The Model Yacht: Volume 4, Number 3 – Winter 2000-2001

LINCOLN MEMORIAL POOL, WASHINGTON, D.C. NEWSLETTER OF THE U.S. VINTAGE MODEL YACHT GROUP VOLUME FOUR, NUMBER THREE WINTER 2000-2001 NEWSLETTER OF THE U.S. VINTAGE MODEL YACHT GROUP VOLUME FOUR, NUMBER THREE WINTER 2000-2001 Editor’s Welcome Consistent with our tradition, the Winter issue is heavy with technical data to suggest projects or modifications during the “hard water” months. In this issue we’ve emphasized free sailing, and the developing technology of rigs that can be easily switched between free sailing and radio. Since we’ve presented a lot of material in the past on vane rigs, this issue focuses on Braine gears, starting with a reprint of a comprehensive article on sailing Braine boats and a second on gyeing, which is important if you’re going to sail at San Francisco. There is also important news about the A Class, and an article and drawings of an significant ocean racer that would make a very elegant sailing model. As always, please check the number by your name on the mailing label. It’s the volume and issue number of the last issue we think you’re paid up for. If it’s “43” then this (Volume 4 Number 3) is it and there should also be a reminder letter and a return envelope. If you think we’ve got the last issue number wrong, just contact us at any of the masthead addresses and we’ll fix it. And finally, a correction. The pictures of the Traditional Sailing Craft Regatta we ran in the last issue were by Howard Royce, not Harry Mote. Our apologies to Howard, and our thanks to Harry for pointing this out. Earl Boebert Ebbs and Flows The President’s Message Vintage Membership Our annual fee for three issues of the VMYG newsletter – “The Model Yacht”, will increase to $20 starting with next issue. This stipend also provides you access to technical assistance and vintage model plans. A VMYG lifetime membership is $100. Our “how to” book/video package on plank-on-frame model construction is also available, but not included with the fee. To subscribe to our newsletter/services or for renewals, send a check (payable to US VMYG) or cash for $20 (or $100) to: John Snow, c/o US VMYG, 78 East Orchard St., Marblehead, MA 01945. For inquiries on our varied activities, call me @ 781-631-4203 or visit VMYG Web Page at www.swcp.com/usvmyg R/C “Vintage M” (VM) Group The 2001 national VM regatta is November 34 at Tampa, FL. There are two VM categories: 1945 and prior designs, “Traditional M”, and post-1945 through 1970 designs, “High Flyer M”. For rating rules and VM registration, contact Charlie Roden, VM Coordinator, at 19 Oak Glen Ln., Colts Neck, NJ 07722 and 732462-7483. Email: cer@monmouth.com Traditional Sailing Craft/Scale Models Group The 2001 national racing/display regatta for R/C traditional sailing models is August 3-5 at the Mystic Seaport Museum, CT. It will Page 1 include scratch-built schooner models, schooners having fin & bulb keels and those built from kits, plus other traditional sailing designs. Schooner rules are available from Harry Mote our Traditional Sailing Craft/ Scale Coordinator at 18 Woodmansee Blvd, Barnegat, NJ 08005 and 609-660-0100. Email: stryker@cybercomm.net Vintage Etcetera The 2001 Mystic regatta sponsored by the VMYG and AMYA will feature the national traditional sailing craft/scale model regatta, a regional J Class model championship and a supporting indoor model exhibit. I am the contact for the J racing and exhibit; Harry Mote for the traditional sailing model racing/display contest. Information on this and other 2001 special events will appear on the Mystic Web Page at www.mysticseaport.org Discounted Mystic Seaport ticket prices for this regatta and other Museum attractions will be available, with skippers, exhibitors and key volunteers getting free three-day passes to the Seaport. Finally, the VMYG has assumed responsibility for the International A Class models in an agreement with the AMYA. It made sense to do this, given the storied background of the Class in the formative years of model yachting when it became a national sport in this country. Without a champion to provide continued visibility to A boats and their activities, it seemed probable the Class could become totally dormant. Thus, I am pleased to announce that Rod Carr will be the initial VMYG coordinator for A Class models. Rod brings expert knowledge to this position, given his long service to the sport and ownership of a Vintage A (VA) boat. The VMYG will support modern A designs as well. It is our intention to identify all current and past A owners, in order to send them an A Class packet describing how the VMYG plans to promote A models in general. Check elsewhere in this issue for Rod’s notes on the A Class and objectives for it as coordinator. 2001 Vintage Activities 3rd Woods Hole Small Boat Museum Model Boat Show – April 21-22 Woods Hole, MA; VMYG exhibit, plus activities, displays and demos for model sail/power/scale boats by hobbyists and trades people. Volunteers and vintage models welcomed. Show Contacts – Paul Smith 508-548-4442 and Barry Morris 508-540-7345; VMYG Contact – John Snow 781-631-4203 Mystic Yachting History Symposium – March 23-24 Mystic Seaport, CT; Formal presentations on yachting history subjects. VMYG overview on evolution of model free sail steering controls. VMYG Contact – John Snow 781-631-4203 Michigan WoodenBoat Show – June 22-24 Maritime Museum, South Haven, MI; Vintage racing class/sailing craft displays and demos; extensive exhibits of full-size wooden sail/power/rowing boats and accessories/ maritime interest items by trades people. Volunteers and vintage models welcomed. VMYG Contacts – John Snow 781-631-4203; Alan Suydam 248-476-3017 3rd San Francisco MYC M Class Free Sail Invitational Regatta – June 23-24 Spreckles Lake, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA; Free sail racing with models; to the San Francisco MYC restricted M Class rules; tune-up for July free sail races in England. SFMYC Contact – Jeff Stobbe 831-475-6233; cjstobbe@pacbell.net International VM F/S Invitational Regattas – July 22 & 28 Round Pond & Fleetwood Pond, England; Free sail racing with San Francisco Restricted and Vintage M models, with a dozen U.S. skippers and models expected. SFMYC Coordinator – Jeff Stobbe 831-4756233; cjstobbe@pacbell.net 2nd Annual Mystic Model Yacht Regatta – August 3-5 Mystic Seaport, CT; VMYG National regatta for R/C traditional sailing craft/schooner models; AMYA J Class regional championship; and VMYG traditional sailing craft models exhibit. Volunteers and traditional models welcomed. VMYG Contacts – John Snow 781-631-4203; Harry Mote 609-660-0100; stryker@cybercomm.net Page 2 WoodenBoat School Model Course – August 12-18 Annual Free Sail Model Regatta – October 7 Red VMYG Contact – Thom McLaughlin 813-2516919; mclaugh@arts.usf.edu Regatta Contact – Spa Tharpe 508-645-3688 Brooklin, ME; Six-day course on building wooden 1940s vintage M Class model yacht. WoodenBoat School – 207-359-4651 Beach, Menemsha Pond, Martha’s Vineyard, MA; Children and adult races for scratchbuilt, free-sailed wooden models one meter and under. International Yacht Restoration School “Family Day” – August 26 IYRS, Newport, RI; VMYG Seventh National Vintage Regatta – November 3-4 VMYG Contact – John Snow 781-631-4203 VMYG Contacts – Thom McLaughlin 813251-6919; mclaugh@arts.usf.edu; Charlie Roden 732-462-7462; cer@monmouth.com model display; IYRS exhibits/open house, harbor excursions, children’s activities. 