Svitzer tug Ayton Cross, built by Terry O'Rourke in 2006/2007. Mostly scratch built, on a Mobile Marine Models GRP hull.

She is powered by two car heater motors, with a Marx luder bow thruster. I have used an Action kit motor mixer, it works well.

These photos were taken at the Chantry club lake, at the Bluewater shopping centre in kent.

Name of the Boat is the OCEANIC. This boat was in my friends garage for 18 years, when I was given it, it needed some T.L.C. the kit from what I can gather was late 60s.

I had to send a way to Germany to get the plans so I could refurbish it, and some of the bits I had to make myself. it is powered by twin monoperm super 5 motors. it has rotating radar, working mast lights, and bow thrusters. Sailed at Cheddar Steam Modals lake.

The name of the boat is Amsterdam. This was a Artesania Latina kit built by me in the winter of 2005/2006.

Its powered by a car heater blower motor. I hope to sail for the first time, when I come up to Beale Park later this year.

This kit model of the seagoing tug Happy Hunter was started in 1983 by a friend of mine. Finding it too difficult, he let it lie until 2006 when he asked my son and I to build it.

After 219 hours work it is finished and sailing. it is powered by two 545 motors and a single speed controller and has 15 working lights, radar, bow thruster and crane, all of which operate. it is a real beauty, and I see Robbe have just brought out a new H H kit.

This is the Brackengarth, it is semI scratch on mobile marine models grp hull. Built 2005.

It's powered by a car heater motor plus bow thruster. it is sailed with Chantry Club on lake at Bluewater shopping complex in Kent.

Scratched built prototype 1880s victorian tug (hull) by Metcalf Mouldings H.M.S kit length 44" beam 10".

The original tug was built to tow sailing ships in shallows, hence it's shallow draught and wide beam. Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it!!

Another one not finished!

W165 was built by Roger Forlines, he's a member of Shelton Scale Ship Modelers R/C boat club.

This boat took six months to build and is to Scale as laid down by model manufacture, the boat was weathered to depict a long voyage on the north seas.

Also, the Jim Wilder tug, this took four months to build and has been built to look like a turn of the century steam tug which worked the San Fransisco bay area.

The last picture it is dressed up for Christmas.

This is BG Coulies built by Geoff Lewis. its a French Harbour tug that he built following an article in a well know magazine, advertising a set of plans, thanks to the office photocopier he saved himself several quid.

Coullies is driven by 2 550 motors driving Graupner scothell drives (not yet independantly controlled). 12v 4ah Gell battery and some roofing lead makes up the balast.

The frames are 3mm MDF with a balsa and ply skin built to 1/32 scale, the figure sat on the anchor winch used to be a German infrantry man. He recently obtained some Beccs transfers to add some more finishing touches including the french flag.

What does Coullies mean? (pronounced cooee) find a dictionary...

I rescued my PT Boat from EBAY in August 2005. it was owned by a young boy in Birmingham whose Dad had built if for him. it is an original Aerokits kit Fast Patrol Boat. When I bought the boat it had a sound hull with a few damaged fittings, which I removed. Since then I have made new guns, extended the front cabin to carry the life raft to make it look like a late World War II Elco PT Boat and added other new fittings.

I have made 6 working exhausts in brass tubing, have fitted a new open prop shaft running an Octura race prop and a Merco 61 glow engine. it still needs torpedos, guard rails around the machine gun turrets and a few other fittings. The number 349 is from an original Pacific Theatre 80' Elco PT Boat whose name in Bee Bee, which I hope to add at a later date.

I have also painted it in an original Pacific Theatre camouflage from a PT Boat book which I bought for reference and to make it look like a standoff scale model. This boat was also photographed by the local Burton Upon Trent newspaper at the Fireboat day in September 2006. I ran this boat at the Burton Model Boat Club's Fireboat day in September 2006 briefly until I broke the exhaust manifold and had to retire it early.

Kit Yamato which is motorised by Tamiya and is about 2 years old.

It took six months to build and convert to R.C. power for NiCad batteries.

Z15 "Erich Steinbrink"

A german WW2 Destroyer was a Ted Radestock Semi-Kit.

She took just over 2 yrs to build in total, but did include a house move in between!!

She is built as per the kit with the exception of James Lane guardrails and modified Deans funnels as the original resin funnels were very heavy.

She is powered by 2 Deans motors, 35mm props and the batteries are 2 x 7.2 volt 2 Ah NiCad packs.

This model is a British "Hunt" Class destroyer.

It is a Sirmar limited edition (100) semI kit at 1/48 scale and some 6 feet in length. When he bought the model it was already constructed, but as a static model. So out came the jigsaw, Manual NOT powered.

The deck around the aft gun turret was cut to allow a good inspection of the inside of the hull. He tried to remove the bridge superstructure but this would have meant destroying it to remove. Out came the jigsaw again and cut an access hatch in the main deck.

The steering servo was fitted and attached ( by keyhole surgery ) and 2 x MFA 800 motors were fitted. Scale Prop Shop Props were fitted and the radio gear just jury rigged for her first trial. She was roughly ballasted with 2 x 12volt 7Ah batteries and she was ready for her first trials.

She sailed well with no water ingress to the hull, so the radio gear was installed properly with individual speed controllers to each motor. The results are as seen here.