She looks superb on the water Andy and handles beautifully. Another model to add to the fleet, you are going to need a bigger garage soon!

I wish I had a garage Richard thank you, I have a spare bedroom which is getting smaller after each project. Currently on holiday near London but on return all my focus is on my MBD Shannon for as long as spraying weather persists.
I still have the Mercantic to fall back on in poor weather.

Edited By Andrew Waters on 13/06/2021 16:06:57

Just a bit of progress with the steam boat. Mainly the fiddly bits of detail now. The shaft is in and the rudder all connected up, the hull, after a further test in the bath proved it was sound, has now had a couple of coats of ivory on the top and burgundy below the water line with a grey along the top of the bulwarks.

Still more fiddly bits and pieces of detail to do but not too far away now. The final job will be an overall careful weathering to take the high gloss off the hull and bring everything together.

Hadn't really intended to take on another refurb, but this is just so different ….and I've no idea what it started life as but I don't think it had that massive swing rig originally.

The yacht is fitted with a 'swing rig', where the mast rotates and the jib is attached to it's own boom, usually with a sprit/spar underneath the sail which pivots on the boom. While initially complicated, the amount of adjustment while sailing can be reduced. Why the mounting block for the booms is so massive, I don't really know. The boat is 200 miles away at the moment. I saw it on Marketplace and it happened to be very close to where my sister lives, so she collected it. I'll go and get it next month.

I guess it is certainly going to hold things firmly in place!

If I decide to stick with the swing rig, I'm certainly going to slim it down!

Edited By Nigel Northwood on 30/06/2021 09:51:01

Edited By Nigel Northwood on 30/06/2021 09:51:22

Edited By Nigel Northwood on 30/06/2021 09:51:53

Finished, works in the bath, just need to try it out on the pond.

Three sizes of the same small Cabin Cruiser – 7, 10 and 14 inch -awaiting an outboard to power the largest one – held up because of the pandemic – only received the 9g servo for powering the smallest one last week. All to the same design using Les Rowells Aerokits method of building – the kits were cut on our Laser so parts are a very accurate fit and a pleasure to work with . The two smaller ones will use dummy outboards as rudders – outboards currently under production

Edited By redpmg on 08/07/2021 16:59:12

Not out here unfortunately – In the UK there might be a market – maybe I should write them up and send the plans to the Ed – 7" version does not have much displacement to spare.

Also cut 2 16 & 17inch versions of Dave Milbourns Huntress from Liteply – not a lot of progress on them as work intervenes……. plus we have been moving house.

After finishing the German steam launch I decided to move onto another project that has been sat on a shelf for well over ten years and that is the Wide-A-Wake steam launch.

I had the hull built for me by a retired real size boat builder in Southampton and, when I tested it in the bath I discovered a leak. Since then I have bought a plant and a few bits and pieces but got no further. So time to put some effort into it.

First job was to precisely identify the leak and mark it. Then I filled the gap between the planks that were slightly open with some wood filler, followed by a couple of coats of Captain Tolley's before going over the area with some West system resin. When I was happy that the leak was dealt with I decided that I wanted the below waterline painting to contrast with the polished wooden upper surfaces. I sat the hull in its stand, adjusted it to be perfectly level, found the water line from the plan and drew around the hull with a fine lining pen. Not easy over clinker construction around the stern. Anyway I then masked it off to the line and painted all the below waterline surfaces with a Crimson Lake paint. Crimson Lake is actually a railway colour from the 'Big Four' days.

what a beautiful hull that is Richard, absolutely stunnng.

i am very envious of your planking…………something i hate doing……ever sinse i built my first billing boat……..

it is a skill that i have never come even close to mastering, and why i always make plugs and grp moulds.