After watching the video posted on this site of sailmaking, I have been paying particular attention to the close up photos of the sails, for the way they are hung. I have a 43” Muscongus Bay lobster smack that needs attention, including fabric sails.

All my projects are pretty much on hold right now, except for planning, not just because of the Corona quarantine, but also because of major back surgery that has made it very difficult to get to my work area and stored projects. But I really enjoy the projects and ideas in this forum.

Hi, thanks for the offer. I suspect you mean the ones that Brown, Son and Ferguson in Glasgow have. I did wonder about getting them when I got hold of the boat originally but realistically I never needed to.

Everything was more or less there when I got it - just knocked a bit flat. There are a number of photos of good static models of the ship about so I gust worked from them. The good thing about schooners is that there isn’t that much string hanging about on the rigs really.

Although mine is a sailing model most of the rigging as per full size is on it and working.
These are some of the other pictures of models of the Gring and similar schooners that I used for reference when making repairs. The internet can be really useful sometimes.

Hi,

Thanks.

Yes used tea and coffey before. The reason I use acrylics sometimes is that I need an exact match to other rigging nd I have sort of got into the habit.

On a few of occasions over the years I have been asked to renovate very old statics for museums for display. You cannot and indeed shouldn’t replace any more than you actually have to on things like that, you need to conserve as much of the original as possible.

With acrylics I can play about with things until I get it exactly right. I also then have a small bottle of an exact colour match in store for if I need to do more work on the boat at another time. This I usually give to the museum with notes on things so that if anybody else does it they know where I was coming from.

I do the same with wood stains. I have a stock of different wood water stains that I mix up to get exactly what I want. Again this is a trick I got from an Anteques restorer years ago.

You use such small amounts usually that the “sample” selection that I got from White friers in little bottles years ago is still in use. When I have needed more of any colour I get it by the big bottle and decant it as necessary.

Have you tried using tea as a stain for your rigging - you can make it as weak or strong as you like - very effective dye . Try on it small pieces and you will be amazed at the variations in color you can achieve - used it once when repairing open Pine ceiling beams to match the years darkened varnish. Tried it on threads - works beautifully for "aging"

Lovely old ship by the way - cant believe someone would toss it in a skip - constantly amazed by the things some people do.

Hi lucky find! Did you know that the plans are available? I can find the catalogue details if you want.
Roy

Going to do that, problem with me is my ability to find things on my big machine is not good. It’s a mac with a huge memory and my filing is not up to much. It’s in there somewhere with the rest of my stuff on the boat so it should surface eventually.

The model itself is fairly straightforward, simple brain gear steering.

What is interesting is the keel on the thing, which also doubles up as it’s stand. The chap used a variation on the old Victorian bar keel. It’s actually quite effective if you want stability and not speed but I have never seen another like it. I am actually surprised it’s not more common.

I will post on it and take more pictures if necessary later tonight or tomorrow.

Any thoughts on it when I do or if other people have seen anything like it would be much appreciated.

The picture must be in your files to be a background picture.
so search for pictures in your system

The ship is in sailing condition now and somewhere on my main computer I have got pictures of her sailing at Eastern Park Lake in Norwich a couple of years ago. I actually use one of them as my background screen on my iPad but I don’t know how to get it of the thing to simply post it as a picture.

Most of the work that needed to be done was done when I got the boat and now it’s just got a lot of old string giving up the ghost occasionally and falling to bits with age. I always try to be very conservative on any type of working restoration basically for two reasons.

All the cordage on something old like this is linen or cotton thread. It changes colour with age, becomes brittle if it hasn’t been waxed when first put on (because as a sailing model it keeps getting wet and over time degrades as an organic and eventually just disintegrates).

Take a look at the hoops on the arft mast on the photo I originally posted. This ship sits on a book case in what my wife calls our “library” area at the top of the stairs. I must pass it five times a day and I hadn't noticed that over the last year half the hoops had become detached and dropped down on the arft mast.

Problem is when you try to replace any cordage it doesn’t match colour wise. If you replace one little bit it stands out a mile. I do age things by running cordage through very very thinned down acrylic paint and then passing it through thumb and forefinger to squeeze most of it out. Let it dry and check for colour match. If it doesn’t repeat until you get it right. Just use bits of cord and when you know it’s a match do quite a bit of it as you will never get exactly the same results again and you know you will need more eventually.

Second reason I am conservative is that it’s not just the colour match - it’s the cord twist and diameter. My wife complains of my constantly growing collection of spools of linen thread. If I see one going cheap I get it as eventually if I live long enough I will find a use for it.

Waxing (bees wax) the thread really helps preserve it, just drag it over a block of the stuff before applying. Gets into the fibres, gives them a bit of protection and helps hold knots. I always fix the knot with tiny a dab of matt yatch varnish.

Thank you for researching and telling us something of her history. Interesting ships those American multi masted schooners and we don't get to hear much about them Really looking forward to seeing photos of her sailing when you have completed the restoration. So worthwhile.

All the best, Nerys

One man's garbage another man's gold .Great find and it only cost you a little time with friends
Rick

I will add to this thread as I get time over the next few days.
First a bit of history on the ship.

The HELEN BARNET GRING, was a four-masted coasting schooner built in 1919 by Robert L. Bean of Camden, Maine for the Boston, Massachusetts shipping firm of Crowell and Thurlow.
Employed as a coasting schooner, the GRING sailed in the coastal and West Indies trade; generally carrying cargoes of stone, lumber, and coal. Captain Francis Bowker, who sailed aboard her said “The GRING was steady as a rock with a clean swept hold and could carry whole sail and topsails in a good, fresh breeze.” She must have been a powerful vessel as she is forever immortalized by John F. Leavitt in his book Wake of the Coasters for causing the loss of the Schooner WILLIAM BOOTH. Leavitt mentions the 1928 tragedy; when “the three-masted WILLIAM BOOTH, stone laden, was cut down and sunk by the four-master HELEN BARNET GRING,” three times in the course of his book.
During her 21 year career the GRING sailed under 4 separate masters; James W. Howard, Clarence W. Holden, George Mohr, and Will Plummer. Captain Plummer, in addition to commanding the GRING, was also the owner, having purchased her in 1937.
The Schooner’s career ended on Oct. 22, 1940 when the HELEN BARNET GRING was shipwrecked and lost off Cay Verde, Cuba .

Wow! That is really something! Great find. Would love to the boats after restoration!

That is a most interesting looking model. More information and as much detail as you can manage please.

Cheers, Nerys