The Model Yacht: Volume 23, Number 1 – Winter 2022 (Ingenuity 2)

The Model Yacht 2 Ingenuity Journal of the U.S. Vintage Model Yacht Group Journal of the US Vintage Model Yacht Group Volume 21, Number Three Volume 23, Number One Winter 2022 The Model Yacht Winter 2022 US VMYG Leadership President: John Y. Stoudt. jstoudt309@gmail.com……………………………………………………………..(610) 316-8695 President Emeritus: John Snow, jsnowj@comcast.net…………………………………………………………(978) 594-8521 Treasurer: Tom Alessi, usvmygt@gmail.com……………………………………………………………………(610) 566-9504 Secretary: Chuck Lage, chucklage@yahoo.com…………………………………………………………………(484) 682-3091 Art Director: Bruce Richter, richterbruce@gmail.com………………………………………………………..(917) 575-2221 Journal Editor: Jeff Beck, beck.jeff@gmail.com………………………………………………………………..(240) 252-0236 Editorial Staff: John Henderson, jgnhenderson@gmail.com………………………………………………..(443) 282-0277 Ken Young, youngrun@sbcglobal.net…………………………………………………………(630) 957-7490 Webmaster: Gregg Heimer, gheimer@itcadence.net…………………………………………………………..(610) 960-2185 Membership: Tom Alessi, usvmygt@gmail.com………………………………………………………………..(610) 566-9504 Regatta Coordinator: Nick Mortgu, mortgu@comcast.net……………………………………………………(609) 820-0509 Awards Coordinator: Rob Dutton, edwin653@aol.com.mortgu@comcast.net……………………….(703) 608-8812 Resources Coordinator: John Y. Stoudt, jstoudt309@gmail.com………………………………………….(610) 316-8695 Plans Coordinator: Ivor Walton, modelyachtplans@comcast.net Historian: Earl Boebert, boebert@swap.com……………………………………………………………………..(505) 823-1046 Boat Yard Coordinator: Jim Linville, linvillejim@gmail.com………………………………………………(781) 534-0203 Construction Advice: John Henderson, jgnhenderson@gmail.com……………………………………….(443) 282-0277 Social Media: Steve LaBrenz, srlabrenz@hotmail.com……………………………………………………….(484) 947-1327 Class Coordinators Free Sailed: John Fisher, jfisher577@gmail.com……………………………………………………………….(719) 651-0762 Intl A Boat: Mike Denest, mjd12k@yahoo.com…………………………………………………………………(610) 316-3570 Schooner: Tom Alessi, usvmygt@gmail.com…………………………………………………………………….(610) 566-9504 Skipjack: John Henderson, jgnhenderson@gmail.com………………………………………………………..(443) 282-0277 Unrestricted: John Henderson, jgnhenderson@gmail.com…………………………………………………..(443) 282-0277 Vintage 36: Alan Suydam, alansuydam@comcast.net…………………………………………………………(301) 653-4899 Vintage Marblehead: Bruce Richter, richterbruce@gmail.com…………………………………………….(917) 575-2221 Vintage Power: Peter Kelley, pdkelley@sympatico.ca…………………………………………………………(905) 301-9977 Regional Coordinators Canada: Peter Kelley, pdkelley@sympatico.ca…………………………………………………………………..(905) 301-9977 European Continent:………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Currently Open Mid Atlantic: Scott Todd, dscotttodd63@gmail.com…………………………………………………………..(410) 310-2453 North Central: Ken Young, youngrun@sbcglobal.net………………………………………………………….(630) 957-7490 North East: Cliff Martin, c_martin5@comcast.net………………………………………………………………(508) 533-5971 North West:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Currently Open South Central:…………………………………………………………………………………….Currently Open South East: Phil Ehlinger, philair41@gmail.com………………………………………………..(386) 383-8415 South West: Ernie Mortensen, usvmygsw@gmail.com…………………………………………(858) 525-5217 United Kingdom: Graham Reeves, graham@reevesmail.co.uk………………………………+44 151 936 1140 i Winter 2022 The Model Yacht The Model Yacht is published three times per year by the US Vintage Model Yacht Group. Copyright 1989 to 2022 by the US VMYG. 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. The Layline By John Stoudt Definition: A layline is a straight line (or bearing) extending from the next mark to indicate the course a boat should be able to sail on the one tack in order to pass to the windward side of the mark. (vsk.wikia.com/wiki/Layline) Editorial Address: John Stoudt 309 Sundance Drive Chester Springs, PA 19425 The vintage group was busy in 2021 publishing three Journals, updating the website, beginning the conversation about The Model Yachting Center (TMYC), and supporting a successful National Championship Regatta. On the Cover: Close-up details of an early simple vane gear design, just one example of ingenuity being applied to model yacht sailing. Some things to consider: • membership is growing, but we need more members. • our bank account shows steady growth, making our financial future stable. • 60% of our membership accepts the Journal electronically. Membership Renewals: The annual membership fee will be due and should be renewed with the publication of the first journal of the calendar year. Please reference “Membership” on page 34 for dues amounts. Please use the form that accompanies this issue of The Model Yacht to complete your membership renewal. Requesting a sail number: The quickest and easiest way to request a sail number is to go here: https://usvmyg.org/ registration/ Then click on the class of the boat you wish to register and get a sail number for. A form will open. Complete the form and pay the fee and everything will happen automatically. You will receive a number, issued by the class coordinator. Budget Status Our Treasurer, Tom Alessi prepared a budget report that you can see on page 4. Our bottom line has been growing; our efforts have been successful. One thing that has worked to our benefit is the items we sell on the website. The income from the store page has grown each of the last 3 years. In 2021 we had 169 products available. We sold 162 items (72 distinct products in 94 transactions) for a total of $2,120.00. This included 53 different plans. The biggest selling plan was the North Carolina Oyster Sharpie. The biggest selling publication was Building Planked Models by Charles Farley. 1 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht Inside The Leadership Team……….i The Layline…………………1 Barnacles………………25, 27 Gadgets and Gizmos: Sanding Fixtures………..12 A Deck Clamp…………..24 A Mobile Stand…………30 Shroud Savers…………..32 Year End Financial Report….4 Membership Highlights…….5 2021 Vintage 36 New England Regatta Report…….6 2021 Bithell Memorial Cup Regatta Report..……….……9 Rich Hillsinger: A Special Thank You…………………10 Capt. William D. “Bill” Pinkney Honored………….14 Paying It Forward…………16 Lift-n-Carry………….……18 Basic Model Yacht Finishing/Refinishing……..22 It Ain’t Pretty But It Is Effective.………………….26 Making A Spreader………..28 US VMYG Membership…..34 Reminder: If you order something from The Store, it will be delivered electronically. Once payment is complete, you will receive an email receipt with link(s) to retrieve your purchased plans or publications. Download links will be valid for 24 hours from the time of your purchase. For plans, copy the PDF to a CD or a flash drive, take it to Staples or your local equivalent, and get a full-sized print. We get a few complaints that “I did not get what I ordered”. Invariably it was delivered, inadvertently deleted, went to spam, or some other crazy issue. The system is very reliable. So let us know if something goes awry, and we will make it right. Non-Profit Status We have a committee, made up of Chuck Lage, David Martin, Ernie Mortensen, and myself, studying the feasibility of acquiring tax exempt status. This is being done primarily because of the effort to develop TMYC. This will include incorporation and the re-writing of our by-laws to align with both federal and state requirements. There is a lot to consider as we prepare for the next steps. The Model Yacht Upcoming issues will feature design considerations, fittings, sailing and tuning, and boat identification with planning looking forward to 2023. If you have a suggestion, please contact Jeff Beck and me. If you want to write an article—or you have an idea for an article you want to read and you know who should write it—let us know. Our editorial staff does a great job organizing, writing, editing, and assembling a very professional looking journal. I am sure you have noticed that we do this without any advertising. Upcoming articles in the Journal will address more tech topics, gadgets, construction, and other topics. Bruce Richter does an amazing job assembling each issue into an easyto-read and sensational looking package. 