juhu

Great progress, will keep watching this thread for sure. Since I first noticed wooden static ship models and ME company I have admired their 1/96 Phantom kit and only wished it was available in 1:48. Yesterday I have found it just by accident. First I though there is just an error on the web with the scale From what I see I agree with the notes - to enlarge the kit from 1/96 to 1/48 should involve something more than just "enlarging", i.e. adding the detail appropriate for the scale and proper plans. . From the pics available I think the cockpit area just sitting on the deck looks strange. As you said I would also suggest to burry it little bit. I am just not sure, to achieve this, would not it be better to cut space in the bulkheads before assembly? Or maybe I just see it wrong from the web photos. Edit / added: I have been going through those few pictures from manufacturer website. If possible I would have one more question: how does the kit handle the whole anchor mechanism? I mean, I would expect this boat having anchor chain, but I see no windlass, no storage box for anchor on the deck, nothing. There are apparently some small winches directly at, I think called Samson post, but not sure this would be the answer for heavy anchors. Totally unfamiliar with pilot boats design, they still do resemble fishermen from Gloucester I have researched little bit, so am just wondering... Thanks a lot!

The look from above confirms again and again how good choice on which planks to omit you made. I would almost forgive the kit that it does not include proper individual frames plan. What a shame it is not available in Europe, I would go for one, but postage and duties sum for overseas order is too high. Splendid work, thanks for sharing.

Thanks a lot for responses. Probably I would not dare to go for this kit, but your build is impressive. I think the way you decided to left some parts of the deck planking off is very eye-catching.

Hi, I have been studying this and other America's build logs - have been considering as an option for me. Reading all the build logs, it seems that the frame alignment is the common issue due to rough, often asymmetrical shape. Do the kit plans show no 1:1 individual frame shape, so it would be possible to use them a s a template for exact shaping? I see each modeler takes its own approach how to cope with this challenge, but I would expect that proper profile drawing would be a must for POF model. Having not seen the actual plans, am not sure what to expect and whether I shall venture into this particular kit. Thanks for sharing any info on that in advance.

I really like the result - fore deck view from above with all those exposed frames is very interesting.

Absolute masterpiece. Would you leave in natural wood finish? - I really like the color of the used wood.

End of the year 2023, just for interest, I guess this project seems to be dead now? Or is there still any REAL hope?

Thank you all for kind words. I guess I will now have to take a small pause - new job, some plastic kits waiting to be finished... But got quite a stock of wooden model boxes too, so the plan is to be back for sure with another build.

And the last one, anchored behind the glass

... and some rigging details:

Some more deck views ...

Hi all, The story has come to its end, Smuggler is finished. It has been a long, 2 years run, no doubts also because of my lack of experience. I had done many tiring reworks of my faults, right from the hull start to the rigging end and once the whole kit was literally sitting at the edge of a trash bin. Far from perfect result and with bunch of more or less visible errors, I know, but I admit I am very happy with my first finished wooden ship. Am glad I went on with sails. At least to me, heavy rigged ship like this looks much more dynamic and alive with all the sails set. Sure it added quite a lot of work atop and proved to be quite a temptation just to take easier path with, bare masts and gaffs. If nothing else, I can sure understand why these ships were so eye-catching from a distance, but also often so deadly to her crews, because of instability under sudden bad weather strikes and heavy seas. Decision to plank her instead of painting is a clear deviation from historical appearance, but I never could convince myself to hide the beauty of the wood under enamel coat. As for the kit, I am no expert builder and can provide only my personal feelings, rather than comprehensive professional review. Using the vocabulary from the world of plastic models, I would rate it as a good short-run kit. It portraits the subject out of the main stream for rather higher price. No fancy laser cut parts or 3D prints. The 1:1 plans are just great and if they do not cover some details, there comes MSW community and Chapelle’s book “The American Fishing Schooners 1825-1935” to help. Metal castings are of various qualities, I tried to replace them with wooden representation where possible, or at least to paint and weather them to a wooden look. Rigging threads: the “black ones” are OK, those white are …too white to my taste. The thing worth to mention is the dory boat sub-kit. This is a true little gem, I was so pleased with it I wanted to order one more but, alas, overseas postage and customs would multiple the purchase costs, so let it be. I wish the kit was provided as it is, only with a classic POB hull construction or at least the bulwarks were designed in that way. Overall I am very happy with my choice: I feel I have learnt a lot, much more than if everything was made of precut and laser ready-to-use cut parts. This is the greatest benefit for me, although I also only now see, how little craftsmanship I own, when compared to all those detailed and beautiful builds here on MSW – level I could probably never achieve. Overall: I would suggest the kit to a determined first time builder, with some model making experience, one just needs to understand what to expect in the box. Last but not least, I would like to thank for all the support and technical advises I received here on MSW and also to BlueJacket Shipcrafters Inc. for providing a kit of this very fine vessel. And great thanks to my wife. Without her never-ending support and patience I could have never spent so many hours in my workroomJ. I took out my Fuji mirror-less and tried to document the final stage of the project … .

I really like the look of the deck. It was a good decision not to go with the kit's prescribed deck plate. I have ordered the kit too and am waiting for the box currently, wanted to ask for the historical accuracy: I saw this picture earlier in this thread: https://modelshipworld.com/uploads/monthly_2018_07/Arabia_5m.JPG.dc15dc9f03255c00ebcf94729823bf26.JPG Interesting for me is the planking run direction fore. Was this the special case or should this be a common practice instead of simple straight planks, parallel to keel, on these river steam boats? Thx

Hello, another small update. Mackerel pocket booms done and started work on ratlines. Both tasks quite challenging for me, too many rigging obstacles in the way and those ratlines... too many of them even without any other obstacles.

Hello, Thank you for all the kind words! Another small step forward. All the sails are up there, although not yet fully rigged - must finish some standing rigging work first. After that I guess only a bunch of details is missing: flags, dory lifts, mackerel booms etc. I have just realized I ran out of single blocks - the kit provides enough when building the ship without the sails, but obviously not enough if all the sails are to be set according to plan. I will try to modify some 3rd party blocks to resemble those from the kit as much as possible.