I have no experience of lighting ship models - as will quickly become apparent I imagine - but I do build and light a lot of Lego so my approach to things has been very much influenced by that. In particular the decision on how I would connect everything together. I had also already started on my build when I made the decision to start adding lighting to the model prompted by some of the comments in other build logs. The early stages of the building the frame go together so quickly and easily I was around step 130 in the manual before I decided to stop and reassess what I was going to do. I was fortunate that I still had the access to run cables and install the support structures I needed but it did make drilling holes through decks and bulkheads trickier than it should have been. There is the first (and probably most obvious!) lesson which is to plan ahead before you start so you can factor these things into the build. Somewhat ironic really as being a project manager IRL I should know better and the mantra of prior preparation and planning preventing poor performance also comes to mind.......

I have attached a photo of my current progress which I am pretty happy with to date. I do have photos of my earlier work showing some of the iterations I have gone through to get to here so my plan is to go back and try to capture some of the thought processes and lessons I have picked up along the way and hopefully it will be useful to others.

Welcome to my build log of the Vanguard Models HMS Surprise.

After much consideration I opted for the non-fiction version which will be fitted with 24 x 32-pounder carronades. I also opted to add the option for the machine block set.

There is much for me to ponder before the kit is released, in terms on how I plan to tackle this build. I have a few ideas with doing some of the build out of sequence, such as mast and yard construction and assembly. These will be nice filler tasks to undertake whilst I am waiting for glue to dry or paint to dry, etc.

For me one of the most time consuming and onerous tasks is seizing the various blocks, especially those that require additional items such as eyebolts, thimbles, hooks, etc.

I also plan to make a detailed set of notes related to the various belaying points. The key aspects for me to consider include:

• Detailing which deck, platform, masts, etc are fitted with eyebolts and blocks as it it better to add these blocks to the eyebolts before they are fixed in place.

• To get a clear picture of the rigging lines / routes and to note any potential difficulties with access, belaying, etc.

• To identify if there are any potential duplicated / difficult belaying points and to reallocate where necessary.

As @Chris Watton has stated which is essential “The only real crucial steps are at the beginning, for the main hull structure, which does need to be followed.”

And what @Jim H states as the prototype builder is exactly what is required for his build log “I want the workflow to be practical and not to trip anyone up. I want that flow to draw the builder in and to help them be inspired by their own success as they build their ship.”

 as they build their ship.”

Thank you for taking the time to read my post,

Doug

This is a very abridged version of my build log for HMS Surprise. I've selected a series of images from the whole build so far, and I'll present them here with minimal text.

Some history:

In the golden age of sail, when the oceans were vast highways for empires and adventurers alike, there sailed a frigate with a name that struck both curiosity and caution into the hearts of men—HMS Surprise. But the Surprise was not born of British oak and Royal Navy hands. No, her tale begins in a different cradle—France—where she was launched in 1794 under the name Unité, a 28-gun frigate of the French Navy. Sleek, swift, and designed for speed and manoeuvrability, she was a proud representative of revolutionary France's naval ambition.

 Yet fate, and the Royal Navy, had other plans. In April 1796, Unité was captured by the British frigate HMS Inconstant in the Mediterranean. She was taken into British service, renamed HMS Surprise, and thus began her second, more storied life under a new flag.

A Frigate of Purpose

As HMS Surprise, she was classified as a 28-gun sixth-rate frigate, though she often carried more. Her reputation grew not through brute strength, but through daring, speed, and the calibre of men she carried. She was never the largest ship, nor the most heavily armed—but she was fast, agile, and clever, much like the captains who commanded her. In 1799, she achieved her most famous real-world mission: the capture of René-Nicolas Dufriche Desgenettes, the French general en-route from Egypt aboard the corvette Hermione. Surprise and her crew intercepted and captured the vessel, disrupting French plans in the Mediterranean. Though her active service was relatively short—she was decommissioned in 1802 and sold in 1802 or 1803—her legend would outlast her hull.

A Literary Resurrection

More than a century later, HMS Surprise was reborn—not in dockyards, but on the printed page. Enter Patrick O'Brian, a masterful storyteller of the 20th century, who brought her back to life as the beloved command of Captain Jack Aubrey in his epic series of historical novels. In O'Brian’s tales, Surprise became more than a ship—she was a home, a companion, and a character in her own right. Alongside the brilliant and eccentric ship's surgeon and intelligence agent Stephen Maturin, Aubrey took the Surprise across the world—from the battle-torn Mediterranean to the exotic shores of the Pacific, braving tempests, mutinies, and battles with Napoleonic foes. The ship’s real-life service was modest, but in fiction, HMS Surprise became immortal. O’Brian's meticulous research and vivid prose gave her a soul—and to countless readers, she was as real as any ship that ever sailed.

On Screen and in Memory

In 2003, HMS Surprise graced the big screen in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, directed by Peter Weir and starring Russell Crowe as Jack Aubrey. The filmmakers used a replica ship—originally built as Rose, a modern reproduction of a British frigate—and refitted her as the Surprise for the film. Today, that replica HMS Surprise is preserved at the Maritime Museum of San Diego, a living monument to both historical fact and literary legend.

Building the kit

TEMPORARY BOX ART

These photos are self-explanatory, and show the MDF core of Surprise as she is built up, including gun ports which are incorporated into the framing, and for the first time, a framed bow section.

Want to quote Aubrey or Maturin, this is the place to do it. Discovered an interesting solution to a challenging build task, share it here. All things Surprise related, but just Surprise related, are welcome.

