Thank you Nerys the pictures are great and a barge at that
Rick

Colin. There weren't very many people around Gloucester Docks. Few wandering around. The Waterways museum was open so walked in, there was a big school party in there, we bought an icecream and were told that they were really closed and only open for the school party. So that was that. Interesting to see a figurehead in there which came from the nautical training establishment Vindicatrix in Sharpness. Closed down many years ago. Only went to Gloucester to see what was in the docks and was hoping that the boat trips up the canal had restarted.

Cheers, Nerys

H Nerys,
Glad you and Alice enjoyed your trip out.

Martin555.

Sounds like a great day out Nerys.
Lovely pictures as well.
Regards Bill 👍

Another nice adventure for you and Alice, looks very quiet, last time I visited there it was packed and hard to enjoy.
Cheers Colin.

Hardly a sail, but a little run out this week took us to Gloucester Docks. There, to my delight was the Thames Sailing Barge 'Gladys' of Harwich, a long way from her home waters. She looked as if she is coming towards the end of a period of restoration/refit, painting in progress, new running rigging and a scaffold tower around the mizzen presumably aiding the installation of radar.
The other vessel depicted is the 12metre class yacht 'Sceptre'. She was built as the UK challenger for the America's Cup of 1958. This was the first challenge after WW2 and in those days there was no involvement of other countries and series of racing, it was just the straight forward challenge. Need I say,the UK challenge was unsuccessful, but at least it started the whole thing off again. She looked a bit neglected, but I would have thought it wouldn't take long to bring her back to pristine condition. She's a big old boat and it would cost a lot of money.
A pleasant trip for the near completed campervan. Still some communications equipment to be installed and cosmetic work to the outside.

Cheers, Nerys

Good show Nerys 👍
I heartily approve.😊
Don't forget though to flat off (take the shine off) the gloss (ca 360/400 grit wet n dry) to give the matt/satin paint some grip.
Sorry if instructing how to evacuate eggs! 😌
Cheers, Doug 😎

Hi Nerys.
Spot on.You are quite right.
It’s as original as you want it to be.
Originality always wins.
Regards Bill.

Doug, You are as usual quite right but the gloss is not the final finish, we are only using that as a seal for the undercoat and the fact that we had it, but when that is done I want to battle weather her to make it look as if she has landed on umpteen beaches and been under heavy gunfire. 368 was pretty tatty when I saw her in dry dock in Barry in 1943 and I want my model to look as I remember her.

cheers, Nerys.

Hi Nerys,
Re "The LST has had one coat of gloss but needs another."
I'm pretty certain that no warship, especially in wartime, would be gloss painted.
Too many reflections and 'glinting' in the sunlight to betray them.
Matt or semi matt/satin would have been the norm in WW2, and still is.
Of course the aesthetics of your model are your affair but for historical accuracy ... 😉
If you use matt paint give it a final spray of satin lacquer to seal it.
Cheers, Doug 😎

Sou'westers would be more appropriate.

cheers, Nerys

That's why there are so many boaters.
Cheers Colin.

Hi Bill,
The LST has had one coat of gloss but needs another. The main problem here is the weather, we have our own mini climate and it's a wet one. Bad weather comes up the Bristol Channel, hits the Gower peninsula and splits in two, one part goes on up to Cardiff but the larger portion, comes up the Gwendraeth and Amman Valleys until it gets to us, where there is a large mountain stopping it going any further, and that precipitates onto our village seemingly endlessly.

Cheers, Nerys

Hi Nerys.
All you say is encouraging,especially on the sausage van and your sailings,but what news on the paint job on the LST.
Regards Bill.

Nice one Nerys👍
The COMMS & Provisions van looks very neat as well.
So glad you could get out and about a bit 😀
Bet that lifted the spirits.
Cheers, Doug 😎

Nerys It was good to see the picture of your Command /Sausage Roll van even with work to come it will get you out and about. Look foreword to more adventures and boat pictures.
Rick

Van looks alright from here Nerys😁

JB

Thanks everyone for saying nice things about our trip to the lake. Yes, that is the Command/Sausage Roll van . Although she is usable for trips away, there is still a lot to do to her, particularly the outside and I don't want to do any closeup pictures until she is finished. Had a nice little sail with Nellie, she is possibly my favourite model, the original meant a lot to me.

Cheers, Nerys

Great to see Nerys.
Looked a lovely day for it too.
Regards Bill👍

Great to see you out & about Nerys - you must have enjoyed the sail with the comfort of the van.

Pity our car is too small to take a leaf from your book & the shared ancient Chrysler Voyager is far too big to get near the sailing water....... Gets cold in winter on the southern tip of Africa.

Looks good Nerys, you must feel better being near the water. Is that the 'sausagerollmobile / 'remote bridge' in the background?

JB

Hi Nerys,

I bet that felt good watching little Nellie on the water whilst in the comfort of the command centre.
Fingers crossed it will become a regular thing.

I would imagine that there is room to take a few boats with you as i am looking forward to seeing some more of your boats on the water.



Martin555.

Looks great Nerys, sits really well on the water. You look happy as well control from the command bus is perfect.
Cheers Colin.

Looks good in the water Nerys!!! Glad you got out!👍

Nerys Great look both land and water.
Rick

Looks very well. Looking forward to “wetting” my winter builds soon too.