The Model Yacht: Volume 9, Number 2 – Fall 2005

LINCOLN MEMORIAL POOL, WASHINGTON, D.C. NEWSLETTER OF THE U.S. VINTAGE MODEL YACHT GROUP VOLUME NINE, NUMBER TWO Fall 2005 NEWSLETTER OF THE U.S. VINTAGE MODEL YACHT GROUP VOLUME NINE, NUMBER TWO Fall 2005 A Editor’s Welcome s the building season approaches, we have a special “get ready” issue this time. We have solicited workshop tips from several builders to help speed your efforts along. We have also reprinted a long-lost set of plans and instructions for a nifty Vintage 36 inch boat. In addition, we have regatta reports from our two “main events” each year – our National Regatta and our Traditional Watercraft Regatta. Plus drawings for a 1937 schooner design that looks like it would make a very pretty model. As always, we ask you to check your mailing label. There will be a number behind your name. This is volume and issue number of the last issue our records have you signed up for. If it is 91, you are due for renewal and should have a renewal slip and selfaddressed envelope included with your issue. We’re only human, so if you think we’ve got it wrong, please let us know and we’ll straighten things out. Finally, our thoughts and sympathies go to our members who had the misfortune to be in the path of the hurricanes this season. If you have lost issues or had the last one go astray in the mail, please let us know so we can arrange for replacements. Earl Boebert Ebbs and Flows The President’s Message T Vintage Membership he VMYG annual membership is $20 for three issues of our newsletter – The Model Yacht. It is $25 for members outside the US. The VMYG lifetime membership is $100. Members also have access to technical assistance and vintage model plans. To subscribe to or renew our newsletter and services, send $20 or $25 check (payable to US VMYG) or cash ($100 life membership) to: John Snow, c/o US VMYG, 78 East Orchard Street, Marblehead, MA 01945. For detailed information, you can call me directly in Marblehead @781-631-4203 or visit the VMYG Web Page at: www.swcp.com/usvmyg 2005 VMYG National Events Check elsewhere in this newsletter for reports on the 2005 VMYG national events: regattas for VM and Traditional Watercraft at Spring Lake, NJ and the Calvert Maritime Museum, MD on September 9-11 and 23-25 respectfully. Both were very well attended, with 57 traditional boats at the Calvert Museum venue – a high-water mark for this event. I would like to extend my personal appreciation to John Henson and The Marbleheaders of Spring Lake MYC, and Buck McClellan and the Solomons Island MBC for their respective hosting and outstanding onsite support of these national events. 2006 VMYG National Events Nothing yet has been fully finalized for the 2006 VMYG VM and traditional national Page 1 regattas. Thus, check the next newsletter and/or VMYG website for emerging details to begin planning to participate in one or both of these events. Rumor has it that the 2006 traditional sailing craft event could again be at the Mariners Museum in Newport News, VA, with the 2006 VM regatta possibly returning to Redd’s Pond in Marblehead after a six-year hiatus. Vintage Etcetera V36 Models The VMYG continues to monitor interest in V36 designs, with the latest use of these 36-inch R/C models at the Calvert Museum event. Expect further feedback on the status of the VMYG’s potential recognition of these designs in the next newsletter, with Alan Suydam providing his perspective as the acting coordinator. AMYA Model Yachting Magazine VMYG Feature The latest AMYA Model Yachting issue features the US VMYG. It has about 20-pages covering our model designs and activities, with historical articles as well. The cover has a color shot of R/C VM boats racing at Redd’s Pond, Marblehead this past June. VMYG is offering a free copy of this magazine, while the supply lasts, to new members joining the VMYG starting in November 2005. Some copies are also available to current VMYG members. Contact John Snow at 781-631-4203 or Earl Boebert at 505-823-1046 if you would like to purchase a copy at $7.50 including mailing cost or email: boebert@swcp.com VMYG Material The US VMYG “how to” book and video package on plank-on-frame model construction, and the Yankee III J Boat model building book are available via the VMYG website. Also, copies of the 20+ page catalog of the 2004 The World of Model Yachts exhibit at the Museum of Yachting remain available. John Snow O 2005 National Regatta September 9-11 nce again, the USVMYG National Regatta was hosted by the Marbleheaders of Spring Lake NJ, and once again we were able to enjoy a lovely venue, warm hospitality, and a crisply run event. Twenty-nine boats were entered, twenty VMs of both Divisions and nine Vintage 36 boats. This, along with the turnout for the Vintage 36s at Calvert (see below) bodes well for the success of this economical and transportable class. In the V36s, Al Suydam brought his Chico II, I came with a Yankee III, and the rest were Pete Peterson’s designs. The Traditional VMs included a range of published designs from Cheerio to Madcap and skipperdesigned boats by Thom McLaughlin and Harry Mote, along with double-enders that are so popular among the Marbleheaders. The most exciting event was the Traditional Division of the VMs. At the end of a day and a half of racing, Al Suydam and Harry Mote were tied by number of points, number of firsts, and number of seconds. The two skippers agreed to settle the matter with a besttwo-out-of three match race. In the first heat, Al was over the line early at the start, and came behind to win. In the second heat, Harry was over early and came from behind to win. In the final and deciding heat, both skippers had a clean start and Harry crossed the line first. Our header photo, by June Pendino, captures some of that excitement, showing Al’s Cheerio in the lead. In closing, I’d like to thank the Marbleheaders for sponsoring this event and for all the support they have given USVMYG over the years. Earl Boebert Page 2 (L) Setting up at Spring Lake, one of the prettiest lakes we sail on. Note the difference in size between the VM and the V36. (R) Harry Mote’s lovely interpretation of the classic Spring Lake double-ender. June Pendino photos. (L) Typically close action in VM Traditional Division. (R) Harry Mote chases Al Suydam in one of the match races. Photos by Earl Boebert and June Pendino. 2005 USMYG National Regatta Vintage M, Traditional Division 1st. Place: 2nd Place: 3rd Place: Harry Mote Al Suydam Charlie Roden Vintage M, High Flyer Division: 1st Place: Charlie Roden 2nd Place: Thom McLaughlin 3rd Place: Ralph Maresco Vintage 36 1st Place: Al Suydam 2nd Place: Howard Royce 3rd Place: June Pendino The winners. Standing L to R: Charlie Roden, Howard Royce, Thom McLaughlin, Ralph Maresco. Kneeling L to R: Al Suydam, Harry Mote, June Pendino. Earl Boebert Photo Page 3 Craftsmanship Trophy: Harry Mote Workshop Hints and Tips T Editor’s Notes hese tips were submitted by Fred Abbe, Charlie Roden, Mike Stobbe, Alan Suydam, and myself. We have arranged them by topic, with initials for bylines, and our thanks go to all. I hope that this will stimulate others to send their hints and tips to the editorial address – I would dearly like to make this a feature of every issue. Earl Boebert Epoxy and Other Goops I use West brand epoxy because they have a good system of pumps on their epoxy and hardener cans and you can get a small amount of epoxy and not have too much waste for those small epoxy jobs. AS For laminated hulls, EZ-Lam from Aerospace Composite Products seems to wet cloth somewhat more easily: www.acp-composites.com EB There are two West System fillers that belong in every workshop. The 404 filler greatly increases