"The Scots do have a way with the nectar of the gods. I do believe there are other countries that make the same GOLD."
Yes Rick👍
And one of them is Ireland where Bushmills comes from!!
Several others make something that they call whisky or whiskey!
😁😎

Doug, Glad you can remember that sort of pond yacht, I stayed faithfull to mine for years. Fine Sunday mornings and I'd be over to Cold Knap. She was a bit bigger than normal and sailed really well. I bought one in an antique shop a little while ago, mast is broken, but I'll get it repaired when my current lethargy departs.

Cheers, Nerys

Hi Bill,

Sorry for the delay in responding - I will post more pics when I can.

I'll go hunting down your build blog for HMS Victorious in the next few days.

Regards
Jonathan _._

OMG 1:96 scale!, that's going to be mahoosive !!, I'll be really looking forward to watching your progress!, the very best of luck to you 🤞

Going to negotiate with Bushmill's distillery is great idea.For me it might mean the boat would never be built as having a wee dram of golden liquid on arriving each time might mean it went down so well that a second or third may be needed just to make sure it was a good batch.That's just me.The Scots do have a way with the nectar of the gods.I do believe there are other countries that make the same GOLD.
Sit down have a dram and figure out were to build.
Rick

Thanks for all the info Doug - I think I have both types of radar in the fittings kit so I wil need to choose which era / represenation to go for

Hi Martin,
I'll kick it off soon in the Motivation thread, where it also has relevance, and then continue in it's own thread when I can see how it might develop.
It concerns something I have regretted and which has been bugging me for over 50 years!!
I think we should now leave Jonathan's Build Blog in peace!!
Sorry for the threadjacking Jonathan😔
Cheers, Doug 😎

Hi Doug,
Re :-But that will shortly be the subject of a new thread
Sounds interesting.

Martin555.

Hi Nerys,
Yes I dimly remember something like that.
I think mine was all red hull with a fine white line all round the deck about a quarter inch in from the edge.
I remember getting bored with it fairly quickly, especially when Dad turned up with a Victory Industries electric Vosper Crash Tender!!😀
But that will shortly be the subject of a new thread😉
Cheers, Doug 😎

Think about it Doug, it was done years ago. The 'toy' pond yacht. What did you do. You clipped the bowsprit into place, pulled on the forestay and set it up with a bowsie, likewise the port and starboard shrouds, and there she was in all her glory. Ready if you were lucky, to sail to the other side of the lake, where you turned her round and she sailed back again.

"my eyes read what I want the words to say"
Bill,
'I know you believe that you understand
what you think I wrote.

But I am not sure that you realise,
that what you read is not what I meant.'
😁😂🤣
Bushmills can have that effect😋😉
😎

I'll work on that idea Doug, after all I did once build a couple of dinghies in my first floor lounge, carefully measured to make sure I could get them out.

Cheers, Nerys

mmm now I'm not really that far away from the Bushmills distillery, negotiations might have to start soon with the purveyors of that fine establishment, as for my interpretation of your post Doug, my eyes read what I want the words to say, I simply replace the words that don't fit with the ones that should be there 😊 Slainte mhath

Bill👍

"I'd love to see that bottle Doug 😊 in fact I wouldn't mind helping to empty it of it's original contents."
Sheesh! That would have to be a 680ltr bottle Bill 😮
Bushmills OK?😜
😎
PS I did say 'like' a ship in a bottle, not 'as' one!😉

"I am in the process of "resetting" my den as I also recently acquired a Type 22 and Type 42 so space has become a fun topic - indeed it's possible I might not be able to get Hermes into that room which will place me in an interesting situation with my wife 👎"
Jonathan,
First stage of the Reset must be to wrap the Type 22 and Type 42 in cling film against the dust and pack 'em off to the attic. Hermes surely MUST have priority.👍

Second stage: Re the "interesting situation"-
Should it not be possible to manoeuvrer Hermes into the existing drydock you have two choices:
1 Install a double terrace type door in the den. Bonus; it would give extra daylight 👍
2 The wife moves into the den and the shipyard moves into the lounge/living room, which I guess may have direct access to the terrace/garden.
This solution may be highly practical from the shipbuilding aspects, but just might involve other, as yet incalculable, ramifications and personnel changes!😮😠💥🤕😭

(Thinks!! 💡 If I shift the sofa into the kitchen/workshop, move the dining table down to where the sofa was - then I'd have room for the machining bench and a 3m construction bench with a free run to the terrace door!😀)

Good luck with negotiations/building works Jonathan🤞
😎

I'd love to see that bottle Doug 😊 in fact I wouldn't mind helping to empty it of it's original contents.
Now if we could all get together and if Nerys and Alice could bring their special van for the nibbles what a party that would be 😊 😊 😊

Bill

" .. a model boat or something from Ikea?"
Très drôle Nerys👍😂
But not a bad idea actually!💡
A Flat Pack Carrier 😊
Built like a Ship in a Bottle, easy to transport, pull the drawstring at the lakeside and up she comes in all her glory.😮😀
After all our ex colonial brothers call 'em Flat Tops don't they!😁

Jeeves! More water with the next one I think!!
Cheers 😎

Just brilliant.
Rick

You just have to remember that you still have to get the finished project back out of the room 😊, I think that even the most supportive partner might get a wee tad upset😭 if you have to remove a wall to get it out and might frown😠 slightly if you try to pass it off as a minor remodel😇🤕😴.

