Thanks for the advice Dave - more Rubies for the jewelry box!

I've started to play with Curviloft, with some success - it's vindicated that is is possible to build 'from the keel up' - but it's highlighting every inaccuracy in my 'virtual woodwork' with it's super smooth skinning! But I shall persevere! I don't mind pouring virtual gelcoat, but if structure exists, I want to model it. And if I can find a way of hammering virtual planks onto the structure thats the way I'll go. I am, after all trying to model something real. She deserves the best. One caveat - if it's for Google Earth quick and easy is best, the moderators HATE internal structure!

I'm modelling the boat from life. Measurements and further photographs are just a short walk away!

How interesting that you should include an image of RX1. The boat I am modelling is RX134. In case you didn't know, the RX registration is assigned by the port of Rye, East Sussex. The Hastings fleet also sport this registration, the towns are 10 miles apart. Hastings has shared the registry with Rye since 1850 when the port of Hastings was officially demoted to the status of 'Creek' and the size of the customs office reduced to a single officer!

Despite all the tribulations of the last century, the Hastings fishing fleet still exists and, although it is tiny compared to it's historical size, it is still the largest beach launched leet in Europe. Bigger by far than the fleet of the 'Port' of Rye just up the coast. In Edward the Confessors reign Hastings provided a sixth of the vessels for the Royal Navy. In consquence of this the fishermen of Hastings were awarded, by Royal Charter, the use of a portion of the beach, known as the Stade, exclusively and in perpetuity. Much to the local planning departments chagrin!

Hastings was still providing boats for the Royal Navy as late a the Battle of Dunkerque!

You easily tell a Hastings boat from a Rye boat. Ours Have really heavy prows, reinforced with hoops of steel - previously iron - and heavilly reinforced keels and hulls. When they return from the sea the boats are rammed at full speed into the beach, and the recovery completed by hauling them beyond the high water mark using old bulldozers and winches driven by scavenged truck engines. Although the sailors may be home safe from the sea, the 'Boys Ashore' now have the arduous task of throwing greased railway sleepers and heavy duty polyprop piping under the prows of the vessels, recovering this 'lubrication' at the stern only to run it round to the front again. It all calls for a steady nerve with up to 70 tons of boat bearing down apon you and your feet slipping on the steep and moving shingle. Homecoming is certainly quite a sight in a heavy sea.

The sterns are reinforced as well. Yuo dont want to be damaged by the bulldozer when you launch!

I watched the last traditional clinker-buit lugger constructed on the Stade about 10 years ago, although this was more an exercise in living history than maritime enterprise. The last full-time shipwright in Hastings retired in the 1960's. Even just after the Second World War Hastings built about 8 luggers a year - all on the beach.

End of polemic. Just a glimpse of why I love the area - we are more than just the Battle of 1066.

We have a saying. 'Visit Hastings for the weekend, return for the rest of your life'. And No, I don't work for the Tourist Board.

Best Wishes.

Kevin.

Thank, Elisei.

Curviloft is now in the ruby directory. I'll try copying the ribs to make curves and running them through the plugin.

Having become bored modelling regular angled buildings I thought I'd try something a little more adventurous. As I normally model thing in my home town, and in particular the local fishing harbour, I picked on a local fishing boat. I read all I could find about modelling hulls using sketchup, instantly dismissing those techniques that called for subtracting one half lemon shape from a larger half lemon shape, and set to work in what I term 'reality analogue mode'. I layed down the keel, fabricated the ribs, extruded on set of ribs to make the curved deck, swore for hours with the frustration of trying to align the deck within the boat before I finally succeded. I even found a nice little marine deisel engine in the 3D Warehouse and, after more frustrating minutes manipulating it into the hull I was as happy as a Sketchup novice can be. Then I hit the chasm of inability that is the cause for this plea.

The real shipwright whould take elm planks of particular widths and coerse them to follow the shape of the ribs, overlapping them before belting them to the ribs with nails. I thought I could I emulate this by 'stitching' lines from rib to rib. SU is pretty particular with what constitutes coplaner however and I have failed to make a single surfc this way. I have tried extruding 'planks' with the 'follow me' tool, but that seems able to follow only one curve at a time. I have read about 'Drape' but this seems only to apply to terrain files.

The model, for what its worth can be seen at http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=6f60bce5bd2bed4deb7f7634d810f146 .

If anyone can point me in the direction of method to clad my boat I would be extremly grateful.

Kevin Parsk.