Sandpaper the deck smooth and mark the deck planks with a very hard pencil. The lines should run truly fore and aft at about ¼-in. intervals.

Across the after bulkhead there will be an overlay S either of a hardwood such as mahogany or a piece of a cigar box. It should be as thin as possible.

Mark or carve on it a center door flanked by windows. The latter can be cut right out and backed with pieces of celluloid or mica; it is glued and lightly nailed on. A similar piece may be made for the forward bulkhead, but will not show.

Similar overlays should be made to glue onto the poop sides T, each with six ¼ in. sq. windows, two between each of the four after skids. The photographs show them all the way along, but that may be too many and the drawings should be followed. Across the forward end of the after deck glue a thin strip to cover the joint, and along the after bulwarks a similar but wider strip, flush inside but projecting 1/16 in. outboard.

Across the stern is overlay U. This may be plain with the exception of two little doors. It is possible, however, that because Columbus named his ship "Santa Maria," one of his few friends at court may have given him a painting of the Madonna, which he fastened to the stern of his ship. Suitable little pictures may be bought. This piece is nailed flat; the top rail continues over it and similar pieces cover the side joints.

The cow bridge, or midship half-deck, comes next. This is best made of thin three-ply wood, but can be of thin pine about 3/32 in. thick, with the grain athwart. It lies along the bulwarks until it reaches the after curves, from where it runs straight to the after bulkhead. Its shape will be seen in the deck plan, Fig. 27. It is planked-marked across, butts up to the forward bulkhead, and has an extra support underneath with some posts glued to the bulwarks and four posts under the inner edges. If of pine, it had better have a thin batten glued along the inner edges to prevent splitting when bent to the sheer of the bulwarks.

The wales, or longitudinal strengthened, should now be glued and nailed on. These also may be of pine, but rattan, reed or cane, such as is used by chair menders (they call it spline) for fastening woven cane seats in place, is better because it bends easily without steaming. Nearly 20 ft. of this will be wanted, 1/8 in. thick and 3/16 in. wide. Their position is shown in Fig. 25. The first one starts at the curl of the stem, comes level with the top edge of the cow bridge at station point 777, and continues to the stern at the lower edge of the poop overlay. The others are parallel, except that they are slightly closer at the ends.

In between these, plank marks may be scored with a sharp point. The upright skids are half-lapped (skid and wale being notched) so that they set in almost flush. They are splines of the same size. Note that the midship ones are almost upright, but that the others slant more and more as they work fore and aft. If they are fastened with round-headed nails, such as escutcheon nails, the effect is good. The short pieces at the forward end of the cow bridge are set in between the skids.

Fig. 26. - The hull construction and the method of fitting the decks, bulwarks, cow bridge, and other details.

We have now done all the heavy work. Give the lower part two or three coats of flat white paint up to the water line (top edge of D), the deck a coat of light brown stain, and the rest of the hull some darker stain. The final coloring will come later. You can also make a temporary base in which to hold the model upright. Such a base may be seen in Fig. 28. The top part revolves on a peg in the lower.

The forecastle is a platform resting on timbers that are bolted to the fore part of the hull and project over the stem (Figs. 29 and 30). To make it correctly, first nail to the hull two strips of wood 1/8 in. thick, ¼ in. wide and 4½. in. long, with their centers 2½ in. apart at the after edge and ¾ in. apart at the fore ends. Nail other pieces from the extreme after corners, beveled to meet the first pieces at the fore ends. Across these lay five smaller battens at equal distances, except that there must be room between the second and third for the mast and bowsprit holes. The ends, which will be cut off square, will project slightly beyond the side timbers.

Fig. 27. - The deck plan, which should be compared carefully with Figs. 29 and 30; and a detail of the ornamental overlays for the sides of the model.

To the size and shape of this triangular support, cut a thin piece of wood, such as from a cigar box. Score it to represent deck planks and cut a round hole for the mast and a square one for the bowsprit, as in Fig. 27. (Also see Fig. 34.) Cut five other pieces of wood not more than 1/8 in. thick and ¾ in. wide to go around this, with the exception of a l½-in. gap in the middle of the after part. Along the two sides and after ends bore two rows of holes at equal distances apart and of a full 1/8 in. diameter. These are for the protection of the archers or musketeers. Nail and glue these to the platform with mitered or square corners. Along them glue three 1/16-in. moldings. On the front end there may be an ornament.

Stain the supporting timbers dark brown and the rest light brown inside; paint the outsides with cerulean (sky) blue, but not too brightly. After the blue has been applied, rub a little green and Vandyke brown into it.

On the after deck, first make the corridor or half deck W, Fig. 27. (See also Figs. 30 and 31.) Make ten strips 1% in. long, ten 1 in. long and eight 4% in. long, all 1/8 in. square in cross section. Lay two of the long pieces % in. apart and with ½-in. pins nail five 1 5/8-in. pieces to them at equal distances. Nail the lower ends of these uprights to the inside of the bulwarks. Fasten one of the strips to the deck with its midship edge 1 1/8 in. from the bulwark at the fore end and the whole parallel to the center line of the vessel; to a fourth strip nail the ends of the shortest pieces, and nail their lower ends to the deck strips. To fit on this superstructure, lay a thin deck with the grain athwart and the planks marked. Do the same for the other side and steady the two with a strip across the whole at the after end. Note that the long pieces follow the line of the sheer, and the uprights slope slightly aft.