A new project
I have been a little diffident about ship modelling of late.
As I inexorably move towards my 80th birthday, with a house full of models, part of me says what’s the point of starting another project, another part says well what are you going to do with your time.
Good point, at least ship modelling keeps your brain active and certainly fills the hours.
I didn’t have any specific model in mind, and I certainly don’t need another frigate in my life, so what to do?
The answer came from a sort of tail wagging the dog viewpoint.
Whilst perusing figures for my Royal Barge build, I came across a wonderful set depicting King and Queen figures and attendants, by
Herbs Figures and I instantly thought they would look great on a Royal Yacht build dio.
My mind instantly went to the wonderful build of the Royal Caroline by Doris, an amazingly talented craftswoman and artist, her work has long stuck in my memory.
Altho’ lost to MSW her build can still be found on other forums and well worth a visit.
For me there are two possible options.
The Royal Caroline kit by Panart at 1:47 scale
The Panart kit has been out a very long time and the quality of the timbers and fittings probably reflects that. I recall looking at it many years ago but passed it by in favour of the Amati Pegasus.
As with my Pegasus build at the time, building it would involve replacing timber and fittings and, in my case, a fair bit of bashing to achieve the result I would want.
For someone used in recent times to Vanguard standards I suspect it would come as something of a shock to open a Panart box now.
The Duchess of Kingston yacht by Vanguard at 1:64 scale.
This is a very similar style of yacht to the Royal Caroline, but the materials and fittings will be of an entirely different standard. Being familiar with Vanguard kits I know what to expect.
The DoK kit is a fairly early issue by Vanguard in October2020 and perhaps lacks some of the internal detail we have come to expect from recent Vanguard releases.
In particular the stern cabin is completely blocked off by solid mdf frames, which provides an opportunity to indulge in a little modification work to open things up.
Decision made, the DoK model is on order.
B.E.
24/08/2026
By
Blue Ensign ·
