Helen Craig

[ShipbuilderMN]

Completed today. Steam coaster Helen Craig (1891 - 1959), I began this model on the 15th July last, and completed it today. Total number of days worked - 27. Total building time - 47 hours. I kept losing interest and stopping work, but finally pushed myself to complete it today at 1355 BST. - Bob

 

Edited March 15, 2019 by ShipbuilderMN

[Courageous]

1 hour ago, ShipbuilderMN said:

I kept losing interest and stopping work

We all know that feeling.

I was wondering what was missing from your earlier thread...it's the pen 

 

Stuart

[Richard E]

Another excellent replica of one of those unsung workhorses of the sea, sadly, as you say Bob because they are not considered to be "interesting or glamourous" they will probably begin to fade from history's memory.

[ShipbuilderMN]

They are only considered uninteresting by ship model builders!     The interest by collectors and other maritime enthusiasts is immense.     The Helen Craig is still remembered where I live in Preston, as she sailed out of that port regularly between 1891 and 1959 when sold for scrap.    Look at this forum:

https://www.shipsnostalgia.com/forum.php

They have thousands of members, and naval ships are rarely mentioned.      The life was far more varied  because of superior numbers of ships of all sizes from a few tons to quarter of a million tons or more.     In 1924, the British merchant navy (including the commonwealth), numbered in the region of 24,000 vessels.    I myself have sailed in ships ranging from colliers, general cargo, iron ore, oil, wood pulp, container, passenger liners, bulk carriers, log carrier, cruise ship, and the adventures we had were numerous.     "But not as exciting as war" some may say, but when wars did crop up, the merchant navy was always involved in a big way - my own experience being 13 months in the Falkland Islands, 1982/83.    Here we are refueling a minehunter in 1982, and at San Carlos, 1982.    Aboard a collier in 1962 (I am on the left).   And the passenger liner Windsor Castle, in which I spent 5 years.      

Bob     

 

Edited March 15, 2019 by ShipbuilderMN

[cngaero]

What a good looking ship and a beautifully made model. 

I always look forward to seeing your creations, they never disappoint. 

[Murdo]

Another fabulous job Bob!

[stevehnz]

A lovely little ship model, I really like that. It reminds me of some of the early Anchor company ships that traded around the NZ coast & were home ported in Nelson, I recall them all as having rather more creature comforts than the HC, sparse or what?  Bob, thanks for sharing your models & your memories, I always enjoy them.

Steve.

[ShipbuilderMN]

Thanks for replies.     The Anchor ships are very smart, and good, clear photographs as well.     There is a huge following of merchant ships that do not come to the light of day because publishers have an obsession with the same old subjects:  Bounty, Victory, Cutty Sark, Titanic, Constitution etc, that usually finish up in "end of range" bookshops at very low prices, because, really, they contain nothing new, giving the publishers the impression that there is no interest in merchant ships.        Also, kit manufacturers are blinkered in a similar way -  I am often told that plans for merchant ships are few and far between, and difficult to find.   This is not true, they are well-documented in books and national archives, and my own collection is quite extensive, though it has taken many years to build up.   There are many fold-outs from old technical journals that reference libraries have got rid of because they believe that they are of no relevance in today's world.     These journals, when they can be found, now change hands for hundreds of pounds each!     Lots of book have been published in the past containing merchant ship plans.   For example, written by David R MacGregor, Basil Lubbock, Douglas Bennet, P N Thomas, C V Waine etc etc.     When I take these models to the local ship model society, I can almost see eyes glazing over with lack of interest, but the Helen Craig was reserved yesterday only a few hours after putting images on the internet, although I had never even indicated that I would sell it!     That sort of thing is ruining the hobby for me, as collectors will not leave me alone.    So now the Helen Craig is complete, I am going to have a long rest from model shipbuilding.       The Helen Craig would have been completed many weeks ago if collectors had left me alone, but the constant pressure from prospective buyers wore me down, and has now brougfht me to a standstill.      I will be doing more ship plan drawing, but anything I draw up does not mean that I intend to make a model of it, or even sell it - it is just for my personal satisfaction, and use in any articles I may write. 

Bob

 

 

 

[stevehnz]

I enjoyed reading up on the Helen Craig, there is plenty on the net about her, the stories of arriving in Preston with a cargo of maggoty bones were a bit stomach churning, I can imagine the dockers looked forward to that job, NOT. I was interested to read she was he longest serving commercial vessel in the world when sent to the scrap yard. I wonder how many trips across the Irish Sea she did?

I'm sorry that pestering collectors have taken the joy from your modelling Bob. Enjoy the break.

Steve.

[ShipbuilderMN]

It is a very awkward situation.      When I have been asked what I am building in the past, and I have replied, adding "but it will not be for sale" I just get "If you ever decide to sell it, let me know!"      That immediately makes me feel like I am being watched over a private commission, and I loose interest.    Years ago, when I was practically begging for private commissions, very few were interested.      But the moment I stopped taking them, the avalanche started and has never let up!😦     

Bob

 

[Chewbacca]

Your work is stunning Bob, don't let them get to you, don't give up.  As someone who spent over 30 years at sea in the grey funnel line, I still have an interest in anything that floats (well, almost anything, don't get me started on sailing dinghies!).  There is so much variety in the merchant fleets of the world.

 

I've recent started my first ever merchant ship scratch build.  Well, I say merchant ship, its HMS BULOLO which was requisitioned from the Burns Philp line in 1939 and converted first into an armed merchant cruiser and later into an amphibious headquarters ship.  But fundamentally what I'm building could be painted grey to represent her as HMS (as she was when my father served on board) or white as MV.

 

I wonder though if you have ever documented how you build your steamships?  Not only is this my first "merchant ship" it's also my first scratchbuilt hull to which I'm just about to start adding the plating and I'm not entirely sure the best way to do it to get the complex curves around the bow and stern.  Any tips gratefully received.

[seadog]

Excellent and very characterful! I saw a steam coaster in St. Sampsons, Guernsey a couple of times, never knew her name though, this would have been 1969.

[ShipbuilderMN]

Chewbacca,

Thanks.   Afraid they have already got to me.   I no longer do "work in progress" anywhere or even admit to building anything these days     I built Bulolo quite a few years ago now.    I have written extensively about my methods.    I was a regular writer (every issue) of Model Shipwright magazine for over a decade until they discontinued it.     I have written extensively on my own account in the form of one printed book (reprinted a number of times, but now sold out and not likely to be reprinted), as well as numerous downloads from a few pages to 100s of pages,   Here is Bulolo at 32 feet to 1 inch.

Bob

 

Edited March 15, 2019 by ShipbuilderMN

[ShipbuilderMN]

Chewbacca - I have sent you a PM - Bob  

[Chewbacca]

If mine ends up looking half as good as that I will be satisfied!

[ShipbuilderMN]

Thanks - It is a lot more difficult to build a passenger ship than a sailing ship because of all the doors, windows, portholes, lifeboats, rails, deck machinery, etc.     A major part of the problem though, is over when you decide to start building one.     Most ship modellers just decide they could never do it, so never try.   This is one of my best, it took just over 100 hours to build, and that included the display case and carrying case.      Not as good as one may produce from a kit maybe, but all my own work - the whole lot!        RMS Carmania.      For those who think merchant ships are boring, Carmania sank a German cruiser during World War I!   

Bob

   

Edited March 15, 2019 by ShipbuilderMN

[Courageous]

Beautiful.

I'm sure it was a model like this of yours that has planted the seed for me to build a model of the SS Fushimi Maru of 1927 when she sailed from Gibraltar to the UK.

 

Stuart