The Smit Nederland was built in 1979 at the BV Scheepswerft & Machinefebriek "De Merwede" in Hardinzveld, Holland. Length 28.40 m, breadth 8,85 m, draught 3.85 m. The vessel is driven by two "Stork Werkspoor" diesel engines, whose 1000 rpm yield 1800 HP. Top speed is 12 knots; the acting radius is 2,250 miles. A special detail of this ship is the propellers, which are equipped with reversible blades in jet streams, and two basin rudders which ensure good maneuverability.

This was another sale table kit as the original owner had filled the sink area on the bottom of the hull. The kit is molded in white plastic save for the hull which is in black. This is a full hull kit and comes with a nice base with small supports on which the finished model is placed.

It has a single piece deck which is installed by bending it into the hull where it snaps in place. I'd glue it anyway just to be sure. On the deck are various winches, tie downs and other equipment which is not identified, but it does make for a busy deck. The main deck house is four bulkhead pieces with a fat overhead. There are ladders which lead to the upper bridge section. This is also four pieces and an upper section. There are various railings that fit atop this piece and the lower section. No windows are provided so those who want 'glass' will have to be inventive.

Behind the bridge section are the twin stacks and the mast. There are additional railings and bits that fit on these items. On the underside of the hull are twin prop shafts, props and ducted coverings for the props just before the rudders. These ducts are to keep the props from fouling against bottom items as this tug apparently works in fairly shallow water from time to time.

Instructions are well drawn and provide generic color information for each of the pieces prior to their attachment to the kit. A few detail images are provided as some of the details are quite small. Much masking will be needed to get everything in accordance with the drawings provided. A decal sheet is included that includes the name of the tug, but this is yellowed rather badly. Still, since it will be attached to black, perhaps it will work OK if it doesn't fall apart when I get it wet. There is a name tag for the display stand as well.  

If you are a fan of auxiliaries such as this, then the kit is worth seeking. It is apparently not difficult to find and it is not expensive. It has the benefit of not requiring any photo etch and at 1/200 scale, is a reasonable size. My kit was nicely molded with a minimum of the usual molding glitches. While there are quite a few parts, none of them are teeny and overall, it should result in a very nice model when you are done.

September 2015

Thanks to me for the preview kit.

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