24" LOA
Here is the completed model. On this model I made all the rails, ladders, fishing rod holders, cleats and other metal trim from 316 stainless steel. Individual stainless components are silver soldered together then polished. Because of the large clear windows on this boat, I also built the interior, which is more visible in some of the following pictures.
This picture shows the bow details. Here you can see the 316 stainless bow rail, the Fortress FX16 anchor with its chain and hawse pipe. You can also see the combination chock and bow light. If you look through the windows you can see the galley to starboard, the dinette table and just a bit of the gloss varnished teak and holly cabin sole.
Here is the stern view where you can see the aft side of the flybridge, the engine covers with their cushoins, the teak boarding steps, the teak swim platform and various other details.
Here is an overhead view where you can see a bit more
of the flybridge detail. You can also see into the cabin house and
see the galley sink and a bit of the head.
Documentation of the Construction Process
This model is a Bertram 31 Flybridge Motor Yacht. The model is being built at an overall length of 24" (not including the swim platform). The Bertram 31 is the quintisential deep-V power boat designed by C. Raymond Hunt. C. Raymond Hunt Associates, Inc. of New Bedford, MA (http://www.huntdesigns.com) provided a copy of the original lines for the hull.
Mar. 4, 07 - I received the lines drawings from C. Raymond Hunt Associates on March 1. It took a couple of days to scale and transfer the lines to to the balsa station frames. I completed that yesterday. Today I glued the station frames to a piece of cherry and started planking the model. The picture above shows the fully planked starboard side. Over the next few days I will plank port side and then build the transom. As you can see I am building the hull without its trademark lift strips. I am doing that to make it easier to fair the hull. I will add the lift strips after the hull is faired and primer painted.
Mar. 6, 07 - I didn't work on this model yesterday. Today I finished planking the hull and then built the transom. The picture shows the characteristic Bertram 31 Deep-V. After I took the picture I put a layer of fiberglass in epoxy on the transom. Over the next few days I will work on fixing a few flaws in the hull shape and fiberglassing the rest of the hull.
Mar. 8, 07 - Since my last update I have replanked and shaped the hull and fiberglassed it. Right after I took this picture I put on the first of three coats of fairing compound. The first coat primarily fills the weave in the fiberglass cloth, but it also starts building up any iggerularities left in the hull. The top edge of the hull is still very rough because I haven't yet removed the model from the building board. I will wait to do that until after I have finished with the filling/fairing process.
Mar. 8, 07 (cont.) - Here is another shot of the transom. You can see that I have reshaped it quite a bit to build in the tumble home.
Mar. 20, 07 - Since my last update I have filled, faired and primed the hull. For the last few days I have building the lift strips on the bottom. I finished that this morning and reprimed the hull. I still have a few spots that need a bit more sanding, which I will do tomorrow. After that is done, I will remove the hull from the building board and fiberglass the inside of the hull, then I will start building the deck and cabin house.
Mar. 23, 07 - Since my last update I have worked on sanding and filling a few minor flaws around the lift strips. I finished that yesterday and removed the model from the building frame. I then removed all the station frames and fiberglassed the inside of the hull with a layer of 6 oz. fiberglass cloth set in epoxy. I put 2 extra layers on the bottom of the boat from the transom to a point 6" forward to strengthen the bottom where the rudders, shafts and struts will penetrate the hull. The picture shows the inside of the hull today after I trimmed the fiberglass.
Mar. 25, 07 - This picture shows the hull after it was removed from the building stand with the first coat of blue paint on the topsides. I will likely put 4-5 coats of paint on the topsides before I am satisfied with the result. Over the weekend I will start building the cabin house, deck and cockpit.
Mar. 30, 07 - Since my last update I have been working on the interior of the model. It has takes quite a bit of time to plan the construction. In fact, I have partly built the interior once and then ripped it out. The picture above shows the base for the teak cockpit sole and the interrior sole. The main part of the interrior sole is planked with teak and white maple. The white part is where the head will be. in this picture the teak cabin sole only has the first of perhaps 6 coats of varnish on it. While I am varnishing the cabin sole, I will build the teak sole that goes under the dinette and start work planking the cockpit sole.
Apr. 10, 07 - I have now finished varnishing the cabin sole and have started building the interrior and laying the foundation for the deck. As you can see I have finished the v-berth. The v-berth will only be visible through the foredeck hatch and by looking in through the side windows. Today I will build the deck and the major components of the cabin. After that I will start work on the teak cockpit sole.
Apr. 16, 07 - The deck is now on, although I haven't completely sheathed it yet. I have also finished the cabin sole, built the galley and the dinette. I am also making considerable progress in planking the teak cockpit sole. Since I took this picture yesterday I have built the head compartment, although I haven't built or installed the head itself. I also have to build and install all the various handles and plumbing fixtures. I expect to finish the interrior and the cockpit sole this week and to start building the cabin house.
April 18, 07 - Since my last update I have finished planking the cockpit sole and have built the head and, although you can't reallt see it here, installed the aft cabin bulkhead. I have also installed the engine boxes. This evening I started work on the cabin house aft uprights. I should get them finished and installed tomorrow after I finish facing the rest of the deck. The next step is to build the head itself and to put the galley plumbing and various door and cabinet handles into the interior.
April 26, 07 - I took a few days off from model building to work on my real boat, but I am now back to working on this model. The major changes since the last update are on the deck, which is now finished except for its final coat of paint. I have also finished varnishing and installed the dinette table. You can also see the cushions on the engine boxes, and, if you look closely, the fawcett for the galley sink. I still have to build the head, the head fawcet and install the cabinet handles before the interior will be finished. The top picture shows the hull, which has been sanded in prepartaion of painting. You can also see the uprights that support the cabin top. After I put the final paint on the deck, I will build and install the windows and then start work on the cabin top and flybridge.
May 31, 07 - It has been over a month since my last update on this model. I took a bit of a vacation, which accounts for some of that time, but basically I just haven't been putting updates together. As you can see, I have made quite a bit of progress. The windows are built and installed except for the curved windows forward. I spent quite a bit of time working out how to bend the lexan for those windows to the correct shape. I finally figured it out and have made up the starboard window. I am now in the middle of patterning for the port window. I have also almost finished the flybridge. I have one piece on the inside to go. I will start painting the flybridge tomorrow and should be started working on the on-deck detailing next week.
June 22, 07 - For the last three weeks I have mostly been painting, sanding and repainting the model. I have now finished painting everything except the bottom, which I will paint within the next 2-3 days. As you can see I have started detailing the model. Right now I am working on the fly bridge. The next step is to build the fly bridge seats. I also have a spot on the port side hull/deck joint that needs a bit of work. That will be done over the weekend. The model looks a lot more finished than it dis three weeks ago.
July 2, 07 - Since my last update I have done a fair bit of work on the model. I have repaired the flaw in the hull/deck joint, painted the bottom, built and installed the flybridge seating, rails and the fishing rod holder.
July 2, 07 (cont.) - This picture shows the flybridge seating and stainless details a bit better. You can also see that I have put the name and hail on the transom. This week I will finish the flybridge detailing, build and install the props, shafts and struts, permanently attach the flybridge and start working on the rest of the hull detailing (snchor, stern platform, etc.).
July 7, 07 - Thimgs are moving along. Since my last update I ahve attached the flybridge and installed the props, shafts, struts and rudders. In addition, I built and installed the teak boarding platform as is shown better in the next picture.
July 7, 07 (cont.) - Here
is the stern view, which shows the swim platform a bit better.