This is just a bit of fun… I remember “Milford Star”. She was the last steam trawler to fish out of Milford Haven, later boats being diesel. Back then, we used to go and watch the trawlers unload. So when this model appeared on Ebay, I bid to win.
The first photo shows what I bought. The hull, main deck, focsle, superstructure base and fish pounds were well done. But there were many glaring faults. It looked as if the job had been done by two entirely separate people, two builders who had each left their signature on the model.
The funnel had far too much rake. The masts had no rake at all and while the foremast was stayed, it had no shrouds. The bulwarks, superstructure and wheelhouse were painted dark red. There was a large blocky superstructure aft of the wheelhouse. No attempt had been made at the railings around the wheelhouse. Instead there was a clumsy wooden bulwark. Tubes for the steering chains needed to be installed. The trawl winch, a nice little intricacy, had been badly cobbled. Other fittings were distributed at random, with two large blocks which take the trawl wires from the gallows to the winch being located at the top of the funnel, the rings for the steering chain tubes used to secure the funnel guys, a row of bollards on the wheelhouse roof and various other oddities. The punt had been butchered. There were no railings on the engine room casing. There were no ladders from the bridge deck downwards. The stand was flimsy plastic. The underbody had been painted gloss red. The model was unballasted. However, it looked as if, with care and persistence, something could be made of it.
The other photos show what I ended up with. The project was a complete and unalloyed delight from start to finish. As well as evoking pleasant memories, it was very satisfying doing a rescue.
It is not perfect. It is not even the best interpretation of this kit I have seen. Far from it. A couple of the original errors proved impossible to correct. I probably added some of my own. But it looks distinctly passable and sails well.
Now here is the thing. It cost me £72. I spent about another £45 on small orders for fittings. Considering the kit costs almost £400, before you add running and control gear, that is a good result. With no disrespect to kit manufacturers, there are bargains at well below the cost of buying new. Next up is a Mountfleet Danny Boy. It seems to be all there, but the builder appears to have put it together using something like wallpaper paste, so it all came apart. It looks like a nice simple glue and paint job to restore. It cost £100. The kit sells for £435.
The only problem with this sort of bargain hunting is it can run away with you and lead to the collection of a huge project stash, some of which is then sold off so other people can enjoy it. But it is all good fun, as a hobby should be.
