RIVER GUNBOATS (FROM LEGO)

Back in 1973 (now more than fifty years ago!), Lego produced a series of plastic ships:

The original Lego advert, reflecting contemporary issues - Icelandic
Cod Wars, French passenger ferry, and cargo boat "with fruit from the
West Indies, machinery to Australia and oil from the Middle East"

The Lego Trawler

These Lego boats had a detachable keel, enabling the boat to be used "in the bath" or "on the carpet". Over the succeeding years, a variety of variants were produced, such as the Lego "Police boat":

The later police boat. Simply a different superstructure on the same
type of hull, and "rebranding by transfers" (or decals if you're American)

Apart from the detachable keel, the useful thing about these boats is that the pre-formed plastic hulls are split up in to Lego type sections, easily clickable together in shorter or longer lengths:

3 sections

or 4 sections

These vintage Lego boats (or more accurately, bits of them, usually hulls without any superstructure) turn up fairly regularly on Evilbay, and very often at useful prices. One thing to watch out for, however, is (whether by reason of age or children's fingers) the hulls sometimes have broken sides (see the example above) - so be careful when studying the photographs to avoid disappointment.

All that said, these hulls are pretty much the right size for 20 or 28mm figures, and take all the work out of "building gunboats". A plasticard covering for the "Lego nobbly deck", a suitable superstructure and a gun or two, and you're ready to rule the River Wye take your place at the bar of the Hereford Boathouse!

As always, some modelling inspiration:

The Sarissa Gunboat. Too large for the River Wye, although it might form part of the
"Bristol Fleet". Anyway, a good superstructure to emulate..PS If you're patient or lucky,
you can get about three - four Lego hulls for the price of one of these Sarissa kits!

Impossible to resist the more "Colonial Style" gunboat - part of Hereford's own "Great White Fleet" ?