Buccaneer 1:100 by Occre - Build log

[HughLo]

SAIL-ATTACHED BLOCK FABRICATION, BRACE RIGGING & LOWER COURSE DUAL-BLOCK RETROFIT

Session Start: September 28, 2026
Session End: October 2, 2026
Session Time: 9.0 Hours
Total Build Time: 406.0 Hours (397.0 Hours base from Session 19 + 9.0 Hours Session 20)
Hardware Allocation & Initial Clew Preparation

My work began by auditing, mass-producing, refining, and stropping the full allocation of single blocks attached directly to the sail corners across El Molino’s six sails.

Rather than installing raw kit boxwood blocks, all single blocks underwent a multi-step custom refining process:

• Shaping & Grooving: Lightly sanded each block shell to remove factory mold burrs, then filed circumferential score grooves around the waists to nest the strop lines securely flush against the wood.
• Sheave Clearance: Hand-drilled and reamed out sheave holes to ensure free, unsnagged passage for running lines.
• Staining: Soaked and stained all prepped blocks in dark walnut stain to highlight scale detail and simulate dark-aged oak.
• Strop Production: Stropped the sail-corner blocks using 0.15 mm tan line, leaving long 3"–4" working tails bound with thin black thread seizings for contrast.

Mounting Sail-Corner Blocks
Canvas Installation: Threaded the long strop tails through the sail corner eyelets across the spritsail, topsails, and mizzen lateen-settee.

Pennant Legs: Configured the 4 topsail blocks (Fore & Main Topsails) to hang on 10–15 mm tan pennant legs off the canvas corners to prevent fabric chafing. <which I removed at a later point>

Seizing & Locking: Bound the strops tight against the grommets using minimal turns of ultra-thin black thread, locked with CA glue, and trimmed tails flush.

Remaining Brace Rigging

Final six Braces: Completed the remaining brace lines carried over from Session 19—specifically the four foremast braces (tied off to the main forestay) and the two spritsail braces (tied off to the stay).

Seizing Technique: Used double-seizes on each stay attachment using thin black thread over tan lines to match previous work, locked with CA glue.

Lower Course Dual-Block Upgrade
Looking over OcCre's instructions, specifically pages 28 (lower sheets J33/J36) and 29 (topsail sheets/clewlines J40/J42/J43/J45) revealed that each lower corner of the lower courses requires two distinct line leads: one pulling down toward the deck/bulwarks and one running up toward the yard.

The kit instructions imply this done by running multiple lines through a single block, while historical 17th-century galleons used a single iron clew ring (cringle). But then looking closely at their videos shows 2 single blocks on the main lower sail (while the lower fore sail only has a single block). I decided to use the same dual-single block assemblies that I had used previously.

• Custom Figure-Eight Strops: I re-rigged both lower courses (Mainsail and Foresail) using dual-single block assemblies using tan figure-eight strops with black seizing.
• Four Assemblies Total: Created 4 figure-eight assemblies (2 for the Mainsail clews, 2 for the Foresail clews), using 8 single blocks in total.
• Sail Attachment: Threaded the central tan strop loops through each sail corner eyelet, bound tight against the canvas with minimal turns of thin black thread, locked with thin CA glue, and trimmed all tails flush.

Final Sail-Attached Hardware Summary
Lower Courses (Mainsail & Foresail): 4 dual-single figure-eight assemblies (8 blocks total).
Topsails (Fore & Main Topsails): 4 single blocks on 10–15 mm tan pennants. <which I removed at a later point>
Spritsail: 2 single blocks flush to clew eyelets.
Mizzen Sail (Lateen-Settee): 2 single blocks (1 aft clew block, 1 forward tack bridle block).
Grand Total: 16 single blocks mounted directly to canvas or corner bridles across the ship.

Shipwright's Note: When available, check the video for every sail corner before you strop and seize anything. If there are no videos, thoroughly review any printed instructions or build logs. I put single blocks on all the sails and had to redo both lowers. Always verify how many lines each corner carries first.

The mizzen lateen settee is still to be angled and locked down, and the tack, sheet, and clewline lines on the lowers are not yet rigged.



Next up: Session 21 will take me off course as I take a planned detour to make El Molino's flag with cigarette paper and a design from Claude AI. The write up for this session will also form the basis of a flag-making article for the monthly newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Shipwrights, the Scuttlebutt which I write, edit, and distribute. If you have an idea for an article, or would like to be a guest writer (volunteer work here), please let me know. Rigging resumes after that.

 

[HughLo]

Lateen Sail Rigging (Mizzen Yard, Halyards, Parrel/Truss, Braces, Sheet & Backstays)
Session Start: October 10, 2026
Session End: October 10, 2026
Session Time: 1.5 Hours
Total Build Time: 407.5 Hours (hours for session 21 will be added once the flags are done)

I am still working on my colors, but have run into a few delays that stopped me in my tracks. One of the major reasons I started the flags is that I wanted to detail it in the Rocky Mountain Shipwrights monthly newsletter, the Scuttlebutt, which I put together and distribute. When the delays made it apparent that I would not be able to complete the task, I had to regroup. It will still make it into the Scuttlebutt, but not until next month.

