Some of my model ships

shipbuilder · Apr 26, 2025

AllanKP69 said:
I sailed on the combination freighter/passenger ship Santa Elena, but it was a later ship, launched in 1967. I think the two voyages I did on her were the 6th and 7th after she was launched. Beautiful ship and great for passengers that were looking for other than the standard ports of call. One of her sisters, Santa Rosa is below.
All

She still looks like she carried a fair number of passengers, and probably very comfortable as well.

AllanKP69 · Apr 26, 2025

shipbuilder said:
She still looks like she carried a fair number of passengers

She did carry quite a few passengers (I think up to 125) , enough to have to carry a doctor on board (more than 12 passengers) which is why standard freighters never carried more than 12. The requirements for carrying medical personnel also varied with the type of voyage but the number 12 was a general rule. This ship was the best feeder I sailed on although they were all good.
Allan

shipbuilder · Apr 28, 2025

Marion Lightbody -
One of my many "flops" - went for a very low price at auction in London some years ago. Sild for slightly over £100 -

shipbuilder · Apr 28, 2025

Another of my "Flops"

Roger Pellett · Apr 28, 2025

Beautiful work. Because of the low price, I can’t hit the like button!

Roger

Alan Smith · Apr 28, 2025

Interesting to see your model of 'Flying Enterprise.' That ship was the center of a big story in 1952 (?) , some of which I remember, when she ran aground in the English channel and started leaking her cargo (crude oil). The crew were taken off ok from memory, and the RAF attempted to bomb her in hope of setting the oil alight rather than polluting the fishing grounds. There was much derision because they missed (mostly).

shipbuilder · Apr 28, 2025

Roger Pellett said:
Beautiful work. Because of the low price, I can’t hit the like button!

Roger

Klipfontein sold for £345, and an awful lot of work had gone into it -

shipbuilder · Apr 28, 2025

Alan Smith said:
Interesting to see your model of 'Flying Enterprise.' That ship was the center of a big story in 1952 (?) , some of which I remember, when she ran aground in the English channel and started leaking her cargo (crude oil). The crew were taken off ok from memory, and the RAF attempted to bomb her in hope of setting the oil alight rather than polluting the fishing grounds. There was much derision because they missed (mostly).

I also remember the Flying Enterprise incident. She sank almost within sight of Falmouth whilst being towed - I watched it on my grandparents 12 inch television set! -

Peter Gutterman · Apr 28, 2025

shipbuilder said:
Marion Lightbody -
One of my many "flops" - went for a very low price at auction in London some years ago. Sild for slightly over £100 -

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My winners should come up to the level of your "flops"!

Roger Pellett · Apr 28, 2025

I was 9 years old in 1952. We would not have a TV set for another 5-6 years. My mother considered 90 percent of TV shows to be junk. I still believe that. So we listened to the whole saga on the radio.

Anyhow! The captain refused to leave his ship. I know now that this was to avoid a salvage claim of an an abandoned vessel. Back then he was just a hero. Like many other things over time conspiracies have evolved. One being that she was carrying secret materials to be used to build the USS Nautilus. He jumped with the vessel on he beam ends and survived.

Roger

shipbuilder · Tuesday at 2:48 PM

Loch Etive - Cromartyshire - Timaru - Neera -

Bill-R · Tuesday at 3:08 PM

Four more beautiful ships.

Bill

DARIVS ARCHITECTVS · Tuesday at 8:15 PM

Your name "shipbuilder" doesn't come even close to reality. You should be called "manic shipbuilder", shipbuilder on steroids" or "crazy about shipbuilding". Your work on such a small scale is nothing short of inspirational.

Just curious, but which features on one of your models causes it to be classified as a flop? We all have things on a ship which could use improvement. Could you cite a couple specific examples?

Loracs · Tuesday at 9:34 PM

Fantastic models... I would not even know how to get started on one of those models, even less in getting a proper drawing set-up. If you allow me to ask: How do you get started on a new project? what kind of reference materials? Bravo again, a nice legacy.

Maybe, just maybe, we could get you started on a tutorial? just an idea. I realized that could be a big undertaking. Master Shipwright!

GIG1810 · Wednesday at 2:33 AM

Hey Robert,

what a wonderful piece of work. I have sent you a PN.

Best regards
Günther Ship-1

DomCee · Wednesday at 5:34 AM

shipbuilder said:
Loch Etive - Cromartyshire - Timaru - Neera -

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Superb models again. I was very taken by the lines of the Loch Etive, very similar to the Cutty Sark and you can clearly see all the same type of design principles of the time being applied. I looked her up and found quite a lot of information, one of the first all iron hulled three masters built in Glasgow.

shipbuilder · Wednesday at 9:40 AM

Thanks - The Loch Etive was a giant compared with the Cutty Sark, though!

shipbuilder · Wednesday at 9:42 AM

DARIVS ARCHITECTVS said:
Your name "shipbuilder" doesn't come even close to reality. You should be called "manic shipbuilder", shipbuilder on steroids" or "crazy about shipbuilding". Your work on such a small scale is nothing short of inspirational.

Just curious, but which features on one of your models causes it to be classified as a flop? We all have things on a ship which could use improvement. Could you cite a couple specific examples?

Thanks, I classed them as a "Flop" if they sold for low prices at the London auctions -

shipbuilder · Wednesday at 9:51 AM

Loracs said:
Fantastic models... I would not even know how to get started on one of those models, even less in getting a proper drawing set-up. If you allow me to ask: How do you get started on a new project? what kind of reference materials? Bravo again, a nice legacy.

Maybe, just maybe, we could get you started on a tutorial? just an idea. I realized that could be a big undertaking. Master Shipwright!

Thanks - Everything I know about model building, I have put into writing downloads over many years.
I am too old to build them now, having become allergic to glue fumes - aged 81.
I have written many downloads, a lot of which of which cost less than the price of a cup of coffee. Here is the complete catalogue. Click on any front page to read the synopsis, and if you wish to purchase, a button for Paypal or cards is included in the synopsis. They cover beginners, to well-established ship modellers, but I can assure you that building miniatures is far easier than big ones, and merchant ships are far easier than warships, whilst sailing merchantment are the easiest of the lot
I was never obsessed with them, and rarely spent more than an hour a day building them. I started miniatures during my 31-year sea career, early 1961 - late 1992.
Regards
Robert
https://payhip.com/Shipbuilder/collection/miniature-merchant-ship-construction-history

shipbuilder · Wednesday at 10:07 AM

DARIVS ARCHITECTVS said:
Your name "shipbuilder" doesn't come even close to reality. You should be called "manic shipbuilder", shipbuilder on steroids" or "crazy about shipbuilding". Your work on such a small scale is nothing short of inspirational.

Just curious, but which features on one of your models causes it to be classified as a flop? We all have things on a ship which could use improvement. Could you cite a couple specific examples?

I have not had any illusions about the sea for many years! But overall, it was a good career choice -