This model is a detailed model of a Cape Dory 40 ketch built to an overall length of 36". It is mounted on a 14"x44", satin varnished, mahogany board. As with all the Alberg designs built by Cape Dory, I drew the lines for this model from outline drawings, pictures I took of the boat and my knowledge of Alberg's designs.
Here is the finished model in starboard view. The next four pictures show the various detail components in more detail.
This view shows the aft end of the deck and the cockpit. Details include the teak toe and rub rails, teak cockpit coaming and teak trim around the companionway. You can also see the aft end of the teak eyebrow and the aft cabin top hand rail. On deck you can see the aft hatch, cowl vent with integral dorade, aft line chock on the toe rail, aft mooring cleat, genoa track with fairlead block and the genoa sheet turning block. The cockpit includes the gloss varnished teak coaming, Lewmar 48STC winch, bronze cleat. In the cockpit you can see the pedestal with 6 spoke destroyer wheel with elk hide cover, pedestal guard with two instrument pods and teak cockpit table.
This picture shows the aft end of the cabin house. The details include the traveller with its blocks and control line led aft to the Lewmar 30STC winch and then snubbed off on a cleat, a small cabin top hatch, two line stoppers and two small turning blocks. You can also see the midships cabin top hatch and the aft cabin top handrail.
Here is the entire cabin house. In addition to the details shown in the picture above, you can see the mast, staysail track, teak dorade and cowl, forward hand rail and the forward cabin top hatch.
This picture shows the bow detail. Specifically you can see the 20kg Bruce anchor on its roller on the side of the teak bow sprit. The chain plate for the sorestay at the end of the bow sprit sits next to an anchor roller and is above the chainplate for the stainless rod bob stay. The anchor chain is led aft to a bronze hawse pipe. Just aft of the sprit is the mount for the staysail boom and then the starboard bow cleat. The boat also has a windlass, but it is on the port side of center, so doesn't show up in this model.
The following pictures document the construction of the model.
May 31, 06 - This picture shows the laminated backplane with the station frames sitting on it. I cut out and laminated the backplane with a layer of 6 oz. fiberglass cloth set in epoxy last night. This morning I cut out the station frames.
May 31, 06 - The next step was to glue the station frames to the backplane. After that I glued the deck to the backplane and to the frames. Next I started planking by installing the sheer and waterline planks. Over the next week or so I will finish planking the hull, sand it fair and fiberglass it for strength.
June 4, 06 - Since my last update I have finished planking the hull down to the waterline. I have also cut off and planked the transom. The next step is to finish planking the hull below the waterline.
June 12, 06 - Since my last update I spent a bit of time out sailing and didn't get much done on this model. However, I have now finished planking the hull and have started fiberglassing the model. I have also cut out the 13.5"x44" mahogany mounting board, which the model is sitting on above. I will finish glassing the model on Thursday, when I start the filling and fairing process.
June 16, 06 - Today I finished fuberglassing the hull. I will let the glass cure over the weekend and then start filling and fairing the surfaces to get the model ready for primer painting. The two halves of the mounting board has also been epoxied together.
June 23, 06 - I have now finished filling and fairing the hull and have started priming. The picture above shows the model with the primer on the bottom, but the topsides unpainted. After I took this picture I put the first coat of Awlgrip primer on the topsides. Tomorrow I will sand it smooth and decide if a second coat is needed. Once I finish priming the model I will build the cockpit and cabin house.
June 26, 06 - I have now finished priming the topsides. The picture above shows the model after the third coat of Awlgrip primer has cured, but not been sanded. After I took this picture I sanded this coat of primer out and the model's topsides are now ready for topcoating. After I sanded the topsides, I sheathed the deck with 10 thousands thisk polystyrene, cut the propeller aperture into the keel and rudder and reprimed the bottom. I have also sanded out the mounting board and will cut it down to size and chamfer the edges soon. I spent a couple of hours this evening drawing the layout drawing for the deck, cockpit and cabin house, which I will start work on tomorrow.
July 2, 06 - Since my last update I have built the cabin house, cockpit and cockpit coaming in balsa. The next step is to face the surfaces of the cabin and cockpit with styrene sheet.
July 2, 06 (cont.) - This picture shows the T-cockpit and the inset in the cabin house for the companionway.
July 6, 06 - Since my last update I have faced the cabin house and cockpit with styrene sheet, filled and faired the joints and put the first coat of primer on the deck, cabin house and cockpit. The next step is to touch up any fairing that needs it and then reprime in preparation for painting the deck, house and cockpit.
