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| Examples of models – various types. |
Nobby609 views
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Tug Furie.937 viewsThis working model of a steam tugboat is twenty-seven inches long. She is small enough to be easy to store and display, easy to transport to the water, but big enough to carry a convincing level of detail. She has a good presence on the water.
She is a complete pleasure to sail. At the end of a demanding day's work, take a little ship like this to the water. Put her afloat. As she gathers way, spinning her delicate web of illusion, looking every inch a little ship in great waters, you can feel the day's cares wash away. Model boats can be very therapeutic.
She is based on the famous Dutch steam tug "Furie", now preserved. Tugs are an important part of the Dutch maritime heritage. The Dutch are the world's marine salvage specialists, and many of the world's largest and most powerful tugs sail under their flag. "Furie", exemplifying a vessel from an earlier age, is something of a national monument.
This model is now in the famous Childe Beale collection.
(model by John Davies)
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ASR 1021024 viewsAir Sea Rescue Launch 102 is preserved in full running order by Power Boat Restorations, at Hythe, on the Solent. She makes a lovely prototype for a scale launch.
The model is not too big, elaborate or expensive, but she carries a satisfying level of detail, and has a lively performance. She is a good model to take to the water on impulse, and blast around until the batteries run out.
These boats are of great historic interest. They were the first high-speed planing vessels designed to operate in the open sea. Previously, planing boats had been confined to inshore racing courses, and "fast" offshore rescue craft had been exemplified by the RNLI's "Sir William Hillary", a displacement type boat with a top speed of seventeen knots. In contrast, these ASRs would make forty knots. Every fast motor yacht, and all of the modern breed of lifeboat, owe a design debt to these launches.
This model was featured in "Marine Modelling" magazine, April 1999, and is now in the famous Childe Beale collection.
(model by John Davies)
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Solomon Browne1124 viewsOn December 19th, 1981, the
coaster "Union Star" suffered engine failure off Mount's Bay, in a violent gale. It seems possible that the captain failed to realise how close in he was. The Penlee lifeboat "Solomon Browne" approached the casualty not in the huge rollers offshore, which would have been dangerous enough, but in the boiling cauldron of rocks and broken water close inshore, in darkness, amidst enormous breakers and hurricane force winds.
They made repeated runs alongside in the most appalling conditions. Twice, the lifeboat, all twenty-three tons of her, was picked up and beached on the casualty's hatch covers. Despite this terrible battering, they kept coming back. They took off four of the eight people aboard, but were overwhelmed before they could rescue the others. There were no survivors.
The small village of Mousehole was thown into deep grief. Then they showed true heroism. They mustered a new crew and asked for a replacement boat within hours.
As well as being a justly honoured piece of lifeboat history, the "Solomon Browne" makes a wonderful model. At 1/12th scale, fittings are sturdy. She fits in the car. She is as seaworthy as you would expect. While she is a lovely display model, she really comes into her own on the water, where she is startlingly evocative of the real boat. She makes a tiny, but not unworthy, tribute to some very brave men.
She will usually draw an audience. Rattle an RNLI collection box at them. The lifeboats need your help. Remember, they might be out again tonight.
(model by John Davies)
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Agnes1061 viewsHere she is in about 5-7 knots of breeze, in which she can happily carry everything, including a big topsail. She moves well, and has one of those lovely hulls that slips through the water without disturbing it much. She handles remarkably like a full-sized gaff cutter, and I can say that as someone whom once lived aboard one and cruised her extensively.
(Built by Mike Mayhew of Waverley Models, rigging modified by John Davies, featured in "Marine Modelling" March 2011)
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Ranger. (J Class)622 viewsShe was broken up in 1941. It seems a full-sized replica may be built. You can buy our lovely miniature replica for a great deal less, today.
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ACHILLES983 viewsThis lovely little display piece is a model of a fast New York schooner, circa 1835.
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Torrens689 viewsThe lovely "Torrens" was the crack ship on the Australian passenger run. She was the favorite ship of the author Joseph Conrad.
This fine model, a family heirloom, was badly damaged in a house fire. We re-planked three large holes in the hull, cleaned off all traces of charring, and refurbished all the deck fittings.
Due to pressure of time in our own workshop, we contracted out the re-rigging to a local expert. He re-rigged the mizzen mast, which had survived the fire. The fore and main masts were charred stumps, so he replaced them in their entirety. He did a lovely job.
Throughout the entire restoration, it is hard to tell where the old ends and the new begins. This is one of the most sensitive aspects of restoration, and one in which we take great pride. It is a difficult balance, taking great judgement. One has to restore a model to its former glory, without incorpotating so much new material that it loses that lovely patina of age. We feel we succeeded here, and are proud to offer this illustration for your consideration.
(model by unknown builder, circa 1947, hull restoration by John Davies, re-rigged by John Hatchett)
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