UGears Models 3-D Wooden Puzzle - Mechanical Trimaran Merihobus Sailboat

I spent months looking for a ship to use for a DnD campaign I'm running. This turned out so much better than I could've hoped. Assembly was quick and easy. I'm no painter by any means but even that was fun. Made several additions and modifications to it obviously, but I love it. Standard minis fit so perfectly in so many spots. Loaded up 8 minis that fit so perfectly you can flip the thing upside down and they stayed in place. Even larger warhammer minis can fit, just can't go nuts with them having a larger base. Overall I'm beyond thrilled with the results and I hope my players love it as much as I do.

This will make my third UGears wooden puzzle. The first one I build was tough and had a significant learning curve on a lot of parts. It took me at least 6 hours to complete. The second one was a table clock with a battery powered movement. It was simple and easy to assemble. It might have taken me an hour to build. This one.... was HARD. The instructions have a lot going on because of the rigging and without significant attention to detail its entirely likely you'll end up like me and have a piece that's flipped and makes it impossible to finish the rigging. That said. I really enjoyed the difficulty level. I enjoyed the added challenge of using toothpicks to secure rigging and act as gears and movements. I like all the moving parts. In all it took probably 12 hours to assemble.TO THE NEWBEE: Start with another model. This is not for beginners. You need to learn how to make these models first before tackling this one. Buy a set of Model Kit tools. Any from Amazon will work just fine. Buy a set of tea candles and remove them from the tin so you can easily rub them on the gears. get a large eye needle. don't mess around with the way the instructions tell you to split a tooth pick, it doesn't work. Buy a quick set super glue and use it sparingly on toothpick locations that need stability but not on parts that are functional.Minus one star for not including a needle, using paper sails instead of fabric, and the lowering of the main sail being choppy at best.

I’ve now completed several UGears models and I find each of them enjoyable to build with instructions that are easy to follow.Models I’ve completed to date: Timer, Business Card Holder, Wolf-01 Handgun, VM-02 Motorcycle, VM-03 Heavy Truck and Trailer, U-9 Grand Prix (my favorite so far) and I’m getting ready to start one of their newest, the VM-05 Dream Cabriolet. Out of all of these models built, the only one that has frustrated me is this one, the Trimaran Yacht.The Good:The thing looks awesome once assembled.Some models do not come with wax so I normally use a small tea light for that, but this one comes with a small stick of wax that just makes things a little easier.Assembly of the ship itself is enjoyable and the instructions are pretty easy to follow.Cost of the model is what I would consider fair, based on how good the finished product looks.The Bad:The instructions for running the rigging (all the little strings) is a nightmare and a true test of one’s ability to carry one with the need to smash things. UGears provides instructions with each of their models and these are all color picture based with no words. This is most likely because these are made in one location and can be sold all over the world without the need to have region specific instructions. Unfortunately, these little pictures do not provide enough detail on where each line runs. I got the two sails to a point where they are functional but it’s a royal PITA and you need a third hand to be sure the lines do not tangle into the gearing as the sails are raised and lowered. I’ve gotten everything back to where it needs to be and now have my lines all tied in place so the sails are no longer functional. Not too big a big deal because this is just a display piece but still a disappointment compared to my experience with other kits.If you go into this only wanting a nice display piece, you should be fine. It’s easy enough to know where each line goes for visual appeal. If you’re like me though and enjoy the mechanical aspects to these models, you should look into purchasing a different kit. For example, I goof around with the Wolf-01 Handgun all the time in my office and the thing is a blast to play with!

I really enjoyed putting this model together. I haven't assembled anything out of wood or plastic for a while and thought this would be a good winter project. Taking my time to paint it, made it look that much sweeter. The instruction booklet had very clear and detailed images for assembly and was very easy to follow.When you see reviews that complain about one or another aspect of assembly being too difficult and detracting stars because of it, take those with a grain of salt. It's a model and there are different skill levels. You can't blame the model if your skill level is not up to par.If you have previous experience with assembling various models, or are naturally inclined for building things and understanding diagrams, you should have no issues with this one.

My 12 year old is a building fiend - he loves all things buildable. As great as he is with following directions and having a great sense of how these things come together, my biggest concern about this was how it would hold up to his not always so delicate handling... It was great! He put it together in two days, and only a few of the smaller pieces broke as he was wedging it all together. The finished product is sturdy and beautiful - enough to be displayed on my mantle! I will definitely order more designs.

An early step in the instructions involves partially assembling the anchor windless inside the boat's hull; completing this assembly and adding the anchor finally takes place near the end of the instructions. I seriously recommend skipping from page 9 to page pages 46-47 and then returning to page 10 so as not to try a tricky in-hull assembly after installing the entire superstructure, including the delicate mast and sails.

great build very challenging looks great when done

Sailing is difficult to get now.