To ease the tension of the rigging, the lines go through holes in the foredeck and around pulleys called reeving sheaves. To create these sheaves, I first drilled holes into the foredeck clinker planking.
Then I created the pulley by cutting off the end of a dowel and grooving it.
The ladders are created exactly how one would expect – each piece is cut then glued together. It takes a great deal of patience and persistence to glue the ladders with all of the “steps” even and secure.
To ensure the ladders are held in place adequately, each ladder is fitted with a pin in the base. A corresponding hole is then drilled in the ship. This extra step dramatically increases the stability when the ladder is mounted between decks.
Although some reference material shows only one set of steps from the poop deck, Xavier Pastor’s reference shows two ladders. The final detail to the ladder is the chain guide running from the top stanchion to the bottom stanchion.
The Lehman Shipyard 