Cygnets Model Boat Club
Maidstone

Cygnet's 50^th Birthday Celebration - Type 23 Frigate Build (HMS Kent)

The following page has been created to allow all the interested parties to see how the build of the Cygnets Model Boat Club HMS Kent is coming along.  All Club members are invited to contribute and add or request amendments to information that has already been submitted.

The purpose of the build is to do something special to celebrate the Cygnets Model Boat Club's 50^th Birthday, 1959 to 2009. What better way than to build a ship like HMS Kent and take her somewhere she has never been or likely to go and sail her from Tonbridge to Maidstone in the County of Kent.

To help us celebrate, the Cygnets Model Boat Club has teamed up with Demelza House Children's Hospice and will work with the charity on fund raising activities, further details will be listed as and when know.  If you would like to know more on what the charity does click on their logo and visit their site.

Since her very successful River Marathon on the 11^th of July and appearance at Boats on the Mote on the 26^th July plans were made for HMS Kent to put in appearances at a couple of open days organised by local Clubs.

Our first visit was planned to join Chantry MBC at Bluewaters for their Open/Tug Day – unfortunately we could not put it logistically together and three members of Cygnets travelled to Bluewaters with “standard” models and enjoyed a day of sailing in their company.

Three weeks later we got “all our ducks in a row” and took HMS Kent and her three man crew down to the Open Day organised by the Heron MBC in Herne Bay. After assembling and launching/mooring her, she became very much the centre of attraction with lots of questions about her being asked by members of a very interested public. Memorial Park lake in Herne Bay is not over large for models of the size of HMS Kent but many hours were spent by her patrolling the waters. A specific slot was allocated to HMS Kent and during this slot Peter Clayton gave a talk, over the p.a. system, on the history of the HMS Kent project. A most enjoyable day was had by all and members of the Heron MBC were very appreciative of our attendance with our very unique model.
 

A week later and we visited Grays Thurrock MBC for their Navy Day check out the gallery by clicking on the icon to the left.

Where will she be next? Over the weekend of the 19^th and 20^th of September she will be on static display at the Southern Model Air Show at the Hop Farm near to Paddock Wood in Kent and the following Sunday, the 27^th,, she will be on display during the AMBO Championship Finals at her home waters in Mote Park, Maidstone.

Peter Clayton  -  HMS Kent Project Team.