Scratch Build Log of a 1/38 scale Bunker Boat

SEMI SCALE MODEL BOAT "NEW JERSEY BUNKER BOAT"

Display Case Is constructed In Hard Rose Wood, And, Plexiglass 1/8" Thick. Very well Built.

Boat 36" L x 22" T x 11" W

Display Case 43" L x 27" T x 18" D

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/7/p/132734/1354273.aspx?page=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hciOrPKH6I

Local Pick-up offered. Tampa Bay, Florida. Area

A bunker boat is a purse seiner after menhaden (AKA bunker, pogy, alewife, shad). The fish is use in animal feeds, fertilizer, paint, cosmetics, and its oil has commercial value, It's not a human food fish. The Atlantic seaboard is the largest fishery and a huge fleet of these boats, all architecturally similar, is maintained there. Some sources call the menhaden catch the most important commercial catch in American waters.

The plans for this model are loosely drawn after the Helen Euphane, a 114 foot 293 ton steam powered example of the type. She was built in 1902, and served temporarily in both world wars in the Coast Guard, as a minesweeper and patrol boat. The last history I have of her is from the 50s, at which time she was still working the fishery.

At 1/38 the model will finish to 36" LOA. The plans are model specific and call for all balsa construction. I don't like to work with that material, so I'm building her with hardwoods. The basic materials: The keel and bulkheads are of 1/4" poplar, the hull planking is 2X5mm sycamore, the decking and all other horizontal surfaces are of 1/8" luan mahogany plywood (crappy wood!), the deck houses are spruce frames with 1/32" skins, the mast is 7/16" spruce dowel. I cheated on a lot of the fittings; ready made doors & portholes, nav lights, window frames, and such.

I have some photos of a working model but don't have access to them presently. When I do I'll post them here. Meanwhile, if you want you can go to youtube.***/watch?v=0hciOrPKH6I for a slide show of many boats in the actual fleet (even one of Helen).