the adhesive strength of joints; 5minute epoxy mixed 1:1 with 404 filler makes a great glue for high-stress joints The 410 filler is used for final fairing. It produces a smooth finish and, more importantly, reduces the amount (and therefore the weight, of the resin remaining on your boat. EB To remove the bubbles that get stirred into your epoxy during mixing, get an atomizer from a craft store. You want one that produces a fine mist, not a stream or a spray. Fill the atomizer with denatured alcohol. After mixing your epoxy, let it stand for a few seconds, tapping the mixing container gently to get the bubbles to rise to the top. Then “poof” the surface with the alcohol. The alcohol thins the surface layer of resin and helps the bubbles pop. The same trick works for any surface bubbles you may introduce when applying the epoxy. Just don’t wait too long to get them out. EB Before sanding epoxy or adding another coat, you must remove the “amine blush,” a waxy by-product of the curing process that forms on the surface of the job. This is best done by scrubbing the surface with one of those 3M green plastic abrasive pads and warm water. EB Tite Bond II is my glue of choice when laminating “bread and butter” hulls. It is water soluble, has a good working time, and is easy on the tool edges. Since you will be sealing the hulls, water proofing is in the finish. AS Bondo, though readily available, is a pretty poor filler for boats. Much better stuff is made by Polymetric Systems: www.polymetricsystems.com Their “Quikwood” is a great wood filler and their “Aquamend” is a superior filler/repair material for any applications involving water. All their products have strong adhesive properties. EB I have found a great way for painting pond boats as long as you want a white hull. I use a product called “Kilz” which comes in an aerosol can and may be purchased at any place that sells paint. An alternative is a similar product called “Bin”. Its intended use is for the prevention of stains or knots bleeding through latex paint. Just spray it on bare wood. It seals and covers wood, lead and sticks to brass too. One of the best things about this product is you don’t have to be an expert spray painter or too particular how you apply the paint to wind up with an excellent job. Runs?, orange peel?…No problem. Just wet sand the paint with medium to fine sandpaper and you’ll have a nice semi-gloss finish. If you find you’ve overlooked some low spots, fill them with auto body spot putty (Walmart or auto parts store) using a plastic spreader. It dries in minutes and can easily be wet sanded. Then spray on more Kilz and wet sand it when dry. Kilz dries quickly. And here’s another good thing about this paint, if you get a scuff or scratch on your hull later you can just wet sand the scuff away or at worst spot paint the area and then wet sand it and the repair will be invisible. While I’m on the subject of painting, I’ve found Floquil 130040/Dark Green aerosol paint is a good bottom paint for vintage mod- Page 4 els where you want to have a “Marblehead Green” bottom. This is a flat model railroad color available from model RR shops. FA & AS Hand Tools The best tools for shaping wood are planes and chisels. Sandpaper should be reserved for final finishing. Our “classic” article on hand tools, Make Shavings Not Sawdust, is available in a back issue of this newsletter, $6.50 postpaid. Ask for Volume Five Number One. EB Stanley No. 100 plane: This special purpose plane for model boat making is very useful in trimming planks for planking hulls and fairing the outside convex surfaces of hulls. Also useful in tapering and rounding spars. The 100 1/2 double convex sole plane is the most useful in planning the inside of “bread and butter” hulls and concave surfaces of hull exteriors, especially near the keel. Replicas of these are available from Lie-Nielsen Tools: www.lie-nielsen.com “Microplane” tool – This tool looks like a square cheese grater, but works very well in trimming square holes and edges of small surfaces. Spokeshave: I have an older Stanley spokeshave which is very handy for working down curved surfaces, especially the outsides of “bread and butter” hulls. Spoon gouge: One of the best tools to carve the inside of “bread and butter” hulls and convex surfaces near the keel on vintage models with 1” radius restrictions (Vintage M). Japanese pull-saws: Very handy in trimming off planks at the stern. You have much better control when you are pulling, instead of pushing. Flat rasp: Most useful in working down any surface which has been covered in epoxy. It works very well when you have epoxy squeeze-out at the hull-deck joint. Cabinet scraper: This tool is available in many shapes and can be used to surface a hull which has been coated with epoxy. It gives a glass-smooth surface when used after the second coat. Also, my WoodenBoat School class found that a curved cabinet scraper is very handy in smoothing the hol- lowed out hull of a “bread and butter” model. Direct reading caliper: I found a direct reading caliper on the Web from a bowl turner which is very useful in reading the hull thickness of a “bread and butter” hull while you are trying to achieve a uniform hull thickness. It looks like a pair of scissors and gives a direct reading without having to remove the measuring tool to see the reading. www.hartvilletool.com/product/11368 If you work in wood, sooner or later you’re going to pick up a splinter. Micromark www.micromark.com sells a surgeon’s splinter forceps that’s just the thing for pulling them out. It’s like a really, really needle nosed plier with a precision gripping surface. Item number 60720. EB Power Tools Here’s a product I’m crazy about: 3M ScotchBrite EXL Deburring Wheels. If you work with brass, stainless or aluminum you’ll wonder how you ever got along without one of these. They fit on your bench grinder and polish brass much faster than the old cloth type buffing wheels. With the old buffing wheels the polishing rouge always gunked up whatever I was polishing. In addition to polishing, the Scotch-Brite EXL wheels remove scratches and burrs in seconds. And they work wonders on tools too. In minutes you can polish your old ball peen hammer into a glistening hammer that looks as though it was chrome plated. The wheels come 6″ dia. by 1″ or 1/2″ widths with a 1″ hole which may require little metal reducers to fit your bench grinder. I find the 1/2″ width “fine grit” to be ideal. They can be purchased from Enco: www.use-enco.com) FA Table Saw: Best tool to rip thin planking stock. I bought a couple of magnetic featherboards which help in controlling the boards through the saw. I also use a thin-kerf blade for less waste. Small bench bandsaw: I have an 8 inch model from Delta which I use most of the time in cutting out parts. A dust collection port and a shop vac keeps the dust to a minimum. Page 5 Stationary disc/belt sander: I have a Delta 6” disc and 4” belt sander which is one of my most-used tools in the shop. Invaluable for sanding parts to fit, etc. I have a portable dust collection system which is most useful in collecting the sanding dust from this machine. I place the inlet to the dust collector right next to the disc for the best results. AS Another good and inexpensive bench sander is the Ryobi BD 4600. EB Cordless drill/driver: No cords to drag around and knock over your project. Dremel tool: I use a rotary saw attachment and burr attachment in trimming stuff already glued into the boat. This tool is a lifesaver when you need to do some trimming in place. Black and Decker “Mouse” random orbit sander: this is the best small sander for smoothing planked decks and fairing hulls. However, you must keep the tool