Both half hulls are coming nicely into there shape.
Regards, Peter
-
SUBSCRIBE TO SHIPS IN SCALE TODAY!
The beloved Ships in Scale Magazine is back and charting a new course for 2026!
Discover new skills, new techniques, and new inspirations in every issue.
NOTE THAT OUR NEXT ISSUE WILL BE July/August 2026 -
Win a Free Custom Engraved Brass Coin!!!
As a way to introduce our brass coins to the community, we will raffle off a free coin during the month of August. Follow link ABOVE for instructions for entering.
The "Shadow" 1871 Racing Yacht designed by Nathanael G. Herreschof - Half-Hull Presentation Model Build Log
- Thread starter Ignatius27
- Start date
- Watchers 7
Regards, Peter
Thanks Peter. I know I set myself up for double the workload when I decided to do 2 half-hull models, but they are coming along nicely (but slowly). Thanks for taking a look. I am also looking forward to my next build, which will be the "Witsen's Pinas" scratch paper and cardstock build from plans by Ab Hoving in "17th Century Dutch Ship Models in Paper." I have several Dutch ships in my build queue, including the Jaght Heemskerck, the Statenjaght Utrecht and the Papegojan. Peace.
Herreshoff AI Interlude
I'm into week 2 of carving and fairing the Shadow 1 and Shadow 2 models, so not much to show besides wood shavings. In the meantime, here is an AI generated picture of me and Capt. Nat Herreshoff. Capt. Nat is giving me the plans for my next Herreshoff builds, the Herreshoff 12 1/2 Day Sailer (in the boat barn), the Gloriana pleasure yacht and the Stiletto Torpedo Boat. The setting is the boat yard at the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company in Bristol RI.
I'm into week 2 of carving and fairing the Shadow 1 and Shadow 2 models, so not much to show besides wood shavings. In the meantime, here is an AI generated picture of me and Capt. Nat Herreshoff. Capt. Nat is giving me the plans for my next Herreshoff builds, the Herreshoff 12 1/2 Day Sailer (in the boat barn), the Gloriana pleasure yacht and the Stiletto Torpedo Boat. The setting is the boat yard at the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company in Bristol RI.
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2025
- Messages
- 228
- Points
- 113
Nice work on the fairing! It seems like a process with quite a few wood shavings, quite a bit more material to remove than fairing bulkheads.
Thanks JC! If I didn't vacuum my shop every day I'd be knee deep in wood shavings and sawdust. But I'm finding real joy in the carving and fairing. Seeing the hull shapes come together, checking the carved hulls against the plans, and making 2 identical half-hulls (as much as possible). The real test will come after the fairing when I mount the half-hulls to the backboards using the stand-off mounting technique and cutting the keel, stem, centerboard and rudder. I'm about a week away.
BTW, I know you built your Muscongus Bay Lobster Smack from a kit, but did you happen to loft a table of offsets for her? I'm thinking of kit-bashing my Muscongus into one of Howard I. Chappelle's Chesapeake Bay crabbing skiffs, either the "Sweepstakes" or "Blue Crab." Let me know. Thanks!
Last edited:
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2025
- Messages
- 228
- Points
- 113
Very cool! I did not take any offsets from the Muscongus Bay Sloop, as I didn't change the bulkheads or backbone. The crabbing skiffs I've seen are flat or v-bottomed open boats with the rudder on the transom, while the Muscongus vessel has a curved hull form, overhanging stern, and is mostly decked. So, unless you've seen otherwise, I'd recommend against trying to kitbash the Muscongus Bay Sloop kit into a skiff--all the bulkheads would need to be completely changed, same with the stern, and you'd need to figure out how to remove the bulkheads and backbone from the open interior. I think building a crabbing skiff upside down on molds would be a very doable scratch-building project, though.
Thanks JC! I have my untouched Muscongus Bay on the shelf and after following your build log, I don't think I could build her any better than yours!
I've been researching Chappelle's ASSC and CBSC and talking to model builders at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, including Ed Thieler and Don Barker from CBMM and www.sailingworkboats.es, about different Chapelle ship types that could be kit-bashed from the Muscongus. I'm also contemplating the Casco Bay Hampton boat or the Noank Oyster Sloop (which may be the best Chapelle candidate), but will continue to correspond with Ed and Don from CBMM for ideas, as they are the best at modeling Chesapeake Bay working boats. We'll see if this new project gets off the ground.
Last edited:
35. Build Log: The "Shadow" 1871 Racing Yacht by Nathanael G. Herreshoff - Wooden Half-Hull Presentation model
After over 2 weeks of moving, carving and fairing wood, my half-hulls are getting into final shape. I am "finger fairing" both hulls to isolate pits, grooves and bumps. I am done with power drill disk sander and now will be fairing both hulls with 220 grit sandpaper by hand to get to the final faired hull. May take a day or so before I cut the keel, rudder, centerboard and stem. Then starts the work on preparing both backboards for Shadow 1 (backboard painted navy blue) and Shadow 2 (backboard stained dark maple). The big test will be to do the stand-off mounting after the backboards are beveled and before the hulls + keelworks are mounted. The light at the end of the tunnel is tiny but growing...
