Just a teaser - 1815 Revenue Cutter

Looks great, Al. I think I want one. Any word on when it will be available - and how much it will cost?

This kit fills a void in the market. I've been preaching for years that the best way to get into wood ship modeling is with a small ship on a large scale. (Most people, of course, ignore me - and shell out hundreds of dollars on Constitutions and Victorys that never get built.) Here we have a genuine, historically significant warship (well....) that won't break the bank, will only take a few weeks (at the most) to build, and will give you a handsome model to put on the mantle. Try a kit of this sort (there aren't many to choose from, unfortunately), and think of it as an investment toward the Victory or Sovereign of the Seas that you really want to build.

Hi John,

It should be available before Christmas. Price target is UNDER $200 for ensign series (includes tools, glue & paint) and UNDER $150 for standard kit.

Nic

I agree, she looks very nice. What's the provenance of the design?

Is it plank on bulkhead?

It's based on (but does not exactly replicate) an 1815 design by William Doughty.  Primary reference was Chapelle's History of American Sailing Ships.  Solid hull with laser cut/etched deck and furniture, cast britannia parts.  It's about 19" long (boom to jib pole) and about 15" tall.

Al Ross

This looks a lot like the Revenue Cutter Ranger by Corel which is about 130.00

That it does. I do prefer solid hulls however for this kind of ship. My understanding is that Corel supplies balsa for their POB kits, which doesn't work for me.

Anybody who, given the choice, would pick a Corel kit over a Bluejacket one needs to have his or head examined. The people who run Corel don't understand the concept of scale modeling. The folks at Bluejacket do.

Agreed, especially for an extra $20.00 only.

I've got a confession to make, Al Ross. I'm deeply into building a model of the America, starting with the Revell kit. To that end, I've bought the book and the plans from Bluejacket, all of the blocks and fittings that I can't scratch build.

There's no going back now, and the results are nice because all thats left of the original kit is the hull. If I could go back and do it again, I would have bought the wood kit.

Thanks for the warning.  I am just getting into wood ships and am happy to learn who sells quality kits.  I had been looking at the Corel Ranger kit.

Later edit: I have no idea why the server put the last paragraph in italics. It won't let me change it.

I checked the Coast Guard Historian's Office website. It seems the only vessel of the Coast Guard or its predecessor agencies known to have been named Ranger was a lighthouse tender purchased in 1857. ( http://www.uscg.mil/history/webcutters/Ranger_1857.asp ) The early records of the Revenue Cutter Service are notoriously sketchy, but it looks like the Corel kit is completely bogus.

There are, to my knowledge, three wood scale sailing ship model companies whose products are worth buying. One is British: Jotika ( www.jotika-ltd.com ). I've never laid eyes on a Jotika kit, but it's clear from the company catalog, and from various reviews that its products are first-rate (if expensive). The other two are American: Model Shipways ( www.modelexpo-online.com ) and Bluejacket ( www.bluejacketinc.com ). Another American firm, A.J. Fisher ( www.ajfisher.com ) has just been resurrected after several decades out of business. I haven't seen any of its kits yet, but in its earlier years the firm had an excellent reputation.

Later edit: Before my Forum friend Don Stauffer jumps in to correct me, I'll add another name to the list of good manufacturers: Midwest ( http://midwestproducts.com/collections/boats ) . It concentrates on smaller vessels, but its kits are well-designed, contain good materials, and have some of the best instruction manuals in the business. A Midwest kit is a great way to break into the hobby.

Just about any serious scale modeler will advise you: Stay away from HECEPOBs.