It will be interesting to see where this goes, if it goes anywhere.

I have followed the instructions step by step and have had no problems so far, everything went together well.

I am at stage 124 now turning the ship upside down and starting to glue all the joints.

Hello! My name is Im Sung-min, living in South Korea.

i'm planning to start my build log for the HMS Surprise.

I haven't started building it yet, but I've already filmed an unboxing video after receiving the package.

I edited it and uploaded it to YouTube today, and I'm going to start building it piece by piece starting today!

Although there are some Korean subtitles, most of the part names are left in English, so it shouldn't be too hard to follow.

Please check it out! I will keep sharing the build process here, while documenting the journey through videos on my channel.

However, since I'm filming and editing at the same time and juggling a lot of things all at once, updates might be quite slow, haha!

part 1 unboxing

And here are the photos of the parts."

w

But I won't be starting my Surprise just yet, I have to finish off these two builds first:

HM Gun Brig Sparkler 1797 - Vanguard Models - 1/64

HMAV Bounty 1787 - Caldercraft - 1/64

One because I simply need the bench space, but secondly, knowing me, if a go off and start Surprise, they will languish up on a shelf somewhere for ages, maybe never seeing the light of day again - it's been sixteen years since I started the Bounty as it is! 🤭

So to get things rolling, after our faithful hounds (Mylo & Nyx) guarded it for me, I've spent a wonderful evening unpacking and drooling over all the lovely contents.

I'll post these in batches, as that box was stuffed full of goodies!

I noticed immediately that the outer box was damaged at one end. This is what it looked like, having only picked it up and placed it on the inside stairs.

The damaged areas were not what I would call WET, but they were very damp. I pried apart the big hole in the outer box, and could see that the damage very likely went inside. I could see that the Vanguard box itself was affected, with delamination of the cardboard.

I cut away the undamaged end of the outer box first, as I wanted to slide the Vanguard box out, leaving the outer box intact at that end. Having done that, the inside of the outer box had clear water staining. While still not what I would call absolutely WET, it was damp enough to be mushy.

I turned with trepidation to the inner Vanguard box. The corners were crushed, very damp, and on the edge of falling apart.

Opening the Vanguard box, there was clear water staining.

I started to unpack the Vanguard box. First, there's a roll of bubble packing that separates the outer box from the contents.

No damage visible. I unpacked the rest of the Vanguard box; everything is bubble-wrapped and taped; undamaged. I realizing though that any damage would be in the vicinity of the bottom. With everything out, there was clear sign of water stains on the inside of the Vanguard box.

Everything so far had no damage at all, well-wrapped as it was. The last and bottom-most package was the one with the mdf and pear sheets.

No damage! Just the slightest crushing of the upper corner of one sheet, which doesn't affect anything.

So just to be clear, none of the damage to the packaging had anything to do with Vanguard. But Vanguard's amazing packaging saved the day! There were enough layers to the packaging and good protection that nothing got through at all! I have no doubt that if the inner packaging hadn't been so good, there would surely have been damage to the contents.

Thanks you Chris!

Nick

Pherhaps I will build the Le Unite with French colours.

Hi All,

Welcome to my build update of the Vanguard Models HMS Surprise. This will be the place where I post my build through a combination of still imigeas and links to my video updates shared on my YouTube channel, Modelkit Stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/@ModelkitStuff

I have two video types available an update style thats free for all to view and a much deeper detailed build thats for channel members only. So you can get an understanding of both the first episodes are out and both are free to view.

My overall plan for this build is a half and half build. one side admiralty style as per the kit and one side working ship, with rigged cannons, crew and marines. I will be weathering sypetheticly and fully rigging. I do have some scratch build plans and some aftermarket additions but more about them as we get to them. The isperation for the model is both the Patrick O'Brian books and a picture I can remember from primery school of a cut away of HMS Victory with all the crew on it going about thier varous job, I think this should be a fub and unique model when compleated.

below are links the the first eppisodes of each video type. hope you enjoy and stay tuned for more updates soon

Jason

I’m sure the instructions have a detailed history I probably don’t need to repeat, some of it I will anyway.

I watched the Jotika, Caldercraft website for years, it had posted a HMS Surprise model promising it would be available soon, then nothing changed, it never happened. So glad Chris and Vanguard Models has finally brought us this kit.

The name HMS Surprise belongs to both a real Royal Navy vessel and one of the most beloved fictional ships in naval literature. It is the fictional one that draws the attention by so many.

The real HMS Surprise began life as the French corvette L’Unité, launched in 1794. She was captured by the Royal Navy in 1796 and commissioned as HMS Surprise. A relatively small frigate of about 24 guns, she served during the wars against Revolutionary and Napoleonic France. Her most famous action came in 1799 when she helped recapture the frigate HMS Hermione. The real from Surprise had a respectable but not extraordinary naval career and was sold out of service in 1802.

In contrast, the fictional HMS Surprise of Patrick O’Brian‘s Aubrey–Maturin series became one of the most celebrated ships in historical fiction, it is this version I’ll build. She is portrayed as a fast, weatherly frigate capable of remarkable feats against larger opponents. O’Brian took the name and some basic historical inspiration from the real vessel but transformed her into a larger and more formidable ship than the historical Surprise. In the novels she becomes a character in her own right.

An interesting footnote is that the ship seen in the film adaptation ‘Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World’ was not the original HMS Surprise of course, but a modern replica originally built as Rose and later renamed Surprise after the movie.

And that’s it for now, I’ll be back later this summer with the start of the build. Meanwhile I’m building (no log though) HM Harpy as a ptactice.