The Model Yacht is a published three times a year by the US Vintage Model Yacht Group
- The Layline.by John Y. Stoudt. John reports on current US VMYG activities, including development of the Beginning Model Yachting Series, work on the Digital Archives, the Classic Marblehead rule review, development of an entry-level wooden V36 kit, and changes in the organization’s leadership. He emphasizes the extensive volunteer effort behind these projects.
- Gifts Supporting the US Vintage Model Yacht Group Through Tax-Wise Giving and Memorial Donations. This article explains ways members can support the US VMYG through qualified charitable distributions from retirement accounts and memorial gifts. It describes the potential benefits of these forms of giving and their role in preserving the organization’s history, publications, educational work, archives, and fellowship.
- Choosing the Right Boat for You.This Beginning Model Yachting article considers how to choose a vintage model yacht based on whether it will be sailed, displayed, built, or restored. It discusses class, condition, size, transportation, sailing location, clubs, acquisition sources, and the possibility that a boat may be acquired unexpectedly and then need to be evaluated or restored.
- Commodore Joe Branham and the Model Yacht Matey.by Joe Branham. Joe Branham recalls his father, Joseph Russell Branham, his mother Augusta, and their connection to the Washington Model Yacht Club and the model yacht Matey. Drawing on family memories and material from the US VMYG Digital Archive, he traces his father’s model-yachting activities and reproduces several historical references to Branham and his boats.
- Matching Early Finishes.by John Y. Stoudt. The second article in a restoration series explains how to reproduce the aged appearance of two gaff-rigged schooner display models. Stoudt describes matching old colors, cleaning surfaces, filling holes, constructing and coloring replacement spars, blending new paint with existing finishes, and creating convincing crackle finishes.
- Rehoming Our Collections.Cby huck Lage. Lage addresses the difficult problem of what happens to model-yacht collections when their owners can no longer keep them. Through several examples, he discusses documenting collections, finding new owners, using clubs and the US VMYG Boat Yard, and taking action early so valuable boats, parts, and equipment are preserved rather than discarded.
- The Racing Schooner Erin.This article presents a 15-rating racing-schooner design and describes the schooner rig, hull proportions, displacement, sail area, and design considerations. The issue notes that the description of the schooner appeared in Herbert Fisher’s How to Build a Model Yacht.
- The Rig: An Introduction. This Beginning Model Yachting article introduces a comprehensive resource on building and installing a rig on a radio-controlled sloop. It explains the relationship among the rig, hull, center of effort, and center of lateral resistance, and introduces the glossary, maps, standing and running rigging, deck fittings, mast and boom construction, assembly, electronics, and finishing stages.
- Correspondence from the Past.by NIL DESPERANDUM. Originally published in The Model-Yachtsman in August 1884, this letter urges model yachtsmen not to blame their boats for poor performance but to experiment patiently and learn from failures. The writer recounts improving a disappointing model through changes to ballast, sail area, and the forefoot, and concludes that perseverance and careful experimentation lead to better sailing.
- Is Your Mast Straight?by The Model Yacht Editorial Staff. This practical article explains why a mast must be square, plumb, and straight for good model-yacht performance. It rejects sighting the mast with the boat lying on its side and recommends using a small mirror on the deck to sight directly up the mast while it remains in its normal upright position.
- What Is a One-Off?by John Stoudt. Stoudt explains the term “one-off” in the context of the open Marblehead class and recalls learning the term while sailing at Redd’s Pond. He connects the term to the Depression-era practice of building individual boats from available materials and reflects on his own restored 1934 Marblehead, for which no original plans or construction notes could be found.
‘Lhe 2 © “OC “© a URS When you consider the question of choosing a boat within the context of vintage model yachts, you must look at it from a different perspective than you might if you were choosing a boat supported by another organization. So, you must navigate past all the modern yacht options and select the right vintage model yacht for you. What do | mean by that? The US VMYG is a segment of model yachting that embraces older model yachts. The US VMYG supports seven classes of these boats: CONSIDERATIONS Things that need to be considered when you are choosing a vintage model yacht. e Are you looking to display the boat and/or sail the boat? ¢ What is the boat’s condition, its size, and ease of transport? e What is your location, where can you sail the boat, and who you can sail with? e Are you interested in building, restoring, or having a boat restored for you? International A Boats, Schooners, Skipjacks, ¢ Where can you find a boat? Unrestricted Racing Models, Vintage 10-Raters, ¢ How do you learn to sail a boat? Vintage 36/600, and Vintage Marbleheads. These vary e How difficult will it be to build? (If you are significantly in size, appearance, and in how they may considering building a vintage boat, there are many have been constructed. They are very different from other questions you will need to answer, which we other model yachts. will address in a future article in this series.) Summer 2026 The Model Yacht WHAT SHOULD I BE LOOKING FOR? There are questions that you may consider as you embark on this adventure. e Are there model yacht clubs near me? What model yachts do they sail? e Is there a club that sails vintage model yachts near me? e Do | just want a great looking boat that | can enjoy sailing around on the pond and/or display in my livings room? e Do! build a boat, or do | acquire one by other means? e You walked into an antique shopping one day and found this beautiful “antique” model yacht. Turns out it is a vintage Marblehead class boat missing the rig. It came home with you. e Aunt Louie calls and says Uncle Charlie (he passed away recently) had this old boat in the attic and he would want you to have it. Turns out this is a Vintage 36/600 model yacht that, after researching it, it is a replica of Midge, a Daniels and Tucker