The Ship wheels were mounted, the rudder lines turned on and tightened.  Great news.  When I drew the lines back through a hidden eyebolt and knotted, the combination worked.

I made the rudder a year ago and fastened the lines through a series of pulleys and up through the main deck.  Over the next year I framed the deck and planked it and started on framing the quarter deck where the ship’s wheel is mounted.   All the time trying not to block the lines.

Mount the wheel and wrap the lines and then tighten the lines back through the myriad of pulleys and brackets.  Now in a real ship this is done after construction when you can send men to pull the lines through the various pulleys, but as I do not have access to men 3/4 of an inch high to handle this, I have to pre plan.

I locked in the last connection and turn the wheel and the rudder swings.  Sweeet.  Repeat many times.

Now you may think this is easy but I have had failures.  On my own model the Juno, after a few attempts, the line somewhere in the guts came off a pulley and jammed so to this day the wheel does not move the rudder.  Did not even attempt on models from years ago.  I managed to make this work on the Victory but was happy it worked on Diana.

Long way to go but this is a major success.

Ship Wheels