Once the Fo’c’sle has been constructed, the foredeck has been mounted to it, and the head beam is put in place, I was able to add both the bowsprit and foremast. Unlike later ships in which the bowsprit and foremast are mounted separately, the Santa Maria’s bow masts are linked together. This made for a very tricky process.
The technique involved putting the two masts in place while the foredeck was unattached. I then bound the two masts together at the proper angle at their base. The patience then kicked in when it was time to mount the foredeck while matching up where the masts enter the main deck.
The final product with the head beam and windlass in place looked pretty good. It all makes me realize just how little space the sailors had to run around and actually sail the ship.
The Lehman Shipyard 