Bounty Launch 1787 by Joseph F. - FINISHED - Model Shipways - 1/24

[Joseph F.]

Three thousand, six hundred and eighteen nautical miles. This is the distance Captain William Bligh was able to carry 19 men across the ocean in an open launch, only losing one man. It is for this reason I think the Launch is much more an interesting subject than the Bounty herself.
 

 

This is a well known kit from Model Shipways, which I bought second hand on eBay. I started it back in May by assembling the keel and cutting the rabbet.

 

 

It seemed like it would be an easy and quick project, until I began bending the ribs onto the frame. So I decided to lay the project aside till I had more experience and more patience.

 

 

I picked up the project again yesterday, and assembled the building board as directed in the instructions.

 

 

However, I just found it easier to begin planking the boat without regard for the frame at all, and the planks naturally found their shape.
 

 

I ended up only using nine rows of planks, leaving off the sheer plank, because I had placed the garboard plank too far forward. May end up having to cut down the transom a bit.

 

 

Here is the fully planked boat. It won’t be a fully accurate model of the Bounty launch when I’m finished, but I am happy with what I have so far. 

[Joseph F.]

 

Bending the frames is what caused me to abandon this project not long after starting back in May, but I decided to add about half the frames at a much less severe angle than the instructions called for. 
 

 

I think the frames look great, as long as you don’t look too close… Also had to cut down the transom to be flush with the sheer plank.

 

 

I installed the sheer clamps, then gave the hull two coats of polyurethane.

 

 

Yesterday I did some masking and spraying of the hull, white below the waterline and grey up to the gunwales. Still need to do some touch up, and I may add a yellow or a green stripe along the sheer plank.

 

 

This is all the progress I’ve made in a weekend, and I am very pleased with how nice this project is turning out. However, I am starting to run into problems, having not used the building frame, but I will get past them.

[Joseph F.]

 

Here I’ve been at work on the floor boards, which were a bit tricky since the bottom of the boat is less flat than it’s supposed to be.

 

 

When the floorboards were installed, I began to dry fit the seats.

 

 

After building a section of quarterdeck planking in the rear, I decided to stain the floor boards and seats and gunwales in the same color that I used on the Dusek Viking Longboat, a dark espresso color. I left the interior frames and planks unstained because they are coated in superglue and wouldn’t stain evenly.

 

 

To make the gunwales fit evenly, I had to cut them in half and glue the halves separately. The dark color helps mask this and other mistakes…

 

 

I still have to paint and hang the rudder, sand the oars, cut and rig the masts, and I am pleased with the project so far. I have a friend making the sails, and after I rig those this project will be done. 

[Joseph F.]

I got my sails back yesterday, so I was able to finish this project today.

 

 

I cut corners off a small piece of wood to make the cleats in the mast, stained them, then masked and painted the tops. Also masked and painted the rudder, and attached it to the transom.

 

 

Weaved the sails onto the yards and rigged them to the masts.

 

 

Used extra belaying pins as oar locks, and this model is complete!

[GrandpaPhil]

Congratulations!  Well done!

[ccoyle]

Congratulations on the launch of your launch!