Model Boats magazine October issue - **FREE 20 PAGE PREVIEW**

Thechallengespresentedbythis 1960s’

EDITORIAL

Editor: LindseyAmrani

Seniordesigner: MichaelBaumber

Designer: FranLovely

Illustrator: GrahameChambers

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Printedby:WilliamGibbons&Son,Wolverhampton Distributionby:SeymourDistributionLtd,2East PoultryAvenue,London,EC1A9PT.

10 Compass360 Aroundupofthelatesthobby/ industrynews

12 GerryWestenberg masterpieces DavidNicolson,PublicityOfficer fortheHMASPerth(I)Memorial FoundationInc,updatesusonthe extraordinaryworkofthistalented Australianmodeller

16 Ciaobella! BarryLalondetakesonthechallenge ofmodellingRivaAquarama,the classic1960s’Italianrunaboutthat leavesnohidingplaceformistakes!

©MortonsMediaGroup2022

AllrightsreservedISSN0140-2910

ThePublisher’swrittenconsentmustbeobtainedbeforeanypartof thispublicationmaybereproducedinanyformwhatsoever,including photocopiers,andinformationretrievalsystems.Allreasonablecareis takeninthepreparationofthemagazinecontents,butthepublishers cannotbeheldlegallyresponsibleforerrorsinthecontentsofthis magazineorforanylosshoweverarisingfromsucherrors,includingloss resultingfromnegligenceofourstaff.Relianceplaceduponthecontents ofthismagazineisatreader’sownrisk.

ModelBoats,ISSN0140-2910,ispublishedmonthlybyMortonsMedia Group,MediaCentre,MortonWay,Horncastle,LincsLN96JRUK. TheUSannualsubscriptionpriceis89USD.AirfreightandmailingintheUSA byagentnamedWNShippingUSA,156-15,146thAvenue,2ndFloor,Jamaica, NY11434,USA.PeriodicalspostagepaidatBrooklyn,NY11256.

USPostmaster:SendaddresschangestoModelBoats,WNShippingUSA, 156-15,146thAvenue,2ndFloor,Jamaica,NY11434,USA.Subscription recordsaremaintainedatDSB.netLtd,3Queensbridge,TheLakes, Northampton,NN45DT.AirBusinessLtdisactingasourmailingagent.

24 Flotsam&Jetsam:Bathurst ClassCorvettes

JohnParkertellsthestoryofthese general-purposevesselsdesignedand builtinAustraliaduringWorldWarII, andconsiderstheoptionsforopento prospectivemodellers

30 Savemoneywith asubscription!

Checkoutthelatestprintanddigitaldeals andgetyourfavouritemagazineforless, delivereddirectlytoyourdoor!

32 LandingCraftMiniPlan

GlynnGuestprovidesinstructionshis easy-builddesignthatlendsitselftoeither beingkeptniceandsimpleormodified anddetailedtosuityourownparticular spec

42 Scalecolour,sound &speed

PeterKoch-Osborneongoingthedistance in‘keepingitreal’

44 AfricanQueen,Part2

RichardSimpsonshareshisthoughtson thefinishedbuildofthisBillingBoats’kit aimedatthe‘advancedbeginner’

52 Paddlinginthedeepend WarminsterMBCmemberMikePayne sharesthediscoveriesmadeandlessons learntduringanambitiousprojectthat didn’tgoquiteaccordingtoplan

56 ICPowerboatingBasic Build,Part2

DerekOwenshowsushowtocompletea verysimpleracinghydroplaneoutriggerstyleboat

60 BoilerRoom

RichardSimpsonexplainsthemany benefitsoflearninghowtotapathread, alongwithsomebestpracticeadvice,tips andtricks

66 YourModels

Moreofyourbrilliantbuildsshowcased

71 YourLetters

Viewsaired,infosharedandsuccessful clubeventscelebrated

74 NextMonth…

Justthreeofthereasonswhyyouwon’t wanttomisstheNovemberissueofModel Boats

Ifyou’relookingfor inspirationforyournext modellingproject,thereare plentyofoptionstoconsider inthismonth’sissue;these rangefromeasy,economical buildstothosethatarelikely toreallychallengeeventhe mostambitiousamongstyou.

Ifyou’rearegularreader, youwillbeawarethatwe onlyincludeafreefull-size pull-outplanineveryother edition(andnextmonth’sis arealcracker–seep.74).

