Hi Sasha. I agree, to blacken the first two steps is as it should be according to the instructions. I left them in their natural walnut to see what the effect would be against the black (wale) background and I'm not too disappointed with that either. I'll keep bearing it in mind and hopefully come to a final decision before the end of the build
Thanks Paul. Ah yes, rigging. The word alone gives me the shivers. I purchased a book a while ago called Rigging Period Ship Models by Lennarth Petersson which I understand to be a good pictorial source of truth for modellers such as myself who is still desperately trying to understand what the mass of ropes and blocks on a sailing ship are designed to do, and hopefully it will cover any gaps that are missing in Amati's rigging instructions
Thanks Johan
Hi Aussierob and thanks for the compliment! I bought my HMS Fly model and upgrade kit at the same time from an outfit called Cornwall Model Boats in the UK. Even with the exchange rate and shipping costs you are bound to get it cheaper than your quote from Italy.
Thanks Jim
Thanks Jeff
Grant, totally agree ...Good afternoon Mark. It is so good.
The kit suggests that the estimated build time for the HMS Fly is 'between 100 to 120 hours
you are doing an excellent job assembling your Fly! Great job!
Hi Donnie, I'm afraid my HMS Fly is very far from completed. I estimate that I am only roughly halfway at this stage, with all the rigging still to come. I am not sure how the misunderstanding came about, are you able to correct it? Thanks
Hi Jacob, and thanks for the kind words! I am glad to see that another Fly is underway on this forum and I will be sure to follow your progress. Yes, I am very far from completing my own Fly and estimate that I'm roughly halfway now, all that rigging still to come. The [Completed Build] in the title is misleading and has yet to be corrected, not sure how that happens? Anyway I am glad that you find my log of some use, although I only get around to the shipyard every other day and my progress is rather sluggish. You will likely - as others have - pass me by at some point. Probably during the night, as ships do
Howzit Heinrich, so good to hear from you again! (Especially when you say all those nice things
). There is still a long way to go of course and I am hoping to become better educated with the principles of rigging and how it all works as I go through that phase of the build. I hope and trust that all is going well with your good work over in Nantong, and congratulations indeed on being appointed Academic Director of the International Department. You are clearly valued and I am sure, like the ship models you research and build, you will make a success of that too 
Good morning Mark. Way to go. Love the details - oars “binded” with rope nogal…. Cheers GrantI used the intermission between the hull and rigging efforts to assemble a small lifeboat that came with the Fly's upgrade kit. The hull was a metal affair and various lengths and shades of wood made up the bottom boards, thwarts and sternsheets.
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The oars were decorated as per instructions, brown handles (rope in this instance), white shafts, and alluring copper guards for the tips.
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A single kedge anchor and four boarding pikes, also painted to specification to emulate wooden shafts and iron tips.
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The oars and pikes are bundled together, and, along with the anchor, bundled aboard and secured in the lifeboat.
View attachment 427314
The lifeboat will ulimately be lashed to a pair of spare topmasts and suspended in the open air above the waist. This is likely to interfere with the rigging at this stage and will be installed later on. Probably much, much later on, given the current level of my rigging skills and expertise
View attachment 427315
Thanks for checking in
Mark
