Saturday 8 June 2019

British Napoleonic Flat Boat

I think that by nature most war gamers are magpies, attracted to the shiny things that flash across the pages of hobby magazines or on various digital platforms. I know that I am. 

A couple of years ago two shiny items caught my eye. The first was the dromedary troops from the Perry French in Egypt range and their model of the flatboats used by the British in the landings at Abukir Bay in that same campaign. These two items were the drivers for that rather large Egyptian campaign collection. With great effort I managed to resist the flatboats and made do with images printed onto card when we played the landing at Abukir Bay. But I knew it was only a matter of time before I would need the models, but I needed to find some sort of justification for the £42 per model expenditure (and a I knew it would not only be one boat). 

The justification came in two forms. First they could be used in the War of 1812. Second I had this idea of coastal operations in the Mediterranean and along the Spanish coast. So last month I ordered what would be the first of three boats.

The set is made up of three codes; the resin boat with six crew cast as part of the resin hull supplemented by another seven crew cast in metal; 20 seated infantrymen; a further 8 seated figures including, officers, ensigns, an NCO, a drummer and another 3 infantrymen. 


Taken from their boxes and laid  out there is an impressive number of components...


 That look even more impressive when painted, ready for assembly.




Finally all the components are assembled.









The last part to be completed on this model is the water effect on the base. I have actually completed this,  but the material is slow drying and in the cold a stormy weather affecting Auckland at present, it could be two or three days before it is set. I will make the completing of the base the subject of another post.

20 comments:

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    1. Thank you Jonathan. It is a lovely model. There are some great touches like the one chap bareheaded and his shako upside down in his lap and looking decidedly seasick!

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    1. I agree it is a lot of fun and will look even better when the water effect is finished.

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  3. Stunning... could you scratch build the boats, and buy the crew separately yo get your cost down??

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    1. My Friend Keith ( on Bydand blog) did build his own boat, but the problem the rowing figures. They come with the Perry model kit. Brigade Games make rowing figures, but at US$2.00 per figure plus postage, it works out about the same price as the kit, and Brigade dint make a tiller man

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  4. A splendid looking boat ...it’s more of a diorama piece than a wargames model.

    I also like the poor chap throwing up... but I love the look and attitude of his comrades on either side.

    All the best. Aly

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    1. Thanks Aly. I can never do a diorama...I would never find a place to keep it! I think when I do the next couple of boats I will have to give the rather queesy looking chap a much paler face.

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  5. That does look pretty cool. Nice job with the paint. 😀

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    1. Thank you Stew. i am rather looking forward to doing the other two boats that will form my flotilla.

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  6. So many (beautiful) people in a beautiful boat...Wonderful work, congrats!

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    1. Thank you Phil. It is quite a full boat, n'est pas?

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  7. Lovely looking kit and a great finish. The crew and the marines look great and everything is improved with flags!
    Best Iain

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    1. Thank you Iain. The water effect, that will finish the overall look, is coming on nicely now and should be complete by Wednesday

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  8. Terrific stuff. I have three of these tucked away so will be coming back for some inspiration to get them done.

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    1. Thanks Lawrence. I am looking forward to doing a couple more of these then working out some scenarios for coastal actions.

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  9. Excellent kit and quite a luxury piece! Nicely done and look forward to seeing it with the water effect.

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    1. I agree it is a bit of a luxury, but as a magpie it is VERY shiny...and there are going to be two more, afterall it is my birthday next week. Best of all my effort has encouraged another in our group to do the naval landing parties so that I won't have to do them...as tempting as they are.

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  10. Great model Mark - very expensive but probably justifiably so...

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    1. This will be one if those pieces that is never allowed to be too close to the table edge! Welcome back by the way.

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