Mantua Sergal's Sovereign of Seas

Re: Mantua Sovereign of Seas

Thanks all. We finally got my mother in a good dementia facility and got her off hospice care. Unfortunately, she is about as good as she will get. At almost 89 years old, she will be there until the end. My sister who is 9 years younger has been in and out the hospital and skilled nursing facility. Some how she has managed to stay alive. They call her miracle girl. However, she is still not doing good. This last few months has taken a toll on her and she looks older than I am. She has become so frail that they could not do CPR on her if she stops breathing without risking breaking bones. My other half has several people working with her to get her diabetes under control. Yesterday, they found out that her breathing problem was fluid in the lungs and took almost 2 liters of it out. They say that they do not know what causes that and it may return. Meanwhile, I have to get hernia surgery when everything settles down.
 
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Re: Mantua Sovereign of Seas

<t>Hello Gary, just a quick one, I went through a hernia op last year (keyhole technique) so I hope all goes well with your hernia surgery and good luck.<br/>
regards Graham J.</t>
 
Re: Mantua Sovereign of Seas

<t>Gary,<br/>
<br/>
Sorry to hear all that you and your loved ones have been going through. As for yourself, I didn't know about the hernia issue. Hope you are able to get it taken care of quickly and have a speedy recovery. Holler if you need anything – our gang isn't that far away.<br/>
<br/>
Any idea when you're going to have it done?<br/>
<br/>
Clare</t>
 
Thanks Clare. I appreciate that.
I have found what the golden years means. All the gold you got is slowly being given away to others to keep.<br/>
I will get my hernia done after my daughter leaves. She will be flying in two weeks from now and will stay for 5 days. We have to go over my Trust and make sure that she knows where everything is and how to handle everything. We will meet with the alternates that have the durable power of attorney for the trust and durable power of attorney for heath (2 different alternates for each).
This weekend I go to my mom's at the Alzheimer facility. Even though she does not know me anymore, it is still necessary for all three of us kids too visit her often and spend the day with her. This weekend is my turn. This keep the faculty giving my mother better care since they know we are checking on them also. They make money by keeping their beds full. Thus, even at this stage of a persons life, there is competition between facilities.
So, visiting my sister in her full care facility will have to wait until next week.
 
Hi Gary, yes, alzheimer's is a sad thing, I realised just how bad it was with my mother-in-law two weeks before she passed when she pointed to the knife and fork and asked me what are they for. She knew me but her two daughters she didn't know.
Gary, good luck with your procedure and I hope your sister gets better.
Kindest regards
Eric & Heather (Admiral)
 
Beautifully done. Thank you Gary for restoring your lost images.

Donnie
 
Thanks Donnie. It has been a difficult year with many family members in an out of hospitals. Almost lost my wife a few time and my sister a few times. Wife is finally better but diabetic problems are here to stay. My sister is in a care facility and will never get out. She has only 70% brain capacity and now is very disabled. My mother is in a dementia center and does not know any of us kids and is totally bed ridden.
Over this past year, I have try to work on the ship when I could clear my mind. However, now that things are somewhat stable and I have accepted the outcome, I started to go back to work on this ship. What I noticed is that all I did during this time was incorrect. I have tried to undo and correct what is feasible. Some things are not able to be corrected without destroying a lot of parts. Getting parts from Mantua to replace some items has become a nightmare and seems to get ridiculously lost in translation. Even sending pictures of what I needed ended in frustration. For example, a part I got to replace an item belong to a model aircraft kit and was at a scale of 1:24. As a result, some things are to far along to correct. Hopefully, most errors will become lost among the complex rigging and not spoil the overall effect.
Thus, I have finished removing what I could and correcting what I did not remove as best I can. Now, I am starting to make a little progress again, but have learned not to work without my head being able to fully concentrate on the model.
 
Hi Gary,

I am sorry to hear that you have been through such a rough period. Hopefully you will be more settled now and be able to do some modelling on your magnificent build.

Dealing with overseas in another language is sometimes difficult and I understand your frustration. Depending on what the parts are maybe you can fabricate them.

Good luck and nice to see you back.

Bill
 
Ahoy Gary,
My condolences for yor family ailments I know what it is like to get Diabetes under control I have been struggling for over a year to get mine in order. I have a couple of links that may be useful for Mantua. I have used in the past when building Endeavor.
info@mantuamodel.co.uk and https://www.mantuamodel.co.uk/4_Model_Wood/Walnut_Strip/
Good luck.
:handgestures-salute:
 
Thanks Bill. Fabrication has its limits and I can not carve that well. I wish I had the skill like Janos. Even my stick figures come are not straight unless I put a heavy weight on a ruler and use a light touch on pencil. :lol: Thus, I usually search everywhere to find the parts I want to use.
 
Thanks, Mike. I know the owner of Ages of Sail and I have made several trips to his store in San Lorenzo. I was his first customer and we have worked together over the years. I even have his home number. One of the members of our local modeling club donates time to help him run the business. The part I described was the sixth attempt to get the correct part and finally gave up after 9 months. However, I did get a few other items that they thought meet what we sent them. Those parts might come in handy for future builds. We even sent a picture with arrows showing where it was on the cardboard sheet of brass parts.
 
Hi Gary,
bought several parts from those guys in UK I used pay pal and had no problems. They are quick to respond to e-mail.
Good Luck
 
Things that have a part number are no problem. The cast parts that do not have numbers and are sent wrapped in plastic on large card stock is the only problem. I have Mantua catalog. When there is a size like wood (0.5 x 3 mm and the like) or rigging line, they are not a problem either.
When you want a part that is not on the beaten path, they are lost since the sales people at Mantua do not build the kits and only know how to put things in boxes. For example, if I want a replacement item that is laser cut on wood sheets, (I may break one piece), but have to order the entire sheet that may have 30 wood laser cut parts on it. This is not an expensive item and may cost only a couple of dollars to get when sent with a normal order for Ages of Sail.
However, for cast pieces where there may be 40 pieces on one of the card stock sheet, if I just need one item, the entire sheet of cast parts may cost 100 dollars or more. Plus, they say that this would require special shipping and handling because of having to pull things out of a production line rather than from stock on hand. This can become very expensive when the one part I need may be only 1/2 of a dollar. The best solution is to add this as part of a regular order for Ages of Sail. then they can send it in a little plastic bag and charge me only for the cost of that piece.
 
Hi Gary,
I'm disappointed that I could not help. You have been such a big help to me over the years I wanted to return the favor. Perhaps next time. :sad:
 
GaryM,

I have extended my prayers for you and your family. I wouldn't wish diabetes on my worst enemy. My own is under control, but it is a daily struggle.

It is very interesting to see the different approaches taken by different modelers building the same ship. Given that ships undergo many changes throughout their lives, especially one as long-lived as was the Sovereign, it isn't surprising that different builders make their own.

Yours is an outstanding job! I appreciate your fine artistry.

Bill
 
Thanks Bill. Mine is being built as it would appear prior to the 1651 refit. The height of the masts, length of the yards and rigging of her changed drastically over her life. The Mantua kit plans in this area do not come near fitting her during any of her life time. Because of the side gallery design, the kit is only good for the period up to that refit. The side galleries at the back were drastically reduced in size and the poop deck also was reduced in 1651. Except for some of the fancy rigging unique to the Soverign, Mantua's rigging plans more closely represent a ship built after 1740. During the 1651 refit, her rigging was altered also to help her sailing qualities and incorporated some of the new rigging changes that were introduced since her launch.
 
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