moving and not stop, so you don’t create flat spots when using it. This tool with an 80 grit paper can take a lot of wood off in a hurry and you can do a lot of damage if you are not careful. Bench drill press: Again a Delta bench top unit and another tool used a lot in the shop. Very helpful in getting holes square to the surface for screws and bolts. Hulls and Decks I learned this method from Thom McLaughlin at WoodenBoat School. With this method, you taper a 1/16” drill on the grinder, and use round toothpicks cut in half as fasteners. The procedure is to drill the tapered hole, then coat the toothpick with adhesive and drive the toothpick into the hole. The toothpick will bring the two pieces together, then curl at the bottom of the hole and hold until the adhesive dries. AS I usually use epoxy to glue my decks on. I start by coating the bottom of the deck on the bench with unthickened epoxy, then thicken the rest of the batch with silica and spread on the deck beams and gunnels. This way, when the deck cures, you have waterproofed the bottom of the deck as well as attaching it to the hull. AS I use a single radius camber for all of my deck beams, stem to stern. Take a large block of wood, thick enough for all deck beams stacked up plus the saw kerfs to cut them. If you need 12 deck beams at 1/4 inch plus 1/ 16 inch kerf, for example, make your block 4 inches thick. The block should also be about 2 inches longer than the boat’s maximum beam. Trace the camber line onto the middle of the side of the block, such that the depth below the line corresponds to the largest deck beam, and the height above the line is 1 inch or more. Very carefully cut the block on your band saw following the camber line as closely as you can. Use the lower convex piece as a sanding block to smooth the upper concave piece and vice versa. This is easy if you haven’t strayed from the line, more difficult if you have. Rip the lower convex piece into all of your deck beams. The upper piece becomes your perfectly matched sanding block to first true up all of your deck beams after you’ve installed them, and secondly sand down all of your deck planking for a perfectly fair deck. It works great! MS I use a carpenter’s marking gage to scribe the lines on the deck, following the outer edge contour with the fence. Straight lines can be done with a scratch awl using a straight edge. Be careful of the grain in the wood. Always pull the gage or awl so that the wood grain pulls the point away from the fence or into the straight edge. This way, you will not have the grain trying to pull the point of the tool away from your line. Reverse your direction if the grain reverses. After you have your pattern scribed, a light sanding will remove the “fuzz”. Then use a soft pencil, like a number 2 to mark the bottom of each groove. Immediately seal the deck with sanding sealer or varnish before you do any more sanding. If you don’t, you will smear the carbon from the pencil. Once the deck has been sealed, finish in your usual way. AS I like to make my decks removable. This is essential on a small hull like Yankee III and still desirable on larger boats because it eliminates the need for large or multiple hatches and the associated difficulties of keeping water out. I’ve found two ways that work well. One is to use Stick-Tak. This is a kind of sticky “silly putty” that never hardens. It sticks well, is waterproof, and can be peeled off with the deck. Another product that works is Permatex “Ultra Blue” room-tem- Page 6 perature vulcanizing gasket sealer. This is more permanent than Stick-Tak and has a moderate adhesive ability but can still be pulled away when prying off a deck. In both cases, #0 screws from Microfasteners: off drill a hole for a dowel or a metal pin. Drill a matching hole in the mast and epoxy the mast tip back on the mast over the brass masthead fitting.and you’ve got strong attachment points for your shrouds. microfasteners.com on two to three inch centers are used to hold the deck down. EB After your hull is complete and before fairing and painting it (in the case of a fiberglass hull) or after a good sealing coat (in the case of a wood one) it is a good idea to test the watertight integrity of the hull. A good place to start is to put the boat in a pitch black room with a flashlight placed inside the hull with the hatch covers secured. Then look for places where light escapes from the hull. Typical problem areas are the hatches and the hull-deck joint. Next float the boat in a swimming pool or pond and check to see that no water enters the hull. This may show up leaks around the rudder tube, screws used to hold ballast, or from accidental holes drilled in the boat when attaching the radio gear. Use a garden hose to wet down the topsides to see that water does not enter the hull from there. Leaks typically occur at antenna exits or through-deck fairleads. After first sailing the boat for ten or fifteen minutes, bring it in and check the bilges for water. Obtain a syringe type pump for pumping the bilges as required. When sailing in very heavy weather it is difficult to avoid picking up some water. CR Masts and Rigging CA all your knots – this is the standard way to make sure your lines will not come loose. Thin CA wicks up lines, so use it sparingly and use a tissue or paper towel to soak up the excess before it glues something you don’t want it to. Fishing clips make lines and rigging removable – Any fishing store has a range of fishing clips for making lines and rigging removable for model transport. There are also clips with ball-bearing swivels attached for lines you want to rotate, like jib stays. AS To make sturdy tangs for attaching shrouds to a mast, make a sheet brass fitting as shown with the four little tabs. Cut an inch or so off the top of your mast and in the tip you’ve cut Also, 1/16 brass cotter pins can be epoxied in place and make excellent substitutes for screw eyes in attaching standing rigging. FA I wanted to use tapered wood spreaders on my scale model schooner and I wanted to use something really tough as spreaders can take a beating especially during rigging, derigging and transportation so I made them out of perhaps the toughest wood anywhere: bamboo. Having been in the rug business, I have a supply of bamboo poles that would provide spreaders for USVMG members for at least 1000 years. So members let the Editor know if you need any bamboo, I’d be happy to provide it. FA The best wire for standing rigging that I have found is Sevenstrand “Toothy Critter” stainless steel cable. This is available in a variety of strengths from Charkbait: www.charkbait.com This is uncoated and as a result the crimped fittings will hold under more strain than the coated cable. It has a tendency to stretch, so set your turnbuckles near the far end of their travel to take up the inevitable slack. Page 7 EB An Auxiliary Cruising Schooner T his sweet little schooner was designed by, and presumably built for, Elwood Sprague of East Rockaway, Long Island in 1937. At 34 ft 3 in LOA she makes an attractive prototype for a scale schooner. As with all scale sailboats, the larger the model the better she will carry her sail. Even at the 50 inch size, her beam and low-aspect sail plan should enable her to sail in a variety of conditions, especially if the topsail are not carried. Other attractive features for a model include the jib, which has a boom and does not overlap the foremast. The trunk cabin is carried out to the hull sides, providing plenty of room for radio gear. Plus, the charm of that sheer line and boomkin on the stern would be hard to beat. Page 8 Earl Boebert Page 9 Vintage Marblehead Class 9 Models registered, 9 raced 2005 Traditional Watercraft