As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I am just about finished the hull of the Frigate Themis and started work on the masts and spars as well as the tops.  I like this work as no two pieces are the same so lots of variety and yet needs lots of attention.  First picture is the hull now mounted on its base.  I made the base out of Cherry and it looks OK but not the match I was hoping for.  Will have to think about it.  The other picture is the various masts, spars, tops and gaffs that will go onto the model.  And this does not include the bumpkins and studding spars.

Some background on this model.  The Themis is from a series of novels by Sean Russell about a young officer in the 1790s in the Royal Navy that I read several years ago.  It is an imaginary frigate but according to the author, based on an actual Frigate Pallas class.  Turns out the author lives in Comox and after I met him we got into a discussion on ship types and I decided to make my next model based on the Themis.  By the way the Themis is the goddess of justice and you might recognize her as the lady wearing a blindfold and holding in one hand a sword and in the other a balance.  Very difficult to carve for the figure head.

In any event, Sean has grown very interested in the model and has come over several times to see the progress.  I keep expecting him to ask me to sell it to him but he has not yet popped the question.  I am taking a short break from the model.  Sean introduced me to a friend of his that has a model that his uncle made for him 50 years ago that needs extensive repairs.  I am taking that project on and it will be the subject of a future blog.