The problems that hit me are logistics related as getting things here is not as easy as back in the States plus I don’t have a car.

• My printer ran out of ink.
• I wanted to try glassine (another material) to create the flags.

This section was short and sweet as I wrapped up the rigging of the lateen sail.


I tied off and anchored with glue the mizzen tack, mizzen sheet, after lateen brace, and both flying backstays. All tails other than those of the backstays were trimmed. I left the backstay tails as I’ll probably make hanks out of them.


The flags are still on hold so I will work on the next rigging elements of the topsail sheets and the clewlines/buntlines.

 

[Magic Mike]

Lateen Sail Rigging (Mizzen Yard, Halyards, Parrel/Truss, Braces, Sheet & Backstays)
Session Start: October 10, 2026
Session End: October 10, 2026
Session Time: 1.5 Hours
Total Build Time: 407.5 Hours (hours for session 21 will be added once the flags are done)

I am still working on my colors, but have run into a few delays that stopped me in my tracks. One of the major reasons I started the flags is that I wanted to detail it in the Rocky Mountain Shipwrights monthly newsletter, the Scuttlebutt, which I put together and distribute. When the delays made it apparent that I would not be able to complete the task, I had to regroup. It will still make it into the Scuttlebutt, but not until next month.

The problems that hit me are logistics related as getting things here is not as easy as back in the States plus I don’t have a car.

• My printer ran out of ink.
• I wanted to try glassine (another material) to create the flags.

This section was short and sweet as I wrapped up the rigging of the lateen sail.
View attachment 642983
View attachment 642984
I tied off and anchored with glue the mizzen tack, mizzen sheet, after lateen brace, and both flying backstays. All tails other than those of the backstays were trimmed. I left the backstay tails as I’ll probably make hanks out of them.
View attachment 642985
View attachment 642986
The flags are still on hold so I will work on the next rigging elements of the topsail sheets and the clewlines/buntlines.

Nicely done Hugh! Magic Mike

 

[HughLo]

Thanks Mike

 

[HughLo]

Main Topsail: Sheets, Clewlines & Buntlines, and Bowlines
In this session, I secured the bellies and lower edges of the main topsail by rigging its sheets, clewlines, buntlines, and bowlines, and developed a faster, more repeatable way to build the bowline bridles in an 11-hour session.

Session Start: October 11, 2026
Session End: October 15, 2026
Session Time: 11 Hours
Total Build Time: 418.5 Hours*
*Hours for session 21 will be added once the flags are done.

With the custom heraldry and flag paper experiments temporarily paused while awaiting delivery of glassine paper stock, work at the fitting-out berth pivoted directly back to running rigging. The primary objective for this session was securing the lower edges and bellies of the sails across the mainmast and foremast—specifically tackling the topsail sheets, clewlines, buntlines, and bowlines.

Main Topsail Sheet & Block Modifications
The main topsail sheet installation began smoothly but quickly encountered a classic kit-simplification issue: OcCre’s instructions route both the topsail sheet line and the yard lift line through a single lead block on the lower yard.

• Historical vs. Kit Analysis: On a 17th-century galleon, combining these high-tension running lines through a single block lead would cause severe friction and jamming. Historically, shipwrights resolved this using fiddle blocks, ram-head blocks, or dual single blocks bound in series.
• Retrofit Decision: Given the current state of the rig, I elected to add a second single block retrofitted just inboard of the existing lift block on the lower yard.

• Lessons Learned: A classic modeler’s realization—this block retrofit should have been decided and installed six months ago (back in April) when the lower yards were first being fitted out. Following kit plans blindly early in the build often requires clever retrofitting down the line as rigging knowledge grows.

Block Production & Rigging Roadmap

• Block Fabrication: Stropped 4 additional single blocks using the Ralph B simple loop method for the main topsail sheet leads.
• Topsail Lines Run: Threaded and belayed the main topsail sheets and clewlines.

Rigging Mapping Session
Conducted an extensive review collaborating with AI assistance (Gemini & Claude), referencing the printed OcCre plans and video tutorials to map out all remaining running lines on the foremast, mainmast, spritsail, and mizzenmast.

Sail and Line Order: Main Topsail

• Halyards: previously completed
• Braces: previously completed
• Lifts: previously completed
• Sheets: completed in this session. Corner to block on the lower yard, to a second block, to the deck (all on the back of the sail).
• Clewlines: completed in this session. Yard to corner block to yard block to deck, all on the back of the sail. Seized with black thread, tails trimmed.
• Buntlines: completed in this session. The line starts at the yard, leads down behind the sail, passes through the lower hem to the front face, travels up the canvas face to a yard block, passes through the crosstree block lead, and routes down to the deck belaying points. Seized all standing ends with black thread and trimmed the working tails.

Bowlines & the Bridle Problem
Each sail gets two bowlines: a "Y" bridle from the vertical edges of the sail to a block on the forestay, then down to the deck. With two per sail, that is eight in total. I decided to build them off the ship and make all eight before moving on, hoping to speed things up. The first question was how to make them.

Engineering the Bridle Junction (5 Technical Methods Tested):

• Kit Method (Single Line Loop): Kit instructions recommend creating the “Y” by tying a single line to two points on the sail edge and then tying a longer line to it in the middle which is the routed through a block and tied off at the deck.
  • Verdict: Rejected (lacks scale realism).
• Method 1 (Overlapped Double Seize): Laid two short leg lines parallel to the long running line with 1" of overlap, attempting double seizings over the three parallel lines.
  • Verdict: Failed (excessive slipping).
• Method 2 (Knot & Retrofit Seize): Overhand knot joining the three lines, dressed with an ornamental thread seize.
  • Verdict: Rejected (clunky profile).
• Method 3 (Seized Loop Interlock): Formed a seized eye loop on the long running line, passed the two short legs through the loop, tightened, and bound all four tails together with a secondary seize.
  • Verdict: Functional, but time intensive.

• Method 4 (The Wire & Foam Rigging Jig): Laid lines in parallel overlap, secured with thin black knot, and clamped into alligator clips mounted on stiff wire pushed into a foam block. Tied two crisp micro-seizings ¼" apart.
  • Verdict: SUCCESS: Fast, highly repeatable, clean scale appearance.

Bridle Production & Installation:

• Mass Production: Using the wire/foam jig, all 8 bowline bridles were tied and seized in roughly 30 minutes.
• Main Topsail Installation: Seized the two bridle legs to the vertical leech of the main topsail (spaced approximately ⅓ down from top and ⅓ up from bottom). Top bridle leg length set to ~1/10 sail width; bottom leg adjusted for snug tension. Routed long bowline line through forestay lead block down to rear forecastle rail. Locked all knots and seizings with micro-drops of CA glue before trimming tails flush.

The main topsail running rigging is now 100% complete and fully tensioned down to the deck pins.

Next up:
The fore topsail: sheets, clewlines, buntlines, and bowlines, using two of the remaining bridles that were built in this session.

 

[Namabiiru]

You’ve done a wonderful job on this. Kudos for teasing out the kit-induced rigging issues and finding the right corrections to make.

 

[HughLo]

Thanks. It’s not meaning as a knock the kit. It’s a beginner level kit and while this is my first rigging, I feel I’m more than a typical beginner. I would wholeheartedly recommend the kit to others.

I feel that since it is not modeled after a real ship, I can modify anything without it upsetting someone because I’m not building it like the original. This has given me a lot of wiggle room to explore and experiment.

 

[GrantTyler]

You’ve done a wonderful job on this.

Agreed

 

[HughLo]

Thanks Grant. It has been a very long journey, but land has been sighted on the horizon.

 

[HughLo]

Sheets, Clewlines, Buntlines, Bowlines, Tacks & Leechlines on the Remaining Sails

In this session, I finished the rest of El Molino’s running rigging across the fore topsail, main lower, fore lower, spritsail, and lateen sail, which completes the running rigging—my very first rigging! The end is in sight.

Session Start: October 16, 2026 Session End: October 25, 2026 Session Time: 26.5 Hours Total Build Time: 445.0 Hours (*Hours for my flag & banner will be added once they are complete)

FORE TOPSAIL
The halyards, braces, and lifts were previously completed. Departing from the traditional workflow of routing, tightening, and tying off each pair individually, I evaluated a new methodology on the fore topsail: I pre-routed all four line pairs (Sheets, Clewlines, Buntlines, Bowlines) with their bridles connected to the sail edges while keeping the running lines fully adjustable.

After all four pairs were pre-routed, I tightened and tied them in a strict sequence to balance the canvas: Sheets → Clewlines → Buntlines → Bowlines. Once balanced, I locked everything with CA glue and trimmed the tails.

The fore topsail is complete.

MAIN LOWER
The halyards, braces, and lifts were previously completed. Here too, I pre-routed the tacks, sheets, clewlines, buntlines, leechlines, and bowlines before tying anything. I made four additional bridle-like “Ys” for the leechlines (two for the main and two for the fore) and utilized two previously made bridles for the bowlines.

Sheet Modification
The kit instructions and videos show the sheet running from an eyebolt on the hull, through the block at the sail's clew, and back to an eyebolt on the poop deck. When I ran it that way, the line landed right on the spot where the hull rail ends at the quarterdeck. Since long ago I added a set of stairs up to the poop deck and a rail at its edge, the stock route just would not work.

