The Model Yacht: Volume 11, Number 1 – Summer 2007

LINCOLN MEMORIAL POOL, WASHINGTON, DC NEWSLETTER OF THE U.S. VINTAGE MODEL YACHT GROUP VOLUME ELEVEN, NUMBER ONE Summer 2007 Page 1 NEWSLETTER OF THE U.S. VINTAGE MODEL YACHT GROUP VOLUME ELEVEN, NUMBER ONE SUMMER Editor’s Welcome his issue is special for several reasons, not the least of which being that we are able to report on two group building programs, one for young people and one for senior citizens. In addition we have two articles on lightweight hull construction, one from 1924 and one from just a couple of months ago. The newer technique promises to ease and speed up the construction of light, strong wooden hulls. Our lines plan this issue is for the full-size R Class Hayseed VI, which if scaled at an inch to the foot would make a perfect V36 boat. And as always we feature Mark Steele’s ever fascinating Windling World, which this time focuses on schooners. The big news, of course, is the 2007 National Championship Regatta, to be held in Marblehead on the 75th Anniversary of the M Class. We hope to see you there. In our last issue we had to break the sad news of the passing of Bill Bithell, and promised an article on the life of this fine gentleman for this issue; alas, we are still tracking down certain important documents and so must postpone our intended full biography. Earl Boebert 2007 Ebbs and Flows The President’s Message Vintage Membership he VMYG annual membership is $20 for three issues of our newsletter – “The Model Yacht”. It is $25 for members outside the US. The VMYG lifetime membership is $100. Members also have access to technical assistance and vintage model plans, and details on VMYG-sponsored events. To subscribe to or renew our newsletter and services, send $20 or $25 check (payable to US VMYG) or cash ($100 life membership) to: John Snow, c/o US VMYG, 78 East Orchard Street, Marblehead, MA 01945. For more information, you can call John in Marblehead @781-631-4203 or visit the VMYG Web Page: www.usvmyg.org 2007 National Championship Regatta The 2007 national event for R/C VM 50-800 and Vintage 36 (V36) models will be at historic Redd’s Pond, Marblehead on August 16-19. You should have received a special VMYG announcement with full details on this event’s four-days of activities. If we somehow overlooked you, our apologies and please contact Earl Boebert at the masthead address for a copy. This year, we have more activities (e.g., old time, free-sail racing and formal historical display) for the Marblehead Page 2 MYC and VMYG to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the M 50-800 design becoming a US national class in 1932. Event will have R/C VM championship racing and craftsmanship judging August 18/19, with a V36 regatta August 16/17. John Snow is the VMYG coordinator at 781-631-4203 or jsnow@drc.com 2007 Traditional Sailing Craft/Scale Model National Regatta Specific 2007 venue support has not materialized for our annual R/C Traditional regatta. If you are interested in hosting this event in late summer, suggest you contact the VMYG Traditional Sailing Craft/Scale Coordinator John Atwood at 757-596-9701 or john.atwood@tea.army.mil Check the VMYG website for any late breaking news on a venue and date. ville, Pete Maxson and Ken Shaw provided AMYA presence at VMYG exhibit, as well as Show’s traditional Saturday invitational R/C regatta on Eel Pond involving AMYA boats. VMYG “How To” Books: Visit the VMYG website for details on ordering our “how to” vintage model building books and video by our Historian Earl Boebert. These are based on wooden, plank-on-frame method to construct 1940s era model racing class designs (with video), plus modern building techniques to derive a R/C model of the 1930 Yankee J Boat design. Yankee is a 36-inch, entry-level model, which also qualifies as a V36 design for VMYG events. New VM 50-800 Model Kit: GRP Model Yachts now has available fiberglass R/C replica kits of Gus Lassel’s late 1940s Sun Wind Marblehead design. Visit their website for more details at www.modelyachting.com 2007 Free Sail Competition 36 Inch Restricted (36R) Class free sail models were raced on two back-to-back weekends this month at historic sites in California: •June 2 & 3 at Spreckles Lake, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, and or call Adrian Olson at 831-724-7000. Note: GRP plans to attend the 2007 VM National Regatta at Redd’s Pond with new Sun-Wind R/C models that will race and the original Sun Wind vane boat that will be free-sailed. John Snow •June 9 & 10 at Mission Bay Model Yacht Lagoon, San Diego. Check elsewhere in this issue for full racing details. Graham Reeves represented the UK for the Challenge Cup which is the prize for this event. Graham won the regatta and returned the Cup to the UK. US skippers will travel to the UK in 2009 for an event which will also mark the 80th anniversary of the 36R class. Other Vintage Activities 2007 WoodenBoat Show, June 29 – July 1, at the Mystic Seaport Museum, CT. VMYG, with support from AMYA, had an exhibit tent, with daily R/C sailing demonstrations and lectures on cold-molding wooden model yachts. Full details in the next issue. Vintage Etcetera 2007 Woods Hole Model Boat Show: The VMYG would like to acknowledge members that supported vintage exhibits at this April 14/ 15 event in Woods Hole, MA. Special thanks to: Fred & Sue Abbe, Earl & Judy Boebert, Jim Dolan and Al Hubbard. In addition, Jim Lin- Adventures in Cold Molding Part the Second, In Which We Find a Technique That Works onstructing hulls from laminated wood is a technique that has been used at least since 1854, when the tea clipper Vision was built in Aberdeen, Scotland of four plies of larch planking. A year later the royal yacht Victoria and Albert II was constructed in the same way. Cold molding is so named to distinguish it from hot molding, where laminated hulls were vacuum bagged and baked in large ovens. The technique of laminated hulls migrated New Zealand in the late 1800s and builders there were, and continue to be, experts in the method. Throughout time the limiting factor has been the adhesive used to join the layers. The tea clippers were nailed and the early New Zealand boats used either nails and copper rivets. The advent of suitable modern adhesives Page 3 coincided with the rise of fiberglass construction for mass-produced hulls and cold molding was limited to one-off construction – such as the hulls we make. In full size practice, cold molded wood is slightly superior to fiberglass in strength to weight an only a little below carbon fiber in that regard. New Zealand builders were, and continue to be, experts in the method. In the 1950s the West Coast builders such as Gus Lassel and Ted Houk were masters of the cold molded process and we documented Houk’s technique in a previous issue. My experiments were aimed at updating those methods in light of progress in adhesives. In the last issue I documented my attempts at cold molding using epoxy, which basically were a flop. I then came across an Internet posting by Dick Lemke in which he described constructing an International One Meter hull using self-stick veneers. This caused an aha! moment and the next series of hulls and partial hulls were blessed with success. General Arrangement The hull cross-section consists of three layers: from the inside out they are: 1. An inner reinforcing layer of relatively heavy resin-impregnated cloth. 2. A layer of self-stick veneer. 3. An outer reinforcing layer of lighter resinimpregnated cloth. This provides a true composite construction in which the cloth provides strength and the wood provides stiffness as well as beauty. Materials The hull in the pictures had an inner layer of 5 oz Kevlar, because it was for a free sailing 36R boat where material is not restricted by rule. Kevlar is not legal in the VM or V36 classes. I have made another 36R hull using loose-weave 5 oz fiberglass and it came out just fine. I used Rockler brand veneer, obtainable over the Internet from www.rockler.com which comes as 1⁄64 in thick wood attached to 10 mil mylar coated with adhesive. This brand uses 3M 486MP paper-backed 200MP pressure-sensitive adhesive. This is plainly printed on the paper. 