Wot he said!

If I remember she got a fair bit of modification just outside the River Plate.

I had some sharp edges on a tooth and just used a diamond coated nail file. So much better than a points file!

Yes I understand that but that was Bob Roberts who told me they would not push a new main'sl any harder than they had to. They brailed up a bit I guess

I understood the reason barge sails were not dressed in the first year was to allow the material to do all it's shrinking and stretching. The skipper always tried to ease the sails into service in lighter airs to start out.
The breaking was important to the life of the sails. As said, the dressing was a year later.
Regards Nick.

Is Veronica 42 inches.
Regards Nick.

I spent some time in the Middle East on H.M.S. Nubian ( Tribal class frigate)
H.M.S. Relentless ( Daring class) followed us back to UK. I remember days and days of watching her just behind us in the Bay of Biscay, which lived up to it's reputation. I always thought the Daring class was the last warship that really looked like a warship with her twin forward gun turrets.
Mind you I think you would have wet feet 24X7 on her waist decks.

We don't seem to have birch herein Australia.

I have been using 5mm. marine ply for my Thames barge keels.
I guess it depends on the size of the craft you are building . Mine are forty two inches and I find the five mil works for me.
Waterproof PVA glue goes well with it but I find CA does not hold well to plywood. Epoxy works too.
The two tools I find really useful are a dremel scroll saw and my ryobi drum and disc sander combo.
They save hours of hand work.
Regards, Nick.

Wow .Deal of the century!

I know it is a long shot but what you need is a spark eroder.
Regards, Nick.

Manxman was about when I was in the RN in the sixties.
She was involved in an exercise with the Yanks. The yanks were controlling things and designated Manxman as a hospital ship . She was restricted to ten knots or so.
At the end of the exercise about the middle of the Atlantic.
The whole fleet were heading for Pompy for some shoreleave.
Cin C USN told Manxman to make 15 Kts. Then later make twenty if she could!
Now Manxman was one of the last RN ships that actually LOOKED like a warship.
Captain of Manxman had by now worked out what was transpiring.He sent a signal to Whitehall explaining what was what.
Signal to Manxman.... Flash boilers three, four, five and six and proceed independently to Portsmouth.
Shortly after this she circled the whole fleet twice at forty knots and disappeared over the horizon in a cloud of spray and steam!
Her crew where home on leave for at least two days before America's finest turned up in Pompy!
Regards Nick Viner.

A little anecdote to add to this build is that I was used to seeing both Swordsman and Boarderer in both Portsmouth and Portland whilst I was in the RN. (1960 "s}
In fact we gave one of them a "lee" ie. got to windward of her in foul weather and helped her into Portland. She had some sort of mechanical problems.
The stories one of them was moored on the smaller, walled wharf that they used away from the big one we on HMS Aurora used.
As I said it was another rough night, most were in Portland . A yachtsman had crept during the night and tied up behind HMS Boarderer.( restricted area)
Capt. told number one to go get the yachtsman to move his boat. Time was about 0400. Very tired yachty told no.1 to F off.
No. 1 came back onboard and relaid to the skipper who went down reraised the yachty and got the same message!
Skipper came back onboard and contacted the engine room and as it happened got a 'wet" start on the turbines.
The loosely stowed sails on the yacht melted rather well!!
Moral to the tale, Never tell a sailor to F off!!
Bye the way both these boats had a top speed in good conditions , of in excess of 80 knots and in theory could circumnavigate uk in 12 hours. I remember that the always ran very flat on the water at planing speed.
Regards, Nick.