Woody Joe ship in bottle kits

[Major]

Hi all.

Just out of curiosity I tried to find any build logs for said kits, but my google comes up with nothing. Has any of you seen or built these kits? What are they in terms of quaity/instructions?

All the best
Tom

[ccoyle]

If they're anything like the rest of the Woody Joe line, you can expect the kit materials to be of good quality and the instructions to be in Japanese, but profusely illustrated.

[Major]

Thank you .

[catopower]

I don't know anyone who has built one, but unlike the Amati ship in bottle kits, I think you have to provide your own bottle. Better get started drinking early!

 

Clare

[Major]

I hate when hobby forces new addictions.... but I don't think I have any choice .

[DSiemens]

I can't say I've ever heard of them.  Found a website with it but it's out of stock.  Seems like that happens a lot with ship in bottle kits.  It's hard to find any of the Wood Krafters kits that aren't pirate ships.  It's an intimidating hobby.  I don't think the kits sell very well.    

 

Honestly though knowing what I know now I wouldn't do more than one kit.  It's good for getting your feet in the water but scratch building sib's is the way to go.  Get a book like Don Hubbards Ships in Bottles and scratch build a couple plans he has in there.  It's ok if it looks more on the folk art side when you start out.  Once you do a few of those you can build anything you want for way less money than kit's will cost you.  My best ship so far the Mercury I built for less than $10.    

[catopower]

Daniel,

 

I don't know which kit's you're referring to exactly when you say that you don't think they sell very well. But, I can tell you that Ages of Sail, as a retailer and distributor, sells a lot of the Amati Ship in Bottle kits, both the Hannah and the Golden Yacht kits. It's probably the most popular class of kits there is. 

 

I'm sure you're correct about being inexpensive to build from scratch, but I think the kits are great at introducing people to the hobby. Of course, many of these sell as novelty gifts, but there are people who want to try their hand at the hobby.

 

Clare

[DSiemens]

  You are right Amati is the only kit that sells well.  I'm referring mainly to Wood Krafters which I do like as a good beginning kit.  Trouble is Wood Krafters has a lot of variations but you can't find them any where.  Other kits like Woody Joe are also hard to find.  There just isn't that many out there.  

 

  As far as kit's go I don't like the Amati kit.  Mostly because the brass mast and spars but then those can be changed out..  It's mostly because of how hard it is to get the ship in the bottle.  SIB building doesn't have to be as hard as the Amati Hannah makes it.  I can't say so much for the Golden Yacht I've never seen that one in person or on a forum.  I'm not saying don't do kits either.  Kits are a great way to start.  I started with a Wood Krafters Pirate ship.  I highly recommend that kit for beginners.  I think though that most people on this forum would find it too childish.   

 

  I guess what I'm saying is kit's in SIB building are very limited and it almost forces you to expand to scratch building.  There is so much to the art of SIB building.  There's split hulls, eight or nine ways of raising the mast, and several different rigging techniques.  You can't fit that all into a kit.  So yes it's a good way to start and do as many kit's as you want before scratch building.  If you really want to do it though get a book or dig around online and learn scratch building.  I find it less intimidating than the larger static scratch building.  Because of the scale many of the details can be left out.  Also since it started as a folkart many SIB builders are very lenient when it come to scale and realism.  Any way I've ranted enough.  I'm obviously over passionate about this so take anything I say with a grain of salt and do as you wish.  Ship modeling should be fun after all.