MV Muirneag

[Newboatie]

Has anyone built this kit from Deans Marine. I intend to buy one but would appreciate any other views / reviews. Also any footage of the model on water...how does it sail

[cos918]

Hi there. I have not built that ferry from deans but i have am building mv Celestine.
Celestine sails well i brought her second hand. I uprated the motor couplings and shafts as the previous owner had made her under powered. That meant she would take a while to stop even in full reverse of the motors. The mods i did made her a pleasure to sail. I have uprated the rudders in my rebuild but they have not yet seen water so can not comment on those. Like i said i bought this second hand and was not happy with he build quality so i have started a full rebuild which includes an internal car deck and working ramp. So far i have found it a joy to work on but i am doing my own thing base loosely round the way deans say to build her. See my build thread. Well if you do get her cant wait to see your build thread. Oh did see her at Deans open day and she looked real nice.

john

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=817609

[trawlerlover]

Has anyone built this kit from Deans Marine. I intend to buy one but would appreciate any other views / reviews. Also any footage of the model on water...how does it sail

:eek: Oh no not again!

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=956002

[charlie eaton]

NewBoatie, Please do not be put off by the above thread entered by trawlerlover. The success or failure of any kit is what you put into it and all kits have some sort of problem somewhere. Most can be cured with a little thought and ingenuity on the part of the builder. Most model companies are more than willing to help fix a problem as long as you don't unload deleted explatives on them. Gentlemen that other thread wore out it's welcome long ago.

[Prins Willem]

Charlie Eaton, I would be more concerned that Newboatie is just that, new to boating. If 1/4 of the other thread is to be believed a Deans kit may be beyond his skill level
(by Deans own admission as to required skills). How many Sterling kits are in attics or landfills, and how many people walked away from the hobby because of them? Trawlerlover was making a valid point that opinions were requested, and that opens the door to a repeat of the situation on the other thread. The above mentioned thread was not the first time it happened and it won't be the last as long as opinions are solicited and proffered.

Newboatie, you will be laying out a fair amount of cash on the kit. Make sure you are ready to tackle it. Our club does allot of events and at least once a year we are told a horror story by somebody who got fed up and walked away from model boat building. If you peruse the other thread you will note Deans expects their customers to have some experience coming in. These are not model car kits. If you do make the leap and find yourself getting bogged down remember there are allot of really smart and talented folks on this forum (I wish I was one).

[Newboatie]

Thanks for all of the well-meant advice so far. yes I am aware that I will be investing a lot of hard-earned, which is one reason for my initial question. Another reason is that I appreciate the experiences of those who may have first hand knowledge of building it and sailing it. We all know that a model boat can look superb in pictures but once on the water it can turn into driftwood. I did peruse the previous thread but it soon lost focus. And I do appreciate the complexities of model boat models and that they are not model car kits - I have been a model builder for over 35 years of just about every subject possible. For over 10 years I have built professionally Pocher model cars. To put your minds at rest the name Newboatie came about when I recently bought my first 1:1 sailboat. Besides it is so much easier to enter on the forum than "caledonianmacbraynesferryenthusiast".

I'd be happy to hear of any first hand accounts of the Muirneag.

PS COS918, enjoy your ferry, looks like you are doing a great job and I enjoyed reading your build thread.

[norgale]

Hear! Hear! New Boatie. Jump right in there and get your feet wet. My first plank on frame model was started and left cause I didn't know how to put the planks on. But I saved it and went back to it several years later and finished it. Looked great too. Just had to think about it for awhile. Ha!
Don't know anything about the ship your asking about but they all build the same basically. Charlie is right about bringing some experience with you to the table and anything you have a problem with can be brought to this forum and we'll all kick it around to find the best solution for you. Then you decide which way to go and on with the build.
I would ask that you post LOTS of pictures when you start the build so we can see how it goes for you. Welcome to the forum and now lets get to work hey? Pete M

[charlie eaton]

Newboatie, Given your experience level you should encounter no unsolvable problems with any kit you decide on. Have at it and enjoy. I have seen a number of those car kits both built and in pieces, if you can handle those there is no kit you can't.

[Jerome Morris]

Any Pocher model car pic's?