Hi all, I started a new build during Christmas and I'm just about ready to start painting the haul so I figured its a good time to get the build log going. I've had this kit for about a year now, purchased from Bauer in Germany along with with the recommended equipment including their Schottel Drive system. The plan is to have the two Schottel drives, a bow thruster, one working Anchor (possibly two in the future of off the same winch), a sound system, two working radars, working spot light with pivot in pitch and yaw, always on nav lights and interior lights, RC working main winch and manually operated bow and side winches, tow separate working fire monitors able to rotate individually, possibly a smoke generator and final an auto bilge system This comes to a total of 18 RC, unfortunately I only have 16 available so we will have to see what ends up in the ship. So far I have the drives and bow thruster all fit and ready for assembly. I then built up the frame work and made the holes for the fire pumps and bilge. then had to build the lower deck house so I could fit the deck in the right place on the ship. Once the deck was dry fit I cut the scuppers then glued the deck down. I then set to work making the deck splash proof by installing and extending the kits coaming. I also add a drop floor under the aft hatch that I'm hoping will allow me to keep the water that gets on the deck from leaking down into the haul. Now I've got the Bulwark stanchions and handrails just about complete. I also started work on some of the deck items as I need the locations to work out some of the modifications I'm working through. I hope to start painting the haul soon, I'm going to try brush painting this ship as I was able to find some nice paints at an Art supply store and I don't have much access to a place to spray paint in the winter. I do think I will spray on the primer first and hope it helps absorbed some of the brush marks.

Picked this up at our first scale meet of the season early April, too much going on at the moment, but eventually managed to start this evening. The kit is over 20yrs old, was started and then put on "hold" by the previous owner. Hull is already assembled as was the observation chamber which was situated at the bow. As this "lends " itself to being lit internally, I have removed the brass observation windows plus the one on the bow and then attached some clear acetate on the back of them to make this forward area watertight. The observation chamber now glued in place, spraying to be carried out once this is dry and the "windows " can then be reinstated. Going to be a long job but looking forward to the build.

Hi y’all. So, the “Mystery” has maidened, and handled her sea trials with flying colors. My bench was busy the past couple of weeks with repair and minor restoration of our antique “Pom Pom” aluminum Christmas tree. We’ve had it since the 90s my wife found it at an antique store and brought it home. She still thought it was….errr…tacky, and that I was quite out of my mind, but once I had it up, trimmed, and the color wheel shining on it she changed her mind. It needed some sprucing up and minor repair to the branches, as the tape that holds the aluminum “leaves” was failing, so I used a little ca and almost as good as new!! Anyhow…I’ve been looking at the Aeronaut Pilot boat for a few years, finally pulled the trigger a few months ago. It’s a fairly well thought out kit. It’s a traditional built up hull, but all the frames, keels, etc are laser cut abs. It comes with that, hardware, metal etched parts, it’s nice. I was off today, so I started the hull. The kit comes with a precut cardboard jig for the hull, the frames have tabs and the jig is marked as to what frame goes where. Frame number 5 is also the motor mounts. The slots that are pre cut are a little too wide for a speed 400 or 28mm outrunner, but there were punch outs for the correct spacing, so I drilled those and marked them. You add the keel first, then the deck and chine stringers. The main “fun” was sheeting the hull with the precut abs sides and bottoms. The hardest part was getting the bow seam right. I tried to do it as the instructions stated, using tape to hol everything in place, but I finally had to do it by tacking the sides to the bow, bending and occasionally cursing till I got a good fit. The bottoms were just about as bad, but I got it done.The instructions do tell you to glue to the keel and stringers first, then the frames if they’re touching the sides, so I did that. There’s also use of copious amounts of Stabilit Express used to fill any gaps, etc. Thats next up. I plan to lay in some balsa for filler in places to sturdy up the hull, then I have to build the transom. Once that’s done I need to get a couple of 900 kv outrunners ordered, then I can start mounting the running gear. I plan to add lights, and this boat has provisions for a lot of lights. She’s going to take me a while to build…stay tuned!!

Has anybody built this recently? Just got the plans so any advice/help will be much appreciated. At 86 it's years since I built a model!!

Almost water ready, just the front railing to add and "bob's your uncle" Beautiful boat to build and an ideal scale to my mind. This is the James Bond boat as seen in "From Russia with Love" so lots of pictures on the internet for the finish detail. I'm usoing a simpke set uo of 600 brushed "can" style motor with 40amp ESC and a 7.2 v nimh battery and after the pond trials I'll let you know if that is powerful enough

I have now started to build this Mountfleet (Model Slipway) Kit. Firstly I decided to sort out the power system. 2 x RE540/1 geared motors (6:1). The propshafts supplied with the kit and the 4 blade brass props, also supplied.

