My Navwar Fleet

I have been working on another Navwar ship, this time a Swedish 70 gun. I got up to the part I hate, making the ratlines and decided to take a break....for a few days! watched a few movies, the new Vikings episodes, and a couple more from the new season of Last Kingdom. I started looking at my other Navwar ships. Picking them out of the fleets they belong with, I gathered them up together and took a few photos. Here are all 17 ships completed so far.

American Cutter

14 gun felucca xebec

British cutter

Spanish 22 gun corvette Diligencia

Dutch 64 gun Revolutie

French Corvette L'Mars

French Corvette L'Republicaine

Swedish 40 gun Frigate Venus

Two Dutch 32 gun frigates

Two Dutch 50 gun ships

Two Dutch 64 gun ships

Ottoman 122 gun Selimiye

Spanish Reina Louisa 114

Advent Beer Christmas

Wow! I am just blown away by my girls! My oldest daughter just gave my wife and I the most thoughtful gift, a beer advent calendar with a different German, Bavarian and Austrian beer for each day from December 1 through December 24. She packed them in two nicely wrapped boxes with 12 beers in each box. She hand picked every beer and researched each one in order to write a short review for the beers on sticky notes placed above each bottle or can in the box. On top of that is another note with the date the beer is to be consumed. Many are pints so there's plenty to split with the wife. All my daughter asked in return was for both of us to write down what we think of each one and send it to her.

My wife taped the bottle cap over December 1 on our kitchen calendar. By Christmas eve there will be a cap for every day except the days there is a can.

My review of the first beer, a Dortmunder:

I didn't taste any cooky, but malty yes definitely, with an aftertaste like just eating a slice of sourdough bread. Very nice! My wife liked it too.

Late Haloween Post

I know it's five days after Haloween and this is a late post. My friend Stew posted some cool pumpkins his kids carved and I thought "Dang, why didn't I do that?" My daughter had just seen the movie Venom with her favorite actor Tom Hardy. So "We are Venom" was her theme for Halloween. She spent most of a day working on them. I haven't seen the movie yet but I think these came out really cool.

My first attempt at posting a video on the blog. I guess you have to tap the play button twice to make it play. I hope it works for everyone.

Davco 18 Gun Spanish Xebec

I had a couple of 18 gun xebecs that I beleive are Davco but I'm not sure, They could possibly be Navwar. The hulls seem too crisp to be Navwar, but the sails are too "primitive" to be Davco. So I really don't know. No matter since I scratch built the masts, spars and sails anyway. This xebec I modeled as a Spanish corsair.

Pyro USS Constitution

It has been a while since I posted a build. This is a Pyro vintage kit I bought on e-bay last year. At waterline the model is 4-1/2 inches. The Constitution was 175 feet at waterline making this model actually 1:467 scale.

I cut the hull side pieces down to waterline prior to assembling. I also saved the lower hull for later.
I cut the flag off of the Main T'gallant because it was pointed stern-wards against the wind (why do manufacturers make this silly mistake?) The model comes with spars only so I made the sails from the same pencil art paper I make all my sails with.

There weren't enough cannon to place two chasers at the stern so I used Super Sculpy to make a mold of the cannon that came with the model, then made more guns.

 I had to make a jig out of an old debit card to make the ratlines.

The blocks are made from small painted beads I found at Hobby Lobby.
Here she is.

With Langton 1:1200 Constitution

Set on the bottom hull section for display

Fairwell to a Good Friend

My good friend, mentor, and shipmate Rory McCreadie lost his long fight with cancer yesterday afternoon. He went in his Lady Jane's arms as he wanted.

Rory had been working hard over the last several months to finish all of the ships at Trafalgar in 1/2400 scale for a game that was scheduled for October 21, Trafalgar Day and his birthday. He told me he had realized he would be in too much pain to play but hoped to watch his ships in play. A few days ago Jane sent me pictures of his last 3 ships almost done. He was too weak to type so he asked her to e-mail me.

Yesterday evening Jane let me know he was gone and asked if I would spread the word among the wargaming community. Along with a few others, I have done so where I could excepting TMP where I can't.

I don't know if many were aware that Rory was a barber-surgeon and traveled around the UK doing historical demonstrations at schools, faires and reenactments. He also authored a book on the subject.

Rory had the biggest heart of anyone I know and was generous to a fault. When I was just getting started building ships he pointed out (gently) that I was getting the rigging wrong. He didn't know me yet and still paid for and sent me Rod Langton's Rigging Guide book! Over the past six years he continued to gift me, not only with books he thought I would like including his own, but also with his knowledge and experience. He authored building and rigging guides for 1/1200 ships and allowed me to post them on this site. They still have the highest number of views out of all the posts on my blog. 

Rory McCready, you were a prince among men, you had a generous soul, but most of all you were my friend. You are sorely missed!