Bill

Nerys,

That did make me laugh!

Martin555.

Is that a model boat or something from Ikea?

Nerys

Some inspiration for the giant Type 984 3D radar Jonathan😊
(Don't forget the gyro!)
Cheers, Doug 😎

It's a brave move to house that big a project and still have peace within the house.
Good luck with the build and finding a solution to were to build.
Rick

I am Really looking forward to this Jonathan.

Martin555.

Thank you for the positive comments and suggestions....

I need to let the dust settle and absorb what I have - it came with some awesome plans and a full set of fittings, a stack of helicopters etc etc ...

I am in the process of "resetting" my den as I also recently acquired a Type 22 and Type 42 so space has become a fun topic - indeed it's possible I might not be able to get Hermes into that room which will place me in an interesting situation with my wife 👎

The scope for making this a stunning model is vast - I am relishing the "tech" side along the lines of Doug's suggestions - I just hope I can achieve the modelling construction side to do it justice.

I'll post some more pics in the fullness of time

Regards
Jonathan _._

Hi Jonathan.
Could you post some more pictures of her please.
Regards Bill.👍👍

WOW! Where'd ya find that? That's a huge bite to chew😮
But just THINK of all the opportunities it offers for Arduino controlled goodies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Aircraft lifts, Harrier on the Ski Jump, Harrier landing On, Sea Kings warming up on the Heli Spots and Landing On, the CIWS guns, ALL THOSE radars, can't wait to see your interpretation of the huge rotating radar that looks like an old CRT PC monitor,
deck vehicles, cranes, lighting (NAV and deck landing), deck PA announcements, wisps of smoke, several water outlets ... OH BOY😀 I can't wait!
Which Refit stage are you thinking of fitting her out with? Falklands 1982?
Bon chance mon ami🤞🤞 Trust you are already designing the anti-hernia launch trolley!
Cheers, Doug 😎

Hi Jonathan
Now this is a blog close to my heart as I am still building HMS Victorious as per my blog and various updates.
Really looking forward to all you can offer on this one.
Regards Bill.👍

Wow, I'm jealous Jonathan, I saw the Hermes many times in Devonport when I was a stoker on the Ark Royal (R09) in the late 70's, it was a commando ship then, too short unfortunately for Phantoms, but was very successful with Harriers, and increased it's squadron strength from 5 to 16 plus an RAF squadron of 10 along with 10 Sea kings (the rest of the sea kings had been dispersed to make space) during the Falklands campaign.
I'm really looking forward to this build, but I think you'll struggle to sit this on the mantlepiece 😊. At 1/96 it's going to be a beast of a thing.

Bill

That looks to be a big boat .Will you have the space to work on her.
Rick

Hi Jonathan,

That sure looks like a massive model!
It looks as if you'll be set for the whole winter!

I can't wait to read your Blog!

Cheers, Ed

Hi Jonathan,
That looks like a big project that you are just about to take on.
What other information can you give us.

Looking forward to this build log.

Martin555.