design. e | bought one in an antique shop; how do| get it et approx Position | for Most ready to sail? “i wu ~ Te oR76 — —. — Ce ne a es ae Ree, ae is Ce ae wh ee Sa Saree ‘aiid —1> ee A ee —-}—_ Se as 4 4 ee CE ern SS ~. a \ a a >} ~——s Lead & ~MIDGE- Lines of Midge e You were surfing around on eBay one day and this beautiful model yacht caught your eye. Now you own it. e You have been following the Boat Yard on the US VMYG website and a new he: x ~ . ee A restoration can be a big but satisfying project. See “Model Yacht Decision Making” for information on how to get started. boat was posted, and wow, you fell in love with it. Now it is your possession. Turns out to be a boat that fits in the Schooner class. Search the internet and specifically the US VMYG site to see what vintage boats are, their appearance (they can be very different), and what might be available. Make sure you check the Boat Yard: https://usvmyg.org/ category/boat-yard/ Check out other model yacht organizations as well as local clubs. Do an internet search to find possible leads. These boats show up at auctions and other outlets. Check online auction such as AuctionZip.com. PERHAPS THE BOAT WILL CHOOSE YOU NOW WHAT DO YOU DO? What do you need to do with the boat to get it ready to sail? You must evaluate the boat to determine if it needs to be repaired, needs to have sails made, or if it is okay as is. You just want to clean it up and display it. Call a friend or contact the US VMYG. We can help with determining what needs to be done and how to move forward (https://usvmyg.org/ about-us/contact-us/). We will help you to get in Sometimes you acquire a boat before any touch with the appropriate person for consideration is given to what boat you really wanted construction advice, what clubs might be nearby, and what you wanted to do with it, For example… and other details specific to your situation. Summer 2026 Commodore Joe Branham and the Model Yacht Matey 5 ss Matey | today. | am a life member of the US Vintage Model Yacht Ae \ Article by by Joe Branham : ster \ Photo by Joe Branham / | f SH? lam informed Skipper Branham, the old Sea Group, but I’ve never been an active member. Dog of the outfit, has completed one yacht, and Recently, Chuck Lage phoned to check and see if | is working on another. {Scharf, please take was still alive. | am, so | explained my father’s, Joseph notice.) Branham is a boy of en ergy, and | take Russell Branham’s, connection to the club. pleasure in pointing to him as a worthy example for all Modelmen to follow. Nothing was ever Chuck sent 10 articles from the Digital Archive that achieved without enthusiasm. mentioned J.R. Branham and asked me to share my memories. At the age of 94, | still have lots of memories and also own his first boat, the Matey. Secretary Buhrman wrote in “The Log of the Washington MYC” in Model Yachting, February 1930, Augusta and Joe Branham. Why should an inactive sailor become a Life Member of the US VMYG? The answer is my p arents, Augusta and Joe Branham! They were very ac tive in the Washington Model Yacht Club in the 1920s, and | have the first model that he built and sailed, with my our family photo of the event. mother helping. Too bad it was a “men only” club. Summer 2026 The Model Yacht Caroline must have been his inspiration for the four Matey models that he made and raced. My parents met sailing on Rehoboth Bay in Delaware. Augusta’s father had a beach cottage in Rehoboth-by-the Sea, and Joseph Russell Branham’s father had a cottage as a squatter on public land about a mile further south. Matey on the right with my mother and father. At least three models were named Matey. | like to think that “Matey” refers to their relationship. Mother always said she married him because she loved his boat, a Herreshoff sloop named Caroline, and | imagine that Mother sailed on her as his mate. Caroline was designed by Nathanael G. Herreshoff with a 28 ft 5 in (8.66 m) length overall, 19 ft 3 in (5.87 m) waterline length, a 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) beam, and a draft of 4 ft 3 in (1.30 m). Augusta, Joe holding Joey, and Dr. Joseph Henry Branham on the beach in front of his cottage in Rehobeth, DE in 1933. His cottage was on the isthmus between the bay and the ocean, and storms occasionally swept across it. Dr. Joe Henry Branham was a surgeon in Baltimore. My father was a chemist at the National Bureau of Standards. He analyzed air samples collected by Explorer Ballons. My mother was one of the first two women to get a master’s degree from the University of Virginia. As a teenager she was a Suffragette and was arrested for marching for the women’s right to vote. | never saw my father make a model, but | did see my father and Mom sail them. They were wonderful toys that grownups played with and were proud to have made them themselves. | wish | Jer oc ae eee eT had known him better. He was hobbled with a horrible disease just as | began to admire him. He had been in the artillery in WW | and was deafened Plans of Caroline. by cannon fire. Summer 2026 In 1940 we moved to Florida to live in his father’s retirement The material that Chuck Lage sent to me home on Bugg Spring in Okahumpka. He died in Bay Pines from the US VMYG digital archive was Veteran’s Hospital in St. Petersburg when | was 12. | inherited fascinating. | found many references to his love of sailing and model building, and mother and | went my father and Matey, which inspired me to Rehoboth every summer. to tell my story. | will close with a few of the mentions. When | was very young and lived in Washington, my father had a clinker-built Frostbite Dingy made in Delaware. He specifically had it built without a centerboard or rudder so that | could learn to sail just by trimming the sail and sitting in the right place. There was a notice in The Model Yachtsman, August 1928 Vol. 1. No. 5. AMERICAN A-CLASS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.