All the standing rigging was completed over the weekend. The necessary blocks and mast hoops were added to the bowsprit and masts, then the standing rigging lines were run.
In order to have a consistent spacing of the deadeyes on the shrouds, I put three brass pins through a wooden block matching the pattern of the deadeye holes. Then I put a deadeye on the pins, and sat the block on the ship’s railing. I attached the shroud to the deadeye so that it would be secured at the same height above the railing.
One set of secured shrouds is pictured below.
Ship looks amazing. Was wondering though I wanted a ship to practice some skills on before I build my uss constitution I found in our basement. Was this type of schooner ever copper plated? Would it be out of the era historical accuracy to do so? Thanks for any comments. Let me know with an email.
The Virginia 1819 does not depict a specific ship, but is roughly based on early US Coast Guard vessels used to intercept smugglers in coastal waters. Some Royal Navy schooners of this era would have been copper plated, but it’s unlikely that the cost would have been justified for a small revenue schooner. Instead, the hull would have been sealed with some combination of tar, tallow, oil, sulfur, or other ingredients. On a model, you’d paint the hull under the waterline in some approximation of the color of the sealant, which could be anything from off-white to dark brown.