Where have the past two months gone??!! Having been to Intermodellbau Show in Dortmund, written up my article for MMI, then prepared a PowerPoint illustrated presentation of 'The Launch and Recovery of the Shannon Class Lifeboat at Dungeness', travelled to the West Midlands and delivered two talks for the RNLI and also attended two model lifeboat rallies, returned and written another three articles for MMI, done the gardening and off to the Beale Park Model Boat Show for the past two days [and a wonderful show - really went well, even the weather!!], have just arrived home - with my upgrade Models by Design Shannon lifeboat bits, now that Andy has made the window kit and a new wheelhouse to accept them. Added to which he has been doing a lot of work on the fendering, moving to separate sections and back to a starboard length and a port side length. Also he has made some hatch covers and other bits to get the modeller started. Here are my photos - you get all of this for £290 - a real bargain!! He is, however, still developing the reversing buckets along the lines of what you see here, but that will come as another small accessory pack to purchase, should you be using the same water-jet system that we are. I have seen the amount of time and effort that has gone into this Project over the past five or so years, and especially the last few months and can say that it is paying off - judge for yourselves.
The weather here in Kent is not great today, so hopefully I will be able to photograph my actual kit items in the next few days and post them here, as received. Then I will photograph and post on this 'thread' my water-jets, motors and ESCs. Those waiting will then see a very slow build start, preparing the above items and detailing my plans for my way forward. However, I also have to get ready for another Show this weekend - the Care Ashore [Alfold] Charity Model Boat Event at their H.Q in Surrey, where I plan to have my Shannon kit with me on display at my Lifeboat Enthusiasts' Society gazebo display. See you there, it is a great little family weekend event, with plenty of activity on the water, look it up on their website. The local Guides do a mean 'bacon buttie' in their marquee!!
I will post a few of the 'trees' that contain the window set and hatch covers after this, just so you see what we get.