Kathleen

 

Margaret

Margaret was built in the 1970's and only required a bit of tidying up with new servos and radio fitted, still a fair bit of work to get her sailing again.

Margaret , 12 Metre yacht sailing on Swannie Pond Dundee.

Back in the day.

Flying Duck restored.

Flying around the pond!

The Duck history.

You can see a full history of the Flying Duck here: http://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?ref=10481

Flying Ducks resting place in the River Shannon as the Shannon Estuary.

Flying Duck.

I bought Flying Drake from a member of the Dundee Model Boat club just a few weeks ago. Ian had bid  quite a bit for the tug in a club auction but soon realized it was far too F*****G heavy for him to handle and offered it for sale. I liked the look of the tug and the fact that it had belonged to an elderly member of the club that had recently died sparked My interest to restore it and show it off.
I was told the tug was part of the Clyde tug fleet built in the fifties with a spell of service in Dundee, the model had a spell of being both the Flying Duck and the Flying Drake and I decided it would be the Duck again.

Flying Drake.

The 1:35 scale model was in good running order and really only needed cosmetic attention.

Kathleen

Kathleen's restoration can be followed here. http://fishingluger.blogspot.co.uk/

Grace.

Grace's restoration can be followed here.

Why I like restoring model boats.

In 1980 I asked my uncle if I could have My grandfathers model yacht that had sat in their shed for for over 40 years. My uncle said yes, "but how will you get it home," "on the bus of course" I said. The Yacht weighed 15Lb and had a six foot mast but I got it on two buses and took it home. Fast forward to 2015 and the yacht still remained in an UN-loved state after 35 years in My care and a few house moves, one marriage, six kids and countless jobs.  The yacht also spent 25 years at My sisters house in a garage. 
The yacht, I discovered was a six metre pond yacht originally Braine gear steered and sailed by My grandfather and his daughter aged 10, My mother. I set about restoring the Yacht, now named "Grace" after My mother.  I had very little experience of restoring model boats and only armed with a vision I got to work on the restoration of "Grace". I enjoy taking something that has fallen unloved or forgotten that once was given attention and commitment by the person that made it.
Taking an old model and restoring it can take as long as scratch building, I don't care that I didn't  make it myself, I care that I restored something that someone took great care to make.