Regatta September 23 – 25 T his year’s regatta started unofficially on Thursday afternoon when Andrew Charters and the Pratt brothers arrived at the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons MD, shown above, with their models in trailers. The boat trailers (horse and custom) were coralled inside the Museum fence. Officially the regatta got underway on Friday with fair weather except for a quick rain shower in the afternoon. Registration was brisk with 30 skippers and 58 models assigned to six classes. The race course was available all day for checkouts and practice. Skippers and their First Mates assembled under the lighthouse at 5PM Friday for the Welcome Aboard gathering organized by Annie Michnowicz and Richard Rogers. Some skippers had last minute adjustments to maker or to finish their sails. On Saturday at 0830 hours the Skippers Meeting brought the focus to the race course, the frequency board and the very tight schedule of classes. The Schooners Large and Small were scheduled for later in the morning so that the Static Judges would have their time with the models. The frequency board played its role with a few glitches in the early races. Generally, we had good weather and light but adequate wind both days. Wind direction allowed the wind to funnel down the museum cove to give us very good windward legs, making the arrowhead course a very good one. On Saturday morning we had good breeze for the first class up, the Vintage Marbleheads, which were aggressive enough in their starts that one or two were called over the line early. In the early races Alan Suydam, Ned Lakeman, and Harry Mote began to establish a pattern of finishing at the top of the fleet. In the light and variable winds the second leeward mark was sometimes difficult to negotiate. In one race, three or four boats sailed into a wind shadow near the second leeward mark. Alan managed to sail into position to get the breeze first, leaving the others sitting there. Alan was half way to the windward mark when Harry shouted: “Alan, wait for us!” which got a laugh and seemed to produce enough breeze to get the others around the mark. Results: 1st 2nd 3rd Alan Suydam Harry Mote Ned Lakeman 13 13.5 17.25 Schooner Large Class 9 Models Registered, 6 Raced, 7 Static Judged Bob Seiden was the Race Director and Len Addiss the Recorder for the big schooners. It was very much like watching David and Goliath with Andrew Charters’ Cicely on the course with George Surgent’s Bay Boy a barely over 50 inch sharpie. Andrew placed first in all the races except the fifth when Marty Hayes Lady Jane made the score and the sixth race when Tom Pratt’s Bluenose 2 made it across the line first. Bay Boy placed The award for the Longest Distance Traveled went to Dave Ward who shipped his Chesapeake Bay Log Canoe model over 2900 miles from Monterey, CA. Page 10 high in most races giving her second. Tom Pratt just aced out his brother Dick for third place. Mike Summers new schooner performed very well for the first time out, having splashed for the first time the week before. Richard Rogers brought this Pride Of Solomons but did not race her. He did get her into the water on Sunday for a short sail. Results: 1st 2nd 3rd Andrew Charters George Surgent Tom Pratt 5.66 6.19 6.86 Carolina Oyster Sharpie completed. Tom Younger and Buck McClellan registered their boats but didn’t get them completed in time for the regatta. Results: 1st 2nd 3rd Alan Suydam Joe Cieri John Atwood 5.42 7.52 8.13 Open Class 6 Models Registered, 6 Raced, 3 Had Insufficient Laps For Scoring Schooner Class (50” or Less) 11 Models Registered, 9 Raced, 8 Static Judged Harry Mote was the Race Director and Len Addiss the Recorder for the Schooner Class. Unfortunately there was a misunderstanding about the static judging and Ned Lakeman whose performance placed him in second place did not have his model static judged so his score was incomplete. Competition was heated with boats rounding marks in groups and two or three sometimes finishing overlapped. The heated competition also produced a fair amount of carnage, with tangled bowsprits and Joe Cieri feeling that he alone was under attack. Alan Suydam’s Nina was first in performance and did well in the static judging. Joe Cieri placed second with the combined score. John Atwood placed third both in performance and with the combined score. Richard Rogers was the only one of the Solomons people to get their North The Open Class is interesting because it is scored on consistent performance rather than speed performance. A perfect score for a model is unity. Andrew Charters score of 1.062 is impressive since he sailed five scoring pairs. A scoring pair is twice around the race course. Each entry was timed separately so it didn’t look much like a race, therefore, no pictures. Results: 1st 2nd 3rd Andrew Charters 1.062 Dave Ward Bob Seiden 1.384 1.691 Vintage 36 Class 8 models registered, 6 raced Alan Suydam was the Race Director and Len Addis was the Recorder for this class. We had time to run only 4 races for the Vintage 36 Class. Some of the skippers could only partic- The models on display at the Patuxent Small Craft Center, Calvert Marine Museum. Page 11 ipate on Saturday so the races on Sunday were cancelled so that the schedule could be accelerated. Four of the models were truly Vintage 36’s the other four were Yankee III’s which were overpowered in the breeze. Results: 1st 2nd 3rd John Henson Tom Mellies Ned Lakeman 2.75 5 6.75 Skipjack 48 Class 16 Models Registered, 11 Raced The Race Director for the Skipjack 48 Class was Herb Jones from the Great Schooner Model Society. Buck McClellan and Len Addiss acted as Recorder for the class. Five of the registered models either were withdrawn or suffered casualties which could not be repaired. Harry quickly established his lead with three wins. Richard Rogers got his boat going on Sunday and placed 3rd in the 3rd race and won the 4th race. Tom Younger was consistently in the money giving him the second for the series. Alan Suydam did very well on Saturday but did not do well when the air lightened up on Sunday. Other Activities SIMBC’s Sandy Younger and Melissa Damon from Annmarie Garden worked together to produce a nifty cookbook. All the First Mates were invited to bring their favorite recipes to the regatta. Nan Suydam made special arrangements with Sotterely Plantation for a VIP Tour. Everyone enjoyed the tour giving the docent rave notices. Commodore’s Message I want to thank all the guys and gals from SIMBC and the GSMS, especially the caterers, for all their help in putting together the regatta. You all worked very hard and had everything under control. Well done! We were blessed with wonderful people who came to visit us and play in our pond. Thank you all for making the effort to come to Solomons and adding your models to the beauties on display at the regatta. Thanks, also, to Doug Alves, Director of the Calvert Marine Museum and all the museum staff for the support that the museum provides us throughout the year and especially during the regatta. Buck McClellan, Commodore, Solomons Island Model Boat Club Bob Irwin and the A.J. Fisher Co. T Editor’s Note he passing of Bob Irwin, and the subsequent dissolution and assets sale of the A.J. Fisher Co. ended an era in American model yachting. The Fisher company had been in existence since the 1920s, and Fisher fittings were standard for many, many years. The Fisher name lives on in a company which acquired the static model business. Some of the Fisher plans were acquired by Piel Craftsmen www.pielcraftsmen.com Also, thanks to the efforts of Doug Diet, the originals of all three Cheerio drawings, the six-meter Kiltie, the A boat Bostonia VII and the Detroit 