To fix this, I installed an eyebolt directly on the rail to replace the deck eyebolt. This makes the sheet look static, but I can add a hand-coiled hank of rope over it later to give it an adjustable look. The standing connection at the hull eyebolt was double seized using black thread.

With everything pre-routed, I tightened and glued the lines in this specific order: Sheets → Tacks → Clewlines → Buntlines → Leechlines → Bowlines.

The Frayed Leechline Repair
Things were going smoothly until I noticed something strange on one line—it looked twisted and frayed, and upon closer inspection, it was almost cut in half. It was the starboard leechline, and because it was already seized to the leech bridle, replacing it entirely meant a time-consuming teardown.

I then remembered (or made up—I am not sure which) a repair demonstrated to me a few months back that uses an existing block as an in-situ splice point:
1. Pull the damaged line through an existing block along with a replacement length of line.
2. Tension the line going toward the sail and pull the replacement line through the block until about an inch is left on the sail side.
3. Keeping that tension, apply a drop of CA glue to either side of the block, covering both lines.
4. Pull both lines back and forth slightly to draw the glue into the sheave.
5. Let it dry, then carefully trim the extra line as close to the block as possible.
6. If needed, finish with another tiny drop of CA to bind the lines flush.

While this renders the block sheave unusable, that did not matter in this situation. The repair is nearly invisible at 1:100 scale and took less than 15 minutes versus an hour or more of frustration to completely redo the line!


Shipwright’s Note
While trimming line tails, I accidentally cut the port tack and discovered I had never secured the port leechline. I had been battling a head cold and was feeling a little punch-drunk, so I called it a night before causing more problems. A clear head is so much better! The next day, I replaced the tack, tied the leechline, locked the knots, and trimmed the remaining tails.

The main lower sail is complete.

FORE LOWER & SPRITSAIL
The fore lower’s halyards, braces, and lifts were previously completed. Here too, I routed everything before tying. The process was similar to the main lower but required weaving the Spritsail Sheet and Clewlines into the sequence.

I started with the fore lower tack, which was seized to the sail with black thread, then routed, tied, but left unglued at this point.

Spritsail

• Sheet: Installed an eyebolt at the aft end of the beakhead to anchor the sheet, double seizing the connection in black thread.
• Clewlines: Seized to the sail with black thread, then routed, tied, but left unglued at this point.

Fore Lower

• Sheets: Installed an eyebolt to the hull between the 1st and 2nd cannons to anchor the sheet, double seizing the line in black thread.
• Clewlines & Buntlines: Both seized directly to the sail in black, then routed, tied, but left unglued at this point.
• Leechlines & Bowlines: Seized in black thread, utilizing two of the previously made bowline bridles plus two of the newly created leechline bridles.

Shipwright’s Note
Seizing the clewlines and buntlines to the sail was incredibly challenging with so many other loose lines in the way—a definite downside of routing everything before tying! I should have done these seizings early in the fore lower process, even before the tack and sheet. Or, as I realized while lying in bed that night, since nothing was tied down yet, I could have simply unrove those two lines from their blocks. Argh!




Billowing the Spritsail
Before gluing and trimming, the dense forest of loose lines gave the forward rigging an extremely jumbled appearance. Prior to gluing and trimming the tails, I placed a heavy copper wire across the spritsail canvas to manually form a forward wind-blown curve, then set the shape by spraying the sail with "Stiffen Stuff", a fabric stiffener. The following morning, the wire was removed, leaving a crisp, realistically billowed spritsail. All remaining tails across the fore lower and spritsail were tightened one last time, then glued and trimmed flush.




The fore lower sail and spritsail are complete.

LATEEN SAIL
The lateen sail has three brails, each running from the rear edge of the sail, through a block on the yard, and down to the fife rail:

• Upper Brail: Upper edge of the sail to the upper yard block.
• Middle Brail: Middle edge of the sail to the middle yard block.
• Lower Brail: Lower edge of the sail to the lower yard block.

I decided to move all three yard blocks forward and down on the yard for better brail routing. All three blocks were re-seized in a simple loop with black thread and re-tied to the yard in their new locations. The lines were then routed down to the fife rail, tied, glued, and trimmed.

The lateen sail is complete.

SUMMARY & NEXT STEPS
With all running lines, sheets, clewlines, buntlines, leechlines, bowlines, tacks, and brails fully secured, balanced, glued, and trimmed, the running rigging across all six sails is officially complete!












Next Agenda

• Finalize my flag & banner.
• Add rope hanks/coils to deck belaying points.
• Install cannon balls and shot garlands/racks.
• Paint and position ship's crew figures.

 

[Magic Mike]

Nicely done Hugh! Glad you are finished and feeling better! Mike