Seahorse

Very impressive workmanship and attention to detail. Nicely done mate!!

Having a break from the hull and commenced work on the Main Mast.

Slow but steady progress today.

A little more progress today

Stanchions installed...will require some "fine-tuning" to correct positioning.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, I have not been able to work on the model for the last few months. Hopefully, I will be able to put that behind me now and start making progress again.

Thanks for the kind words Clare... much appreciated. Actually I would like to take a look at a newer kit. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am building from the plans, not using the instructions. I am finding lots of contradictions on the plans...needing to double check and measure continuously before gluing. Some of the drawings just do not make sense. At least I now have an idea of what I will be up against, when I take on Corel's FULL Victory kit.

Trial "Stepping the Mast". Just temporary, to check correct alignment. Vertically Port & Stbd etc

Finally had a couple of sunny days...too nice to stay indoors, so I took the opportunity to ride my motorbike... Rain is back again today....We now have had a years average rainfall in the first three months of 2022. No excuses for not working on the model. After a bit of tidying up of the planking etc, it is now getting close to the stage where the main deck can be built.

Thanks Allan...Always on the lookout for a new authors. Gulp!!...There are 25 volumes in the Alan Lewrie series. I may purchase a couple to see if I like his style. You won't be disappointed with "COMMANDER". My preference is for fact over fiction, so this book has my name all over it..!! Actually that is very true, as my name is Stephen Taylor is as well....!!!

Progress may be slow..but I do have an excuse.... Started reading COMMANDER by Stephen Taylor. A real page turner!!. I have quite an extensive collection of maritime fiction books by the likes of C S Forrester, Richard Woodman, Alexander Kent etc, but am not a fan of Patrick O'brien. This book by Stephen Taylor is well worth the time and effort. Unfortunately, it eats into time that could be spent more productively modelling. None the less, I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in this genre.

Slow and steady at the moment. Progress all the same. It will be nice to finish it off to the stage where I can sand away all the handling marks, glue stains, furry edges etc

Greetings Tom, Encouraging words indeed from a modeller of your ability Tom. Thank you for taking the time offer your support and thoughts, which are greatly appreciated. I am a long, long way from ever achieving builds anywhere near your standard of workmanship. I am more familiar with working with steel and machinery parts than wood. I am finding the transition slightly challenging but hugely enjoyable. It is great pleasure to find a forum like MSW, where the membership are so positive and encouraging.....To all who have taken the time to respond to this build...THANK YOU. Steve

Greetings Allan, I understand where you are coming from. However, I must say the Corel Victory cross-section holds a lot of sentimental value for me. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I purchased it in Genoa over 40 years ago. A time when Period ship modelling kits were in their infancy. Since then it has survived numerous moves and gathered a lot of dust, but was always in the back of my mind, that I would one day get around to building it. To help put things in perspective a little, I also have a DiAgostini Victory Cross Section waiting in the wings. Not saying it would necessarily meet all the criteria of design and materials quality you suggest, but to me it does not have the emotional pull the Corel kit has. I bought the DiAgostini kit for the reasons you suggest....more modern, more accurate, supposedly well designed etc. I tossed up between both kits...which one to build?? Ultimately the Corel kit ticked all the boxes for me, despite some of its obvious short comings. When I complete the Corel Kit, I hope to be able to say my apprenticeship is complete. I will have a better grasp on model building, be more selective in what I build next, and hopefully, the errors I make in this build will not be repeated in the future builds. I appreciate your suggestions and will certainly take a long at look at the kit manufacturers you mention, but for the moment and for my first build, If I can complete the kit to my own personal satisfaction, I will be very happy. Appreciate your input. Rgds Steve

It continues to rain here on the East Coast, so a lot of time spent staring out the window daydreaming. Consequently, progress on the model remains slow. But none the less, another deck was completed and the test fit was a success. Now to mark out the gun and entry ports. Did a quick inventory of remaining parts and found the length of 1.5mm brass rod missing....fingers crossed that is all that is. Some time also spent designing a display case....daydreaming helps immensely with the creative process.