First US Navy Lexington, Shipyard, 1:96

[jimbean]

Here is a tiny bit of progress. The front filigree is finished.
The rudder and the first of the deck furniture, the companionway to the lower regions.
Also the channels. Note that they are divided to accommodate to the gun ports.

This is a rather strange ship in that there are no living spaces,
no rear captains cabin, no forecastle and no smoke pipe from a cook shack.
How did they survive?

The ship was originally a civil cargo ship with presumably a tiny crew.
It was purchased in 1776 and then armed.
With 4 men to a gun it would take 32 men to handle just one side making a much larger crew.
There are no ports or windows to ventilate the lower deck so it must have been ugly down there.
Sleeping above in hammocks would work but only in the tropics.
Mysteries.
cheers Jim

[jimbean]

hi friends,
Some more deck items. The big capstan in kind of a funny place, IE not forward.
The steering wheel frame is minus the wheel which will be purchased later. Sorry not paper.
A rigging diagram is included in the plans. I think I can do better.
Finally how the kit maker thinks the wheel should look
cheers Jim