Vic Smeed Sea Mew

[Nigel NorthwoodParticipant @nigelnorthwood17509]

Restoration

[Nigel NorthwoodParticipant @nigelnorthwood17509]

Currently working on a restoration an fitting of r/c into an old Vic Smeed Sea Mew. Has anyone else got one?

[Nigel NorthwoodParticipant @nigelnorthwood17509]

60 views, no answers. I knew there weren't many of these around ……

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Try asking the gents at the Vintage Model Yacht Group here:

VMYG

 

Edited By Richard Simpson on 17/04/2022 09:31:17

[Nigel NorthwoodParticipant @nigelnorthwood17509]

I did email them a while ago about an unknown hull, but I don't think I ever got a reply (it was during the lockdowns).

I know what this one is, but there don't seem to be many (any?) around. It was only ever available as a plan (circa 1958), not a kit, intended for free sailing/ vane control, at a time when cats were a bit of an unknown quantity.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

I often wonder how many plan boats are ever made. I have built a couple of vintage Hobbies plans or similar boats recently and sort of think a mere handful were ever built.

So, it’s not likely anyone will have any build knowledge of yours, but it will be similar to other designs from the period, use the same fittings as were used generally then, and that’s how I would go about restoring something that old (I was probably only a few months old when the plan was published!).

If you make it “of the period”, then it must be just right, eh?.

Ashley (sorry, no real help at all)

[Nigel NorthwoodParticipant @nigelnorthwood17509]

Thanks. I am trying to keep it 'period', if not 100%, to the original plans, which I've managed to get a copy of, and it'd already been converted to r/c, so I've tried to tidy that up.

In remaking the wire rigging, I've been trying to get replacement 'thimbles', to go in the eyes.

The model has four stays, one in each corner, and no shrouds. For ease of dismantling/erecting, (I guess), two of the stays had rigging screws, while the other two were shorter with an extension of cord, tensioned with a bowsie. The thimbles act as a pulley block to allow free movement of the cord.

For some reason, these thimbles are not easy to obtain anymore, although Cornwall had some really tiny ones, way too small.

The chap in our local guitar shop kindly gave me a number of old strings, which use a bead , or ball end, as they're called, at the bridge end of the string. These are still a bit small, but should do.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Nigel. Fishing tackle shop, first port of call for ad hoc rigging!!

Ashley

[Nigel NorthwoodParticipant @nigelnorthwood17509]

Always!. But it doesn't mean they carry the item

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Nigel,

I would be interested to see what your calling a thimbles ? I am a huge Vic Smeed fan ! but even though he was a Fighter pilot this design wasn't his finest hour but in his defence he was editor of the magazine and had to produce so many of his designs to fill the pages.

Good luck with the re-rigging, I don't bother with turn buckles these days just Stainless Fishing Trace wire & the tube crimps supplied for the fishing shop.

Regards Ray

[Nigel NorthwoodParticipant @nigelnorthwood17509]

The little metal ring, probably about 6mm across, is what I've been after.

[Nigel NorthwoodParticipant @nigelnorthwood17509]

This is how it was when I bought it. The mast is (atm) relatively short with a wooden , removable extension. The sails are Nylet.

[Nigel NorthwoodParticipant @nigelnorthwood17509]

Managed to do what was needed the existing 'thimbles'. There looks like a lot of 'spaghetti' on that boat.

[Nigel NorthwoodParticipant @nigelnorthwood17509]

On the water, at last! The original design did not feature a bowsprit

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