24 inch boat were obtained and donated to Mystic Seaport. We are lucky to have the following reminiscence of Bob Irwin, written by Dick Hein of the Detroit Model Yacht Club. Remembering Bob Irwin Thanks to Jason Williams, Chris Bertucci and Rich Navickas for manning the rescue boat and untangling the models I had known Bob Irwin for about 30 years. Actually before I knew Bob, I knew of AJ Fisher, and that goes back to when I was in high school in the’50’s. That’s when I made the transition from paper model airplanes into building model boats. My first boat kits were a Dumas Cris Craft and a Revell Flying Cloud. Someone told me about AJ Fisher, so I sent $1.00 for their catalog. My first AJ Fisher model was a trawler. At that time, I did see Page 12 the last section of the catalog was devoted to fittings for real sailing models, but that was way out of my league. Many years later, I first met Bob & his dad when they came to Ohio to watch a RC sail race. I think they were just curious to find out what RC sailing was all about. At that time AJ Fisher business still concentrated on static scale models. You can still see some of AJ Fisher’s contributions to scale models at the Maritime Museum in Mystic Connecticut. In 1978, I moved from Chicago to Detroit area. Bob was one of my first contacts to see what kinds of RC racing was happening, or what could be organized in the Detroit area. Bob had contact with a very active vane sail group in the area, but only a few RC sailors were about. Bob raced his RC’M’ at the GM tech center with another local sailor, but that was the extent of it. Though Bob’s efforts, AJ Fisher became the focal point for sailing in the area. Bob was the driving force behind model sailboat building in the area. He had a regular shop program in the local Detroit high schools to introduce model boat construction to young teens. Each spring, just before school was out, the shop class constructed free sail boats would race against each other at the model yacht basin at Belle Isle. Some of these boats still show up around the city. I know at least some of these men are now part of the RC sailing community around the country. As well as AJ Fisher being a focal point for RC sailing in the Detroit area, Bob was also one of the group of sailors that started the Detroit MYC. Although he was reluctant to strongly voice opinions because of his involvement as a supplier, he still provided support to the AMYA for over 20 years as an advertiser. I’ll never forget Bob’s own design, a boat he called the Purple Pickle. It wasn’t very fast, but every now and then it would win a race, and Bob would just grin from ear to ear. Bob sailed ‘M’s and EC12’s with the club, and worked for over a year on a 6 ft model of the Bluenose that he scratch built. A great contributor to model sailing, not only in Detroit, but around this country and Canada. I suspect you will see some AJ Fisher parts still showing up at races decades from now. Dick Hein The Model Yacht is published three times a year by the U.S. Vintage Model Yacht Group. Copyright 1998 to 2005 U.S.V.M.Y.G. Reproduction for noncommercial purposes permitted; all other rights reserved. Other copyrights are maintained by the original holders and such material is used here for nonprofit research and educational purposes. 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 Western Vice-President: Dominic Meo, III Midwest Vice-President: Tom Pratt Southeastern Vice-President: Thom Mclaughlin Vintage M Class Coordinator: John Henson Vintage 36 Inch Coordinator: Al Suydam A Class Coordinator: Rod Carr U.K. Coordinator: Graham Reeves Canadian Representative: Doug McMain Historian: Earl Boebert Archivist: Jim Dolan Page 13 DN36: a Model Racing Sailboat D Editor’s Note uring the Great Depression the Detroit News newspaper ran an extensive manual arts program out of their headquarters building in Detroit. The aim of this facility was to provide wholesome recreation and education for young people. The program’s projects included just about everything one could make in a wellequipped school shop, including the famous DN class iceboat. At some time in the 1930’s the newspaper published a plans packet of fifty or so projects, from furniture to a full-size sailing skiff. Included in them were these plans and instructions, entitled Model Racing Sailboat. No other name was given for the boat, and since “Detroit 36” is already taken by the Detroit schools design, we more or less arbitrarily decided to call the design DN36. Archie Arroll, a wellknown and accomplished model yachtsman in the Detroit area, was active in this program. (His Midwest champion M boat, Detroit News, is one of the classic vintage M’s). Although no credit is given, the grace and balance of this 36 inch boat strongly suggests it was designed by Arroll. The instructions as given leave out some things, which we think we have figured out: Hull The one thing which is not described anywhere is the position of the load water line. This is probably no accident – fin keel hulls such as this are very tolerant of increased or decreased displacement, and letting the boat float where it will eliminates one very difficult step from a student project. The LWL belongs somewhere between waterlines C and D on the drawing, which gives a displacement of between four and seven pounds, roughly. Boats with long overhangs, tend to sail better when a little on the heavy side, so a good target weight would be between five and a half and six pounds. The Keel The instructions, as is typical for their day, describe the pattern making, casting, and installation of a lead keel. Recent studies suggest that lead is more toxic than believed even a few years ago, and so we no longer give even an implied recommendation of its use. The keel for this boat can be easily built up from 1/2 by 1/4 inch copper bar epoxied together. The linear dimensions of the keel need to be 5% larger than those given for the lead one. All of the extra mass can be easily accommodated by widening the fin by 1/4 inch or so. Fittings and Rig The fittings, though straightforward, are clearly aimed at having the student acquire metalworking experience. The rather thick mast has but three stays which are fastened to the three cleats shown on the deck plan. The foot of both the jib and main are “clubbed” for their whole length to their respective booms. The rigging of the jib is a bit eccentric: there is no jib stay; rather, the tack of the jib is attached to a short stay that goes through a ferrule and is then made fast to the fore cleat. The steering gear is a simple sheetto-tiller rig. There are two sheets on the main boom, one for running and one for beating. When beating the boat sails on balance alone. When running, the running sheet is attached to the rear of the tiller. As wind pressure increases (thus tending to jibe the boat away from the wind), the boom swings out further, pulling the running sheet and turning the tiller against the resistance of the spring. Page 14 Radio Control For the Vintage 36 boat, all of the ideas in our Yankee III book can be used to make a radio control version, and those who prefer a wood hull can use either the techniques we described in Volume 8, No. 3 for making a fiberglass over balsa hull of this size. The result should be a very competitive Vintage 36 in anything other than the strongest winds. Earl Boebert Model Racing Sailboat Here’s a 36 inch racing sailboat that offers a challenge to the model yacht fan. This boat will sail with the best of them. It has twice won first place in all-city races. If you are not a sailor but prefer to build boats for your mantel, you will never have to apologize for the appearance or lines of this ship. The