GRAND BANKS:
In search of a subject for super-detailing, Brian Knight falls for Amati's mahogany-trimmed model of the classic motor yacht In a moment of quiet reflection, whilst snapping photos for Ray Wood's Silver Mist article this month, I couldn't help thinking how lucky we are to be involved in such a satisfaction-rich pastime. There we were, out in the spring sunshine, in the middle of the Kent countryside, beside crystal-clear water, playing with model boats. Life-affirming is the best way I can describe it. Mind you, what we actually experienced during our three-hour session was just the icing on the cake, the finale of a journey that, for Ray, will have begun months ago with the seed of an idea or a flash of inspiration. We've all been there and from that moment the process of creating a working model boat can take us in many directions to tasks that require any number of different skills from research and technical drawing to woodwork, metalwork, mechanics, electronics, fault-finding, problem solving and more. Enjoyable and sociable as it is, I think it's fair to say that for most of us the singular act of arriving at the lakeside to sail a boat is not, in itself, what keeps us coming back for more, though clearly if you're involved in any form of competition, it plays a significant part.

Kim White touches on the broader appeal of the hobby in his article (on page 46) describing the construction of his 1/72-scale battlecruiser, HMS Invincible. "Careful research is one of the great pleasures of building a model, any model, and then knowing just what everything on the real ship actually does, or did. He's absolutely right, of course. Indeed Steve Whitelock alludes to the same while describing the build of his Port of Wells service vessel, Frank T (page 24). Steve, you can tell, got immense pleasure from the contact he had with Wells harbour office, his chat with the skipper, tour of the boat and, finally, the chance to show the finished model to the office staff and crew. Money can't buy this sort of experience, you get it only through following the well-trodden path to building a model boat. This rich diversity of interest and required skill is what makes the hobby a lifetime pursuit rather than a five-minute wonder and it's exactly why that trip to the lake on a Sunday morning is often just a simple and satisfying finale to the main event.

CLOCKING OFF:
And that folks is just about it from me. 21 st Century publishing is a volatile old business that's constantly reorganising itself. Accordingly, recent developments require that I vacate this position to take the reins of my previous title, RCMSE. I'm going to miss you. I've had a ball editing these last six issues and leave with very mixed emotions. On the one hand a genuine love for the magazine I'm going back to, but on the other a true feeling of regret that I'd didn't manage to get my feet properly under the table here at Model Boats. MB's team of regular contributors is fantastic. Each and every one has gone out of their way to make me welcome during my stay and I thank them all. Fortunately, my replacement is a fella who's as keen as mustard to come aboard, has a wealth of modelling and publishing experience and a desire to keep pushing this fabulous magazine forward. From the next issue, then, do please welcome Martyn Chorlton.