Review HM Armed Cutter Sherbourne 1763 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 Wooden Ship Model Kit

[Dulrakk]

HM Armed Cutter Sherbourne - 1763
1:64

Vanguard Models

Part Number - VM - 16
Available from Vanguard Models for £149.00 (around €175.00)

 

 

History

 

From the publisher’s website: 

 

HM cutter was a 6-gun cutter of the Royal Navy. She served in the English Channel for her entire career, operating against smugglers. She was sold in 1784. Sherbourne was built at Woolwich Dockyard under the supervision of Master Shipwright Joseph Harris, to a design by Sir Thomas Slade, and was launched on 3 December 1763, having cost £1,581.8.9d to build and fit.

 

Sherbourne was commissioned under Lieutenant John Cartwright, later to become a prominent parliamentary reformer, and was assigned to support the work of the Board of Customs by operating against smugglers in the English Channel. Cartwright commanded Sherborne from 7 December 1763 to 14 May 1766. His area of responsibility was the South Coast of England, including Dorsetshire and Devon. His brother George, when at loose ends, went with him in Sherborne on a cruise out of Plymouth to chase smugglers.

 

Lieutenant Christopher Raper succeeded Cartwright in 1766 as Sherbourne’s commander for the next three years. Between 1769 and 1777 the cutter was commanded successively by Lieutenants Stephen Rains, Thomas Rayment and Thomas Gaborian, all the while remaining based in the Channel. Her final commanders were Lieutenant Arthur Twyman, from September 1777 until May 1778, and then Lieutenant Arthur Hayne until September 1779. She was then laid up.

In 1783 Sherbourne participated in William Tracey’s unsuccessful attempt to raise HMS Royal George, which had sunk in Spithead in 1782. Although the dockyard rated Sherbourne as unfit for service, Tracey conducted some repairs and she was of some use.

 

She was finally sold at Portsmouth on 1 July 1784.

 

Tons burthen – 85
Length – 54 ft 6 in (16.6 m)
Beam – 19 ft (5.8 m)
Complement – 30
Armament – 6 x 3-pounder guns + 8 swivel guns

 

The Kit

 

Designed by Chris Watton this kit is aimed for the novice builder.

 

 

This skill level is defined as follows (text from publishers website):

 

"NOVICE: We have pitched this level at the absolute beginner, whilst still providing a good basis for more experienced modellers to make their own individual mark on the project. Kit design and techniques are all aimed to make this project as easy for you as possible, guiding you in every way to create a successful and beautiful model that you can be rightly proud of."

 

The kit includes (text from publishers website):

 

 

• Laser cut and engraved parts in MDF and pear wood.
• Laser etched and cut lime wood deck with treenail detail
• 2 sheets of photo etched brass
• High resolution 3D-printed parts.
• Double planked hull in limewood for first planking and pear wood for second planking.
• Walnut dowel for masting.
• Multiple sizes of both black and natural rigging thread along with all necessary blocks and deadeyes
• Comprehensive, full colour instruction manual, along with NINETEEN plan sheets which include all masting and rigging drawings. The rigging drawings are designed to allow the novice to successfully complete a rigged ship.
• Features laser-engraved treenails on both inner and outer bulwarks.

 

Dimensions of the finished build:

 

Length Overall – 512mm
Hull length – 284mm
Height Overall – 484mm
Width Overall – 202mm

 

The Box

 

The kit comes in a sturdy nice looking box covered with an A3 printed product label which is affixed to the lid of the box.

 

 

Inside the box everything is very well protected by either plastic bags or wrapped in bubble foil. None of the parts arrived damaged, warped or bended.

 

Instructions / Plans

 

After opening the box you will see the instruction manual and the plans:

 

 

The instruction manual is of high quality paper, fully coloured and has a spiral binding which is very practical if space on your workbench is limited. In addition you always can download the instructions from the website and have it ready on your iPad or other digital device.

