Esperance by Felix Båtvarv - Billing Boats - 1:30 - First Build

[Felix Båtvarv]

 

Hello everyone,

 

My name is Felix, and I’m 18 years old. I’m excited to start my first-ever build log for my first ever wooden model ship, and I thought this would be a great place to share my journey. I have a deep love for sailing and I like woodworking. Building a wooden model ship is something I have been wanting to try for very long time.

 

For my first build, I’ve chosen a kit from Billing Boats. From what I understand, many of their kits are inspired by real vessels, but they’re not exact replicas. I don’t know much about the specific history of this boat, aside from what is listed on Billing’s website, but I’m eager to learn more as I go along.  

 

From billing, 

”A French fishing boat built in Honfleur in the bay of Le Havre in 1866. These typical boats operating in this region had a crew of 3 members, a sail area of 47m2 and a length always less than 10m.”

 

The reason I picked this kit is that I wanted a  relatively small ship but something with a deck. Something that would teach me on planking, decking and rigging.—I’m really looking forward to diving into this project, learning new skills, and connecting with other model ship enthusiasts here.

 

My English is not perfect (it’s my third language), I will do my best!

 

Felix

 

Edited January 6 by ccoyle
corrected log title

[Felix Båtvarv]

Hi!

 

Progress!

 

I have glued the frame together!

No problems with this. Added some extra sticks for support in the bow and stern. Realized it’s completely unnecessary because with the deck attached, it will be strong enough.

[Felix Båtvarv]

Hi again!

 

The next step was the deck. According to the instructions, “Draw a line 6 mm from the edge all the way round the deck. Plank the deck from center to this line”. This is what I did. I used this measuring stick and glued a piece of graphite on it. Little fiddley but it did the job. Pictures are down in the post(Don’t know how to put them between text) Then I started cutting and glued the planks. I also used a black marker for the plank sides. The boat is under 10m or 32 feet in length so i chose to just have planks the same length as the whole deck. 

 

6 mm gap from the edge to the plank’s is a little confusing. In Billings picture they just paint that part white. What is the point of the planks not going all the way to the sides?  *Last picture is Billings

[ccoyle]

Welcome aboard, Felix!

 

Your model is off to a good start. The white portion of the deck along the bulwarks would most likely have been what is called a covering board on the original vessel. As the name suggests, its job was to cover the ends of the planks. Since the covering board must fit the curve of the bulwark near the bow, fitting one can be a challenge. It was probably omitted in this kit to simplify the construction for beginners.

 

Cheers!

[Felix Båtvarv]

Thank you Chris!

 

Happy for the first response!

That makes sense. Billing boats seems have this painted gap without the planks on quite many of their models. On future models I just might make the decking all the way to edge as that seems even easier then what I did here. I would say it’s even better looking, but I’m happy with this and I can’t blame myself too hard for following the instructions. 

 

Next step is connecting the deck to the “frame” and then I will start with the planking. Wonder how that will go. I need to do some research on how I should plank this vessel.

 

Felix

[Nirvana]

Hej Felix och Välkommen till ModelShipWorld,

I am assuming your located in Sweden based on your "Shipyard".

 

You are off to a good start with your Esperance. 

As for planking there is links above under NRG tab regarding planking. There are also lots of youtube tutorials to look into as well.

Planking can feel a little intimidating but once you have it done and painted it will feel so much better.

 

Lycka till och uppdatera ditt bygge.

Good luck and please let us know if you have any questions.

[JacquesCousteau]

Looks like you're off to a nice start, the deck looks great! Small workboats like this leave a lot of room for personalization by adding equipment and other details, if you're so inclined.

 

I'm not certain, but I believe that at least some similar Billings kits (like the Bayard) are based on vessels included in Souvenirs de Marine by Paris, so you may be able to find a few relevant details there.

[petervisser]

Hi Felix and welcome to MSW. I too started this hobby with a Billing kit, the Mary Ann and have been hooked ever since.

There is another reason for the 6mm gap as you call it between the outer edge of the planking and the bulwark. It is called a waterway. It creates a shallow channel to carry water off the wood decking and allows the water to flow towards the scuppers. 
All the best with your new project. It looks like a great introduction to this fantastic hobby.

Peter

 

[kauri]

Hi Felix! 
I’m a 19-year-old shipmodeler beginner myself too and I’ve picked the same kit from billing’s to start with. I’ve been doing research on this vessel for quite a long time and have managed to find some pictures and plans. Perhaps you’ve come across my topics about my research but this is what I’ve gathered:

These are old postcards from Honfleur harbour in the mid 1800s. The last picture seems to depict the same rig as in the kit.

This is the original plan that Billing’s got their plans from. It’s from a french book. As far as I understand there is alot more detailed information in some rare french books named in my topic. Unfortunately because of living in Finland I can’t get my hands on them and don’t want to spend the money on shipping.

Hopefully this gave you some insight!

[François de Saint Nazaire]

 

Information about the ship 'Picoteux' that changed throughout its history.

 

Les Labrèques, Trois générations de charpentiers-ébénistes