June 2025 Volume 15 number 6

Last month we attended the 42nd annual joint clubs of the Northeast show in New London CT, Here is a video of it, courtesy of Ohla Batchvarov and a review of the most interesting models by Kroum Batchvarov:

(look for me, Trisha and Todd Wardell's back in the opening frame)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaV0lQab-XA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z2wPRc9jAA

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! And yes, BlueJacket is one of the sponsors.

www.modelshipworld.com

We received this email recently. Please note that the kit is before Larry Arnot totally revised the kit in the 1980's, and has lead fittings.

Josh

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USS Constitution kit for sale

I have this kit that my father bought from you about fifty years ago in the 1970's. It's still in its original box. I noticed in your online catalog that it's out of stock ! if you have any inquiries or customers wanting to get one of these USS CONSTITUTION K1018 Kits. I would like to see it go to someone with the skill to complete it. so if you have someone looking for this kit please pass my email address to them so that i might sell this kit to them.

Best Regards

Bobby Waite

732-516-8566

04fatboy95cu@gmail.com

Berm - A narrow shoal or bank, or a raised embankment, along a river or shoreline. The term comes from Old Norse, barmr, brim.

Cleading - Casing for buoyancy tanks for a lifeboat. The word is an old one, coming from Scottish, thence from Old Norse.

Mayday - The distress call for voice radio, for vessels and people in serious trouble at sea. The term was made official by an international telecommunications conference in 1948, and is an anglicizing of the French m'aidez, "help me."

Tumblehome - The sloping curving of a vessel's sides, inboard from the vertical. Earlier called falling home and tumbling home. The derivation is not known; it could be from Old French, tumeresse. One meaning of tumblehome in Middle English was to tilt or slope.



Information is from the book "Origins of Sea Terms" by John G. Rogers

copyright 1985 Mystic Seaport Museum, Inc. and available from BlueJacket.

From Rick S. of Canada

"Hi Nic,

Always a pleasure reading your messages.

I wanted to show you the latest kit I am creating. This one will finally include 3D-printed parts and planking. So the only thing left now that a modeller needs to add to my kit are the motor and the electronics. And, of course, the T-rail for construction and cradle, for later, are also part of the kit.

The revolutionary thing about this model is the twisting notches for the internal stringers. Unlike any other kit I have seen, my internal notches follow the correct path that a real stringer would take.

I hope you like it. "

From Robert F. of IL

"Nic,

bench photo

Working on the USS Constitution rigging using various sources including the Bluejacket plans.

Up to the main topgallant mast

Ship is also lit with 27 LED circuits, including random flashes in the port guns, gun deck fully illuminated, and orlop deck also illuminated.

Bob"

Nic's bench - Spray model is now finished. Next I'll be doing a repair job on a large Friendship Sloop

Al's bench - Al spent some time to make a "diorama" mounting kit for our New Bedford whaleboat. Our display model has it, and several people have asked to build it. kit# KLW122A, look for it on our website late next week.

And here it is with the whaleboat mounted

From the Redwood Empire Model Shipwrights newsletter:

Deadeyes, which tension the shrouds that support the masts, are an important structural and visual element in the rigging of a model ship. When they are neat and shipshape they give proof that the modeler has top notch skills and knowledge. Good quality line has to be used for the shrouds and accurately sized and shaped deadeyes have to be made or bought, but the techniques of properly setting them up are just as important. In the first drawing you can see how the deadeyes are set in two parallel lines with their faces all turned out. To get this effect there are two techniques to learn. First, there is the lacing of the lanyard through the paired holes as shown in the second drawing. This is pretty straightforward. The trick is to get the two lines of deadeyes to set up parallel.

Here is a simple tool that can help. The Deadeye Claw is made from stiff wire, such as a paper clip. Two pieces are twisted together in such a way as to leave two 'claws' on each end. Fit the lower claws into the holes of a lower deadeye, then fit the upper deadeye to the remaining claws. Now wrap the shroud around the upper deadeye and back up. Attach it to itself with several seizings and you can remove the Claw. Lace the lanyard and you are done.

Using the Claw on all the deadeye pairs will give you a consistent distance between them and the neat and shipshape look that everyone will appreciate.

We just added 3 new HO kits to our website. You can see them here:

https://www.bluejacketinc.com/shop/model-ships/kits-model-ships/ho-and-n-gauge/87-coal-barge-kho308/

https://www.bluejacketinc.com/shop/model-ships/kits-model-ships/ho-and-n-gauge/sardine-carrier-kho309/

https://www.bluejacketinc.com/shop/model-ships/kits-model-ships/ho-and-n-gauge/self-propelled-barge-kho310/