—This regatta was held on July 2, 3 and 4, at the Lincoln Memorial Pool, Washington, D.C., in order to select the American representative for the International Regatta at Gosport. …most of the time there was practically no wind at all except a few catspaws. Results were extremely close and at the finish the first six boats were within From The Model Yacht, March 1929, Vol. 1, No. 6. A special series of races will be held in October for the Secretary’s Cup, posted by Mr. Buhrmann. Skipper Joe Branham, who won it last year, has a new Six Metre yacht already, for the water, in expectancy of hanging on to the trophy. Six Metre Models are replicas of Six Metre racing class yachts.They are only about 1.5 m or less overall length. – Washington Herald Staff rhete GET GOING, MATEY—Soseph 8. Branhan, commodore of the Washington Model Yacht Club, gives his Matey IV a spring tryout in the Tidal Basin, where many And from Model Yachting, April 1932, Vol. 2, No. 6. We Understand That —Joe Branham model yachtsmen are working out nowadays with the of the Washington M. Y. C. has built boats they make themselves. a new Class A model which he Some even have fleets. A Washington Post clipping showing my father with Matey sailing in Washington, DC. 10 expects will do very well when properly tuned up.” Summer 2026 Matching Early Finishes Side by side finishes and details. Article and photos by John Y. Stoudt unless otherwise noted. This is the second article in a series on the restoration of two bespoke gaff-rigged schooner display models. See the first part, “Bits and Pieces: A Re-use, Recycle Restoration,” in The Model Yacht, Volume 26, Number 3, Fall 2025. It can be difficult to get the correct finish on a restoration when the owner wants the paint to match what is on the boat—an old, faded, and cracked, painted finish. There are a number of things you need to do to accomplish a good replica finish on your restoration. OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THESE BOATS The owner wanted these boats to look old and liked the finish they were brought to me with. The hulls were painted with two colors on each hull: one color above and one below the waterline. It is obvious that the boats were painted at different times by different people. Some questions to consider: 1. How do you match the colors? 2. How do you get new paint to look cracked like the original paint? 3. How do you make the new paint look old? 4. How do you blend the paint applied at different times? 11 Summer 2026 The Model Yacht If the spray cleaner does not seem to be working, GETTING THE COLOR RIGHT | go to a product called Formby’s furniture These hulls were not very cleaner. | used the same procedure as above with large, so off to the hardware this product, which is designed for use on antique store with them | went. Why? Hardware (and paint) furniture. After the surfaces are clean, you can A Benjamin Moore also use Formby’s finish restorer, on the bright stores that mix paints now have scanners that can be used to scan a paint sample finished surfaces. (Note: Formby’s products are no longer available, but there are other furniture SAMPLE cleaner and restoration products available.) This and provide the formula for that color. They were able to hold the hulls up to the scanner and identify often does a nice job making the original finish An 8-oz sample look better without making it look new or having of any color. to refinish the bright work. the colors on each boat. As | mentioned, the hulls FILLING HOLES AND OTHER MARKS are small, so | did not need a quart of paint; smaller quantities would do. Hardware stores can mix You are probably going to have holes that will need sample amounts (8 ounces). | had a sample to be filled. | found the easiest way to do that is container of each color mixed for me. This is less with wax sticks (crayons). There are numerous expensive, wasteful, and there will be less excess colors on the market by various manufacturers. | paint to dispose of. keep a variety of colors on hand. One of the colors was a brass/gold color. | had a jar of paint that was almost exactly that color on my paint shelf: Rust-Oleum® American Accents (gold). CLEANING ‘THE BOAT PARTS The first thing that you must do is clean the dirt and other debris from the surfaces. | use a couple of ‘ products to clean – se { Reto Ld BY be J up a boat. | start 9 ar : oe ° . . ass Assorted hole-filling products. with a spray SP5) Qos PURNITU® CLEANE® cleaner. | do some ’ Babs + Tsti a a> a —~ * 2 These sticks are easy to use and can be painted over. tests using a Q-Tip Sometimes you need to fill a hole on an existing part in very small, that will not get repainted, and other times you will obscure areas. If paint over the filled area. Make sure the paper the test works and removes dirt wrapper is peeled out of the way. Rub, rub, rub the Cleaning and restoration products. stick over the hole until it is completely filled in. The not the finish, | expand my work to larger areas by friction caused by the rubbing will slowly fill the applying cleaner with a paper towel. If | need it to hole. Next rub, rub, rub the area with a paper towel be cleaner in areas, | spray the cleaner directly on until all of the waxy residue is removed and only the boat and wipe with a paper towel. that in the filled hole remains. 12 Summer 2026 The Model Yacht SPAR CONSTRUCTION | often use a spray sealer such as Krylon Kamar® | laid out, cut, and shaped the missing spar pieces to fit in each position on the rig. | dry assembled and laid the sails Varnish or Rust-Oleum Satin Clear to seal the final finish on the various parts. into place to make sure everything worked in position and that there was room to mount and tie off the original sails. Did | mention the client wanted the original sails used? COLORING THE SPARS The color of the new spars also needed to match the original spars. There were two colors necessary to match the color of the existing spars. A lighter base color (cinnamon on one rig and almond on the other) and a dark topcoat (Van Dyke brown hue). | tested the paint on small pieces of dowel, applying base color with a paper towel and rubbing it in. Multiple coats were needed for the desired look. When that color dried, | sparingly rubbed the topcoat on, so it did not cover the base color completely but gave the look | wanted similar Acrylic paint used for color matching. to the original spars. | tried a few samples until | found one that looked best compared with the originals. These paint colors were the choices | had available; burnt sienna, burnt umber, Van Dyke brown hue, almond, raw umber, cinnamon, and coffee bean. There may be other colors you could use. Scour the isles of your favorite art BEFORE PAINTING BEGINS | made sure all of the parts were removed including the bowsprit stay, anchor fitting, rudder attachments, and the “U” shaped fittings. The missing ballasts had been store for ones that will work. constructed (addressed in a future article) and epoxied in place and faired in. These would be painted to blend in with the keel and hull. The parts that were removed can be cleaned up and either clear coated or painted with a color of your choice. | use a dark bronze or flat black to make them look older. Note: It is extremely difficult to match original paint/finish exactly, especially if new/ : replacement parts are being added to the boat > . that have to match the existing finish. The best Example of light and dark colors on spars that will way to get the finish looking old and close to the need to be matched. original finish is to paint over the existing areas using the techniques described next. You will WHAT KIND OF PAINT get something very close to the original finish. The color matched paint from the hardware store is a latex paint. | usually ask for a semi-gloss finish. The other APPLYING THE PAINT FINISH Both hulls were cleaned as described above. colors are acrylic artist paints available in small bottles. 13 Summer 2026 GREEN AND BEIGE HULL LIGHT GREEN AND DIRTY GOLD HULL Brown over gold/dirty green (before). The green area was cleaned, and the two funky areas were painted by dabbing the light green paint over those areas to obtain the cover wanted. A Original paint. dark acrylic artist paint, Van Dyke brown hue, was This hull was first painted the beige color with a dabbed and wiped very carefully over these areas brush to get an even application of paint. Then the to blend them into the existing paint. The dirty gold crackle finish product was applied. The green paint area was in pretty nice shape. The area that needed was applied over that. The resulting finish looked attention was the ballast addition. This was painted very much like the crazed area on the original. The the gold color with a brush. Then the burnt sienna rudder was painted to match, with the waterline was rubbed over it to blend it in with the original extending through the rudder. dirty gold color on the hull. Final painted boats. Photos by Joe Zuest. The Model Yacht Summer 2026 ACQUIRING THE CRACKLE FINISH There are a few things that must be kept in mind to achieve a crackle finish. You will need a product to help you get the crackle finish. If you do a search on Amazon, you will find many products that will work. In the case of these boats the surface was clean, sanded and primed. So those steps can be ignored here. These are the steps you need to follow to get a nice crackle finish. e Base Coat Application: Start with the base coat in your desired color. Allow it to dry completely. This e Apply Crackle Medium: Use a brush or sponge to apply the crackle medium evenly over the base coat. base color will show through the cracks. The thickness of the application will affect the size of the cracks; thicker applications yields larger cracks while thinner ones create smaller fissures. (Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations). e Topcoat: After the crackle medium dries, apply a topcoat of a contrasting color. The topcoat will crackle and reveal the base color beneath it. Close-up of crackle finish. This has taken a few years, a few lucky guesses, and failed attempts to be able to make finishes look old. Take your time, work hard at getting good color matches, use the correct products, and follow instructions. Make samples if you are unsure. Dixon Kemp Boat Drafting Curves—First published Barnacle in 1881, naval architect Dixon Kemp described a distinctive set of “pear-shaped curves” in his book Practical Boat Building for Amateurs. These curves—now widely known as Dixon Kemp curves—have long been used by boat designers to draw stems, rudders, and other tight-radius forms, working in concert with a batten and drafting ducks for longer, sweeping lines. These are available from the WoodenBoat Store: httos://www.woodenboatstore.com/products/dixon-kempboat-drafting-curves 15 Summer 2026 frenoming Our Collections i Aobie SP arby Chuck Lage | = Do you have a pile of boats and hulls? Along with radios, keels, masts and fittings? And sails hung all over with or without their rigs? You are not alone! We don’t want to talk about it. Ask me again next year. We discuss it in whispers and hope the wind blows away our words. They are dear to our hearts, more like part of the family. Just sitting and looking at them brings joy and happiness. The memories are still fresh in our Eventually, the time comes when we must reduce our collections of model yachts. Do we even know how many we have? We begin to count, 1, 2, …,11, 12, but then we remember the one up in the rafters waiting to be minds. Yet… restored. Do | really have that many? There We don’t want to burden others or our spouses and are pieces and parts everywhere in our shops. But which mast went with which hull? So family. The kids have other things to do; the grandkids much to remember. We don’t know where to have other interests. There is no place to donate them. begin. We don’t want to begin, but begin we Are they really worth something? Who would pay that must. Did we document the collection much? How do | find buyers? They must go to the right through all these years? We meant to, but person who will be their next temporary caretaker. They probably not. We were busy building, must live on into future generations. So many restoring, sailing, and racing. OK, get a sheet questions, so few choices, I’ll just sit and gaze at them a of paper and begin a plan to … rehome our while longer and maybe then…but probably not. treasured models. 16 Summer 2026 We all get to this situation at some point. Our collections might be small or large but how do we find buyers or new owners? These options are easier for us to do than to wait and leave the disposal, | mean rehoming, to our spouses, family, or fellow skippers. But if we don’t take action now, they might be disposed of in the trash! Here are a few short examples and then a list of ideas. In the last 18 months, | have helped four widows find new homes for their husband’s boats. TUG BOAT “Hey Chuck, are you interested in a 50-in R/C tug boat?” The local maritime museum asked me via an email. | had worked with them on a new model yacht display. The tug boat was a model from another region, and they were not interested unless it was a model from the local region. My “maybe” response resulted in me driving to take a look at the tug boat. “I’m moving next month, | need to find a new home for my husband’s boat; he loved this model. Please take it and enjoy it or find a good home for it.” The tug boats were beautifully built, but they sat for a year without me working on them. Without a mast and sails, | really was not that interested. A new friend came to buy a yacht from me (next story) and he took the smaller tug boat and started to replace the 4 & ee electronics immediately. He suggested | try the Cabin Fever Model Expo for the large boat; they have a consignment area. To