[Shipbuilder]

I didn't post this in Model Ships, because there seems to be little interest in scratchbuild these days. I thought you B.I. fellows may appreciate it a bit more. KENYA (as far as I am concerned) never got the recognition due, the UGANDA seeming to hog the limelight. I have finally moved myself to "getting on" with it again. Have just made the bridge section and am about to move on to the funnel accommodation and funnel (already made) before proceeding to finer details such as hatches, rails, samson posts, derricks, rigging, lifeboats davits etc etc.
Bob
PS. I never sailed in B.I. but did admire their ships. I was in Union-Castle in the 60s & 70s. PRETORIA CASTLE & EDINBURGH CASTLE quite similar.

[R58484956]

Bob, Another masterpiece in the making.

[Shipbuilder]

Thanks, I have not done anthing on it today, went out in the morning and then spent the afternoon writing on next book. KENYA is a bit of a mystery to me. Every time I mention her, I can almost see the glazing eyes and a curtain coming down obscuring all knowledge that she ever existed!

KENYA has been dragging on for over a year now, during which time I have built:

Politician, cargo liner 1923
Mary Celeste, brigantine, 1861
Brooklands, schooner, 1859
Deseado, cargo liner, 1961
Falls of Foyers, four-masted full-rigged ship, 1883
Ramon de Larrinaga, cargo liner, 1954
Donna Francisca, four-masted barque, 1892
Glenmoor, tramp, 1953
James A. Wright, barque,1877

What is it about the KENYA that brings so much lethargy?

Bob

[James_C]

Bob,
She probably has much in common with Iberia in the lethargy stakes!
Another fine model in the making though!

[Shipbuilder]

I do remember IBERIA. She was in Melbourne in 1961 when we were loading wool for home in the old RHODESIA STAR on opposite berth. I even went round to have a look, but didn't get aboard. Passenger liners seemed way above my level at that time.
Bob

[japottinger]

Originally Posted by Shipbuilder

I didn't post this in Model Ships, because there seems to be little interest in scratchbuild these days. I thought you B.I. fellows may appreciate it a bit more. KENYA (as far as I am concerned) never got the recognition due, the UGANDA seeming to hog the limelight. I have finally moved myself to "getting on" with it again. Have just made the bridge section and am about to move on to the funnel accommodation and funnel (already made) before proceeding to finer details such as hatches, rails, samson posts, derricks, rigging, lifeboats davits etc etc.
Bob
PS. I never sailed in B.I. but did admire their ships. I was in Union-Castle in the 60s & 70s. PRETORIA CASTLE & EDINBURGH CASTLE quite similar.

Hello Bob, do you have a copy of WWS BI history?

[Shipbuilder]

Hello Jim,
No I don't. I only have VALIANT VOYAGING, a short history of the British India Steam Navigation Company in the second world war 1939 -1945.
Bob

[John Briggs]

She was a fine ship Bob.
Your model looks as though it is up to your usual high standard.
Would love to see it when finished.

[R58484956]

John, Bobs thread was dated 14/6/2010 I would guess she is now finished and now ready for maintenance.

[Shipbuilder]

The Kenya was indeed completed some time ago and I thought I had put a picture on here. Although I still count it one of my best, there was very little interest right from the start. Hardly anyone seemed to have heard of Kenya!
Eventually, it was completed and went off to the maritime sale in London at Christie's where it again aroused almost zero interest. Three sales in a run, it did not even achieve a single bid! But on the final one, someone made a very low "after sale offer" for it, so I let it go. But is was hardly with the efoort of building it.
Recently, I put the building sequence on U-Tube here:
http://youtu.be/u5eEae0JwOQ

Once again, it is second from the bottom in popularity, the biggest failure being "The Voyage Is Done & The Winds Don't Blow" book!

I no longer send them to the London auctions and have stopped doing private commissions, but still produce model ships from time to time for my own amusement!
Bob

[John Briggs]

Very good U-tube video Bob.
You have a great talent.

[ian keyl]

Well done Bob a magnifisent job and it takes me all the way back to April 1957 when Suez was closed and as a youngster coming home on long leave from Kenya to the UK. We were tourist passengers and when the parents used to go for dinner the two sets of young rebellious passengers would fight for control of the first class pool. I have seen first class deck chairs and glasses going over the wall and cushions thrown in the pool ,shuttle board used as spears you name it and it was war of the classes.
That was not the fault of such a lovely ship it was happy and the Goaanese crew could not do enough for you i can remember snob children challenging stewards to see who would give in first by asking for every type of egg and cereal on the breakfast menu. The stewards with the head steward looking on never turned an eyelid as they had the patience of jobe. From a little pantry on the starboard side just below the stairs up to the first class deck the deck stewards used to serve ice cream in the hot weather and cups of Bovril inthe colder climbs. As kids we would help take the ice cream around and then ask for the large two gallon tins of Walls ice cream so we could spoon out the leftovers.
We had afriend who served on the ship as printer and i think his workshop was on the port side with two round portholes just above the waterline. Many a time down there you would see flying fish go past his pothole or the sea completly cover it .The visits to the engine room was great the old lift with the expanding metal doors and the bells for direction. The e/r was spotless but like a sauna ,my clarckes sandals with crepe rubber soles melted on the e/r deck plates. Looking at your model I can still see vivid pictures of the real thing it has transported me there , going down the Mozambique channel and a bit of a swell we used to shin down the ladders onto the well deck for'd and try and catch the flying fish which had flown on to the deck,out of waves which had reached the well deck. I sailed out to Kenya on the Uganda in 1951 and they were both superb vessels. Thanks Bob for the re-kindling of memories. Ian.

[Sister Eleff]

Originally Posted by ian keyl

Well done Bob a magnifisent job and it takes me all the way back to April 1957 when Suez was closed and as a youngster coming home on long leave from Kenya to the UK. We were tourist passengers and when the parents used to go for dinner the two sets of young rebellious passengers would fight for control of the first class pool. I have seen first class deck chairs and glasses going over the wall and cushions thrown in the pool ,shuttle board used as spears you name it and it was war of the classes.
That was not the fault of such a lovely ship it was happy and the Goaanese crew could not do enough for you i can remember snob children challenging stewards to see who would give in first by asking for every type of egg and cereal on the breakfast menu. The stewards with the head steward looking on never turned an eyelid as they had the patience of jobe. From a little pantry on the starboard side just below the stairs up to the first class deck the deck stewards used to serve ice cream in the hot weather and cups of Bovril inthe colder climbs. As kids we would help take the ice cream around and then ask for the large two gallon tins of Walls ice cream so we could spoon out the leftovers.
We had afriend who served on the ship as printer and i think his workshop was on the port side with two round portholes just above the waterline. Many a time down there you would see flying fish go past his pothole or the sea completly cover it .The visits to the engine room was great the old lift with the expanding metal doors and the bells for direction. The e/r was spotless but like a sauna ,my clarckes sandals with crepe rubber soles melted on the e/r deck plates. Looking at your model I can still see vivid pictures of the real thing it has transported me there , going down the Mozambique channel and a bit of a swell we used to shin down the ladders onto the well deck for'd and try and catch the flying fish which had flown on to the deck,out of waves which had reached the well deck. I sailed out to Kenya on the Uganda in 1951 and they were both superb vessels. Thanks Bob for the re-kindling of memories. Ian.

What a lovely post Ian. I enjoyed your video shipbuilder, which must have taken ages to produce.