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Plan to Buy Vanguard HMS Indefatigable Kit Soon

bowwild

bowwild

Joined
Dec 28, 2024
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I've pent several hours studying the creator's build log and another builder's log on the Indefatigable. It seems to be an amazing ship kit. I want to suspend my building of the HMS Victory and start on this one instead. Is there any advantage of buying the kit from one vendor or another?
Thanks
 
It appears the price is pretty much the same around $1,699 - $1,800 , unless I'm missing something?
I did notice in the 2022 creator's log references to various different planking and deck wood boxwood vs. pear wood for example. One vendor here in the U.S. lists Red Alder and Limewood as the planking material.
 
bowwild said:
I've spent several hours studying the creator's build log and another builder's log on the Indefatigable.
Click to expand...
There are also a number of high resolution plans from RMG on the Wiki Commons site as well. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Ship_plans_of_the_Royal_Museums_Greenwich
I just sent a note to Buckler's Hard asking if they have a copy of the original contract for the Indefatigable and/or Agamemnon, both being Ardent class 64s. Hopefully they have one or know if the National Archives in Kew has one, which could be a big help for anyone researching her.
Allan
 
I recommend buying from Vanguard, as I did when this model was first released. The model is beautiful, but I had questions about some of the building details which were promptly answered. I purchased the pear wood option with the laser decks. I am pleased with the results. It gave me great pleasure to work on this model.
 
Well, I just applied 5 more 1st layer planks to my HMS Victory. I'm going to keep plugging along. Maybe I'll simply go ahead and build this kit that I've had for nearly 30 years. I am impatient though to try either a Vanguard or Syren. Probably not an HMS Victory though since I'm working on this one.

Wow, I am sure doing a lot of waffling and have been wearing out the net and YouTube researching various ship kits. I'm even starting to taking a liking for the PO Frame models (like at Syren), but I have to have masts and full rigging because that's my favorite part of the build on these things.

I see a lot of folks build up quite an inventory of future build kits. It is tempting to do so, but I have so many other hobbies that get in the way. I don't want my wife wondering someday what to do with all these unopened ship kit boxes.z. She'll have enough to off-load with my left-handed recurve bows and squirrel rifles.
 
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I have stowed the Victory for now. It is difficult for me to do this. I was a long distance runner in my youth and one thing you (I) never do is quit! However, I just can't bring myself to spend the hundreds of hours it will take to finish this ship considering the basic errors I made when I started it in the late 1990's. Just throwing good time after bad is sort of how I look at it. Although to me the Victory, Sovereign of the Seas, and San Felipe are among my favorite looking ships - big and complicated.

I'm going to buy Vanguard's Indefatigable as soon as I can. I have become convinced during all my reading that Vanguard is the vendor that best fits my interest and skill set (clear instructions and high quality materials). Other makers that I've considered are Occre, ZHL, and CAF.

I'm doing a bit of restoring on my first ever build, the Harvey at the moment. It fell off a 6ft. high shelf and the bowsprit was shattered. Just about finished with the repair.

As for rigging the Vanguard, I own no books on rigging ships. I've read here and other places that Peterson's books are good with clear illustrations. Some note that instructions for the knots are lacking, but I'm thinking I can figure that out? Other's say a book by Lee or Underhill would be the ticket. Of course most say buy em all :). I want a library though. Is there book, video, etc. that would be a good reference for masting and rigging the Indefatigable? Sorry for the blasphemy, but I'm not super interested in absolute accuracy, especially since the model ship world seems to debate quite a lot about the accuracy of this or that.

I am beyond impressed with the skills exhibited by so many who post on this site.

I'm building this ship to get reacquainted with the fun I had building the Harvey in the early 1990's (took me about 185 hours). I intended to pass these models to my two children.
Thanks
Roy
 
Hello. I came across these three books that you my consider for your library.
Bobbyk 20250215_181538.jpg
 
I don't have that kit, but I do have the HMS Sphinx and from what I can tell, it appears to be a top notch kit. It was designed by Chris Watton.
 
IMHO, an $1800 kit, probably significantly more landed on your doorstep, is a major investment. If you’ve decided to spend this kind of money and know nothing about rigging buy one or more first class books. I had Petersson’s Fore and Aft rigging book and quickly got rid of it as there were many errors. His square rigged vessels book has been likewise criticized by knowledgeable builders. Charles Davis’s book is many years old and much research has happened since it was written. I also avoid any book offering to simplify something as complicated as building model ships.

The standard reference for large British square rigged warships is Lee’s The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War. Another accurate reference specifically directed to your area of interest is Steele’s Masting, rigging, ad Sailmaking.

Roger
 
You have a really nice quality kit plus there are contemporary references available including the original drawings in high resolution and the 24 page original contract for her class available if that kind of thing is something of interest to you to use as a reference.
Allan
 
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