Model Boat Mayhem

The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Yachts and Sail => Topic started by: Positive on June 13, 2018, 08:24:40 am

Title: Iron barque
Post by: Positive on June 13, 2018, 08:24:40 am
25 feet to 1 inch scratchbuilt.     Masts, spars and rigging, 100% metal.    Completed a few days ago.    This is a merchant ship.   The ports are just decoration, they do not open, they do not conceal guns. This type of model is very much sought after by collectors, but for some reason, they are rarely modelled!       
Bob
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: tigertiger on June 13, 2018, 11:20:06 am
Another nice model . There is at least one iron sailing ship wreck outside Port Stanley and one accessible at low tide
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: raflaunches on June 13, 2018, 11:28:15 am
Beautiful workmanship  :-))


The ship in question in Port Stanley is the SS Lady Elizabeth. If you look for my thread on my detachment to the Falklands you’ll be able to see some pictures of her.
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: Positive on June 13, 2018, 11:48:28 am
I have visited the hulk of the Lady Elizabeth a number of times in 198/83 - Bob
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: Footski on June 13, 2018, 03:51:41 pm
Another beautiful model Bob. Your sails and rigging put mine to shame, but I am improving......I think....
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: Positive on June 13, 2018, 03:58:57 pm
Thansk - Hope you are still enjoying miniatures - Bob   
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: Positive on June 13, 2018, 04:03:59 pm
Detachment to the Falklands.Couldn't find it, I am afraid - Haven't a clue on using the search here - Bob   
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: Footski on June 13, 2018, 06:01:12 pm
Thansk - Hope you are still enjoying miniatures - Bob


Oh yes, loving it. Finding rigging and sails difficult, but am getting there..
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: raflaunches on June 13, 2018, 09:10:31 pm
Detachment to the Falklands.Couldn't find it, I am afraid - Haven't a clue on using the search here - Bob   



Try this link...


http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,38863.msg387765.html#msg387765 (http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,38863.msg387765.html#msg387765)
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: Positive on June 14, 2018, 07:48:59 am
Thanks for link.   Goodness knows why I couldn't find it, as I am normally quite good with computers.   Interesting thread.   I was there from 1982 to 1983.   At that time, there were no restrictions on photography. so I had a marvellous time looking at the wrecks.   Being on a ship, and having access to the boat, I was able to get aboard Lady Elizabeth on several occasions.     Other sailing ship wrecks included  Fleetwing, William Shand, Snowsquall, Egeria, Charles Cooper, Jhelum, Capricron, Jennie S Barker.    Here is Jhelum, fairly complete at the time, but now, most of it has collapsed into the harbour.Bob
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: Positive on July 15, 2018, 03:31:29 pm
The model of the iron barque Gulf Stream was wrecked on its way to Belgium on the  25th June last.Bob

Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: Footski on July 15, 2018, 07:16:01 pm
Bob,
That is a terrible shame. Some couriers you used there. Are you going to strip it down and complete it again?
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: Positive on July 15, 2018, 08:20:54 pm
Thanks,They have delivered 49 of them safely over the past 10 years, all over the world.   I can accept that damage can happen, and I had insured it for £500, but so far, have not heard a word from the insurers - 18 days now!    I am not very optimistic.    I can't really do anything until the insurance is settled either way.    I will probabaly re-rig, but it will no longer be for sale (I refunded the buyer in full, including the delivery costs of £70), so I am hundreds of pounds down at the moment.    I will not be sending any more out by courier, not even in the UK.     Remark by the courier agent "It isn't too bad, just a few sails need re-positioning, and a bit of rigging re-threaded!"      Really, they have no idea of the work involved!Bob
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: Footski on July 15, 2018, 09:51:09 pm
Don't give up on the insurance. Ring them. Ask why the delay and keep asking. They are liable and will pay up when pushed.
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: tigertiger on July 16, 2018, 03:12:49 am
Don't give up on the insurance. Ring them. Ask why the delay and keep asking. They are liable and will pay up when pushed.
 


Yes, they won't pay up unless pushed.
Forget the frustration, just take on the attitude that your job is to just badger them, try to enjoy wearing them down. They are not being inefficient, their job is wear you down to accept a lower offer. Don't accept it.
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: Positive on July 16, 2018, 06:26:53 am
I sent it via the Mailboxesetc franchise, who passed it on to UPS.      The insurance was with Mailboxes.    I have no doubt that UPS would just say (correctly) that I am not their customer, Mailboxes is.    When I ask Mailboxes, so far they say the claim is "progressing!"   They have already hinted that I will only get what they feel is sufficient to have it repaired.   If at the end of the week nothing has hapenned, I will probably take it to a national newspaper.Bob

Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: Footski on July 16, 2018, 07:55:35 am
I once had this with Christies in London. They were prepared to collect the model and have it repaired professionally, but I said I would do it myself. I made a handsome profit on the deal, sent it back to them and they sold it at a great price for me.
Charge them £20 an hour and you could also do well out of it. After all, you are the expert...
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: Positive on July 17, 2018, 07:00:56 am
It was only insured for £500, so they would not have to pay more than that in any case.     I don't think anyone else could repair it for £500, if at all.   I have asked two ship model repaire firms for a quote to give me an idea what to charge if I did it myself.   One of them did not even bother to reply.   The other (yesterday) said they would call me back, but so far, haven't!      Then there would be the added problem of what hapens if it was again damaged in delievery to me, and then out to Belgium again.   It was badly damaged on the way to Belgium, and it was considerably worse by the time it got back to me.    I will just keep nagging at them for the moment, but I still have no great faith in a satsifactory outcome.       I did once have one damaged on its way to Christie's via Interlink, but they just said they would only pay out on cost of materials to repair it.     Cost of materials was virtually nothing, but it took several hours work for which I got nothing at all, and returned the model myself via the train, where it sold for a less-than-average sum anyway.     
Bob 
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: Footski on July 17, 2018, 10:25:37 am
Let us know how you go on Bob.
For your info, I have just started the hull on an HMS Victory. Only 6" long without bowsprit.
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: tigertiger on July 17, 2018, 10:44:38 am
Something for anyone thinking of shipping goods for a living. You have to factor in your losses (incl. total losses) to your pricing strategy. Remember that if losses are part of the business, then they are part of your costs.
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: Positive on July 17, 2018, 11:04:45 am
After 31 years at sea, I quit the "rat race" in late 1992 and took voluntary redundancy.   Then, at the age of 48, I became self-employed as a mniature ship model builder.    That saw me through to retirement at the age of 62, after which it became a hobby once again, to which I have now added writing.     We did have a number  of damaged models over the years, but only one write-off.   The insurance (DHL) paid in full for the write-off, so 10 out of 10 to them.    But they would never carry anything else for us again after that.     Tried again a few years later, but they still would  not do it.     After that, there was a number of models with minor damage, and a compromise that the courier brought them back to us free.   I repaired for free, and they re-delivered free.     That worked for some years until they were taken over by another courier who would not "play ball!"       This one has been quite a shock to the system, prompting us to have peronal collection only from now on.The model ship repair company phoned this morning, and were very helpful.   They said that a professional repair would cost in the upper hundreds, maybe more than £1,000, and suggested I push for the full £500 it was insured for.The insurance has still not said a word, and it is now 20 days since I reported it.
Bob
Bob 
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: Positive on July 31, 2018, 07:24:41 pm
Their final offer is to pay me £400.   But really it is only £330 because I paid £70 for the delivery.    Now I discover that I will have to pay income tax on the £400 refund that cuts it down to £250!    I have accepted because I want to but it all behind me.    No more couriers for me now.   personal collection only.FootskiBest of luck with the Victory.    Will be complicated at that scale, all those guns and fancy work.
Bob

Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: Footski on July 31, 2018, 09:00:08 pm
I don't blame you Bob. Victory is complex, but I have the hull carved and the stern work completed. Now moved onto the quarter galleries. So far so good, but slow going. Oh and I have made the main mast and main top which I am very pleased with.
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: Positive on May 28, 2020, 07:22:06 am
I eventually repaired the Gulf Stream, and still have it, having decided not to send any more out by courier.   Here is the refurbished model.   
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: dodes on September 12, 2020, 08:49:52 pm
Looks perfection to me, you have managed to get movement in your model, if had won the pools I would come knocking on your door with a fistful off large notes, it is a beautiful and graceful model.; Thank you for showing it on this site.
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: RST on September 12, 2020, 10:24:36 pm
Can you name your courier that's been giving hassle? There are 2 I simply won't use and one which is reluctantly unavoidable when I buy on-line, but less than 50% chance of getting through on that one also.  I've sent many delicate things in the post / couriers over the years, I've pretty much only had troubles with the publicised worst ones.




....sorry. By the way, lovely work!
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: Positive on September 13, 2020, 07:03:33 am
Thanks - I have had them damaged by Interlink and UPS.    Amtrak never damaged any, but they don't exist anymore.    Nigtspeed never broke anything either, but they have also gone.    DHL squashed one flat. but paid the full insurance and would not carry anything for me again.    UPS was very good for a few years, but after the Gulf Stream, above was damaged, I decided not to send an more out by any courier.    Even though I did get an insurance payout the UPS agent (Mailboxes), it was all too much hassle at my age (now 76).     Personal collection only of late, but this lockdown has put an end to that as well.     I am still building, but not as many.    I have an awful feeling that this lockdown is now permanent, so I am just marking time with the models!    Good job a lot of them are very small!I have tried Fedex and they never damaged anythng, but they were like a lot of others, and would only insure to the cost of the materials, which in my case is very little.

Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: Baldrick on September 13, 2020, 10:22:21 am

Hi Bob.

Just yesterday had a delivery via Fedex, very fast and to time but carton was heavily dinted, good job the contents were heavily packed with pneumatic cells.


 I notice Speedy Freight (Eddy Stobart) offer a fragile item courier service which Trust Pilot give a 99% excellent/good customer rating
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: Positive on September 15, 2020, 06:49:19 am
Fedex are still no good for me, because by their own admission, they will only insure for the cost of materials.    But even receiving full insurance for damage is now too much hassle for me, re-doing work that has taken so long in the first place.    It is now persnal collection only, but this virus thing has put an end to that as well, and it looks very much like it is going to be a permanent thing, so really, it is about time to retire!   
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: dlancast on January 25, 2022, 06:00:13 am
Positive,  you are a skilled master at building models.  I wish the best to you.  I am 77yrs and still building.  I just donated five of my models to the U.S. Navy. Very pleasing experience.  Currently building the Cutty Sark.  Copper plating the hull now.  Best regards sir.  Dennis
Title: Re: Iron barque
Post by: Positive on January 25, 2022, 09:52:47 am
Thank you.   I haven't done much since the courier damage, and it is collection only, that has reduced my output greatly.    I have completed these two, but have made no attempt  to sell them, Olivebank and Gorsefield -