a simple Egyptian felucca so the rigging and sails were pretty simple.
However my current build is the Bluenose schooner by Model Shipways and it’s much more complicated.
I have almost finished the standing rigging and am about to start rigging the ratlines. I would like to have full sails but I’m not sure if I can mount the spars before I mount the sails or should I try to mount the sails to the different spars first?
I have attached all the hardware (blocks, bands, eyebolts etc) to the spars offship already.

 

[AllanKP69]

I would like to have full sails but I’m not sure if I can mount the spars before I mount the sails or should I try to mount the sails to the different spars first?

Hi BB
Just one opinion here, but assuming you are speaking about the booms and gaffs, mounting the sails beforehand was not a good idea for most that have tried that. Mount the booms and gaffs to the masts then make the sails to fit, be they silk span or cloth.
Allan

 

[BigBad]

Thank you Allan! (Yes, I meant the booms and spars.) I was thinking exactly the same way and your comment makes perfectly good sense.

I think I can mount the booms and gaffs and work around the standing rigging. Probably would be a pain but I can’t see myself dealing with the sails attached to the booms and gaffs then trying to attach everything with the standing rigging on, I would likely make a mess of it.

Also my experience with building the felucca was exactly what you say: I had to remove and replace the main sail because I didn’t size it properly off the ship. Had the gaff already been on the ship I could have easily seen my mistake in getting the right size for the sail.

Thanks again for your valuable info and advice!

 

[AllanKP69]

Don't forget to add the hoops on the lower masts before adding the top masts and hardware that would interfere with slipping them onto the masts. I speak from experience There are post here at SoS on making these if you don't already have them.
Allan

 

[BigBad]

Thanks Allan! I mounted the mast hoops before I attached the tackle (mast bands, eyebolts, shackles etc).

Had I forgotten I guess I would have made split rings into mast hoops and attached them, then close the ring around the masts.

I actually had to make mast hoops using brass split rings for the upper masts because the laser-cut hoops in the kit were so flimsy that half of them fell apart. I primed and painted them to match the color of the larger ones on the main and foremasts that were decent and it worked out well.

 

[AllanKP69]

I actually had to make mast hoops using brass split rings for the upper masts because the laser-cut hoops in the kit were so flimsy

I have made them by slicing hoops off of an appropriate diameter brass tube and darkened them as well as made them from wood. I prefer the latter, but they both look good. There is some information in the Tricks of the Trade topic here at SoS that you might find interesting.
https://shipsofscale.com/sosforums/threads/tricks-of-the-trade.15492/page-2#post-412107 Scroll to post #31
Allan

 

[BigBad]

Wow, Allan. Excellent! I am going to try both techniques using metal tubing and wood to make hoops. I remember reading a blog post somewhere describing the technique for making wood hoops by soaking then wrapping the wood strips around a dowel but I didn’t think it would work well and that the wood would splinter or crack. Guess I was wrong

And thanks so much for the excellent advice and info!

 

[BigBad]

Btw Allan, those hoops look awesome!