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July 2022 Volume 12 number 7

ShipShape

News, Tips and Happenings
IT'S TIME
 
Next month I’ll turn 73 years old. For nine years I’ve given my all to BlueJacket. We’ve created 11 new kits, three kits have been brought back and updated, and six kits have been improved. There are also 4 kits on the drawing board. Our newsletter has a fresh new look and now reaches over 5,000 people. Improvements to our facilities include a new roof, new oil tanks, new digital wide-format printer, new computers, new software, and a new website on the horizon.
 
So, now it’s time to pass this historic company to new hands. I'm not going through a commercial broker; I am reaching out to the modeling community because I BELIEVE IT IS VERY IMPORTANT that BlueJacket is led by a modeler who also possesses excellent business skills. In other words, someone with a passion for the products we so carefully create and the drive to build on the tradition of “a proud American company making beautiful ship model kits since 1905!”
 
I‘ll continue in Charlie's footsteps as the voice of the help line and will do repairs and custom work, etc.
 
So, if anyone is interested in the adventure of a lifetime with an historic company, contact me (below) or stop by and we can talk. I have no time-frame and will spend as much time as necessary to find the right person.

[email protected] or call 207-548-9970
 
NRG'S MODEL SHIP WORLD
Model Ship World is an on-line forum of over 40,000 ship modelers. Topics range from kits to scratch builds, in-process continuing stories, tips, manufacturer information, technical topics. Too many to list here. Go take a look!

www.modelshipworld.com
Nautical terms and origins
Armada - A fleet of ships. Its origin is the Latin armator, meaning any armed force. At the time when the term was in use, virtually all offshore vessels had some kind of armament.

Bunting - Loosely woven wool or cotton cloth from which flags are made, and sometimes still are. The term comes from the Middle English bonten, to sift, leaving us to guess that this was an early use of this fabric.

Gaff - The upper spar of a fore-and-aft, four-sided sail, the first of which, in larger craft, was the fore-and-aft spanker that was replacing the lateen sail in the XVIII century. The origin is obscure in its present meaning, but the word comes from Old French, gaffe, gaff or cudgel.

Short Stay - Said when the anchor chain or cable is not yet "up-and-down" and the anchor is still on the bottom, in the process of hoisting. The origin of the term is probably the same as that for long stay (an old term for a long anchor rode, usually 4x the depth of the water

Information is from the book "Origins of Sea Terms" by John G. Rogers
copyright 1985 Mystic Seaport Museum, Inc. and available from BlueJacket. 
Model of the Month - Bowdoin diorama
Jon D. of ME writes:

"Nic
 
The Bowdoin diorama has been at the new Windjammer Emporium down on the wharf in Boothbay Harbor since late May . I include the label and some small shots that I made as part of the posting. If you want larger format let me know which ones.
 
It was a great experience to do this project while the real Bowdoin was being rebuilt.  Anyway off to new projects.  I am scratch building the first ship of Boothbay and it is similar to the Red Jacket.  I am enjoying your build and look forward to seeing you in New Bedford."
Real Boat Names
Let's see YOUR workbench
"Hi Nic,
Love the monthly newsletter, I always look forward to getting it and seeing yours and Al‘s progress on your builds. Congrats on the 100th edition.
I wanted to submit a picture of my work bench for a future edition of the newsletter. It’s not much, but it serves its purpose to keep me busy, and I’m happy with what I have. I’m currently working on a 1:48 scratch built USS Cairo Ironclad Gunboat.
Thank you,
Brian P.
North Texas"
What's on the workbench?
Nic's bench - Al has finished construction on the Wyoming and has handed it off to me to do the rigging. Boy, she really fills up my bench!
Al's bench - with the Wyoming done, Al is "full steam ahead" on the USS Oregon. Pun intended
Something Fun
My doctor asked if anyone in my family suffered from mental illness.
I said, "No, we all seem to enjoy it.
My bucket list: keep breathing.
Just once, I want a username and password prompt to say,
"Close enough."
Being an adult is the dumbest thing I have ever done.
I'm a multi - tasker. I can listen, ignore and forget all at the same time!
Retirement to do list: Wake up. Nailed it!
Went to an antique auction and people were bidding on me.
People who wonder if the glass is half empty or half full, miss the point.
The glass is refillable.
I don't have grey hair; I have wisdom highlights.
Sometimes it takes me all day to get nothing done.
I don't trip, I do random gravity checks.
My heart says chocolate and wine, but my jeans say, please,
please, please eat a salad!
Never laugh at your spouse's choices. You are one of them.
One minute you're young and fun. The next, you're turning
down the car stereo to see better.
I'd grow my own food if only I could find bacon seeds.
Losing weight doesn't seem to be working for me, so from
now I'm going to concentrate on getting taller.
My body is a temple; ancient and crumbling.
Common sense is not a gift. It's a punishment because you
have to deal with everyone else who doesn't have it.
I came. I saw. I forgot what I was doing. Retraced my steps.
Got lost on the way back. Now I have no idea what's going on.
Tip of the Month - Small scale reefing lines
In small scales, trying to actually tie reefing lines is nearly impossible.An easy solution is to glue the lines in place. First, cut your lines all to the same length. These are 1/2" long. Next, put a small drop of glue (I use Tacky glue) and lay the line into it. When dry, the glue disappears and the effect is quite good.
Blatant Publicity
A Final Thought...
My decision to find a successor for BlueJacket did not come lightly. I really enjoy most of what i do, especially meeting our customers. But it's really time for me to slow down a little bit and smell the roses while I'm in good health and spirits..
Nic Damuck
BlueJacket Shipcrafters