19th Annual Antique & Classic Boat Festival – September 1-2 Boston Harbor, MA; VMYG Tampa, FL; R/C VM model racing and display competitions. Visit to Plant Museum historical exhibit on model yachting. exhibit booth and R/C vintage model sailing demos. John Snow VMYG Contact – John Snow 781-631-4203 Approx Position of Mast With Cheerio II Sailplan H. B. Tucker’s “Iris” of 1934, an example of very early British thinking about the M Class. The orginal sail plan had a high aspect ratio main with a curved mast, which Tucker later stated was a failure. She should probably carry the Cheerio II sail plan shown in the inset with ease. Tucker also warned in a later issue that the plans as reproduced were not fair in the afterbody. Although Tucker claimed she could carry a vane, she’d clearly be happer as a a Braine boat. With her fine lines she promises to be deadly in light air. Page 3 The Sailing Yawl “Dorade” Editor’s Note We’re always on the lookout for material that would appeal to the schooner and scale model fans, and so I was very happy to come across these detailed plans for the celebrated yawl “Dorade.” In particular, the plans include a complete description of the rigging, which is very rarely documented. “Dorade” was designed and sailed by Olin Stephens at the precocious age of 21, and was as revolutionary in the ocean racing field as Herreshoff’s “Gloriana” was in round-thebuoys racing. At 52 feet LOA she was considered tiny for an ocean racer, but her superior design told a different tale. After her rig was modified, she won the Transatlantic Race by two days over the second place boat, the Fasnet race and dominated her class in the Bermuda race. Stephens, of course, went on to fame as a member of the design team for the celebrated J Boat “Ranger” and has been compared to Nathanael Herreshoff as one of the two giants of yacht design. “Dorade” was designed to the Cruising Club of America (CCA) rating rules, which were a complex method of calculating time handicaps, and which is no longer used. (at the same LOA) she carries 800 sq. in. and could be raced as a VM! A similar thing has been done by Joe Cieri of Plainfield, NJ, who has an Alden schooner hull that can be rigged as the original or as a VM. I passed a set of plans on to Harry Mote, our Traditional/Scale Watercraft Coordinator, and he replied with some comments on the idea of including ocean racing class models in our events. If you have any thoughts on this, contact Harry at 18 Woodmansee Blvd, Barnegat, NJ 08005 and 609-660-0100. Email: stryker@cybercomm.net, or me at any of the masthead addresses and I’ll pass your comments on. Earl Boebert Harry’s Comments Interestingly, I was going through some rare Seattle MYC newsletters from WWII that Rod Carr had forwarded to me, and one of them had a note from Ted Houk Sr. (designer of “Rip Tide” talking about an exciting excursion on “Dorade,” and how sweet and easy she was to handle. I don’t see any technical problems at all. The worst you’d have to deal with is tacking a genoa or smaller overlapping jib. A few of those boats may have had running back stays, which would be tacked in the same way as the genoa. But those who didn’t want to bother with that could go to the swivel jib as some of the schoo- Scaled to 50” on deck she carries 975 sq. in. of sail to a 7.5” draft, which she should handle well given the increased ballast ratios the models achieve. If you reduced her rig dimensions to 0.9 of the original Page 4 Page 5 Page 5 Dorade’s Hull lines, giving buttocks and diagonals. For a sailing model these can be enlarged on the large-size copiers that can be found in many Kinko’s. Note that the sections are to a different scale than the profile/waterlines plan. Page 6 ners do. Most of those boats (CCA) were some where around the size of “Dorade,” some smaller, or up to about 70 ft., which makes a nice 50-in. model with decent performance. Another advantage to the 50 in. on deck is that we could occasionally sail them with the 50-in. schooners. Many schooner “yachts,” or those designed for pleasure sailing and cruising, were measured for a CCA rating and sailed in CCA races. And many CC boats, such as “Finisterre,” were designed to rate well under the CCA rule. There is so much history that goes with these boats, from the 1930s to around 1950, that a CCA fleet would be fascinating, especially if the builders built them as scale models, as the schoonermen do. If all of the models were 50 in. on deck I don’t think you would need to bother with anything like the CCA handicap system because they’d all be reasonably competitive as 50-in. models, regardless of original design and length. This is the case with the schooners. It’s more a matter of who’s sailing the boat. One other approach could be to choose a scale, such as 1in. to the foot, which would produce a fleet of boats from about 40 to 70 in. with a mean length of about 50 in. This would justify trying to duplicate for models the original time allowance handicap system. This might be fun but you’d have to find a race committee willing to deal with the time allowances. I think it would be more trouble than it’s worth and possibly create too many performance inequities in the models and thus be discouraging. The fixed maximum length of 50 in. on deck seems to work well for the schooners. You would also not need to find the rating of the original boat or measure the model to come up with one. Vintage Marblehead (VM) Coordinator’s Report Apparently all is well with VM sailors as there were no suggested changes to the rating rules as invited in our last newsletter. I assume that everyone is busy building and rules are the last thing on anyone’s mind. Wonderful! I would like to mention a recent interpretation of the rules that is noteworthy but does not require a rule change. In 1998 our VM rating rules were changed to form two divisions to address the 40 years of design evolution of the Marblehead Class to make racing more equitable. At that time a Traditional Division was formed to include model yachts designed by 1945 or before or new designs having the characteristics of these early models. The High Flyer Division similarly covered the period from 1946-1970. Specific restrictions were applied for maximum draft and rudder design in each division to enforce the intent of this split. Since that time models have been built of previous designs, but with our limited knowledge of their original design dates, it has not been possible to assign boats to their proper division based on design date. Assignment has been made on the basis of conformance to the specific design constraints (i.e. draft and rudder design). In a planned rewrite of the rules the association of dates with each division will be played down and the precedence of the actual design constraints will be noted. Construction could be via any method. Building one would be somewhere between building a schooner and a vintage Marblehead, depending on the boat. I think a CCA fleet would be