200MP adhesive is pretty impressive stuff, having high strength and resistance to solvents. If you want to use your own supply of veneer, rolls of 486MP adhesive are available from: www.tapecase.com I have made hulls from both cherry and mahogany veneer. Although the mahogany is more traditional, the hull came out a little heavier than the one in cherry, probably because the mahogany absorbed more resin. For the outer layer I used 1.4 or 2 oz fiberglass. An outer glass layer is mandatory to prevent twisting or “cupping” of the veneer strips. A final hull from cherry veneer, showing how the strips of veneer are laid diagonally to form a compound surface. I use two brands of resin, West System for pure wood-to-wood joints and Aerospace Composite Products for laying down cloth, as I find the latter wets well enough to permit the “tape it dry” technique I use for the cloth layers. Page 4 First Steps The process of making a hull begins with the construction of a mold. This can be made from just about anything that can be carved. In fact, since the final shell is less than 1⁄16 in thick, an existing hull could be effectively copied in wood this way. Alternatively, a mold could be quickly planked up from balsa. The mold should be about 3⁄4 in deeper and longer at each end than the final hull to allow the cloth layers to be taped down. The mold is first coated with plastic package wrapping tape, laid diagonally on each side. Laying the tape will give you your first indication of how hard or easy it is going to be to lay the veneer strips. After the tape is down it is given a heavy coat of paste wax; this combination will act as a parting agent when time comes to pull the hull from the mold. The one requirement for the mold is that it be strong enough to take the 10-20 psi pressure required to “set” the 200MP adhesive. I have made molds from both structural foam and blue insulating foam. I much prefer the structural foam since the blue foam is just barely strong enough to take the pressure. In either case I recommend giving the mold a coat of epoxy to increase the surface strength. The hull with the Kevlar reinforcing cloth stretched over it. The arrow points to the area of maximum compound curvature, which will be the most difficult to plank without twisting or “cupping” of the planks. A mold, coated with tape and waxed, ready for the application of the inner layer of cloth. I use a drill press vice clamped to the backbone of the mold as a work stand. The next step is to make the inner shell to which the veneer strips will be glued. This is done by first stretching the reinforcing cloth over the mold and taping it securely with masking tape. It is then loaded with epoxy. For the early hulls I just used plain epoxy. Now I mix up about half again as much epoxy as I estimate will be needed. I give the cloth a coat of clear epoxy and then mix West ultralight fairing filler into the rest until it is Page 5 almost as thick as putty. I lay this on the hull with a wide stick or plastic card, getting it as smooth and even as I can. When sanded fair this will provide a smooth surface for the veneer glue to adhere to. I recommend using slow setting (60 min) epoxy and checking on it every hour or so for the first several hours to see if there are any sags smoothed out with your stick or card. After the epoxy cures I pull the shell from the mold while it is still flexible and then tape it back down in place. A barbecue skewer makes a good “persuader” to slip between the shell and the mold. later you might be able to scrape it off in one piece with a chisel. After that it’s there for good and will only come off in fragments. You should wait several days before applying the outer resin coat. I put one on right after applying a course of planks and the resin seeped into the space under the planks and caused the 200MP to come unglued. The same advice holds true if you’re in the habit of using water based filler and dampen the wood before applying – give the 200MP ample time to set up. The next step is to lay out the sheer line on the shell with a batten and masking tape. The line should be drawn with thick marking pen. This will show through from the inside and guide you in setting the sheer strakes. You should also carefully lay out the centerline of the shell, checking it by sight and measurement, and then lay a false keel or keelson of some wood compatible with the color of your veneer. The keelson should be about 3⁄32 in thick to form a surface for the strips to butt up against. It will be sanded to shape after the planking is done. Planking There are two problems that need to solved for a proper planking job. One is getting the planks to lay flat and the other is getting them to properly adhere. Taking the second problem first, the 200MP adhesive requires two things to set properly: pressure and a clean surface. The latter is critical; the adhesive does not appear to contain any solvents that would penetrate a dust or grease layer. The resin-impregnated glass shell should first be scrubbed with a green “Scotchbrite” pad and warm water to remove the so-called “amine blush,” a waxy film that is formed as a by-product of the curing process. Then the surface should be sanded with 150 grit sandpaper to smooth the surface and give a “tooth” for the the adhesive. Then scrub it good with denatured alcohol and be careful not to leave fingerprints. Pressure is applied with a wallpaper roller, as much as your mold can stand. The adhesive bond increases with time. For the first ten seconds or so you can pull off a plank in one piece. After about a minute you can carefully peel it of. From the then to around 24 hours The aft sections of Rip Tide, showing how the curve of the bilge (between the dotted lines) “hardens” toward the transom. The second problem, getting the planks flat, is the one tricky part of the process. A strip of veneer can only be bent in one direction; in our case the long way. This means that a plank can only assume the shape of a cylinder or a cone. A typical hull curves in two directions, forming a surface that can only be approximated by a row of bent strips. The errors in approximation show up as “bumps” at the seams between planks. In full-size cold molding the strips are relatively thick in relation to their width, and the errors can be faired out by planing or sanding the surface. In our case, the thinness of the veneer pretty much limits how much we can sand down, so we must be careful to get our planks to conform to the surface as exactly as possible. The difficulty of the problem depends on the design of the hull. Taking M Class boats as an Page 6 example, early boats had gently curved sections and modern boats have sections made of arcs of circles, both of which can be approximated by planks with relative ease. Boats from the late 1940s and 1950s, such as Rip Tide, are a different matter. These boats have hulls whose bilge curves decrease in radius, or “harden” toward the transom. This change occurs in the same area as the sides of the boat curve inward, producing a difficult compound curve. It is almost certain that at some point in laying diagonal planks on such a hull you will have to taper one or more of the planks to get them to lay flat and fair to the inner shell. The description that follows is for these difficult hulls; simpler shapes can, of course be planked in a more straightforward way. Before beginning, it is worth noting that you need to to leave a small gap of 1⁄64 in or so between planks. Attempting to lay the planks as a seamless whole is liable to cause buckling if one plank swells, from humidity change or other reason, before the wood is sealed with epoxy. The first decisions to be made are width of the planks, the location of the starting