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Building a USN Port Around a HogIslander

My reference photos allowed me to add extra detail to my build of the ship. At this stage I decided to have the ship lying to a buoy light, so that more of the underwater hull would be visible, as the kit shows the vessel at near full load. I liked the slightly ungainly look of the high on her marks as seen in many photos, so the first thing to add was additional plastic shims to gain the extra depth.

Once the cement had set, I simply carved it to conform to the hull contours existing. So as to build a credible model of USS Capella, required some portholes to be added; but rather more difficult, as some needed to be removed and altered in height.
Study of photos showed visible plating runs, so I decided to represent this by the application of 3-M Scotch Magic tape. . .thin, dead matt and easy! I have no concerns about the longevity of this material, if properly sealed with varnish and paint. I have ‘plated’ some hulls in this manner in the past, and some of the models are 15 plus years old now with no sign of movement whatsoever.