Ratlines are the “rope ladders” that allow sailors to climb the masts of sailing ships. Making these can be intimidating to new ship modelers. Here’s a short video clip showing the process of tying ratlines using the tried and true “clove hitch” knot that used on the full-sized ships.

In the video description on the Youtube sight, the poster says:

The model in the clip is Mamoli’s 1/54-scale English royal yacht Mary, 1660. This ship has only 1 mast with 4 shrouds on each side, limiting the number of ratlines needed. The ratlines are about 16″ scale inches apart. The card with the lines on it was created as a visual guide. Once the knots are done, I touch each knot with matte acrylic varnish to help hold the knot in place. Other modelers may use watered-down PVA glue for the same reason. You’ll notice I stretch the knots by grabbing the ends of the ratline and pulling outward. This tightens the knots, stretches the line, and prevents the “pulling in” of the shrouds that you see on some models.

This is, of course, just one way to add ratlines. Some modelers, especially at smaller scales, may use a sewing needle to run the ratlines through each of the shrouds, using no knots, then use glue to secure them. Others may simply glue each ratlines directly to the shrouds, again, using no knots.

On real ships at full size, the ends of the ratlines are not knotted, but an eye is formed in each end, and those eye are lashed to the outer most shrouds.  However, some modelers simulate this by tying the outermost knots using what is called a “cow hitch”.

You should use whatever method you find works best for you! Ω

All the wooden ship model kits that we sell include grating strips if they are required for the model. We also sell gratings in strip form and pre-assembled gratings as well. But, if you’re a stickler for exact scale, or your scratch modeling and want to make them yourself, here’s article we found that may help if you have your own hobby table saw.

Cutting Your Own Grating Strips

Building HMS Wolf – Shipyard’s 1/72 Scale Laser-Cut Card Kit – Part 14

Here’s an update on Shipyard’s 1/72-scale laser-cut paper model of the British 10-gun sloop HMS Wolf, 1752. The model is now in the rigging stage and we think it won’t be long before we start to see the masts go up on this beautiful model.

Building HMS Wolf – Shipyard’s 1/72 Scale Laser-Cut Card Kit – Part 13

This build of Shipyard’s laser-cut paper model of the English navy brig HMS Wolf, 1754 is a detailed and complicated kit, as you can see in this customer’s build log.

While this build is going well, we recommend newcomers to paper ship modeling try tackling the 1/72-scale laser-cut kit of the French lugger Le Coureur, or possibly the British naval cutter HMS Alert first. These are both excellent, well-detailed kits in the same scale as this HMS Wolf kit, but with less complex rigging, and of course, a lower pricing.

For those ready for the toughest challenge, there is of course Shipyard’s masterpiece kit, HMS Mercury, a full-rigged frigate, and a very complex build with its many cannons and 3 masts.

Any of these kits would make ideal gifts for the holidays, complete with paints, brushes, all materials necessary, photo based instructions, and several plans sheets.

Check out these and other kits at Ages of Sail. Ω