The first iteration of this converted Ainsty kit is as a 6 gun ketch Fox serving with the Royalist privateers sailing out of the Scilly Isles.
The vessel started life as a single masted sloop. I decided on a bit of conversion work and ended up with something which I am pretty pleased with. As time goes by and I feel less inclined to be lugging stuff to shows, I decided that permanently rigging some or perhaps all, of my 28mm scale ships was worth doing.
It would be impossible to fully rig a wargaming ship and then expect to use it without damage or huge inconvenience when trying to place models aboard so, I opted for a reasonalby realistic combination of standing and running rigging without going completely over the top.
This vessel will be used as a variety of different ships but the initial incarnation satisfies a desire to recreate some of the actions around the Cornish coast during the 3rd English Civil War. There is almost an overlap with the 1st Anglo Dutch War and the continuity link is Cromwell's Commonwealth Navy. That is the fleet I was primarliy interested in.
I had not intended to major in 28mm for ships having previously only used them as eye candy in land based or amphibious scenarios but, my rekindled naval obsession which started in 1/2400 has continued into 1/1200 (more of that soon) and on to my preferred land gaming scale of 28mm or 1/56.
This is not a hobbyists model kit but a wargaming piece. For that reason I stopped at a certain level of detail beyond which the practical use would be limited.
It is difficult to say how many hours it took me to get it to this level but a safe estimate might be 20 to 25. I learned lots of lessons but overall, I think it will hold its own on the tabletop as a practical gaming piece if handled carefully.
For the crew I chose Perry ECW models - soldiers not sailors. I think they look fine.
I shall let the photos do the talking. You'll see this ship again in various guises, with different flags and crewmen. For now, she is Charles II's ship sailing out of Old Grimsby on the Scillies as part of Sir John Grenville's privateer fleet.