Good amount of progress over the weekend which has seen the hulls paintwork just about completed. This included primer coats, textured paint for the deck and then the black finish followed by airbrushing the yellow panels. I’ve put on the white trim line, but we’re it crosses the lower chime, it’s lifting and no matter what I do it’s still not playing ball! I remember having this issue with the police launch and Robbob suggested better quality trim from eBay instead of the trimline stuff, I’ve used it the good stuff but it’s not a good result. My plan is to mask and paint the chime section...!

All of the bollards are made and fitted as are the 2 fore cleaty things. Also finished is the lettering and hull number.

My next building day will be Thursday, so hoping to get on with the rubber work, lifeboat container and start all the railing metalwork. The pictures today show the boat off the stand as that’s at the yacht varnish stage, 3 coats should do it then some foam rubber strips to protect the hull when resting.

Good days progress. The morning saw the front railings made up using a wooden jig with the hole markings transfered from my paper template to deck and jig. It was then a simple case of cutting and bending 1.5mm brass rod to the required shape then silvered soldered, filed, primed, painted and lacquered before mounting.

I’ve also started the life rings for the stern railings. I use cheap Chinese wood rings which I buy in various sizes for different scales and they are as cheap as chips, something like 99p for 10 rings posted! They just required sanding sealer, sanding then paint as normal. The white rings when done are just trimline, simple as ....!

Also fitted the hull rubber D fender using contact adhesive and all that’s required is the smaller fendering over the side frames which I will do at the weekend as well as addressing the white line over the chine!

Last job was to start making the bow lifeboat container which is simply pvc tube from B&Q with balsa end plugs and some 1mm plastic strip for the join line.

Working tomorrow (on my birthday!) then 4 days off that will see the end game in sight!

Good day today aiming to stop in time for the mighty West Ham United on sky sports....!

I’ve had a day of scratch building antennas on the roof, starting to make the 3 wiper boxes from obechi core and covered in plasticard for a better painting surface, wiper arm from brass wire. I’ve also cut some sponsorship Logos from vinyl solar trim leftover from my aircraft days. The searchlights are now also fitted but we’re one of the few commercial items I bought.

I have also finished Adding all the rubber fendering which took a while but has the desired effect!

The next couple of days should see the bulk of the remaining parts finished and fitted, next jobs are to finish the lifeboat canister and mount and the remaining 2 wiper boxes before I get on with the window frames and light wiring loom. The mast and radar are the 2 remaining larger builds.

Got a little more done today in between a job ordered by the “Mrs” i.e. fence painting!

Finished making and painting the wiper boxes and stuck on with masking tape for the photo. They will get fitted properly after the wind frames are fitted as they overlap the bottom edge of the frame.

The only other major job today was the finish making the life raft container mountings and the funny metal plate thingy in front of it, followed by its paint job and final fitting.

Tomorrow will be windows day!

Last post of the week before heading back to work for a 3 day set of shifts.

last couple Of days has seen the first of the windows cut from plasticard, painted and fitted with celluloid windows. I will do the rest at the weekend, but it’s a thankless task and to be truthful does my head in cutting, sanding the damn things....

I’ve made the first of the 2 rear railings that the life belts hang from, and other little jobs have included the 2 mushroom antenna on the roof made from scrap and the 6 Vent things on the roof again made from scrap.

The light to finishing is appearing at the end of the tunnel.

For those who were interested in how I built the roof vents, here is my method. Started with a piece of obechi cut to required length and sanded round at the ends then sealed prior to painting. The ring next is from 7mm plastic tube cut to 2mm, cleaned up and glued to the wood. The next stage was to use the heat gun to soften the end of the 7mm tube and press with pingers to squash (be careful here as the plastic gets quite hot) then cut to length about 12mm. Using the dremel on a slow speed with the sander bevelled the base and then trimmed off the corners. Final after glueing to the top of the ring, filled the end with p38 filler and sand and paint to finish.

Doesn’t seem like of progress, but windows take an age to cut from 1mm plasticard followed by the trimming, sanding and blade scraping prior to painting. Anyway, front and rear windows now done and installed along with the remaining wiper boxes.

Last job today was to solder from brass rod the remaining rear railing until before adding liefebelt and glueing to the deck.

I’ve a few chores around the house tomorrow but aim to get get the remaining 4 windows made in between husband duties 😂

Long day Well afternoon due to household chore prior, of what Seems little progress. I’ve made up the initial framework for the main cabin frame work. Lots of drilling once hole locations were measured and established then soldering the eyes to the uprights and lining up the main railing. I’ve done the railing in 2 pieces as I didn’t have a length of 1.5mm brass wire long enough to do the whole run, but at the front were it joins, I’ve put a little brass sleeve over the joins to hide them. Looks fine.

Once all the uprights were soldered to the raining, the whole thing was removed to file all the solder joints, 90minutes of my life I ain’t getting back! Either tomorrow or Monday I will finish the second run of railing below the top piece. However this appears to be a flat railing instead of tubular so I shall make this from plasticard strip adopt 1mmx3mm running The length of the top railing.

All that’s left after this is the working radar and mast, ballast and she will be good to go. One last point, I’ve swapped the 3S lipo for a 2s lipo, as I think the 3S will be too much. Can always put it back if it’s underpowered on 2s?

Been a busy weekend finishing the railings, painting and fitting. The bottom rail is made from strips of plasticard approx 1mm x 3mm with a reinforcement on the back with plastic tube cut in half to make a clamp. The hole assembly was painted of the boat then fitted. The rope work around the front end of the railing was with thanks to the reference pictures supplied by Rob 👍

The Furuno radar was scratch built with wood cores followed by plasticard sheet to make the external shape. It’s as near as damn it scale and I’m very pleased with the end. Result. Just needs the 1.5v motor fitting underneath to finish.

Last job today was to start making the basic mast array. The Main mast is 7mm glassfibre rod and the rest will be made from Carbon rod, brass rod and little bits of plasticard. So, I hope to have it finished next weekend, Ballast and a quick sale for photos before it goes to its new owner .....!

It’s been awhile since I last posted as I’ve had a lot of other things on that have taken me away from the building board.

Anyway, I’ve managed to get the basic mast array finished and painted. Just need to add all the Lamps (non working) once I’ve finished and painted them. Once the mast is installed on the roof, it has a little bit of rigging to be added to call it finished.

I’ve also rigged the 1.5v motor for the functioning radar. I did try and upload a couple of short video clips that I took on my iPhone, however for whatever reason, they don’t seem to install. I’m guessing I’m trying to load a wrong file type, so if anyone has a solution to uploading an iPhone video file, I’m all ears!

I have Tuesday and Wednesday off work and it is my intention to have this model finished, ballasted, filmed and photographed on the water and off to its new owner so that I can get on with my next project which will be.........?