Billings Boats Cutty Sark

[Kevin the Lubber]

Oh wow. Yes, I think I'd be a bit reluctant to give that up too.

And yes, you're absolutely right, I see them now on the Campbell plans. Portable anchor davit, also used for accommodation ladder. Well, well, you learn something new every day. As my 1:96 build is parked pending inspiration, I think I'll add these davits when I go back to it. There's not an awful lot going on, on the CS deck, so any extras are welcome as far as I'm concerned. As it happens, I was out shopping with my other half this week and ended up in a fabric shop, from where I bought some very thin silk fabric and will be having another go at making half-furled sails - the sticking point - some time in the future.

 

[Harbour Hulk]

Oh wow. Yes, I think I'd be a bit reluctant to give that up too.

And yes, you're absolutely right, I see them now on the Campbell plans. Portable anchor davit, also used for accommodation ladder. Well, well, you learn something new every day. As my 1:96 build is parked pending inspiration, I think I'll add these davits when I go back to it. There's not an awful lot going on, on the CS deck, so any extras are welcome as far as I'm concerned. As it happens, I was out shopping with my other half this week and ended up in a fabric shop, from where I bought some very thin silk fabric and will be having another go at making half-furled sails - the sticking point - some time in the future.

I find it helpful if I bog down on one end to go down the other end for a while. There isn't much in the middle.

 

[DomCee]

It is said fortune favours the brave but apart from a few times when this thing has tested me it's coming together and the summer has been fairly productive. Billing's with their scarcity of instructions invites you to innovate and that putting it mildly.View attachment 516095
Both stem and stern have turned out to be correctly shaped to my eye at least. Bulwarks have been modified to more closely resemble the real deal. Onto deck fittings. I got a set of etchings and rigging blocks from Hismodels. Even from Australia it was hassle free and great service. I did however swallow hard when I saw how small a 2.5mm deadeye is. I have no idea how how threading those is going to go. Especially seeing as they won't be that accessible when attached to the railings. My wife has a large magnifying glas on a flexible stand with light. I may have to requisition it under emergency powers.

Work is coming to a halt in a couple of weeks. My attempt at retiring has failed miserably and I'm heading north to Canada for about 4 months work and then I shall try a further attempt at retirement. Thats the plan anyhow.View attachment 516090View attachment 516092View attachment 516094

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Quite a lot of progress since I looked in last time! Splendid work. I left the forward davits off mainly because they are not on the ship as she is now and I was not able to find any references as to when they were fitted/removed. They were certainly not present when she was sailing as the Ferreria and were not reinstalled by Captain Dowman. I see you have run the anchor chains to the chain pipes, this is a detail I have puzzled about because I would have thought that the chains would have torn up the deck planking and damaged the forward hatch coaming running as they do, but I have not seen any references that chain plates were attached to the decks?? Anyway i will do the same when I fit the chains

My CS is rather becalmed at the momentum (too much other stuff to do!). I have been tinkering with the masts and yards but no real progress.

Love the office!! That's a very skilful job!


Dom

 

[Harbour Hulk]

Quite a lot of progress since I looked in last time! Splendid work. I left the forward davits off mainly because they are not on the ship as she is now and I was not able to find any references as to when they were fitted/removed. They were certainly not present when she was sailing as the Ferreria and were not reinstalled by Captain Dowman. I see you have run the anchor chains to the chain pipes, this is a detail I have puzzled about because I would have thought that the chains would have torn up the deck planking and damaged the forward hatch coaming running as they do, but I have not seen any references that chain plates were attached to the decks?? Anyway i will do the same when I fit the chains

My CS is rather becalmed at the momentum (too much other stuff to do!). I have been tinkering with the masts and yards but no real progress.

Love the office!! That's a very skilful job!


Dom

Another detail I've noticed but not on Campbell is the cabin access at the rear of poop cabin. I came across an old photo that shows it so obviously a fairly early modification.

 

[Kevin the Lubber]

if I bog down

I bogged down big-time on the masts and sails, as I am making these from scratch using resin printing. I found that there is a confluence of interdependent things at that point; the rigging depends on whether there will be sails, the yards depend on what rigging there will be, likewise the pinrails, and so on and on.

the chains would have torn up the deck planking and damaged the forward hatch coaming running as they do

I think everyone finds this to be a strange arrangement. I can see how the crew would probably keep the chain suspended while winching, but what about when the ship is out at sea? Unless they detached the chain from the anchor once catted and just had a lead rope or something running down into the chain locker.

an old photo that shows it so obviously a fairly early

I'd assumed this was a fairly modern modification geared to it being a museum ship but clearly that it not the case. See the huge chimney stack too - tiny on Campbell. You have me re-appraising what I've done and wondering whether I might go back a few steps!

 

[DomCee]

I could not find out when the rear cabin access was added but I have seen some images that suggest it was around the time she was on the wool runs or just after. he forward access was also extended forward at some point but I think that was a later change. The model is correct according to Campbell's plans so that's fine. I just read Kevin's comment regarding the forward davits, I also didn't realise they were portable and were unshipped when not in use. I looked through my photographs and it was not obvious how they were fitted because there doesn't appear to be any sockets in the Forecastle deck for them (at least not that I could see in my pictures and I didn't look for them specifically when I was on the ship). I am leaving them off mainly because I don't want to be drilling holes in the deck now - and yes, I am sure I will catch them and knock them off! The picture you have also shows that the decorative scroll work was different to what is on the ship now (similarly on the bow plates).

Dom

 

[Kevin the Lubber]

Bearing in mind the ship that you see now is largely a replica, following the big fire in 2007, I'd hazard a guess that they didn't bother creating the fore davit sockets. I had a trawl through my photos earlier and couldn't see any sign of them. The restoration around the foredeck is a bit messy anyway, the rails are only partially attached and hang loose at either end IIRC.

I like the revamped forward access, which is how it's presented in the Revell kit and in real life today. It was fun to make and, as I need to repair some of the porthole glasses, I'm tempted now to add the stern entrance as well. Though probably not that blast furnace sized chimney.

 

[Harbour Hulk]

The rear cabin access would have to have been a damned good idea on someones part. It would have been a treacherous walk on the deck to gain the forward access especially in the Southern Oceans. I found a few more old pics on a Facebook group called Southern Tall Ships. So just to add further confusion note in particular the extra davits by the forward cabin and reduced ratlines on the mast stays.

 

[Kevin the Lubber]

That's a pretty different layout - two booby hatches, both appearing to be as tall as the cabins, lifeboats on the forward cabin etc. It's a far more industrial looking ship than now, which I guess was what it was all about. The 4th photo really emphasises how tall were the masts, doesn't it.