Model Boat Mayhem
Mess Deck: General Section => Tugs and Towing => Topic started by: Brian60 on August 16, 2012, 01:56:30 pm
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Hi all.
Approaching early retirement and worrying what I was going to do with all the spare time, she who must be obeyed ( my wife) suggested going back to those 'boat things'
So I go up to the loft to take a look around, sitting forlornly on stands where they were abandoned many years ago sat my boats. Abandoned when my son who is now 22 was about 7 years old, I found these two on the carpet where he and his friends had 'sailed them' back and forth while I was at work. I am currently restoring a Billings fishing coble a static model. Once that is finished I will strip these two and start again with the hulls, as you can make out, there is extensive damage to all the superstructure's.
Originally the hulls were sold by ABCO uk (do they still exist?) with plans by D. Metcalf to a scale of 1/65th. Overall length of 41inches and a displacement of 33lbs or so. Modelled on a pair of ships built for Wimpey Offshore called the the Wimpey Seahunter and Wimpey Seasorse. I do know they were sold on not long after completion, although what has happened to them in the intervening 20 years or so I haven't a clue.
Once these are restored I have an even bigger project. One I started after these but gave up on, I would have had a pic of it but my camera batteries went flat. Its a 6foot model on a scratchbuilt hull of the Stena Seaspread, not sure if that is still around either!
So hope you like the pics here and as I get on with them I'll keep you all updated.
(http://s18.postimage.org/hjwb0l2f9/DSCF2181.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/hjwb0l2f9/)
(http://s13.postimage.org/udu2wmzz7/DSCF2175.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/udu2wmzz7/)
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they looked to have been nice models in their day and good luck on restoring them :-))
ohh and welcome aboard ok2
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all of the moulds from Metcalf/abco are now owned by Models by design....Dave metcalf now purely sells his kits.
neil.
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Stena Seaspread, not sure if that is still around either!
There are three photos here Brian
http://www.photoship.co.uk/jalbum%20ships/Old%20Ships%20S/slides/Stena%20Seaspread-03.html
I think this is the one you seek?
http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/shipdetails.aspx?MMSI=311338000
Dave
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Thanks Dave, that is indeed the ship. Although I do have those photo's in my album, yep real photo's from before digital malarkey made things so much easier for us! {-) I got mine from Hull docks when she was in port for a partial refit, again those were the days when you could actually drive onto the dock and take photo's, before the days of security and terrorist threats stopped it.
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Is there much in the way of Terrorism in Hull, erm apart from the rugby that is? {-)
Do you have a connection with the Stena Seaspread Brian? The Falklands days maybe?
Dave
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No connection. Just in awe of that particular ship when I saw it moored in the dock, it was my introduction to dive/offshore/support ships. The Falklands were quite a few years after I would have been elegible to serve out there!
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i have a hull for a support ship and following your rebuild to get some ideas cant wait to see some pictures as you do them :-))
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I love AHT's these look great how they are so i can't wait to see them rebuilt %%
Bet even in there current state they are worth quite a few bob
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Oh Dear, not so much a rebuild. More of a complete strip down and keel up rebuild!
After getting them both down from the attic and into better light, they are in very poor condition, you'll see from the pics. I have spent sunday stripping and salvaging any parts that could be re-used. The rest went straight in the bin. Basically I have left myself with two bare hulls with prop shafts and kort nozzles in place, the rest was junk!. Some of the deck fiitings, like the bollards etc I have kept for future use. Next step will be to re-frame the hulls then sand and prep the outers for new paint.