Monday, May 23, 2022

Best of Brede?

Brede at speed

If you read back through my Brede build thread, you'll know that while this might be my favourite lifeboat design, building a model of it has proved very tricky. A failed kit, failed scratchbuild in wood and only with a magazine deadline threatening, did I manage to finish a model. 

Well, nearly, it still needs some detail. 

It's only the magazine publication that saw the model finished in the first place instead of becoming more bin filler. At the time I knew the hull still wasn't the right shape - it should be more bulbous at the front - but I couldn't give up this time and just had to press on no matter what. (Welcome to the joys of modelling commercially). 

Because of this, the boat hasn't really seen much use. The last time I planned to take it out was back in 2015, and I'm pretty sure it never left the box on that lifeboat day. 

Now though, I've given it a good sail. For the best part of an hour, it's pootled around our lake in the company of other orange brothers. When the "best boat on the water" judging was taking place, the Brede was my choice for a sail. OK, I didn't build the Trent (the other option) so it would have been wrong to put it out there then, but I wanted to show off the Brede. 

Somehow, I've become accustomed to the faults. They don't shout at me as much as they used to. Time appears to have mellowed me. 

It helps that the boat performed perfectly all day, but I think on the water, from several feet away, I can just enjoy it. From most angles it looks pretty good. 

Real modellers would say it should be destroyed and another built in an attempt to attain perfection, but they can get stuffed. It's my boat, and I've decided (finally) that I like it. 

Has anyone else had something like this happen? Putting a model away and returning with fresh eyes, to decide that there aren't as many faults as you thought? Or does this make me a bad/lazy person?

1 comment:

John said...

My first boat was a joint effort between me and my Dad. It took us ten years, of more off than on work. Compared with many craft out their it is crude, but unlike the pond gazers we actually have a working boat and enjoy it. Its your boat for your enjoyment.