plank and the angle at which it is to be laid. After much disappointment I finally settled on starting the planking process at the most difficult part of the hull, where the combination of bilge curve and taper of the hull forms a compound curve. Testing with trial strips will show how wide a plank can be and still lay tight over the curve; for an M Class hull whose hardest bilge curve has about a 1⁄2 in radius this was 3⁄8 in; gentler hulls can be planked with 1⁄2 in or even 3⁄4 in strips. While experimenting with width you are also determining the one angle that permits the plank to fit the the curve and lay tight above and below the curve of the bilge. Mark the position of the one edge of the plank by drawing a line along its length on the shell and cut a strip of veneer to the proper width. The veneer is best cut from the paper side; simply score a deep line with a sharp, thin knife like a scalpel or small utility knife and then snap the wood back. The second decision you must make is whether to have a keelson or false keel, the narrow strip that runs down the center of the hull and against which the planks are butted, and if so, how to handle it. If the hull is difficult it is best to lay one side of planks and then trim the inner ends by cutting along a straightedge. Tape down a strip of waxed paper along the edge to prevent the planks from the second side from adhering to the first, plank the second side, trim, and lay the keelson in the resulting groove, tacking it down with drops of CA glue. The reason for this somewhat elaborate process is to give yourself the greatest degree of freedom in positioning a plank without having to fit the curve and tightly butt against the keelson. For simpler hulls you can lay the keelson first, attaching it with epoxy, and just trim the end of each plank to fit as you go. And, of course, you can leave it off altogether and just butt the planks against each other down the centerline. Laying the first plank is easy–just cut to length, peel off the backing paper and lay it along the line you’ve drawn. Set the adhesive by pressing it down with a wallpaper roller. Every one after that has to be checked to fit its neighbor. The process is as follows: 1. Cut a planking strip to length and place it next to its neighbor with the backing paper still on. 2. Bend it around the bilge curve and note where the portions of the plank above and below the bilge curve naturally lie. 3. If one or both of these portions overlap the neighbor plank, taper the new plank as necessary. 4. Mark the beginning, end, and middle of the bilge curve on on the plank. 5. Using a thin knife or scalpel, score the plank lengthwise every 1⁄16 in or so along the portion that will cover the bilge curve. Score deeply; it won’t hurt if you cut through. These score marks will only be noticeable on the closest possible inspection, and will allow the plank to conform to any compound nature of the surface at the bilge curve. 6. Lightly cut the backing paper crosswise at the mid point mark, and peel back each end of the cut so that an inch or so of the adhesive is exposed. 7. Carefully lay the plank in place with light finger pressure, wrapping it around the bilge curve, then pressing down the upper and lower portions as you peel away the backing paper. Page 7 point, stop removing material and put on another coat of epoxy. When the hull is smooth and fair, apply an outer coat of 1.4 or 2 oz fiberglass with epoxy to keep the planks from “cupping” over time. Purists will finish with varnish, but I find Krylon clear finish to be satisfactory and a lot quicker. Last step is wet sanding with 600 or 800 grit for speed. Concluding Observations Unless some reason such as scale appearance dictates the use of mahogany, I would reject it in favor of a harder wood such as cherry. The latter has a tight, straight grain that behaves much more predictably than the swirling grain of mahogany. This may be coincidence, but I seem to have much more problems with “cupping” and other strange behavior with mahogany over cherry. Results to date indicate that a single layer of veneer is adequate for boats up to 36 in and two layers is advisable for anything larger. A finished shell from cherry veneer. This shell weighed 9 and a fraction ounces with a surface area of about 400 square inches. Step 2 is the critical one; you must resist the temptation to force the upper and lower portions of the plank into place by pulling them sideways even the smallest amount. To do so will inevitably cause the portion at the bilge curve to lift at one side or another. I’m just finishing up a two-layer VM hull which has longitudinal strip planking over diagonal. If I had it to do again I’d avoid the greater complexity of the diagonal planking and just strip plank two layers, with the planks of the second layer laid over the seams of the first. This hull came out at 1 lb 7 oz, and is impressively strong. Finishing After the surface is covered with wood, you will be tempted to smooth it with sandpaper. Don’t do it. The planks are now attached to the inner shell, but they are not attached to each other. The pressure of smoothing will cause them to move relative to each other and frustrate any attempts to get a fair surface. Instead, wait at least 24 hours to allow the 200MP adhesive to set and then give the hull a coat of epoxy. The best tool for smoothing epoxy is a cabinet scraper, not sandpaper. This is especially true if, as in this case, you want to carefully control how much material you want to take off. If you go through to bare wood at any Page 8 Earl Boebert In Praise of Schooners ! have often wondered exactly what draws model sailing enthusiasts to schooners as subjects of their chosen hobby, and since this summer issue article is mainly on such boats I thought I would email a couple of my schooner model exponents friends and put to them the crucial “what exactly” question. ? 1886 oyster schooner named the Mary J Stubbs and for that simple reason “just had to build it,” though I guess he must have liked the lines. The original boat was a 61footer built at the Tarr & James (or James & Tarr – I have seen it spelt both ways on the internet !) yard in Essex. MA. At the same time that yard also built the very slightly smaller Jenny Stubbs, both constructed for the company Wellfleet. John’s model built in kauri with frames of MDF (the edges covered with insulation tape to prevent the glue from sticking to them) the kauri cut to planks of 10mm by 3mm. After the hull was complete, the frames were then taken out and used as moulds for the permanent frames frames made out of three layers of mahogany veneer and glued in with the west system, the decks planked with kauri, the cabins made of also of kauri with mahogany trime. The masts and spars are also kauri, the sails of Japara cotton. The overall length is 11000 mm, the beam 275mm, there are 2 servos on the sails, one servo for the rudder and Hi Tec RC 2 channel gear is fitted, the model weighing 7 ½ lb without the centre plate. John Stubbs’ model of the oyster schooner Mary J. Stubbs, far from her New England origins. And well you might ask the same question of my Auckland Ancient Mariner fellow windler, John Stubbs who borrowed a book of American schooners and chanced upon an Page 9 Probably the most famous schooner was the Atlantic, a 187’ three masted topsail schooner designed by William Gardner and built in 1904. She carried 18 thousand, 514 sq ft of sail and a year later set a record in crossing the Atlantic in 12 days, 4 hours, 1 minute and 19 seconds, a record that stood until 2005 if my ageing memory serves me right, but what about these guys and their reasons of attraction to schooners ? carriers tied up there Capelco, and Bernadine among them and often several schooners They were all beautiful, 65 and 80 footers and built mostly in the 1950’s and 60’s but had a lot of schooner influence at what was the tail end of the schooner era. Built to go through built to go through