HAKITS Morston.
I was attracted to this kit because it is a wooden build and I just love working with wood. 27 Inches long, 8.5 inches beam
Also it is named after a favourite village of my native Norfolk, on the coast and is a fishing village there. I must say that this kit is sold as an inshore crab boat model, but in all my time in Norfolk I have never seen a crab boat like this. Traditional Norfolk Crab boats are open clinker-built boats. I will say later how I have finished modelling it as a fishing boat.
The kit comes simply packed in a plastic sleeve filled with the laser cut sheets of birch ply for the formers and lite ply for the hull sides, decking and superstructure, the handbook and two small packs of fittings, window frames etc.
The cutting is absolutely accurate and the components fit exactly to the mm. Using a sharp knife, the parts are easily released from the ply sheets and require a minimum of cleaning up. I must admit that the soot associated with laser cutting is a bit irritating but it is small price to pay for such accuracy as we have now come to expect from all wood kits. The kit comes with a minimum of fittings, so prop and shaft and rudder gear need to be at hand before building commences.
To date I have completed the main hull shape from the formers with keel and deck fitted. The rear hatch gives access to the rudder shaft and its servo. Four rather novel bolts are supplied for securing the hatch. See Pic. The underskin fitted so far shows a technique I have used with wooden hulls in the past using ‘wooden nails’. These are the ends of cocktail sticks dipped in glue and tapped home through a 2mm hole into a 1.5 mm pilot hole. This means that they can be sanded flush with no filling needed. I use them where angles are too sharp to use spring clamps or where a taped strip would not be sufficient.
The instruction book suggests using thick and thin Cyano but I find this messy to use and a nasal irritant so I use it as little as possible. With a nice wooden hull like this I use Gorilla wood glue which I find excellent. I will use cyano for a ‘quick fix’ but that is all. (Used to be called glue sniffing!!)
The pic shows the motor just placed in the position it will be fixed. An MFA 500 with 2.5 :1 gearbox driving a 35mm three bladed brass prop. Viper 15 ESC. More later over the coming weeks…..

A bit more progress over the last couple of days, have now fixed the motor permanently and put in location lugs for battery.
Have sanded the hulls sides ready to fit the outer skin and tried a dry run before fixing, which was performed later today. The foam rest for the hull comes by courtesy of the NHS, supplied when a hip replacement is performed and is a leg rest for sleeping. I have two of these now, so they are coming in useful for model boats.
The more I progress with this kit I realise that, although it may appear to be a simple kit, and it is, the more I appreciate how accurately it is cut and designed. The hull sides may seem to be cut to an odd shape but when offered up to the hull, they fit perfectly with just the right amount of overhand for trimming. As the upper sides at the bow have to seat on top of the lower sides it is important to fix the lower side so that it follows the deck line and I have used map pins to allow the line to be followed. The skin then fits very well, a bit of a bend at the bow but have used temporary fixings until the glue sets. (Screws with washers.) May have time tomorrow to fit the other side.

I mentioned when I started to write this blog that although the kit has a Norfolk name, it does not represent the crabbers used on that coast. I have searched the web for pictures of fishing boats and the nearest likeness I can find is CEE KING Whitby. This is a sea angling charter boat taking anglers offshore to fish in the North Sea, as the Kit manufacturer is based in Bolton I rather think that the inspiration comes from the Northern ports rather than East Anglia. However, I will be using the CEE KING as my inspiration for deck detail although will not model this boat accurately. Please have a look at their website on facebook

https://www.facebook.com/WHITBYCEEKING.

