Essex by Occre

Hello,

This weekend I continued with the ratlines and I got a question. Occre shows only 2 levels of ratlines, I was wondering how did the seamen got to the top then? Should there be a third level of ratlines like in the picture? (I know it's a different ship) getting my toes wet on the accuracy of things...
1734332217593.png

short youtube video on the progress: here
 
savas said:
Occre shows only 2 levels of ratlines,
Click to expand...
Hi Savas,
I would like to know the answer to your question as well. :) Perhaps they had bosun chairs rigged, rope ladders temporarily hung, prusiking or just hand over hand climbing.
I cannot speak for the whaler Essex, but not having ratlines on topgallant and royal mast shrouds was common practice up to 1715 in the Royal Navy. From 1715 to 1745 some ships had ratlines on all levels of shrouds. From 1745 very few Royal Navy ships still had ratlines on the topgallant and royal masts and had all but disappeared by the late 18th century.

Allan
 
Last edited:
Hello Savas, judging from what I've seen so far, you are working toward being a great modeler. Don't be afraid of the Montanes. It's a lot like your previous models, except there is just MORE of the same. Rigging will be a little harder, so get a good curved tweezer set and perhaps some forceps, very long needle nose pliers, and make a set of rigging hooks from long thin dowels and repurposed leather needles (learn how on this forum). Being a more complex ship means more cannon carriages to rig, more planking, more ratlining, and more details to add. The rigging looks complex, but once you learn the lines from books like Lennarth Petersson's Rigging Period Ship Models: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Intracacies of Square-Rig, you will seen that most of the lines are the same or similar on each mast, and a belaying plan in the instructions will show you where to tie off the lines. Typically, you tie the line at the belaying point down low, then run the line up through blocks to its final destination and tie the other end off there. That way, you can control the line tension and avoid overly loose lines. Some running rigging lines were loose though, and you want them to hang in a natural catenary curve for realism. These include leech lines, some braces, and some tack lines (depending on which ones the wind is keeping taut through pressure on the sails). Wet the lines with watered down PVA glue and position them as they dry and they will look right when stiff.
 
DARIVS ARCHITECTVS said:
Typically, you tie the line at the belaying point down low, then run the line up through blocks to its final destination and tie the other end off there.
Click to expand...
That sentence totally threw me! I have always run the lines starting with the standing part then to the belaying point but will give your method a try. The only problem I see is if the standing part is seized to an eye or something similar, isn't it difficult to keep the line taut while making the seizing?
Thanks Kurt
Allan
 
AllanKP69 said:
That sentence totally threw me! I have always run the lines starting with the standing part then to the belaying point but will give your method a try. The only problem I see is if the standing part is seized to an eye or something similar, isn't it difficult to keep the line taut while making the seizing?
Thanks Kurt
Allan
Click to expand...
If you need siezing, then of course you start at that end. There are several other factors that influence where you start each line. Access in a big one. Keep in min that trying to keep proper tension without breaking delicate belaying pins is VERY TOUGH in tight areas, so start running the line from the belaying pin when you can.
 
DARIVS ARCHITECTVS said:
The rigging looks complex, but once you learn the lines from books like Lennarth Petersson's Rigging Period Ship Models: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Intracacies of Square-Rig, you will seen that most of the lines are the same or similar on each mast, and a belaying plan in the instructions will show you where to tie off the lines.
Click to expand...

Hello,
thank I read the review and imediatelly redid some riging that I found photos on the book and also ordered the book from France :) Before Montanes I will do the occre Corsair. I dived to the forum to read and look at other modelers and tips, and not when look at essex I see a lot of mistakes that I will do better next time, now It is too much work to redo...
anyways, I think I finished with the ratlines :)

IMG20241218222131.jpg
 
Hello,
so weekend again and I did a lot of work (at least that's what I think).
Mistakes were made, I really need to get myself some angled tweezers, did not enjoy tying up the center masts with straight tweezers... Any recommendations for a quality angled tweezers?
If I am correct, next up is sails. I have never done sails so that's a bit terrifying, but we will see how it goes...
IMG20241222225203.jpgIMG20241222225142.jpg
 
I just got the digital version from Amazon. Although it’s convenient to have it in that format,I discovered that when I zoom in to the diagrams, they are not as clear as if I had a print copy and a magnifier. But since it was less than $3US I think it’s a reasonable investment
 
I have the Lennarth Petersson book as well and it can be very useful as the drawings are well done but keep in mind it is extremely limited. It is based on a single model of a Royal Navy ship, the Melampus (36) 1785 so may not be a good source for rigging other ships, especially American commercial vessels such as whalers in the 19th century. The best information I have seen for American whalers, including rigging, are the plans for the Charles Morgan at Mystic Seaport. Also, any fan of whalers would appreciate the Nathaniel Patrick book In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex as, I am sure you know, the Essex was the inspiration for the climax of the Melville book Moby Dick. It details many things about Essex and should be appropriate for whalers in general.
Allan

​

 
Last edited:
AllanKP69 said:
I have the Lennarth Petersson book as well and it can be very useful as the drawings are well done but keep in mind it is extremely limited. It is based on a single model of a Royal Navy ship, the Melampus (36) 1785 so may not be a good source for rigging other ships, especially American commercial vessels such as whalers. The best information I have seen for American whalers, including rigging, are the plans for the Charles Morgan at Mystic Seaport. They are more appropriate than the Petersson book. Also, any fan of whalers would appreciate the Nathaniel Patrick book In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex the actual ship which was the inspiration for the climax of the Melville book Moby Dick. It details many things about Essex and whalers in general.
Allan

​

Click to expand...
I am looking for a similar book for Spanish ships (montanes) maybe you know what should I get? Next up for me is Occre Corsair (not sure how much fantasy it is) but I am more interested in getting something for the Montanes before is start
 
I would contact the Museo Naval in Madrid to see if they have plans of Montanes or other Spanish 74's such as any of the San Ildefonso class 74 gun ships. You can use these in conjunction with the kit information. OcCre is not famous for accuracy in the kits, but with plans based on contemporary sources as an additional source could be a good project.

The Corsair was supposedly a brigantine converted to carry cannon by the Corsairs so who knows what the kit is about as it is supposedly a general depiction rather than based on a real vessel.

I found the inboard profile plan below on the RMG Collections website which were drawn in 1812 some 18 years after she was launched. Check out the build log here at SoS

Montañés by Sevish - OcCre kit

So no rest for the wicked, my next build will be The Montañés from OcCre. Will star a full build log here on Labor day May 1st. Some brief history of the Montañés (Wikipedia): Montañés (class) was a 74 gun third-rate Spanish ship of the line. Design was prepared by Julián Martín de Retamosa...
shipsofscale.com

Allan
1734957319539.png
 
A bit off topic, but maybe it's common knowledge or there are already pin pushers like this, but I modified mine a bit, when I was nailing the hull, I usually like to push down, and got really annoyed when my nails fall out, so I glued a tiny magnet on the tip so it keeps the nails in...
1000005370.jpg1000005371.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top