A self-confessed ‘boat daft’ schoolboy to this day, Graham Castle became infused with all things nautical whilst growing up in Bristol where he began whittling small hulls from broomstick-handles and scratch-building working models.
Running away to sea at fifteen as an Artificer Apprentice led to service on an aircraft-carrier in the Far East and the inspiration to apply for a commission as a helicopter pilot in the Fleet Air Arm with subsequent tours on Destroyers and Frigates operating from Iceland to Malaya – ‘plastic’ modelling meanwhile. After many years as a flying instructor and keen yachtsman he eventually ‘taught’ flying in the classroom as Head of the navy’s training school at RNAS Culdrose – by which time the models had grown to 1:1 scale. Fortunately retirement presented the opportunity for an extended cruise to the Mediterranean in one of them (model-making now by oil-lamp), an Honours Degree in Technology, and service with HM Coastguard at Falmouth. Graham and his wife Tilly live in Cornwall where the days are far too short to accommodate ship-modelling, writing, ‘life-stuff’, and cosseting the family’s fifty-year old half-timbered Morris Minor. His interest in building and exhibiting ship-models that illustrate the evolution of nineteenth-century maritime technology derives from admiration for the skilled and innovative craftsmen of The Industrial Revolution who ‘contrived, devised, or constructed …’ – the real scratch-building Tiffies of their day.
Introduction to Marine Modelling John Davies and Chris Jackson bring together a fund of specialist knowledge covering the many and varied forms of model boat and ship construction and use and offer a comprehensive introduction to the hobby. From the intricacies of scale modelling to the power and speed of racing boats via the quieter waters of sailing yachts and steam powered models the reader will find all the latest and up to date facts at their fingertips.
Newcomers to the marine modelling hobby will find guidance on the types of models available the alternative methods of construction and the basics of radio control. The chapters on electric and steam power are full of useful data and the possibilities of paddlewheel variable pitch propeller and other methods of propulsion cover some of the less well known types and will answer the queries most often posed by readers of Marine Modelling magazine. An excellent read for bath newcomer and committed enthusiast alike!