neat because of the history and because there were so many great boats. There is already a schooner or two, Alan Suydam’s “Brilliant,” for one, that could sail as a CCA boat. That is, she would have qualified as a CCA boat. I don’t know if she ever sailed as one. Harry Mote Page 7 Charlie Roden International A Class in the United States Editor’s Note In 1924, Yachting Monthly magazine of Great Britain established the rules for what is now known as the A Class and in 1926 a series of international races began which were dominated by the U.K., the U.S. not winning until Bill Bithell’s triumph with “Ranger” in 1948. The class rules are somewhat complex, but do make it very difficult to design an ugly boat. Earl Boebert International A Class in the United States With the loss of AMYA Class Status and an AMYA Class Secretary, caused by less than 20 skippers with registered A boats, the International A Class in the United States has found a home within the United States Vintage Model Yachting Group (USVMYG). The Class will now be managed for USVMYG by Rod Carr, a U.S. Skipper with a long history in the class, and even a National Championship win in 1977 with his Australian designed “Tracer.” His current A-class activities are focused on the renovation and conversion of a 1950 vintage Gus Lassel built A named “Angella” for owner David Stedman of Kirkland, Washington. When ready “Angella” will join Rod’s “Miss Seattle,” a near sister ship also built by Lassel on the water of Seattle’s Lake Washington. information in an accessible manner. We also intend to register existing boats and newly constructed boats in accordance with the requirements of the Radio Sailing Division (RSD) of the ISAF, so that all boats will be eligible for such competition as they may desire to participate in. If registrations can be increased, it is the hope that the Class may regain AMYA Class Status at some point in the future. For the present time, registration of a boat will be accomplished for a $5 fee when accompanied by a measurement form with two signatures on it. We recommend AMYA membership, since that will help us reenter that organization, but it is not absolutely required. The USVMYG holds a large number of classic and modern A class designs which are available for only the costs of reproduction to those who would like to try their hand at one of these Queens of the Sea. If sufficient interest is shown, an e-mail newsletter could be developed to assist in communication between skippers, so if you contact us, make sure we get your e-mail address for future use. Questions and comments are always welcome to: Rod Carr, 3011 – 177th Avenue NE, Redmond, WA 98052 (425) 881-2846 carrsails@compuserve.com It is the intent of USVMYG and its newly assigned manager to maintain A-class records, registration certificates and design Who says A boats are too big to haul around? Page 8 Rod Carr The Braine Steering Gear The Braine steering gear is credited to Mr. George Braine of Kensington, England, and was introduced about 19061. With a few modern accessories, this steering gear has achieved great success in steering model yachts. This gear, and the vane gear are the two most popular steering controls now in use. Theory of Steering When beating to windward, a yacht equipped with Braine Gear uses no rudder. The beating-sheet is in operation, and is not connected with the steering gear, as the yacht sails to windward by the balance and trim of her sails only. On any other point of sailing, as reaching or running, the rudder is used to keep the yacht on a given course. Thus, on a close reach, a slight slackening of sheets and very little rudder is ample. If then the course becomes more off the wind, as on a reach with the wind abeam, more sheet and rudder are used, and so on, as the further aft the wind is, the more sheet and rudder must be employed. The theory of steering may be summed up as follows: the mainsail of a sloop, being larger than the jib, has a tendency to force the head of the yacht up into the wind. A square sail would drive the yacht straight before the wind without need of a rudder, but such a sail is seldom used on a racing model. Or if the jib and mainsail were of equal area and winged out on opposite sides, the effect would be the same. However, as we are dealing with the sloop rig, the wind forces the yacht’s head off the wind, even when running dead before it.The jib helps to steady her, but still some rudder is necessary. The main sheet and the jibsteerer lines are hooked to the quadrant, and the force of this pull operates the rudder and keeps the yacht on her course. The harder the wind blows, the more helm is given, and when the wind lightens up, the rudder returns amidships, being controlled by a centering-rubber. 1. Actually, 1904 — Ed. When a spinnaker is used, and as the spinnaker boom is rigged on the opposite side to the main boom, the steering becomes easier, especially when the wind is aft or nearly aft. However, even with a spinnaker drawing, some degree of helm is usually required. The working (or weather) running line gives helm on either tack by its pull on the quadrant. The running lines are always crossed to operate the rudder properly. The amount of pull or leverage can be regulated on either or both sides of the quadrant. Thus a strong leverage may be obtained on one side of the quadrant, and very little or none obtained on the opposite side; or the leverage can be adjusted to be equal on both sides, etc. according to the circumstances. It can be seen that the further outboard the leverage is applied, the more power will be exerted, and the further inboard, the less power. This power and leverage is further controlled by the tightness or the slackness of the centering rubber and the position of the sliders on their tracks. Let the sails do most of the work. The less steering used the less rudder drag and zigzag. Zig-zagging loses time and distance; excessive helm creates a decided drag and reduces speed. Always remember that a straight course is the shortest distance. Coming ashore too often loses races, so try and keep a straight course down the pond. Some yachts steer very easily with little helm; others require considerable helm to steer a course. The turning effect of the rudder and the area of the lateral plane of the yacht are influences in steering. In hard winds more rudder and more leverage is the rule; in light airs, less rudder and leverage is sufficient. The tension of the centering-rubber may be eased in light airs and increased in strong winds. Rule: Always leave some leeway for adjusting quadrant-hooks, tension of centering-rubber and the position of the sliders, so if a change is necessary either way it may be made quickly. Avoid extremes. Reaching Reaching is always a difficult point of sailing, considering the fine adjustment of steering involved. Unfortunately, custom calls for the awarding of only two points in pond sailing for winning a reach or run, while a windward leg win is given three points. The latter point of sailing involves no steering diffi- Page 9 We have two winners of the caption contest announced last issue: Bob Sturges, with “George – I just got out of the shower. Have you seen my hair dryer?” and Charlie Roden, who