I was a marine engineer and at sea for 18 years in the merchant navy, UK and Canada. Worked in Engineering ashore until retirement however always maintained an interest in ships and shipping.
My first attempt at a ship model was HMS Endurance's longboat, I was reasonably pleased by the results and learnt a lot (mostly from my mistakes!) With lockdown I took the plunge and purchase the Caldercraft version of the Mary Rose. I've always been fascinated by her, I lived in Portsmouth, England, and had a bedsit in the same house as one of the divers working on the excavation of the wreck. We watched the lift live and nearly choked on our beers with the rest of the country when the lifting frame "jumped" as it broke the surface.
Having seen a couple of the other members builds I think mine will be a very pale comparison to some of their incredible models, but I'll give it a go!
As well as learning from the build photos I'd like to learn more about woods, sources of woods and other fittings here in the UK, and oils, stains and varnishes to give the best finishes.
John