Cutty Sark - Artesania Latina version

[Short John Bronze]

Hull Planking
I have not bothered recording the early construction stages: they follow the standard pattern of gluing bulkheads to a keel and adding decks.
The first novelty (for me anyway) was the use of a single layer of hull planking: 2 x 5 mm sapele strips. This was far more satisfying than the double layer construction I have found on previous models. With careful tapering and, in places, chamfering the edges it was possible to get good contact between successive planks. With a 2mm width to receive adhesive the planks are well secured along their entire length rather than just at the bulkheads. On completion the hull could be subjected to robust scraping and sanding without any risk wearing through a thin, cosmetic outer layer. A smooth curve from gunwale to keel is an improvement on the usual set of discrete steps formed when each second layer plank takes a slightly different angle from its neighbours..
Altogether an improvement on the usual faff of applying a layer of limewood. sanding smooth then starting again with a flimsy, fragile second layer. I think that for future builds I will substitute a single thick layer if the kit wants two.

I'm goig to need a bigger bench!

 

[Short John Bronze]

Jackstays
The yards on the AL Cutty Sark have a row of eyebolts along the top threaded by a length of wire. (photo 1) The translation of the instructions refer to these as "the roundings" on the yard. (???) They do not seem to do anything. With several yards under my belt (and too many round it!) I probed around on the web and found that these are actually called jackstays and would have been used for bending on the sails. Unfortunately the instructions show the sails laced directly round the yards in the old fashioned way (photo 2) and I have already attached several sails thus. Should I switch or should I continue the faff of fitting these unused items on every yard? The jury is out but I'm leaning towards leaving them off; I still have a lot of yards to make and they are very cluttered with foot ropes, lengths of chain, hoops, straps and a plethora of blocks.

 

[Short John Bronze]

Staysails
I believe staysails should be attached by metal rings passing round the stay and through holes near the edge of the sail. The rings provided in the AL Cutty Sark kit are very small and the hemmed edges of the sails are too fragile to provide a secure hole near the edge. If the hems are folded over and secured with fabric glue then the edge becomes too bulky to fit the sail, bolt rope and stay into the small rings. As a compromise I am fitting the rings round the stay and the bolt rope.
With hindsight I should have threaded both ropes through the rings before sewing the bolt rope to the sail and fitting the stays to the mast but, being a good boy, I fitted the standing rigging before doing the sails. This means that I have to open the rings slightly to get them round the ropes in situ and then close them again. Even with fine pointed pliers it proved difficult to carry out these operations.
A solution I settled on was to abandon the provided rings and make an almost-closed loop on the end of a length of wire. The wire can be pushed between bolt rope and sail then pulled to catch the both ropes in the loop. The wire can be held by one pair of pliers while using another to close the loop. All under control. The wire is then cut to leave just the loop in place. In principle one could do this operation with an eye bolt but those that I have with a big enough eye are made of rather thick wire.

 

[miguel92gom]

Your Cutty Sark is looking great John!