2 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht usvmyg.org Our website management has changed. IT Cadence provides technical support for those things we cannot do ourselves and some of the tricky background tasks. Our website administrator is Jeff Beck who has been teaching himself how to do routine stuff and fix things when I get in over my head. We use WordPress, which is a very robust piece of website software. If you have not visited the website (https://usvmyg.org) recently, Jeff has been making some changes to improve the organization and delivery of material on the site. At the very top we have a line of links in the black bar to “Home”, “About Us”, “Members” (under development), “The Model Yacht”, “Contact”, “Join”, “Store”, and “Events”. Below, the major pull-down headings are: “NEWS”, “ARTICLES”, “SAILING”, “RESOURCES”, and “CLASSES”. The Articles pull-down includes the following sections: Construction Articles, Design Articles, History Articles, Sailing Articles, and Sail Making Articles. The Articles section of the website is growing. We have arranged older website items and new materials under these headings, and we have been taking published articles from the journal and posting them here. One interesting example is John Henderson’s “Speaking of Batteries” article that was published in the Summer 2018 issue of The Model Yacht. Including it on the website allows us to keep the information on this topic up to date. John made an update before we posted it in December, and he will keep it current as there are changes in battery technology. We are looking through all of the back issues of The Model Yacht to find content that is appropriate for the website. If you have any suggestions, they are certainly welcome. Membership Dues Our memberships run for the calendar year. So, your dues for 2022 are due at this time. You may go to this link to renew: https://form.jotform.com/90405575663966/ You may say that you joined late last year. When you joined, we made you whole for the year by sending out electronic copies of the issues you missed for the 2021. So, we would ask that you renew now. In the not-toodistant future, we hope to have the membership feature of the website working and we can move to rolling memberships with automatic email reminders. National Regatta Each year a local club or two hosts the events that make up the National Championship Regatta series. Recently the Chester Springs Model Yacht Club has been hosting the event in southeast Pennsylvania. If another club is interested, please contact me for information. 3 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht US Vintage Model Yacht Group – Year End Financial Summary 2021 Adjustments & Reconciliation: Note 1: Total income before expenditures. 5882.06+2935.78=8872.04 Note 2: Expenditures paid in 2021 less checks not cashed by creditors before close of the year. Expenditures include $925.27 for Printing Service, $57 for IT Service. Also includes temporarily cash deposit of $500.00 for TMYC . Cash not included as income for USVMYG Note 3: Adjustment derived from Note 2 above. $925.27+$57+$500=$1482.27 Note 4: Checks dated 12/2021 but received too late to deposit in bank. $55.00 Note 5: Unreconciled amount. ($2.14) 4 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht Membership Highlights By Tom Alessi, Membership Secretary and Treasurer Membership By Category: Current membership status. As of 31-DEC-2021 the organization has a total of 227 members. Membership Journal Preference: The majority of USVMYG members continue to prefer the Email format of the journal. MEMBERSHIP BY CATEGORY Membership by Geographic Location: Australia = 2 United Kingdom = 6 Canada = 4 Southwest = 20 Northwest = 15 South Central = 4 North Central = 28 5 Southeast = 27 Mid–Atlantic = 37 Northeast = 81 Address unknown = 3 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht 2021 Vintage 36 (V36) New England Regatta in Nashua, NH The skippers and the NMYC Flag. Article by Rick Gates, Nashua Model Yacht Club Lead. Photos by Paul McBride Editor’s Note: This is the type of event the leadership of the US VMYG would like to see take place in each region. A special thanks to Rick Gates and John Snow with support from regional coordinator Cliff Martin for making this happen in Region 1. Start small, they will grow. sky was overcast, but there was a steady 8–10 knots out of the northeast. This was a good day for sailing. The Nashua Model Yacht Club (NMYC) held New England’s first-ever Vintage 36 Regatta on Saturday, August 28th 2021 at Sandy Pond in Nashua, NH. The pre-fall weather was in the low 70s, making it cool enough for skippers to wear long sleeve shirts. The Eight skippers showed up with a variety of different V36 designs; all were beautifully made. 6 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht Since the winds were up, the regatta director was able to set a challenging course that kept all skippers focused on the racing. In the end, it was clear that everybody truly enjoyed the sailing as is evidenced by the fact that there were no protests. There was even one instance of shared skipper’s duty when Alain Jousse’s gaff-rigged V36 was disabled after the initial heat. In a show of true Corinthian Spirit, regatta host Rick Gates handed Alain his V36’s transmitter for the remainder of regatta racing. The A-Fleet electronic scoring system was used, and two throw-outs were allowed. Results for the 14 heats are shown below. It’s worth noting that all skippers present asked if it was possible to have another V36 regatta at Sandy Pond, possibly as NMYC’s season-ending event. This is now being considered and will likely take place in November! Place Skipper Sail # Points Honey being launched by Rick Gates. 1 Herb Dreher 42 14 2 Cliff Martin 34 24 3 John Storrow 55 39 4 R Gates / A Jousse 1 40 5 Rick Laird 23 57 6 Jim Linville 51 77 7 Alain Jousse 49 98 8 Paul McBride 2 108 I would like to thank following people that helped to make this event possible: • Chris O’Brien and Jerry Leach who served as co-scorekeepers — fantastic job!!!!!! • John Snow for his V36 award design concept, for getting the award plaques from Tod Johnstone, and for serving as RD for the regatta. • Paul McBride and others for the fantastic pictures and videos. Sadly, Paul had time to do so as his V36’s electronics were not working. In the end it turned out well for the rest of us. Because V36s are beautiful to look at whether in or out of the water, we chose to use a V36 design profile on the regatta award plaques. The artwork for the plaque was done by Tod Johnstone of Mystic, CT. • The Nashua Parks and Recreations department for doing their usual superb job of maintaining the pond and facilities. 7 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht The Top Five (L to R): Herb Dreher, Cliff Martin, John Storrow, Alain Jousse, and Rick Laird with their Tod Johnstone-designed plaques. In summary, I would like to say that this was one of the more enjoyable events that I have participated in. Therefore, we hope this can become a template to help in facilitating more US VMYG regional activities in the future. PS:“Whose Footy is that?!” 8 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht Regatta Report: 2021 Bithell 18th Memorial Cup Saturday, October 23 B ill Bithell is honored each year with the Bithell Cup Marblehead Regatta held at Redd’s Pond in Marblehead, MA. This is the 18th annual event run by regatta coordinator and longtime Marblehead model yachtsman, John Snow. The race was a once-around course plus an offset mark. Twelve heats were scored with two throw-outs. The fleet included five Traditional VMs (TR 1930-45) and four High Flyer VMs (HF 1946-70). The Perpetual Full Cup for the Traditional VM Fleet was awarded to Thom McLaughlin. The top three skippers in the Traditional and High Flyer fleets earned Nautical Chart Plaques. Thank you to the Race Committee: Sue Martin, Scorer; Al Fern Start/Finish Line Judge. Article by John Snow. Photo by Thom McLaughlin Place Skipper Sail # Design 1 Thom McLaughlin† 2 Cliff Martin 3 Chris Hornick 70 4 John Storrow 5 5 Points 1950s Sylvan (TR) 15 (6 firsts) 1960s Magic Dragon (HF) 29 (3 firsts) 1960s Warrior II (HF) 35 (2 firsts) 206 1930s Madcap (TR) 38 (1 first) Rick Laird 153 1930s Iris (TR) 39 (1 first) 6 Rick Gates 122 1930s War Room (TR) 49 7 Alain Jousse 49 1930s Cheerio II (TR) 50 8 Jack Woods 948 1960s UK (HF) 56 9 Jim Linville 190 1960s Magic Dragon (HF) electronics problem † Perpetual Full Cup winner. 9 1040 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht Rich Hilsinger Article by TMY Editorial staff. Photos provided by WoodenBoat School A Special Thank You! Rich Hilsinger retired at the end of 2021 from his position as Director of WoodenBoat School. Rich Hilsinger, a Philadelphia native, went to WoodenBoat School (WBS) as a student in 1983, and he never left. He has lived in Brooklin, ME ever since. Early on, Rich managed the school shop for 7 years and taught classes in kayak and small boat construction. When Rich graduated from college, woodworking became a part of his life. His early experiences in house carpentry, restaurant and bar renovation, post-and-beam barn restoration, and cabinetry lead him to serving 3 years as the ship’s carpenter on the four-masted bark Sea Cloud. After that, he returned to the United States and assisted on yacht deliveries; did boat repair; and worked at North End Shipyard in Rockland, ME, and the Brooklin Boat Yard. He acquired Martha, his own Crocker pocket cruiser. Rich became the school director in 1990 and has brought his enthusiasm, dedication, and creativity to the well known institution. He is looking forward to spending more time with family and friends, sailing, gardening, reading, and cheering for all of Philadelphia’s professional sports teams. The unwavering fan! Rich Hilsinger has been an avid promoter of wooden boats of all types for many years, and he enabled our sport to grow by placing model yacht courses in the school program. The first course was in the 1999 catalog 10 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht and was the beginning of the relationship between model yachting and WoodenBoat School. It started with a conversation between Rich and Thom McLaughlin, in 1998, that led Rich to say, “Over the years, I had seen historic photographs of model yachts sailing in Central Park, but this was my very first exposure to seeing such gorgeous models up close. Thom, is there any chance in the world that we could design a WoodenBoat School course focusing on the construction of such craft?” That started it all! WoodenBoat School has been a supporter ever since. WBS has offered courses in the building and sailing of wooden pond yachts for 22 years. Courses have included: • Build Your Own Plank-on-Frame Pond Yacht • Build & Sail Your Own 36-in Radio-Controlled Pond Yacht • Building the 36-in Radio-Controlled Pond Yacht • Elements of Sailing Radio-Controlled Pond Yachts • Pond Yacht Restoration • Sail Making for Pond Yacht Owners Instructors have included: Geoff Burke, Thom McLaughlin, Bruce Richter, John Stoudt, and Alan Suydam. Some of the success of the US VMYG is in part because of the vision of Rich Hilsinger and his support through offering model yacht classes at WoodenBoat School. The US VMYG wishes Rich well in his retirement and expresses its sincere thanks for being a friend of what we love doing. Many individuals have developed a love of playing around with their “toy boats” because of Rich. 11 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht Sanding Fixtures Article and photos by John Stoudt Sanding is a critical part of preparing to put a finish on your work. I use various grades of sandpaper and different types of adaptive devices to prepare the surface for finish. I have many types of sanding blocks and long boards that I use as I am working on the boats I build and restore. You know the old adage “you can never have enough clamps”? Well I believe you can never have enough sanding devices. Some of the ones I use are commercially available like the foam sanding blocks (see Fig. 1). But, most of the sanding blocks I use are ones that I make. Fig. 1. Foam sanding pads. In Fig. 2 there are a number of smaller devices for sanding tiny items and sanding in small places and concave areas. I apply adhesive-backed abrasive to tongue depressors, Popsicle® sticks, dowels, and PVC tubing. Fig. 2. Assorted homemade sanding devices. 12 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht I have a lot of sanding blocks and sanding boards (see Fig. 3). I use blocks of wood and scraps of plywood to serve as the body of these sanding devices. I make sure that these pieces are square and true, having no twist or warp. For blocks, I usually cover four of the six sides with sandpaper. The sanding boards usually get covered on just one of the faces. Fig. 3. Assorted sanding blocks and boards. The fairing board is used almost exclusively on curved surfaces. I make them out of 1/16- or ⅛-in plywood. They flex as you move them over the piece you are sanding, and they work on either concave or convex curves. I usually mount handles on them with flat head wood screws to get a good grip and better control. This allows you to do high point sanding and to sand your work into one plane, whether it is a flat or curved surface. Fig. 4. Fairing board for curved surfaces. NOTE: I use Porter Cable resin-coated adhesive-backed sanding rolls (Google this product). They come in 10-yard rolls and are an open-coated abrasive. This paper is clog- and load-resistant and is made of aluminum oxide grit. This means, the paper does not clog up as you sand. I also find that if I clean this abrasive routinely with a vacuum cleaner, it lasts a very long time. Some of that is attributed to the quality of the aggregate that is used in this sandpaper. Pieces of sandpaper can be cut to any length and affixed to all sorts of blocks including ¼- and ½-sheet power sanders. Contact the Gadgets and Gizmos Guy (Ken Young) with article ideas. He can be reached at: youngrun@sbcglobal.net or (630) 957-7490. 