the rough stuff, they resulted in the spawning of Andrew’s early schooner interest. Andrew Charters’ beautiful (and very fast) model of the Elizabeth Silsbee. Canadian born but resident in South Carolina, Andrew Charters, whose wonderful model of the schooner Elizabeth Silsbee is shown here, said his younger years were focussed on the North Head Fisherman Wharf on Grand Manan where there was a Conners Brothers sardine plant on the shore alongside. There were usually at least four sardine Over in Great Britain the Fleetwood Model Yacht and Power Boat Club who for years have had a good fleet of Marblehead-hulled scale schooners have now got a club project going with a new design called the Lady class which can be built as schooners or sloops according to my contact, Jim Bennett. As a Page 10 Charlie Roden in New Jersey was born and raised a true Yankee just outside of Boston, Massachusetts where his father worked for a waterfront company that built engines for fishermen’s races of the 1930’s. He remembers rooting for the Gertrude L Thebaud out of Gloucester, MA., a beautiful and fine schooner but unsuccessful against the Bluenose out of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Charles has now built the stunning model, shown on the next page, of the John Alden designed Grenadier photographed by June Pendino. schooner I think many will agree that it has lovely lines and a good overall balance. As I understand it, ten or eleven boats are either on the way or are up and sailing but what with their Winter and material still being added-to their website I have found it difficult to get any other real factual information. This fine model of the schooner Winston Churchill has been sailing with them for some time, testimony indeed as to the skill, patience and enthusiasm of some scale `schoonerman’ I’d say. Now you can go looking for old and no longer used RC M class hulls ! The schooner Winston Churchill, shown on an uncommonly calm Fleetwood lake. Page 11 Charlie Roden’s spectacular model of the John Alden classic Grenadier, demonstrating properly close mark rounding at the Spring Lake pond. And what about the writer, also a confirmed lover of schooners ? (Aw shucks – you don’t really want to know my reasons for my schooner attraction, however since I am writing this article you sure as hell are gonna hear !) The schooner is a style of sailing vessel that evokes great nostalgia for me, takes me back to my own country, what was then British Guiana, below sea level and in South America…back to the days and days early evenings watching the trading schooners slipping out of the mouth of the murky brown Demerara River loaded with sugar and rice bound for the West Indian island of Barbados (where I later lived and did watercolours of them unloading, which I flogged to tourists. They were Bluenose in style trading schooners still used then for that purpose and totally dependent on sail before the quest for speedier passage heralded the age of diesel power. In fifteen years of active involvement both in publishing and in model sailboating, I have perceived a definite increase in interest and modeling activity involving schoonerrigged boats. This is perhaps surprising to some extent because of the fact that full size schooners are no longer built in the quantities of the schooner era years of the past. They appear to be enjoying a bit of a renaissance in the world of the modeller and model sailor however, and they are being raced as well as windled. In Maryland at the Calvert Museum regatta put on by the US Vintage Model Yacht Group they are indeed raced with gusto in two different classes, one for large schooners and one for smaller 50 inch models. Mark Steele Page 12 The Sharpie, with the radio control accessories in the foreground. Building a 50″ North Carolina Oyster Sharpie have always been fascinated with vintage and traditional model sailing craft and when I saw how well the Sharpie Schooners performed at the Solomons Island Model Boat Club Regatta at the Calvert Marine Museum atSolomons, Md., I had to have one. This led to a Sharpie building program with our Seniors Model Builders group, here in the Cincinnati area, and other individuals around the country have also caught the bug. Building a radio controlled model of the North Carolina Oyster Sharpie has been so rewarding that I would like to share this unique boat with others. The Sharpie hull design is somewhat obscure but appeared to originate in the U.S. sometime in the early 19th. century and is characterized by its flat bottom skiff like hull, usually twenty to sixty feet in length. Various sail configurations were used and the boats were commonly rigged with one or two masts. Larger Sharpies were most often rigged as gaff schooners and were used primarily in the fishing industries. Smaller sharpies were open boats and larger ones had decked over with cabins. All were fitted with centerboards to improve sailing qualities. For more details on Sharpies, refer to American Small Sailing Craft and American Sailing Craft, both by Howard I. Chapelle, and The Sharpie Book by R.B. Parker. The Sharpie Schooner that impressed me so, was the 50 inch LOD models of a 44 foot North Carolina Oyster Sharpie Schooner that some of the Solomons Island Model Boat Club members had constructed from templates made by member David Querin. I contacted David and he generously shared all of his data with me. David’s design for his 50 inch model was developed from detailed line drawings by Howard I. Chapelle published in the March 1981 Nautical Research Journal. Using Chapelle’s Lines, I made scale drawings in CAD for the same 50″ Sharpie Model. CAD drawings would allow me to use my recently acquired small laser machine for part cutting. The only variations from Chapelle’s lines for this model was an enlarged rudder and the use of a fin and bulb in place of the centerboard. Because of its shallow draft, and subsequent inability to carry weight at any depth, a Sharpie model would be severely effected by the cube/square effect of scaling down a large sailing vessel. These modifications Page 13 make the model a lively and fast sailor. Because the rudder and fin can easily be removed, this plan includes a scale rudder and centerboard for display purposes. I am a member of the Blue Ash, Ohio Senior Center and the Center has a very active model building group. We meet every Wednesday morning at the center to build models of all sorts, boats, planes, engines, and share ideas and past experiences. With the Sharpie being a relatively easy build flat bottom, flat side hull design, I thought it might be a good entry level boat for the group, and with the laser, duplicate parts are very easy. I presented the idea and inquired if anyone else was interested. Much to my surprise, seven signed on to build the Sharpie and with myself made eight. Every one chipped in to cover the cost of materials. As you know laser cutting can produce very clean, precise cuts to tolerances in the +/.001 range, and without the laser cutter this would be a very ambitious project. Making multiple parts with a laser is as easy as telling your printer how many copies you want. In fact the laser is plugged into the computer through the printer port. Using Model CAD to generate the fine line drawings required, it is simply a copy and paste operation. The computer thinks it is talking to a printer, when in fact the laser machine is similar to the extent that the printer head is instead a lens, through which a laser beam is directed through a series of mirrors. The lens is focused on the surface of the material to be cut or engraved. In this case the focused laser beam is .003 inch in diameter and generates a temperature of 5000 plus degrees. Power and speed settings are available for various materials. These smaller machines have insufficient power for cutting metal, but handle wood and many plastics handily. When cutting wood the .003 beam has an over burn of about .003 per side, which