Reinforcements

A welcome resupply of bases from Fenris Games has got me back into the groove with the 17th Century naval projects.

I had already started assembling the Heller Phenix kit and chopped it down to the waterline. If I was going to use the clear acetate bases for my ship models that look so good, I would have to get the cut spot on and perfectly flat, which sounds like a nuisance. Painted bases can have some waves and spray added that will hide a lot of sins.

.The largest of my ships will need even larger bases than these 100mm long ones. Maybe I will need to get some MDF ones for the few that need them. As I mentioned before, the Heller Phenix kit has no gunports  modelled on the hull, so I set about adding some of the ones that are supplied in the Peter Pig packs of guns for their pirate ships. I decided that I would do one deck with open ports and paint on the lower deck with closed ports. From what I have read it wasn't unusual for the weather to be bad enough that a captain did not dare open the lowest gundeck ports for fear of being swamped.

Apart from these additions I am intending to make this one pretty much straight as it comes out of the box. I haven't definitely decided what to flag it as but it might have to be English as the Dutch have been getting all the reinforcements so far.

 The first two to benefit from the new batch of bases are a Dutch frigate and a Ketch(?) (or maybe a small Brig...) The two masted boat is one of Peter Pigs range of 1/450  pirate ships and the larger vessel is another conversion of the Airfix  Mayflower kit.  I messed about with the bow and bowsprit and added a stern gallery produce a 5th or 6th rate Man of war but ideal for tackling fast sailing pirates and commerce raiders. I am just finishing up another Peter Pig boat, a Brigantine. This is flagged for the English but it still leaves them well outgunned and outnumbered.  The next game might have to be them playing cat and mouse amongst my new islands and sandbanks.