La Créole 1827 by archjofo - Scale 1/48 - French corvette

[Steef66]

Many thanks, Steef, for your question.
I have not seriously considered writing a book, but your remark is a great compliment.
For now, I prefer to document the build step by step here in the forum.
Perhaps one day it will come to that.

In that case is your book almost ready. You have great pictures and the research. I did it for the "De Mofelbouwer" and it is fun to do, an extra chapter in your build experience. And I would buy it.

 

[shota70]

@dockattner
@Kurt Konrath
@Holger.Schwarz
@Hoss6262
Hi,
thanks a lot for the nice comments, and thanks also to everyone else for the likes.

Continuation: Running Rigging of the Main Yard – Les manœuvres courantes de grande vergue

When building my La Créole in 1:48 scale, the rigging of the running rigging is progressing as planned, from front to back and from bottom to top. The current focus is on the installation of the main yard and its associated running rigging.

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In the meantime, the main yard sling has been secured using a flat seizing. The served ends of the truss rope were pulled through the sheaves in the trestletrees, thimbles were seized in, and the truss tackles were hooked into them and into the cap.

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Next, I belayed the falls of the truss tackles to the pin rails on the bulwark. These lanyards run through so-called fairlead blocks (Moques de conduits) on the shrouds and via foot blocks to their belaying point, the belaying pins.
Furthermore, I was able to finally install and belay the lifts along with their tackles.

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The following picture shows the double block with a swivel hook belonging to the starboard-side lift tackle.

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After adjusting the lifts, the further equipping of the main yard continued.
Next on the agenda was the installation of the remaining running rigging for the main yard:
I dedicated myself to the leading of the clewlines (Cargues-points), as well as the buntlines (Cargues-fonds) and leechlines (Cargues-boulines). As mentioned several times before, I am rigging this model without sails; therefore, after being reeved through the corresponding yard blocks, these ropes were secured directly with a figure-eight knot (Achterknoten).

View attachment 619484

These lines were belayed at the mainmast using an iron spider band with belaying pins (Cercle à Cabillots), as can be seen in the next picture. It still looks a bit untidy there; for example, the main sheets are still loose, as they will only be fixed in conjunction with the topsail yards.

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In this context, I would like to address a fundamental point that always plays a crucial role when rigging: for every running line, the path from top to bottom must be planned to be as collision-free as possible. It is often only after belaying that you realize a rope is overlapping another part or that an unintended contact occurs.
The lead through fairlead blocks and foot blocks down to the belaying point is particularly decisive. This is where it becomes clear whether a rope truly runs free or if it was accidentally routed over or under another part.

View attachment 619485

Consequently, I have already unreeved and rerouted individual lines several times until the run was correct.
The ideal path is always a lead that is as straight and undisturbed as possible from the yard through the blocks to the belaying pin—without crossings, without chafing points, and without unnecessary diversions. This fine-tuning takes time, but it ensures that the rigging is cleanly structured in the end and that the nautical logic of the era remains visible.

Finally, here is a picture showing the leading of the main brace at the starboard side of the stern: you can see the standing part and a large lead block attached to a wooden crossbeam. In the davit for the captain's gig, there are two sheaves: one for leading the main brace, while the other is reserved for leading the gaff vang, to which the single block also belongs.

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To be continued…

my dear friend
I'm agree with Peter and Steef that,
This is indeed a first-rate masterpiece, worthy of a platform—such as a book—that honors your craftsmanship as a master artisan and serves future generations.

 

[archjofo]

@Steef66
@shota70
Thank you very much, Shota — and once again, Stephan.
Your confidence in my work means a great deal to me.
I’m glad that the documentation of La Créole resonates so strongly with you that you would even consider it book‑worthy.
For now, I’ll continue presenting the build step by step here in the forum — but your words are truly a wonderful compliment.

And here we continue with a small update:

Continuation: Running rigging of the main yard – Missing lead block inside the bulwark
Not long ago, I reported on stropping the lead blocks inside the bulwark, more precisely along the waterways. While working on the running rigging of the main mast, I unfortunately discovered that one previously stropped double block was missing or had gone missing. The particular feature of these lead blocks is the strop, which is closed by means of a short splice. I therefore had to make another double block with short splice, thimble and eye bolt.

In itself this is no problem – only the memory of making those short splices is still rather unpleasant. Nevertheless, I had no choice but to revisit the subject. And indeed: it only took a small modification, and the short splices can be made much more easily and cleanly – something I did not want to keep from you.


In contrast to my earlier method (image 1), I now tie off the ends a little before the served part of the strop (yellow arrow, image 2), and only the remaining portion is unlaid. This allows the strands to be passed one after another through the still‑intact section of the rope. Images 3 to 5 show the result.

The last image shows the completed double block (block length 4.5 mm) with thimble and eye bolt.


This lead block was missing for the starboard topping lift of the main topsail yard.

More soon …

Johann