sent in a bunch from which I selected “In For a Second Wind.” What is actually going on is that “Miss Band Aid “ is sitting athwart the measuring tank at the SFMYC clubhouse, getting her innards dried out prior to being air freighted to Marblehead. All this after she rammed the side of Spreckles, split her deadwood, and shipped water. Many thanks to Jeff Stobbe for the loan of the dryer, and all the work he puts into the SF Invitationals. culty, and the extra point awarded is a matter for serious debate. Surely the points for reaching and running are more involved and should rate equal scoring with windward boards as is done in skiff sailing. A general formula for trim of sails in reaches is as follows: Point the yacht in the direction of the course to be sailed and trim the sails until they just spill the wind. Then sheet the sails inboard until they are full and drawing. Use as little rudder as is possible for utmost speed and minimum drag. Close Reach On a close reach, where the course is not quite a dead beat to windward the jib-steerer is used to give a slight weather helm to keep the boat off the wind a little, and to make her bear off in sudden puffs. The beating-sheet hook of the jib is cast off the traveler and the jib-steerer is brought into play. The main sheet may be eased off a little, but kept on the traveler, and not hooked up to the running lines. Usually one or two holes out from the center of the quadrant, on the side opposite the main boom is adequate for the jib-steerer. The idle sheet should be hooked away out on the quadrant to give ability to jibe back should the yacht accidentally go about on the wrong tack. Always have the tacking-gye ready for use in beats and close reaches, so if the yacht gets on a lee shore she will have a chance to work off. Jib-Steerer The jib-steerer is not absolutely necessary for the beginner, who is advised to leave it off until he has mastered the art of steering with the main sheet only hooked to the quadrant. However, the jib-steerer is very useful if properly used, as in running and reaching it helps to keep the yacht on a straight course, the pull of the main sheet being partly balanced by the opposite pull of the jib-steerer when the sails are winged out on opposite sides of the yacht. In broaches, where the yacht gets broadside to the wind the jib-steerer actuates the helm strongly when the main-sheet is unable to overcome the resistance of the rudder, and assists in bringing the yacht back on course. Also, in running, if the yacht gets too far to leeward, the jib always jibes over before the mainsail, and adds its pull, easing the helm, thus assisting the yacht in keeping course. Page 10 Reach (Wind Abeam) When the wind is abeam, blowing at about right angles to the yacht’s course, only a small amount of helm is necessary. If the yacht is turned accidentally on the opposite tack, she will very likely reach back to the starting line unless provision has been made to have the idle line hooked away out on the quadrant, but sometimes even this is insufficient to bring the yacht back on course in a strong wind. A stiff tacking-gye may do the trick if one has the fore thought to have it ready. Where the wind is unsteady the danger of a jibe is always present. To keep off the weather bank, use more rudder and ease off the sheets. To keep off lee shore, haul in sheets and choke rudder more. Experience alone will determine how far inboard or outboard to place the quadrant hooks. Trial and error will find the right holes. Broad Reach When the wind is on the quarter, the course will be a broad reach. The sails will be let out nearly to right angles to the centerline of the boat and the quadrant hooks placed two or more holes outboard from the center of the quadrant, depending on force of the wind. The idle running line is hooked further out than the working line, to give more leverage in case the boom jibes over accidentally. If the yacht comes to the weather bank, ease off the sheets and choke the rudder. Be careful about Jibing the boom over, as often when this is done, the yacht takes off across the pond at too great an angle.It all depends on the wind conditions and on which side the main boom happens to be when the yacht comes ashore. If the yacht comes ashore on the lee side of the pond, it is usually because the yacht has too much sheet or too much rudder. Accordingly the sheets are shortened or the rudder choked a little. It is possible that jibing the main boom over will work, but in some cases it will not. As a rule, where the wind is not steady, jibing the boom over calls for an accompanying adjustment of trim, either of sails or rudder, or both. Run When the course is a run, with the spinnaker set, have the working running line hooked one or two holes out from the center of the quadrant, on side opposite to that on which the main boom is carried. The idle line may be hooked out several holes to exert more pull should the main boom jibe. Let the mainsail away out, but be sure that the boom does not bear up against the shrouds and prevent the lines from pulling on the quadrant. The spinnaker boom is set always at a greater forward angle than the main boom, and never at a right angle to the centerline of the yacht. Without a spinnaker, the quadrant hook of the working running line will usually have to go out three or four holes to keep the yacht on course, with the idle line hooked well outboard, to take care of an accidental jibe. If you can’t run directly down the center of the pond, it is better to keep to the windward side, rather than towards the lee shore. If the yacht comes to the weather bank, the adjustment necessary to continue on the course depends on what side the main boom happens to be when she lands, and how the wind is at this landing point. Theoretically, if the wind is straight down the pond, the yacht should sail equally well on either tack, or in other words, with the boom on either side. In practice it will be found that every pond has its tough spots, and experience only will effect the proper trim. Usually the procedure is to choke the rudder or ease it off, let out the sheets, or haul them in. Sometimes when the wind is astern a jibe of the main boom will take the yacht off on her proper course, sometimes not. Tacking Down Wind Some skippers using Braine Gear, or another type of tension steering, “tack down wind.” The quadrant-hooks are placed well outboard, and the yacht sails off the wind until the sails jibe over, then the process is repeated alternately, the yacht zigzagging from one tack to the other. This method may be the line of least resistance mentally, but physically it is a waste of time and distance, besides loss of speed caused by too much rudder-drag. The skipper who uses his Braine (also brain) properly, can sail a straight course without excessive jibing or tacking. Adjustment The correct adjustment of the Braine Gear, including the quadrant, quadrant-hooks, slides and centering rubber, combines so Page 11 many variables that it is difficult, almost impossible, to give explicit directions. skippers solder the quadrant to the rudderpost. Where to place the quadrant-hooks, the sliders, what tension to put on the centering-rubber is a matter for study and experience. Centering-Rubber The centering-rubber is rounded rubber (elastic) and is used as follows: Some skippers neglect such study, and rely mainly on the sliders when making adjustments. Indeed, there is seldom time to make any adjustments, and much time is lost shifting the quadrant-hooks or adjusting the centering-rubber. If there IS time, do it, if not, the sliders will have to be used for quick trims. 