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[ddraigmor]

Bought this of Model Boat Mayhem from a chap in South Wales. Initially plans were to do her up and sail her - she came with all fittings BUT....clser inspection revealed some serious deficiencies! Both bilge keels misplaced and expoxied on, so bang went the removal job! Portholes set far foward missing 'glass' and deck expoxied on - so no chance of getting in there......and a few more bits....the standard of construction was also poor with windows being different sizes...requiring Miliput and a diamond edge file to get most back to almost equal!






In the end I decided to 'fantasy' model her based on my old deep sea company buying ex Dutch (Smits) tugs and thought she would have been the logical step forward from the previous one they had - the 'Afon Wen' (Ex Tasman Zee). So a 'new' Afon Goch' was born.

She has had one lifeboat taken away (port side) and the original crane will be replaced by a scale HIAB, with an Atlantic type RIB. A Zodiac will be fitted aft as well. The starboard boat is a workboat - motor type. Other jobs to do are rigging, railings and weathering. fitting of tow bows etc.In the meantime I have re-made the fire monitors, added a satnav dome (MariSat dome) and will fit liferafts.

Paint is acrylic and I am weathering all parts with MIG powders. Eventualy she will sit in my lounge as a reminder of when I was a deep sea tugman! She is my first ever model boat and she has taken me months to soprt out - and cost me more in parts than it cost to buy! It has put me off building for life.........

Next model? An RTR Southampton!

Jonty

[offshore1987]

I know how you feel about buildin things lol 

Looks very good imo though a nice shape boat, may we know what she cost?

all the best

[ddraigmor]

I bought her off here for £100 - she came with all the RC gear and had been sailing a while before but had stood for a while.

It's been a complete re-paint as she was in Smits colours - but the waterline was too far up the hull. She did float in the bath and go well - it was only when I started to look at tidying her up that I realised is she took a wave over thje bow or up to the ports I'd have problems! As work progressed it became obvious she would need tidying up - railings bent so needed replacing, some bits missing etc. That's when I set about to re-build her as a statric model. So far the parts have cost me almost £100 - and a huge thanks to Model Dockyard for their swift turn around of my orders for those parts! I suppose, when all is said and done, I can kiss goodbye to £250. However, that's not the point! She is built in the traditional deep sea tug way and both her and her sister were without doubt the best looking types ever built.

I know I could have bought a new kit for that price - but she is my first and she has taught me a lot. However, it has also shown me that I am not a boat builder and so will be giving serious thought to RTR in future. I like Graupner's 'Southampton' but will hang on as something nice will no doubt pop along in the future!

Besides, I want to finish this one with no distractions!

Jonty

[offshore1987]

 :)

I really get what you mean, i think trying to build a tito neri as my first was a big no no lol so went out and got a rtr while i was buildin the tito 

I guess this is the price we pay for buyin something someone else has built, im lookin at doing the same as you and gettin something second hand to try and have some fun with :)

All the best

[ddraigmor]

This one's shaping up nicely - and while someone else built most of it, I finished it off and exacty how I know she would have ended up if she came to HTC! Besides, as an ex tug / supply ship man I know my way round ships so avoid a lot of stuff  see on models - beautifully built but then glaringly wrong in some detail! hey, I can talk!

The 'Tito Neri' is a beaut - really good looking tug. Alas, kits as complex as that really are beyond me. I plan to get a 'Southampton' later this year and make a ferw mods to her - take the foredeck ladder away and blank in the bridge front to the wings, re-paint the housing, funnels and uperstructure, add a crane - and then mess around with the electrics like some have done to get a good working model.

If you want to have a go, buty something second hand like this that needs some work - there are a few kicking about - and have a go. The one good thing from doing this is I know she is mine, and that any mistakes are all heading towards experience, so it can't be bad.....

Fun? Yes - and great for the bllod pressure too!

Jonty