figure gives the dimensions for the hull and deck ribs, Since it is impossible to print full size drawings in the space allotted to us, it is necessary that each builder begin the construction of his boat by making a full size set of drawings. This can be best done on a sheet of heavy wrapping paper. The table of measurements gives all the dimensions necessary for laying out the boat. These dimensions are taken at points 2 inches apart, known as stations, along the length of the hull. The station at the Page 15 Page 16 bow is No. 1 and each station is numbered m order to the stern, which is No. 19. Now if you refer to the drawing you will note that the straight line drawn from the stern to the bow in the sheer plan (side view) is used as a reference line for locating the dimensions to the keel line as well as the deck or sheer line. The hull is also laid out in a series of lifts which are lettered beginning at the deck, which is A, to the keel, which is J. Checking Dimensions Let us check—referring back to our table of measurements. We note that under station 5 and along the line opposite the keel we have the dimension 2 3/4. This tells us that the bottom of the keel at station five is just 2 3/4 inches from our sheer reference line. Again, in our table under station 2 and opposite the keel we find the dimension 1 1/8 inch This indicates that the bottom of the keel at this point is just 1 1/8 inch from the reference line. The sheer plan shows the deck line as a curve rather than a straight line. This curve is known as the sheer line. If we refer to the table again we will note that the greatest amount of this curve is 1/4 inch and occurs at stations 10 and 11. The column, marked inside, gives the depth of the inside of the hull at the stations. These dimensions may be varied to suit the builders’ ideas as to the correct thickness of the hull. The second table gives the dimensions for the half breadth plan. These are the dimensions taken from the center-line of the hull to the outside edge of the deck, called the deck line, along the same stations as used in the sheer plan. By laying out these points one can determine the exact or true deck line. Lamination Method Now that we understand how to use the tables of measurements, we are ready to start the construction of our boat. The hull is constructed by gluing up a number of boards one on the other until sufficient thickness is reached to permit the hull to be carved from it. This is known as the “breadand-butter” system of building a model, and the different boards or laminations are called lifts. Select a good grade of clear white pine— Idaho pine will serve nicely, as it has a good straight grain and is free from knots. Select a convenient thickness, dressed on both sides, 13/16 inch by 8 inch stock will serve nicely although thicker boards may be used. Begin by laying out the deck plan on the top board. Draw a center line lengthwise of the board using a hard, sharp pencil. Next at 2 inch intervals draw the station lines at right Page 17 angles to the center line. Now measure off carefully the distances shown in the table of half-breadths on these stations, laying out the deckline on both sides of the center line. By bending a 1/8 inch by 12 inch straight grained strip of white pine so as to just touch these points we can fair in the deck lines. Should any of our points fail to fall on our curves we had better check our measurements again. Before cutting out the rough outline we The surfaces to be glued should be planed absolutely flat and smooth so that when two boards are placed together they will touch at all points. The inside lines of the half breadths can also be laid out and the center section cut away. This can be best done with a coping or keyhole saw. This center section may be used for subsequent lifts. The table of measurements gives the layout for the two boards. The other boards will have to be laid out from the templates. These can be taken from the drawing. Card board templates are then cut to fit these curves. The outline of the hull at the different lifts corresponding to the deck line on the top board are called the buttock lines. These may be determined by measuring the distances on the templates at these points and transferring them to the boards, as was done with the top one. These templates should be made as carefully as possible, as they will be used later for checking the shape of the hull. Begin by gluing the two top boards and the two bottom boards together. The other lifts are glued in place one at a time. This method is recommended as the upper layers would have nothing to support them if the hull were all glued at once, as their centers are cut away. Each joint must be allowed to stand until the glue is thoroughly set and dry before the next layer is added. This takes about 24 hours. Hollowing The hull is clamped in the vise while the hull is being hollowed out. The lower part of the keel has been taken off and a strip of wood, held in place by wood screws, is substituted while clamping in the vise. This was accomplished by gluing a heavy piece of paper between the third and fourth lift from the bottom of the keel. This permits these two lifts to be pried apart after the outside of the hull has been shaped, making it easier to work the inside of the hull. The outside of the hull is ready to be shaped as soon as all the lifts are glued up and dry. Scale: 1/2 Size should plan our method of assembling. If one has wood clamps available for clamping these boards together the board may be cut out fairly close to the outline. Without clamps the laminations may be clamped together by using No. 10 by 1 1/2 inch wood screws well coated with beeswax. If this method is used the holes for the screws should be located so as to miss the hull outline and enough stock must be allowed for the screws. The screws are removed from the lifts when the glue has set and used for the next board. Page 18 The figure gives the curves at all of the stations. Note that the curves for the bow are given on one side and those for the stern on the other side of the center line. A center line should be drawn around the hull from bow to stern and the stations laid off. This can be best done with a sharp, hard pencil. If a surface or height gauge is available, the hull can be clamped with the gunwales against a board held vertically or an angle plate, and the line drawn all the way around the hull at one setting. A small l/4 inch by 1/8 inch stick can also be used to fair the center line in with when other means are not to be had. Tools For Shaping Two pieces of wood about 6 inches longer than the width of the hull are screwed to the top or first layer at stations five and eleven and in such a manner that their ends will extend beyond the sides. These pieces may be cut from 1 inch stock and need not be over 3 or 4 inches wide The boat can now be laid upside down and these boards screwed to the work bench. The hull can he best worked to shape with gouges, a small block plane and paring chisels. It is essential that the hull be constantly checked with the template as the carving process After both sides are worked fairly close to the finished shape, within 1/16 inch, the hull is sanded first with a medium coarse sandpaper then a fine, all flats and hollows must be sanded out. Check carefully by bending a small fairing stick around the curves. These irregularities will be noticed if the boat is sighted from different angles. The line for the keel can next be drawn and the last three lifts should be pried off. We do not cut along this line, but rather 1/4 inch below and parallel to it. The bottom piece is now planed square along this sawed edge and a strip 3/8 inch thick is glued to it. This takes care of the material lost in sawing and planing and leaves the lower part of the keel large. Carving The Inside A one inch Square piece may be screwed to the hull so that it can be held in the vise while carving. The inside can be carved and in the same manner as the outside. One must be careful not to work against the grain on curves but rather with it. The hull should be about 3/8 inch thick at the sheer line, dropping off at about the first lift to 1/4 inch or slightly less. Care must be taken not to cut a hole through the hull, although a patch can be successfully inserted and glued in place if this should happen The thickness of the walls can be judged fairly accurately by holding the hull up to the light. If the wood looks dark red it is still thick, but if it appears yellow it is getting close to the finish line. The inside of the hull should be as carefully sanded as the outside. Next the sheer line is laid out and cut. Notice that this line forms a true curve. After carving the gunwales to the sheer line they should be sanded smooth. This may be done by wrapping a piece of sand paper about a stick longer than the boat is wide, and by resting the stick across the two sides at once they can be kept square with each other. The figure shows how the hull is rounded out so that the curve of the rudder will fit into it. This curve must be parallel to the hole provided for the rudder tube. It may be shaped with a small round file or cut out with a small gouge. The deck ribs are next fitted into place. Note how they are fitted into recesses cut in the gunwales to receive them. Although the keel could be bolted against the wood of the keel, a better job can be had by inserting two thin strips of brass, one to the keel and one to the wooden surface on which it fits. These may he held in place by two 1/2 inch No. 2 brass, flat-head wood screws. Two l/4 inch holes are drilled through the brass plate and into the hull for the keel bolts. The brass plate can then be used as a template for drilling the other plate and the keel. This is drilled and tapped with a 1/4 inch 20 tap. The keel can now be bolted into place so that it can be finished to fit the curve of the hull. The inside of the hull can be finished by painting or varnishing. Painting is cheaper, Page 19 but three coats of a good marine varnish is probably better. The Deck The deck can best be made of l/8 inch white pine. Mahogany looks better but is much heavier and is not recommended for racing yachts. The deck board should be sanded smooth on both sides and then laid in place and the outline of the hull marked on the deck with a sharp pencil. The deck may be assembled to the hull in two ways. It may be fastened to the gunwale, with its outer edge flush with the outside of the hull, or it may be set into the hull with its upper side flush with the gunwale. If the first method is used, the deck is cut just a little larger than the pencil outline and may be trimmed flush with the hull after it is in place. When the deck is set into the hull it is cut 1/8 inch smaller inside the layout lines and then is planed to fit the recess cut in the hull to receive it. If the latter method is used the deck beams must be set 1/8 inch below the gunwales and the hull cut away to let the deck down into it. With the latter method it is necessary to fit a cap strip l/8 inch x 3/8 inch wide over the joint, flush with the outside of the hull. The deck is not flat but cambered; that is, the deck forms an arch. This shape is imparted to the deck by the ribs. The camber varies at the different stations. This may be checked on the ribs by bending a small fairing stick from the bow to the stern. If the camber is correct the stick should touch each of the ribs that it crosses and also the gunwales at each end. The drawing gives the amount of curve for each of the ribs. The deck can be fastened to the hull in two ways; either by using small flat head brass wood screws (No. 1xl/2 inch is about right), or by using small brass nails. Screws look not quite as well, but they have the advantage of being removable in case of an accident to the hull. By cutting off the heads and setting them below the surface the brass nails can be hidden entirely. Deck Fittings The deck fittings now can be made and located on the deck. Since the deck is so thin, wood screws will not hold. Small machine screws may be substituted, using a nut on the underside of the deck. These should be soldered after making sure that everything is in its place and will not have to be moved again. If wood screws are preferred small blocks of wood can be glued to the under side of the deck. These must be glued in place before the surface is varnished. The drawing shows the location of all fittings and gives their sizes. These should be made from brass. The cleats were made from three pieces of brass soldered together. First a small plate is cut from 1/16 inch sheet brass and a bevel filed around the edges. This top part is filed from 1/16 inch round brass rod to the shape shown and then bent in a slight curve. This may be done by laying it on a partly open vice jaw and tapping it in the center. The center section was cut from 1/16 sheet brass and a square slot filed for the head of the screw. This section is soldered to the piece and then to the bottom piece after the screw is in place. Simpler cleats may be made by cutting out a strip of sheet brass 1/8 inch at the center and tapering to 1/16 inch at the ends. These two ends are bent upward slightly and then a screw hole is drilled in the center. The drawings show the shape and give the sizes of the balance of the brass fittings. These require the use of a metal lathe to duplicate. The mast anchorage (ferrule) is turned from solid brass. A 1/8 inch slot is cut into the bottom and two holes located on opposite sides are drilled and tapped for small screws. The mast step is made from 1/16 inch by 1/2 inch angle brass. Two pieces are required. These are drilled for screws and located on the deck. The traveler can next be made, using 1/8 inch round brass rod. If in bending a 3/8 inch round steel rod is placed between the part to be bent and the vise jaws, a uniform curve may be had by forcing the brass around this piece. The two ends are cut off to length after the traveler is bent and threaded. Two hexagon brass nuts, one on each side of the deck, are used to hold the traveler in place. A 9/16 inch brass curtain ring is used in the traveler for attaching the lines. The drawing shows a small hole drilled in the forward end of the mast step for the jib sheet fastening. Some builders prefer to substitute another traveler just forward of the mast. The drawing also shows a special screw turned for the spring which operates the tiller. If a lathe is not available a much simpler fitting, such as a small screw eye, may be substituted. The spring is made from.020 music wire and should be 1 1/4 inches long. Page 20 Installing the Deck Before the deck is set in place the locations for the screws or nails should be carefully marked off 1 inch apart. If screws are used this should be done with extreme care as the final appearance of the deck is largely dependent on the neatness with which the fittings are located. It is necessary to drill holes for both the screws and nails to prevent splitting. This should be done while the deck is tacked in place so that the holes all will line up. Next, the deck is given two coats of shellac and the lines representing planks are drawn on them. This can be done best with an improvised marking gauge altered to hold a bow-pen. The lines are drawn with India drawing ink. These lines should follow the curve of the deck. When this is done it is necessary