1. To keep the helm amidships. Always start a leeward board with the quadrant-hooks placed not too far inboard or outboard, with moderate tension on the centering-rubber, and with the sliders not away forward or away aft. NEVER close up the sliders hard against the end of the quadrant unless absolutely necessary. If the yacht comes ashore, you will then have some leeway to make adjustments. Try to adjust the gear so the yacht will hold a true course straight down the pond. This can be accomplished by an experienced skipper in a steady wind, but nothing can be done with ANY steering gear to offset a sudden change of wind direction. Diagram The diagram shows the relative positions of the conventional deck-fittings and steering controls usually employed with this gear on an average A-Class model yacht. Of course the Braine Gear is used on all classes, and accordingly the general layout would be the same, relatively, on these. Quadrants Size of quadrants for the A and X Class are approximately five inches wide by four inches long. Six-metres and M-Classes about one inch smaller. The quadrant is controlled by the centeringrubber which rides between adjustable sliders running in tracks. The quadrant is mounted on the upper end or top of the rudder-post, about one-half inch above the deck. Quadrants usually have a collar or a flange which makes a tight fit over the rudder-post, and is secured by a pin passing through the collar and rudder-post. Some 2. To bring the helm back amidships after the steering has been effected. 3. To balance or restrict the steering effect. A centering-rubber may be rigged either in a single or in a double strand. It passes through a hole in the tail of the quadrant, and is secured at its forward end, while at the after end a bowser is provided to vary the tension. The rubber must be rigged so that its exact center passes through the hole in the tail of the quadrant, to avoid excessive friction as the rubber is stretched by steering action. Sometimes the set-up is reversed, and the tension cord and bowser placed forward. Tracks and Sliders A double track and double rubber is preferred by some, while others find that a single rubber and double track work okay. Where a double rubber is used it should be of 1/8 inch diameter; a single rubber should be 3/16 inches in diameter. Test the rubber by stretching to see that it is new and lively. Rubber deteriorates rapidly and loses its elasticity either when in use or left lying around. Keep spare rubber in a can of powdered chalk, which will preserve it for a long time. Sliders should be easy to get at and adjusted with easy tension so they can be moved quickly but will not stick or Jam. A single track and single slider is not recommended, as different chokes are necessary on each side of the center-line of the yacht for best performance. Rigging Sheet Controls First rig two round bowsers and the jackline-tautening bowser on a heavy braided linen line, one set for the main boom and one set for the jib-club. These lines are called the “jacklines”, and the round bowsers slide along it, but grip tightly as a strain is placed on them by a pull of a sheet. One end of each sheet is fastened to the lower part of each bowser, and the sheets may be shortened or lengthened by moving the bowsers accordingly. Page 12 Page 13 First check the holes in the bowsers to see that the line will run fairly easy through them, and not chafe, and will grip tightly as tension is placed on them by the sheets. The best way is to bore holes 2 sizes smaller than the diameter of the line, then gradually enlarge until the fit is correct. Make a note of the exact drill size for future use, using the same sized linen line. To reeve the line through the small holes in the bowsers, coat the ends of the line with Ambroid, celluloid cement, or other quickdrying adhesive. When dry, shave end of the line to a sharp point, and you will be able to reeve the line easily, as the stiffness of the adhesive keeps the end of the line from collapsing or unraveling. Rig the jacklines on the main boom and the jib-club, drawing the line taut. Keep it taut at all tines. A sagging jack-line will affect the proper trim of the sheets on a beat. Some skippers use only one bowser on each jackline for both beating and running, but a much better arrangement is to use two bowsers on each jackline, which allows one to be always left in the beating position, merely disengaging the beating-sheet hooks when rudder is called for, and using the other bowser for reaching and running, where adjustments are not so critical as in beating. and running sheets. Have enough yoke or slack in the running lines, both main and jibsteerer, so an equal pull on either side can be exerted on the quadrant. Also see that there is enough slack in the running-lines to prevent any pull on the quadrant when the beatingsheets are in operation, and vice-versa. Running sheets must have enough scope so the main boom and jib-club can go outboard at nearly right angles to the centerline of the yacht. It is usually impossible to get a full right-angle, as the main boom would bear up against the shrouds and nullify the steering. However, the belly of the sail will be enough to approximate such a right angle, even with the main boom hauled slightly aft of the shrouds. Double Sheets Some authorities insist on using double sheets, claiming that if the sails or spars “sky” or lift, the pull may be nullified with a single sheet. This may be true if the deck blocks are improperly placed, or if the yoke in the running-lines is too short. The writer has never had any difficulty with the single running sheets, and besides, the kickstrap will prevent the boom from skying if properly adjusted. Never haul the kick-strap taut, but leave a little play in it so the sail can fill. Charles Farley (1946) After the jacklines are in place, rig and adjust the beating-sheets, hauling main-boom nearly amidships. but having the jib-club slightly outboard. Next, rig the running lines The ornate Braine quadrant on George Ferrari’s beautiful (and hard to beat) “Little Joe.” Note the “comb” used to apply small amounts of rudder bias. Page 14 Gyeing The Model Yacht Editor’s Note As we mentioned in our last issue, the ability to gye is essential to sailing in San Francisco. This 1940 article shows how it’s done with a Braine gear. The author was Walter Moss, a Midwestern M Class sailor who also wrote the sailmaking pages on our Web site. Gyeing (or guying — the spelling varies) is wonderful to watch when it happens — and frustrating when it doesn’t. Earl Boebert This maneuver is termed “looping,” and shortens the distance a model must travel, which often means the difference between winning and losing a close race. Saving an extra leg across the pond is important, so if you intend to become a racer, become