The Chaperon Build

[amdaylight]

Well let the insanity begin, this week I bought the Model Shipways kit for the Ohio River steamer Chaperon! Yes that is the way it is spelled. The first thing that I have to figure out is how to deepen the existing hull so it will make a good pond boat. The plan is to add three quarters (3/4) of an inch to the total depth of the hull and split that with three eights (3/8) of an inch above and three eights (3/8) below the water line. The extra strip wood arrived today so of we go. The kit decks come scribed with planking but I am going to install new planking over the existing decks, they forgot a few things when they laser scribed the decks; the hatches to get to the hold space in the hull, the sheet metal and fire brick under the fire boxes of the boiler. The Chaperon had a wood deck and letting hot coals land on the deck seems like a quick way to end the life of the boat. There are several other things that will have to be changed, improved or added as I go along. Here is a photo from Model Shipways of a completed model and one of the actual steamer.

Andre
over yonder in Portland Oregon

[mjt60a]

....The first thing that I have to figure out is how to deepen the existing hull....

The july edition of Marine Modelling International includes an article on Creole Queen where the builder does the same but to add a bow thruster to it.. unfortunately it isn't explained all that well (for me, who knows nothing about this process) but is something about carving a piece of insulation foam, sticking it on the bottom and glassing it over to blend in to the existing hull.....
Look forward to seeing this model though, I'd heard of it but never seen one built