 

 

In the manual you have step by step instructions from the very beginning up to the rigging as well as a lot of useful informations regarding e.g. recommendations for tools, colors and glues you can use to get the best out of your kit.

 

 

 

The instructions are supplemented by 19! A3 plans. Some examples of informations you can get from them:

 

Overview of the laser cut parts:

 

 

 

Detailed drawings of the model, parts and assembly:

 

 

Parts needed for the shown assembly phase, clearly marked so you can identify them easy and fast:

 

 

Some detailed instructions on how to assemble parts with all the measurements given:

 

 

And finally the rigging instructions in such a high level of detail that rigging this model will be pure fun and excitement ...

 

From leading the threads through the blocks ...

 

 

 

and where to belay them ...

 

 

and last but not least ... how to do the belaying ...

 

 

 

 

The Parts

 

As mentioned above, all parts are well packed and secured.

 

 

 

From top to bottom we first have the display stand made of clear acetate protected with a thin foil;

 

 

The stand has two engraved nice looking name plates ... 

 

 

Next there are three bundles of wood:  Lime wood for the first planking, pear wood for the second planking and walnut dowels for the masts,  yards and other parts like the hand pumps:

 

 

The wood strips and dowels are of high quality, no scratches, bendings or fuzzy edges as the macro shots show:

 

  

 

All the rest of the parts is precut/prefabricated.

 

Laser Cut Sheets - Pear Wood

 

Upper sheet: parts for the anchors, stern frames, keel and prow

Lower Sheet: parts for keel and prow, rudder, stern counter and transom parts, companionway as well as some fittings ...

 

Upper sheet: Rails, transom parts and counter, main wales and gunwales,

Lower sheet:  Rudder parts, channels, pin rails, timberheads, catheads, gun carriages, gratings and more fittings

 

 

Upper sheet: Bulwark patterns and port lids

Lower sheets: Left: Mast caps, posts for the swivel guns, pawl posts and bitts  / Right: Spirketting planks, bulwark ladders and  tiller arm

 

The cuts and engravings are really impressive:

 

 

 

Treenail details:

 

  

 

 

Photo Edged Parts

 

There are two small sheets with photo edged parts.

 

Upper sheet: Mainly parts for the Chain plates, handpumps, eyebolts, hooks, belaying pins, stanchions, swivel guns, gun carriage center booms, anchor rings and lower boom cradle

 

Lower sheet: horse shoe plates, fish plates, rudder straps and depth markings  

 

 

As well as all of the prefabricated parts the level of detail and quality of manufacturing is very very good:

 

 

 

MDF Parts

 

There are two MDF Laser Cut sheets mainly holding the parts for the skeleton.

 

2mm sheet: Building cradle, deck beams, false keel and keel/bow parts, support patterns, locking pins and the lower deck

 

3mm sheet: Bulkheads

 

 

 

Plywood Parts

 

There are three parts out of plywood. These are the left and right side bulwarks as well as the sub deck.

 

The bulwarks have markings on it to help align them as well as to ease the process of fitting the bulwark patterns:

 

 

This image shows the sub deck and the engraved lime wood deck which will be glued on top of it:

 

 

Again the level of detail and the manufacturing quality is astonishing:

 

 

 

Fittings and Materials

 

These are provided in a little box so nothing is rolling around in the big box.

 

 

 

All items are clearly marked and waiting for assembly in their plastic bags ...

 

There are 3 sizes of natural coloured thread (0.1mm/0.25mm/0.5mm) and 4 sizes of black coloured threads (0.25mm/0.5mm/0.75mm/1.0mm). The threads are of good quality as well as all parts in this kit:

 

 

The kit comes with wooden blocks and deadeyes in different sizes: Thimble blocks (2.5mm), Deadeyes (3.5mm), single blocks (3, 4 and 5mm) and double blocks (4mm)

 

 

The 3 D printed parts are the 3 pounders, swivel guns, anchors, the chimney and the main winch drum:

 

 

Finally we have the anchor hawse rope, parrel beads, brass pins and a small piece of black cardboard for the anchor stock:

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

It is hard to believe that you can get this kind of quality for so little money. The manufacturing quality is of the highest standard across all components of the kit.

