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.