Inc. The Lord Nelson Victory Tugboat DUM1225 Boats Kits Electric

I am about 3/4 through the building process of the Lord Nelson Victory Tug. Construction has taken me approximately 2 months so far, (manual says about 3 to 3 1/2 months is normal building time). It has plenty of detail, and the builder can add their own detail too. The manual explains the process of installing the radio control equipment into the hull. The hull, when fully completed, is quite sturdy and shows no sign of flexing. So far, it has taken many bottles of glue, time, and careful patience. The hull, again, is built up of various widths of bass and balsa and is then fiberglassed with several coats of resin. It will be a beautiful decoration in the house and handsome, perky, yet scruffy tug boat out on the windy lake!!!

Quality kit, I've purchased Dumas products before and they are the best, always have good instructions, parts, and excellent customer service. I've encountered a few damaged or missing parts in previous kits and with a call to the number provided, Dumas has always made it right very promptly. They'll also assist with questions about glues, finishes, etc, etc. These kits are complex with many parts and they do an amazing job of getting it right.

I have not started assembly of the tug as I have two other projects in the works. I have had an opportunity to conduct a lengthy review of the plans/documentation provide in the kit and I am totally disappointed. The kit is recommended for an experienced modeler and I can see why. I can honestly say it has the poorest set of plans I have encountered in the many years I have been building models. If you are good at reading between the lines, good at making assumptions and can endure the frustration of trying to make a quality model from poorly formulated drawings/instructions this model is for you, if not pass it by.

I have just complete the construction of my Lord Nelson Tug and am ready to install the running gear/hardware. The quality of all kit materials is VERY GOOD and there was no missing pieces except for the pin that goes in the prop shaft. There was no damaged pieces/parts. That is where my positive comments end. The instruction manual was quite good up through step 206 and figure 37 and from there on be prepared for many problems and headaches.Reading the two previous reviews makes me wonder if maybe Dumas wrote them themselves, because I DO NOT agree with much of them, except for the remark about being a choir to build. I am a very experienced kit builder, have built many different types of kits and and chose this kit because I wanted something that would take me more than a couple of weeks to build. I am pretty much a perfectionist at what ever I do/build and have been told more than once that my work is exceptional.I feel that the manual beyond step 206 is pretty much junk. There is so many places/steps that are either in a very poor sequence, over stated or missing detail that it makes it very hard to decide just what you should do next. I followed the manual word for word as much as I could only to discover later that I should have done something else. The Dumas people are very easy to contact and willing to help but I have got some very poor suggestions from them. I won't even try to detail all of my suggestions here or describe all of the problems that I feel are caused by the VERY POOR instruction manual.My Tug has turned out to be a beautiful boat and I'm sure it will perform flawlessly.I would be more than happy to discuss my thoughts with anyone who is interested. I just recently built the Dumas Myrtle Corey Stern Wheeler (1253)and had none of the problems I have had with this boat. It was difficult but no real problems and it performs well, but does sit deep in the water.

Am missing a number of pieces. Have written the company and am waiting for reply/outcome. Used an unusually large amount of glue. Now very happy at this point - until I hear from the company.

Fast shipping; very detailed model; well constructed parts.