boston blenheim

This is a scale model of a 1980s British deep-sea stern trawler design from the Fleetwood Lancashire based fleet of Boston Deep Sea Fisheries. This type of vessel quickly replaced almost all of the older deep-sea side trawlers, being more effective and therefore more economic to operate, as well as much safer for the crew to work in heavy seas. The detailed drawing shows most practical scale detail, together with some model construction information. The hull is moulded to include bulwarks and also the superstructure sides, all of which are accurately trimmed, as is the cut-out in the squared-off stern, as can be seen in the first photo. The second photo shows the prototype, which was built with an all-wood plank on frame hull. The model was such a success that a second wood hull was eventually made as the basis for the fibreglass production version. Model displacement was slightly under 22 lbs (10kg), and the single screw was powered by a geared Decaperm electric motor. A large 12 volt gel cell was fitted, and this provided a long running time as well as useful ballast to help bring the hull down to the scale waterline.