Lovely work!
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Dear all,
thank you once more for following and your kind comments, which really help to keep up motivation!
Now, this was a ‘free’ weekend, but most of the day yesterday struggling with some jet lag, worse than two weeks ago…well, bad excuses.
I did manage a little progress today, and except for the rigging the main mast should be finished.
Added foot ropes and a vertical ladder.
And painted and glued in place:
Under a coat of paint I’d think it looks really convincing, though I don’t won’t to see this construction in ‘real’ - as there were no foot ropes and I could not find any fitting in my stash, I used fittings for the motor launches that WEM had provided instead…
So here is the funnel test fitted in the place where in some point it should be.
Now on to the next parts, the boats in front, and all the parts surrounding the funnel and stuff that goes on the upper platform…some more work to be done before I can install it. But I’m quite happy with how it looks so far.
I hope to have some more to show in a week, for now cheers and thanks for stopping by!
Jan
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The mast is superb! Really adds up especially if the plastic parts were subpar. And the rigging will look much better. I need to get my hands on those Master brass sets.
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Wow, Jan, that mainmast looks great! Building it up from metal is so much more trouble than using the kit part, but it transforms the “just ok” look of the plastic to the “WOW” look of that metal assembly. Definitely worth the extra effort! 
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Very clean work from you Jan, it will get a very nice ship 
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Man, she looks good! Love watching your progress. Motivates me to keep working on my builds.
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Jan, the mast looks absolutely MASTERFUL , sorry couldn’t resist.
Looks fabulous! A+++
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Dear all, thank you so much!
Well, real life has struck once again, unexpectedly, and keeping me off the bench the last two weekends. And only just a little time now, some research and started boat business. I’d think it might be good to have those boats ready before proceeding with the funnel, as five boats are located directly around the funnel platform.
It is hard to tell from pictures what color they were - they sometimes look a little lighter than the superstructure and a dark hull. So, as my Gneisenau should depict her in early 1940 (last part of Weserübung), I’d say it’s a fair guess the boats were still mainly white with red hull. That will break up the otherwise monotone gray, so I will paint them that way.
Here’s all the boats taken from the sprue and cleaned, and that was about all I could get accomplished yesterday…
The Dragon kit’s pieces look fine, once glued the really small gaps should disappear. If not, some surfacer will help. And I have some PE that will come later.
So much for now, merely a sign of life, hopefully I will find a little more time next weekend.
Thank you all for looking in and cheers
Jan
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Good progress, Jan, all things considered…
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Over three weeks once again. Well, you are used that by now… Real life issues keeping me farther away from the workbench than I thought.
I got some fine boat/plane cranes printed from Distefan 3D print, as the cranes are significantly different in shape from Scharnhorst’s. Another thing I never realized until I came to that point of the build.
Only test fitted, of course - as is the whole funnel platform to this time.
A little more work on the boats, I am not really happy with my progress here so far - but any progress is better than non.
Thomas aka Black Sheep asked about types of boats, and looking into that briefly shows that nomenclature ist not entirely straight forward.
However, it is importand to understand that those boats were no lifeboats or intended to safe the life of the crew - they were means for transport and working boats. The big ships often anchored out, and the only means to get ashore for the crew was by boat. Admiral, Captain, senior officers had their more or less comfortable boats, often the seamen had to take the different sized rowing cutters on their way to shore leave. That at the same time was physical training and may have served some sailors to sober up on the way back from their shore leave.
At the same time those boats were used to transport personnel between ships, and it would seem material as well - between ships, ship to shore/shore to ship. Dinghies seem to have been used for working, painting the main ships hull and the like.
While this is far form exhaustive, it may give a quick overview.
And here is a quick overview of where I stand with my boats, two Admirals boats, three “Verkehrsboote” / transport boats / barges and two rowing cutters.
I decided for white upper hull, red anti fouling and wooden structure, just to ad some color spots to the otherwise pretty grey ship. Some references show the boats in a lighter color than the Gneisenau’s superstructure, so white is a real possibility. As I will depict my Gneisenau as in early 1940, it is still early on in the war. Later on all thous boats will have been completely grey and/or blended in with the ship’s camouflage.
From now on the hairy stick will be used, for touch up, details and the PE and stuff to be added.
Thank you all for your patience and looking in, and once again, I can’t promise a swift update.
Cheers
Jan
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3~4 weeks is pretty much my average when it comes to posting ship build updates, Jan, so no need to feel guilty for that 
As you mentioned, even a bit of progress is still progress so that’s a good sign.
Loved the explanation of how ships boats were/are used, bringing to life the awesome work you’re doing on Gneisenau’s compliment of boats 
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Hi Jan,
I haven’t posted for a while, but I am back, will be a bit slowly but surely. Quite a bit of progress since I last looked in.
Looking excellent so far.
Cheer
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Hi Si, and Russ of course,
Si, great to have you back, thank you for your kind comment and don’t worry. Go slowly and surely, as you say, only way to get back. I had to do that a couple of times - as right here, another couple of weeks without time for the shipyard. Just as for you, various real-life reasons…
So, still not much, but work was recommenced today on the boats. Somehow I got stuck, what didn’t exactly help motivation…
So boats will get a hull red/white hull, but wood, two different colors of brown, for their superstructure. I added PE on two, but not complete yet, and have to do some hairy stick work, but it’s getting there.
Once again, no promises. But with some luck another update in a week.
Thank you all for your continued patience and looking in
Cheers
Jan
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Hi Jan,
The boats look very nice indeed.
Looking forward to seeing more progess.
cheers, Si
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This model just keeps getting better and better.
Cheers!
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Very bad to have missed checking in… But it was a very enjoyable catch-up… The main mast, cranes and the small boats are looking wonderful… The mast is definitely giving out a wow factor… Looks superb all over Jan.
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Dear all!
Still alive here, everything’s fine so far, just real life issues dragging me away more from the workbench than I would like…
Last two weekends I found just a few minutes time to work on the boats, nothing worth showing, but yesterday I could achieve a little progress that is presentable…
So work in progress of the boats, still some parts missing, and touch ups required:
And then I call them done:
Even some propulsion added, but no pitch. Mine would be even slower than Tim’s…
Built the structure on which the boats will sit on. It is very fragile, but glued to the ship and the funnel, all will be even. It’s not cleaned and painted jet; parts were fitting nicely.
Test-fitting around the funnel:
And something like that it will be looking when on board, one additional structure, across the funnel base, still missing, that will be next up.
I’ve learned to be cautious with promises for next updates… One promise stands, this build log and Gneisenau will be finished! Only it might take a little longer…
Thank you all for your patience, still following and looking in and all comments!
Cheers
Jan
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Nice to see some progress Jan,
The boats look very tidy test fitted around the funnel.
Looking forward to the next update.
Cheers, Si
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Hi Jan!
The boats are looking great nested around the mast.
Keep at it mate, she’s inching closer each day to commissioning 
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Dear all,
another couple of weeks went by…and I managed just an occasional hour, not worth presenting the results.
Before I head off for another two weeks business trip - so next two weekends no bench time, at least… - I’ll post what I did accomplish so far.
So the boat cradles and structures painted
And nestled around the funnel
Test fitted on board
And finally - the funnel installed.
The endeavor was a little tricky, I did not glue the main structure for the boats. That gave the necessary flexibility to get everything in place unharmed.
Lost of small stuff following now…
That’s it for now, thank you all for looking in!
Cheers
Jan
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