Thanks, I did not know that, I will pull the radio model and check it but the shop I bought it from told me it was 40Mhz and suitable for boats, but never mentioned there was a legal requirement! Well well, we live and sometimes learn! Handy things these forums. I am guessing then I am looking at some impressive expense to correct it? Not just a Xtal swap. Sigh.
Well, wrong radio gear aside I fitted the skylights and photo etch covers, I left them brass as I think it looks pretty cool, in defence I was reading in "Roll on the Rodney" how one of the first actions on RN ships post war was to clean all the paint off the brass work, I will break some other paint rules later, like the mufflers (silencers to us Brits) are shown nicely painted, but in practise I reckon the heat would burn off the paint and leave them as galvanised steel, (stainless not likely is it?).
Other work is starting on the cockpit, some nice detail including decal controls with transparent covers, but first a light grey coat, I have served briefly on a couple of US destroyers in NATO and recall the light flat grey which abounded all interior areas, I don't suppose the coastal craft would have been much different. If it moves, salute it, if it does not, paint it grey.
Quick warning to anyone planning on building this: just because the holes are cut for the skylights does not mean they will be used! I ended up short on glazing and had to slice up some of my own from the waste transparency after glazing holes that will be covered by guns later. Morale: RTFM! Each skylight is held with a spot of superglue, enough sqeezed up from the edge of the "glass" so that the photo etch applied at once was secured in place using the waste in all but one case which resulted in a good old carpet hunt, assisted by the dog.