Lifesavers!

I've never been happy with the handmade lifebelts on MV Glenachulish but being an inveterate professional aka cheapskate I've persevered and fiddled and faffed about to get them right.

It became obvious to me only yesterday that it would never work so I had to send away for a supply from a marine model fittings company. The bits cost me £2.20 and the p&p was £2.50!!!

They arrived first class post this morning and this afternoon having carefully removing the old ones off the vessel I've started painting the replacements to be fitted tomorrow.

This has been quite an expensive model to build. The balsa and special glues came to £10, the plastic rod and sheets of varying shapes and thicknesses came to £25, two pots of paint (colours I didn't have) £4.40, and three new brushes £9.90 (I always use new brushes).

Add to this about 30 hours of research and building/painting time at even a modest rate of £15.50 an hour and the intrinsic value works out at about £500 - which is no co-incidence - it is about the going rate for a hand made model to this standard. Remember it started life as an idea from a photograph or two, no plans, dimensions or anything just some sheets of plastic card and a few other bits.

Good job I don't have to put money into a swear box or there'd be no profit left. It's been a tricky little so-an-so.