I am sorry that my blog fans have missed me.  Glamouring for content.  I have finished the standing rigging phase.

But we are back home and I can prepare a blog on the progress on my model of the Frigate Themis.  I was hoping before we left on our extended trip that I could finish the standing rigging, but as it turns out I lacked the specific material for the rat lines.  I ran out of the thread or line material that had the correct diameter for the accurate scale.  You would think you could go to fabric land and buy black thread of the scale but all they have is too thick or too thin.

So I had to order lines of the proper scale before we left from the States and had it shipped to Blaine Washington where I had my brother of the same name pick it up, sneak it across the border and send on to me.

By the way Rat Lines are the twines that form a ladder up the shrouds to the tops.  You have seen them on movies many times.

Standing rigging is the term for the fixed lines that support the masts.  They are black because they are treated regularly with tar to keep them waterproof. As they do not run through blocks, they can be tarred.

The next stage is to prepare the spars (yards) and all the natural colored running rigging.  Many months to go.  This is probably my favorite time on model building.  Blocks to be made and brackets etc.  No day is a repeat.