my surprise, it sold immediately on the first morning. So, | wrote to the builder’s widow and sent her a copy of an article her husband had written about the tug boat and a check for what | received for the boat. She was thrilled that | had found a new loving home for the tug boat and that | had remembered her and sent her the proceeds. | SKIPPERS HELPING SKIPPERS Above and below: The big tug and the little Recently we lost two of our local club members. The first skipper tug picked up from a widow; now to find was working on a schooner for his wife that he was unable to good new homes for these boats. complete. A local club member did a fantastic job finishing the schooner, and we had a memorable day sailing this boat for her. Local club members purchased two of his boats, and the rest are still being enjoyed by the skipper’s wife. The other local skipper had boats, hulls, keels, masts, and sails all over his basement. After a few visits to sort out the pieces, we determined there were 11 boats and a couple of bare hulls along with extra sails. This included three A boats, two Marbleheads, an EC12, Soling, and various vintage boats. All the boats and hulls were listed on the usvmg.org Boat Yard and promoted through Facebook. Over the course of a year, 10 of the boats were sold or given to good new homes. The Soling was kept for the grandchildren (just in case); the others went from Delaware to new homes in Connecticut, Idaho, California, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. At the time of publication, there was still one R/C A boat available listed on the usvmyg.org Boat Yard. Shipping boats require a crate and padding to ensure there is no damage. 17 The Model Yacht Summer 2026 Here is a similar story from New England. The phone call: “Hey can you help get rid of my boats? Sure, how many? Around 30 or so. Wow! The 30+ model yachts included big models, small models, finished models, unfinished models, vintage designs, modern designs, models that were being actively sailed locally, and some models that were one-of-a-kind or just very unusual. The next consideration was, who should get the boats? It was decided to put unfinished boats into the hands of skippers who had the skills and desire to finish the projects. The finished model boats (the ones that were locally sailed) were placed into the hands of skippers who did not have a boat of that class and wanted one. The other interesting/unusual/one-of-a-kind model boats went to young people who were interested in getting into sailing, or club members/others who simply liked the design. It took a lot of coordination, emails, phone calls, etc., but it was very rewarding to see these boats on the water, in the hands of people who appreciate them. REHOMING SUGGESTIONS 1. A freesail boat crated up for a trip to the West Coast. Document Your Collection — At least, just take short videos with your phone of each boat as you describe its history. Then make a list and label the boats. 2. Determine Your Objectives — To find the best possible new owner and/or recoup some of your investment, or get youth into model yachting or… 3. Family First — Check with all family members just in case they want a boat as a cherished memory. 4. Local Clubs and Skippers — This really is the most effective method to find new owners who appreciate our treasures, but don’t leave it to family and your fellow skipper friends. Remember the New England story. 5. usvmyg.org Boat Yard — Research boats sold and quickly list your boats here to reach a targeted audience. Model yachts are a niche market so be patient. 6. Local Club Websites — You might be amazed at the reach of your local club’s website. 7. Facebook Marketplace — Possibly lower prices but reaches a more local market for easy pickup. 8. eBay — Wider reach and possibly higher prices from an auction but complicated with shipping or delivery. 9. Auction House -— If the collection is very large, an auction house takes care of everything but with of course a commission, however they may find internet buyers. A recent auction of 100+ pond boats and a few model yachts had several overseas internet buyers. 18 Summer 2026 ‘The Model Yacht The MopEL RAcING SCHOONER EYIN Sail plan of the schooner Erin The description of this pretty schooner was included in the book How to Build a Model Yacht by Herbert Fisher, which was a series of articles republishedfrom ‘Vhe Rudder magazine. You can read the whole book, which includes information on building and sailing modelyachtsfrom the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries and descriptions of several interesting boats on the US VMYG Digital Arche. Go where you may you will always hear it expressed that The schooner rig is as pretty on a model yacht as there is not a more graceful looking vessel afloat than a a real one, and it is with much regret that | see it schooner. In the good old days our fathers loved the is not oftener preferred to the cutter or sloop two-stickers, and perhaps better sport was never seen rigs. It is then with pleasure that | give the design than when these craft constituted our big racing classes of a racing schooner of 15-rating. | have designed chiefly. The lofty masts and the clouds of canvas, we can about thirty models in my time. Half of them are picture the scene of a few of these two-stickers making alive and hearty, a quarter were begun and never for home on a blustery day. We have never seen it in finished, and the rest still remain on paper alone. reality—we youngsters—but many an evening have we | have tried my hand with the 1730-rule model, sat by our fireside and listened to the thrilling which brings into existence a narrow, flat-sided experiences of our fathers—or mayhap our uncles—who thing, with a little success. | have done better sailed on such vessels as Egeria, Dauntless, Cambria, under the weight rule (2 |b displacement to a America, etc. While our cutters and sloops have become ton) and have created a few good boats under antiquated, and, dare | say, ugly, the famous old the late English Y. R. A. tule. But | have been schooners look today as graceful and as picturesque as confined, much against my will, to draw the sail they did in their early years, and though singlestickers plan of either a sloop or a cutter always. As | had have supplanted them in the racing lists, they still bear some spare time to myself a short time ago, | set the reputation of being the handiest vessels afloat. to work and drafted a 15-rating model schooner. 