A feat of 'Endeavour'....

 ....not really,  although with Italian instructions and a rather short on detail English translation it was a bit tricky at times.  Anyway,  it's finished and is now part of my growing collection.

Endeavour is a J-Class yacht built for the 1934 America's Cup by Camper and Nicholson in Gosport.  She was built for Tommy Sopwith who used his aviation design experience to ensure that the yacht was the most advanced of its day with a steel hull and mast.

She is 130 feet long and is still sailing today,  in fact just recently she was on the market for sale at around £2.5 million I seem to recall.

Sadly she failed in her attempt as there was an industrial dispute among Mr Sopwith's professional crew and they had to crew her with amateurs who lacked the necessary experience.  It was a close call though but she was narrowly beaten by the American yacht 'Rainbow'..

I always remember my father telling me that he watched the J-Class yachts at the regatta in Brixham, Devon.

                                                           Second planking progressing.

                                                        Second planking almost complete

                                               Painting and varnishing being completed

                                                 Mast stepped and some deck detail added
                                                 

                                                                          Finished!!     

                                                           The cockpit and bow detail

                                                             The stern looking forward

                                                       Pride of place in the front window!

I've just got to choose my next model although I think that a wormery for my fishing is perhaps first on the agenda!!!!

Dusting the dustsheet!....

 ....prior to a short drive to maintain the circular dimensions of the tyres.

                                                Hoovering the dustsheet prior to departure.

What I don't want while the car is wintering are flat spots developing because it has been standing unused for long periods.  Hence the short but sweet drives to get the engine temperature up to normal and keep it in good shape.

                                                     Safely tucked up after my drive.

It was around 5 degrees,  balmy to eskimos I suppose but not to me !!