IMAI CHEBEC (Xebec) – 1/80 Scale Plastic Sailing Ship Model
Rare Vintage Japanese Kit – Long Out of Production

This model was built from the highly regarded IMAI No. B-296 CHEBEC kit in 1/80 scale. Produced in Japan many years ago and now long out of production, this kit is considered one of IMAI's finest offerings and has become a rare collector's item.

IMAI was famous for the exceptional quality of its molds and engineering. Although this is a plastic kit, the parts were molded with such precision and detail that they convincingly reproduce the appearance of a finely crafted wooden ship model.

The Chebec (or Xebec) was a fast and elegant Mediterranean vessel used extensively by Barbary corsairs during the 17th and 18th centuries. Its sleek hull, pronounced overhangs, and distinctive lateen rig make it one of the most beautiful and exotic sailing ships ever designed.

This model is fully rigged and armed with:
• 20 deck-mounted cannons
• 20 swivel guns
• Detailed anchors, yards, spars, and standing and running rigging

One of the most striking features of the kit is the elaborate decorative carving along the port and starboard bulwarks and across the stern. To highlight these intricate ornaments, I carefully hand-painted every detail using my finest brushes.

The flags were custom made from the lead foil wrappers found around wine bottle corks. After flattening the material, I hand-painted the Algerian corsair designs and shaped them to appear as if they were fluttering in the wind, adding a dramatic and highly realistic touch to the finished model.

Additional features include:
• Ship's boat mounted amidships
• Ornamental stern gallery with gilded relief work
• Open deck grating and finely detailed deck furniture
• Hand-painted decorative motifs throughout

Even after many years, this remains one of my favorite builds. The combination of IMAI's superb engineering and the unique character of the historic Chebec resulted in a model that captures the grace, power, and mystery of the legendary Mediterranean corsair vessels.

Today, Optimist saw real water. I had a mini-soling also, but another member had an 88 transmitted, & my mini-soling is also on 88, so it took me a while to get the courage to put the Optimist So today was for sail boats but you usually have a member that wants to test out his speed boat that's has a great paint job . He picked up a seagull feather that really slowed him down.

I have way to much time to waste raking up the leaves & bagging them but I am still working on some of the models I got & this time it's the Bluenose kit that had all the masts broken off . I started it while our model boat club was at the Caledonia wood show . I try my best to get people to be interested in model boat building while I'm repair the model. The sails are up & now for the rat lines & a little painting & a few touch up here & there!

Because I can't figure out how to download a video on this web site I just pause the video & photographed the image of my Yard Sale Find It was such a lovely Canada Day morning went to the pool & ran the model checked for leaks, balanced model with a little lead test O/K I did have a tiny leak which I think will be fixed up with a little hull paint. I'm having a seniors moment I wanted to post on Build Blog & I've tried to delete it from media post but can't

Re painted my decks, ive used a fine textured paint I use at work on vehicle bumpers and trims , although mainly black.... they also do a mid grey 👍

Upper decks Green

Main deck Red

Bulwarks Yellow

Railings White

Top of Bulwark White

Wow!

Bunker Boat-
A bunker boat is a purse seiner after menhaden (AKA bunker, pogy, alewife, shad). The fish is use in animal feeds, fertilizer, paint, cosmetics, and its oil has commercial value, It's not a human food fish. The Atlantic seaboard is the largest fishery and a huge fleet of these boats, all architecturally similar, were maintained there. Some sources call the menhaden catch the most important commercial catch in American waters.
The plans for this model are loosely drawn after the Helen Euphane, a 114 foot 293 ton steam powered example of the type. She was built in 1902, and served temporarily in both world wars in the Coast Guard, as a minesweeper and patrol boat. The last history I have of her is from the 50s, at which time she was still working the fishery.

Have painted the bulkheads and inner Hull.

Here is pitcure of both my boats sailing on a boating lake not far from my home, the larger of the two was commandeered by my 8 year old son for a trainning mission he had in mind, which gave me an excuse to build another one, which is the smaller boat the picture, as the young captain needed escorting while getting use to his new command!
They are both made from balsa wood, which the material for the hull, it is sealed with a acrylic varnish,painted over the top with enammel paint with clear varnish on top of the paint! The superstructure on the larger destoyer is made from thin plywood, and on the smaller frigate its made of plasticard!
I got the lynx helicoptors on Ebay from "The Dorest Print Man" I think it was, which are 3D printed by him!

Found it would fit in the paddling pool, so being a nice sunny day, thought it was about time to wet its' bum. So bright today, smoke and water was hard to see, (I can't win ! - either too bright or too dull😐) Anyhow, everything works well, (just need to adjust the rudders,- bit of right needed), plenty of grunt (only about 1/2 throttle max here,- mostly just 1 motor - don't want to bash the paint off !)- bit hard to control in a small tub !,- needed someone to hold it.

Next stop, the lake !, after I modify the launching trolley and making a stand. Unfortunately can't demo the stereo working due to new YT music censoring rubbish. No different to sitting at the beach with a radio, but YT warns you about copyright which is just moronic.

(dry test)

After going over everything to make sure nothing had come adrift after being upside down after painting, thought I'd give it a quick dry run (no water ) . Did the vid and found that YT had put the vid/sound way out of sync. Tried to sort it but gave it up as a bad joke. You will see the smoke start, and then a while later you will hear the engine start (they actually start together,- the smoke being on a 5 sec timer to allow the element to heat up before the air turns on, giving it a puff on start-up. )

You'll have to pretend you are seeing them together, (very annoying). Apologise for the 'music' as I had to create it myself using a free beat app to get round the YT copyright rubbish. It's only there as a demo, showing using the remote to change the volume.

The Loganville is out of the water for its annual inspection and scrapping before being repainted.
Here is my model of it.