Boat building programme

I have been doing some ship building.

Twelve English ships constructed. At left, eight 74-gun third rates (e.g. HMS Bellerophon) and four 64-gun third rates (e.g. HMS Africa), one behind the other, at right. All models are Navwar 1/3000th scale by Tony Anderson (RIP).

It was inspired, indirectly, by our recent, terminal play-test of "It's Warm Work", since it lead to my 'discovery' of "Action Under Sail" amongst the discarded rule sets that Julian had passed on to me. A skim-read had me interested, a more detailed look, working through some of the mechanics (in my head) made me really keen. They look to be sufficiently detailed, but playable for my tastes.

As Julian has said in replies to comments in my previous post, he (and I) have settled on "Grand Fleet Actions in the Age of Sail" for his megalomania of staging a re-fight of Trafalgar in the near future (likely early in the new year)—barring uncovering something 'disastrous' in a final play-test of the rules later in the year.

My desire to explore other rules is spurred by wanting something with more detail that is workable and enjoyable that I can use for actions that can be played over several sessions at my place, or perhaps even solo.

It was 2004, bloody hell, that is twenty years ago(!), when I ordered two 1/3000 fleet packs (French and British) from Navwar. I had a bit of a go at building and painting the French ships around 2006, I think, but they have sat in the same, part-completed state since then, save for having a go at adding some rigging with cotton.

Two French Océan class ships and a transport with a base-coat paint job. The former have some strips of cotton as rigging. A bit 'slack', but it will do. The left hand one has a piece of flyscreen as a shroud (plus some evidence of strands from small pieces of shade-cloth that I tried but discarded!

I purchased another British and a Spanish fleet pack in 2022, but they went into the pile; to be completed sometime later.

After our game I got the ships out again and thought, "I must get to these one day..." This changed rapidly to "it is time to do it", driven in large part by my eagerness to give "Action Under Sail" a spin and to not distract Julian from his own focus.

I have constructed 12 English ships, with two more nearly done, which will leave 12 more to go (and then the 14 Spanish). I have also been messing a bit with my 3/4 painted French ships, using the two largest/easiest Océan class, adjusting the rigging and adding pieces of flyscreen as ratlines/shrouds. These are a reasonable-enough looking compromise that I will use.

While these ships are my main focus last week and this (and for a few more yet), I have been getting lots of figures prep'd and based in recent times and am still chipping away at them.

Early Saxons cleaned up, some conversions completed and now on bases ready for undercoat and basing material.

Early Saxon grenadiers and guard grenadiers and Sardinian cavalry ready for basing material.  Early Prussian cavalry, more Sardinian cavalry and some Neapolitan cavalry undercoated. Some early grenzer and Gyulai Freicorps that I began painting back in 2022, now to be finished. More Austrians and Prussians to be added, along with Russians and, naturellement, French.

Duchy of Warsaw cavalry and artillery that I showed in posts in March. Only a bit of gold and silver detail and some bits of touching-up to go with these. These has been 'on hold' while my mass prep'ing and basing has been going on (along with researching and preparing orders of battle that are a necessary step in the process for me).

So, a bit here and a bit there. I am progressing with some grand aims and getting stuff out that has been waiting far too long.