OK, picking your collective brain again. Does anyone recall a kit of a Middle Eastern Zebec? I am sure it was Japanese manufactured and was out about 9 or 10 years ago. I had it but when moving house it went West while I went East.
Several companies provided this kit as a Xebec, Chebec and Zebec. I built the Imai model. It had alot going for it: shaped wooden bowsprit, printed cloth sails, metal eyebolts. The plans were poorly-reproduced copies of a more elaborate instruction sheet, but with some research I produced a decent and fairly accurate model.
Several other scales and versions of this were made, but I don’t recall the companies off-hand.
“If we prosper it shall be as is our custom…by Miracle!”
azrog
Jim:
I built a wooden Xebec from a kit a few years ago but can’t recall the manufacturer. I remember the hull being in two halves with the keel and posts in between. Plastic oars, cloth sail and awning, and I had to guess at most of the rigging as their rigging plan did not make sense; the sail couldn’t be worked.
I haven’t seen another kit like that since I bought that one. Similar fate, the model went South when we moved West to Edmonton.
Regards,
Bruce
From the description I am sure it was the IMAI kit. Now if I could only track one down.
They are kind of rare.
IMAI also had kit in approximately the same scale of Columbus’ Santa Maria and the Mayflower. They had interesting light-wood-colored, rather thick hull halves with deeply-engraved wood grain and planking that made them interesting to weather.
I wonder whether the Banner/Trumpeter Mayflower might be from this mold[?]
“Should we prosper it shall be as is our custom…by Miracle!”