Boat & Ship Models

Here are some images of model boats I'm either working on or have built in the past. My current effort is an Elco Motor Launch as used by the Royal Navy during World War One as part of the Auxiliary Patrol. I'm modeling a particular boat that served on the Dover Patrol. It'll be a bit over 60" in length.

HMML 239

Previous efforts include a Herreshoff Buzzard's Bay 12½, and the Black Prince, a Revolutionary War era privateer owned by Ben Franklin.

The Herreshoff 12½
The Black Prince

Prior to building the Herreshoff model I'd never worked on a wooden boat model before. The first one was a good learning experience, especially in the art of miniature planking which is as difficult as the real thing, perhaps more so in that the real ones don't have to "look real." I've also learned that (at least so far) none of the brush paints I've used have been very satisfactory in that the first coat, even after days of drying, tends to dissolve immediately upon application of the second. This leads to blotchy patches and just looks bad. At first I thought it was because the paint I was using (I cheaped out first time and bought your basic Testor's enamel) was now water based! So then I switched to Floquil paints but experienced the same problem. An experienced model (and real) boat builder recommended spray paint. Works like a charm. Try it. What I really need is an airbrush so I can use the great Floquil colors not available in spray form.