Just remembered there is more in the LOFT !! 🤣 😜 😄

"Karen Rose"
My God! That's brilliant Jonathan😮
And you were worrying about your building expertise not being up to the challenge of HMS Hermes!!!! NO WAY JOSE!
BTW: Hermes was originally a Centaur class carrier.
The final incarnation of the 1942 Light Fleet Carrier design, which resulted initially as the Colossus class. Designed as 'throw away carriers' not expected to last beyond WW2!
But I managed to work on the last active Colossus😊, Minas Gerais (ex HMS Vengeance) of the Brazilian Navy, in the nineties. She was finally scrapped in 2004 😭😭
The Brazilians even tried to auction her on Ebay!
What you are doing there with your mammoth Hermes will be, I hope, akin to my dream of building a large scale Colossus carrier. I had thought of 1:72 to match my HMS Hotspur destroyer. 1:96 would match my HMS Manxman though😉
1:128 would match my HMS Belfast.
At the moment all I have is two ancient Heller kits of Colossus / Arromanches (loan to the French navy) at 1:400.
Your Hermes is a sort of 'stretched Colossus, about 10m longer.
I note that your hull is already fitted with the Ski Ramp. So it's in the 'Falklands configuration'.
Means no giant 'searchlight' type 984 radar I'm afraid!😭
By then she had the tower radar with an antenna which reminds me of a bathroom electric radiator heater. In fact the whole tower / antenna arrangement reminds me of a BIC throwaway razor, stuck in the top of the bridge! See attached pics! 😁
Hermes on her way to the Falklands in '82 and as INS Vikrant R22 leaving Devonport to commence service in the Indian navy in '83, with the same 'BIC' radar tower.
Oh well! Other RN radars got funny nicknames like ''Bedstead' or 'Mattress'😉
Bon chance with rearrangements and building. I'd still like very much to know where you pick up these huge hulls, and fittings kits to boot! That reeks of someone who once manufactured such things!?
Do they do a County Class Missile Destroyer in that scale by any chance?
I worked on a couple of those for the Chilean Navy in Valparaiso in the 80s and 90s before they were replaced by Type 23s and Dutch Karel Doorman M frigates in the early 2000s.
Not quite so much fun as Rio 😉 during the Minas refit, but very interesting nevertheless😉
One of my most enduring memories of those times is watching the pelicans chilling out on the roofs of the sheds in the harbour just across from the restaurant where I was enjoying the best and freshest tuna steaks I have ever eaten!
Was intriguing to see how the Chileans had converted one of the Counties into a Heli Carrier!
Trotted out of the radio equipment room one day for a 'fag break' and found meself on a half football field size flight deck!😮
Later that afternoon I was snooping around on the stern of a County and nearly banged me nut on a huge Sea Slug mount! Up the sharp end (where the Quartermaster actually saluted me as I came aboard 😊) they still had the twin Vickers 4.5s.
That ship still LOOKED like a warship!
Reminiscence over, I'll retreat back into the den now!😉
Cheers, Doug 😎

Wow. You have some really nice models. Looking forward to your Hermes build.
Peter.

Jonathan.

What an excellent model.

It Would be nice to see all your boats in your harbour complete with more information about them.

Martin555.

Top shelf is "Karen Rose" - a one off (i think) - Guess these should be in the Harbour(?)

This boat has a stunning presence on the water - it just sits there rock solid

Regards
Jonathan _._

They look good Jonathon, what is the one on the top shelf ?

Bill

This is not the part of modelling I enjoy..

First suspects in their new home

Regards

Jonathan _._

Finding mooring places for models in the average house must become a problem for most people. We have seven boats in the lounge for a start, as well as the shipyard and associated machinery. Luckily there are nice deep windows in two of the bedrooms so there are two models in each of those as well as the dining/computer room, plus three others on the table.. Luckily, Alice built our famous shed last year and I must admit I do not know how many boats there are in there. As for the future, I am planning on having two or three permanent boat berths built into the minibus.

Cheers Nerys.

Jonathan I agree with your thinking, I have similar problems, boats ready for sailing are kept in my box trailer.
Those requiring work for restoration are in my workshop/garage/model railway building.
And others are in the garden shed/attic or on shelves around the home.
So trying to build a bigger trailer as original one was only built to carry 20 models and display stands.
Cheers Colin.

As long as the drawing board works you will come to a conclusion on how the new setup will work.
Good Luck
Rick

"Avery nice fleet indeed!"
I see you've got the situation all weighed up Sy👍
Very good Commodore. Carry on!
😎

And Avery nice fleet indeed! 👍👍👍

"General Jumbo"!? 😮
Man I'd forgotten all about him!
Wonder how many of us he inspired to get into RC?
Cheers, Doug 😎

Going way back ,brought memories of "General Jumbo"and his fleet of boats ,planes and automobiles .
cheers Mark👍

Living space must be just an 'adjunct' to his workshop Peter!😉
If 'push comes to shove' I guess he could always put a mattress or tablecloth on Hermes' deck😁
😎

Wow!! What a fantastic collection. Bigger house next?
Peter.👍

"I do believe Martin may be right on a room for the HMS Hermes."
Toldja! Drydock in the living room😁
😎

Well spotted Bill👍
😎

Making progress.My problem would be where to put the boats while you find and build a spot.Nice work on the storage.I do believe Martin may be right on a room for the HMS Hermes.
Nice work keep going.
Rick

Hi Bill,

Yes you are correct HMS Chatam - a new arrival

Once I have got the room sorted I'll pull it down to the bench and take some pics

It's a very clean build

Regards
Jonathan _._

Jonathan.
Busy boy.
Is that HMS Chatham at the top shelf?
Regards Bill

Wow what a fleet.

HMS Hermes will probably need a room of its own LOL!!

Martin555.

Jeepers creepers!😮
Got your own Battle Fleet, and then you can rescue the crews of the ships you've sunk!!
Together our fleets could conquer the world!
Well, maybe the Isle of Wight😁
😎