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Salut from Montreal

W

WoodJerryWood

Joined
Sep 21, 2026
Messages
2
Points
3
Location
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
I purchased my first kit (Polaris, Occre, pictured) earlier this year, and I just finished it. I learned a lot; that tends to happen when you know nothing going in.

I am not at all a technical person with a talent for this kind of thing, but I decided to give it a try because I want to work more with my hands and feel the satisfaction of having seen a project through to its completion. What I have going for me is an affinity for detail and a desire to learn new things.

While building the Polaris, I realized that I would benefit from investing in specific tools (precision tweezers would have come in handy) and from learning modeling techniques (tying knots, priming strings for use as rigging, etc.). I've started a list of tools to purchase and practices to study up on. These forums are full of great advice and perspectives.

What I enjoy about the hobby so far is the patience it engenders. It's nice to just sit with a kit. I also look forward to reading up on the history and lore surrounding different ships.

No specific question at the moment, but I'm sure I will take advantage of the expertise in forums as I prepare to start a second kit. Currently researching which one I'd like to tackle.

Thanks for now. If anyone is in the Montreal area, bonjour-hi.

Polaris-Occre-port-full.jpgPolaris-Occre-starboard-full.jpg
 
WoodJerryWood - Nice job on the Polaris! That hull shape must have been a challenge. You are evidently a craftsman, and so you will find people of like mind here. We try to have fun and keep our standards high (in research, in technique, and in presenting our builds). One great way to get into SoS is to search all of the Build Logs for ships that you might be interested in building. For example, if your next build is the Philadelphia 1776 Gunboat, do check out the Build Logs on her before you buy your kit. You might decide that the Gunboat is not to your liking, so check out any ship that interests you...chances are you will find a helpful build log or discussion about your ship right here on SoS. Can you share what types of vessels interest you? I'm mainly in the 17th century Dutch warship / tradeship space, but I'm currently building a Herreshoff racing yacht (the Shadow) and a 17th century Dutch pinas designed by Nicolaes Witsen. It looks like you have the skills to be a fruitful contributor here, and I look forward to seeing more of your work when you're ready. May you have full sails and following seas!
 
Ignatius27 said:
WoodJerryWood - Nice job on the Polaris! That hull shape must have been a challenge. You are evidently a craftsman, and so you will find people of like mind here. We try to have fun and keep our standards high (in research, in technique, and in presenting our builds). One great way to get into SoS is to search all of the Build Logs for ships that you might be interested in building. For example, if your next build is the Philadelphia 1776 Gunboat, do check out the Build Logs on her before you buy your kit. You might decide that the Gunboat is not to your liking, so check out any ship that interests you...chances are you will find a helpful build log or discussion about your ship right here on SoS. Can you share what types of vessels interest you? I'm mainly in the 17th century Dutch warship / tradeship space, but I'm currently building a Herreshoff racing yacht (the Shadow) and a 17th century Dutch pinas designed by Nicolaes Witsen. It looks like you have the skills to be a fruitful contributor here, and I look forward to seeing more of your work when you're ready. May you have full sails and following seas!
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Thanks very much, and yes, I shall browse the build logs for potential kits to order. Definitely not a dearth of information and ideas here. As for the vessels that interest me, I'm afraid I don't even know what I don't know yet. I think I tend toward older vessels, so your 17th-century kick might suit me as well. I'll have to explore more.
 
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WoodJerryWood said:
Thanks very much, and yes, I shall browse the build logs for potential kits to order. Definitely not a dearth of information and ideas here. As for the vessels that interest me, I'm afraid I don't even know what I don't know yet. I think I tend toward older vessels, so your 17th century kick might suit me as well. I'll have to explore more.
Click to expand...
When I first got into the hobby, I focused my search on F.O.B. models and kit vendors. I somehow ended up listing ships from Artesanía Latina, Occre, and Vanguard, and chose one from each manufacturer, starting with beginner-level kits and moving up to intermediate ones. (Each company has its own level classification). So far, I’m still working on the ones I originally chose!
 
WoodJerryWood said:
Thanks very much, and yes, I shall browse the build logs for potential kits to order. Definitely not a dearth of information and ideas here. As for the vessels that interest me, I'm afraid I don't even know what I don't know yet. I think I tend toward older vessels, so your 17th-century kick might suit me as well. I'll have to explore more.
Click to expand...
WoodJerry - Many SoS members recommend this set of 3 skill builder model kits (Grand Banks Dory, Norwegian Pram and Muscongus Bay Lobster Smack) from Model Shipways for beginners just getting into the craft. The models were designed by David Antscherl, one of the greatest model builders and designers in the field. The kits are on sale now at Model Expo with some tools, paints, glue, rigging line etc at a good price point. When they aren't on sale Model Expo sometimes does a promotion that if you send them a picture of your builds you get a gift certificate towards your next Model Shipways kit. I've built kits from MS and they are high quality with lasercut parts and decent instructions. And the Muscongus Bay Lobster Smack kit is sitting on my shelf waiting to be built down the road. Check these out and see if they might be to your liking. Cheers!

 
Bonjour voisin,

Bienvenue à bord, je suis de la rive sud de Montréal. Heureux de voir que je ne suis pas tout seul... Hahaha...

Your Polaris is very nice. I hope you find inspiration among the members of this forum. You will discover a wealth of truly practical and informative ideas and techniques. The people here are very friendly and generous.

Christian
 
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