History Articles

History of Model Yachting
Classic Construction Articles
Manual Arts Programs
Manufactured Boats
Remote Control
Vintage Power Boats

History of Model Yachting

• Model Yachting in the US: The Early Days
• Model Yachting about New York by Frank Nichols, American Model Yacht Club
• Model Yachting in Marblehead and Boston
• On the Rigging and Sailing of Model Windjammers by Douglas J. Boyle
• Ranger and Bithell Win the Cup for the USA, 1948–1949 by Charley Williamson
• Model Yachting by Full-Scale Designers
• The 1955 US A Class Championship Boat Magic
• Sea-Going Model Yachts (1906)
• History of the Marblehead Class
• The Marblehead 50/800 by Roy Clough, republished from The Model Craftsman, May 1936

Classic Construction Articles

• Model Yachts: How to Design and Build ThemThis 1885 article is the earliest comprehensive treatment of model yachting that we have encountered. It comes from the English journal Amateur Work, a Victorian periodical with articles on arts, crafts, and some truly frightening electric devices. The article is interesting, and typical for its age, in the way it combines rules of thumb with engineering calculation. It was published in four parts, and reprinted in The Model Yacht v8n1.
  • Part I. Designing — Sheer Plan — Half-Breadth Plan — Body Plan — Centres of Gravity and Displacement
  • Part II. The Hull — Materials — “Dug Out” Mode of Building — Block — Hollowing Out Sections — Layer Method — Adjustment of Pieces– Marking Off Water Lines — Roughing Out — Gluing Layers — Deck — Keel
  • Part III. The Hull (Continued) — Painting — Lead Keel– Finishing Hull — Means of Propulsion — Centre of Lateral Resistance — Area of Sails
  • Part IV. Rigging — Cutter — Schooner — Penzance Lugger

Manual Arts Programs

• Model Yachting and Manual Arts Training in the United States

Manufactured Boats

• Manufactured Boats Introduction
• Jacrim, Keystone, and Seaworthy Boats by Bob Jones
• Keystone Manufacturing by Derrick Clow
• Keystone Company Timeline by Derrick Clow
• Keystone Manufacturing Company Locations by Derrick Clow
• Model Yacht Manufacturers and Sellers
• Estimating the Year of Manufacture of a Boat: Jacrim, Keystone, Seaworthy by Bob Jones
• Keystone Toys by Derrick Clow

Remote Control

• Tesla and the First Remote-controlled Boat by Ken Young
  • Tesla’s Remote-controlled Boat by John Henderson
• The First Radio-controlled Model Sailing Yacht
  Radio-controlled sailing in 1934 Boston.
• Radio Controlled Model Sailboat 
  This article was originally published in the Radio News April 1948 issue. It shows how good we have it now with our out-of-the-box radio systems.

Vintage Power Boats

• Vintage Power Boats