19 The Model Yacht Summer 2026 Profile of Erin eo as RRM \ oe —— Ss ames) Poa \ \ The result | present to you. The lines show a model of _ ; = ae hee a Pal _ en — breeze lines like this schooner’s are not to be sneered sharp entrance pays in weather, with a true good beam and draught with moderate displacement. at. The displacement is 21.8 lb, and the sail area 2,052 The sheer plan looks rather angular, but | have square inches. Here in Great Britain this area would be sacrificed little for beauty, though much for speed. | greatly in excess to the weight, but in the United have taken some trouble in moulding the hull, and, States | surmise it to be different—just the right thing. though the model has been designed for moderate The hull, with deck, would weigh about 7 |b, the sails waters, the water lines are a trifle full forward. | have found, however, that, though a and spars 1 |b, and the weight on the keel . | The dimensions are as follows: would be 13.60 Ib. The sail areas are: Forestay sail (big): 517 in2 LOA: 60.75 in Forestay sail (small): 233 in2 LWL: 43.0 in Foresail: 320% in2 Beam: 12.25in i Foretopsail: 88 in2 Draught: 10.75 in, & Mainsail: 874% in2 Center of Lateral Resistance: 23.72 in Center of Buoyancy: 22.56 in | : ; The body plan. Waterlines. 20 Maintopsail (jackyard): 252 in2 Maintopsail (jibheaded): 144 in2 Summer 2026 MO introduction For the Beginning Model Yachting topic “The Rig”, we are Article by John Stoudt and John Henderson going to deal exclusively with the installation of a Bermuda/Marconi rig on a R/C sloop. There are many things you will learn from these articles that can be applied to rigging another style of boat, such as a schooner or other model yacht, but there are differences. For simplicity, we will address the remote- controlled sloop-rigged monohull that will cover most of the US VMYG classes and registered boats. Headsail Monohull sloop with a Bermuda rig. ~~ = A Marblehead beating to windward. rig: The purpose of the rig is to keep the Photo by Judy Bonanno. mast in column side-to-side, control the mast bend fore and aft, and control sail The articles and reference drawings on the website shape and trim position. (https://usvmyg.org/articles/bmys/the-rig/) can be 21 Summer 2026 The Model Yacht used as general information on how model boats them is important. Standing rigging supports the are rigged or as a step-by-step guide to building a mast, keeping it upright and in column while rig for yourself. If you just want to learn more, start while allowing some optional pre-bend in the with the glossary or index drawings and go from fore-aft direction for sail shape control. Most there. If you want to build a rig, use the checklist in standing rigging is wire, and none of it is adjusted “Assembling the Rig” to understand the parts you while sailing. Standing rigging also supports the will need. Once you have procured or made all of jib, which—unlike the mainsail—is not attached the parts, assembly can begin. While this may to the mast along the length of the luff. seem daunting, it will come together. Running rigging is used to control sail trim and The rig is the engine that drives the boat. sail shape, and we will reference separate Understanding helm balance and the relationship articles covering the necessary servo between the rig and the hull are critical to arrangements. performance of a model yacht. You need to understand the center of effort of the sail plan, The parts and supplies needed for these two the center of lateral resistance of the hull, and the aspects of the rig will be reviewed. How and relationship between these two factors when where the fittings get attached to the mast and locating the mast/rig on the boat. (See Henderson, booms will be covered. Several ways to attach the John. “Helm Balance, with simple calculations of main sail to the mast will be reviewed. Center of Effort and Center of Lateral Resistance.” The Model Yacht. 24:1. Winter/Spring 2023.) RELATED ARTICLES e “Running Rigging.” usvmyg.org. June 2026. There are some questions that may need to be answered before you begin. These should be e “Standing Rigging.” usvmyg.org. June 2026. addressed in the series. 1. Is the rig for a boat being built with little 2. Is the rig for a boat that is missing the rig, GETTING TO KNOW THE PARTS AND PIECES dimensional information? There are many fittings, parts, assemblies, and w and a new rig must be made? Is the boat ready to receive the rig? 4. Have the backing pieces been installed for supplies necessary to complete a rig. We have put together an online resource you can use to learn about them, how they are related, how to make the deck fittings? 5. them, and/or where you can find them. Are the deck fittings placed and if so, are they in the correct position? 6. You can start browsing with the Rig Glossary, Has mast compression been addressed? where each term is defined and linked to pages with more detail. Additionally you must understand your class rule if you intend for your boat to be conforming to a US You might prefer to start with the Rig Terms Map, VMYG or other class. The US VMYG class rules are which is a visual glossary. This is a drawing of a all available here: usvmyg.org/classes/ model yacht with the items labeled with their term numbers (which correspond to their entry number STANDING RIGGING AND RUNNING in the Glossary). When you roll over the term RIGGING number, you will see the name of the Rigging consists of standing rigging and running part, and when you click on it you will be linked to rigging. Understanding the difference between pages with more detail. 22 Summer 2026 The Model Yacht The Rig Areas Map highlights sub-assemblies of The following articles should help you figure the rig. The areas here are linked like the Rig out what you need to do: Terms Map but they will zoom you in to each of the highlighted areas for more details. “Planning Your Deck Fittings.” usvmyg.org. May 2026. As you get deeper into the pages, you will find information on where to purchase parts and This article takes you through how to make the assemblies needed to situations you might find build a rig. yourself in with your model yacht. These are scenarios that PLACEMENT OF DECK should help you figure out how to arrange your deck FTTTINGS fittings. Real boat examples Most early plans do not provide adequate are provided. details for locating deck fittings and lack many dimensions helpful in making and installing a rig. It is, therefore, important to understand where to (R27) e “Placing Your Deck Fittings.” usvmyg.org. May 2026 place the fittings for optimum performance. on figuring the exact We spend a lot of time discussing the positions of deck fittings because of the critical relationship between the rig and the deck fitting locations. This relationship is very important to its success of a model yacht on the water. The ideal placement of these fittings is critical. The Rig Terms Map is an image map that links to details about each item identified in the drawing. locations of your mast (mast step), shroud racks, jib rack, deck fairleads, and backstay bracket. It starts with locating the mast because everything else keys off of this critical piece. The Model Yacht Summer 2026 MAST & BOOMS You can make a wooden mast and booms for your And we found a related article in Model model yacht relatively easily. John Henderson Builder in the Digital Archive: wrote two articles in the Spring 2027 issue of The Model Yacht about wooden masts. e _ e Henderson, John and Stoudt, John. a “How to Make a Wooden Mast.” The Model Yacht. 