I have just been able to fix one side of the upper hull skin which runs from the bow to midships. This was, perhaps, a bit trickier than fixing the lower skins due to them being shorter and therefore not so easily curved to the shape of the bow, it was however fixed and the second side has been fixed today. In the meantime, I spent time on making some more of the deck paraphernalia, stern rails, fish boxes and crab pots.
Remember that these details are not included in the kit and are being made from my from my own ‘design’ and from pictures of Cee King online.
The stern rails were constructed from 2mm brass rod and built using a jig made from an old piece of chipboard. Holes were drilled full depth into the board and the 20mm uprights were inserted into the holes. The upper rail was then able to be clamped to the uprights and then the joints soldered one by one. It was able to be removed from the jig in ‘one piece’ to my astonishment and delight. I will drill the deck appropriately before painting starts.
The crab pots again from using examples in photographs and are simply constructed.
The base, about 50 x 35mm has six holes drilled in it, three per side and the bent loops bent from snake inners from a derelict model glider. This material bends quite easily, and each end is inserted into opposite holes on the base, three per pot, a drop of cynano on the underside of the board at each hole. Next, I tried to use the same material for the side bars and stick it with CA but this really did not catch at all.
I persevered and turned to using cocktail sticks for the side rails and they were fixed to the hoops by putting a dab of hot melt glue onto the three hoops and pressing the wooden stick onto the glue spots. This seems to have been successful. The cocktail sticks were the remains after I had used each point for my wooded nails. When I can get governmental permission to go to the shops again, I will buy some catering grade hair nets for the netting. After I had made one prototype I made four more and stuck four bases together with double sided tape and drilled all four at once on the drill press.
I will not attempt to make the trap in the netting and will just cover the whole skeleton structure with the netting. Obviously, my fishing will be unproductive, but I do not think that our model yacht pond is crawling with crabs anyway.
The Fish boxes were made from scraps of ply and made to a 1/12 scale after a cardboard box in the garage that I thought might be about the right size.
The boxes and the pots will be stained to give an authentic appearance.
More next time. Geoff.L

25.11 20
Yesterday managed to trim the second upper hull side which had been fixed the day before. Also sanded the transom flush and smooth. I have decided I will affix a mahogany overlay here to give an upgrade from the kit. I always feel that with end grain exposed, it can be sanded smooth but even after careful finishing it can grin through sometimes so a flush covering of mahogany sheet with prevent this. None of the upgrades I am doing are a criticism of the kit as purchased but this boat is so worthy of a bit of luxury and I am enjoying the build at every stage. I must say, since I began modelling in the late 50’s this is one of the kits that has satisfied me most in its built. Perhaps when I was working, with limited spare time, I always needed to get a build finished asap. Now I have time to dally a bit more on detail.
With the main hull now completed I felt it was time to fit the stern tube and this I did yesterday. I had delayed this to now because the 350mm tube as specified in the kit does protrude a bit from the bottom of the hull and with all the bending and shaping necessary to get to this stage I thought it would have been a bit vulnerable. The motor I had fixed before fitting the hull sides when I had space to work.
With the diameter of the tube being about 7mm but the width of the keel being 5mm ply it was necessary to put 1mm shims on the side of the keel before fitting the doublers so that the tube fed through the keel with a snug fit and did not have to be bored out. Possibly a bit late to be telling you this, but I had done that before I started this blog!
I had drilled a small hole in the top of the tube as an oiler hole and this will be covered by a brass sleeve when running. See pic. Not in place after fitting the tube but I did not want to get epoxy on it! With this completed I have started the superstructure and fitted just the cabin fore and aft formers. I always use a square to ensure that all is straight. Again, these components fitted the slots and curve of the deck perfectly. Here I have used some small clamps where the tension is created by a rubber band(s) and are so effective in this sort of instance.
More later…….

29.11. 20
A bit more progress over the last few days, which has just about brought me to the end of the building process. The cabin windows have been fixed, by gluing to the cabin sides and rear part of lower cabin roof. When the glue had set the top of windows and cabin were sanded and the two halves of the cabin roof glued to the former and tops of cabin and windows. I must say that the whole structure, when set turns out as solid as a rock, as has been the case with this model from the beginning, the components fit together well, with minimum of trimming, although there is sufficient overlap given when trimming is required. Next the fore cabin roof has been fitted. If I have any criticism of the handbook I must say that it occurs on this page regarding fitting the cabin roofs. There are parts in the kit which do not appear in the instructions and it has been a bit of trial and error to find which cabin roof supports go where. The fitting of the fore cabin roof is particularly tricky and I more or less had to take apart my first effort and reassemble. But all is well now. And the pics show the completed cabins. Also have added a skeg to the stern tube. Just the mahogany transom to fit now and one or two details in the cabin which can be fitted after the painting has been done.
I must say that the vast acres of white wood which now need to be finished to a good standard is a bit daunting. If it was interior decorating, I would get a man in to do it!
More later. Geoff.L

