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My Intro

Ken_NJ

Ken_NJ

Joined
Aug 11, 2026
Messages
12
Points
28

Location
Lakewood New Jersey
I'm from central New Jersey and I primarily scratch build scale radio control boats. My main goal is to build party boats (fishing boats) that sail out of the Belmar NJ marina near me. So far I have scratch built two boats, the SS Miss Belmar which is 54 inches long and 16 inches wide and has four Dumas 12v motors. The other boat is the Big Marie S which is 42 inches long and 10 inches wide with two motors. I also have three RC submarines. They started out as styrene static display models and are retro fitted into fully working diving submarines. They are all about 40 inches long. Currently I am building a 42 inch 12 meter sailboat.

I also got the static tall ship bug. On the way to one of the submarine events we listened to 'In the Heart of the Sea'. So I purchased the Occre Whaleship Essex which I started and I'm working on part time while I complete the 12 meter sailboat.

As a teenager, I had a plastic Cutty Sark which I never completed. I just purchased the Billings 1:75 Cutty Sark which should be here on Aug 13. I've seen online that people purchase third party items the are better than what is on the kit. So I'll start another thread asking about what to buy to replace the kit supplied items.

So that is my story. Glas to be on this forum and get some good advice about the Cutty Sark.
 
Welcome to SoS Ken! I grew up Bergen County NJ (Lodi) and have sibs in Bradley Beach and Lake Hopatcong. I'm in Philly last 21 years, but still go back north to see family and see the Giants at the Meadowlands (I know, sad). You will find a good home for your Cutty Sark here, as many have posted build logs and discussed sourcing after market parts. There are great resources available in build logs, group projects, product reviews, but most important is the experience and build knowledge that is shared here. Good folks here willing to help you be the best builder you want to be. Please do start a build log for your Cutty Sark...we all want to see your craftsmanship and you can put questions to the SoS community right in your build log. I put my questions in bold so folx can see and respond to them. Wishing you fair winds and full sails!
 
Welcome to SoS! Monmouth County was our home for 30 years before heading south. Used to keep our boat in Atlantic Highlands and I love your idea of subjects, including the head boat!!! What a nice change. Years ago a friend and I made a plug and mold and then made fiberglass models of an Islander 28 sail boat and a Californian 45 power yacht It was a totally different process but it was fun and worked out well. I wish I still had photos, but it was before digital.... Cannot wait to see a build log of your projects!
Allan
 
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Should I share some of my work?

Here is the SS Miss Belmar which was out of Shark River NJ. She is no longer there. I scratch built this model from the Gulf Craft builders plans which were given to me by one of the captains. Scale is 1/2 inch to the foot or 1:24.

z Miss Belmar.jpg

z MB DSC_0303.JPG

z DSC_0037.JPG

z IMG_1667.jpeg

The next party boat is the Big Marie S. She was built from whatever pictures people sent to me or whatever I found online. First, measurements were taken from the pictures and plans were drawn up. I had to know something about how these types of boats were laid out. There were plenty of them at the nearby marina in Shark River. I plan to scratch built another 2-3 party boats from more pictures. Any of the boats that I build will have been wooden party boats.

y Big Marie S color corrected ENLARGED.jpegy IMG_1050.jpeg

Then I have my submarines. These were static display plastic kits converted in to diving RC models. If you want I can share pics of the insides, just ask.

x IMG_0303.jpeg

Another model is this 45 inch offshore power boat KAAMA. The hull/deck is an old Dumas fiberglass hull. I had to make the cockpit, windshield, figures and add my own power setup. And paint it! I clocked this model at 45mph. Not fast compared to the real fast FE boats, but fast enough for me.

w KAAMA side rear view.jpg

w AZ06_DSC_0095.JPG

w AZ18_DSC_0243.JPG
 
Great pics and beautiful models Ken! You're going to fit in here at SoS just fine whether you choose to build a tall ship or stick to RC. Every type of modeler is welcome here, including airplane, car, helicopter and even some Lego! :)

I, for one, would love to see the interiors and mechanics of the subs. Thank you for sharing!
 
Let me think on how to comment on your models................................................... Oh yeah, I got it............... WOW
 
Thank you all for the compliments. They are very much appreciated.

I have to check my hard drive for the submarine innards, will post those soon.

This is the 12 meter sailboat I am working on. 42" long. I purchased the sails and brass deck hardware from others online, very nice stuff.

IMG_3323.jpeg

I just about completed the deck. The deck is teak, glued to a thin plywood backing. The plywood has been sealed with epoxy resin. Then the king plank and margin planks were epoxied to the plywood. The inner deck planks were cut on my laser engraver. The teak is .025 thick. The caulking is .020 x .060 styrene. Each strip of styrene is CA'd in place, then one plank is epoxied in place, repeat, repeat etc. Then a razor blade is used the scrape the styrene down to the deck. Styrene powdered is cleaned out from the course grain teak. Then 7 coats of epoxy are brushed and squeegeed onto the teak and each epoxy layer is wet sanded. As it is now it has a nice matt finish and is perfectly smooth. Once the deck is glued to the hull, the deck will eventually get about 5 coats of spar urethane for UV protection.

IMG_3324.jpeg

My Essex has the framing done and the deck is just about done ready to attach to the hull.

IMG_3325.jpeg

IMG_3326.jpeg

And my Cutty Sark arrived today from Model Expo.

