Beautiful Nordlands Boat – Completed Build by Paul Le Wol

August 18, 2022 / agesofsail / Leave a comment

A little over a month ago, we posted this story about an amazing build of the Billing Boats Nordlandsbaaden kit by ship modeler Paul De Wol. As you may recall from that post, the Nordlandsbaaden, or Nordlands Boat, is a type of boat from northern Norway, whose design and use as a fishing boat dates back to the 1600s, but has the traditional appearance of early Viking longships. If you haven’t read it, you can find the post here.

The model was “in progress” at the time we wrote that last post about the model, but it is now officially complete. In addition to these awesome photos we included here, Paul posted a lot more photos of the completed model in the gallery of the online forum Model Ship World. For a direct link to the photo album of his Nordland Boat, click here.

As a reminder, Paul made a lot of special modifications to really beautify this kit. If you read through his build log, he shows just how someone takes a nice kit and turns it into an incredible model. Paul gave us permission to use the photos of his model, so that we can share them with you, but as before, we recommend that you check out his full build log, as it’s not only interesting to see all the work he’s been putting into the model, but it also provides some great ideas and inspiration for anyone who’s intrested in building this kit or one like it.

This model is too beautiful to not post more photos of and we couldn’t help ourselves. Here are just a few more. Keep in mind that Paul made a lot of modifications, including using his own wood supply, in order to get his build to look this nice.

For those of you who might be interested in building this model, just visit the listing on our online shop here. Note that this is an “Experienced” level kit, which Billing Boats says should be attempted only by those with a couple models under their belts.

Special thanks again to Mr. Paul Le Wol for sharing his photos with us! Ω

Re-Introducing Billing Boats Nordlandsbaaden – Now 10% Off through July 31, 2022

July 11, 2022August 20, 2025 / agesofsail / Leave a comment

We just posted an article on a Nordlandsbaaden build (click here), and in doing so, we realized that this is an interesting and unusual type of sailboat, and we have quite a few of these kits in stock. So, we thought we’d reintroduce this big, 1/20-scale BillingBoats kit, with 10% off the kit from now through the end of the month (July 2022).

Again, this is a big kit. At 1/20 scale, the completed model measures about 28″ long and 28″ high. The beautiful lines of this wooden model kit will make this a perfect display piece for an office or den.

Special re-introduction sale pricing ends July 31, 2022!

View additional information, photos, and specifications at Ages of Sail here.

German Heavy Cruiser Prinz Eugen Arrives – Special Pricing through May 31st, 2022

May 17, 2022August 20, 2025 / agesofsail / 1 Comment

OcCre’s newly released 1/200 scale model kit of the German heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen has just arrived at Ages of Sail! Regularly priced at $450, we’re celebrating the new kit with a special sale price of just $399. That’s a $50 savings from our regular price.

Prinz Eugen was a heavy cruiser built for the German Kriegsmarine. Launched in 1938, the ship entered service shortly after the outbreak of World War II. The Prinz Eugen was one of five Admiral-Hipper class heavy cruisers, armed with a main battery of eight 8″ guns, mounted in four twin turrets. The ship’s secondary battery consisted of twelve 105mm guns, twelve 37mm guns, eight 20mm guns, and a pair of triple torpedo tubes.

Soon after she entered service, the ship was sent to join the newly completed battleship Bismarck in the Baltic as part of Operation Bheinübung, to break out into the Atlantic to destroy Allied shipping. During the operation the two ships encountered British battlecruisers at what became known as the Battle of the Denmark Strait. It was during this battle that the ships sank the battlecruiser Hood. After the engagement, the Prinz Eugen managed to break away to conduct attacks on Allied shipping.

Eventually, the ship was assigned to Operation Cerberus to support german operations in Norway, and later to operations in the Baltic, where she served until the end of the war.

OcCre’s new Prinz Eugen kit is massive. At 1/200 scale, the completed model measures just over 42″ long.

This is a wooden hulled ship model kit that is built up with a framework of bulkheads and wooden strips. It is an advanced-level kit. Components include laser-cut wooden parts, highly detailed cast parts, and lots of photo etched brass.

We received a good supply of these kits, but the special pricing of $399 is only good through the end of May, so act quickly if you want to take advantage of this offer.