gives a cut width of under .010 inch. For most model applications this is plenty good enough, however the CAD drawings can easily be adjusted for the over burn amount and exact size parts are thus produced. In the machining trades this is known as”tool compensation”. Learning to draw with the CAD system was a bit of a twist for this old tool designer, but once mastered, I wished it had been available years earlier. A fleet in the making. Don’t let that simple shape fool you — these things can really move through the water. Page 14 For a one only ordinary model, the CAD laser cut method may be a wash from a time stand point for an accomplished builder, the advantage becomes apparent with complexity, detail, and duplicate parts. This is where the laser really helped our builders. I could quickly knock out the eight sets of frames, which would save individual builders much time and the tedious process of laying out or tracing frames on plywood and then cutting them out on band or scroll saws. with this a p p ro a c h we would all start at the same time setting up frames of the same precise dimensions and the planked hulls would be virtually identical. Because of its excellent laser cutting qualities and low cost, I elected to use 1/8 inch baltic birch plywood for the entire hull. A single 60 inch square sheet would just make each boat. Sheers, chines, keelson and king planks were sawed from select white pine. will know, this is a fun building experience. The sides and bottom were then glued on. At this time the framed up hull is removed from the building board and turned over for top details and deck. The two masts are set in 1/2 inch I.D. brass tubes which are set in socket plates on the keelson, the tubes extend up through the king plank and deck. The bottom of the masts are set in 1/2 inch O.D. brass tubes. This arrangement enables quick and easy removal of the masts if snap type clevises are used on the stays. A fiber glassed lined box is made around the keel fin and inserted through a slot cut through the bottom and keelson and is glued to the under side of the king plank. This allows the keel fin with its six pound lead keel bulb to also be removed for easy transport. It is held in place with a pin through the box and fin 1/4 inch below the king Since the experiplank. The deck ence level of the can now be atgroup was rather tached, which in varied, I decided this design is three that a weekly step pieces of 1/8 inch by step procedure, plywood with laser with weekly inengraved deck structional hand planking complete The proof of the pudding: a Sharpie outs would probawith treenails. on the water. bly work best. The Cabin, main hatch, more experienced bulwarks, railings, could work ahead at their own pace. This bowsprit and rudder bearing tube are next. proved to work out exceptionally well. I proThe masts and booms were from choice vided building boards with frame station dowel stock and tapered as per drawing. blocks in place, to which the identical sets of Three fourth inch plastic rings from a sewing laser cut frames and stem blocks could easily store can be used as mast hoops. The sails be fastened. The sheers, chines, keelson, king were cut from rip stop nylon, also obtained plank and stern formers were then glued in from a local sewing store. place. Sail control is a belt drive system which conThis boat frames up very fast, and as anyone trols all three sails from a single large servo. who has ever assembled a good laser cut kit Page 15 The 2006 fall issue of Model Yachting contains an article about an Alternate Sheeting System “Belt Drive” I used this system but instead of the RMG Smart Winch, I substituted a HITEC HS-785 Sail Winch. With a one inch diameter drive sprocket, the HITEC Winch will easily handle the 1400 sq. inchs of sail, and provide over 10 inches of sheet travel. An excellent system, compact, self contained, easily mounted under deck, and best of all no slippage ever. Small timing belts and pulleys are off the shelf items and inexpensive. I purchased the timing belts and plastic pulleys from McMaster-Carr supply. You will have to adapt the spline socket from the HITEC pulley to the timing belt drive sprocket. Since George Surgent, Commodore of The Great Schooner Model Society built the first known R.C model Sharpie in 1998, the popularity of this model has been gradually spreading. Approximately twenty, 50 inch Sharpies of this hull design are known to have been built. The potential exists for a radio controlled traditional model class. We had a freak 79 degree sunny day in late March and as I was the first one finished I headed for the pond to try her out. I couldn’t have been more pleased. She floated right on the water line, scooted straight across the pond, came about in her own length and scooted straight back. With such a shallow foot print in the water the acceleration is amazing. The full size Sharpies were known for their speed and handiness and this model promises to maintain that reputation. Most of our builders are in the finishing stage at the time of writing and we anticipate a fleet launching some time in May. For those interested in more information or a frame only kit contact USVMYG Midwest V.P. Tom Pratt at This has been a very rewarding experience for me, and as a group, we seniors have had a lot of fun building Sharpies together. Even though we all started with identical parts and the hulls, sails and keels are the same, and should perform on an equal basis, they still all look different. Each builder had his own idea for color scheme and other details, which will make a pretty site on the water. Of course the whole group project was only made possible by laser technology. Through the use of computer generated drawings it is possible to design parts that align and fit perfectly. This can often dramatically reduce fitting and assembly time. There is of course no substitute for old time craftsmanship and in the end that is what will ultimately show . For anyone interested in building a traditional scale model schooner, that will catch every eye at the pond, this unique, snappy performing, 50 inch Sharpie will do it. With an all up finished weight of just 14 pounds, this model is easy to carry and launch, and with its easily removable rigging, masts and fin, it will transport in practically any vehicle. A laser cut “frame only” kit with a set of instructions and sail plan for this 50 inch Sharpie is available at a nominal cost. A frame only kit will jump start the builder to a fast and accurate frame up, but requires the builder to furnish all other materials, fittings, and sails. tomsprotoshop@embarqmail.com With a subject line “Sharpie kit.” Thomas A. Pratt Building a Miniature Yacht by the Plank Method Editors Note n early 1921, W.J. Daniels of London, spurred by a comment in some British periodical stating that an American was the best model yachtsman in the world, offered to settle the matter by issuing a challenge for an international race with a representative of the United States. To indicate his seriousness he posted a bond of 100 Pounds Sterling, equivalent to between three and five thousand dollars in today’s money. After some negotiation, and the formation of the Model Yacht Racing Association of America, a skiff-sailed race was held in 1922 between Daniels and his boat Endeavor and the American boat Polka Dot, built and sailed by E.A. Bull. Polka Dot won, largely because of Daniels’ unfamiliarity with open water sailing. Polka Dot was, for her day, a very hightechnology boat, as this article from 1924 shows. Page 16 1⁄16 inch Building a Miniature Yacht early all model yachtsmen build their own boats and if you happen to be one who does not, try it on the next one and see if you do not get more fun out of the sport. If you want to build, the chances are that you can’t decide whether it will be a dug-out or a framed and planked model, but for anything in class “C” or larger planking seems to give better results and from the following