to have a straight board running the length of the deck in the exact center. This board is called the king plank. Some model builders draw the lines parallel to one another the length of the deck. If the straight parallel marking is used it can be improved by running the deck over a table saw with the saw set at a 45 degree angle and just deep enough to cut a 1/32 inch groove for each board. This can be done more easily before the deck is cut out to fit the hull. Drill Rudder Hole Next drill the hole for the rudder post tube. This tube is of brass and has a 3/8 inch outside diameter and a 3/16 inch inside diameter. The keel is removed and the hole drilled in the hull, care being taken to see that the angle is exactly the same as that found on the after end of the keel, where it is cut away to take the rudder. The deck now should be set in place and the hole marked, using either a long drill or a piece of tubing shoved through the hole in the hull. The drawing of the rudder shows a 3/16 inch hole for the rudder post drilled through it. A piece of mahogany was first drilled and then the rudder was laid out about the hole. In this way the hole was easily centered. The rudder post is then slipped through the hole and fastened in place by two No. 2-56 machine screws. The end of the post extends below the blade of the rudder about 1/4 inch and fits into a hole drilled in the keel to receive it. This hole serves as a pintle and prevents the post from being bent. The rudder post can be screwed directly to the front edge of the rudder if one doesn’t wish to bother with drilling the hole through the blade. When this method is used the rudder post tube extends from the tiller bar above the deck to the keel. The after half of that part of the tube below the hull and next to the rudder is cut away with a hack saw and file. Small wood screws are then set into this half section, fastening it to the keel. A triangular base plate fits down over the rudder post and is screwed to the deck. This plate is soldered to the tube while in place to insure the correct angle. The tiller bar is then fitted to the square filed on the end of the rudder post. A No. 2-56 brass machine screw holds the tiller bar in place. A heavy application of sealer should be made around the tube where it enters the hull to prevent leaks. The hull now should be given the final sanding. It is essential for a good paint job to have a smooth finish. Use No. 00 sandpaper for finishing. The inside of the hull and the underside of the deck should be varnished. Mix turpentine in the varnish for the first coat, about half and half. This mixture will soak into the wood and act as a filler. The succeeding coats should be clear varnish—always use a good grade of spar vanish for boats—and may be applied as soon as the preceding coat is thoroughly dry. Finish Outside, Too While finishing the inside of the hull the outside also can be finished. Although some builders finish the outside of their boats with varnish and often resort to the use of contrasting woods in the construction, both are contrary to good marine practice and frowned upon by the well informed builder. The outside of a yacht looks much better when painted and, of course, is more true to actuality. The keel first must be bolted securely into place with a good coat of sealer in the crack between it and the wooden part of the keel. When this is dry the hull is given a priming coat, the paint being thinned out so as to sink into the wood. When dry, the hull again is sanded with wet or dry sand paper. This is a fine paper used in fine finishing and is first dipped in water and used while wet. Page 21 If the work is kept wet the paint will not stick to the paper. Care must be taken to see that each coat of paint is thoroughly dry before beginning sanding. It is also essential that the painting be done in a room as free from dust as possible. A hood of heavy wrapping paper may be constructed to shelter the model and will keep considerable dust from settling on it. The priming coat may be followed by two coats of a good paint. This may be followed by a coat of a good waterproof enamel. The hull may be painted any color the builder desires, but white is recommended. Some builders like to paint the hull a different color below the waterline. The colors most often used for this are green, red, black, and copper. The water line first should be determined and then drawn on with a pencil held horizontal on a wooden block just the right height, while the boat is held perfectly level on a table top. The line may be made sharp by first applying masking tape above and parallel to the line before painting. This will allow painting up to the tape without any danger of smearing it over the line. If a band of a different color is desired at the waterline, masking tape may be applied above and below it to protect the top and bottom paint. Mast is Carved The mast was carved from a 1 inch square piece of clear, straight grained white pine. The finished outline is first laid out and the mast planed to these lines. Next the corners are planed off, making it octagon in shape, and it is rough sanded until round and finished with fine sand paper. The shoulders for the ferrules may be cut with a jackknife. A small brass sheave (pulley) was turned up and set into a slot cut in the upper end of the mast. A pin was used to hold it in place, the ends being riveted over flush with the mast. Small screw eyes may be used instead of this fitting. The ferrule for the top of the mast is also turned from brass. It has a thin ring on the end with holes drilled to take the shroud lines. The track was made by screwing small brass wood screws 3/8 inch long every 1 1/2 inches on the after side of the mast. A piece of.020 inch music wire is then soldered to the heads of these screws. The same type of track is used on the boom. The boom is of T-type construction. Two strips of 1/8 inch thick pine are tapered to the dimensions shown and glued together. A small brass sheave is set into the outer end to act as a clew outhaul. Gooseneck Easily Made The boom fitting, or gooseneck, is simply made and needs no explanation. It can be screwed to the mast or anchorage. Two holes were drilled and tapped for No. 2-56 screws. A small hook on the mast and a screw eye in the end of the boom may be used in place of the more complicated gooseneck if desired. The spreader was made from 1/32 inch sheet brass. Two pieces were soldered to form an L and then the ends were filed to a taper as shown in the drawing. The center of the spreader was bent to fit around the mast. A small brass strip was bent to fit around the other side of the mast. Two No. 2-56 screws are used to draw the two together tightly around the mast. Holes are drilled in the end for the shroud lines. The jib boom is shown in the drawing and needs no further explanation. When finished all spars should be sanded very smooth and given not less than two coats of clear spar varnish. The drawing shows the sail plan. Notice that the long side (leech) of the main sail is cut with a curve. This is called the roach of the sail. The greatest amount— about 1 1/4 inch — of this curve should fall about one-third of the length of the leech from the top. The sail s are attached to the rack with small dress hooks. These are sewed to the sails 1 1/ 2 inch apart to fit between the screws on the rack. The hooks should be so sewn so that the edge of the cloth fits into the bend of the hook. The hooks can be sewn on alternate sides of the cloth. Fine fish line should be used for the rigging of the model. The eyes that come with the hooks are used for attaching the lines to the sails. Page 22 Anonymous (Probably Archie Arroll), ca 1935