Having been involved in more serious efforts of late, restoring some Edwardian vintage yachts, and before I start work on the restoration of an even earlier large local made gaff rigged Victorian Pond Yacht, with an interesting provenance, I decided to have a bit of a play and make a version of the classic Veron Police Launch [produced by SLEC.
I've already made their Sea Scout which was huge fun and runs beautifully, if a tad speedy ...
... but this one is also from my youth so seemed an appropriate project for a bit of fun. I've started on the basic structure, which goes together extremely well, using very nice quality materials that are CNC Laser & Router cut, giving a great fit and feel.
From here on in though I shall be varying from their recommended construction to give a slightly more 'realistic' look and make life easier in terms of running electrics around the boat as this will have working lights and searchlight. I also have got hold of some really nice mahogany veneers which will give the decks and cabin detail a much more authentic look, which I will augment with some mahogany and walnut detailing.
My first alteration though will be building a slightly raised removable floor and engine compartment, under which all the wiring will travel, complete with seat at the rear that will hold the battery, thus giving the cockpit area a look more like the original.
Anyway, I've made a start and the initial photos are below. This won't be a fast job but should be a lot of fun...