13 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht Captain William D. “Bill” Pinkney Honored “Over the years the boats became fiberglass and radio-controlled with races conducted under rules similar to larger boats. “Membership in the Central Park Model Yacht Club was my introduction to organized sailing and yacht club protocol. When about to depart from the Manhattan Yacht Club dock on my solo circumnavigation in 1990, members of the CPMYC approached and asked that I carry the burgee as a symbol of my beginnings. Thus, the club bound by Central Park in New York City, was carried around the world. To this day, if in New York on a Sunday, my agenda must include a visit to the Kerbs Boathouse where it all started for me in organized sailing.” Early Central Park Model Yacht Club member receives Lifetime Achievement Award as 2021 inductee into the National Sailing Hall of Fame. Living in New York City during the early 1960s, Bill didn’t have as much of an opportunity to sail as he had in Chicago. Walking through Central Park one Sunday afternoon, he stumbled upon the Kerbs Boathouse at Conservatory Water. Men with long poles circled the large pond, steering their model boats off the concrete boundaries. Now 85, Bill reminisced, “The boats were mahogany, 50 in long with beautiful, shiny hulls. Masts were either wooden or thin aluminum tubing, and sails were lightweight Nylon or other suitable materials. The boats were steered by wind vanes attached to the rudder … with their course altered, when coming within reach, by your pole. I was hooked. At the first opportunity I purchased a model built in the 1930s. It was a great starter for me, as it was for many before me. 14 Gary Jobson, Board Member and past President of the National Sailing Hall of Fame, had this to say in July when announcing Bill’s honor: “Bill Pinkney had a dream. After spending 8 years in the United States Navy as a hospital corpsman (1956– 1964) and working several jobs ranging from a Winter 2022 The Model Yacht limbo dancer to make-up artist, he got more serious working for Revlon and later the Johnson Products Company and finally the City of Chicago. One thing he had in his mind was to sail around the world—alone. Pinkney learned to sail while living in Puerto Rico after his time in the Navy. One of his goals was to leave a legacy for his grandchildren, April and Brian Walton. To have an inspiring impact, Pinkney spent a few years setting up educational programs and engaged a film crew to follow his voyage. It was a major undertaking. Up until his departure on August 5, 1990, no African American had attempted such a bold adventure. became free.” Bill Pinkney was named Captain of the Freedom Schooner La Amistad in 2000 for the first 2 years after the replica was launched. The vessel serves as an enduring symbol of unity and the human struggle for freedom. “His yacht was a Valiant 47-ft sloop named The Commitment that he purchased from blue water veteran Mark Schrader. The boat had been adapted for single-handed sailing. The voyage featured the rounding of the five great capes including Cape Horn, which has the reputation of being the windiest part of the world. The 27,000 mile circumnavigation took 22 months and ended on June 9, 1992. Throughout the trip Pinkney sent footage back to Globe TV and communicated with some 30,000 school children. The finished production titled, ‘The Incredible Voyage of Bill Pinkney,’ won the George Foster Peabody Award for excellence in children’s television programming. The film has aired on the Disney Channel, National Geographic, and PBS stations. He was in high demand as a public speaker. His book, Captain Bill Pinkney’s Journey, was used for learning to read and for teaching the lessons of commitment and reaching goals. His talks, book and film have inspired thousands of sailors of all ages. “Bill Pinkney has raced in the Mackinac Races on Lake Michigan, has served on the Board of Mystic Seaport Museum, the National Maritime Historical Society, and the American Sail Training Association. He is a member of the New York Yacht Club. He took La Amistad on an expedition to West Africa and South America with nine teachers aboard. Their mission was to develop a curriculum on the Atlantic slave trade for the University of Nebraska. He has been honored by President George H.W. Bush and been awarded several honorary doctorate degrees. His story has appeared in many magazines. When Pinkney was asked by the Chicago Sun-Times if one thing in his life stood out, he responded, ‘No. It is a progression, never knowing what the next step is going to be, but being willing to do it when the possibility presents itself.’” “In 1997 Steven Spielberg directed the film ‘Amistad,’ a harrowing story of a slave transport vessel. The film inspired the restoration of a replica of the 1839 vessel at Mystic Seaport Museum. The film told the story of how the African natives revolted and killed most of the crew. The vessel ran aground off Montauk, NY, and the crew was detained. After a lengthy court case, the slaves Bill has also been Commodore of the Belmont Yacht Club; Chicago Yachting Association’s “Yachtsman of the Year”, and a Board Member of the Ocean Conservancy. 15 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht Paying it Forward Article and photos by Ken Young Back in the 60s, 70s, and 80s Ray Ozmun was an R/C boat builder, designer, and skipper of some renown. He had a hobby shop in Sandusky, OH where he manufactured hulls and complete boat kits. He is probably best known for his Magic Dragon 36/600 and his four versions of the Magic Dragon Marblehead 50/800. He also designed the Scampi 36/600. His first design was the Marblehead Aquilo. Magic Dragon I wants all of his sailing molds, hulls, sail material, etc. to go to a good home so that his kids don’t eventually throw everything away. This turned into a session resembling American Pickers with Ray and Jeff crawling around in the rafters, beams, and dust of Ray’s barn, handing me hulls, molds, and plugs, most of which hadn’t seen the light of day in decades. We got everything hauled to the trailer and began the Jenga process of fitting everything in. Scampi 36 My sailing buddy and boat building tutor Jeff Gros sailed with and against Ray in the early days of the AMYA and has stayed in touch with him. I have been fortunate to make two trips to see Ray with Jeff, and we acquired a few molds and hulls from him. Ray’s interests have shifted to R/C airplanes and running marathons. This past October, Jeff and I loaded seven boats into a trailer and headed to the US VMYG National Championships in Pennsylvania. We made arrangements to stop and see Ray in Ohio on our way home to Chicago. He is at the point where he Magic Dragon II 16 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht Marblehead mold, as well as the molds for the Magic Dragon Marblehead I, II, III, and IV. In the Vintage Group these Marbleheads would sail as either High Flyers or Classics. We would be willing, ON A LIMITED BASIS, to pull hulls from these molds for anyone who might be interested. We have deck