Model Shipways GLAD TIDINGS PINKY SCHOONER 1:24 SCALE

An Approachable Wooden Ship Kit with Room for Prize-Winning Results

When master modeler Olha Batchvarov moved to the United States, she had an empty room instead of a workshop.

Her husband gave her a table and the Model Shipways Glad Tidings Pinky Schooner—something she could begin building before she had accumulated a workshop full of tools.

She went on to win a prize with it.

That tells you something important about Glad Tidings: the basic wooden construction is approachable, but the kit gives an experienced modeler everything needed to create something exceptional.

What Makes Glad Tidings Different

The kit includes five sheets of highly detailed plans, plus a supplemental sheet showing the exact shapes and placement of the spiled hull planks.

As Olha explained:

“The best part is the very detailed drawings. Modelers can customize the kit without doing additional research. It is already done.”

A newer wooden ship modeler can follow the illustrated instructions and complete an impressive model. A more experienced builder can use the plans to add individual details without first conducting a small maritime research expedition.

A Distinctive New England Schooner

Pinky schooners were sturdy fishing and trading vessels distinguished by their narrow, uplifted—or “pinked”—sterns. They dominated the New England fisheries from approximately 1815 to 1840 before being replaced by the larger and faster Gloucester schooners.

Their seaworthiness and graceful lines later brought the type back as a pleasure craft.

Glad Tidings was designed by noted naval architect and maritime historian Howard I. Chapelle, former curator at the Smithsonian Institution. The full-size vessel was built for Chapelle by Roger I. Sawyer of Milbridge, Maine, and launched in 1937.

Our kit is based on his original drawings and represents a typical Maine Pinky: a two-masted schooner with gaff-rigged fore-and-aft sails and a single jib.

Designed for Accurate Hull Construction

Glad Tidings takes an unusual approach to plank-on-bulkhead construction. The port and starboard frameworks are assembled separately on a flat building board, making alignment easier and helping both sides of the hull remain symmetrical. The two halves may then be joined before planking—or planked separately first.

The kit also includes laser-cut bulwark strakes, while the plans show the spiling and precise placement of the hull planks. This removes much of the guesswork from producing the schooner’s distinctive hull shape.

The generous 1:24 scale makes the structure and fittings easier to handle while providing plenty of room for additional detailing.

Kit Contents

Laser-cut plywood, basswood and cherry components

Laser-cut center keel, bulkheads and bulwark strakes

Basswood strips for the hull and deck planking

Basswood dowels for the masts and spars

Cast Britannia metal anchor shanks, smokestacks, windlass, cabin portlights and turnbuckles

Brass eyebolts, split rings, nails and other fittings

Deadeyes and four sizes of wooden blocks

Six diameters of beige standing and black running rigging line

Five sheets of detailed, full-scale plans

Supplemental hull-planking sheet

24-page illustrated instruction manual

Finished Dimensions

Scale: 1:24 (½" = 1')

Overall length: 29½" (749 mm)

Height: 23" (584 mm)

Beam: 5¼" (133 mm)

Construction: Plank-on-bulkhead

Skill level: Intermediate

Paint, adhesives, tools, display base and pedestals are sold separately.

Instructions - English
Parts List