Chandlery · Est. MMXXVI
Ships in miniature,
instruments in brass
A small chandlery of model ship kits, nautical instruments and maritime decor — chosen for people who would rather build a thing than buy one finished.
What we keep
Four shelves, carefully stocked
We would rather carry forty things worth owning than four hundred that are not.
Collection
Model Ship Kits
Plank-on-frame and beginner kits, from a first weekend build to a winter’s work.
Collection
Instruments
Compasses, sextants and telescopes in brass, cased and certificated.
Collection
Chandlery
Wheels, anchors and fittings for the study wall and the hall.
Collection
Lighting
Copper and brass lanterns, wired for the house or left for the wick.
Why build one
The long way round is the point
Kits that can be finished
Numbered parts, real plans and a manual written by someone who has built it. Nothing in the box is a guess.
Brass, not brass-coloured
Instruments are solid brass with real movements and real optics. They will patina, which is rather the idea.
Packed to survive the post
Double-boxed, corner-blocked and insured. Masts and glass travel separately from the hull.
Someone answers the email
A missing part or a step that will not come right — write and we will sort it. Usually the same day.
“The rigging alone took me three weekends and I have not enjoyed anything so much in years. The plans are properly drawn — you can actually read them.”— A. Whitcombe, on the Cutty Sark kit
The workshop
Everything is opened before it ships
Every kit that leaves us has been unboxed, counted against the parts list and boxed again. It is slow and it is worth it — a kit missing frame nineteen is not a kit, it is a fortnight of correspondence.
Instruments are checked on the bench: needles damped, arcs true, optics clean and collimated. If a piece will not pass, it does not go out.
Common questions
Before you order
Which kit should I start with?
The Mayflower. It has a pre-shaped hull, so you skip the hardest part of a first build, and the rigging is simple enough to finish in a weekend without putting you off the hobby entirely.
How long does a plank-on-frame kit take?
The Victory is roughly 250–400 hours for most builders. The Cutty Sark is nearer 180. Both assume you are working evenings rather than full days.
Do you ship outside the United States?
Not at present. We ship across the fifty states and to APO and FPO addresses.
A part is missing or damaged. What now?
Email support@fortfunships.store with your order number and the part number from the plan sheet. Replacements go out at our cost, no return required.
Can I order for a club or as corporate gifts?
Yes. Write to us for bulk pricing on six or more of anything, and we can gift-message each parcel separately.