Rattlesnake Rigging Plans

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Does anyone have a detailed set of rigging plans for the Rattlesnake they’d like to get rid of or sell? Or a place to purchase? My Google searches have gotten any meaningful results. The Model Shipways plans seem a little sparse and I don’t yet have the skill set to ’scratch rig’ it myself. Some of the build logs on this site are amazing and helpful but the builders seem to already know where everything goes.
Thanks for any help.
 
I feel you. Been scale modeling for many years, but very much a greenhorn in the ship world, which is why I went with an OcCre model to start… they have much better rigging diagrams for newbies. If you go to their site, you can download pdf instructions of any of their models. Find one that’s similar in configuration and use those in tandem with MS instructions, and I think that would be a great help… at least that’s what I’d be doing.
If anything, just studying the OcCre diagrams gives you a much better visualization of what everything is, where it goes, and what it does.
 
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You might want to check out Bob Hunts Lauck Street Shipyards. He offers a complete masting and rigging guide for the Rattlesnake for $60.

 
Kurt K, thanks for the link, I had no idea that this type of ‘course’ was available.

FrankW, thanks for the great idea regarding OcCre. If I can’t get a hold of the plans or choose not to do a course like Kurt suggested, this is a very good compromise. The OcCre type of instruction plans are what I‘m hoping to find for the Rattlesnake.
 
Bob has many great training practicums for ships of all sizes and levels of skill, many are in two part so if you don't want masts or sails, you only buy the ship build package.

You can sign up and he sends out discounts 3-4 times a year as well as new projects he is working on.

I bought his full college kit package, which covers many of the ships I hope to build.
 
You might want to check out Bob Hunts Lauck Street Shipyards. He offers a complete masting and rigging guide for the Rattlesnake for $60.

Does the Lauck Street Shipyard rigging instructions include a belaying plan for all running rigging lines used when the sails are set? The Mamoli kit plans rigs the ship with no sails.

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I expect to be in a similar spot with the USF Essex (1799). Unknowingly, I bought an "admiralty" version kit, which has images of a rigged ship but no expectation of or material for complete masts, spars, rigging at all. However, I'm finishing the rigging on HMS Surprise, which has very specific rigging instructions. Since the Essex plans include the dimensions of the ship's masts and spars, I can do a little arithmetic and create those. Between the images of the Essex and the Surprise instructions, I'm hoping to get close to a fully masted and rigged result. I'll post results whenever I finish Essex, but it's a way off. If done by 2025, I'll be thrilled.
 
May I recommend "Rigging Period Ship Models" by Lennarth Petersson "A Step-by-Step Guide to the Intricacies of Square- Rig". Chatham Publishing London.
This book is very comprehensive and while not specific to the "Rattlesnake", is invaluable as a guide to rigging mid 18thc. three masted warships in the English style.
It gives all the details for standing and running rigging, including with sails bent, all belaying points and very clear, easy to follow diagrams. It is virtually foolproof and easily comprehendible even for rank beginners. When compared to what is available in kits for "Rattlesnake", I'm sure it will answer all your questions by simple extrapolation. There are no written instructions to sort out. Only clear, uncluttered, very specific self-explanatory drawings.
 
May I recommend "Rigging Period Ship Models" by Lennarth Petersson "A Step-by-Step Guide to the Intricacies of Square- Rig". Chatham Publishing London.
This book is very comprehensive and while not specific to the "Rattlesnake", is invaluable as a guide to rigging mid 18thc. three masted warships in the English style.
It gives all the details for standing and running rigging, including with sails bent, all belaying points and very clear, easy to follow diagrams. It is virtually foolproof and easily comprehendible even for rank beginners. When compared to what is available in kits for "Rattlesnake", I'm sure it will answer all your questions by simple extrapolation. There are no written instructions to sort out. Only clear, uncluttered, very specific self-explanatory drawings.
What you need in addition to "Rigging Period Ship Models" is a belaying plan. This plan shows where the working ends of the lines are tied off to on belaying pin racks, cleats, and railings. The rigging instructions for the Mamoli model of Privateer Rattlesnake can provide most of the belaying points for the running rigging lines, but for the ship without sails set. If you fit sails, bowlines and tack lines are some of the lines that you will need to determine where to belay them. Lennarth Petersson's book can provide good guesses as to where a certain line is belayed, but there were no solid conventions, and each ship often had its own belaying arrangement. It is common for modelers to rely on guesswork for belaying locations, when they only have partial rigging information. As far as belaying plans go, different model kit companies provide different belaying plans for the same model ship, adding to the confusion, and the choices you have to make in building.
 
"When you have multiple competing hypotheses for any [specific problem], you should start with the one that makes the fewest assumptions."
-William of Ockham-14th c. logician and theologian.
i.e., Simpler is better. ;)
 
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