Skipper Debden 15 Coastal overkill

[Joel AUSTINParticipant @joelaustin63572]

During a summer break in the lockdown last year, I, a non-sailor and not a boat model maker, found a bare hull and keel of a child's toy in a local charity shop, for a tenner. Studying photos of the product online, I restored it and attempted to sail it in a local pond. I lost it in brambles and weeds on a far shore, impenetrable by land, and ended up having to strip off and swim out to rescue it, whilst dodging seagull and swan poo as I made my way in the dusk across the disgusting pond.

Determined not to repeat the experience, this summer was spent studying ship and model building online, and this is the newly adapted product, waiting for final assembly.

[Joel AUSTINParticipant @joelaustin63572]

Lockdown madness inspired obsession

[Joel AUSTINParticipant @joelaustin63572]

I have carried out the following modifications:

1. Centred the mast; it was off-centre by 2mm (2% of beam) to starboard side by manufacturer.
2. Added a bowsprit and easily removeable flying jib to turn it from sloop to cutter (mostly for aesthetic purpose, but to give extra sail area on a run).
3. Added fishing reel wire to sails as battens to hold camber of fore and mainsail.
4. Added standing rigging (hemp ropes [string]) and brass external chainplates (cut down brass hinges) to ensure mast was firmly held in place.
5. Drilled out some of the solid wood hull and covered holes to make watertight to aid flotation after addition of extra weight – this included seating areas made from Greggs coffee stir sticks, as these are the thinnest on the high-street. The seating areas are covered by cut-outs from CD jewel cases.
6. Added a magnetically attached winged bulb ballast weight to keel, made from a fishing weight and metal shirt collar stiffeners, to help when the boat heels under strong breezes.
7. Added hoops (key rings) to the mast and main sail to stop mainsail bellying out in breeze.
8. Added a kicking strap to mainsail boom.
9. Added a rudder for course corrections, when helming and, consequently, trimmed back the overly long steel fin keel to try and maintain its balance. Rudder made from a lolly stick and a knitting needle.
10. Finally, after experimenting with a Braine gear set up, and feeling that there were too many wires across the rear, I scrapped that and built the Vane gear, which is detachable simply by elastic. Gears from a £1 child's friction toy car.

[Joel AUSTINParticipant @joelaustin63572]

Named after a song I like, the boat is called Ruby Tuesday, you can see her on the flying jib – the pendant flag has tiny portraits of The 'Stones, based on the Australian album artwork for the album, Flowers.

She is a 24th scale set-up, at 15 inches this would equate to a 30 ft boat. I have also made an additional 24th scale model of this 15 inch boat (seen in 1st photo) – and another 24th scale model of that where you need a magnifying glass to view, and then another final 24th scale model of that! Unfortunately you need a microscope to see the last one as its scale is 24x24x24x24 (332000th scale).

Tomorrow evening is the final assembly and first tank trial to verify the new Centre of Effort. I have made a sail plan, before anyone asks.

[Joel AUSTINParticipant @joelaustin63572]

I believe that the Vane gear is much more useful than Braine, as it can be used to modify helm, lee or weather, in any direction, with canny direction setting of the Vane. The Vane is disguised to make the boat look like a ketch when on display.

It's not the finest of modelling I have seen, by a longshot, but it looks very good from a yard away. I hope it sails.

I have much much more experience of balsa rubber band airplanes, and have learnt that anything can be made to fly, given enough wing-space, power, and balance. I hope the same is true of boats.

Adapting something that was not meant to be this sophisticated is more fun for me than a dedicated build – I have relished the challenge.

Has anyone else mangled or modified their children's toy yachts?

All parts came from charity shops, Greggs sandwich shop, a haberdashery and a fishing tackle shop – no dedicated model supplies.

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

I must admit that hull does look superb. You've done a lovely job on the internals, which suit the original woodwork perfectly. I can see why you went for a swim, although I would have probably got my hands on a small boat. Not a yacht man myself, but I do appreciate some nice woodwork.

[Joel AUSTINParticipant @joelaustin63572]

Assembled and ready for tank testing. I had to ditch the hemp ropes in favour of bathroom light cord, as they stretch and shrink, wet to dry. Also had to add running aft stays, which are easily detachable to enable positioning of the mainsail and boom around or through the stay.

I fear the rudder will prove to be a bit like the Titanic's, too small.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

that is a lovely looking boat…….hope she sails as well as she looks.

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