IMG_3327.jpeg
 
Ken_NJ said:
Thank you all for the compliments. They are very much appreciated.

I have to check my hard drive for the submarine innards, will post those soon.

This is the 12 meter sailboat I am working on. 42" long. I purchased the sails and brass deck hardware from others online, very nice stuff.

View attachment 626362

I just about completed the deck. The deck is teak, glued to a thin plywood backing. The plywood has been sealed with epoxy resin. Then the king plank and margin planks were epoxied to the plywood. The inner deck planks were cut on my laser engraver. The teak is .025 thick. The caulking is .020 x .060 styrene. Each strip of styrene is CA'd in place, then one plank is epoxied in place, repeat, repeat etc. Then a razor blade is used the scrape the styrene down to the deck. Styrene powdered is cleaned out from the course grain teak. Then 7 coats of epoxy are brushed and squeegeed onto the teak and each epoxy layer is wet sanded. As it is now it has a nice matt finish and is perfectly smooth. Once the deck is glued to the hull, the deck will eventually get about 5 coats of spar urethane for UV protection.

View attachment 626363

My Essex has the framing done and the deck is just about done ready to attach to the hull.

View attachment 626364

View attachment 626365

And my Cutty Sark arrived today from Model Expo.

View attachment 626366
Click to expand...
Nice clean work, Ken! What kit is that sailboat from, or did you scratch build it? I'm working on a racing yacht right now from Herreshoff designs that have similar lines.
 
Welcome from Massachusetts! I'm another Jersey boy (South Jersey on the Delaware - Delanco to be precise), but spent my summers "down the shore" on Long Beach Island. Your models are spectacular. Looking forward to your Cutty Sark build.
 
Ignatius27 said:
Nice clean work, Ken! What kit is that sailboat from, or did you scratch build it? I'm working on a racing yacht right now from Herreshoff designs that have similar lines.
Click to expand...
I'd call it a semi-kit. The kit included the styrene hull, some wood for mounting the rudder servo, hardware for the hatches, 1/32-1/16 plywood for the deck, some steel deck hardware and mast and booms and aluminum mast hardware. The seller included the 8 pound keel weight and an extra mast set. I had to purchase sails separately which I did from Kevin at EH? sails. I bought two sail rigs, A and B. I didn't like the steel deck hardware so I bought brass deck/sail hardware from Roger at Model Yacht Fittings. Some of the other aluminum fittings I had to make more of myself. So all I used from the kit was the hull, weight, plywood deck, mast and booms. I also had to make the sail mechanism and the innards. I can post pics of all these if you want to see more.

The kit I bought in the fall of 2024. After not hearing from the seller Tom, I eventually got the kit from him about Dec 2024 or Jan 2025. We spoke on the phone maybe Jam-Mar 2025, then did not hear further from him, email text or phone went unanswered. The web site is no longer up.

Columbia42 Sailboat
 
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Nice work Ken and welcome aboard! Although I was born and raised in NYC (I fished the Brooklyn and LI party boats heavily for many years), I ultimately lived in NJ for around 20 years. I’m certain that my buddy and I fished the Miss Belmar for cod and bluefish several times, must have been around 40-45 years ago. I also often fished the party boats out of Atlantic Highlands.

I still fish on the Gulfstar and Endurance head boats out of Tarpon Springs, Fl near where I live. Two fine boats. They have long range, multiple day trips on the Gulf. Excellent fishing (except when you skunk lmao).

I love being out on a party (head boat) boat, just the atmosphere, the machismo, something about it…

Could you please post more photos of your party boat models? And maybe a build log of sorts? Brings back so many great memories.

Frank Wolf
New Port Richey, Fl
 
FrankL514 said:
Welcome from Farmingdale, NJ Monmouth County.
Click to expand...
We are about 15 minutes apart FrankL.
BigBad said:
Could you please post more photos of your party boat models? And maybe a build log of sorts? Brings back so many great memories.

Frank Wolf
Click to expand...
Frank Wolf. I can for the Miss Belmar. The Big Marie S is not complete, it's as you see it in the above pic.

Back in the 70's until around 1990 the MB looked like this.

1 SSMissBelmar_04 08-79.jpg

2 SSMissBelmar_07 06-80.jpg

3 SSMissBelmar_09 10-82**.jpg

And my model was built in the late 70-80's and looked like this as originally built.

4 SSMB_33 05-86.jpg

8 SSMB_39 1987.jpg

Some cool pics going through jetties and a working bridge at one of our regatta's back in the 80's.

5 SSMB_41 1987.jpg

6 SSMB_43 1987.jpg

7 SSMB_44 1987.jpg

Not sure of the timing, the Belmar was in drydock for a new paint job, maybe late 80's early 90's.

9 SSMissBelmar_12 02-86.jpg

10 SSMissBelmar_18 02-86.jpg

What I did at this point was I made a plug of the hull, made a fiberglass mold and made a new hull. I used the cabin and pilot house from the old boat, made modifications and used them on the new hull. I eventually sold the original plank on frame fiberglass hull to someone in Long Island.

Build log of my models??? Ugh. I have a web site you can see some stuff. The Big Marie S there has a complete build log. The other ones are partial. The web site is a looooong work in progress. I hate sitting in front of the computer to update it so is is soooo incomplete with what I want to put on it. Some pages are blank.

Here it is... https://www.kensmodelboats.com

Comment here and I'll try to answer any questions.
 
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