Get more details about this incredible kit or buy it now at Ages of Sail here: https://www.agesofsail.com/ecommerce/prinz-eugen-(occre,-1:200).html

Ages of Sail

On the Horizon: The Fluytship from Kolderstok

April 19, 2022August 20, 2025 / agesofsail / Leave a comment

Kolderstok has been working on a new kit to add to their lineup of wooden kits of Dutch ships and ship types, the Fluytship or Flute Ship. We have a couple shipments in the pipeline from Kolderstok, to include the new kit. So, watch for it!

From Kolderstok’s kit description:

“The flute ship can be seen as the means of transport of the 17th century.While the origin of the name flute cannot be established with any certainty, its characteristic shape – a convex, pear-shaped hull with a strongly concave top and narrow decks – can plausibly be assumed to be the result of a succession of small developments that started at the end of the 16th century.

At this model the method of construction is different from other models. An oak frame is placed on an MDF base, after which the customised basswood planking is attached to the oak frame. The planking is applied from the keel upwards. After removing the MDF base, a completely hollow hull remains.

The model is in scale 1 to 72 and consists of laser-cut frames, fully cut basswood planking and various laser-cut accessories. The ornaments are fully 3D designed and printed with a very high accuracy. The building instructions are based on photos, and the rigging is based on drawings. The model includes two small boats and a set of sails (self-build, stitching required). The model comes with a basic oak stand.”

The scale of this new kit, 1/72, gives it a length of about 24″ and a height of about 21.5″, and scale compatible with both Kolderstok’s Batavia and the Zeven Provencien kits. It is considered an advanced kit with a difficult rating of 4 on a scale of 1 to 4.

We don’t have a final price on this kit yet, but we will have it when the new kit arrives. Watch for it at Ages of Sail or check out our full selection of Kolderstok kits here. Ω

Two New Fishing Boat Kits from Vanguard Models – In Stock Now

March 29, 2022 / agesofsail / 1 Comment

Lately, it seems that Vanguard Models has been releasing new kits faster than we can stock them. The two newest kits to be released are a pair of 19th century fishing boats, the Nisha, a Brixham “Mumble Bee”, and the Erycina, a Plymouth Trawler.

Erycina

Nisha

The Nisha, 1907 – The ‘Mumble Bee’ was cutter rigged, full bowed and broad beamed. They were strongly built and many survived to a good old age. Because of their fine lines, a few of these vessels were converted to yachts in their later life. Those fishing off the Welsh coast out of Tenby, working the fishing grounds in Mumbles Bay, acquired the collective term ‘Mumble-Bees’. In part, this was coined because of the large numbers of them ‘buzzing’ around the Mumbles like bees around a hive, and also arose by them adopting some of the features of the established Mumbles boats. Nisha had an overall length of 59 feet 3 inches, moulded beam of of 14 feet. She had a deep drag aft with a draft of 7 foot 10 inches but only 4 feet forward. Her fine lines translate into a very pleasing hull shape, making a very attractive display model.

The Erycina, 1882 – Originally built as a cutter designed by H.V. Prigg and built by W.H. Shilston, Coxside, Sutton Harbour in 1882. She was converted to a ketch rig in 1894. Due to her pedigree, Erycina has unusually beautiful lines, described as a ‘Crack Ketch’, and handled more like a racing yacht than a fishing vessel. Erycina fished along the South West UK coast for over 50 years, an incredibly long career for such a vessel. Her overall length was 71 feet, with a length between perpendiculars of 63 feet. The moulded bredth of 17 foot 2 inches was rather more fine than that of the average trawler, but she was built for speed, and of- ten raced at regattas with with the crack Brixham Smack, Ibex. In 22 races at Plymouth regattas, Erycina won 15 first, 4 second and 2 third prizes.

Both kits are in 1/64 scale that incorporate the latest design techniques, but are both suitable for the total beginner, as well as the seasoned modeler who may want to take a very scale accurate and detailed kit and add their own additional detailing.

Both feature laser cut and engraved parts in MDF and pear wood, laser cut pear wood ladders and companionway, laser etched and cut maple decks with treenail detail, photo etched brass detailing, and more.