and sail plan drawings for most of them. We told Ray we aren’t going to sell hulls. We are asking $50 to cover materials, plus shipping. We aren’t professional hull makers, but we have pulled hulls from some molds we got from Ray a couple of years ago and gave Molds ready to be loaded in the trailer. them away, except for the ones We had nine molds, four plugs that were we sail. If you feel guilty about getting a hull that cheap, going to be made into molds, and a number please make a donation to the US VMYG. of experimental hulls. We were talking with Ray about the proposed Model Yachting If you are interested, you can contact Jeff and me at the Center that was discussed during the “On the email addresses below. Water” day at the National Championship Regatta and is described in the Journal and on Sail Fast and Pretty! the website (https://usvmyg.org/the-modelJeff Gros jeffreygros@sbcglobal.net yachting-center-a-proposal-by-the-usKen Young youngrun@sbcglobal.net vintage-model-yacht-group/). We told Ray that if the Center comes to fruition, that’s where his treasures would end up. We asked him how much we owed him for all of his functional artifacts and his answer was “absolutely nothing”. Now he knew that it would all be taken care of by enthusiastic sailors. So now the good part. We have molds for two designs of the Scampi 36/600 hull as well as the turtle deck for them. We have the Magic Dragon 36/600 mold. We have the Aquilo Magic Dragon IV 17 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht Article and photos by Richard Mikulec Lift-n-Carry I made the Lift-n-Carry to transport and launch my Madcap VM at different sailing sites. The Lift-n-Carry is tall enough so I can launch the boat from tall docks used by real boats. Some sailors use the mast to launch their models, but I found that the stress on the stays and shrouds changed the “tune” of the rigging. The Lift-n-Carry works so well that I can lift the VM from the water easily whenever I need to make sail trim/mast adjustments. No more laying on the dock! I also found that the Lift-n-Carry makes transporting the fully rigged VM easy. The display stand I use for the VM is usually sitting on the floor. Perhaps you have the same problem I have: when lifting the boat off the floor, the mast head hits the ceiling. Using the Lift-nCarry, the VM keel is just off the floor, so the mast head easily clears my front door on the way out. I can transport the VM fully rigged to each sailing site in our SUV. Madcap in the Lift-n-Carry 18 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht Bill of Materials: Two 10 ft long pieces of 1-in PVC piping. Fittings: Two 1-in dia. 90° elbows Four 1-in dia. 45° elbows Six1-in dia. tees One can of pipe joint cement (Primer is not needed because we are not making watertight joints) I prefer Lasco Brand elbows and tees because they look nice; other brands are just as functional. The labels and printing on the PVC piping and components are easily removed with acetone. The best part of working with PVC tubing and components is that you can trial fit everything to verify fit and alignment. Just be sure that you do not firmly seat any joint during the trial fit. If you do, the joint may be so strong you cannot break it apart, but it will fail at the most inopportune moment if not glued. Cut pipe lengths for Madcap (Note, leg and crossbar lengths may depend on your boat. See the instructions below.): 2 Cradle Arms, 3 in 1 Lower Leg (Bow), 4⅝ in 1 Lower Leg (Stern), 5⅝ in 1 Angle Leg (Bow), 8 in 1 Angle Leg (Stern), 9 in 2 Lift Handle & Crossbar, 24 in 2 Vertical Risers, 27½ in 8 Joiners, 2 in (Joiners are used to connect tees and elbows) Construction hints: • The pipe joint cement is aggressive, so be sure to protect your work surface. • With the pipe joint cement, you will have about 10 seconds to be sure that the joints are aligned correctly. More cement gives more time; excess cement can be wiped from the joint easily. • There is no way to undo the cement. If you make a bad joint, you will have to replace the components. 19 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht Cradle sub-assembly with parts labeled. Build the two Cradle sub-assemblies: Customizing the Lift-n-Carry for your boat: 1. Cement Joiner into 1st Tee end. Cement Cradle Arm into 1st Tee shaft. Push to depth. 2. Align a 45° elbow to the Cradle Arm and 1st Tee (see the Cradle sub-assembly photo) and cement in place. Push to depth and press on a flat surface to confirm alignment. If the elbow is twisted relative to the Cradle Arm, replace all components. 3. Cement Joiner into 45° elbow. Push to depth 4. Align 45° elbow/Joiner to 2nd Tee shaft and cement in place. Push to depth and press assembly on flat surface to confirm alignment. 5. Cement Joiner into bottom tee end of 2nd Tee and push to depth. This is ready for the Lower Crossbar sub-assembly After you make the Cradle sub-assemblies, figure out the lengths of the forward and rear legs. With the boat sitting level in a stand, hold one up to the bottom of the hull forward of the keel and measure the distance from the forward 2nd Tee to the floor. Do the same with the second Cradle sub-assembly aft of the keel, measuring the distance of the aft 2nd Tee to the floor. For my Madcap, the boat sits level in the Lift-n-Carry because the legs of the forward Cradle sub-assembly are shorter than the legs of the aft Cradle subassembly. 20 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht I found that I needed 24 inches in between the cradles so that the Lift-n-Carry uprights would be clear ahead of the keel and clear aft of the keel-mounted rudder. I put a mark on the lift handle so I can use the mast position to confirm that the hull is centered in the Lift-nCarry before lifting the boat out of water. Building the Lower Crossbar subassembly: 1. Cement the Lower Crossbar to first Tee shaft, push to depth. 2. Align the second Tee on the Lower Crossbar with the first Tee and cement in place. 3. Press both Tees on a flat surface to confirm alignment. Building the Lifting Handle subassembly: 1. Cement a 90° elbow to the Lifting Handle. 2. Align the second 90° elbow on the Lifting Handle with the first 90° elbow and cement in place. 3. Press both elbows on a flat surface to confirm alignment. 4. Cement a Joiner in each 90° elbow and push to depth. Assemble Cradle sub-assemblies to Lower Crossbar sub-assembly 1. Cement Joiner on bottom Tee of Cradle sub-assembly 2nd Tee to Lower Crossbar sub-assembly. Push to depth, use a square to confirm that the Cradle is square to the Lower Crossbar. 2. Repeat with the second Cradle subassembly. Install Legs: 1. Before installing the legs, you must determine how you want the boat to fit onto the Lift-n-Carry: bow to the right or bow to the left. 2. Cement Lower Leg (Bow) to the bottom of the Lower Crossbar Tee for the bow end and push to depth. 3. Cement Angle Leg (Bow) to the cradle 1st Cradle Tee for the bow end and push to depth. 4. Cement Lower Leg (Stern) to the bottom of the Lower Crossbar Tee for the stern end and push to depth. 5. Cement Angle Leg (Stern) to the 1st Cradle Tee for the stern end and push to depth. Install the Vertical Uprights: 1. Cement a Vertical Upright into the top of the 2nd Cradle Tee on one side and push to depth. 