You are so lucky to have a decent model shop that covers marine models. Most of the few model shops we have in Auckland carry mainly plane and car models. Enjoy you new purchase and look forward to viewing some photos. Cheers Ian New Zealand

I have built Drumbeat and can say its a lovely model. I enjoyed it for many years before I actually (stupid me) sold it. Yet another model I regret getting rid of to make more space

Brilliant Dave. You have to take your opportunities when you can otherwise you can regret it later. Full marks to your wife.

Chris

Congratulations on your new boat! We want to see all the pictures, please!

I was out with my wife for lunch in Oxford today, and dropped into my local model shop on the way home to buy a couple of 385 motors & props.

I know the owner there quite well, and he often invites me to look at his latest acquisitions, and initially was interested in a Graupner SAR boat, but then he hit me with the news that he had a brand new in box Model Slipway Drumbeat of Devon that had just come in for resale.

This is a kit I had always lusted after - I used to be a member of the Hanworth model club and one of the members had a Drumbeat and I often saw it on the water.

After a short friendly haggle, he made me a decent offer, and I rapidly accepted it.

I took the motors, etc. I had bought and put them in the car and told my wife that there was a long discontinued model unstarted available. Bless her, she immediately said I should go and get it before someone else snaps it up. It was in the car and back home before I really knew what I had done.

The kit was genuinely unstarted, never even take out of the box. I think this one will be bumped up to the top of the building list, though I have just started a Billing's Emil Robin and want to get that on the water soon.

I also have a Model Slipway Tsekoa that I bought built but well used. After some investigation, it turned out to have been built by Dave Metcalf, so it will definitely be worth restoring.