Model Boat Mayhem
The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Working Vessels => Topic started by: carlmt on June 26, 2018, 10:34:30 pm
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With the plug of the Spirit of Free Enterprise down with the fabricator for moulding, and awaiting the first hull, there has been time to work on our fourth offering - the former Caledonian MacBrayne ferry MV Suilven.
This will be our smallest kit to date, although still to our standard scale of 1:96. At 906mm long by 167mm in the beam, she would make an ideal 'back seat' model for easy transport to the pond.
Suilven was the second of twins, intended for Oslofjord and named after the mountain peak Suilven in Sutherland . She was bought off the stocks in 1974 and modified to comply with British standards for the Lewis service. She remained on the route until 1995, when she was replaced by the larger MV Isle of Lewis. Early in her Caledonian MacBrayne career, she was fitted with stabilisers, improving stability. Suilven was the first vessel in the Caledonian MacBrayne fleet to carry the fleet branding on the hull side in large steel letters, welded to the hull side. By the 1990s, she was increasingly inadequate for the traffic on the service and unacceptably slow and the larger MV Isle of Lewis was built, offering superior capacity and facilities, entering service in July 1995.
No longer required in Scotland, she was sold to Strait Shipping, for service between the North Island and South Island of New Zealand. In 2004, she was moved to Fiji and operated between Suva, Savusavu (on Vanua Levu) and Taveuni.
In August 2012, Suilven was advertised for sale and expected to be sold as scrap for demolition; however, in late 2012, it was reported that Ben Naidu, owner of Venu Shipping, had acquired the ship for refitting and further service in Fiji, for an undisclosed sum. It was believed that, for the first time in her history, the ship would be renamed but this did not happen.
On 24 November 2015 Suilven capsized in Suva harbour. There were no passengers aboard as the ship was only carrying cargo at the time of the incident, the crew were rescued, no one injured.
(http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t339/carlmtflo/Suilven/733848_379463415522828_379446979_n_zps6etmnnv3.jpg)
As is now usual practise for me, the plug has been created plank on frame, with the frames and keel being laser-cut from 6mm quality plywood:
(http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t339/carlmtflo/Suilven/20180504_210042_resized_zpsgh8ypxxw.jpg)
(http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t339/carlmtflo/Suilven/20180504_210003_resized_zpseikheyqj.jpg)
These were then glued to trued and squared battens and, when dry, the whole assembly was screwed down to the building board, over a copy of the deck plan to ensure alignment of the frames.
(http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t339/carlmtflo/Suilven/20180504_203835_resized_zpsrn2wlquj.jpg)
The planking could now begin!!!
(http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t339/carlmtflo/Suilven/20180610_170302_resized_zpsne1o0ac6.jpg)
(http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t339/carlmtflo/Suilven/20180610_170312_resized_zpszmo9nrfo.jpg)
(http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t339/carlmtflo/Suilven/20180610_170320_resized_zpsnd6uo2ae.jpg)
And here we are as of this evening:
(http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t339/carlmtflo/Suilven/20180626_215508_resized_zpsmzcwlh8t.jpg)
(http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t339/carlmtflo/Suilven/20180626_215522_resized_zpsfki22gcl.jpg)
Bow and stern will be blocked in and sanded to shape.
We should have an early prototype for show by Warwick this year (where we will be expecting to announce the availability of the Spirit of Free Enterprise) with deliveries being able to commence early in the new year.
:-)) :-))
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Interesting build Carl. I'm guessing that being built in the 70's and the shape of the bridge structure, she may well have been a redesign on the anchor handling and supply vessels of that period, a lot of those had very similar lines.
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I look forward to her development with glee, Carl O0 :-))
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I can see this being popular with people who used to travel the 'Highlands and Islands' for work or pleasure, and again, it has lots of conversion potential.
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Looking forward to see the progress of this one too :-))
All the best!
Hama
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Good work Carl.
Dortmund 281 days to go. No pressure :kiss: