Hi Gang...
It's been 6 weeks since I posted to the group and I apologize
profusely! I needed two weeks to prepare for my 3 week UK trip and,
upon my return to Victoria last week, my dear wife "informed" me I
was to accompany 22 Grade 7 pupils on a 3-day school camping trip!!!
Now if that's not bad enough, I also discovered the itinerary
included the assault of a 1600 ft. mountain. I appreciate 1600 feet
is not high by many standards, but a 70 degree climb for a 56-year
old carrying an additional 35 lbs...(15 pounds permanently attached
to me and 20 pounds of a temporary nature), represented a level of
agony and human suffering eclipsed only by that of Sir Edmund Hillary
in his conquest of Mount Everest! With every muscle in my body
screaming I have finally managed to crawl to the computer and remain
at it long enough to inform you "I'm back"!
Thanks to both group moderators, David in Spain and Eddy in the UK,
for having kept a weather eye on "Paddleducks" while I was away.
Unfortunately, I didn't have access to a computer until the very
last day of my trip! My trip was memorable from every perspective
and I have a whole list of topics to share with you, of which the
highpoint must surely be meeting "Paddleducks" all the way from
Stuart (Badger) on the South Coast right up to that wonderful group
of you in Scotland with whom I spent a memorable day aboard the
magnificent "PS Waverely". Thank all of you for your warm welcome and
friendship while I was there.
My one regret... not being able to meet Eddy (Matthews), Ady (Selway)
and the "Medway Queen" group, nor having the time to find the paddle
tug "John H Amos" still languishing in the same river. Although I
managed two long phone conversations with him, I still havn't been
able to visit "Mad Mike" Taylor in London, President of the Scale
Sail Assocation and builder of a 10' model of IKB's "Great Eastern".
I have promised myself to rectify these shortcomings on my next trip
in 7 months.
One of the objectives of my visit was to further research my two UK
model paddler projects, PS "WORTHING BELLE" (Ex "DIANA VERNON" 1885)
and "PARIS III" (1888) and to locate authentic body/hull lines for
them. This proved to be an adventure in itself which brought me into
contact with some great people who I shall refer to in later posts. I
have fairly reasonable reference for both of these ships but
absolutely NO hull/body lines plans for either. I therefore started
by looking for authentic contemporary models of Clyde paddlers which
had been built around the same time and preferably by the same
builder. Andy Saunders of the Newhaven Maritime Museum located a
magnificent 1/48 half model of "Paris III" at the Bluebell Railway
Museum in Sussex, less than half an hour's drive from my base in
Brighton. I also found a fabulous selection of authentic Clyde
paddler models in the Clyde Room of the Glasgow Museum of
Transportation and the McLean Museum in Greenock. The more I studied
these superb 1/48 models, the more I appreciated the exquisite shape
that Clyde Paddler hulls possess, each with it's own unique and
subtle differences. You can clearly see how each body line was
carefully shaped for attaining the maximum hull speed. I took along
materials to make up 2mm/ft foam "test" hulls to copy the models I
found so during my visit to the Clyde I created a makeshift workshop
in my Hotel room at Greenock. Thelook on my 86 year-old father's face
was one of absolute horror as he watched me carving and sanding
styrofoam blocks into shape on the dresser and, with the extractor
fan in the bathroom going at full blast, coating them with epoxy and
finally holding them out of the hotel room window to primer spray
them! However, no matter how hard I tried to copy the hulls of the
models I saw, I simply couldn't get them EXACTLY right. From my
makeshift "traveling" workshop, I did nevertheless manage to complete
two "passable" hulls of my ships (pictures later) and was gratified
to have them for the most part "approved" by Andy Saunders (Chairman
of the Newhaven Maritime Museum in Sussex) and Phil Hayden in
Worthing. Andy has been invaluable in providing information,
inspiration and plans for my "Paris III" and Phil has more knowledge
about "Worthing Belle" than anyone else I know. My quest for the
original hull/body lines drawings of Clyde paddlers was a failure and
it's not likely I will ever find them for my ships (nor will anyone
else) for rather intriguing reasons I will share with you all in a
later post.
While in England I was presented with two breathtaking gifts, one
from Andy Saunders of the Newhaven Maritime Museum and the other from
a wonderful modeler of steam engines in the South of England. More
about these in subsequent posts.
Now that I've caught up on all my outstanding email, I'll try to post
more details of my UK trip in the next week or so and tell you about
some of the fascinating people I met there.
Meanwhile I'd also like to offer a warm welcome to all
new "Paddleducks" members who have joined our group since I was away
and I am going to enjoy meeting you and hearing all about your own
modeling interests. If you have any concerns or questions, please
don't hesitate to contact one of the moderators or email me
personally.
Very best regards to you all.
PJ
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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