Background
My name is Sergey, but in the ship modeling community, I’m known by the nickname serikoff.

From 2009 to 2013 I built HMS Victory... and after a ten year break, in 2023 I returned to construction, but in 2025 I put work on pause again, as I took up another very large project. 

My future plan for HMS Victory is to bring the model to a fully rigged hull: complete the copper sheathing, install all the deck fittings, and then place it in a custom-made glass display case as a complete hull display, minus the masts. The truth is, I simply don't have the space for a fully rigged and masted model of this size (1.5 x 1 x 0.5 m), so the model will likely remain as is... and finishing it could take a long time, and that's not what I have in mind.

  
 A Chance Encounter
One day, I stumbled upon a YouTube video showcasing the build of the Hayling Hoy 1760 model. Through the video’s title, I found a website, drydockmodelsandparts.com, which led me to my future project: the HMS Alert 1777 kit. On the site, I also discovered links to the shipsofscale.com/sosforums, which had over 25 build logs dedicated to this cutter. I instantly fell in love with this ship.
Desire and Decision
I spent a long time studying the kit and weighing my desire to purchase it. I read all the build logs on the forum, and since the reviews were universally positive, only three things held me back: 1. My unfinished previous ship. 2. The fear of leaving this project incomplete due to limited time. 3. The kit’s price, which ranged from $620 to $690.
Then, one day, I came across the kit on OLX (a local equivalent of Amazon) listed for just $350. That sealed the deal.
The Purchase
The seller was another modeler who already had five ongoing projects and one still in its box. To avoid temptation, he sold the kit to me. He had originally purchased it three years ago on AliExpress. Below, I’ll provide a detailed review of the kit.
Plans

01.01.2025  
I have very ambitious plans for this project. Let me briefly outline everything I want to implement.
 I want to build 2 separate hulls. Maybe even both hulls will be in one showcase (but this is not certain). 

So, the 1st hull will be a complete skeleton PoF (the construction will be carried out according to the Trident kit). But only until the end of the upper deck and railings. Almost all elements on the deck will be rebuilt from scratch from pear.

The 2nd hull will be an exact copy of the first. I will do this by scanning the wooden hull and then I will print the second hull on a 3D printer. It will be completely sheathed with slats both outside and on the deck (without access to the interior). Also, all the deck parts will be installed on this hull: guns, hatches, etc.,which will be manufactured according to the drawings. All rigging elements will also be manufactured and installed: masts, yards, etc.

But that's not all. I also want to scale the ship's anatomy drawings to the kit dimensions (and the kit's drawings) and print them at 1:1 scale. Using these drawings, I'll fabricate the masts, yards, and rigging with sails for the second hull (as well as all other hull components). More on that below.
The result will be a continuous process of building two models: the first is a frame hull in the Admiralty style, and the second is a fully finished model without cutouts for viewing the interior, but with rigging and sails.
Some might find this approach strange, as it’s common to plank one side of the ship and leave the other open for viewing. However, I’m drawn to the two extremes: either a complete ship or just the skeleton.
I’m unsure if my plans will change along the way, but I’m committed to this vision and hope it comes to fruition. Wish me luck as I embark on this long but exciting journey.

This is the sister ship Rattlesnake, I liked the execution of the engraving.

The final version is still being thought out, but I definitely want to make it with sails, almost in the same design as this model of the Cutter Hawke.
(Photo of a Greenwich Museum model as a reference for execution).

Working on drawings.

1. I scanned the plans included with the Trident kit and enlarged them by 5%, as they didn't match the kit parts at 1:1 scale.
2. I scanned the entire anatomy of Goodwin's Cutter Alert 1777.
3. In Photoshop, I calibrated the hull and parts from the anatomy to match the kit plans, and then created my own drawing.
4. I also created plans for the masts and rigging in a similar manner. But that's a separate topic, and I'll cover it in the next section—the Cutter Alert rigging.
This is what 1:1 drawings at 48th scale look like, printed on A0 format (841 x 1189 mm).

 
Now, let's take a closer look at the hull drawings and all the parts on it (not including the masts and rigging, which will be covered in the next article).

So, why did I create my own drawings? It's logical that models aren't built from anatomy alone, and accurate, full-size paper drawings are needed. Since I had a hull drawing from a kit (which fairly accurately followed the ship's contours), I needed to scale all the parts and the hull itself from the anatomy scans to the dimensions of my hull from the kit drawings. This was necessary to have precise dimensions and sizes for all the elements on the hull and deck, since I'll be making them from scratch. Incidentally, I'll be making most of these parts for the kit hull as well, so I'll be making two sets at once, which is convenient.
This might also be useful to you if you're building this model. So, if you have a Trident Model kit and want to add planking and some improvements, my work will definitely be useful. And if you'd like to make rigging and sails, the next post contains instructions and drawings for all of this.

Below is a sample A0 sheet...

 ...and since this format cannot be posted here in its entirety, you can download the original from Google Drive using this link >>>.

ATTENTION! This drawing (like all the drawings in the next post) is constantly being developed and revised, so the final version will only be available at the end of construction. For now, this is a preliminary sample and may contain errors. Any complaints against me will be unfounded, as it's up to you to decide whether to blindly believe everything in this, verify all the data, or do everything yourself. Constructive criticism and comments are welcome.
 
 
Next...

 

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