acquainted with a gybing gye. The attachment is merely an adjustable cord which reverses the action of the rudder from that exerted by a running sheet, or, instead of holding the craft “off the wind,” it accentuates the pivoting action of the wind when the boat is on one tack, but does not function when it is on the other. Thus, a boat released from shore on one tack with the gye attached Gyeing the Model Yacht When the course of a model racing yacht is short of the finish line on a beat to windward in pool competition, its skipper often applies what is known as gybing gye, whose operation causes the boat to swing around into the wind after a short tack, into the tack on which it was originally started. Page 15 will veer about shortly and take the alternate tack without manual adjustment. Carrying a gye ready for any action is considered good practice. The most common form of gybing gye is illustrated herewith. It consists of a cord hooked from the outer hole of the quadrant through a bowser arrangement and block attached on the deck approximately opposite the middle of the boom near the sheer, and then on back to the outer end of the boom where it is hooked to an eyelet. This off-center radius results in a shortened gye with the boom on one side and a lengthened gye when the boom is on the other. The gye is adjusted to such a length that it commences to pull on the quadrant when the boom reaches, or passes, the center line of the boat on the opposite side from that on which the gye is attached. To quicken the gybing action the gye is shortened, and to retard the action it is lengthened. With the gye applied a yacht may be put off headed downwind and will gradually veer up into the wind and gybe, when properly adjusted. While not technically considered a gye, the idle running sheet can similarly be used when a yacht “runs” down the pool. If it is hooked to the outer quadrant hole and brought into action by the boom swinging over from the side on which it was originally set, it will forcibly act on the rudder, causing a gybe and throwing the boom back to its first position. In addition to the cord a rubber band is frequently inserted into that section of the gye lying between the block and the boom. This added feature eases out the action of the gye as well as exerting a constant inward pull on the boom so that as the craft heads higher and higher into the wind the turning pressure is not lessened. Such a gye is practically 100 per cent effective, but a skipper should gain some experience in its use before expecting to become proficient in “looping.” Should the gye be too loose it may fail to gybe your boat and you’ll only find that the speed has been reduced by the craft being held too closely into the wind; on the other hand it may work too quickly, causing the boat to return to shore short of the finish line a second, or even a third, time. Either of these mistakes is an extravagant waste of precious seconds, especially if your opponent’s boat is being properly handled. While a gye must not be in functioning position at the start of a race, it may be (and often is) hooked into place on the leeward side. This is advisable, when possible, for two reasons: first, it need not then be hooked up when put about, and, second, it assures you that should your craft inadvertently be thrown on to the opposite tack because of a “slam,” or otherwise, it will quickly be returned to its original course by the gye. The proper use of both a gybing gye on the beat, and the idle running sheet on a run, will put you on an equal footing with most of your competitors, but remember, there is only one winner in every race . . . all others are merely contenders. May you not be numbered among these too often. Walter K. Moss (1940) The Model Yacht is published three times a year by the U.S. Vintage Model Yacht Group. Copyright 1998,1999, 2000, 2001, U.S.V.M.Y.G. Reproduction for noncommercial purposes permitted; all other rights reserved. Editorial Address: 9219 Flushing Meadows NE Albuquerque NM 87111 Email: boebert@swcp.com Phone: 505 823 1046 Officers of the U.S. Vintage Model Yacht Group: President: John Snow Eastern Vice-President: Ben Martin Midwest Vice-President: Al Suydam Western Vice-President: Dominic Meo, III Southeastern Vice-President: Thom Mclaughlin Traditional/Scale Coordinator: Harry Mote Vintage M Class Coordinator: Charles Roden Classic “50” Coordinator: Dennis Lindsey Historian: Earl Boebert Archivist: Jim Dolan Page 16 Free Sailing in the Radio Age Introduction Free sailing has always been my first love, since the days when I’d watch the sailing at the late, lamented Berkeley pond in the 1950’s. Across the Bay in San Francisco, the San Francisco MYC kept the flame alive with regular free sailing events at Spreckles Lake. When Jeff Stobbe of the SFMYC organized the first M Class Invitational race in 1999, I jumped at the chance to attend and built a dedicated free sailing “Rip Tide” in, as it turned out, a bit too much of a hurry. The next year I built another “Rip Tide,” this time as a dual-mode free/radio boat inspired by some conversions Ben Martin had sailed at Port Washington. At the same time, Thom McLaughlin was doing the same thing with his “Arrow” restoration, and the two boats met at the Nationals in Marblehead this August, where we had an opportunity to compare notes. I am now in the process of building a third “Rip Tide,” also dual-mode, to sail at San Francisco and take to England. It is designed to conform to both the San Francisco and the VM rules, which differ slightly. Over the course of time SFMYC has evolved a set of restrictions on the old MYRAA class rules to maintain the competitiveness of their existing boats and insure that new boats were esthetically compatible with the old ones. They impose a 15lb. minimum displacement, 75” maximum hoist on single-panel sails, 15” maximum draft, and require wooden decks. There are also materials restrictions which are about the same as the VM rules. It’s not difficult to build a dual-mode boat which conforms to both sets of rules, but you need to be aware that many of the very early M’s, such as Cheerio I, are too light to be legal under the SFMYC rules. If you want to sail in both the San Francisco Invitational and the VM Nationals in November, you can check your design with Jeff Stobbe (San Francisco) 831-475-6233; cjstobbe@pacbell.net, or Charlie Roden (VM) 732-462-7483; cer@monmouth.com Dual-mode boats are, to my mind, one of the primary ways that free sailing can grow in multiple locations outside San Francisco. Until you trim your boat properly, it is liable to go anywhere, and not all ponds have the necessary access all around to retrieve it; not to mention those of us who share our waters with fishermen and rely on radio to avoid problems. I have also skiff sailed my boats, One of Ben Martin’s conversions of a free sail boat to dual-mode, which got me thinking about the problem. The sheeting line from the drum winch runs aft to a block that replaces the vane gear. Page 17 chasing them with a one-man kayak — not very successfully when I set a “Rip Tide” for a run under spinnaker in a decent breeze. rudders. The rudders are held in place by a locking collar from above (the top of the