chris watton

Overall length (with Flying Jibboom) - 1345mm (without Flying Jibboom) - 1247mm Hull Only - (approx.) 880mm Height Overall - Approx 875mm Width of Main Yard and Stunsail Booms tips- 500mm Planned delivery date - When it's ready! Am hoping end of this year. Price - Between £1250 and £1350, but this can change. Today I completed mast and yard drawings, so 'just' the rigging plans left to do for my part... ETA - Had this arrive today..

I have seen a lot of plans where there are green annotations and recommended changes. A lot, if you read between the lines, basically say 'why the hell did you put a ladderway there!', But with a lot more 18th Century decorum...

I am thinking the ladders were removed when using the capstan. Here is an early cross section I did a long time ago, showing Bellona decks. The ladder would have to be removed when working the capstan.

The cannon balls are 2.5mm. These are the closest match I could get for the 24 Pounders, which work out to about 2.4mm balls, scale wise. All of the upper deck beams, with the exception of the boat beams, were originally done in 6mm MDF, but decided pear would be a much better choice. So each kit will have a big slab of 6x100x500mm pear sheet..

Kit designing has to be a compromise, otherwise two things will happen. The first is costs. If I designed a kit exactly how they were built as per Navy Board models, the development costs, materials and time required would be phenomenal. Anyone willing to take on such a project would no doubt have the requisite skills to scratch build their own at a fraction of the cost. This leads on to the second problem, the number of pre-cut parts that would need final shaping on every surface would also be a lot. For my part, I prefer to reduce pre shaping as much as I can. Such a kit would alienate perhaps 95% of people who buy and build kits. Makes little sense - taking years to develop a kit (which I could develop 6 or 7 marketable kits in that same time frame) that would be prohibitively expensive to the vast majority. Indy is about as far as I would like to go for now, with full upper deck beams, and (optional) knees. I say optional because depending on experience, they can be added or left off, and this will make no difference to the overall look of the finished model, as they are mostly hidden anyway. I have also included two options for bowsprit: one with no flying jibboom (reducing the overall length when built), and one with the flying jibboom, with 2 dolphin strikers to suit each option

I can see the basswood/limewood strips in your picture, labelled F26 Sail cloth is no longer included, instead a pre made sail set is included Or, if you mean the wood for deck planking, the deck is now a laser engraved part.

My wife managed to make up the first batch of Ranger kits today...

My collection has grown even more the past year or so, after discovering Ancre and Seawatch (plus a couple of stunning new books by Richard Endsor relating to Restoration warships). I have had to have a large cull of many of my paperbacks, all read many times over and bought only for reading when on lunch breaks when I had a day job, to free up space for new books.

Just thought I'd post to say that Ranger kits are now complete and in stock, so all orders will be sent next week. Also, I have a quite a few emails recommending books. I think over the years, I have bought any book I feel relevant to hobby, and later job. The first books on this subject I bought were in the late '80's, early '90's, Frank Fox's The Battlefleet of King Charles II and Lavery's Ship of the Line. (And the Sailing Navy List being the most perused by far..) The older books have been moved around 8 times over the years, so some look a little worse for wear, both from travel and me reading them. The latest are from Ancre and Seawatch. Only one book doesn't fit, and that the mammoth Commerce De Marseille monograph! James Lees Masting and Rigging is missing from the pics, as I am using it right now.

I think when I drew that side profile, the forecastle and quarterdeck show the position ad their highest-level at the centreline. However, because the gangways do not have this, they are shown at hull side level At least, that's that I think that is (23 years' ago...) That one bulkhead that sticks out, if that's both sides the same, it is slightly too wide and needs more sanding to get it level with the other bulkheads.

I have just received the first 30 sets of flags. This set has a white ensign, the next set will have a red ensign. Ensign size (1707 - 1800) - 70 x 120mm Union Jack (1707 - 1800) - 50 x 78mm Tricolour pennant (1661 - 1850) - 18 x 255mm

A colleague of mine has asked me if I know anyone who has a Bounty model (preferably around 1:69th scale) they would want to sell, as he needs one for promotional work. He is in Italy, so if there is anyone out there, please PM me. Cheers, Chris

And let's not forget the horrendous import taxes. Even for me, receiving materials from the EU, I have to pay import duties before my shipment is released to me, so for somewhere like Australia, they must be near crippling!

I just thought I would explain a little more about the ships name letters on the sterns. When I first started designing, I bought a lot of books (which I still have, some are over 30 years old) and soaked up each and every one until many of the details I now know off by heart were etched into my mind. It was so long ago, when I am questioned about certain details, I start to doubt myself. With that in mind, I then refer back to the sources I have always used. In one of my most treasured books, Old Ships Figure-Heads and Sterns, by L.G. Carr laughton (1991 edition, number 80 of 750 copies published), and this is always my go to source for painting, he writes: ' English Ships had not had their names painted on their sterns, or elsewhere, till 1771, when by an order of 28th June they were directed to be painted on the second counter in 12" letters in a compartment. A year later, on 9th September, 1772, it was ordered that, instead of the above method, they should be painted "as large as the second counter will admit, without any compartment around them." The idea that this painting of the names was abandoned in 1778 at Keppel's request is mistaken; for though the names were rubbed out of the sterns of the ships under Keppel's command in that year, they were left in all other ships, both then and afterwards. The large lettering was the Trafalgar fashion, but how long it survived after that date is not known. Some models, e.g., the Nelson of 1814 at Greenwich, show the name small in a compartment, and apparently soon after the peace the painting of the names was dropped' This is why Indefatigable has the option of her name on the second counter. On another note, my Ranger boxes have just arrived, and the plans and manual came on Monday!

Yes, there is a source. The book Old Ship Figure-Heads & Sterns, by L.G. Carr Laughton. According to his research, red was still the regulation colour for inboard as late as 1801, but at this time, it was giving way to other colours, usually yellow, but other colours were used. Red is always the safest bet for this period, but yellow is also an option. White is not mentioned for the upper decks, but is for the lower decks, which became the regular practice by 1815. Indy is almost 20 years before this, though, hence the red. ETA - What is your source for believing the inner bulwarks should be whitewashed?

Thank you!

OK, the Barking fast Fish Carrier Ranger is now on pre order. I have everything ready and expecting boxes, plans and manual to be delivered this week. I also have the very nice premium sail sets in stock. This now completes the set of fishing boats: Ranger – Barking Fish Carrier – VANGUARD MODELS

The boom to which you refer to was not introduced to British ships until 1793, according to James Lees, at least.

Sphinx is 1775, there was only a mizzen gaff, and not a lower driver boom

Not sure what to say, all the info is there on mast and yard sheets, and on the rig plans.

Absolutely stunning work!

Excellent job, very well done!

This is the second time allanyed had brought this up. It is not a mistake, but a compromise. Those who buy and build my kits range from complete beginners to true experts. For the former, asking them to file/sand each face of the prow is a big ask, and a big assumption. Conversely, those that know, can. As far as I am aware, no commercial kit asks the modeller to taper the prow.

Thanks' guys Yes, it's a Scharnhorst, I replaced its place with Yamato, thinking my wife wouldn't know, but she spotted the huge box being brought down our path on the door camera, dammit... Not sure if I will ever get time to make them, may just find someone to do them for me at some point! I think that, because of the copper situation right now, my next kits after Indy will be pre-copper era. But I will probably do a diorama/vignette type kit first. I have attached a couple of pics showing the first of my new three printers working, Bristol sterns and Alert winch drums, just completed and about to be removed from build plate and cleaned up.

Cheers A good hiding place from the wife!