Hallo from Bloemfontein, South Africa

Joined
May 31, 2021
Messages
222
Points
113

Location
Kommetjie, Western Cape, South Africa
I thank you allowing me to join the forum. Before registration I was perusing the pictures of completed ships, and wow, I was in awe. I also picked up on some of the discussions and was just so inspired by the friendly and helpful tone of so many of the contributors. How did I end up here on the forum? Well during a bout of COVID-19 I have decided that I need to do something new with my life, and specifically my scale model life. For years now I have being building AFV's (mostly 1/72 scale), figures (mostly 1/35 scale) and the odd flying thingy. For many years I grew up near the western coast of South Africa, and always loved the sea, and visiting Simons Town and Cape Town Harbour to see who is visiting the harbours (always part of a Sunday drive). Oh and the beauty I was so often confronted with. A french aircraft carrier, British Navy Frigates and more. And yes I did build the odd ship when a kid, mostly the Airfix kits and spend so many happy hours painting and building. But I followed a different path, and now I have the oppertunity to start something new, and there is now better way than celebrating this new path with exploring the world of scale model ships and to start working on them. Currently, I am not working on a ship model, but three of them are on their way. I feel as exited as on my first day of school! Thank you for helping me to start taking this journey.
 
Welcome aboard, and once you start building a 17th century ship with spritsail topmast you will be addicted to this hobby. Just therapie will keep you away from it. :D
 
also from my side a warm welcome here on board of our forum.
Doing our hobby, you should also start a project asap ......
It is nice and interesting to read and follow other logs etc. but it is much better to make your own sawdust :cool:
Most important is to have fun - here in the forum and with the upcoming project(s)
 
Welcome aboard. We promise that you’ll never have a dull moment once you start building a ship.
Don’t complicate yourself in a mayor build but choose an easy model that you could find a building log here and that will get you started with confidence.
 
Again, thank you to all for the warm welcomes and very good advice. Will surely take it to heart. Yes, this morning the courier brought my first ship kit, the Heller 1/400 Frigate La Fayette. I am so very, very exited. At first inspection it looks like a nice kit to start this line of hobby. To be honest I have a great love for the French Military, Air Force and Navy, perhaps it has got something to do with my forefathers (Hugenots) who arrived in South Africa many moons ago. So, wink, wink, if someone knows about good french navy kits (WWII and post-WWII), it will be much appreciated to be informed. Will keep you posted as soon as work on this project starts..... Will probably not sleeo tonight because of all the exitement.
 

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Welcome from my side of the Great Blue Marble. Lots of stuff to peruse here, many great kit builds going on and lots of information, interaction, sharing of techniques and just plain fun going on here.

Jan
 
And another welcome from South Australia, hope you have fun and enjoy SOS,
I have been to your great country quite a few times, I was a steward on the Union Castle ships,
Best regards John,
 
Welcome aboard Ettienne, looking forward to you build log(you are going to start one hey? :))
You mentioned 3 models are one their way to you, which are the other two??
The Academy USS Hazard Perry (1/350) and the Aoshima Takanami (Waterline series) 1/700. At first inspection both look like quite reasonable kits, well that is in trems of my zero experience with ships ... :). Yes would like to statrt a building log, but before i get to the ships awaiting completion is a Italeri Wessex HAS-3 (I think) and a Hasegawa Mirage F1... and then on to my new life....:cool:
 
And another welcome from South Australia, hope you have fun and enjoy SOS,
I have been to your great country quite a few times, I was a steward on the Union Castle ships,
Best regards John,
Thank you very much John. If I remember correctly we often drove down to Cape Town harbour to have a look at the Union Castles that were moored there....
 
And now from a fellow South African - even if I am in China - a very big and hearty welcome! It is wonderful to see more and more South Africans joining the forum. I understand your love for the French Navy and aircraft. The South African Air Force in its heyday comprised of Dassault Mirages as the spearpoint, whilst our Daphne submarines also hailed from Nantes, France. But now I do have a question - How does a nice Capetonian boy like you end up in Bloemfontein in the Free State? ROTF ROTF ROTF Just joking Ettienne - I love the wide open spaces of the Free State - and funnily enough, for some or another reason, I have a real affinity for Welkom of all places!
 
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