rudder tube.) Radio is also a help when tuning, because you can bring the boat back to shore immediately and not waste time chasing across the pond and poling the boat back to the starting point. It’s also a lot less work. Allow or design in some play. Educated sloppiness in the system is better than precision, sometimes also called friction. This was my initial big problem at Marblehead (once it was resolved then I was the problem! which was even bigger). We are going to try and have a free sail event at our National Regatta every year if possible, so I hope this supplement inspires you to build a free sail or dual-mode boat and join us in San Francisco and Tampa. We’ll start the discussion with some thoughts from Thom, and then pass on what I’ve learned about design and construction. Thoughts from Tom McLaughlin Keep it simple! Realize it will be a compromise. But realize at the same time that it will still work with those compromises. Maybe travelers, sliding rigs, etc… aren’t really going to be helpful to the overall use of the boat if it is going to be multi-purpose. Having fun will be the purpose of this boat, not placing first in races. Try to create a system that will allow two rudders, since a free sailing rudder is basically a trim rudder. A R/C rudder has to turn the boat to round buoys, and therefore should have more area. With the two rudder system, insure that the vane or Braine above deck system is removable. This also, besides two rudders, means allowing for attaching a second rudder hatch which does not have a hole/tube for the free sailing rudder shaft. The R/C rudder shaft does not go through the deck andconnects to the servo in a conventional way. Hence the need for through deck access to the internal rudder tube. My installation didn’t use a skeg pintle, which allowed easier changing of the two Design Issues There are three things that have to be worked out when constructing a dual-mode boat: sheeting, rudders and skegs, and ballast. Sheeting Most radio boats use what is called “synchronous sheeting,” where the main and jib are sheeted in and out together. It turns out that synchronous sheeting was used in the free sail era as well, and has distinct advantages over the “hook/unhook” system described by Farley earlier. Principal of these is ease and simplicity of switching trim from beat to run. It is important to remember that the San Francisco event is run as a series of match races where each competitor races against each other twice, once on the run and once on the beat. If there are fifteen entries, then you get to walk the length of Spreckles Lake (about 800 feet) and back seven times on Saturday and seven times on Sunday. Late on both days you are tired and your hands are wet and cold, and it’s easy to make mental or physical errors in changing trim. I recorded mine (those that I detected) and about a quarter of the time I did something wrong in retrimming for the next heat. Obviously, practice will help a lot, but practice comes slow to those of us who have limited facilities. Marblehead MYC, and the Nationals at Redd’s Pond, sails under “fleet rules,” in which the races are “out and back,” so the time spent retrimming from beat to run is, essentially, part of the race, and speed is essential. Most Marblehead MYC boats are rigged with synchronous sheeting on the mast, so that the booms can be sheeted without dropping to your knees — which you still have to do to switch the vane over. Page 18 First, the basics, as shown by the diagram taken from R. Griffin’s excellent Model Racing Yacht Construction (1973). If the distance from the jib pivot to the jib ferrule JP-JF equals the corresponding distance MP-MF for the main, and the distance from the jib pivot to the jib sheet attachment JP-JS likewise equals MPMS, then movement of the jackline bowser will cause the two booms to sheet in or out an equal angle. The lower diagram shows the effect of slight inequalities More complex arrangements can be made. The drawing on the next page shows the Lassel sliding rig. A closer look at a version the spring bowser he used is given in the photo. These things really grab, but slide easily when the two arms are pinched together. Wind the main coil on a smaller mandrel than the bowser rod, say 3/32” for a bowser that will ride on a 1/8” rod. Transfer to the larger rod, and wind the finger loops. Be sure to close off the loops as shown, or they will trap loose sheets. The sheeting of a Lassel rig is as follows: the main sheet goes from the “master” bowser forward to a fairlead just aft of the mast, then to the mast boom, then down to a fairlead fixed to the rod and over to the vernier bowser. The jib sheet goes from the “master” forward and to the starboard fairlead sticking out from the cross piece, then to the jib boom, then down to the port fairlead and forward to the jib vernier. The geometry is cleverly arranged so that the two booms sheet in and out in nearly equal angles. The maximum angle for the main boom on a run is 50 to 55 degrees. This is not a problem for a free sail boat, since runs are made under spinnaker in almost every case. MS JS MP JP JF MF Jackline Bowser Simple synchronous sheeting. If the dimensions are in agreement (JP-JP = MP-MF; JP-JS=MPMS) then moving the Jackline Bowser in and out will sheet the respective booms to equal angles. The lower diagram shows the effect of moving the jib pivot JP. Identical distances are not always allowed by deck and hatch geometry and other considerations, in which case the geometry at varous angles has to be worked out on paper. Page 19 Page 20 The Lassel sliding rig. These drawings were pieced together from fragments of a Walter Many drawing that could not be reproduced on our page size. The rig is shown in the full aft position. The sliding portion, consisting of the center rod and the cross piece, rides on four horses, one fore, one aft, and two amidships on either side. The Liverpool Boy (not “Buoy,” as on the plans) is worthy of study. The device got its name from workboats that had to tack in the narrow confines of the Mersey river. A small boy was assigned the task of holding the jib boom in its previous position as the bow swung through the eye of the wind. This caused the jib to backwind and swing the bow harder. Note that the triangle gives an effective point of attachment ahead of the jib pivot. The spring tension holds the boom and causes it to backwind; when the wind pressure overcomes the tension, the boom “flips” to the other tack, and fluttering of the jib with the danger of stalling the main is minimized. The device is quite impressive in operation. Also note the offset kicking strap to pull the main boom over on a gye. Synchronous Sheeting With Braine Gear The Grif- fin diagram shows synchronous sheeting for a vane boat, where there is no connection between sheets and tiller. It can also be applied to Braine gear as shown in the diagram. Both running and beating sheets are permanently attached. When the booms are sheeted in, the running sheets go slack; when sheeted out, they “take over” and the gear works as Farley described. If you don’t like having slack sheets laying around on the deck the running sheets can be run through long tubes under the deck, an idea I