27:1. Spring ‘ / masts for model yachts. the sails ready and your spars \ \ / and supplies you need and the start to assemble the rig. Have ! Henderson, John and Stango, Make sure you have all of the parts associated fasteners before you strong and effective wooden pp 16-22 . Model Builder. 28:4. March 1974. pp 26, 62-63 ye and techniques for constructing Yacht. 27:1. Spring 2026 carving your own mast.” ASSEMBLING THE RIG to selecting materials, tools, Victor. “Structural Mechanics of Wooden Masts.” The Model ¥ b A practical, step-by-step guide e online editor takes the mystery out of : 2026. pp. 11-15. Prough, Don. “Main Sheet: Our made. Each of these articles mi on the following page includes a checklist of hardware and assemblies you will need to do the assembly: A technical exploration of mast design, explaining the engineering The Rig Areas Map is an image map that rinciples euch as bucklin and material ° ; allows you to zoom in to see propermes —that determine sections of the mast strength rig ion more and performance. detail. ~eorrtrrre= Summer 2026 The Model Yacht “Assembling a Jib and Main Boom.” usvmyg.org. June 2026. The step-by-step process for shaping and installing fittings on your main and jib booms to prepare for final assembly of the rig. L YACHTING e “Assembling the Mast.” usvmyg.org. June 2026. The step-by-step process for sizing and shaping your mast and installing the mast fittings including the optional Jenny stay strut. Choosing a Boat Buying a Boat Building a Boat e “The Rig Final Assembly.” usvmyg.org. July 2026. The step-by-step process for bringing together the assembled mast and booms from earlier articles and bending on the sails. Restoration The Rig Rig Glossary ELEC’TRONICS BOARD AND SERVO SETUP The best way to mount the electronics board in the boat will be discussed, servo setup reviewed, and how to make the necessary adjustments covered. Rig Terms Map Rig Areas Map Standing Rigging Running Rigging FINISHING TOUCHES Deck Fittings And the last touches, if not already completed, will be reviewed including installing the sail number, class symbol, battens, and wind indicator. Masts & Booms Assembling the Rig Bibliography WHERE DOISTART? The rig is a rather complex part of a model yacht. Where you start into this resource depends on what your needs are. The Sails R/C & Electronics If you have a specific question about a piece of the rig, start with the “Rig Glossary,” “Rig Terms Map,” or “Rig Areas Map” and dig into what interests you. If you just want to start reading, start with the “Standing Feedback Rigging” article and browse from there. The sidebar for the series should help you get around. This series of articles will enable you to build an effective rig The sidebar will help you get around the resource. that should give you a successful model yacht and hours of Have questions, comments or suggestions about pleasure on the water. “The Rig”? Click the “Feedback” button. 25 The Model Yacht Summer 2026 CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE PAST tf if / ; — a THIS LETTER WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE MODEL- YACHTSMAN AUGUST 1884, VOLUME 1, ISSUE 6, UNDER “CORRESPONDENCE. ” IT IS AVAILABLE IN THE US VMYG DIGITAL ARCHIVES. S ir—In the interest of model yachting as a sport, I take the liberty of asking you to afford me the space to address through your paper the general rank of model yachtsmen; not those who have by a patient study of the art of model sailing, got their boats to go almost as perfectly as if they had the steersman and crew aboard. We are all aware there have been a large number of individuals who have joined some Model Yacht Club or other, have attempted to sail a model, and because they have not succeeded admirably at first have fallen away, in most cases laying the blame on the vessels they possessed, instead of laying it to their own lack of perseverance. Now, I should really like to see the difficulties tackled in a more determined spirit, and, to bring this about, I think my own experience will be of service. On commencing model yachting, I fortunately became the possessor of a boat that was just in trim for going at her best, which condition, by-the-bye, was the result of accident rather than 26 The Model Yacht Summer 2026 design, and can in no way be attributed to any great knowledge I had upon the subject. Although being in the green stage, and having a good boat to assist the feeling, I partly persuaded myself I knew a lot, and at any rate was thought to do so by many others. I have found out by the light of was only a sham after all, and my luck was much greater than my ability. The first serious letdown I experienced was when I concentrated all my supposed cleverness on building a boat and turned out my first model. She was a nice looking craft, fairly proportioned, and during her construction I had flattered myself how easily she would take the water in here or let it out without a bubble there, how with a shake of her saucy looking head she would fling aside her curls of foam and seem to dance like a fairy across the water; but alas! she was with all her beauty as dull as the metal on her keel, and with her head rather much depressed she had a hangdog blinking way with her, quite disgusting. I was much disappointed at this ending to my brilliant expectations and nearly decided to give her over as a prey to the family wood chopper, when someone advised me to take off some lead forward and try her after that before deciding, and this was the means of my not abandoning her to destruction, as it had such an effect in improving both appearance and speed as to encourage me to further experiments, conducted in a gradual manner, and after careful trial of the different effects