Turntothefeaturestarting onp.32,however,andyou willfind,courtesyofGlynn Guest,amini(in-pagination andrunoverthedouble pagespreadinthecentreof themag)planforasimple butveryeffective-looking landingcraftmodel.Likeso manyofGlynn’sdesigns, thiscanbeusedasa quick,straightforwardway ofachievingamorethan acceptablestartermodel,yet onethatequallylendsitselfto allsortsofsuperdetailingor modificationpossibilities.So, ifyoudodecidetogiveitago, pleasesendinsomephotos ofyourfinishedbuild.

Iamalwaysamazedbyhow cleverlyyoumanagetoadapt andputyourownpersonal spinsonthefreeplans includedinthemag–two excellentexamplesofwhich areincludedinthismonth’s YourModelssection(along, ofcourse,withlotsofother impressivework–and,Ithink you’llagree,JohnWebber, inparticular,sodeservesto besalutedforhisbuildof Titanic,seep.66,andthesix yearsofsheercourageand determinationinthefaceof realadversitythismagnificent modeltooktocomplete). Therearesomanydifferent dimensionstothishobby. Modellersarehistorians, craftsmen,engineers, innovators,artists,etc,but alsowonderfulstorytellers–sopleasekeepsharingyours!

Enjoyyourread!

Lindsey

Compass360

OUTANDABOUT

ModelBoatsontheLake

From10amto3pmovertheweekendofSeptember16/17,youwillbe abletoseetheSchoonerRadioControlGroupinactiononthelakesat LeonardsleeLakes&Gardens,BrightonRoad,Horsham,WestSussexRH13 6PPandenjoyonwaterdemonstrationsofawholerangeofR/Cmodel boats,yachts,steamboatsandwarships.Admissionwillbefreeofchargeto LeonardsleeMembers,althoughGardenEntryticketswillberequiredfornonmembers(chargedat£14.50foradultsand£6.50forchildren–familytickets arealsoavailable).Thesetickets,whichcanbepurchasedonlineatwww. leonardsleegardens.co.ukincludefreeparkingandabuggyshuttleservice designedtoenablevisitorswithlimitedmobilitytoaccessthelowergardens andlakes.

■ GRADEILISTEDWOODLANDGARDENS

■ FREESHUTTLEBUSFORVISITORSWITHLIMITEDMOBILITY

■ FREEENTRYTOTHEDOLLS’HOUSEMUSEUM

TheBIGSt.AlbansModelShow

TheBIGSt.AlbansModelShow,organisedbytheSt.Albans&DistrictModelEngineering Society,willbereturningtoTownsendChurchofEnglandSchool,HighOaks,StAlbansAL3 6DRovertheweekendofSeptember24/24thisyear.

RHTSModelWeekend

September16-17willseetheRushden

HistoricalTransportSocietyhostinga

ModelWeekendatRushdenStation,John ClarkWay,Rushden,NorthantsNN100AV. Aswellasthemodelrailwaydisplaysand demonstrations,therewillalsobevarious othermodelexhibits,includingboats,along withPacerTrainridesandrefreshments servedinbuffercarriages.Admissionwillbe chargedat£5foradultsand£3forchildren (althoughchildrenunder4willbeadmitted freeofcharge)andticketscaneitherbe purchasedonthedayorinadvanceat www.ticketsource.co.uk/rhts

Openfrom10amto5pm onbothdays,visitorstothis familyfriendlyeventwillbe abletoenjoyradio-controlled boatdemonstrations(withthe invitationtogethands-onwith someofthe‘have-a-go’models onthewater)andstaticmodel boatdisplaystands,takea steamtrainride,seebigTamiya radio-controlledtrucksinaction, drivetheelectricride-ontrain oroperatealarge-scaleradiocontrolledTigertank.Therewill alsobedrones,hotairballoons, modelsteamlorries,Meccano models,modelrailwaylayouts andmanyotherexhibitsand attractions.

Thosewishingtoattendcan eitherpayatthegate(bycardor cash)orbuyticketsinadvance online(therebytakingadvantage ofa£1discountonadulttickets) athttps://www.ticketsource. co.uk.Theorganisersadvise therewillbeamplefreeparking, pluslightrefreshmentswillbe availablethroughouttheday.

OUTANDABOUT

TheSouthamptonInternational BoatShow

Thisyear’sshowisscheduledforSeptember 15-24atMayflowerPark,SouthamptonSO15 1QF(theshowentrancewillbelocatedbythe WestQuayShoppingCentre).