description of Polka Dot, it will be seen that such construction is not difficult as compared with the dug-out system. A dummy or form is first made up on a convenient table. The table represents a plane parallel to the waterline at the highest point of sheer, which is usually the top of the stem piece. Besides being flat and smooth provision should be made to prevent this table from warping or winding because it is the basis or reference plane for the whole model. It should be a little longer and wider than the extreme dimensions of the finished boat and should be marked with a centerline and cross station lines corresponding to the stations on the lines of the model. On this table molds are erected for the dummy because the dummy is to be planked over solid molds. The molds are perfectly cut from hard wood to templates made from the body plan with due allowance all around for the planking and framing of the model and the planking of the dummy. Of course these molds are full, that is f or both sides of the boat, and allowance is also made for the insertion of the keel or deadwood. As a proper guide to allowances for plankings, etc., we are giving the following for Polka Dot. The planking and framing are each in thickness while the planking of the dummy should be about 1⁄8 in. if the molds are about 4 in. apart and more if they are of greater spacing. The molds as described will then be at least 1⁄4 in. smaller all around than the real section of the model but they should extend up, so to speak, to the exact level for which the table was constructed. These molds are attached to the table readily by cleats and since they have thickness they will have to be beveled to receive the planking. The reason for using hard wood in the molds is to prevent warping and for the same reason the dummy planking should be put on immediately. This may be done in any convenient manner, since it is not treated as a finished model. Secure the planks with brads countersunk sufficiently to allow sand papering, as the surface of the dummy should be fair and smooth. The forward and after pieces of the keel, together with the deadwood or solid midship portion, having been shaped, with rabbet for frames and planks, and fastened permanently together, are now inserted into their place in the dummy and secured to the table. The stem is readily secured by a screw from below but the securing of the transom should be done in some other way to protect its upper surface. A convenient method is to leave ears or lugs on the tops of the transom when shaping it and secure these to a block on the table to give it the right elevation off the table. The transom itself is secured permanently to the after end of the keel before placing on the dummy and care should be exercised in ending the dummy planks so that it can be readily moved up and down before securing. This insures removal of the completed boat from the dummy. Polka Dot on the building board. Page 17 Page 18 beveled conveniently. Although it is convenient to place the adjacent frames next to each other in the sizes with which we are dealing, they may be spaced their own width apart. With frames 1⁄16 in by 3⁄8 in this means a frame every 3⁄4 in apart. It is considered weakening to exceed 1 in spacing with as thin planking as 1⁄16 in finished. The sheerstrake or top plank is the first one to attach and its location should be carefully marked on the dummy so that when finished it will present a fair sheer line. A fairing batten will be found very useful in planking. Use this freely -is no amount of descriptive matter will make good planking. The planks are glued on the frames and permanently fastened at the ends. There is only one thing necessary in planking, namely, to remove all tacks as you go along because they are securely holding the frames to the dummy. A few of the difficult points will be: first, in shaping the keel pieces and securely fastening them together so that they are perfectly in line. The importance of this will be fully realized. Next you will find a The dummy is now covered with glazed paper or any other convenient substance to prevent the model sticking to it after gluing. No paper or anything else should extend over the surface of the keel pieces, deadwood or transom because the frames and plank ends are permanently fastened at these points but only temporarily glued together throughout the remainder of the body. Beginning amidships on both sides and working both ways at once the frames are bent on and tacked in place. In order to do this without breaking them they should be prepared to the finished size and soaked in boiling water for a few minutes to become pliable. Do not drive tacks down to the heads because they are to be removed in the planking process, but permanently secure the foot of the frame to the keel if dowels are to be – used for fastening; if not, it is better to use temporary fastenings until fully planked. As the ends are approached the frames should be canted or inclined somewhat to keep them normal to the skin of the boat because such thin members cannot be Page 19 point at the stem or keel where the frames cease to enter the rabbet and consequently the latter should be cut only deep enough for the planking. At the transom also the rabbet is only sufficient to take plank ends. Where the deadwood molds into the hull at the after body, about where the rudder tube is located, a little ingenuity will be required to end the planks properly to avoid excessive twisting or splitting. The splitting tendency is- also noticeable, at the deadwood on the lower planks amidships and it is good practice here to jog the rabbet for plank ends only. When the planking is completed and the model removed from the dummy, tear out the paper, and fit in the corner log all around the inside of the sheerstrake and frames, using filling pieces between the frames. This will provide a means of cross tying while fastening the planks to the frames. There are in general two methods used in fastening-pins and dowels, the latter being similar to the regular practice of using treenails. Polka Dot was fastened with pins of small size cut short to allow just enough point for clinching inside. Two of these were used at the crossing of each plank with each frame and they were staggered. If the frames are put in adjacent to each other it is suggested that one pin for each will be sufficient. Treenails are made easily by cutting a hardwood tapered toothpick in half, which provides two. If these are used it is better to drill for each one with a tapered reamer or by using a tapered awl and before inserting the dowel it should be dipped in glue or shellac. The remainder of the details in connection with the construction of this model are similar to any other except perhaps in reinforcing the sides at the floors holding the lead ballast bolts. These floors carry tubes for the bolts and connect at the bilge with two short stringers to distribute the thrust over a number of frames and thus preclude the possibility of bulging. Several different woods are used in construction-namely, white pine for the deadwood and deck, mahogany for the keel pieces, transom and deck. J.L Wilson (1924) How About a Dhow? ne of the advantages of building your own sailing models is the wide variety of sailing models you can build. Recently, I have been thinking of modeling a Dhow. Alan Villiers’ Sons of Sinbad, (ref. 1) is a good place to start. You can now also get a new volume of his photos of his 1938 voyage. See ref. 2. 