2. Cement a Vertical Upright into the top of the 2nd Cradle Tee on the other side and push to depth. Install Lifting Handle: 1. Trial fit a 45° elbow on top of each Vertical Upright. 2. Trial fit the Joiners on the Lifting Handle elbows to the 45° elbows. 3. Because you have trial fit the elbows at each end together, you should have good alignment. 4. Separate the Lifting Handle Joiner from both 45° elbows without disturbing the elbows. 5. Apply cement to the Joiner at one end, fit the Joiner at the other end to its 45° elbow, and push the wet Joiner into the 45° elbow. It is too easy to make a mistake to try both ends at once. 6. Wait a couple of minutes and then repeat the process to cement a Joiner to the 2nd 45° elbow. 7. Wait a couple of minutes and then repeat the process to cement a 45° elbow to the Vertical Upright. 8. Wait a couple of minutes and then repeat to cement the 2nd 45° elbow to the Vertical Upright. Time to go sailing! Contact the Gadgets and Gizmos Guy (Ken Young) with article ideas at: youngrun@sbcglobal.net or (630) 957-7490. 21 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht Basic Model Yacht Finishing/ Refinishing Article by Walt Shuggs Painting our model yachts can be an adventure. Walt was a finishing expert for the Ford Motor Company. He prepared this information for the Chester Springs Model Yacht Club a few years ago. — Ed Given the number of issues that can arise while applying a finish to your model yacht, here is a step-by-step process you can follow to ensure a successful paint job. Basic Model Yacht Finishing/ Refinishing 1. Wash the entire model with dishwashing soap (like Dawn) and water to remove soluble dirt and contaminants. 2. When dry, clean the area to be painted with a fast-evaporating solution (like rubbing alcohol) to remove any wax and/or grease left behind. 3. Only after both cleaning steps are complete should the boat be sanded to prep for filling imperfections, sanding, and painting. Get rid of the FISHEYES! 4. Sand the area to be painted smooth using progressively smoother grades of sandpaper to ensure that the new paint produces the finish you desire. For example, start with #220 wet/dry paper and progress up to a #600 wet/dry paper. 5. Wash the boat with clean water again to remove any residue left from sanding. 6. Once you are satisfied with the “finish” of your bare (and/or sanded old paint) hull, you may want to apply a primer coat to fill in any microscopic scratches, divots, etc. Be sure to use the same manufacturer’s products – do not mix brands of paint. 7. Just prior to applying any paint, use a ‘tack rag’ to remove any tiny bits of debris on the surface. (A clean non-lint type of cloth can be used for this step, although a commercially available tack rag works best as it is sticky but leaves no residue.) 8. Read the label on your paint product (spray can, etc.) to see what is recommended for temperature of application, flash time, number of coats to apply, etc. 9. Apply a ‘dust coat’ and allow that coat to ‘flash off’ before applying the next coat(s). 10. Once you have applied a sufficient quantity of coats—getting to the level of gloss you want—let the boat dry for the manufacturer’s recommended time. 11. You can enhance the level of gloss on your boat by adding a UV-resistant clear coat or two on top of the color you painted. In fact, you can clear coat the entire boat—even areas you may not have painted—to provide a better resistance to the effects of sunlight. 12. Polishing with an automotive ‘polishing compound’ may further improve the level of your boat’s gloss. 22 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht Some painting tips by TMY Staff • A further thought on number 8. If you are repainting the hull, make sure that the two paints—the one on the boat and the one you are applying —are the same chemical base. • If they are incompatible, you can use a high-quality primer to pre-paint the area to be sprayed. Use one by the same manufacturer of the paint you are applying. The various tape and other masking materials can be seen here prior to their removal. Photo by John Stoudt. • “Flash off” is allowing the solvent in the dust coat to evaporate. Check the label for flash time for your paint. • Masking the areas you do not want to paint can be done using automotive masking tape. You can stretch it to conform to the shape of the hull, deck, whatever. Once that tape has been applied and rubbed down, you can apply newspaper masks to the tape, with painter’s tape to “hide” the entire boat from the paint overspray. • When removing the tape, pull back on a very sharp angle to ensure that you do not lift any of the paint. Finished paint job prior to polishing out the finish. Photo by John Stoudt. 23 • Set the hull aside and allow it to dry (to the touch) and then let it set for 7 days. This will ensure that the paint has hardened. Caution: The paint will harden to the touch in a couple of hours but will not fully harden for as much as seven days. Winter 2022 The Model Yacht A Deck Clamp Article and photos by Jeffrey Beck For the first Marblehead I built, under the tutelage of Thom Mclaughlin at the WoodenBoat School, I pinned the deck to the sheer clamp with toothpicks. The toothpicks were a traditional method of attaching the deck, but, as Thom explained, they were really just needed to clamp the deck in place while the epoxy cured. This was tedious. And, being the lazy person that I am, I set out to find a better way. Later that week, another student in the “Finishing Your Pond Yacht (but not really)” class tried to avoid the tedious toothpick task. He filled several 1-gal Ziplock with sand and used those to hold his plywood deck in place as the glue cured. We all gathered around in the morning to see how it came out. Well, things didn’t go to plan. Not only was the pressure uneven, which gave him a poor joint between the sheer and the deck, Fig. 1. The clamp boards. but the bags stuck in the squeezed-out epoxy and tore when they were removed. On top of all of this some sand leaked from the bags into wet epoxy, but this ended up giving him a non-skid deck, out of scale, of course. Fig. 2. The clamp boards attach to the building stand with the pegs pointing downward. 24 Decks curve in one direction from bow to stern and in the opposite direction from side to side. The issue with a clamp for gluing on a deck is distributing pressure evenly across this complexly curved surface. Winter 2022 The Model Yacht Fig.4. Be sure to cover the deck with wax paper before clamping the deck with the elastic cord. Fig.3. Mark the outline of the deck and cut large. Rough out the hatch openings, too. I made a pair of clamp boards with quarter inch pegs set at a downward angle that attach to the building stand (Fig. 1, 2, 3). Then I used elastic bungee cord laced through the pegs to distribute pressure across the deck (Fig.4). I made them about 55 in long so that they could be used for a Marblehead. Here I used them on a V36. Fig.5. The finished deck. Once the epoxy dries, trim the deck to size. I use a sharp Stanley knife and finish with a sanding board. Barnacle Class Insignia and Sail Number Templates —We have a PDF available on https://usvmyg.org that includes the class insignia for VM, V36, A, and Unrestricted Models classes that will print in full size. It is available from the sidebar of each of the class pages. We also have a PDF that has 3- and 4-in number templates that will fit on 2-in spinnaker repair tape. As race committees become more “experienced”, they appreciate the larger numbers. 