Todays Boating

[harry smith 1Participant @harrysmith1]

Hi Ashley

Welcome back, it's dam quiet around the forum without you !!!!

Regards

Harry Smith

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Glad you are operational again Ashley. Onwards and outwards!

Colin

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Well, after all that, the pc suddenly decided to do a "fix c drive" and about 6 hours later is as right as rain????

Cant believe it, still, looking at the mails I don't appear to have missed much.

A comment was received by SOMEONE regarding a picture I sent to them, and he is right, the relative size of the grating IS a bit large for the men on deck. Worried, I revisited the offending boat in its box, but decided, after looking at the full deck expanse that while, yes, it is a bit big, all things considered, it will do. The photo makes the size difference more extreme, but overall the difference is not so grate.

Off to Hobbycraft in Woking later to get some tapestry cloth, and some storage boxes. Bound to buy something else, it is that sort of shop.

Ashley

[Eddie LancasterParticipant @eddielancaster]

Hi. Ashley, Nice to see you back, I understand you have had a second cataract op done, hope that went well and you are now well on the way to full recovery.

Best wishes.

Eddie.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Both eyes now fully functioning for distance vision!! still on the drops yet, but given the all clear from the day-surgery hospital.

Continuing to fiddle with the lid for the London mast box, an unglamorous job, but one that needs doing. Getting a bit nippier outside, so looking for modelling jobs to do inside now!

Ashley

[Richard BarnettParticipant @richardbarnett67129]

Indoors sounds good but I’m planning a quick foray to the pond Friday morning for new keel testing plus other fiddled with things. Alas ‘‘tis the season to go testing” fa la la la la!

Ricky ye pirate (up to ye eyeballs in thermal underwear)

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

A very pleasant and successful morning here, too.



I finally got to throw the Swordsman into the water up at Papplewick Pumping Station and he/she/it didn't disgrace him/her/itself. Performance is stately and scale-like although there was an annoying rattle on occasion from the rear bearing, probably due to a paucity of grease and/or an oval bearing. Solution is to add more grease – and buy better prop shaft assemblies in future! I'm blowed if I'm going to dig the prop tube out of this model when it will almost certainly spend the rest of its life as a static model on SLEC's stand. Now the one I'm keeping for myself is a different matter…



Still – "Onwards and upwards"! All I have left to do is draw the final plans, check the parts shapes for the umpteenth time, select the photos and schedule the parts list, write the text for the instructions, add the text to the photos, blah blah blah….. I sometimes wonder if you folk out there appreciate the slog that goes into producing a kit, even though we now have CorelDraw, AutoCAD, MS Excel and Word and Adobe Photoshop to help. It's a good job I've had a little practice too!

Dave M

Good to hear that the Swordsman is completely finished and that the sea trials were completed successfully apart from a slight mechanical gremlin.

Oh, we know how much work goes into producing kits (and there's kits and there's kits!) which is why I only have the intention of producing drawings for myself and only doing enough so that I can do the build with some parts being made and modified on the hoof.

I'm embarrassed that you've done all that and I haven't even finished building my Swordsman yet! This year, this year.

Chris

[Richard BarnettParticipant @richardbarnett67129]

Been busy in my workshop, new keel is on ready for sea trials tomorrow. Captain Jack is sporting a bottle of rum turned out of Perspex rod and I’ve fettled a skull and crossbones flag tonight, going for a coffee and a lie down now!

New pics in album

Ricky ye pirate (pretend rum and paint on fingers)

[Tim RoweParticipant @timrowe83142]

Ricky

Capt. Jack is a very busy fellow and he has a fine ship.

Like the junk in the background

Tim R

[Richard BarnettParticipant @richardbarnett67129]

Thanks Tim,

The junk is a Model boats free plan from back in the 80s made from balsa and cardboard, didn’t sail that well so has been demoted to a play boat for my granddaughter in the paddling pool in the summer, it’s called ‘Ah-So’

Ricky ye pirate

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Popped to pond to see Richard this morning but sadly insufficient wind to test the Gull. Tee keel looked good though and has saved about three inches of draft. Took London hull for a quick viewing, but no sailing. Turned mild, quite ok at the pond side. Ashley

[Richard BarnettParticipant @richardbarnett67129]

Had a nice chat with Ashley this morning and a sneaky peak of London, although he likes to keep everyone on tender hooks as the masts were absent and so it wasn’t sailing today. It looks fab with all the crew on deck and even little buckets made from beads.

Well done mate, it will look splendid afloat !

Ricky ye pirate

[NoelParticipant @noel26080]

Went boating yesterday morning and got there first, in hope that speedboats would be done with before anyone else arrived, but little chance of that as youngest spent his Christmas money on a 2200 lipo for his boat, hence it lasts flipping ages (which he's pleased about).
Sorry if they nearly poleaxed the Valiant Ashley, I keep telling them to stay out the way …..

I cut my finger and bled over the sails of dab chick, which sails OK but it has a tendency to get riding turns on the sheets around the sail winch, or maybe there is too much friction because even an aggressive jibe in the gusty winds yesterday would not fully extend the main. I might have to change it to a continuous system as Peter suggested. Oh well it's all fun learning!

[Richard BarnettParticipant @richardbarnett67129]

Oh lord the pond terrorist will out there all morning, will have to put some live rounds in my Galleon! Tell him those batteries catch fire if you use them too long.

