Thanks guys. I'll be picking it up soon and giving it a whirl.

Be sure to post pictures of it when it's done, also pics while building are nice to see too.

the core of the maiden itself, I've never had any problems with. It's held up well for all the gaming and abuse that little hands (many kids pawing it) have given it. The only problems I've ever had is some of the yardarms for the sails falling off.

The Maiden (while one of the harder builds) is still probably all of my friend's favorite models from all of Worldworks....

Veloci, I haven't attempted to make the Maiden. I don't own it, to be honest, but if I did, I'm not sure that artboard would work well on reinforcing it. The decks, yes, definitely, but any walls that are curved will cause problems as artboard does not bend easily. It can be bent if you score a series of cuts in it, but be careful not to cut all the way through! I think I'd still use artboard where I could, but that's just how I build my stuff. You could always reinforce your walls with thinner card like that found on cereal packets, etc. for a cheap option or buy thin card from any art suppliers. The Maiden is a project I'd love to sink my teeth into but finding the time to make it and where to store it once its built are both major obstacles.