picked up from a 20’s era A boat owned by Fred Abbe. Radio Control Rig Once a boat has been rigged for synchronous sheeting, adding radio is a fairly simple proposition. You just use a drum winch and run the sheeting line past the jackline bowser, taking the sheets off the bowser and putting them on the sheeting line. I run my sheeting line forward, Ben Martin runs his aft; this is one of those “whatever works” deals. On a Braine boat the running sheets are disconnected and either removed or stowed neatly by being lashed down to cleats. I prefer the RMG sail winch because the ability to adjust the travel is so very convenient. My experiments began with a Lassel style sliding rig. The first lesson I learned was that there was a significant difference between a free sail boat and a radio boat with regard to sheeting. A free sail boat is almost never sailed with slack sheets; in fact, the sailing rules state that the jib must be full when the boat is sent off. A radio boat, especially when shifting from a beat to a run at the windward mark, dumps her sheets on the deck until the wind can swing the boom over. As a result, there is a serious problem of sheets fouling parts of the rig. The fairleads jutting forward from the crosspiece are a disaster in this regard; in fact, the RMG winch is sufficiently powerful that on a couple of occasions when the sheets fouled on me it just winched the whole rig forward, which is a somewhat disconcerting sight. Eliminating the forward fairleads changes the geometry of the sheets and requires some fiddling with graph paper to get things back where they belong. I’ll report on my efforts in that regard in a later issue. Another prime source of fouls are the wire bowsers. In addition to tying off the finger loops, I cover the one not used for a sheet with heat-shrink tubing. If a “comb” is used as in the photograph of “Little Joe,” then it also will foul the mainsheet with great frequency. The cure for this is a simple “guard rail” running above the comb to keep the sheet off of it. Ballast There are several ways of dealing with the increased weight of the radio gear. One is to trim the boat with the radio in it and just leave it in when free sailing. This is what Thom McLaughlin does. I put my radio in a “drop in” box made of Lexan, and will experiment with either fixed ballast or letting the free sail boat ride slightly higher than in radio mode. I’ll report on this experience later as well. Rudders and Skegs It is clear that running an unchanged Braine or vane boat under radio makes for a fairly unmaneuverable boat. This not only has an impact on competitiveness (which doesn’t bother me much) but also makes it harder to get out of other people’s way (which bothers me a lot). My solution to this is a removable skeg and rudder. The skeg is a friction fit into a Lexan box, which is pos- Page 21 Page 22 Mainsheet, to Jackline Running Sheet Bowser Jibsheet, to Jackline Jibsheet Vernier Bowser M2 Mainsheet, to Boom M1 ngles In Jibsheet Vernier Bowser Boom A Jibsheet, to Winch Line Out J2 Jibsheet, to Boom Sheeting Bowser J1 Steering Cables to Quadrant Mainsheet, to Boom Rudder Servo Radio Box Winch Drum Jibsheet, to Boom Winch Line Sheet Attachment Tensioning Block The same rig running under radio. The main boom running sheets are removed or stowed. For a vane boat, the vane arm on the rudder post would be replaced with a double bellcrank to take the steering lines. Mainsheet, to Winch Line Mainsheet Vernier Bowser Running Sheets, Slack Synchronous sheeting with Braine steering. The diagram shows the booms sheeted in, with the main boom running sheets slack. Running Sheets, Slack Mainsheet Vernier Bowser sible because it takes no stress to speak of. When free sailing I’ll use the skeg and the rudder called for in the design. When sailing under radio I’ll pull the skeg and swap in a deep spade rudder. Note that the design I am working to (“Rip Tide”) is already firmly in the High Flyer division. If you want to sail in the Traditional division you may want to experiment with swapping in a smaller skeg and seeing how that works. Construction Hints and Tips Silver Soldering Small Parts (800 220 4242, www.smallparts.com) now offers Stay-Silv Black flux, which works much better than the Stay-Clean I have used in the past. The critical joints in the sliding rig are where the rod portion of the horse attaches to the plate that gets screwed to the deck. Lassel dimpled the sheet metal at the hole to make more surface area for the joint. I don’t trust that. I use a die to cut about 3 turns of 6-32 threads (about as deep as a nut). This works fine on 1/8” rod. I then thread on a 6-32 nut below the plate and silver solder the rod, nut and plate together. This requires a recess in the “hard point,” (see below), but you don’t have to worry about that part of the rig breaking. Epoxy Like most people working in cedar, I use West System epoxies. Kern Hendricks, the chemist for System 3, is active on an Internet news group dealing with boat building. He noted that the 5-minute expoxies are formulated from completely different chemicals that the slower-setting kinds, and have superior adhesion to metals; in fact, he recommends coating metal with 5-minute prior to using conventional epoxies in a wood to metal joint. Hard Points It’s always a problem to attach stress-concentrating fittings to a lightweight structure like a wooden hull. In the aircraft game, such attachments are made to what are called “hard points.” avoid generating too much heat and melting the material. Lexan sheet is available from Small Parts. Another, and less expensive, source is to go to your local plastics supplier and buy scraps, which they will often sell very cheap. I attach stress fittings, like the horses of the sliding rig, to the hard points with #4 stainless sheet metal screws. These hold extremely well, and can be removed and replaced many times, which is something you don’t want to do with brass screws into wood. Clips and Ties The traditional way of attaching demountable sheets and stays is with clips of one sort or another, often the same as used in fishing tackle. Where the geometry or spacing prevents this, I use small cable ties which I cut off and discard when demounting or changing rig. For example, this is the way I connect the two ends of the sheeting line that runs to and from the winch. Elastics The Lassel rig uses stainless steel springs, which I tried to wind and never got right. A good source of elastics for rigs is a bungee cord tiedown, available at most any auto parts place. When cut apart they furnish a very large number of tough 1/32” diameter synthetic elastics which can be doubled or tripled to get just about any amount of force. I am indebted to Ben Martin for this tip. Conclusion I hope these observations will induce you to try free sailing, even as a small part of your sailing experience. I can confidently predict that even expert R/C sailors can learn from trimming such a boat. Plus it is so much fun when a spectator comes up to you and says “Who’s controlling that boat?” and you reply “No one.” I make mine out of 1/4” Lexan, which can be cut and drilled using woodworking tools, provided you use slow cutting speeds to Page 23 Earl Boebert