Bluenose by Mallacoota [COMPLETED BUILD]

It could easily be the positioning of the slots and as the slots are in need of work anyway, it would be as well to make new ones clear of the scuppers...exactly what I was talking about with the things you would do differently a second time..but hey..it's a small thing. I am sure I will have bigger challenges in the rigging. I have made some slightly longer spreaders from 3mm dowel, and installed all the required eyes on the spars except for whenever the eye has a block attached. Whenever a block is shown attached to an eye at a spar I am mounting it with a binding to the spar rather than tied to an eyelet. Cant progress with that though until my blocks arrive from DrydockModels.
 
It could easily be the positioning of the slots and as the slots are in need of work anyway, it would be as well to make new ones clear of the scuppers...exactly what I was talking about with the things you would do differently a second time..but hey..it's a small thing. I am sure I will have bigger challenges in the rigging. I have made some slightly longer spreaders from 3mm dowel, and installed all the required eyes on the spars except for whenever the eye has a block attached. Whenever a block is shown attached to an eye at a spar I am mounting it with a binding to the spar rather than tied to an eyelet. Cant progress with that though until my blocks arrive from DrydockModels.
I hope for you they will arrive soon. Then we can see the pictures of your solution. Always nice to see a personalized approach. AL as @Dean62 quotted. :)
Regards, Peter
 
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Beautiful work John. I read in some article that Bluenose was escorted on one occasion by a military vessel when she was on her way to race in the USA. Apparently the navy ship was doing 16 knots and had trouble keeping up!
 
Hi Henk

The paint is Admiralty historic paints from the British Navy colours for ships like Victory, Bounty, Endeavour etc. This is Red Ochre. I really like them for their historical accuracy and the fact that you get 18mls for about $6 compared to Tamiya 10mls for $5 here... but they are nice paints and spray well 50% reduced.
 
Another little refinement people may or may not choose to make. I was a bit puzzled by the way the boom jaws are closed in front of the masts. Usually they would have parrel balls on a flexible line around the mast to allow unrestricted rotating and lifting or dropping. An ingenious solution already in use for this in 1765 when Endeavour was refitted and still in use when BN was built in 1921. In fact when I look at the old photo you can see them around the mast. dead easy to do on the model, just thread some little craft beads on a short piece of rigging thread. Several boats ago I bought a small pack at a craft shop and have about 4 million left.

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Beautifuil work John and I'm in agreement with Peter - that hull "red" is really a nice colour.
 
...... Then I have to agree with Henk to agree with you, Heinrich, that indeed the red is really a nice color. ;) ......
But John, thats for sure!
Regards, Peter
And I agree with you Peter, to agree with Henk to agree with Heinrich! :p
And John, she's looking great. Amazed you are already so far along in the build!
 
Thanks all of you for the encouragement, very much valued. it is winter here and we are about to go north looking for sunshine for a few months so it will all go on pause until late August. I will be missing it. Will just go fishing instead.
We’ll be here when you get back! Enjoy the sunshine!
 
Thanks Peter and Dean, I must say ( am I repeating myself..? ) that I have so enjoyed Bluenose so far, and am so aware of how much better I could do it as a rebuild that I am seriously thinking of doing it again. But that is months away...in the meantime I have serious kayak fishing to take up my time up the East Coast.
I have finished the two masts... the dowel is quite soft and easily shaped. In Australia dowel is made from hardwood but this is a lot more easily tapered.
I am still a long way from the end but the remaining journey is pretty much a known path ( that is not to say easy) . The mission critical part of this build is the frame/rib construction. I would rate my results at this as "adequate" as opposed to "good" although Dean's tresults were "outstanding". How well you do the rib building influences all the subsequent hull work, more than that, it defines it. Perhaps a bit perversely I am completely unconvinced of the importance of accurately bevelling all the frames for planking the hull before construction, I think that can be largely (but not totally) done after construction and before planking using suitable long sanding stick. What I believe is mission critical is the accurate positioning of the frame components and setting into the keel. You need to set each frame with a clear view to the previous ones....I did not approach it like this and had the odd rogue frame standing out a bit. Beginner's mistake I should not have made, I can only plead my first POF build.
I think when making judgements about the level of sophistication of this model you need to keep in mind the price point.... a POF model has to be much more expensive than a POB one , so when you look at the landed Australian prices I paid 640aud for Amati "Grand Banks 42", 340aud for Amati Fifie ( a lovely but simple POB model), about $450aud yeasrs ago for the excellent POB Endeavour from Caldercraft/Jotika and 340aud for Bluenose, a highly sophisticated POF model. It is not rocket science to see that Bluenose is the standout value model here.. Personally, I would happily pay another 50aud for improved fittings to bring some of the detail up to the potential standard of the hull as demonstrated by Dean in his build rather than mine. (LOL)
One interesting option offered by some builders is an "advanced" option where for an additional optional cost you can upgrade the kit with more/better fittings and/or timber. in an option kit. Whether this makes economic sense or not is a marketing problem for the manufacturer not me gladly
I am off to go fishing for two months... bye everyone.
 
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Still doing a bit while our holiday accommodations decide whether we can come or not due to periodic outbreaks and shutdowns with the new highly transmittable Covid-19 virus strain.
Finished the masts and spars and fitted their boom jaws and parrels (only tied one side). If anyone knows what the metal hoops are all about would be interested to hear ..perhaps they represent steel hoops used to anchor some standing rigging given the enormous forces this rig would generate. I still have to do all the blocks which sit at spars awaiting from Zoltan. When they arrive I will be binding them around the spar and definitely not putting them on an eyelet. Some shots of spars to date without any resident blocks.

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Hello John. Thank you for your most kind words on the Bluenose kit. I am very happy that you enjoy the build. I also believe that you have summed up the value for money aspect very well. In all honesty, how YQ can bring the model to market at this price, is beyond me.
 
Still doing a bit while our holiday accommodations decide whether we can come or not due to periodic outbreaks and shutdowns with the new highly transmittable Covid-19 virus strain.
Finished the masts and spars and fitted their boom jaws and parrels (only tied one side). If anyone knows what the metal hoops are all about would be interested to hear ..perhaps they represent steel hoops used to anchor some standing rigging given the enormous forces this rig would generate. I still have to do all the blocks which sit at spars awaiting from Zoltan. When they arrive I will be binding them around the spar and definitely not putting them on an eyelet. Some shots of spars to date without any resident blocks.

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Aha, another BN is going into the air. Nice to see the growing of the masts with the clearcoat.
Regards, Peter
 
Unfortunately a Covid-19 breakout in NSW made us abandon the planned 2 months fishing. What can you say..? So I am back home and back to Bluenose. Started rigging the standing rigging on the masts. Hope these photos make some sense.


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Pretty much finished the foremast ( I think ) the plans are pretty good but I am not certain I have read everything correctly. It is a real adventure without rigging directions. There are a lot of photos in the Chinese instruction book though and they resolve most questions.
 
Hi John. Sorry to hear about the fishing trip. You know what they say of the best-made plans of men and mice unfortunately and with something like Covid 19 ever lurking in the background, nothing is certain. I am sure that Bluenose doesn't mind the flurry of attention.
 
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