1 have misplaced my copy of his original book but Hawkins’ book, ref 3 says that the usual way of changing tacks was wearing (p.58-59). One challenging feature of these vessels is the method of staying the mast or masts. The shrouds were tackles toggled to lines at the gunwales and the lee shrouds apparently were slacked off and moved to the weather side so that the great lateen sails would not foul them (except on one special type of vessel called the “thoni.”) Thus, when the crew wore ship, at some point when the bow was down wind, the old weather shrouds were loosened and shifted and the old lee shrouds were set up and hauled tight and the fore part of the great yards were dipped forward of the masts and the forward ends carried around the masts to the new weather side while the sheet was let go flying forward and then, somehow, hauled in and made fast on the new lee side. That will be something that you will have to arrange using radio control (or, if sailing without radio control, at the other side of the pond.) Apparently, the rig was a good one in good weather, but dangerous if taken aback. One source says that often a well found ship had three differently sized sails (for each mast?) and a suitable one would be set for the weather conditions then extant. Tim Severin in ref. 5 describes one occasion when the main yard broke in severe weather and, the dangers and work of repairing the spar and sail. Villiers reported that masters preferred the weak sails as they were easier to repair than a broken mast or yard. Thus these dhows sailed for thousands of years with shrouds set up only on the weather side. Further, the smaller ones were only decked at the bow and stern and all had a long “gap” in the deck for raising and lowering the main mast. Similarly, it is not clear that the decks were water tight. Severin points out that on his one trip to China that the dhow’s average speed was 2 knots and that counting leeway the Page 20 And the photo inside the back cover of ref. 2 shows a dhow sailing in light weather with shrouds set up on both sides of the ship. Since, apparently, all these dhows were built without the traditional western lines plans you will have to design your model using photos and sketch plans to create your own building plans. Ref. 3 has some sketches and brief descriptions of features and cites Admiral Paris for more information. (I do not have a copy of his famous book and can not locate my copy of a discussion of his work.) However, in ref. 8 at pages 44-46, you will find a photo of a model of an Arabian Sambuc. A Southern Mediterranean “Tartana” as documented in 1768. The lateen rig has been described as “the most dangerous rig ever devised by the wit of man” course made good was about 70 degrees from the direction of the true wind. Ref. 5 appendix 3. Of course I assume that you will have a “sailing keel” on your model so windward ability should be better. Various sources differentiate between the northern arrangement of lateen yards and the southern. Ref. 4 at page 152 note (e) describes the arrangements of the tops of the shrouds of Mediteranean Feluccas. Another reference (which I can not now locate) indicates that the northern lateen yard on a ship rigged vessel was swung aft of the mizzen mast when shifted from side to side betwen shrouds permanently set up on deadeyes on both sides of the ship while thes outhern lateen yard was shifted from side to side on the forward side of the mast. Other Mediterranean lateen rigs are briefly discussed and illustrated starting on page 146 and Chapman is cited as another source. ( I checked John Leathers Sprit & Lugsails, ref. 7 at pages 66-77 anddiscovered that the dipping luggers also sailed without lee shrouds.) As you may recall, someone said that Nina was the favorite ship of Columbus, but looking at ref. 6 at pages 113, 114, 115, 110, 98, 84, 40 38, 39 none clearly indicated whether Nina was sailed without the lee shrouds tight. However, the photo on page 38 shows a model with four shroud tackles on each side of the main mast so she could have been sailed in the northern or southern fashion. Now all of the above vessels have been commercial. You can switch to military war ships starting, perhaps, with the Xebec, Le Requin of 1750 at pages 22-41 of ref. 9. Here you will find reef points on lateen sails, a boom on the small mizzen (it is a 3 masted vessel) and 22 guns.The text contains scantling rules and a discussion of sail handling and says that the fore yard was carried to one side of its mast while the main yard was carded on the other side of its mast and that the vessels tacked rather than wearing. Thus the choice is yours. References: 1. Sons of Sinbad by Alan Villiers, Scribners 1940. 2. Sons of Sinbad -The Photographs, The[(British] National Maritime Museum, 2006, ISBN10: 0 94806575 3 and 13: 978 0 948065 75 0. 3. The Dhow.., C. W. Hawkins, Nautical Publishing Co. Ltd. 1977, ISBN 0 245 52655.2. 4. Eighteenth-Century Rigs & Rigging by K. H. Marquardt, Phoenix Publications Inc. 1986 ISBN 1-881093-00-X at pp. 160-162. 5. The Sinbad Voyage by Tim Severin, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1982, ISBN 0-399-12757-7, see pages 178 et seq. 6. The Ships of Christopher Columbus by X. Pastor, Naval Institute Press, ISBN 1-55750-755-4. 7. Spritsails and Lugsails by John Leather, Granada Publishing, 1979, ISBN-0-229-11517-9. 8. A Scratch Modeler’s Log, by H. Bridenbecker & A. R. Lansir, a Moonraker Publication, 1984 ISBN- 0-8168-0014-6. 9. Historic Ship Models The Musee de la Mafine Collection, J. Boudriot, Pier Books, 2004, ISBN 0-9755772-2-0. George Steele Page 21 Mentoring Project Model Sailboats Launched n May 12, after eight long months of hard work, participants of the Court Street School Community Education Center Sailboat Mentoring Project completed construction of eleven radio-controlled models of the famous Chesapeake Bay Skipjack. The builders, ages 12-17, then traveled with their mentors to the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, Maryland the following weekend to launch and sail their boats in Chesapeake Bay as guests of the Solomons Island Model Boat Club. Skipjacks first appeared on Chesapeake Bay in the late 1800s and operated under sail only to dredge oysters from the bay. It is now the official state boat of Maryland and a program is underway to preserve the few remaining Skipjacks. The skipjack model selected by the project is a replica of the Lady Katie, a traditional oyster boat that is still in use today. Plans and some key materials were purchased from the Solomons boat club. The Skipjack has straight sides and a “V” bottom, which allowed Okoume mahogany plywood to be used for the planking. The mahogany is grown in the equatorial African nation of Gibon. The models measure 64 inches in overall length with a sail area of 1100 square inches and weigh 22 pounds. The scale is one inch to the foot. The project was open to all youth in Monmouth County and it was the third sailboatmentoring project offered by the Court Street School in Freehold. The builders traveled from Colts Neck, Eatontown, Freehold, Holmdel, Lincroft, and Manalapan on 27 Saturday mornings starting on October 14, 2006 to build their models. For the first time two girls participated. The mentors for the most part were the fathers of the participants, but one mother and one grandmother also mentored. The project was organized and led by Charles Roden, a retired Bell Labs Engineer, member of the Marbleheaders of Spring Lake, NJ Model Yacht Club, and charter member of the US Vintage Model Yacht Group. Mr. Roden was assisted by six adult sailors, Howard Bodner, Creighton Decker, Dale Harman, Joe Haug, June A happy group of students and mentors. There’s just something about little sailboats that puts smiles on peoples’ faces. Page 22 Skipjacks sailing at Solomons Island. Pendino and Dorothy Roden. Three of the instructors also built Skipjacks to provide examples to guide the efforts of the young builders. Tony Colaguori, a 91-year-old retired Fort Monmouth engineer, made all the hardware for the boats in his basement machine shop. The builders got first hand experience in planning a large project and using hand and power tools to build their models. A good deal of emphasis was placed on the safe use of scroll and band saws, drill presses, power sanders, and routers. With the present emphasis in school on the use of computers, many had lacked the opportunity and fun