I’m hoping someone might be able to help me regarding the quality of a range of resin small boats, ?
I need a 1/72nd scale WW2 era, small Royal Navy boat, of a type that might be used for ship-to-shore transfers.
One possible source that I’ve found is from a company called Quaycraft (see link below).
However, these are rendered in resin and, recently, I have had a poor experience with the quality of a resin boat kit where I wasted good money on a poorly produced product, .
Therefore, my question is this…has anyone ever purchased any of the Quaycraft kits and, if so, what was their view on quality, ?
Thanks for your feedback Darren, much appreciated, .
I’m one step ahead of you as, at the time of writing the request above, I’ve already emailed Cornwall Model Boats asking for larger images etc, but as of yet I’ve not had a reply.
However, I would still like to find out, if possible, feedback from independent sources as a supplier/manufacturer has a bias when it comes to supporting their own products, .
Thanks for the feedback Leo, I found the Aeronaut products, so will consider them a possibility, thank you, .
I have considered the Zvezda lifeboat previously, it’s my fall-back option, though having read a few reviews it is very medieval in appearance, so would need some modifications to give it a more modern appearance, .
In the end I’ve gone for the fall back position boat-wise and purchased the Zvezda medieval lifeboat kit, as suggested by Leo, and spent a few hours hacking it about so as to make it look less olde worlde.
The kit itself is very simple to construct but I decided to cut off the ornate moulded oarlocks and the raised area that runs around the transom and the stern quarter of the boat. I’ve done away with the mast, constructed simple oarlocks and a steering device, it’s rough, but it’s based on a photograph I’ve seen of a WW2 Royal Navy whaler. I’ve also raised the perforated platform at the rear, this originally lined the floor of the lifeboat.
And below are some images showing the modifications. I’m going to try and convert the figure, taken from the Dapol Station Figures set, to a Royal Navy crewman…if my skills permit, .
That actually looks about the size many armed trawlers carried, which trawler crewmen refer to as a “small boat” and seem to be non Navy equipment carried over from their fishing days.
They do not waste space on small boats. What is happening at the stern? It is a lot of empty space. If you made a small inboard motor, removed the oarlocks and seats, you would have a small work boat. Maybe a small fishing boat.
You may have to scratch an entirely new interior for the Zvezda model to make it look like the 16’ dinghy, although judging from the quality of the rest of the dio, it should not be difficult!
Thanks for the links Leo, much appreciated, . Wish I’d seen the image of the 14’ dinghy earlier as, at a quick glance, I think some rough hacking (you attribute me with more credit than i deserve scratch-wise, )…all I’m capable of, …could manage to achieve something similar from the Zvezda kit, though it is nearly a scale 5’ longer.
Thanks for the feedback Greg, it’s much appreciated and backs up my own reservations, you are the final nail in the coffin regarding my hacking of the Zvezda kit, , I wasn’t really happy with it, so back to the drawing-board, .
Here’s the start of my second attempt using the Zvezda 1/72nd medieval lifeboat. It’s not accurate, but hopefully looks a tad better than the first attempt, I’ve simply added various ‘ribs’ from strips of plastic. I still need to add some more details and a front seat with hole for the mast, and I need to trim off all the moulded on oarlocks and slot for the rudder.
Thanks for the feedback Leo, . I’ve added a few more ribs and four round canisters shown in the images you sent me…not sure what they are, . I’ve scraped off all the medieval rowlocks/oarlocks and high stern mouldings, also trying to remove the raised flange below the first plank level.
I’m also trying to tidy up the top edge a bit with various plasticard trimmings, all looks a bit of a mess, needs some filling and sanding.
All the Zvezda British/Commonwealth figures, even when listed as suitable for later in the war come with that front chest pack which I think places them early war…but I stand to be corrected…so yes, Dunkirk survivors is the aim.
The chest pack was for a respirator in case of gas attacks. It was soon tossed. I have several of Zvezda’s British troop sets, but seeing as they are all wearing the respirator pack, they’re really only suitable as BEF. I am pretty sure that France 1940 was the only campaign where they were still using it, except for Norway, but they were also usually wearing greatcoats.
Nice job on the dinghy! The cylindrical containers probably held survival supplies and rations.
Thanks again for your valuable contribution Leo, appreciated as always, .
It’s frustrating having the gasmask bag moulded on as it limits the time period. IMHO they should have left them off, or offered them as a glue on option as to try and represent later war figures…as some of the sets suggest is applicable…you end up removing detail that is difficult for many of us to replace, .
Think I’ve finished the interior, it’s a tad basic, and rough-and-ready, but I’m no scratch-builder, though, hopefully, the plastic strips change the appearance of the original enough that it better suits the intended era.
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…I’m open to suggestions, 
. Wish I’d seen the image of the 14’ dinghy earlier as, at a quick glance, I think some rough hacking (you attribute me with more credit than i deserve scratch-wise, 
…could manage to achieve something similar from the Zvezda kit, though it is nearly a scale 5’ longer.
, I wasn’t really happy with it, so back to the drawing-board, 
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