From10amto6pmonalldays(other thanSunday,September15,whenthings willwrapupat5pm),visitorswillbeableto viewover300boatsmooredontheshow’s purpose-builtquayandtakeineverything

elsetheleisuremarineindustryhastooffer, rangingfrompaddleboardstosuperyachts, kayakstocatamarans,andalltheproducts andservicesinbetween.Bookingsare nowbeingtakenonlineathttps://ww2. theticketsellers.co.uk/,withavarietyof ticketoptions.Uptotwochildrenwillbe admittedfreeofchargewitheveryadult ticketpurchased.

PRIZEDRAW WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT

Catchoftheday!

CongratulationstoDrPeterHollandsof Huntingdon,Cambridgeshire,thelucky entrantdrawninourAugust2023issue BillingBoats’1:60scaleRainbowcutterkit prizedraw.

BUYTHEBOOK

TheConvoy

HG76:TakingtheFighttoHitler’s U-Boats

PennedbyformernavalofficerandhistorianAngus Konstam,thisnewtitlefromOspreyPublishing(ISBN 9781472857682),scheduledforreleaseondocuments theroleplayedbyHG-76,CommanderJohnnieWalker andhiscrewinprotectingaconvoyofmerchantships makingtheperilousjourneyfromGibraltartoLiverpool duringDecember1941.Drawingonreportsandaccounts fromthoseonbothsidesoftheconflict,TheConvoy explainsboththetechnical andtacticaldevelopments thatwouldseetheAlliesgo ontowintheBattleofthe Atlantic.

Scheduledforrelease onOctober26,2023,atan RRP(RecommendedRetail Price)of£22.50,aspecial discountof10%willbe appliedwhenpre-ordering viathepublisher’swebsite atwww.ospreypublishing. com.Alternatively,you canadvanceorderdirectly fromyourlocalbookstore byquotingtheISBN referencedabove.

MakingFast ElectricModel PowerBoats

PennedbyIanWilliams (PROfficerfortheFE sectionoftheMPBA), thisnewpaperback(ISBN 9780719842597)covers allaspectsoffastelectric boating.Pricedat£16.99, itcannowbeorderedfrom www.crowood.comorviaall goodbookstores.

Helpingtosavelives

Theysayeverypicturetellsastoryandwe thinkthisoneisworthcelebrating!Captured hereisPatReffin,KMBC(KirkleesModel BoatClub)Secretary,presentingacheque for£265.50(theproceedsoffund-raising activitiesattheclub’sJuly9OpenDay toppedupbypersonaldonationsmadebyits members)totheMirfieldbranchoftheRNLI.

Yetmoremasterpieces fromGerryWestenberg

DavidNicolson,PublicityOfficerfortheHMAS Perth(I) MemorialFoundationInc., providesanupdateontheextraordinaryworkofthistalentedAustralianmodeller…

BackinMarch2019,ModelBoats rananarticleentitled‘Builderin Residence’coveringtheworkofGerry Westenbergandtheprodigiousnumberof modelshehasproduced.Thegoodnews isthattheoutputcontinues,andmore significantly,hisworkhasbecomethesubject ofthreeverysuccessfulexhibitionsputonby theWestAustralianShipwrecksMuseum.The lastone,in2023,hadover120modelson display.Thenextoneisscheduledfor2025 andwillfeatureevenmoreofhiscreations.

AllofGerry’smodelshavebeen photographedinhighresolutionandhave beenthesubjectofthreebooks.Although printedinlimitednumbers,thesehavebeen wellreceivedbylocalenthusiasts.

Gerry’sshipsareallhandcraftedandto thesamescale,thatis1:192,or1inchto every16ft.Theyarepredominantlymade frombalsa,butGerryhasbeenmakingmore

useofhigh-resolution3D-printingforthe smallandrepetitivedetails.Thisnotonly reducesthebuildtimebutalsogivesaneven moredetailedresult.Theplansaresourced fromvariousoutletsandhavebecomeoneof hisbiggestheadaches,sincetheyareoftenat oddswithreality.Constructionwhenworking fromtheseplansfrequentlyneedstobe modifiedwhenphotographsofthesubject arefound.