of building a complex structure with their own hands. They all admitted that working with an adult mentor was rewarding. It also proved to be a good test of patience and fortitude to be able to stick to such a project for eight long months. In addition, they learned the elements of sailboat design, and the theory and practice of radio control and sailing. The Solomons boat club members capped the project with a weekend of sailing and racing instruction. Skipjack racing completed the visit. Rachel Ebner, and David Honig tied for first place with Jonathan McPherson placing second and Julian Drucker finishing third. Many will continue building and sailing model boats but all will be able to apply their skills in the future to maintaining those wooden houses that we all live in. Charles Roden The 2007 US-UK Challenge Cup San Francisco The San Franciso Model Yacht CLub hosted the first half of the 2007 US-UK Challenge Cup on June 2nd and 3rd at Spreckels Lake, sailing 36R Class freesail yachts. A biannual event, alternating between England and the US, this was the fourth time the regatta has been held since 2001. This was the first time, however, that the US side was able to offer two different venues to race at. The San Diego Model Yacht Club hosted the second half of the regatta on June 9th and 10th at their pond in Mission Bay. There was a great turnout for the races at Spreckels Lake. We had two British sailors, ten from SFMYC and one from SDMYC, for a total of 13 boats. Making the heroic journey “across the pond” were Graham Reeves and Max Buttimer. Ernie Mortensen trekked up from San Diego, and Earl Boebert while technically a SFMYC member, actually came even further, from Albuquerque, New Mexico. On their home waters were Jim Forbes, Mary Rose Cassa, Dave Sands, Steven Ma, Dick Hunter, Dan McCormick, Ed Schoenstein, Jeff Stobbe, and Mike Stobbe. Our hats off to all of them. Being a two-day event, six boards were run on Saturday and six on Sunday. The weather was very similar both days: cold, foggy, with fairly strong gusty winds, shifty and unpredictable as is typical for Spreckels Lake. Unfortunately, Max’s boat was damaged in transit, but an emergency Page 23 patching job in the clubhouse enabled him to compete. of a sandbar showing up at low tide. The sandbar is scheduled to be removed two weeks after the event. At one point the There were quite a few casualties on the forauthor’s boat got hung up on the sand bar. bidden coast as the wind gods scattered the What should we do? The Vice Commodore of fleet all over the lake. Those lucky enough to Sail for the San Diego Argonauts got his surf stay close to the north shore generally stayed board off his car rack and plunged into the out of trouble, and there were lots of close pond to free the entrapped boat. It was a matches. It was challenging, but fun. At the great rescue. Do we really need a dinghy end of the first day, the leaders were Mike anymore? It was a competitive two days. The Stobbe and Graham Reeves, only one point San Francisco contingent always has a good apart. On Sunday, the fun continued and group of free-sailors and they along with Mike and Graham had their match. Mike Graham Reeves and Earl Boebert were espehad an easy run when Graham’s boat went cially helpful to the San Diego crew who south, but the beat was a rail to rail tacking were getting tested for the first time. The top duel all the two contendway, with ers from the Graham takSan Francisco ing the win. It event continwas not ued to battle it enough, howout in the San ever, and at Diego venue. the end of the G r a h a m day, Mike was Reeves and the top scorer, Mike Stobbe Graham was were neck and second, and neck the entire Dick Hunter event. They was third. had a great These scores run with both The Rescue Surfboard swings (splashes? paddles?) into would be c ompetitors action at San Diego. Photo by Steve Ma. added to the flying their San Diego res p i n n asults for an kers trying to overall regatta champion. get downwind advantage. After all the races were completed we conducted a scramble San Diego just for fun, where we let all 10 boats sail the The San Diego segment of the 2007 UK-US course at the same time – a little hectic to be 36R Challenge Cup took place at Mission Bay sure for both the beat and the run. Ernie Model Yacht Pond on June 9 & 10, 2007. We Mortensen won the beat and Mary-Rose had 10 participants: Graham Reeves from the Cassa won the run. At the end of the two day UK; Earl Boebert from Albuquerque, New event in San Diego the top 3 finishers were: Mexico; Mary Rose Cassa, Mike Stobbe, Jeff 1st – Graham Reeves of the UK; 2nd Mike Stobbe and Earl Schoenstein from San FranStobbe of SF and 3rd Mark Hallberg of San cisco; Jim Hawkins, Jeff Maguire, Mark Diego. The overall top 5 finishers for the enHallberg and Ernie Mortensen from San Ditire event were: 1st Graham Reeves UK; 2ndego. We also had a great support group proMike Stobbe SF; 3rd Ed Schoenstein SF; 4th vided by the San Diego Argonauts that manJeff Stobbe SF and 5th Mary-Rose Cassa SF. It aged the races, kept scores and assisted in was concluded that Graham Reeves repreturning the boats when they headed for the sented his country extremely well and the he south shore of the pond. The day started out should return to the UK with the silver chala little overcast. But by the time of the Skipice until the next Challenge in 2009. pers meeting the sun started to come out and The San Diego regatta was a lot of fun. We the breeze freshened to about 4 to 6 mph. We commend Ernie for all his work to organize it ended up with good weather both days. We and to singlehandedly build four boats in started a little further upwind on the pond time to pull it off. We rounded out the trip than what we would have liked as the result Page 24 with visits to Old Town, Balboa Park, and the San Diego Maritime Museum. Graham has very generously provided the US team with a set of plans for the very successful boat he used to trounce us all. I’m sure one will be rolling off the stocks before long. Mike Stobbe (San Francisco) Enie Mortensen (San Diego) Hayseed VI particluary happy conincidence arising from the establishment of our Vintage 36 class is the fact that it is possible to make exact, or near exact scale models of full-size R Class boats that will sail well. As an example we present Hayseed VI from 1923. She was designed by Frederick M. Hoyt for H.L. Bowden of Boston. Her dimensions were: Hayseed Sections Scale: 1⁄3 Full Size for V36 LOA: 35 ft 9 in LWL: 24 ft 9 in Beam: 7 ft 8 in Draft: 5 ft 7 in Sail Area 596 sq ft. At a scale of 1 inch to the foot she would come out at 5.7 lbs. It would probably be well to widen the fin to gain a little extra displacement and room for batteries. As such she would be a little larger than Yankee III. Her sail dimensions were: Mainsail Luff: 45 ft 7 in The Model Yacht is published three times a year by the U.S. Vintage Model Yacht Group. Copyright 1998 to 2006 U.S.V.M.Y.G. Reproduction for noncommercial purposes permitted; all other rights reserved. Other copyrights are maintained by the original holders and such material is used here under the fair use provisions of the relevant copyright acts for nonprofit research and educational purposes. Mainsail Leach: 48 ft 2 in Editorial Address: 9219 Flushing Meadows NE Albuquerque NM 87111 Email: boebert@swcp.com Phone: 505 823 1046 Mainsail Foot: 20 ft 7 in Jib Luff: 26 ft 0 in Jib Leach: 23 ft 2 in Jib Foot: 8 ft 9 in. Earl Boebert Officers of the U.S. Vintage Model Yacht Group: President: John Snow Eastern Vice-President: Ben Martin Western Vice-President: Dominic Meo, III Midwest Vice-President: Tom Pratt Southeastern Vice-President: Thom Mclaughlin Vintage M Class Coordinator: John Henson Vintage 36 Inch Coordinator: Al Suydam A Class Coordinator: Rod Carr U.K. Coordinator: Graham Reeves Canadian Representative: Doug McMain Historian: Earl Boebert Archivist: Jim Dolan Page 25 Page 26 Scale: ¼ Full Size for V36 Page 27