Making a bit of a start on my stretched Stiletto (more a Stilapier) at the moment, as it had been put aside while I had a play with a surface drive to fit to it, if I could get one working (see under surface drive experiment, in forum). I've shelved that idea till I can find a suitable universal for it, and have decided to use a modified cable drive instead (see under 'converting a cable drive to a standard drive', in forum) I wanted to settle on the drive type before starting fully, to make installation easier. The Stiletto has been stretched to 38 1/2" by blowing the A4 sized drawings up to AO paper size. I've left out the usual internal locking structure so as to create more room and ease of access to the internals, instead, the whole cabin will lift off, rather than a few 'lids'. All the new positions have been worked out using top and bottom datum lines (pic 1). The deck camber has been changed but the deck sheer left in. A few other mods will be made as things progress. I started by cutting out the keel, breast hook and new ply bulkheads, then cut the centers out of the bulkheads notched them for the stringers and reinforced them. I made a new universal building jig (under model framing jig, in forum) to hold everything in place, (right side up and upside down), and set everything up on it. Glued all the bulkheads bar the transom to the keel, (keel has shaft tube slot previously built in by cutting the keel on the appropriate angle, separating the 2 pieces by a shaft tube diam, trenching 2 side plates to suit the shaft tube angle and diam, and gluing/clamping them on using the building jig to hold them flat and straight. I've made a cut-out for the motor in bulkhead 3, and bent the cable drive to suit. A motor mounting plate will be made later. Cable drive will have a V brace made to suit once the angle has been sorted for prop clearance etc. Getting hard to find some modelling supplies (namely spruce strips for stringers and balsa) now so there might be some slow patches in the building.

After weeks of waiting for the kit to be delivered from Italy I re-ordered instead from Cornwall Model Boats and received it next day. The box was smaller than the one for my Riva but at a quick glance all the parts seem to be there. Now that I have received the kit for this motor sailor I can start to plan how to attach a detachable keel and a detachable extension to the rudder. There is an optional motorisation pack available which uses one motor but drives two props through a gear system. Myself and Roycv are thinking of using 2 separate motors but I'll check space available. Not sure whether with potentially 3 sails we can get away with one winch because it looks like space is at a premium. I must say the Amati Italian Runabout kit had very much clearer build instructions than this kit with lots of photos of various stages. Before I can start building this I need to resolve a problem with my newly fitted fireboat's fire monitors! Hopefully my blog will help to fill in missing information. It might be a slow build log because I'm limited with pains in my hands how much I can do at a time - so to those followers please be patient! Some photos of the box content:-

Started 2020 with plans by P F Eisnor from Nova Scotia 34 pairs of ribs

I have the honour and privilege to embark on a restoration of a model of a boat which belonged to a family I have known since I was knee high to a grasshopper. She is the "Turtle", which has a very storied past. When I knew her she was plying the waters of the Southern Lakes of the Yukon. I believe she is a Lake Union Dreamboat designed by the Grandy Boat Co. in Seattle and built in 1929. I understand from her history that the "Turtle" may have actually been built with prison labour. Her specs are as follows (if she is indeed a Grady Dreamboat). LOA 38' 0" Beam 11' 6" Draft 3' 6" Designer: Grandy Boat Co. Gross Displacement: 12000 lbs. Number of Engines: 1 (model has twin screws) Engine Model: Lehman Fuel Type: Diesel Year Built: 1929 ( "Adelante's" Information shows her as built 1912. I believe this is an error as Grandy started building Dreamboats in 1926) The model I believe was built from the "Dumas" model boat plans for the 40' "Vinyard" (very last photos), and the cabin modified to reflect the "Grandy" plans. I have started with a photo of the "Turtle" on the Southern Lakes as I remember her. Then a photo of the only sister I know of her in Seattle, the "Nirvana". Following is a the photo of the model when she was stored in Edmonton earlier this year. Unfortunately as the following photos show, she floundered and was quite damaged. She arrived at my shipyard today, and I did a quick survey of her. Her wood is probably close to 50 years old now and quite delicate. She has the old mechanical speed control in her from "Dumas" as well as dated electronics. I have removed all I can so that I can start repairs and reinforce the hull. We will work our way up to superstructure and electrical later. I would like to honour her builder and keep his work intact as much as possible. I do think I will need to redo the transom on her however. I will save the old one if that is the case. The model is 28" LOA Stay tuned for more as we bring her back.

Hello After the construction is before the construction!!! The construction trailer is tidied up and I am full of energy. After I have completed the RAU IX (driving pictures and videos to follow) I will now start with the Britannia from "Mountfleet Models". Here are the first pictures and a link https://www.mountfleetmodels.co.uk/product/pilot-boat-britannia/

I am finally just getting going on the "short kit" of the Naxos fishing boat from China. I call it "short" because there are no instructions (posted somewhere on the web) and only a minimal amount of parts, but the fiberglass hull is beautiful. And the laser cut pilot house and deck parts (what there is of them) are really really sweet. However, a huge amount of kit-bashing is in the offing on this one! As a side note, on a personal level. I am heading on a cross-country trip for a few weeks and it is always my habit to leave a project undone so I have something to look forward to when I get back. Call it habit or superstition...it's just me.