HMAS SydneyII

InNovember1941Australiasufferedits greatestnavallosswhenHMAS Sydney IIwassunkwithallhandsasaresultofan engagementwiththeGermancommerce raider,HSK Kormoran.Becausetherewere noAustraliansurvivorsandthegovernmentimposedsecrecysurroundingherloss, allsortsofconspiracytheoriessprangup aboutherdemise,includingbeingsunk

byaJapanesesubmarinerendezvousing with Kormoran tooffloadsecretmilitary technology!Eventually,inMarch2008,David Mearnsandhisteamdiscoveredthewreck atadepthof2500metresofftheWest Australiancoast.Gerryhasuseddetailed underwaterphotographstobuildamodel ofhowshelookedontheseabedtheday afterhersinking.Tobuildthe‘wreck’,Gerry firstconstructedacompletehullandthen systematicallydestroyeditinlinewiththe imagesavailablefromthediscoveryteam. Thisuniquedioramaisonpermanentdisplay attheWestAustralianMuseum,nowknown byitsAboriginalname, BoolaBardip. He hasalsobuiltallfouroftheSydneys,which includesanaircraftcarrier,adestroyeranda frigate.Tocompletethestory,Gerryhasbuilt amodeloftheraiderHSK Kormoran, which isondisplayintheWestAustralianMaritime Museum.

Gerrywithsomeofhismodelsonshow attheWAShipwrecksMuseum.

TheFremantle1942diorama

Gerry’smostambitiousprojecttodateis adioramashowingthesubmarinebase locatedintheFremantleharbour,Western Australia,andhowitlookedin1942.At thattime,itwasthelargestsuchfacilityin theSouthernHemisphere,withsubmarines fromtheNetherlands,UKandtheUSA.The dioramafeatureseightsubmarines,two motherships,atankerandthreeadditional tenders.Alsofabricated,byreferencing historicalphotographs,areseveralquaysidecranestoaddauthenticitytothescene. Thecompletedisplaymeasures2x0.7m andtookapproximatelythreemonthsto build.InkeepingwithGerry’sothermodels, everythingisscaledto1:192.Thishasbeen purchasedbytheWAMuseumforpermanent display.

Submarines

Atthetimeofwriting,Gerryhasbuilt23 submarines,plustheeightinthediorama mentioned.TheearliestistheHMS Holland I, whichwasthefirstsubmarinecommissioned intotheRoyalNavy.Hislatest,andbiggest, capturesthe15,900-tonHMS Vanguard commissionedin1993.

NoonecouldaccusetheRoyalNavyof notbeinginnovativewithitssubmarine designs;witnesstheill-fatedsteampowered ‘K’classandtheBazarM1withits12-inch gun.Gerryhasmodelledbothcuriosities, butM1,builtin1917andintendedtobe a‘submarinemonitor’,mustbethemost extreme.Designedtofirehergunwhilesemisubmerged,sheneededtosurfacetoreload.

Gerry’sdioramaofthe submarinebasein FremantleHarbour, 1942.

Shewassunkwithallhandswhenshewas struckbyaSwedishshipwhilesubmerged, hermassivegunbeingrippedawaybythe collision.Adivingteamfoundthewreckin 1999atadepthof73metres.

HMS Dreadnought

Builtin1906, Dreadnought changedthe navallandscapeforever.Withhermain batterybeingonly12-inchgunsandbeing poweredbysteamturbineswhichgaveher

reliablehigh-speedcruising,sherendered allotherbattleshipsobsoleteatastroke. Gerry’smodelcapturestherawpowershe musthaveexhibitedtoallwhosawher whencommissionedin1906.Herarmament consistedoffivetwin12-inchturrets,27 single12-pdrsandfivetorpedotubes.The ideaofhavingallthemaingunswiththe samecalibrecamefromtheItaliannaval architectVittorioCuniberti.Theconcept gaveanumberofadvantages,including

HMAS SydneyII portrayedasshelooksnowontheoceanfloor. HMSubmarineM1,with her12-inchgun.

Modelsofthefour HMASSydneys.

“Tobuildthe‘wreck’,Gerryfirst constructedacompletehulland thensystematicallydestroyedit inlinewiththeimagesavailable fromthediscoveryteam”

“Gerry’smostambitious projecttodateisadiorama showingthesubmarinebase locatedintheFremantleharbour, WesternAustralia,andhowit lookedin1942”

HMS Dreadnought, the shipthatmadeallexisting battleshipsoftheday obsolete.

standardisingonammunitionand,most importantly,improvingonspottingthefall ofshot.Herotherrevolutionaryfeature wasthefittingofturbinesinsteadofthe traditionaltripleexpansionreciprocating steamengines.Thisallowedforbetter high-speedreliabilityandlessvibration, whichwasnowessentialforgundirectors tomakeuseoftheincreasinggunnery ranges. Dreadnought’sotherclaimtofame wasthatshetheonlybattleshiptosinka submarine.Thishappenedin1915whenshe rammedthe U-29 whileonpatrolwithother ‘dreadnoughts’inthePentlandFirth,northof Scotland.Shewaseventuallysoldforscrapin 1921togetherwithseveralotherwarshipsfor £2perton!

HMS Hood

Therearethreeshipsthateventhosewhoare notmaritimeenthusiastsknow:HMS Victory, Bismarck andHMS Hood.Imustadmitto havingmodelsofallthreeinmycollectionof 43ships!Theyhavebeenfavouritesofmodel buildersacrosstheworldandGerry’sversion ofthe Hood isatrulywonderfulexample. Thescaleof1:192makesthismodelan impressive4½ ft(1.37m)long.

HMS Hood,launchedin1918,wasthe biggestwarshipintheworlduntilanew generationofbattleshipswerebuiltinWorld WarII.Arguablythemostaesthetically pleasingshiponthehighseas,shewas literallytheflagshipfortheBritishEmpire betweenthewars.Armedwitheight15inchgunsandwithatopspeedof32knots, shegracedthenewspaperswherevershe went.Allthiscametoanendatthehands of Bismarck andtheheavycruiser Prinz Eugen onMay24,1941,whenshewaslost withallhands,savethree,attheBattleof theDenmarkStrait.RevengecameonMay 27thatyearwhen Bismarck, afterbeing damagedbyatorpedo,waseventually corneredandsunkbyacollectionofRoyal Navyships,withalargelossofGermanlives. Morebooksandmagazineshavetoldher storythananyothershipinhistory.

BeingoneofGerry’slatestmodels,hehas madegooduseofhigh-resolution3Dprinted fixtures,whichhasaddedsignificantlytothe finishedresult.Notsurprisingly, Hood wasa verypopularfeatureathislatestexhibition heldattheWAShipwrecksMuseumin2023.

GreatEastern

OneofGerry’smostimpressivemodelsis the GreatEastern.DesignedbyIsambard KingdomBrunelin1859,theoriginal was692ft(211m)long,alengthonly exceededin1901bytheRMS Oceanic.In overalldimensionsandweight,shewasn’t matcheduntil1913.The GreatEastern was themaritimemarvelofherage,although neverthecommercialsuccessherowners hadhopedfor.Brunelsawherbeingable tomonopolizetheBritishtradewithAsia andAustralia.Sinceshewassixtimesthe sizeofanyexistingvessel,theideawas thatthe GreatEastern wouldbeableto accommodatetheshippingofwaymore goodsonasingleshipthanthecompetition could.This,however,wasnottobe,since shewastoowidetogothroughtheSuez Canal,thusnecessitatingherroutetoAsia beviatheCapeofGoodHope,whichwas

HMS Hood mountedon herdisplayboard.

Sternviewof HMS Hood.

Bowviewof HMS Hood.

“Gerry’sversionoftheHoodisatruly wonderfulexample.Notsurprisingly, Hoodwasaverypopularfeatureat hislatestexhibitionheldattheWA ShipwrecksMuseumin2023”

simplyuneconomical.Hergreatsizeandthe relativelycrudesteamenginesresultedin sailsbeingaddedtothepaddlesandscrew propulsion,but,ironically,itturnedoutthat thesesailscouldn’tbeusedatthesame timeasthesteamenginesduetothehot exhaustgassesfromthemultiplefunnels. Thehighlightofhercareerwasasacable layer.In1866shesuccessfullylaidacable fromSheernessintheUKtoNewfoundland. Othercablelayingtaskswerecompletedin thelate1860s.Withtheadventofspecialist vessels,shewasrefittedasaliner,but,again, commercialsuccessalludedher.Thegreat shipwaseventuallybrokenupin1890.

At3ft7inches(1.1m)long,andwithher sixtoweringmasts,fivefunnelsandthose enormouspaddlewheels,Gerry’smodel makesasignificantimpression.Addedto thesefeatures,thecomplexriggingmakes foramagnificentmodel.Thestraight throughdeckfromstemtosternmusthave beenadelightforthosepassengers‘takinga turnroundtheship’.

HMAS Albatross

TheHMAS Albatross wasbuiltinSydney, Australia,asaseaplanecarrierfortheRoyal AustralianNavyin1926.Duetolackof fundsbecauseofthedepression,shewas laidupin1933.TheAustralianGovernment, however,wasabletogettheRoyalNavy totakeheroveraspartpaymentforHMAS Hobart.AspartoftheRoyalNavy,shehad aninterestingcareerbasedinFreetown andwasusedforpatrolandconvoyduties intheSouthernAtlanticandtheninthe IndianOcean.InWorldWarIIshewasthen convertedtoa‘LandingShip(engineering)’ insupportoftheNormandylandings.During thisdeploymentshewastorpedoedand returnedtoEnglandforrepair,afterwhich sawserviceasminesweeperdepotship.After thewar,andseveralchangesofhands,she wasrenamed HellenicPrince,convertedtoa passengerlinerandusedtotransferrefugees fromEuropetoAustralia.Hercareerendedin 1953whensoldforscrap.

ThemodelprovidedGerrywithseveral challenges,nottheleastofwhichwere thetwoaircraftandthecranes.Theresult, however,isaverypleasingandinteresting model.

Sailingships

AlthoughmostofGerry’smodelsare20th centurynavalvessels,hedoesoccasionally turnhishandtosailingships.Hislatest exhibitionfeaturedDrake’sgalleonHMS Revenge,thetopmastschooner Glasgow andtheironhulledclippership LochArd The LochArd wasbuiltfortheAustraliarun, withhermaidenvoyagein1874.Onherlast

tripsheflounderedonthecoastofVictoriain 1878withonlytwosurvivors.Theareawhere shewaswreckedisnowknownasLochArd Gorge.

Gerry’smodelisveryimpressive,especially theattentiontotheriggingdetailandthe deckfittings.

Moretocome!

Gerrycurrentlyhassevenmoremodels underconstruction,invaryingdegrees ofcompletion!Anumberofthesewill becompletedforhis2025exhibitionto complementthealreadyfinished120plus creations.

Itisworthquotingfromtheforeword inGerry’slatestbookprovidedbyThe HonourableKimBeazleyAC,aMinisterfor DefenceinanearlierAustralianFederal GovernmentandretiredGovernorof WesternAustralia:“Gerryisanunsung Australiannationaltreasure.Hisenthusiasm fortheperfectmodellingofmaritimecraft, particularlynavalvessels,isunique…… Thissuperbcollectionneedstogointoour (Australian)record.Ifalotcanbetakenoffhis hands,hiswifewillbeveryhappy.” ●

“Gerrycurrentlyhassevenmoremodelsunderconstruction,invarying degreesofcompletion!Anumberofthesewillbecompletedforhis2025 exhibition”

Acloseupofthemid-sectionofHMS Hood, noticethefinedetailofthedeck fittings.

AbroadsideviewoftheLochArd,anironhulledclippership.

Gerryworkingon sectionsofhis nextmodels.

TheGermanraider Komoran.Notethedisguisedgunmountsandtorpedotube.

HMAS Albatross inher RoyalAustralianNavy seaplanetenderguise.

LocalhistorianWesOlsentakingacriticallookatthe GreatEastern modelatthe2023exhibition.

BarryLalonde takesonthechallengeofmodellingthisclassic 1960s’ItalianRunaboutthatleavesnohidingplaceformistakes!

TheRivaAquaramawasaneasy subjectchoiceformeasamodeller.

Afterall,overtheyears,thisclassic ItalianRunabouthasbeendescribed bymanyas“Themoststylishboatofall time”.DesignedbyCarloRivaandbuilt bytheItalianyachtbuilderRivafrom1962 onwards,itsharedthesamesortofstatus amongsttherichandfamousontheFrench andItalianRiviera’sasthesportscarsfrom prestigemarques,suchasFerrari,inits day.Somuchso,highspecstaticdisplay modelsofitwouldbedisplayedbywealthy individualsandestablishmentsinthesame wayotherworksofartwouldbe.How,then, couldIresist?

Therearenumerousphotographsto scrollthroughandvideofootagetowatch forresearchpurposes.Indeed,itwaswhile browsingYouTubethatIcameacrossapiece offilmdocumentingtherestorationofthe ‘RivaAquaramaLamborghini’.Theextremely highqualityoftheworkmanship,fromthe glass-likevarnishfinishofwoodworktoallthe gleamingchrome,onlyfurtherconvincedme thatIneededtotryandreproduceallthisin modelform–atallorder,Iknow!Whatskills Ihaveareinwoodwork,notmetalwork,or upholstery,soinitiallyIwasn’tsurehowIwas goingtomanagetheseaspectsasthebuild asIprogressed.Ijustfeltthatherewasa subjectworthyofdevotingmytimeto.

Plansandplanks

BeforeIcouldevenmakeastart,though,I firstneededtogetmyhandsbothonaset ofplansandsomewoodofamuchhigher qualitythanIwouldusuallysourcefrom mylocalD.I.Y.store.Afterscouringthe internet,IfoundtwosetsofplansforaRiva andorderedwhatIdeemedtobethebest lookingone.Onarrival,mysonkindly3D checkedtheseplansforaccuracyandthen finelytunedthemforme.Asforthewood, Imanagedtopurchaseanoldteaktable fromalocalauctionsite.Admittedly,the tabletopwasjustchipboardwithaveneer covering,soofnousetome,butthetable framewasjustwhatIneeded,andsowas

“Themoststylishboatofalltime”

promptly cut down into 3mm planks While I had previously made a few model boats using the plank-on-frame method, the planking on these had then been covered with paper or filled and painted over it. With this boat there would be no hiding place for any mistakes in my woodwork The finish required was just varnish, so any blemishes would be visible for all to see The length of hull I settled on for the build was 78cm, which was in part dictated by the length of planks that I had available Although happy with this at the time, having now finished the model I can’t help but wish it was a little larger

“The most stylish boat of all time”

Keelandframes

Forachange,IthoughtIwouldmakethe keeloutofpineinsteadofmyusual‘go-to’ plywood.Mythinkingwasapinekeelwould beeasiertocarveintothecorrectangles fortheacceptanceofplankingagainstit.I alsodecidedtobuildtheboattherightway upratherthanworkingonitwhileinverted andsecuredtoabaseboard,asismyusual practice,asIwantedtobeabletorunmy eyeoverthecraftasitgrewsoIcouldbe sureallremainedtrue.Later,Irealised there’sareasonwhymostpeoplebuildtheir modelboatsupsidedown,asIstruggledto accuratelyalignalltheframes.WhenIstarted tofitthestringers,itquicklybecameevident thattwoofmyframeswerefarfromperfectly situated;somethingImanagedtocorrect. Unfortunately,Ididn’tdiscoverathirdframe couldhavebeenbetterpositioneduntilit wastoolate.Anotherlessonlearnt!

Stringersandplanking

Oncethestringerswerefittedtothechines onthelowerhullandthedeckbeamswere inplace,Iremovedthehullfrommybuilding board.OnsomeofthestringersIhadmade numerouscutsintotheinnersurfaceto enablemetobendthemaroundthecurve atthebowwithoutputtingtoomuchstrain onthelengthofwood.TheplanksthatIhad cutfromtheteaktableframewere27mm widex3mmthick,soIdecidedthatallmy plankswouldbe7mmwide.Beforecutting themintostrips,though,Imarkedthree linesacrosseachoftheplanks.Ididthisso thatevenifmycuttingwasn’tperfect,there wouldbeagoodchancetheindividualplanks wouldsittogethernicelyoncethesethree lineswerematchedup.Toeasemyselfintoa routine,Ibeganatthebottom,astheseinitial plankswouldbeoutofsightoncethehull hadbeencompleted.

Sternquarters,rubbing strakeandtransomplatform

Idecidedtofitthesternquarters,rubbing strakeandtransomplatformatthisstage.All inonepiece,thiswasquitelargepieceof‘U’ shapedwoodthatwouldtieintoanumberof theafterframesandgivesstructuralsupport totherearoftheboat.ForthisIoptedtouse 5mmthickplywood,cutoversizesoIcould trimandshapeeverythingonceI’dfinished planking.

Installationofelectric motors

Oncethisplankinghadgotuptojust belowthesternrubbingstrakeonone side,Idecidedtofitthetwomotors,shafts, couplingsandbothruddertubesinthehull whileIstillhadtheaccesstoaligneverything. Ialsotriedencirclingthemotorsinarubber strip,hopingtomakethemquieterin operation.Unfortunately,thisideadidn’t achievetheresultI’dhopedfor.

Layingofthekeelandframeswiththeboatupright.

Plankingbeginsonthebottom.

Thesternquarters,rubbingstrakeandtransomplatform.

Theblocksofwoodfittedonthetransom cornerswouldbecarvedtoblendinwiththe plankingatalaterstage,thusgivingtheends oftheplankingasurfacetobuttupto.Ialso wantedmyboattohavethesplittransom, withawalkwayrunningfromtherear cushionedareatotheswimplatform;some modelsofRivasdonotincludethis.

Plankingcontinues

Withmostoftheinternalsnowtakencareof, Iwasabletocompleteplankingthesidesand aroundthedeckedge.

IusedamethodI’dnevertriedbefore whenplankingaforedeck.Here,Isplitthe foredeckintotwohalves,withateakstrip runningupthecentreline.Itheninstalled thepinearoundtheperimeterofthetwo halvesandalternatedteakandpineacross eachareawithinthatperimeter.Thepine planksIfittedonedge,whiletheteakplanks Ilaidflat.Ididwonderwhetherthiswouldbe difficulttotrimoncompletionbut,usinga sharpknifeandsandpaper,allwentwell,and Iwasreallypleasedwiththefinish.

Thetwosmallareasofthedeckatthe sternweregiventhesametreatmentasthe foredeck.

Blocksofteakweregluedintofillthestern quarters,thencarveddownandsandedto formacurvearoundthetransomcorners, sotheyblendedintothesideplanking,rear decks,andwalkway.

Withalltheplankingandthetransom finished,Icouldatlastshapetherear rubbingstrakesandbathingplatform, gettingridoftheexcessmaterialIhadleft untilthisstage.

Coveringtheboardsaroundthedeckedge.

Plankingtheforedeckwithteakandpine.

Installationofthetwoelectricmotors,shaftsandruddertubes.

Blocksofteakweregluedintofillthesternquarters, thencarveddownandsandedtoformacurvearoundthe transomcorners,sotheyblendedintothesideplanking, reardecks,andwalkway.

Deckopenings

Thecockpitandrearcushionedarea (coveringtheenginesontherealboat)were goingtobedifficult.UnsureIcoulddojustice totheupholsteredseatingandcushioned area,Idecidedtoconstructframesthat wouldfittightlyinsidethedeckopenings asastartingpoint.Theframingfortherear cushionedareawasmadefromverythin wood,soinitiallyitfeltveryworryinglyfragile; oncecompletewith‘cushions’,however,the wholeassemblyreassuringlybecamemuch sturdier.Iroundedthecornersoffallthe wooden‘cushion’panelsanddidthesame withthepaddingIappliedaroundthem. Happily,oncesuitablypaintedtheyreally lookedthepart.

Thecockpitareawasmadeinthesame way,althoughIusedteakfortheframingof thisarea.Thisprovedaverytime-consuming aspectofthebuild,asIhadtocreate individualbucketseatswithbackrestsforthe driverandfrontpassenger,aswellasforming abench-typeseatacrosstherear;thelatter beingmadeupinindividualsegmentswhich oncompletionwerethenallgluedtogether. IhavetosayIwaspleasantlysurprised byjusthoweffectivemysolutionto ‘upholstering’proved.

Thedeckopenings,framesandseating.

Dashandcockpitsurround

Makingandfittingthedashboardanddash shroudaboveitcamenext.Idecidedto simplycutoutholesforthegaugesandslot someblackcardinbehindthem,before trimmingwithsomesilverpaint.Thesteering wheelwasmadeatalaterstage.Thefront cockpithasapaddedsurroundattheback behindtherearseats,whichIbelievehidesa coverforthecockpit,althoughIdon’tthinkI haveeverseenaboatwiththecoverup.

AdmiringRiva’snakedform

Evenatthisstageofthebuild,withtheboat stilldevoidofpaint,varnish,ortrimmings,it wasalreadystartingtolookmagnificent:a realtestamenttohowwellthelinesdrawn bytheRiva’soriginaldesignerhavestood thetestoftime.And,withoutwanting toblowmyowntrumpet,Iwasproudof howmyownwoodworkhadexceededthe expectationsI’dhadattheoutsetofthe project.

Thedashandcockpitsurround.