Background
My father was a model ship builder and completed a number through his life so I was always around it. He passed a while ago and I finally got around to trying my hand at it, though I wish I had done so when he was still around. Unfortunately I didn't pay that much attention when he was building as I had what at the time were much more exciting things to do. So the result now is a desire, but not a ton of skill, to carry on my father's tradition.
After expressing that desire, I was gifted the above kit in late 2017 and got straight to work, expecting it to be similar to the plastic models I had built as a kid. Boy was I wrong! But I set out nonetheless, determined to complete the model. I didn't know about MSW or many of the online resources and assumed that the plans and instructions would serve to pull me through. After all, Dad didn't have the internet when he started! I quickly started putting the hull together, pictured below (I did take a few pictures through the process, and I was going to document it for the whole few weeks it would take me to build it. However, my illusions were quickly shattered).
The hull construction was fairly straightforward, each piece was detailed on the plans and I was able to match them up by number and using that with the plans, put the hull together. After putting the hull together, the instruction was to file down some of the pieces. This was my first mistake. I pulled out my new Dremel and got to work removing way too much material. This error would not be evident for a while. What I should have done is lay some planking and see exactly how much I needed to remove to create the bow shape. (You will all be happy to know I put the Dremel away and haven't used it for this project again)
The next instruction was "The first planking has to be done with 1,5 lime-tree laths; the second with 1x5 walnut laths. Proceed from the top towards the bottom alternating every three or fours laths of the flanks to be covered." I was stumped. But that is a tale for the next post.
