Please join me in welcoming Coastal Forces Plans to the Model Shipwrights family.

This Maine, US based enterprise is the brain child of the esteemed Dr.Al Ross and specializes in and I quote “plans and other materials related to the naval small combatants of the world. “

We understand that all the Coastal Forces plans are developed from original BUSHIPS, NAVSEA, or factory drawings, photos, and other reliable sources.

At present Coastal Forces Plans. have four basic series - CF, CFL, W, and VN.

1. The CF series focuses on USN and RN motor torpedo boats, motor gunboats, subchasers, and air/sea rescue craft;
2. The CFL series provides large-scale lines and sections of US PT’s;
3. The W series comprises large scale drawings of the various weapons carried by the PT’s;
4. The VN series focuses on riverine and coastal craft of the Viet Nam war era.

We also understand that there are “plans” (excuse the clumsy pun) to add more plans and items of interest details of which we will of course update you upon.

Dr, Al Ross himself probably needs no introduction however for the benefit of those new or reacquainting themselves to model ship modeling Al has been an avid ship modeler for over 50 years and has been building professionally for nearly two decades. For the last ten years, he has been designing kits and building custom models for BlueJacket Shipcrafters.

Dr. Ross is also well-known internationally as an author and illustrator. He has written and illustrated four books in the Anatomy of the Ship series and, together with John Lambert, the multi-volume Allied Coastal Forces of World War II. Al has also written extensively for such publications as “Ships in Scale”, “Scale Ship Modeler”, “Warship”, and “Marine Modelling”, as well as contributing a chapter in Conway Maritime Press’ History of the Ship series.

More appropriately Dr. Al Ross’ ship drawings have appeared in a number of books and articles by other authors, including Norman Friedman’s U.S. Small Combatants and D.W. Fostle’s “Vessels of Opportunity - the PTs” in Nautical Quarterly.

He is a long-time resident of Bangor, Maine, and holds a PhD in Adult Education from Florida State University. Al has designed technical training programs for the nuclear power and paper industries and taught Technical Writing at Unity College.

It is fair to see that the plans emanating from Coastal Forces Plans. will be prepared to the highest standard.

Watch this space for details of their latest plans if you love PT Boats you wont be disappointed.

Images and background information courtesy of Coastal Forces Plans.