
A Simple Mast Step on Deck
There is a simple mast step that includes a ⅛-in plate mounted to the deck and a pin in the bottom of the mast.

There is a simple mast step that includes a ⅛-in plate mounted to the deck and a pin in the bottom of the mast.


The last thing to do before you put your boat in the water and after you have set up the rig and verified that it is true side to side is "bench tuning."

My foray into radio-controlled sailboats began only a couple of years ago, but my background includes a good deal of experience in designing, building, and flying radio-controlled sailplanes, where a model can reasonably be expected to have 12–18 servos and computer radios are the norm.

My winter project this past year started with Alan Horne’s beautiful Nottingham 60 hull, and, as I want the boat to be a test bed for a number of sail rigs, included the installation of running backstays.


John details the difficulties designing and building a model of the log canoe Magic, an unballasted, over-canvassed open boat.

A spreader is a spar on a sailboat used to deflect the shrouds to allow them to better support the mast. Making a spreader for a model yacht is a fairly straightforward process.

Here is an effective way to control the overspray that you always have when spray painting.