Admitting some kits are now beyond me.

[bigcreekdad]

I am struggling through the Erycina build. I was pretty much OK until I got to the rigging. Likely just my age, but the rigging plans are confusing to me. I decided to study Glenn's build log, which is a master piece BTW, and it was helpful showing close ups of most of the rigging process. However, I am finding this so challenging any progress I do make is so slow as to make it "no fun" anymore. 

 

I think Vanguard's kits are absolutely top shelf for the most part (still not crazy about etched brass fittings of the size in the kit), but that;s just my opinion. Not only in my late 70s which (whether you admit or not) makes it harder to figure things out, but also, due to an occlusion (ie stroke) in my right eye many years ago I am blind in much of the lower eye. 

 

But, I absolutely am not willing to quit this hobby. I think I need to look for a kit that is a bit easier on the mind and eyes. I have a longboat in the wings and I will likely start that soon, but I want to find a ship as well....obviously larger scale and less complex rigging.

 

I recently bought Vanguard's cutter Alert kit. The kit looks awesome, but looks more complex than Erycina. Rather than struggle through it, I will be selling it (totally intact kit) and search for something else. I would appreciate any thoughts. I have completed so far Ochre's Dos Amigos, Model Shipways Bluenose Caldercraft's Sherbourne, Pickle and Mortar Vessel Convulsion.

[Gregory]

The rigging  is at the heart of the era represented by these ships, i.e., " The Age of Sail ".. 

I admit, rigging can really bog down the joy of the hobby, for me I try to keep more than one project going so that I can switch back and forth from the different stages.

 

Without sails, you get a nice look  with just lifts, halyards and braces.

 

Make it work for you.

 

 

[ccoyle]

Sounds like smallcraft are the way to go, especially since many of them exist in kit form in larger scales and, being aimed largely at beginners, often offer considerable scope for super-detailing. Take a look at the kits produced by BlueJacket Shipcrafters and the Midwest Products line at Model Expo.

[grsjax]

Take a look at Model Shipways Bounty Launch and their Willie Bennett Skipjack kits.  Both are large scale and have fairly simple rigging.

[Kevin]

Vanguard Models @chris watton    is presently selling a limited stock of the Viking longship Oseberg, at 1/24 is a nice size

Edited Wednesday at 07:06 PM by Kevin

[rcweir]

One of the appealing characteristics of 20th century ships is that they don't have much rigging.    In that vein, Billing Boats offers a nice selection of tug boats.  (I love tug boats, but so far have only built one of theirs.)

[Cathead]

9 hours ago, bigcreekdad said:

I want to find a ship as well....obviously larger scale and less complex rigging

Come over to the riverboat dark side! Model Shipway's Chaperon is an underrated kit at a large scale (1:48) that takes a reasonable level of modeling skill but has very little rigging. It's also a rare example of a riverboat kit that's actually accurate. There are some nice build logs here and @kurtvd19 has a really nice practicum that gives you a lot of extra guidance and background.

 

https://modelexpo-online.com/Model-Shipways-CHAPERON-Mississipi-Sternwheel-Steamer-148-_p_1001.html?srsltid=AfmBOoo40Nap01jT6diUyGH-8mSG8ItDwGgU6VF1-Xh1FR2w21W9mXXo

[kurtvd19]

I second Eric's recommendation of the Chaperon if Riverboats are an interest.  Most accurate kit of a Riverboat.  Don't believe the current sales hype about it being a Mississippi River craft.  It operated on the Ohio River and the Wazoo River.  Built right out of the box it is a great kit and nobody will ever criticize it but it can be made more accurate with just a bit of work.   There are a couple of build logs here on MSW.

Kurt

 

[bigcreekdad]

Thanks folks. I really have no interest in paddlewheel boats or tugs, but appreciate the thoughts. My interest is pretty much in the sailing ships of old. Obviously, that entails rigging.  I need to just try to stick with it. Been studying several Erycina build logs. I'm going to just quit fretting, complaining, bitching etc. One last question.....has anyone built more than one of Vanguards cutter kits. If so, did you find rigging complexity different between kits. I really like the cutters.

[Cathead]

Have you ever considered an admiralty-style hull-only model? They can look really nice as a piece of art and even have historical legitimacy. They also take up a lot less display space and aren't quite as dust-prone. For just one example:

 

https://modelexpo-online.com/Model-Shipways-USF-CONFEDERACY-1778-164-SCALE-Admiralty-Style_p_997.html?srsltid=AfmBOooJZyiZQFadAsRn6gcMjJkEM6TtIVJpSCYM1xFq0W_FYXFCvg9q

[palmerit]

1 hour ago, bigcreekdad said:

If so, did you find rigging complexity different between kits. I really like the cutters.

When I posted about possible Vanguard kits to do “next”, some people (including Chris Watton) replied that what makes their kits more advanced is often the rigging (with some of the difficulty for some ships coming from the complexity of the hull). The Sherbourne has pretty basic rigging. The Alert is a step up and has a more complex filler set or fiddling. This is based on what people responded to me. 

[Pirate adam]

3 hours ago, Cathead said:

Have you ever considered an admiralty-style hull-only model? They can look really nice as a piece of art and even have historical legitimacy. They also take up a lot less display space and aren't quite as dust-prone. For just one example:

 

https://modelexpo-online.com/Model-Shipways-USF-CONFEDERACY-1778-164-SCALE-Admiralty-Style_p_997.html?srsltid=AfmBOooJZyiZQFadAsRn6gcMjJkEM6TtIVJpSCYM1xFq0W_FYXFCvg9q

I would second cathead’s point. There are tons of possibilities to what can be done with hull models or even half hulls. They are generally the only practical solution for most people when it comes to larger vessels, as the size of the display is dramatically reduced. This is especially true when you move to larger scales. There are lots of cool examples on this site as well as the various museum web pages and virtual tours. If I was to do a kit that way I would probably just build per the directions until you get to the installation of the masts and cut off the lower mast as an un-rigged stub. &nbsp
 

Adam

[palmerit]

@Glenn-UK recently did the Vanguard Sherbourne admiralty style because he wanted to move on to do the new Vanguard Harpy kit that had just come out (leaving it in a form that he could complete the rigging in the future if he wanted to):

 

 

[palmerit]

Another possibility - not sure it fits with the models you like - is the Gunboat Philadelphia. It's very large scale (1:24). It is a sailing ship, but US Revolutionary War era, not a classic European age of sail ship. Everything is pretty large. The guns that come with the kit are huge, 10x large than those that come with the Vanguard Sherbourne.

 

https://modelexpo-online.com/Model-Shipways-GUNBOAT-PHILADELPHIA-AMERICAN-FLEET-1776-124-SCALE_p_996.html?srsltid=AfmBOooLPWP7Sv2s3A4PF6pKRJ0wZcX41J03mgtFnZ_JeIVKq6JWHLmi

 

And there's a group build going on with Olha Batchvarov: