Hi Biggles,
sorry for joining in late, but just as already said above - fantastic little build, she looks outstanding! I really like the rigging, that adds so much to it.
Cheers
Jan
Leo,
Iâm late to the party too, but your build looks excellent. Awesome detail and finish. Looking forward to seeing your Santa Maris.
John
Thanks Yellowhammer, and JJ1973. Still working on tweaking, puttying, painting, researching rigging, etc. Check back in a month, or so. 
Biggles50-This is a really nice looking build! The color finish on the hull and deck are impressive. Well done!
Phillip1
Thanks. Google deserves some credit 
as I did all my research for the rigging, and detail, there. Also learned a lot from other modelersâ builds!
Good job on the Pinta!
The most incriminating evidence of this stone being a hoax is the language itself.
Using runes is one thing, those and the approximate sound they represent can be found in many Swedish dictionaries.
The big problem is the words themselves. The scandinavian languages have changed significantly over time. A Swede back in 1898 would not be able to talk with a viking due to the language barrier.
Example: I read an English book (Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire) written around 1750 - 1780 and there were only a few words (I had to check what âfour-scoreâ meant) that were difficult. A Swedish book about the ship Vega sailing the North East passage from the last years of the 19th century was rather difficult, many words were hard to decipher. Texts by Gustav Vasa (mid 16th century) are fiendishly difficult for modern Swedes.
The Norse language would be close to Icelandic, which Swedes do not understand, but the modern Icelandic differs quite a lot from the old Norse.
I could read and understand the text on that stone which proves to me that it is not old Norse.
It looks like a very lame attempt to âageâ a Swedish 19th century dialect.
Similar to making Old English by writing âYe Olde Gifte Shoppeâ on a sign to lure in the tourists.
Trust me, that stone is as fake as Pamela Anderssons breasts.
I found a sample from a Swedish county law (dated 1275) and that is an EXTREMELY different language. I can sort of understand it if I can read the translation first.
Middle English (roughly same vintage) is easier to understand than that old Swedish
Wycliffes bible 1384
And it was don aftirward, and Jhesu made iorney by citees and castelis, prechinge and euangelysinge Ăže rewme of God, 2and twelue wiĂž him; and summe wymmen Ăžat weren heelid of wickide spiritis and syknessis, Marie, Ăžat is clepid Mawdeleyn, of whom seuene deuelis wenten 3 out, and Jone, Ăže wyf of Chuse, procuratour of Eroude, and Susanne, and manye oĂžere, whiche mynystriden to him of her riches.
Tough but somewhat manageable.
It is totally unbelievable that I would be able to read the Kensington Stone but I could.
Shakespeares original texts feel positively modern compared to Swedish text of the same vintage.
âAnd it was done afterward, and Jesus made journey by cities and castles. preaching and evangelizing the (name ??) of God. 2 and twelve with with him; and some women that were healed of wicked spirits and sickness, Marie (Mary) that is (clepid ??) Magdalene (?), of whom seven devils went out, and Jone (Joan?) the wife of Chuse (?), procurator of Eroude, and Susanne, and many other, which âmynystriden (??)â to him of her richesâ
Yes, tough, but I get the general meaning. Thereâs a few words and expressions Iâm not familiar with. Many years ago I was toying with a copy of the âAnglo-Saxon Chroniclesâ - fun and games!
âRewmeâ â ârealmâ. âClepidâ â âycleptâ, aka ânamedâ or âcalledâ. âMynystridenâ â âministeredâ.