There's a choice to be made regarding which parts of rigging to do first, and there's always a trade-off :)
I was trying to think of the most practical way to get all of the *inner* rigging done first, so I wouldn't have to navigate the shrouds afterward....so I tried attaching the yards first so I could get all the lifts and other lines that belay to the fife rails at the base of the masts, without having to reach around the shrouds. But the trade-off was that now I have to tie ratlines across the shrouds with yards attached...it's not super-difficult, but as I get to the last few ratlines toward the top, it does become a hassle. At least now I don't have to try to reach the inner rails.
Nonetheless, my conclusion (in this case) is that it would have been easier to save the yards and lift rigging for after the shrouds...especially since the running rigging on this kit is quite simplified.
This is another opportunity to share some advice on the "following of steps in kit instructions"....I ALWAYS go over the instructions several times, and try to find ways to improve the logic in the sequencing...it's very common that improvements can be found by deviating from the instructions. By the time I finish a kit, there are notes, and highlighter marks, and sketches, and post-its all the over the pages!
As for the ability to adjust the sag, I find the clove hitch knot to be much more forgiving than the overhand knot for making adjustments. While I was learning my ratline technique, it was suggested to me that overhand knots are easier and faster, so I tried it out. They may be faster, but I found that if I made a mistake and got the tension wrong, then I would often get the knot *stuck*, and I couldn't make adjustments to the tension. During my trial with overhand knot ratlines, I had to scrap entire rows because the sag was inconsistent and I couldn't get it how I wanted it every time...so in the end it wasn't faster, it actually took WAY longer to fix mistakes, so I moved on to clove hitches, and now I feel much more in control of the tension, and making adjustments is more forgiving. I started by practicing on a jig I made and I would make some *false shrouds* and then practice rattling them down...by the 3rd or 4th row, I had it figured out.
Of course, different people will always have their own technique for what works best for them.
BTW, I'm a leftie, so I don't know if others will work from left to right when tying ratlines....something to consider.
Dave
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Current Project: Imai/ERTL Spanish Galleon #2
Recently Finished: Revell 1/96 Cutty Sark
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