From PeterD Anglo Dutch Wars For Reidy's Reef (36 points)

Ok continuing with my run the table approach, I've got some Anglo Dutch Wars ships for Reidy's Reef.  Ships are 1/2400 scale from Tumbling Dice and there are two complete a British 4th and 5th rate.  No flags or name labels yet as I'm still playing around with Word to get these straight.

This project represents basically a swing and a mss for me, but I'll get it back on track come spring.  The Anglo Dutch Wars was to be my big project at the start of the challenge. However I got sidetracked...The ships are nicely cast but fiddly to assemble and it took multiple tries at getting the sails on each mast to get it right.  Meanwhile the Tumbling Dice War of the Pacific ships went together much quicker and so I got dug in finishing them off.  There are reasons - the 17th century rigging is more complex and the 19th century ships had slightly better connections.  Mostly though, I just didn't git her done.

If you want inspriration on doing this period have a look over at Barry Hilton's league of Augsburg blog.  he's been running a series of games using these ships and had a few of us act as admirals from away.  My squadron's had two actions, the first of which can be seen here with me as De Ruyter - I was pretty happy with the result and the games look amazing!

I am ok with my results so far, they are too dark, I need to add some brightwork and bling and they definitely need flags and labels.  I am reasonably happy with the se, again I tried for a green tinge to match the classic Dutch marine art of the period.

So at the end of the day I got my 4 yachts painted in the first days of the challenge, these two ships mid-challenge as a test run and then struggled along with the rest of the fleet.  I put a big push on this week, but decided not to rush it and slow down and make sure that I was happy with the results on the rest of them.

Points left on the workbench so that I can get them right.

This are ships for 30 points Reef bonus, and a brand new project started during the challenge for (unspecified) bones points.  Plus the 3 points each for the two ships.

I really should have done a Sandy Cheeks Aquatic squirrel challenge here - this is my fourth naval project this challenge including three scales, four wars and 3 different centuries.

As all three of his (currently) remaining posts are "ready" I'm going to post them as quick-fire as I can.

Nice ships Peter! Two more posts to go...

TamsinP

From NoelW: Ashore again : Reidy’s Reef: (100 points)

At the reef the ice breaks up and we wade ashore through icy waters, all the while keeping our eyes open for vampires, especially vampire sergeants.

But we see none. Instead, in the gloom of a frozen evening - is that a boat moored ahead? We can’t believe our luck. There’s no-one around, so it’s obviously not owned. Probably unwanted flotsam washed ashore, like us.

All we need to do is raise its masts, hoist the sheets and we can at last be homeward bound.

But there are none.

Okay. Oars then. It’ll be a bit of a heave but my men are hearty and I can shout a lot.

But we can’t find a single oar.

No wonder the boat has been abandoned. And it stinks of some oily, metallic stuff.

At least there are plentiful stores stashed below. As there’s no-one here, they obviously aren’t going to complain if a famished clump of heroes borrow a slice of pig and a drop of the red stuff.

It doesn’t take long before we’ve a decent celebration of not-yet-being-dead well under way.

That, of course, is when the owners return. There’s a whole crowd of them, a motley crew if ever there was one. Watching them arrive in their flickering torches, they don’t seem entirely friendly. 

Having learned from the vast majority of our previous adventures, it’s time to leap through the nearest porthole and leg it.

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The boat is a Sarissa model, a 1930s motor launch intended for use in the Dunkirk evacuation, I think, among other things, but obviously an extremely versatile model suitable for many possible contexts. In my case, it will reside primarily in Walmington on Sea awaiting Operation Sealion. In painting it, I’ve left some components bare wood which I think give a nice tasteful contrast to the painted surfaces.

The 16 figures are a mix of manufacturers: Footsore, Foundry and the exquisite Bad Squiddo (giving me an extra little entry for Lady Sarah’s Challenge).

Together these will form part of the population of Walmington, alongside Captain Mainwaring and crew, though some may will double up as French Resistance or give me the start of a Very British Civil War setup (a game I’ve never played, as yet).

Scoring: 28mm: 16 foot: 80 pts; 1 vehicle: 20 pts = 100 pts 

(No bonus for location, as this is my second visit here.)

at last it worked. I've got most of these figures and the boat. You've done a fine job on them

Martin