Scratch building a barge for my tugboat Miss Doris to push. May deck it over to become a tank barge I used to push on the Delaware River. if
i do deck it over, I'll hinge the deck to make use of the space for my RC gear.

This is one of the limited edition Sirmar kits that was produce in the early 1990’s.this model was made by a friend of mine who’s a dockyard fitter and turner it was made about twenty eight years ago. Based on a tug that I worked on in and around Portsmouth harbour. This model has a working voith unit opening engine room skylights. Working lights, removable deck hatch to get at the unit like the real boat, the superstructure and gun whales are made from plasticard. The fender was made by a friend to the same type as used on the tug. The wheelhouse is copied like for like. The towing hook is copied from photos and slips like the real one. in all my years I haven’t seen another one like this . Sirmar made twenty numbered hulls as kits .

last pictures l posted l painted the wave princess l changed my mind and decided to go for some planking on the decks and cabin roofs l have also done a little bit of tarting up using some brass welding rod and brass tube l am quite pleased with the out come so far. these piccys are about a month old now so she has had a god rub down and given six coats of clear varnish. l will post more piccys when l have installed the windows and frames.

I found this hull at thingiverse last year. I printed the hull from a local shop and rest was handmade.
Firstly I bought a 2426 4200kv brushless 2-3s which was too powerful and too heavy for the boat size. The length is 38cm.
And the 30Amp esc was also too big for it's size.
After that I tried small 180 brushed motor with 20A brushed esc w/brake. it was perfect (still it's heavy😂).
The bridge and deck is made by 1.75mm pvc,torpedos are made of wooden pencil.
Small battery space takes a 2s 500mah lipo. 30mm 3blade propeller.

YouTube video link is here:

Boat is Scratch built 36" British Power Boat 64ft High Speed ASR Launch which belonged to the RNZAF. The launch was one of the 22 built and was shipped to NZ in 1940. it was the only one of its type in the Southern Hemisphere. Model has twin motors, ESCs, sound units etc. Has remotely switched water pump for water cooled brushless 2000kv in runner motors and remotely switched lighting. Uses 2x 2200mah 2s LiPos for drive and 1 1800mah LiPo for the pump (also a separate battery for the LED lights. Boat is built with strip planked balsa on ply frame and fiber glassed. Deck is ply, wheelhouse is varnished balsa. The colour is as it was for most of its time in the RNZAF . Took about 5 years on and off to build and finished it last year. (please ignore the time date - can't get rid of it .

This is my scratch built 36" RNZAF British Power Boat 64' HSL (arrived in NZ 1940). I actually went on board this vessel in 1968 when it was still in original form (the RNZAF having disposed of it in the 50s) This vessel is still around and has been recently re modelled (2nd time since early 70s) and I was lucky last year to have met the present owner and go on board (2nd time in 49yrs!)and take a few photos. The vessel was modified a number of times by the RNZAF over the years (air intakes, removal of the fore deck machine guns, wheelhouse turret etc so I sort of went in the middle. I found a few drawings of the type in an old mag which had side and top views plus the bulkheads and their positions, so I took them along to a copying shop and kept enlarging them until I had the desired proportions. This worked out quite well and using a few methods from other models I had built, managed to frame (ply) the hull and then fully strip plank it in balsa. it was then fiber glassed. The deck is ply, lined and varnish stained. The wheelhouse is varnished balsa with the top removable for access. The wheelhouse interior has detail such as controls, instrument panels, skipper, steps to wardroom etc but is not too detailed as it is not seen. The boat has full lighting by remote switch, lights are all LED.
The propulsion side has dual everything (motors, ESCs, sound units), would have had 3x but ran out of space! Motors are 28mm 2200Kv water jacketed in-runners (cooled by remotely switched pump) using 30A Chinese ESCs (have 5A BEC, Fwd and Rev). Twin sound units are 'GT Power' car units which have around 40 different sound selections, from Cosworths to diesels and are computer programmable (as well as manually on the unit ) for various functions. I am using one of the v8 sounds (8 cyls short in my application) which I think is as near as you are going to get to 3 Napier Sea Lions (for which there is obviously no sound available) They 'start' 'Idle' and are fully proportional in fwd and rev and can sound quite realistic (will attempt to put up a vid later).
Batteries are 2x 2200mah 2s 20c LiPos which will last around 2hrs at least of sailing (they also run the sound units) Still have a few small things left to do (have just made wheelhouse air intakes) but don't want to get too fiddly. Just want to keep it a practical model.

This is a restoration of a launch I was given that was found in a rubbish bin on a farm here in Auckland it is an old RCM ? plan built 'Fairacre' and was pretty rotten when I received it as it is made in balsa and had been wet for quite a while. I stripped it down, re 'planked' large portions of the hull and fiber glassed it, re- built the cabin, re- marked the deck planks, fitted lights, curtains (ex Graupner Commodore bits from the 70s I had kept), stern ladder, cleats etc. it is fitted with a 540 brushed motor (originally had an old Graupner monoperm) and 70s Graupner ESC and Using 2.4 Radio gear. I still have a few things I'd like to do such as a re-wire, fitting chine spray rails, better motor and maybe some safety rails, but for now it does the job.

Started some months ago been busy on other things but build up till now Motors are fitted and work as is the bow thruster and kort knozzels and shafts. also the deck is complete and ready to fit.

My second scratch build. SA Navy "Spioenkop". 1:80 scale. 2 Mtroniks 600 motors on the scale 40mm (home made) props running on 6v and Hobbywing 860 brushed ESC. Jetdrive (also homemade) runs on a 550 motor (I think!) and a 1060 Hobbywing ESC running on 12v. Chopper is a heavily modified Hobbyboss RN Super Lynx. Hangar door opens as well as chopper moves on helideck with worm drive and magnets. idea is that this would happen sequentially ... but haven't managed to sort that out as I am "electronically challenged". Suggestions welcome!

the hull had to be attached to the deck then i built it up to deck level now i am busy building the top & working rigs i purchased them from Peter Wiles
I am hoping to get on the lake when the weed disappears & that doesn't look like happening anytime soon 😡

Model is 28” long weighs 7lbs. Hull covered with 2 oz. fiberglass cloth deck covered with 3/4 oz. fiberglass cloth and resin finished with spar varnish. Power is MACK 5045 motor and 2 6 volt x 3000 nimh packs.

All the feed back on my American Scout seamen on deck I think this will really get some colorful comments. Sterling runabout 30”
weighs 5 1/2 lbs. power MACK 5045 motor 12 volt 2 x 3000 nimh batteries. Pilots head turns with rudder movement passenger waves flag on elevator input while towing skier. Built to impress my granddaughters.