Colchester Smack by Colin B

[Colin B]

I mentioned this project quite a while ago on a page dedicated to the building of a Victorian racing yacht so I thought it might be worth updating it as a separate topic now I am back modelling after quite a while restoring a 1930 Singer Six car, a 1937 Singer Coupe and a 1952 MG TD imported from Texas!  This is a typical smack of about 40' LOD which I'm modelling at 1/2":1'.  The plans are non-scale so I have been using proportional dividers to scale up, plus I am constantly scouting the net for details that the plans do not show.   I am using lime for most of the boat as sheets in various thicknesses are readily available and it works really well with hand tools and my small bandsaw.  It will be apparent that I am not a precise modeler, being very much of the 'good enough' school, and I have used filler to fair the hull as I plan to paint her in traditional colours and hopefully evoke a working boat.  I'm currently making templates for the covering boards and cutting deck planking to scale, but i will paint the hull before planking as I will leave the deck unpainted even though most surviving boats have their decks sheathed and painted.      

[Jim Lad]

A very handsome looking craft, Colin!

 

John

[druxey]

Nice to see a more unusual subject, Colin. Your 'good enough' certainly is!

[Colin B]

I have cut and glued the outer section of the covering boards around the stanchions, leaving the stern to be considered further. I left the boards wide on the outside face to aid stability, but now they are glued I can sand them off flush with the sheer planking.  I need to lightly fair the inner face before I run a 2mm x 2mm strip around the inside to complete the look.  On these vessels many of them had the planking joggled into other planks rather than the covering board so that makes this part of the job fairly simple. When i have finished this stage, and worked out how the stern should be made, I will paint the hull and covering boards before adding deck planks that will remain unpainted. 

Edited May 11 by Colin B

[Colin B]

Just an update on the covering boards: I have sanded the outer edge to meet the sheer strake and glued a 2mmm x 2mm strip around the inside edge to complete the impression of a complete board.  I will fill and sand off any gaps and then paint the covering boards (and perhaps the whole hull) before progressing to the deck planking.  

[Jim Lad]

That's looking really nice, Colin.

 

John

[Rudolf]

On 5/5/2024 at 9:39 AM, Colin B said:

I mentioned this project quite a while ago on a page dedicated to the building of a Victorian racing yacht so I thought it might be worth updating it as a separate topic now I am back modelling after quite a while restoring a 1930 Singer Six car, a 1937 Singer Coupe and a 1952 MG TD imported from Texas!  This is a typical smack of about 40' LOD which I'm modelling at 1/2":1'.  The plans are non-scale so I have been using proportional dividers to scale up, plus I am constantly scouting the net for details that the plans do not show.   I am using lime for most of the boat as sheets in various thicknesses are readily available and it works really well with hand tools and my small bandsaw.  It will be apparent that I am not a precise modeler, being very much of the 'good enough' school, and I have used filler to fair the hull as I plan to paint her in traditional colours and hopefully evoke a working boat.  I'm currently making templates for the covering boards and cutting deck planking to scale, but i will paint the hull before planking as I will leave the deck unpainted even though most surviving boats have their decks sheathed and painted.      

 

[Rudolf]

Beautiful Colin,

Looks the real thing at this scale!

What book are using for the drawings of the smack?

Greetings,

Rudolf

[Colin B]

Thank you for your kind comments Rudolf.  The book is The Chatham Directory of Inshore Craft which is still available on the net if you want a copy (but check prices as they vary to an absurd degree). 

[Colin B]

Deck laid and covered in dirty varnish (added black coach enamel to matt varnish) to try and replicate a working deck.  Looks OK to my eyes and the dirty varnish also picks out the joints giving an impression of caulking. Deck openings to be tidied up before I move to the bulwarks and rudder. 

[Jim Lad]

Very neatly laid deck.

 

John

[KeithAug]

The deck is looking very authentic. Good progress.

[Colin B]

I have planked the bulwarks which has revealed a flaw in my planning as the stanchions at the stern are too short and a bit fat.  I'll  find a fix I'm sure.  In the meantime I'm reviewing paint colours for the bulwarks and covering boards: most boats paint the inside a pale colour such as cream while either painting the outer surface in the hull colour or in the pale one.  As its only paint I can have a play to see what I like best.  The brush is not a permanent part of the model by the way!

[Jim Lad]

Looking very workmanlike, Colin.

 

John