Model boat kit

New Bedford Whaleboat

Kit by Model Shipways

The New Bedford whaleboat was the open rowing and sailing boat lowered from American whaleships to chase whales, and tens of thousands were built between 1720 and 1920.

The 1:16 kit represents a boat of about 1850 to 1870 and is built plank on frame like the original. Hull planks, oars, tubs and casks are laser-cut basswood, and photo-etched copper supplies the whaling gear details.

What building a New Bedford Whaleboat actually takes

Medians from the build logs kept on this site, not the designer’s estimate. Nobody has logged this boat here yet, so they are empty until the first builder does.

Build logs

Launched

n/a

Median hours

n/a

Median months

Those medians firm up as more people log this boat.

Builds of this boat

Nobody has logged a New Bedford Whaleboat here yet.

If you are building one, yours becomes the reference: the page the next person building this boat finds when they search for it. One photo and one line is a valid first entry.

Start the first log of this boat

Boats like this one

Same type, closest in length.

Kit	Kit maker	LOA
Venetian Gondola	Amati	19″ (50 cm)
Bounty Boat	Occre	17″ (44 cm)
HMS Bounty Jolly Boat	Artesania Latina	17″ (42 cm)
Lincolnville Wherry	Bluejacket	16″ (40 cm)
Boston Whitehall Tender	Midwest	12″ (31 cm)
New Bedford Whale Boat	Bluejacket	10″ (25 cm)