We continue to make progress. As you can see we put our first coat of color onto the waterway and have been sanding the deck smooth to take canvas. The work will progress slowly since we want to make it right.
In the meantime Burr has delivered another metal work assembly – mast truss chainplate
I also thought you’d enjoy the 1903 pictures showing the manpower required to raise RELIANCE’s mainsail and topsail. No wonder she needed a crew of 64! Also a picture of RELIANCE and CONSTITUTION at the start of a trials race.
We always look at pictures for clues to what was really on RELIANCE. We’ve often wondered about RELIANCE’s lifeboat which in our drawings is shown as a 14′ lifeboat of very particular design. About a dozen years ago the museum commissioned a 12′ version. The picture showing the mainsail being raised clearly shows the 14′ version. So, we now have a 12′ version for sale!