Is your fleet in need of a small cutter for patrolling, sending messages, and enforcing customs? The 12 gun dispatch and revenue cutter is based largely on the Cheerful class and more specifically a nice model seen in the US Naval academy museum.  This model is typical of cutters for the latter part of the age of sail (In Sailpower this fits best in Age of revolutions or AoR games). This kit would be well suited to represent any royal navy cutter of the Napoleonic era, as well as the War of 1812.

There are two scale versions of this kit:

6MM Scale Harbormaster Edition :

This kit features a hi res SLA 3D printed hull and rig parts with wood dowel and floral wire masting. This kit comes un-painted, and un-assembled. The ship hull measures 7.5 x 2.75 centimeters and is suited for 5 to 6MM scale war gaming. This kit is currently sold out and a Captain’s Edition is coming soon!

15-20 mm quick build version:

This kit is designed to be easy to build and features a 1 piece hull with the guns printed in place. Assembly is limited to putting the masts together and painting. Kit includes the hull, dowels and mast fittings, and directions.

Historic ship type:

It’s likely a sign of English humor that the lead ship of the class was named Cheerful and her sister ship was named Surly.  Such names seem ill suited and even ironic for a vessel that while fast and essential to the service, would have been challenging to sail, and very wet due the open deck and low freeboard, and uncomfortable to serve aboard as she did not have a full height underdeck.

The historic Cheerful was built at Dover in 1806 and designed by Sir John Henslow. It was a typical purpose-built cutter used for patrolling and scouting. Cutters were also used to carry important dispatches, and military orders around to the various reaches of the English naval presence.  Cutters such as this were also used for customs work and to interdict smugglers.  Cutters carried more sail then a typical sloop and were very fast.