I have a build thread for this well underway and didnt want that to be a whinge post so I thought I would air my disappointment with OcCre Montanes in a separate post and then not mention it again in my build log. In no particular order....
1. Cost..landed in Australia direct from OcCre $1650aud almost exactly the same as Caldercraft Victory which has just arrived. Worth half Victory on quality as below.
2. No full scale plans at all except for the spars and sails. The numbered text instructions are not bad, and photos are linked to the steps by number so that is OK but no plans at all. Victory has a stack of huge plans not sure of size probaby A0 or A1. but all 1:1 scale.
3. Rigging "plans" are A4 booklet size and no explanations at all...difficult to resolve questions from the A4 pages. They have used a colour code of red for standing rigging and blue for sail rigging. Running rigging for spars etc is anyones guess...I think red. There are three different plans of belaying points with no explanation of the purpose of each...all A4.
4. No chainplate or deadeye strop fittings provided. One only small sheet of brass cutout fittings cf. five large sheets in Victory from Caldercraft.
5. The provided blocks are the cheapest product on the market. Really rubbish. When you get to the rigging and discover that the double blocks need to accept .50 wooly thread you have great difficulty drilling them out that far without destroying the block. I reamed all mine out to about 0.60mm before mounting them as you do on the masts but this still wont take the prescribed 0.50 thread, have to redrill with 0.08 at least breaking a number of already mounted blocks in the process. Yes I didnt look ahead well enough.
6. The hull construction is single plank. No top layer, no copper, although the actual ship was always copper clad. I bought copper from another supplier. The Victory by comparison comes with two timber layers plus copper. Even I can make a hull fair in three tries..LOL
7. There are two A4 hull elevation drawings in different places...one in the A4 instruction book and one in the sail / spar plans. They differ in their detail. eg...I made up all my channel deadeyes according to one drawing (70) and then (idiot..!) found I didnt have enough deadeyes. Sent them an email and got a very prompt reply referrring me to the "other" elevation plan which shows 66 deadeyes..? huh..? on this drawing they have taken two deadeyes off the same chainplate anchor point on each side...yeah thanks guys..! i think those numbers are correct but the point is exactly as i enjoyed it.
8. Thread...truly awful, absolutely have to wax it heavily...wooly and weak. Useable once waxed and i just wasnt going to waste my Syren or Amati rope on such an unhappy model. Like I wasnt going to use my DryDock blocks either.
9. Service...very quick and helpful email response.
I hope this is a fair review...It certainly reflects my experience, it is my second Occre build, the first was Endurance...also of very ordinary quality but much much lower cost than " "Montanes"..like a third of the cost..? dont remember exactly. But I do remember attributing the poor quality to the low cost....WRONG
So there is my opinion of Occre Montanes kit, I hope it is helpful. I have come from quite a number of Amati Victory series builds which have all been excellent, and Caldercraft Endeavour also excellent. You may choose to go with them and be very happy but I will never buy Occre again. I am just trying to get to the end with a respectable model so I can turn to Victory and enjoy it.
I will post the finished ship in the gallery when I get there... but if you want to see Montanes built by an expert get on Youtube and see Wolfgang Zinn.
1. Cost..landed in Australia direct from OcCre $1650aud almost exactly the same as Caldercraft Victory which has just arrived. Worth half Victory on quality as below.
2. No full scale plans at all except for the spars and sails. The numbered text instructions are not bad, and photos are linked to the steps by number so that is OK but no plans at all. Victory has a stack of huge plans not sure of size probaby A0 or A1. but all 1:1 scale.
3. Rigging "plans" are A4 booklet size and no explanations at all...difficult to resolve questions from the A4 pages. They have used a colour code of red for standing rigging and blue for sail rigging. Running rigging for spars etc is anyones guess...I think red. There are three different plans of belaying points with no explanation of the purpose of each...all A4.
4. No chainplate or deadeye strop fittings provided. One only small sheet of brass cutout fittings cf. five large sheets in Victory from Caldercraft.
5. The provided blocks are the cheapest product on the market. Really rubbish. When you get to the rigging and discover that the double blocks need to accept .50 wooly thread you have great difficulty drilling them out that far without destroying the block. I reamed all mine out to about 0.60mm before mounting them as you do on the masts but this still wont take the prescribed 0.50 thread, have to redrill with 0.08 at least breaking a number of already mounted blocks in the process. Yes I didnt look ahead well enough.
6. The hull construction is single plank. No top layer, no copper, although the actual ship was always copper clad. I bought copper from another supplier. The Victory by comparison comes with two timber layers plus copper. Even I can make a hull fair in three tries..LOL
7. There are two A4 hull elevation drawings in different places...one in the A4 instruction book and one in the sail / spar plans. They differ in their detail. eg...I made up all my channel deadeyes according to one drawing (70) and then (idiot..!) found I didnt have enough deadeyes. Sent them an email and got a very prompt reply referrring me to the "other" elevation plan which shows 66 deadeyes..? huh..? on this drawing they have taken two deadeyes off the same chainplate anchor point on each side...yeah thanks guys..! i think those numbers are correct but the point is exactly as i enjoyed it.
8. Thread...truly awful, absolutely have to wax it heavily...wooly and weak. Useable once waxed and i just wasnt going to waste my Syren or Amati rope on such an unhappy model. Like I wasnt going to use my DryDock blocks either.
9. Service...very quick and helpful email response.
I hope this is a fair review...It certainly reflects my experience, it is my second Occre build, the first was Endurance...also of very ordinary quality but much much lower cost than " "Montanes"..like a third of the cost..? dont remember exactly. But I do remember attributing the poor quality to the low cost....WRONG
So there is my opinion of Occre Montanes kit, I hope it is helpful. I have come from quite a number of Amati Victory series builds which have all been excellent, and Caldercraft Endeavour also excellent. You may choose to go with them and be very happy but I will never buy Occre again. I am just trying to get to the end with a respectable model so I can turn to Victory and enjoy it.
I will post the finished ship in the gallery when I get there... but if you want to see Montanes built by an expert get on Youtube and see Wolfgang Zinn.