produced, my alterations consisted of, first, the cutting off a piece of lead forward as mentioned; second, a further reduction of metal in the same place, result, vessel too light; third. more lead on amidships—vessel much improved, but not yet perfect, as she seemed oppressed with too much sail; fourth, reduction of size of sails and removal of a small quantity of ballast, giving a further improvements; and the fifth alteration was a deepening of the forefoot, to give her sufficient gripe to claw to windward in a breeze. She is nowa first-class boat, and as trustworthy as a boat can be. Yet she is the same vessel as the one I at one time thought only good enough to chop up for firewood, and the alterations have not touched the hull of the boat, but only those parts which any tyro could work at without fear of doing any harm, and with the hope of doing much good. I do not for one moment advance the idea that every model can be made into a good one, but I am prepared to say that most of the boats I have seen could be much improved with carefully noting their deficiencies and carrying out such alterations as would remove them. And this would bring them much more nearly on level terms with one another and give a keener interest to the races. I would, therefore, exhort those entering on model yachting and those who have so far not made a very great success of it, to carefully note the element of success, and experiment with the object of improving their own vessels and not be disheartened by temporary failure— Perseverance means success and the pleasure that it brings. Yours, &c., NIL DESPERANDUM.THE 27 Summer 2026 5 Your Mast Straight? Rod Carr has shared this technique on several occasions with the model yachting community. — Ed Article by The Model Yacht Editorial Staff +H and straight is paramount to the aving the mast on your boat square, plumb, twisted, or to find which edge you want to joint first. performance of your model yacht. There are Your eyes can recognize a straight line—and various techniques that are used to make sure recognize when something is not in a straight line. these things are correct. One thing that you must You can sight down the top of the mast with your be sure of is that your mast is straight. boat laid over on its side, and a lot of people do this. Line of sight is a straight line. If you are a if the mast is straight. When you lay the boat over, woodworker, you are familiar with ways you sight gravity affects the rig differently from when it is a piece of wood to decide if it is bowed, cupped, standing more or less upright. If you try this, you will However, this is not an effective way to check to see a , , Tf bem Sighting a board for straightness. 28 Summer 2026 notice that the shrouds on top are taught, and the others are slack. And it is unlikely that the mast is straight. It will in all likelihood have a belly in it. There is no effective way to sight the mast to see if it is straight without looking straight down the mast. If it is positioned any other way (not upright), there are too many forces working on the mast to allow you to figure out if it is straight. One way to do this would be to climb up on a picnic table and look down the mast. This is a challenge and not recommended. = bod | a a ‘ It is not pretty, but it works. A better way to do this is to place a small mirror on the deck at the bottom of the mast. Position yourself so you can sight in the mirror and up the mast. Voila, you can see the straightness (or lack of straightness). Go to the hardware store that cuts glass. They may have a scrap of mirror glass they will give you. It worked for the author. You need a piece about 3-inches by 4-inches. Tape the edges. You are ready to sight your mast while it sits in its stand with no Mirror lying on the deck in a position to see if the mast is straight. unusual forces placed on the rig. Barnacle Pre-Taped Masking Paper— This pre-taped masking paper ¥ features premium masking paper and painter tape together. You can cover and secure with one action. Quick and easy protection for most surfaces, saving your time in painting. This works great for painting above or below the waterline. 29 Summer 2026 The Model Yacht SS 7 Article by ee, a e ee SOS => =D ee = vi =i ees See John Stoudt. Photo by Eileen Hoernlein What is a One-Off” The Marblehead class is an open class. That means there are few rules that control the class. For example, the traditional Marblehead division of the Marblehead class is the traditional group. It is the earliest. That group has six general rules that control the class with other stipulations embedded within the rule. These most relevant rules are: e Amaximum of 800 in2 of sail. e Alength on deck of 50 in + 0.25 in. e A garboard radius of 1 in. e The maximum height of the head of the main sail above the deck is 85 in. e A maximum height of the jib head stay is 80% of the height of the main above the deck. e Arudder must be keel- or skeg-mounted. This open class unlike one-design classes allows for a lot of design flexibility. —Ed. One year while sailing in the Bithell Cup on Redd’s way, was built and sailed at Redd’s Pond before it Pond in Marblehead, MA, the home sailing location disappeared in the late 1950s. Standley proceeded of the Marblehead Model Yacht Club, | learned to tell me the following, about one-offs. “You know young fellow, during the depression when | had finished a race and was sitting on the edge of someone was out of work, they could build one of the pond. When you finished a race at Redd’s Pond, these boats with some scraps of wood and metal you always sat down on the edge of the pond with over the winter with very little investment. Everyone your feet on the ledge and held your boat by the always thought they could build a better boat with a mast with your radio hanging around your neck or few slight modifications.” He continued, “These sitting beside you on the deck. You stayed out of the boats were called One-Offs!” way of the skippers trying to complete the race. This was his way of telling me, | was probably not going to find out a lot more about this boat. This particular day Standley Goodwin came over and sat down beside me. What was unusual about this, Specifically, no plans or construction notes would be Standley was normally not very talkative. found. He knew | was in the throes of trying to find out So, try as | might, | was never able to find original more information about the 1934 Marblehead | had information, because | owned it, my very own one- restored and rigged for R/C sailing. The boat, by the off. Maybe you have one! 30
