New member with broken Ship in need of a professional restoration

[Guest James]

I have a model ship which I build back when I was a teenager through the 90's. It is the, HMS Endeavour Bark 1768 by S.Coleman - Artesania Latina - 1:60 scale. Through the struggles of a rather nasty divorce, the ex-wife decided to invoke considerable damage to it.  It's been agreed to have it repaired, but it's just not a hobby I have time for now.  It's primarily the masts, rigging and 25% of the deck. I can provide pics and such.  Does anyone know who I could get an estimate, ship the ship (ha) to them and have them repair it?  I know it won't be cheap.  Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[GrandpaPhil]

Where is the model located?

 

I ask because there may be someone relatively local to you or a model ship club in your area.

 

I am not interested in another project myself, but there may be someone in your area that is.

Edited December 4, 2023 by GrandpaPhil

[empathry]

Hello James, as the Endeavour is not a really complicated model, maybe could you purchase another kit (from Artesania Latina), and from the kit, pick up all the (allready finished) pieces you need for your restauration and do it yourself ?  It will cost you a minimum doing this way ! 

[DNSJames]

I'm in St. Augustine, Florida.  I'd love to find someone local.  I'd also be willing to buy a second kit to pull the parts from and whomever built it would be left with a handy box of spare bits.  I'd love to rebuild it myselft but right now, life's just too busy to delve into such a project...  yug.  Everyone is aware it'll be quite expensve to repair and that's been taken into accunt.  As long as they can rebuild it in a year... no major rush.

 

 

Edited December 6, 2023 by DNSJames

[Brian Glendenning]

Dang. I have nothing helpful to add, but this is just so sad on multiple levels. Best wishes for a happy resolution - on everything.

[gsdpic]

Ouch, seems like a tough situation.  I too hope for a happy resolution. 

 

I wonder if this post would be better in another location as I think many of the ship modellers don't even visit this part of the forum, perhaps in the General Model Kit Discussions area.   Maybe an administrator like @James H can suggest a better place or even just move the post to a better location.

 

Also, I know that @MrBlueJacket sometimes does builds or restorations for customers.   I've no idea if he'd be willing to take on something like this.

[ccoyle]

Welcome, James.

 

Quote

Maybe an administrator like @James H can suggest a better place or even just move the post to a better location.

 

I have moved this to the new members intro section and spruced up the title.

[MrBlueJacket]

I suggest you contact the Tampa Bay Ship Model Society:

 

http://tampabayshipmodelsociety.org/

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

   'Sorry about how your model got damaged.  Many marriages headed for rocky shoals will show signs of stress well before one is actually shipwrecked ... and sometimes a little advanced planning can safeguard certain keepsakes, tools, books, records and such.  My Dad was not a planner, and when my Mom agreed to  let him out of the house in a separation on condition he never return - he just left with a few clothes and no kits, tools, or much of anything else.

 

  He later wanted one ship kit  so he could occupy himself in his apartment - but nothing doing.  Since he mentioned the lit to me (not knowing it was a bone of contention), I brought it over after visiting Mom ... only to get a call within the hour to high-tail it back over with the goods - and I got a good dose of haranguing in the process.  Eventually things were sorted in the divorce, with him getting all the kits of various sorts plus tools back - and he partially built the one in question, but no one knows whatever happened to the work in progress.

 

   When he passed, I ended up with a couple  ship and plane kits (including the one of infamy, then incomplete) and my brothers got airplane and RC stuff plus tools.  Since then those have been my "parts kits", as they are of considerable age (over 50 years) and do not compare to much higher quality kits produced in the interim.

[DNSJames]

My lawyer is asking what eveyone thinks the "general cost range" would be to fix such the ship.  Based on my providing a new kit, if I can source one.  Whoever completes it, can keep the kit for spare parts which could be handy.  But the big drive right now is trying to figure out an estimated cost of repair.  I'll ship it at my cost and I'll figure out how to ship it back... probably uShip.  Anyone have any thoughts?

[GrandpaPhil]

That’s probably between 200-400 hours worth of work to pull the damaged parts off without damaging the model any further, replacing deck fittings, replacing masts and then rigging the model.

 

That’s a barque rigged vessel.  They take a while to rig.  The last one that I built took me over 100 hours in the rigging alone, and that only had half the lines it should have had, due to scale restrictions.

Edited December 15, 2023 by GrandpaPhil

[allanyed]

 

11 hours ago, DNSJames said:

My lawyer is asking what everyone thinks the "general cost range" would be to fix such the ship. 

I am really curious to see what others think this work is valued at. 

 

I think 150-200 hours is a good guess.  As to what that costs, figure out your hourly rate at work and then you have the cost of labor.  If for example you are making $35 per hour the value is upwards of $7,000.  Add cost of materials ($100-$150?) she owes you $7,150.  Probably won't fly, but I'm not a lawyer.

Allan

 

 

[Jaager]

Real world - a finished kit model would probably sell for about what the original kit costs.  For this one that is ~$300.

If you are building this for income instead of pure enjoyment, you would make much more money per hour doing a job that requires wearing a paper hat.

 

For the model in question, you should either stub the masts and repair the deck/hull yourself or give it a Viking funeral.

If you were to consider repairing it yourself, your time would be better spent building a different ship.  You have checked Endeavour off your list.

 

If I were to place a bet on the situation, my money is on you having to write the whole thing off and concede the victory to your Ex.

The only one likely to profit from pursuing this is your lawyer.

 

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

2 hours ago, Jaager said:

 

If I were to place a bet on the situation, my money is on you having to write the whole thing off and concede the victory to your Ex.

The only one likely to profit from pursuing this is your lawyer.

 

   Yeah -  after my folk's divorce, they kept going back and forth legally over any perceived change of life status (each angling for changes in the payments originally agreed).  After nearly 30 years of wrangling, the claims and counter-claims ultimately 'bounced off' each other and neither party gained any advantage ... but each had spent over $100k in the process, so the lawyers etc. made out.  'Brings to mind the case of Johndice vs Johndice in a Dickens novel, where after many years the case was decided for the plaintiff - but the estate was totally consumed in the long process.  Then there was the story of a client who saw opposing attorneys drinking together in a bar after the conclusion of a case - "How can you two drink together as friends after arguing against each other in  Court?"  The lawyers said they were like scissors, and only cut what's in between. 

[gak1965]

6 hours ago, Jaager said:

For the model in question, you should either stub the masts and repair the deck/hull yourself or give it a Viking funeral.

I don't think a repair is likely to resolve anything. It won't be yours, and it won't really resolve any of the underlying injury if you know what I mean.

 

Stubbing out the masts seems like a good idea. It's still your work at that point, and that is a perfectly normal model category, suitable for display. And if you later want to repair it, well, you've cleared out the broken pieces and can begin anew.

 

Regards,

George