July 6, 06 (cont.) - This picture shows the finished cockpit. You can see the hatches in the cockpit seats.
July 14, 06 - Since my last update I have painted the deck, house and cockpit and started the process of awl-grip painting the topsides. Awl-grip is a 2 part polyurethane paint that goes on very thin, so several coats are generally required to get a good finish. The picture above shows the model after its second coat of Awl-grip. I still have a bit of sanding to do before I can apply what I hope will be the third and final coat. When I have the topsides painted, I will paint the non-skid areas on the deck and then the boot stripe. Once the painting is done I will start building and adding details to the model. Today I also cut the mounting board to its final 13.5"x43" size, chamfered its edges and started varnishing the board.
July 29, 06 - It has been a while since I updated this model. The reason is that the Awl-Grip painting took a LOT longer than I thought it would. I ended up with 5 coats of Awl-Grip. The final coat had a few dust flecks so I sanded them out and then polished the paint back to a nice shine. Over the last few days I have been getting the deck ready for installation of details. I installed the hatch bases, stay-sail track base and storm hood. Today I finally painted the non-skid on the deck, cockpit and cabin top. I have also been working on the mounting board. I just put the 7th coat of varnish on its front. The back of the mounting board has 6 coats of varnish. The next step is to paint the boot stripe. After that is done I will start installing the teak (toe and rub rails, cockpit coamings, eye brow, etc.) and other deck details. Once the toe and rub rails are on the model, I will put the cove stripe on, paint the bottom and mount the model on the mounting board.
Aug 11, 06 - Since my last update I have spent considerable time buffing the topsides awl-grip. I have also built, varnished and installed all the teak. I have also reprimed the bottom and painted the boot stripe. Tomorrow I will install the ports and cove stripe. I plan to paint the bottom on Monday after the boot stripe has had a couple of days to cure completely. After the bottom is painted I will mount the model and start putting detail components on it.
Aug 13, 06 - Yesterday I put the cove stripe and ports on the model. I also built and installed the companionway slide and the teak grate on the cockpit sole. Tomorrow I will buff and wax the topsides, paint the bottom and then mount the model. When that is done I will start adding details to the topsides.
Aug 15, 06 - Yesterday I painted the bottom of the model and mounted it on the mahogany mounting board. Today I started machining detail components, specifically the two Lewmar self-tailing winches. I will mount them tomorrow and move on to other detail components.
Aug 20, 06 - Since my last update I have been building deck detail components. I still have the aft deck hatch to finish and the aft cowl vent with dorade to build. Other than that the deck details are now finished. The most obvious additions are the anchor, bobstay and winches. This week I will build the deck hatch and cowl and then get started on the cabin top details. The following two pictures show the deck details in more detail.
Aug 20, 06 (cont.) - Most of my time over the last 5 days has been spent on the bow details. Here you can see the 44 lb Bruce anchor on its roller with its chain rode led to the hawse pipe. Other details that are visible include the chain plates for the forestay in inner stay, the support for the staysail boom, one of the two bow cleats, the bow chock and the stainless rod bobstay.
Aug. 20, 06 (cont.) - Here is a better view of some of the aft deck details. Working forward you can see the aft chock and mooring cleat. On the toe rail you can see the genoa track with its two fairlead blocks. On the cockpit coaming you can see the Lewmar 48ST chrome winch. There is a Lewmar 30ST chrome winch on the cabin top. Additional details that don't show up include a jack line padeye at the stern, a couple of deck fills and all the chain plates for the main and mizzen.
August 24, 06 - So far this week I have built a number of cabin top details. In this picture you can see the three hatches, the dorade box with its cowl vent, 4 fairleads, the mast and the staysail track. I still have a cleat, some line stoppers, several turning and stand-up blocks and the traveller to build before I move on to the cockpit.
August 27, 06 - Over the last three days I have completed all but a single cleat on the cabin top. Consequently, I will start detailing the cockpit on August 28th and should have this model finished right after the Labor Day weekend. The picture above shows the nearly completed cabin top. The next picture shows the details a bit more closely.
August 27, 06 (cont.) - Here you can see the various cabin top details. Working from the aft end of the cabin you can see the Lewmar 30STC winch, to line organizers, a small hatch, the aft 7 loop teak hand rail, the traveller, Another cabin top hatch, two turning blocks and a fairlead, two stand up blocks next to the mast, the mast, the staysail track, the forward 3 loop handrail two more fairleads, the dorade and cowl and the third cabin top hatch. While I am working on the cockpit details, I will build the remaining cleat and also the car and control hardware for the traveller.