 

Following the instructions step by step and making use of the plans should enable everybody to achieve the goal of finishing the build of an extremely well looking ship model with a high level of detail regarding its size.

 

As there are a lot of prefabricated parts the potential for frustration should be very low and that's what I am looking for as a beginner.

 

Just looking at the parts and the really good instruction manual as well as the plans is so much fun that you can draw all your motivation from it alone to start and finish the model. In addition the build time will not be hundreds of hours so you can see the light at the end of the tunnel as soon as you start your build.

 

If you are a beginner this kit will for sure get you addicted to ship modelling. For experienced modellers it must be pure fun as well and if this will be your first Vanguard Models ship kit I think it will not be your last one.

 

[tkay11]

Thanks for the review of this lovely cutter that so many have built. It would be interesting to compare this model to the £99 Caldercraft version. At first glance it looks as though the Vanguard version is closer to the original plans, especially with the windlass and deck fittings.

 

Tony

[VTHokiEE]

@Dulrakk Great review, I saw the comment (linked below) from Chris on his thread and the issue looks like it happened to your deck. 

 

 

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  'Looks like a good scale to work with, with small items easier to handle than at 1:100 or thereabouts.

 

(EDIT)  Taking another close look at the review and photos, the thought going into the design and contents really shows.  About the only upgrade I might opt for would be turned (3D) brass belaying pins, which are readily available in the aftermarket.  The blocks and rigging rope appear better than average, with Syren blocks & line still an option.

 

  I'd highly recommend the Sherbourne as a project to do BEFORE tackling a Vasa, Sovereign of the Seas, or Victory.

Edited March 17 by Snug Harbor Johnny

[ccoyle]

3 hours ago, tkay11 said:

It would be interesting to compare this model to the £99 Caldercraft version.

 

There's no comparison, as you may already know. Chris designed both kits, but the Caldercraft kit dates to very early in his career arc. The Caldercraft kit is still a good product, but Chris' more recent releases for Vanguard Models are ahead in every respect: better designs, better materials, better instructions.

[Dulrakk]

3 hours ago, VTHokiEE said:

@Dulrakk Great review, I saw the comment (linked below) from Chris on his thread and the issue looks like it happened to your deck. 

 

 

 

Thank you for your reply. I have already been contacted by Chris and a replacemnt is arranged.

 

Kai

[James H]

5 hours ago, ccoyle said:

but Chris' more recent releases for Vanguard Models are ahead in every respect:

 

Caldercraft stuff is lovely, but I sort of see it very much as legacy these days, albeit one of the better legacy companies. Having a fresh, modern version with precious timber, really makes this shine. Definitely worth the extra £/$.

[tkay11]

8 hours ago, ccoyle said:

Chris' more recent releases for Vanguard Models are ahead in every respect: better designs, better materials, better instructions

I thought as much. Almost all the wood in the model I made then I decided to buy new, and most of the fittings, masts and spars made afresh. Also, like others at the time, I had to kit bash to make it more historical and in line with the original plans and contemporary practice. But that gave me the inspiration to start building from plans, to try different approaches to building, and then to probe many more books and resources on history, language and contemporary practices. So I felt really good about that old Caldercraft model and all that it led me to learn. I'm still learning, and still feel a novice, but that is a great place to be - always leaving something to achieve.

 

All that said, Chris' new venture with Vanguard will do just the same for others, and I really have admired the new techniques he has used to make the models as accurate as possible, and especially the approach he uses for the construction of the hulls to make them even more rigid. The greater expense is to be expected and is great value for money.

 

I look forward to following more builds of this model, and continue watching the builds of his other excellent models.

 

Tony

[bigcreekdad]

My first build was Caldercraft's Sherbourne. I might build Chris' version. I like cutters/