25 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht It Ain’t Pretty, but it Is Effective Fig. 3. The overspray laying on the drop cloth where it fell. Article by TMY Editorial Staff. Photos by John Stoudt. Painting your model yacht can be messy. Spray paint overspray will drift all over your workspace when you spray the hull. Here is an effective way to control the overspray that you always have when spray painting. 1. Place an inexpensive plastic “drop cloth” on your work surface. Arrange it so that it drapes evenly over the sides of your work surface. 2. Set up your masked hull on top of the drop cloth. 3. You may need to support the hull while upside down. Use a couple of rolled-up hand towels, one placed towards the bow, and one placed towards the stern. All this will be covered with the masking you do to protect what you do not want to paint. 4. Place anchor points on the ceiling/joists of your work area. 5. Pull up on each corner of the drop cloth and tie the corner to the anchor line (Fig.1). Fig. 1. The corner of the drop cloth tied to the anchor line. 26 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht 6. You will notice that the straight edges of the drop cloth sag. Go to the middle of each edge, pull out the sag, and tie a knot (Fig.2). This pulls up the sag and helps contain the overspray. 7. Note that the spray accumulates on the drop cloth. The overspray is a liquid and therefore heavier than air. The paint droplets that do not hit the hull will drop fairly quickly, thus the residue on the drop cloth (Fig.3 previous pg.). Very little if any droplets get by the drop cloth mostly because the entire cloth, not under the boat, is angled up, like an inverted tent. 8. Cleanup is easy with this set up. You can unhook the ends of the drop cloth and carefully roll it in on itself, being careful not to get it on your freshly painted hull. Fig. 2. The drop cloth in place like an inverted tent. Note the knots in the middle to take up the sag. NOTE: If you have a window in your work space, consider placing a small fan in it blowing out. This will help greatly removing the fumes from the spray painting. A face mask for particulates is also recommended. Barnacle Servo Gearboxes—As we “barnacled” before, ServoCity (www.servocity.com) makes servos with gear trains attached that greatly enhance the torque delivered by the servos they use. This series has been completely redesigned using a different series of servos. These servo gearboxes are great for the larger boats we build and can handle torque from 700 to 2450 oz-in. Go to this location for more information: https://www.servocity.com/servo-gearboxes/ They also have aluminum U-channels that accommodate the device and can be mounted in your boat: https:// www.servocity.com/u-channel/ 27 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht Article by TMY Editorial Staff. Photos by John Stoudt. Making a Spreader A spreader is a spar on a sailboat used to deflect the shrouds to allow them to better support the mast. Making a spreader for a model yacht is a fairly straightforward process. Materials: • 1 package – K&S 87133 Round StainlessSteel Rod 3/32 in diameter • 1 package – K&S 8127 Round Brass Tubing ⅛ in diameter • Cyanoacrylate adhesive (CA) (thin) • 2 brass mast tangs • 1 2-56 brass round head bolt and nut Tools: • Metal cutting saw • End nippers • 1/16-in and #41 drill bits • Smooth jaw pliers • Drill press or electric hand drill • Center punch • Hammer Procedure: 1. Use mast tangs to fasten the spreader and lower shrouds to the mast. The spreader will pass through the upper holes of the tangs, and the lower shrouds will attach to the lower (sometimes elongated) holes. 2. Fasten the tangs to either side of the mast with a 2-56 brass round head bolt and nut through the center hole. 3. Align the tang vertically on the mast and tighten the bolt. Spreader partially inserted through the mast and tangs. 4. Drill a #41 hole through the two upper tang holes and the mast (#41 is slightly larger than 3/32 in). The spreader insert will pass through this hole. 28 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht 5. Measure the cross-sectional thickness of the mast and the two tangs. 6. Measure the distance between the shroud racks on the deck. 7. Cut a piece of the stainless-steel rod 2 in shorter than the distance between the shroud racks. (If the distance between the shroud racks is 9 in, cut the stainless rod to 7 in.) 8. Cut two pieces of the brass tubing the length of the distance between the shroud racks minus the thickness of the mast and tangs, divide by two (to find the length of each side). Example: If the distance between the shroud racks is 9 in and the thickness of the mast and tangs is ⅝ in, the spreader tubes should be cut to 4 3/16 in. 9 in – ⅝ in = 8⅜ in (total width minus width of mast and tangs). 8 ⅜ in ÷ 2 = 4 3/16 in (adjusted width divided in half). End of brass tube, flattened. . . 9. Clean up the ends of the stainless rod and the brass tubing. 10. Using a pair of pliers with a smooth face, crimp 3/16 in of one end of each piece of tubing. 11. Center punch the exact center of the flattened end of each tube. The end of the spreader tube with shroud wire inserted. 12. Drill a 1/16-in hole in the flattened end and deburr the holes. Note: Deburring can be done by rotating a large drill bit on both sides of the small hole to remove rough edges. 13. Round off the crimped, square corners. 14. Take the stainless-steel rod and mark the center (two marks) where the mast assembly would be. In the example these would be ⅝ in apart. 15. Apply CA to one side of the stainless rod and insert the brass tube over it to the mark nearest one end. Immediately wipe off the access adhesive. Stainless rod inserted into the brass tube. 16. Do not CA the other tube onto the insert. When the boat is rigged the spreader will stay in place. This will allow you to remove the spreader for transportation. 29 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht A Mobile Work Stand Article and photos by John Stoudt Recently, I was asked to restore a 1930s A Boat (See “Restoration of an Early A Boat” in Vol 21, Issue 3 on pg.9). It’s 7 ft long and weighs 65 lb—a monster. That coupled with the fact that nearly all of the over 90-year-old glue joints had failed. I had a couple of issues to address: 1. How could I easily move this boat around my shop so I could still work on other projects while it was in between repairs? 