Scale model speedboats and cruisers, etc.

[Guest]

Hi all, newly registered here.

My interests are very much in larger scale models of smaller craft, particularly older speedboats, cruisers, offshore, yachts and offshore fishing craft.

I guess you could call them all inshore or inland. Along with that fascination is a childhood obsession with the products of Aerokits. I have a Sea Urchin, Sea Hornet, Sea Rover, small MTB, Crash Tender and Fairey Swordsman, with some more on the way. I also like to use the original motors and radio in them if possible, but that's just my particular quirk. I have Taycol, Kako and Frog electric motors and some vintage British proportional radio gear (Mini-hex and Digimac).

I'd love to hear from anyone who shares these interests. Perhaps we could persuade the mods to include it as a sub section on the boating forum?

Please show your interest on the forum or by all means PM me.

Regards,

Westquay

[Guest]

This is to see if I can attach some of my pics.

Westquay

[ATTACH]23665.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]23666.IPB[/ATTACH]

[Guest]

Welcome to the forum Westquay. Not a subject I do but i can appreciate the work that goes into these great boats. Hope you get someone doing the same to contact you.

[Guest]

Hi Fenlander, you're not far from me!

Thanks for the kind words. The Albatross (blue one) was in 1/6th scale since they're only 12 feet long. It was entirely aluminium, real and model.

I couldn't believe how easily it went together as I'd never soldered ally before!

The Riva was far more "traditional". all wood, laid decks, 2 Big Block Chevies, chrome exhausts, hand painted miniaturists' canvas for the floors.

Those were the days when a chap could get one-off photo-etching done cheap!

Oh, maybe I should say it is all hand made, not Vietnamese, etc or built from that ghastly Amati kit. I measured a real one, then the chap who owned it got me works drawings. If there were enough interest I would produce model drawings for Aquarama and Aquarama Special from my own notes, right down to the bilge blowers!

These were for customers and there's plenty more where they came from!

Happy days.

Cheers,

Westquay

[yak face]

hi and welcome to the forum, im sure there are plenty of r/c boat guys on here . Im an aircraft man myself, and know very little about boats, but i know what i like and the old italian speedboats are simply gorgeous, if i recall correctly didnt some of the rivas have ferrari car engines (v12's i think)? Your model is superb ,it captures the essence of this beautiful machine perfectly. Sorry if im drooling a bit but the rivas are just soooo cool!!! cheers tony

[Guest]

Hi Fenlander, you're not far from me!

Whereabouts are you then Westquay?

[Guest]

Tony, Thanks for the kind words. I think if you can get to a real one of whatever you're modelling you get a feel for it which can come through in the model. In the case of the Riva, there were no plans available. I was lucky to get the works ones, but they came in time for my second model. The first (in the picture) was done from my own drawings. At that time you couldn't get plans out of Cantieri Riva, but they no longer make the wooden boats. Strange that several new companies now make "copies" of that style of boat and seem to sell them. The last Aquarama Special sold in this country, not that long ago was priced at around £800,000 new, which they really are NOT worth, though timber selection on the outer of the three layers of skin ply is pretty remarkable. It's difficult to see a joint between planks. And the fittings are nice, but the inner framing is nothing special, the engines are only Chevies and the apparently laid decks are actually plywood, made at one time in High Wycombe!!

However, when you see them running, you don't express a preference for a Broom or an Albatross! My wife looked at them up on Windermere and said, "can we have one of them?"

Yeah, sure, dear...dream on!

Fenlander, I'm over in the Fens themselves about 25 miles from you. Flat, windy, treeless and the biggest skies in England. Familiar?

Cheers,

Westquay

[Guest]

Very much so. I still marvel at the flatness of the fens and the 'big skies'. I have been here about 10 years and my old stomping ground was the Peak District as I lived in South Yorkshire. Even after 10 years, the openness down here still stuns me sometimes.

[Guest]

I keep forgetting that this is a general forum and not just model boats!

Although I also do railways, scenery, figures and model cars at various times, but with the weather improving I get all boaty!

And a little grandson who says things like, "Gangakk, me likey boat" it's time to get the old Crash Tender and Sea Urchin out and properly finished before I revert to toddlerhood myself!

Of course, with the flat lands comes the ever available bodies of water to sail the tiddlers on. I can walk to a still, narrow river with a bridge over it and a slipway, so I don't need the cost of getting to a club. Why the other club members haven't twigged that yet I don't know!!

Cheers,

Westquay