"Flying Cloud " by Mamoli - kit bash

[ClipperFan]

With those bigger lubber holes in the tops, one must watch where they step or it will be a quick decent!

@Kurt Konrath
Pete may have gone just a little too far in widening his lubber holes but he has the right idea. Here's another picture of actual openings of solid tops on Glory of the Seas. Modelers need to decide if they're building pretty mantlepiece decorations which make no sense or are they constructing miniature replicas of real vessels? Rob and I had a unique chance to study a real McKay clipper ship in great detail. We're sharing these true details to help improve comprehension of how these ships were actually built. Observe the long opening on the solid tops. They run from fore to aft metal bracket. The second image from directly below is one Rob shared. This confirms that real lubber hole openings went from bracket to bracket in most cases. It's of a solid top on the 1843 Whaler Charles W. Morgan fully restored in Mystic Seaport, CT. Three examples from 1789 to 1843 to 1869 are are virtually identical in treatment of lubber holes. It's simple. Commercially produced kits are wrong. Now everyone who cares to do so, has a choice to make. We hope to convince others to select authenticity so that these replicas make sense and demonstrate the true working beauty of these magnificent sailing ships.

 

[ClipperFan]

I had to unglue my main hatch and reduce its overall dimensions for the animal pen to fit on top leaving enough room for crewmen to move around it on deck. if the hatch had an inner coaming the pen could securely fit on top, if its floor had a framework to secure it snugly over the inner coaming (not shown on my hatch as it would not be visible once the pen is secured on top and battened down). This eliminates the need for overlap of the pen floor and overlapping legs. This is the best way I can think of for everything to fit and still leave a believable amount of working room while still havingView attachment 528159View attachment 528160View attachment 528162 a hatch close to the dimensions of the various sets of plans I have. I also slimmed down the front part of the fife rail.
I'm glad I made use of various kinds of white glue as it easily releases with a little isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, considering the number of dis-assemblies I've been required to make.

Pete,
Welcome to the world of what I call "reality based modeling." Instead of just blindly following inaccurate plans which often don't make spatial sense. By trying to imagine how a real crew would maneuver around a working vessel you're compelled to revise structures to incorporate functionality. I applaud your efforts to approach your Flying Cloud this way, no matter how many revisions it takes. By the way, hatchway descriptions were of rectangles but didn't specify orientation. On Glory of the Seas we see that the main hatchway was 14' × 12'. The longitudinal axis was 14' while fore and aft was 12'. This makes the most sense too since it provided more working space for the crew.

 

[The Gavel]

I did find that I was able to open up the lubber holes in the tops, which would allow greater ease for rigging to pass through as well as a man. So, I did that without too much more ado. The only casualty being the supports for the main top left side deadeyes. Easy enough to re-do. On the Young America and other clippers, much of the rigging from above passes through fairlead holes drilled into the tops outside the lubber holes.
I like the look of the roomier lubber holes.View attachment 527755View attachment 527756View attachment 527757View attachment 527758View attachment 527759View attachment 527760View attachment 527761View attachment 527762

Pete! It's looking really great! I appreciate the audacity of this particular work!

Blessings.
Chuck

 

[The Gavel]

Even your re-dos come with re-dos .

It's one of the best things about Pete!

 

[Peter Gutterman]

More fabrication progress on the livestock pen. The hatch, with all its' detail is now irretrievably covered by the pen.
Door/ramp glued in place. Cutting about a gazillion slats.
Hopefully the result will be