2. How could this boat be supported to prevent additional damage to the hull, deck and frames? Most of the deck planks had come apart, the hull planking had separated, the frames had separated from the hull planking, and the ribs had broken. Basically the original glue had failed. When you moved the boat, it twisted and racked. The ballast, which weighs more than 50 lb, was twisting the entire structure whenever the boat was moved, in whatever position it was placed. I constructed a simple mobile stand using casters, 48-in 2⨉6 planks, two inexpensive sawhorses, an old building board (16by 48-in), ¾-in plywood scraps, sail tie material, and appropriate fasteners (see Fig. 1). This was designed to allow the ballast to sit on the building board and the sail tie material (support straps) to apply even pressure to the hull. Because the load is taken up with the four straps, the boat is elevated enough to remove most of the torque pressure applied to the hull by the ballast, and the load is distributed along the hull evenly. As the straps are tightened, the planks realign and nearly all of the joints go back together because the slings apply vertical pressure evenly along the hull. Boat in the stand. I screwed four furniture moving casters, the low slung ones with three wheels on them, to each end of the 2⨉6s. I centered the sawhorses side-to-side and end-to-end on the makeshift dollies and screwed them fast with all purpose screws. I screwed the 30 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht There are no detailed dimensions here because this mobile stand could be built to support any size boat using any size caster, sawhorses, and scraps. This stand comfortably supported this A Boat. The uprights could be moved closer together or farther apart to accommodate any size boat. One could even support a J Boat in this particular work stand. Fig. 1. Boat stand. building board to the tops of the sawhorses and then fabricated the supports out of ¾-in plywood scraps. I discovered that sail tie material, used on large sailboats, is a great sling material for model boat stands. The supports are made of an upright, a brace and a clamping block (See Fig. 2) and are fastened at each of the four corners. The four straps are 8-ft lengths of 1-in sail tie material. This is readily available on the internet. The block of wood (clamping block) can be tightened or loosened by adjusting the screws that hold it to the support. This holds the straps in place. Fig. 2. Support. After everything was assembled, I added the slings, clamping one side tight (all four straps—there are two slings on each support). The slings on the other side were threaded through the clamp and left loose. I then placed the boat in the stand and snugged up on the slings until the boat just started to lift off of the building board and then tightened those straps. The keel still rested lightly on the building board, which distributed the load between the hull and the ballast. 31 For more information feel free to contact the author. Contact the Gadgets and Gizmos Guy (Ken Young) with article ideas. He can be reached at: youngrun@sbcglobal.net or (630) 957-7490. Winter 2022 The Model Yacht Shroud Savers Article and photos by Chuck Lage I started R/C racing in May 2021 after having an R/C sailboat for decades. I stopped by the Chester Springs Model Yacht Club’s pond one Saturday to check things out. They seductively mentioned a club Soling I could borrow and join them for racing. I think the boat’s name was Enticement, but the club members won’t confirm this. A few weeks later as I closed a bag of potato chips with a clip, I wondered if this style of clip might provide a solution to the spaghetti shrouds I wound up with every time I transported Pirate. Could I have a clip lined with foam that would gently pinch the stays and prevent or reduce the dreaded tangled mess? I found the following clips on Amazon: Faxco 36 Pack Bag Sealing Clips, Clips for Bags Snap Closure Bag Sealer, Snacks Sealing Clips, Sealing Clips for Chip Bags and Kitchen Food Storage Bags (3 Sizes) for $6.99. I was doing OK, despite turning left when I meant right and other knuckleheaded maneuvers, but I had not sunk any other boats, so I felt pretty good. The final race of the day arrived, and blind luck resulted in a good start and favorable wind shifts allowed me my first win! I swear they were sandbagging to allow Enticement to work her magic and seduce me to return the following week. Well, it worked! Fast forward a few months and the commodore asked me to join the US VMYG Nationals in October. I volunteered to do whatever I could to support the event. But, I am not experienced enough for “Nationals”, and I don’t have a vintage model yacht. Well, he said not a problem, you can sail Pirate in the traditional Marblehead class. He brought Pirate to our next outing and loaned her to me for practice. That’s when the age-old problem began! By the time I had gently transported Pirate home with her 7-ft mast, all the stays were hopelessly tangled. I found the backstay with a hook on the end devilishly vindictive. Pirate had a topping lift on the jib, so seven lines were entangled, twisted, ensnared, and knotted. I knew there had to be a solution to this mess. The all too familiar rat’s nest 32 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht Since there are three sizes of these clips and they cost about $0.20 each, you can experiment with what works for you. Use the larger clips for larger boats with more stays and smaller clips for fewer stays. I put the cut grooves about ½ in apart, but this is totally up to your preference. I gave several of these “Shroud Savers” away at Nationals and asked for feedback, which was all surprisingly positive. I hope these clips keep you sailing instead of cursing tangled shrouds when you arrive at your sailing location. The lines clipped together. I ordered the clips and started to experiment by cutting off the part that went up into the grooved closure and gluing foam on the base. I tried cutting different size slots and pushing foam into the groove on the bottom part along with using several different saw blade thicknesses for groove sizes. Well, trial and error proved the simplistic solution worked best. Just cut as many grooves in the base piece using a hack saw as you need for each yacht. This thickness of cut allows for the stays to be inserted but still provides a little friction. So, I tried a clip near the top of the stays and then another at the bottom of the stays and this seemed to improve the tangled shrouds. Lines under control of the Shroud Saver. 33 Winter 2022 The Model Yacht Membership Form NAME ___________________________________________________ AMYA # ______________* First Initial Last STREET _____________________________________ PHONE # ___________________________ CITY ____________________________ STATE ___________ CTRY __________ZIP _________ Email Address ____________________________________________________________________ (required) *The US VMYG recommends membership in the AMYA. DUES – emailed newsletter (new members) $30.00 for U.S., Canada, and Overseas DUES – mailed newsletter (we ask current members to help reduce costs – select emailed newsletter) $40.00 for U.S. and Canada $50.00 for Overseas Life Member Contribution in the amount of $ _______________ COMPLIMENTARY MEMBERSHIP – The US VMYG makes complimentary memberships available to museum personnel, school directors, et cetera by email only. If you would like to have a complimentary membership for your organization, please provide an email address for the individual who will be receiving the newsletter and other communication. Organization: _____________________________________________________________________ PREFERRED METHOD OF PAYMENT: You may now join/renew electronically at: https://form.jotform.com/90405575663966/ Mail in membership: You may also send a check along with this form for the correct amount to: US Vintage Model Yacht Group 1 Rampart East Media, PA 19063 NOTE: The US VMYG will not share your personal information with outside parties. November 2021 34