Sovereign of the Seas by Matt H - DeAgostini - Scale 1:84

[Matt H]

This is the 12 month subscription model by DeAgostini from Model Space. It arrives in 12 separate packages spread over a year and each arrives with a color magazine with historical information about the ship and instructions. The packaging isn't anything special, just a normal cardboard box with various small bags and plastic packages of parts.

 

At this point in time I have received the first two months. The first picture is the first month's supplies and the second is the second month deeper down in the same box for consolidation. 

 

Here is the cover and inside of the first months magazine. You can find these digitally on their website as well.

 

 

I have to say I like the instructions and pictures, very well detailed and it might just make it possible for me to be successful with this ship at this stage of my experience. I will be bouncing back and forth between this and my Syren build, which also has great instructions. I just ordered some basswood blocks off Amazon and will get working on cutting them to size for my Syren when they get here. 

 

Here I have begun attaching various bow former supports and the first part of the false keel to the forward bulkhead.

 

 

 

Here are the next two bulkheads assembled, but not yet attached. There is a step coming up that the instructions warn about a temporary jig setup to help hold the entire false keel and bulkheads upright and where these two bulkheads go is where that temporary jig sits.

 

 

Each month comes with various small projects to break up the monotony of doing nothing but planking or making 100 cannons. Some projects are a longboat or cannons. This month includes the start of a longboat and 2 cannons. Here are the parts of the cannon assembly and the final assembly. Please let me know what you think of the bronze and red coloring. 

 

 

 

 

 

Some rope supplied this month.

 

 

That's it for now. I am waiting on some paint to dry on the second cannon you see there. I will keep updating as I go along. So far I am very pleased with this kit and this 12 month program. It comes out to $20 more if you buy it monthly plus an additional $10 per month for shipping, so the price difference isn't much. It makes these $1000+ ships more affordable for some, and I don't mind the extra in shipping.

[md1400cs]

Matt,

 

Nice start. Will follow along - This one is on my "long List" Always loved this ship. Though, as you prob. know, there is much controversy as to how all of those stern and galleries really looked

- depending on diff decades of service; along with the controversy of the circumstances of how she caught fire in 1697 - ending her long career.

 

Cheers,

[Matt H]

Just a quick update to this. I will be setting this aside for some time. I do feel the instructions are adequate for someone new to the hobby, but I also recognize that despite good instructions things come up and we need to be able to adapt. I feel I would rather put this large beautiful ship aside and one day many years from now after some other ships have been completed and I can do this in a much better way when those scenarios come up that I need to adapt and having more experience will let me do that better and make this look much nicer as it deserves. 

 

As far as the kit itself, I haven't opened up the individual bags that the small steps come in, but looking at them through the bag they appear to be good quality. As I learn more and get practice with some of my new tools arriving soon, I may start to replace kit materials with nicer looking lumber, so another reason to delay this particular ship. The only problem I have with this model company is that I don't always receive the printed color instructions. I have to email them which takes days sometimes a week and a half before a response. I have emailed twice, the first back in April about month 3 instructions, and I still have yet to receive them, apparently they are out of stock and have been for the past 2 - 3 months. So the biggest issue is a long time between communication and missing instructions.

 

When I return to this kit I will return to this build log and if there are any questions I may be able to answer you are welcome to post them here.