4.12.20
More progress has been made over the past few days adding strakes along the outside of the hull. This has been reasonably challenging as there is nothing to clamp the strips to until the glue sets. It also highlighted something that I had done previously which made this job more difficult; that was to give the hull a coat of sanding sealer to keep it clean during the build of the superstructure. As a result, the glue, in some places, did not adhere to the s/sealer and sprung off in one or two places. In the end I found that the best way to get the strips fixed was to glue both hull and strip and then secure by using small brass shoe rivets not fully driven home, so that that they could be withdrawn and then the small hole filled after the glue had set. I used a mahogany rubbing strake along the deck line which I will finish with varnish. I also added a false keel of mahogany so that it could be faired into the stern tube skeg and could be shaped to give a sharp bow. This will not be varnished but will be painted as appropriate. I have also fixed the mahogany transom.
I have also been making other items, such as mast, radar scanner and radar reflector. There are other deck railings yet to shape.
Now I must begin the finishing process and hope that I can finish it so that it looks as good as it has been to build. I keep thinking of a line from the Flanders and Swann Classic The Gas Man Cometh, ‘with undercoat and overcoat he painted every part’!
Will keep you updated, ‘but I may be gone some time’
Geoff. L

Have started the big cover-up and set about priming the top part of the hull and then rubbing down first coat. I did not know exactly how to go about the order of painting the model but decided I would get the tricky part out of the way first. It is not easy to get into the cabin to paint the interior but am managing the best I can. I must admit this in not my favourite part of building a model boat but will do my best.
I was distracted today as the weather was tolerably reasonable to go down to the pond, overcast but dry with lightish wind. I took my Aeronaut Diva for it's maiden voyage and was pleased with the result. the pond had a few other members there with yachts and power boats. I must say that I was somewhat impressed with the top speed of this model running on and MFA 385 with 6 2000 Nimh cells. I sailed for almost an hour with a few breaks for heat checks on motor and speed controller and did not have to change battery. The concrete wall s of the pond came up very fast but was able to stay away from them, in fact the rudder was a bit fierce so have now shortened the movement, otherwise a super boat to sail.
More later

Geoff. L

15. 12 20
Have not written for a few days, but this does not mean I have been idle, have continued the painting process and applied, to the upper areas of the model, I coat of primer, and two of undercoat, rubbing down with wet and dry between coats. The liteply for the deck and sides is quite grainy and will take a bit of application before it becomes flush. Between times I have been continuing with the deck paraphernalia and have now built two chests for the deck and fitted one with a good old-style Norfolk catch, a bit of wood shoved through the staple. My father always shut his rabbit hutches like this and he never lost one! The fish boxes and crab pot skeletons have been stained with best quality Indian Rosewood and I have now procured some suitable netting, From Boots, a heavy weight bun net, got a funny look at the counter! The Radar scanner and life-rafts are temporarily placed on the cabin roof for photographic purposes.Have made a bucket from a pill box, the steps have been varnished with a second coat and the cabin door is now ready for 'hanging'.
Will press on with painting day by day but there may not be much to show for the next few days.
Geoff L.

Afraid no pictures today as nothing much changes visually except undercoats are coming and going, painted on and sanded off. All of the model has now been undercoated and am now working on the bottom of the hull and the sides. These will be taken to first top coat in the next few days and then will move to taking the finishing of the deck and superstructure further. I have still not decided on the final colour scheme but have a fairly firm idea of what it will be. At least I have a good excuse for staying at home an continuing my labours on the model, as I am classed as a shielded person. More soon with some pictures I expect.
Good wishes to all and hope you can stay safe.
Geoff.