Panteg Models

Made a start planking the decks on the St Roch.

Following an extensive break mostly due to lack of time , the bench is tidied ready to get back to work . Now where was I ?

Finished planking the hull on the Billings St. Roch , next job fit and shape the stern blocks.

Hi David , No I don't think the decal will fit in the recess , But from some images I was sent of the original from the museum in Vancouver it appears to overlap ?

A bit more progress on planking the hull on the Billings St. Roch , may not be text book ? But how I like to do it.

Thanks , will do !

Planking slowly progressing on the Billings St. Roch.

Plodding along with the planking on the Billings St. Roch , while waiting to watch the Six Nations Rugby this afternoon.

The planking continues on the Billings St. Roch.

You make a fair point , every day is a school day! I think with a bit of tape protection I will be ok ( hopefully ! )

So decided to plank the hull first on the St Roch.

Bulwarks now finished , now to decide whether to plank the deck before the hull ?

Hi Many thanks I'm I Swansea South Wales UK , please see PM. Thanks Rich

A little more work on the Bulwarks on the Billings St Roch.

Making some slow progress on the bulwarks.

Hi , my personal choice I prefer to join both sides of the frame before planking.

A little more progress on the St. Roch , first plank fitted to set the level to fit the first Bulwark . Progress will slow now as back in work after the Christmas break.

Poor weather over the Christmas period has given me time to work on the St. Roch , decking now marked for planking and glued in place.

Typical wet and windy Christmas weather outside , so a bit of progress has been made on the Billings Boats St. Roch .

St. Roch , numbering of components to speed up identification later before starting the build.

Santa has been kind to me , looking forward to making a start on this model of a truly historic vessel. St. Roch was designated a national historic site of Canada because: she became the first ship to cross from the Pacific to the Atlantic by the North West Passage; she was also the first ship to complete the hazardous journey in both directions. The Canadian-built St. Roch is valued as an excellent example of Canada’s maritime history. She navigated the Northwest Passage, arriving in Halifax in 1942, after spending two winters frozen in the ice. She was the second ship to make the Passage, and the first to conquer the journey from the Pacific to the Atlantic. In 1944, the refitted St. Roch returned to Vancouver via the more northerly, deep route of the Prince of Wales Strait in eighty-six ice-free days – the first to navigate the Northwest Passage in a single season. Retired in 1948, St. Roch was sent to Halifax via the Panama Canal in 1950, making her the first ship to circumnavigate North America. Under the command and leadership of Sergeant Henry Larsen (1899-1964) who was first mate and captain for twenty years, the voyages of the St. Roch demonstrated Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic. She extended and maintained Canadian control over its vast northern territories as an all-purpose supply, patrol and transport vessel and governmental representative to service isolated and relatively inaccessible R.C.M.P. detachments by settling disputes and conducting a census of the Inuit. During this time the St. Roch was the only federal presence in the far north. During the Second World War the St. Roch was sent through the North West Passage to protect war industries in the north, specifically a mine in Greenland which was the sole source of cyrolite essential to the production of aluminum. The heritage value lies in the original design and the multiple refits that were designed to deal harsh conditions and reflect the changing technologies in marine transportation over the course of her working life. The St. Roch has been restored to her appearance during her epic journeys between 1940-1944 that was a mix of original elements and subsequent refits. Additional value in her material fabric include the spare and well-considered details of her design in terms of the efficiency and economy of her living and working quarters.

Thank you

The Billings boats Havmagen is finished ! learned a great deal building this and very pleased how it turned out as only my first proper build . A little break now over the festive season and then if Santa is kind to me ? On to the next project the Billings St Roch.

Had a go at the sails , the Billings boats Havmagen apart from some paint touch ups and a final photo shoot is now finished !

Almost complete , now just for the sails !