bristolchannelcutter

Bristol Channel pilot cutters had to be both fast and seaworthy to ply their trade, and Mascotte built in 1904 is one of the finest surviving examples of these classic sailing craft. At 60 feet in length one of the largest of her type, Mascotte was built at Newport, and operated out of the ports of Barry and Newport on the south Wales coast. No trusted hull lines drawing was available, so the model hull was produced largely from photos of the full-size vessel, but the resulting hull shape is believed to be fairly authentic. The hull has not been deepened or altered in any way, but the model is large enough to be a fine sailer in all but the strongest winds, without the need for any added external keel or ballast, and it was easy to fit the required 8.5kg of lead ballast inside the moulded fibreglass hull of the prototype. A half-size general-arrangement drawing and sailplan is included as standard, but an extensive model construction manual providing complete step by step instructions, is also available as an extra if required. This manual covers every detail of building a sailing model, with drawings of all fittings and comprehensive rigging details. Although quite a large model, it’s designed in such a way that it can be kept fully rigged at all times where space allows. The bowsprit can be retracted and the topmast lowered for transport, so that the model will fit on the rear seat of most medium-sized cars, and it then only takes a minute or two at the pond side to have the model ready for sailing. The first pic shows the hulls as supplied, the second shows the real Mascotte under sail, and the third shows the prototype model, looking so realistic that it could almost be mistaken for the full size boat. The fourth photo shows another example built by a talented Kingston Mouldings customer. Sails for this model can be obtained from either Frank Parsons of Nylet, or Mike Mayhew of Waverley Models, who can also supply many fittings like scale wood blocks. Contact details for both can be found on this website's Useful Links page.