There were just a couple more things to take care of on the gun deck. I added pins to the riding bit assembly for increased stability, particularly on the lower deck which does not have a receiving cut-out for the feet.
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The forward hatchway will remain open (no gratings) so I lined its borders with strips of walnut. This had the effect of closing off the deck plank ends, gave the deck greater depth perspective, and obscured parts of the lower deck that needed to be obscured.
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I assembled hatch coamings without the grating and placed it over the walnut lining. The first of several ladders was then assembled to the width of the hatchway and positioned to lead to the deck below.
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At this stage everything is still dry fit. The gun deck and all its fittings are yet to be treated to a light sanding and varnish, and I am in two minds whether to glue them onto the deck just yet. The instructions advise to glue them, but I wonder if they might be vulnerable to the violence of my hull planking effort yet to come. Or do I glue them while I still have access to the lower deck where I can monitor their stability. Ah who knows, maybe I'll just flip a coin