Today I want to present you with a slightly different kind of model kit: a Sinagot in scale 1/60. A Sinagot is a small boat with two masts, characteristic of the small port of Séné in the arrondissement of Vannes. These schooners were traditionally used for fishing and coastal shipping in the Gulf of Morbihan until the early 20th century. Nowadays they are only used as leisure vessels and excursion boats. In addition to the rigging, typical features are the distinctive, often red or orange-colored sails, as well as the bulbous bottom without a noticeable keel.

A Sinagot?

I wanted to build a model on a larger scale than my usual 1/150. The selection of serious plastic kits here is no longer very large. Most are aimed at a “Pirates of the Caribbean” audience. The Heller kit was still readily available at the time. However, with the takeover by Revell and the realignment of their product range, things are looking bleak here in the future, and the Sinagot model is only available on the second-hand market in Germany.

The model kit

“Spartan” is probably the most fitting description for this kit. It consists of merely 25 individual parts, including the (useless) blocks and sails. So it was a challenge to create something interesting out of it. For me, it was an opportunity to tackle the subject of sailmaking. In all fairness, although I own a sewing machine, I have zero clue about needlework. The result turned out accordingly. Above all, I would certainly not paint the letters onto the canvas again. You learn something new every day, though, and the beautiful red color at least makes up for a lot!

Otherwise, there were no major obstacles here. I took it easy, and you could probably finish the kit in a week or less if you factor in the time you need for the paint to dry. The fit was good, which was certainly due to the large scale and the lack of complicated and long parts, which tend to distort easily.