My Wargaming Boatyard

Part of the reason my painting has been so unproductive in the first few weeks of 2019 is that I have also been working on producing some Napoleonic flatboats (as mentioned in an earlier blog)

I completed one of these today (minus the crew who will have to be sourced or created - not sure which or how yet!)

The second boat is also constructed now and at the under coating stage, so I took the opportunity to photograph this at various stages throughout the afternoon.

In addition, working on boats inspired me to drag out the Viking longboats I made 5 odd years ago - I think they have hit the table top once!

So here are some images relating to boats I have created to support my wargaming activities. I have it in mind to build a larger Napoleonic era vessel - Brig or Ketch etc (a frigate is TOO big!) and have downloaded some info from the net to assist in this aim - watch this space!

First up - the Viking Fleet:

 This (I think ) was the first longboat I created - I even put some crew on the first one! (Shadowforge Valkyies)

 The main hull shape was created using off cuts from 1800 x 100mm fence palings I had lying around

 On the first one, I made the "dragon head" from a tea/coffee stirrer - not the best material

 The tiller was made from similar material . (By the way, I placed the boats on a cheap plastic weave "tarpaulin" I dragged out of the garden shed - it actually looks quite convincing as the ocean!)

As production increased, I dispensed with the crew.....mast and cross member are from kebab skewers

The sails I created on "Paint" and printed off at work. 

By the end, I had developed a better method of creating the figureheads, involving carving pieces of trellis wood and an electric drill!

Above - this was the inspiration - a much more complicated version using balsa wood etc - too much hassle for my liking. I created all these vessels at zero cost, using bits and pieces I had lying around at home!

And so on to my current boat building project

 Below is the first stage of the second flatboat I created today

Next three images just show the gradual evolution of the boat as internal planking is added.....

When I was at this stage, I cut five strips of scrap booking card about 5mm wide

Here is the boat with the first two layers of planking glued in place

Below, completed model, including another Victrix gun, ready for under coating

This is the first model (which has been sitting at the stage above for about two weeks!) undercoated and with three layers of browns dry brushed on the internal wooden planking

The exterior with a rough drybrush coat

The finished product

The name of the ship is from a novel I read recently, involving marines landing in Spain etc - cross between Hornblower and Sharpe!

That's it for tonight - the four War of 1812 cavalry in Tarletons are finished too, but I will leave them for a few days to allow visitors to see this post!