Check out the specifics of each kit or order yours on our Ages of Sail shop here:

Nisha – Brixham ‘Mumble Bee’

Erycina – Portsmouth Trawler

Available Now at Ages of Sail

OcCre’s HMS Terror Build in High Speed

March 29, 2022 / agesofsail / 1 Comment

The latest video work from TOM’S Modelling in Motion brings us a 4-1/2 minute build of the Arctic expedition ship HMS Terror, one of two ships that disappeared while searching for the Northwest Passage in 1845, the other being HMS Erebus. The video takes us rapidly through the model, seemingly building itself, while educating us about the story of the ship and crew.

One thing that’s interesting about Tom’s build is his use of some specially designed 3D printed figures which are prominently displayed at the start of the video. Apparently, these figures are available as a file download for your 3D printer for a very reasonable price. Of course, you’ll need your own 3D printer or service to create them.

Tom’s figures are available as 3D printer files, which you can purchase, download, and print to your own 3D printer or using a service of your choice.

We don’t sell these ourselves, and we are not responsible for the quality or use of the file or figures. But, you might be interested in using them yourselves. Again, we have no knowledge about how to use the downloaded files, so please don’t ask us! Here’s the link that Tom shared on his Youtube description: https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/various/admiral-captain-and-sailors-for-hms-terror

But, the model is of course the HMS Terror kit from OcCre of Spain. And, if you’re inspired to build your own model of this fascinating ship, we do carry this very popular kit.

Start by checking out the kit on the Ages of Sail online shop here: https://www.agesofsail.com/ecommerce/occre/occre-ship-model-kits/hms-terror-occre-oc12004.html

Find this, and more, at Ages of Sail

Artesania Latina’s Soleil Royal Now in Stock!

March 9, 2022 / agesofsail / 2 Comments

The 17th century French ship-of-the-line Le Soliel Royal was build as as a 104 gun warship name for the “Sun King”, King Louis XIV, and served as the flagship of Admiral Tourville. The “three decker” was built in 1669 and was one of the most powerful ships of her day. She was also among the most sumptuously decorated warships with wooden carvings paying tribute to the French monarch.

Artesania has recreated this ship in incredible detail with this big 1/72 scale wooden ship model kit that is replete with decorative fittings, particularly at the bow and stern. The kit features hundreds of laser-cut plywood and solid wood parts, cast and photo-etched metal fittings, as well as a full set of pre-sewn sails. To finish the model, the kit also comes with wooden base and metal nameplate, plus a set of 12 cast metal figures of the ship’s crew, ready to paint and assemble.

The completed model measures just about 36″ long, 34″ high, and just under 12″ across.

We also stock Artesania Latina’s optional lighting kit, which you can use to add extra life to your model.

As with all Artesania Latina kits now, all instructions are provided in digital format on computer DVD . The step-by-step instructions consist of nearly 400 pages, with thousands of images and text to help get you through this incredible kit, designed for the Expert ship modeler.

Don’t have a DVD drive? Not a problem, you can download the instructions directly or you can preview them here.

To get started on your own Artesania Latina Soleil Royal build, visit our kit listing at Ages of Sail here. Ω

An Amati Drakkar Viking Ship Build

January 4, 2022May 23, 2024 / agesofsail / 1 Comment

An Australian ship modeler that goes by the screen name of Amfibius built an incredibly well done Drakkar Viking Ship that he built from a kit by Amati Model. The model photos were posted on the ModelShipWorld forum was back in 2013, but that doesn’t take away from the great presentation he made of his model.

We reached out to him and asked him if we could share his photos and news about his build on our blog. So, here’s his beautiful Drakkar build, presented here with his permission.

Continue reading →

Ship’s Boats kits from Vanguard Models – Now in Stock

December 10, 2021 / agesofsail / 1 Comment

While Vanguard Models is known for some very beautifully designed kits of British fishing boats and 18th century warships, they also now produce a full line of ship’s boats kits, and Ages of Sail has them for you.

All kits are 1/64-scale models. They are fully detailed to finish out your large ship model or waterfront scene, and they make great short term projects on their own.

All kits come with a disposable building frame, with all wooden parts provided in high grade pear wood. Planks are laser-cut, and accessories are provided in the form of photo-etched brass.

There’s a wide assortment to choose from – everything from an 18-foot cutter on up to 34-foot launch. There are currently 8 different kits available, so you’ll be able to find the exact boat you need, and we have them all at Ages of Sail here. Ω