The Gull’s had two sea trials now and the shortened winged keel is working well. Popped down the pond today to make the most of the stiff breeze, even in a gust it only just dipped it’s scuppers in the water and all with only 10lb in the keel which has been shortened by nearly 3inches to cope with the muddy puddle we sail in!

With the two flying jibs on the bowsprit she sails into wind nicely, my only adjustment will be more throw on the rudder as it’s a bit lazy when tacking.

I’m in the process of building a custom sail winch to go inside the hull to free up deck space for pirate clutter!

Some new pics in album.

Ricky ye pirate (thermal socks and wet waders)

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Sundays boating was fun if a bit chilly. Only sailed the valiant despite taking project z down, as I could not e bothered faffing around using numb fingers (forgot gloves). Hopefully we will get a bit of snow soon as project z will look quite at home… good news regarding the t keel, hope it works in the long term! Plans,DM, and yes I can understand the amount of effort that goes into them. As is well known, I only use sketches as a lot of my craft rely on ‘artistic interpretation’… Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Still cold and looking even colder for w/e. Difficult choice for pc..repair or replace with super fast laptop but at 400 smackers? Ashley

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Ashley,

Do you have a tablet, just as good for most stuff, Amazon Fire £99 we haven't had a pc for years.

Regards Ray

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Laptop should cost no more than £350 for a decent spec. Maybe a bit more for a desktop but more versatility.

I have desktop, laptop and tablet.

Desktop no 1 preference for general work. Laptop fine for light work and browsing, Tablet OK for checking email etc. when I wake up in the morning but touch screen no substitute for a keyboard.. CD/DVD drive is also very useful. (not fitted to all laptops).

Horses for courses as usual.

Colin

[Richard BarnettParticipant @richardbarnett67129]

i pad for browsing and laptop for more serious stuff, simples!

Ricky ye pirate 🏴‍☠️

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

I/we have an I-pad mini, which I am getting the hang of. I am leaning towards a laptop using my big screen and a separate rodent.

Tomorrow will be Toyota and Herald, assuming sufficient wind for sailing (I call it sailing, more like uncontrolled drifting)..

aLSO the Hornet (that’s the fast catamarangue) wHICH I would like to get rid of, similarly the converted Severn (two speed 280 and brass 20mm props. No reasonable offer accepted

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Whooops, obviously any reasonable offer accepted, within reason. Spent the whole day so far in the shed checking the various bags and boxes for mouse damage (all ok). I have identified a gap between the block work and the roof timbers where they may be getting in, and have wedged some wood in place. All most of the tell tale droppings are at this level, and have bought an ultrasonic rodent deterrent gadget..you never know.

Prepping batts, and the Herald. Cha need swivel tackle at the ends of the mast side stays for slightly shorter springs, hoping they will now stay hooked on the body and not fall off. The mast is spring loaded but it must flex a bit. Allowing one side to loosen up. These stays are steel fishing trace so are not stretching. Ho hum. Cup of tea and onwards. Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Well well. Thin ice on pond, mostly broken by Richard in his waders and peter with the big green fishing boat, whilst Trevor nibbled at the edges with my landing craft. Unfortunately Trevor lost the prop on his fire boat whilst reversing, no doubt due to ice jamming on the prop and causing it to unscrew. Toy boata no good for ice as front bumper does not sit high enough to ride up. Next week I will take project Z as this should be the perfect ice breaker""

Actually we all have boats that would be good, it is just a matter of having them at the pond! Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

I have a huge pile of loose pages at home, pages of articles from magazines..planes and classic bike mostly and this morning I spent time putting them in plastic page wallets so I could hold them all in a large ring binder. Tidied up no end and now I can flip through them easily. What has this got to do with m/b you ask… well, those in the know, know that there is an outrageous project in the offing, something not attempted by myself (or indeed not seen on the pond for years) an something for which some thought will have tobe put into.

Lo and behold, an old m/b mage surfaced from the pile and therein was not only an article of the type of vessel I shall be attempting, but a free plan as well !,! How fantastic. Actually not our FAVOURITE mag, but MMM, circa 1990, summer. A Canadian vessel, at 1/72 scale! But easily enlarged at ‘t copy shop. Not that I will be copying this exactly, but using it as a base. Article was not a build feature, and steam powered…so some alteration there needed.

Ashley

[NoelParticipant @noel26080]

message me what you consider a reasonable offer for those two boats. I think we mentioned the lifeboat last year.

Boys have Christmas money burning hole in money boxes and could be a useful thing to buy instead of sweets and other "stuff"!

BTW I have nothing to build now so am at a loose end (well metaphorically anyway).

Was thinking of a big oil tanker or something easily shaped, same construction as that lighter I made in the summer, bad idea? Would have to be semi-waterline in order to stop it needing unpractical levels of ballast.

[Richard BarnettParticipant @richardbarnett67129]

Noel,

Oil tanker sounds interesting, have to make sure it doesn’t hydroplane round the pond! Lots of scope for deck detail and lots of room for working bits.

Sounds like Ashley’s has his eye on an icebreaker, hope he realises it will have to weigh the same as a small truck to break ice convincingly.

Ricky ye pirate 🏴‍☠️

[Author]

Posts