After over 2 weeks of moving, carving and fairing wood, my half-hulls are getting into final shape. I am "finger fairing" both hulls to isolate pits, grooves and bumps. I am done with power drill disk sander and now will be fairing both hulls with 220 grit sandpaper by hand to get to the final faired hull. May take a day or so before I cut the keel, rudder, centerboard and stem. Then starts the work on preparing both backboards for Shadow 1 (backboard painted navy blue) and Shadow 2 (backboard stained dark maple). The big test will be to do the stand-off mounting after the backboards are beveled and before the hulls + keelworks are mounted. The light at the end of the tunnel is tiny but growing...
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2025
- Messages
- 228
- Points
- 113
Very nice work! It must be gratifying to finally see the smooth, elegant hull form emerge after so much work.
Thanks JC! I can't tell you how gratifying it is to see both hulls now and to learn new skills. These will certainly carry over to my next half hull, likely Herreshoff's torpedo boat "Stiletto" a few builds down the road.
That are indeed some nice smooth half-hulls.
Regards, Peter
Thanks Peter! My next build is going to be the "Witsen's Pinas" from plans by Ab Hoving. Going Dutch!
36. Build Log: The "Shadow" 1871 Racing Yacht by Nathanael G. Herreshoff - Wooden Half-Hull Presentation model
Mission accomplished - Hulls are just about fair with body templates at Stations 3, 4, 5 and 6. Been waiting for this milestone for months working on Shadow 1 & 2.
Power tools down, chisels and rasps down. The rest of this fairing job will be by hand sanding with progressive grit to 1200. I am near to fair with both Shadow 1 (painted) and Shadow 2 (stained) and will be turning to the big task of mounting both half-hulls with stand-off mounts next.
I can't believe I've had these body templates cut out of chip board for months and today is the day they come in handy! I think this also represents that we are getting into the late innings with these half-hulls and I will be happy to see them mounted.
I still have to deepen the saddleback camber from stem to transom on both hulls. Last pictures are my beveling practice for my backboards. I want to mimic the tumblehome in the backboard edges.
Also need to start transferring the deck sheer pattern onto the veneers and do some testing with the 1/32 mahogany veneers.
Mission accomplished - Hulls are just about fair with body templates at Stations 3, 4, 5 and 6. Been waiting for this milestone for months working on Shadow 1 & 2.
Power tools down, chisels and rasps down. The rest of this fairing job will be by hand sanding with progressive grit to 1200. I am near to fair with both Shadow 1 (painted) and Shadow 2 (stained) and will be turning to the big task of mounting both half-hulls with stand-off mounts next.
I can't believe I've had these body templates cut out of chip board for months and today is the day they come in handy! I think this also represents that we are getting into the late innings with these half-hulls and I will be happy to see them mounted.
I still have to deepen the saddleback camber from stem to transom on both hulls. Last pictures are my beveling practice for my backboards. I want to mimic the tumblehome in the backboard edges.
Also need to start transferring the deck sheer pattern onto the veneers and do some testing with the 1/32 mahogany veneers.
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2024
- Messages
- 2,093
- Points
- 488
Sorry to be the bearer bad news but if your photos with the templates set against the models are correct, although the hulls are fair, since the templates don’t match at all points there’s still “meat on the bones.” Get some blue carpenters chalk. Rub it on the edges of your template and press the template against your model. Blue spots are excess wood.
Roge
Roge
Not bad news, that sounds reasonable Roger. There's meat on the bones but not too much to pick off. May need to bring back the smalll disk sander for a few surfaces. But I'm getting close!
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2024
- Messages
- 2,093
- Points
- 488
Scroll up seven photos, the one that best shows the best view of the Stern. Compare the dark waterline lift with the body plan. Where the waterline meets the sternpost it should almost meet it. You’ve got way too much material there. That sharp square corner at the aft end on the real boat would cause turbulence and drag.
If you correctly shape the Stern, then moving forward you will get other stern sections closer.
Roger
If you correctly shape the Stern, then moving forward you will get other stern sections closer.
Roger
Roger talked me into finishing the fairing on both Shadow half-hulls. So now each hull is fair to the body templates as no template is touching the hull.
Still working on the saddleback camber fore and aft. Then I need to start working on the mahogany veneers and fitting them above the sheer line. And now off to work on the transom!
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2024
- Messages
- 2,093
- Points
- 488
The template should touch the hull at all points
Roger - Not there yet, but I'm working the four stations on each half-hull to fair better with the body templates. Also took your notes on spending some time carving the transom to the form given in Herreshoff's plans. I've got some more wood to move.
The transom cut cleanly to the body templates at the stern. I'm approaching these builds step-by-step. Fairing first then preparing the hulls for the keel, stem, rudder and centerboard in 1/16" cherry. Then carving the 2 different backboards with 1/4" step off mounts attached by countersinking 1.25 inch brads at 3 points where the hull meets the centerline. Then attaching two 1/32" mahogany veneers with separate clamping sequences. Last step before mounting is to carve the tumblehome into the sheer line.
I still think that Shadow 2 (soft maple) is a tad larger than Shadow 1 (poplar). So we will need to consult the half-breadth plan and the body plan before moving more wood.
I still think that Shadow 2 (soft maple) is a tad larger than Shadow 1 (poplar). So we will need to consult the half-breadth plan and the body plan before moving more wood.
Last edited: