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As a way to introduce our brass coins to the community, we will raffle off a free coin during the month
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Those sold off to the private market were pretty beat.
So, we're going from warship to pirate/smuggling vessel without much documentation on the specific ship and only what we know of rum runner tactics to guide us on what *should* be considered with this scratchbuild.
1) No guns. 2) It's gonna be Navy grey (and most pics of them show varying levels of scruffiness) 3) bigger engines removed.
The tactics of the era dictated that the shuttling craft pick up their cargo from larger ships sitting on "Rum Row" (originally 3 miles off the US coast, later extended to 12) and then run the booze in to pre-arranged meeting spots on shore - this dictated either speed or stealth.
Since we'll assume the Kingfisher had smaller engines (or just retained one of it's originals), stealth it is (which goes along with the Navy grey paint job). All ordnance goes away.
I fail to see how 1,800 cases could be squeezed into that hull, no matter how much stowage was gained post-war. Deck cargo would be mandatory (which are re-purposed cotton bales swiped from Revell's Riverboat kit).
Smugglers traditionally keep small boats on board so that if they have to ground or otherwise abandon their vessel, at least the crew has a decent chance of escaping. The dory supplied in the kit would never hold all twelve crew, so a second was sourced from the spares box. The repositioned rear deckhouse, being closer to the deck, was better suited for quick-release boat racks.
