Vic Smeed’s Model Boat Designs

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Lorelei, Vic's first model boat design, published in the January 1953 edition of Model Maker magazine. David Goodhand's model is featured in this months (June 2016) Model Boats magazine. The article is an interesting read on vintage radio control and electrics. The plan, MM267, is still available.

Edited By Colin Bishop, Website Editor on 09/05/2016 14:36:36

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

A couple of photographs of Vic's Moonmist design from the 2010 Model Boats Commemorative Special 1950-2010 (WH Smith).

The first is Vic's original and the second is Glynn Guest's updated version which is the subject of one of the articles in the magazine, Moonmist Revisited. A snippet from the item – Cheap, easy to build, performs well and it's all your own work. What more could a boat modeller ask?

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hi Tony

A pair of nice models from two master designers, for comparison?

Being an old stick in the mud myself, I prefer Vic`s old world charm design

Glynn`s version is more suited to the young budding boat modeller of today

Bob

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Bob,

With your comment "young budding modeller" I think I will have to cast my vote for the Glynn Guest version. After all, I'm one of the younger members of this hobby – soon to sing the famous Beatles song – "When I'm Sixty Four"..

Tony

[harry smith 1Participant @harrysmith1]

Hi Bob and Tony

I would rather Vic's version with it is graceful lines!!!

I have traded a few swaps and added a few Vic Smeed plans to my collection.

These have been resized!!!

Pirana 33", Beachcomber 36" and the Remora 34".

Also found the plans in a book of the Coline, V-bottomed Florida Sport fisherman 50 foot.

A shorter cabin than the Moonmist.

Harry

[Martin Field 1Participant @martinfield1]

Vic Smeed's original is the one to build. That "revamp-for-it's-own-sake" is a hideous reworking!

Martin

[harry smith 1Participant @harrysmith1]

Hi All

I made a mistake. tohe Beachcomber is not a Vic Smeed ,but, a SG Pickering design.

Still a great boat!

What do you think of this Yankee Sport fisherman(Coline)(50 foot x 14 foot 5 inches, twin screw).

She was based at the Cat Cay Club on the Bahamas.

Her owner George Collier was the manager.

Harry

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

That "revamp-for-it's-own-sake" is a hideous reworking!

Aw, come on, Martin. Why not tell us what you really think?

DM

[harry smith 1Participant @harrysmith1]

Coline

[harry smith 1Participant @harrysmith1]

It's mother loves it !!!

[Ian GardnerParticipant @iangardner62867]

I like Coline too- it's reminiscent of Jame's pottinger's Ravenna, if memory serves well.

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

I imagine it would look splendid done in dark varnished wood and white or cream paintwork, but a small B&W drawing does nowt to get my juices flowing.

Jame's?? Another apostrophe catastrophe…

DM

[harry smith 1Participant @harrysmith1]

HI Dave

The Juice !!!

Flared bow, tumble home curved stern !!!

[harry smith 1Participant @harrysmith1]

Hi Dave

More Juice !!!!! BUT CREAM !!!! WHITE with gold strip with dark blue pin strip border.

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Pictures? I Googled Coline and found only about a thousand pictures of a scantily-clad young chanteuse from Texas. Now that sort of frame would require a lot of very complicated planking…..

DM

[harry smith 1Participant @harrysmith1]

HI Dave

DOWN BOY DOWN !!!!!!

But, it would be interesting project, but, the handbrake(the wife) found out we would be in deep poo!!!!!

But the hands on experience would make great model boat builders DEAR!!!

PS

Walked passed a young lass today with a T Shirt on( 7 degrees today and snow on the mountain).

It had three words on it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ME

WRONG

NEVER

[Ian GardnerParticipant @iangardner62867]

Thanks for pointing out my grammatical typos Dave. I normally check and re-check my infrequent posts for correctness but was being hassled by the current Mrs Gardner to get cracking as we were about to go out. It's nice to know we have someone keeping an eye on it all.

I was once researching the Cock tugs and unthinkingly put in a search for Black Cock- there was such a tug! Yikes!!! Not recommended.

Ian

[Martin Field 1Participant @martinfield1]

Coline looks nice. Reminiscent of a Shepherd or even a Hacker Sedan.

Very well balanced.

Martin

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Ian

Oops! You have to be so careful with Search Engines when the simple word "model" has so many, shall we say, 'interesting' different connotations…

BTW I spared Harry the same lecture (it's vs its).

My T-shirt should say "Proud to be pernickety!"

DM

[Ian GardnerParticipant @iangardner62867]

I'm with you all the way Dave. I was fairly aghast when I looked back at my hurried post – it was just haste and fat thumbs, honest!

I have just berated the editor of my national paper for writing 'bored of' instead of 'bored with'- haven't heard back, and I expect they are also thinking I should get a life. I'll have one of those tee shirts- and check my posts more thoroughly in future.

Regards,

Ian

[Neville Taylor 2Participant @nevilletaylor2]

Hi Guys.

As anyone other than myself built Vic Smeed's "Scudder"? I still havr the plan but wondering how to build it without having to use a rudder that sits under the craft. I tried to fit air rudders like you see on the Florida Keys Air-boats but it made the model look ugly and steering was a hit and miss affair. For the portholes I used Smartie Tube caps All one colour and glazed them, very effective.

I would appreciate any thoughts on this model.

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Neville,

There was thread about the build of Scudder on this site some time ago. Must take an educated guess that the model was designed as a free running model as r/c was large and wasn't really affordable back then (Scudder was featured in the January 1954 Model Maker magazine).

Hope the thread is of interest and do you have any photographs of your model to post?

**LINK**

Tony

[Neville Taylor 2Participant @nevilletaylor2]

Hi Tony.

Sorry I built the model in England in the 70's powered by an OS 15. I raised the rear Nachelle to accommodate the motor so that I could mount it upright. It was NOT a free runner, I had a Simprop Analogue 5 channel system at that time and she handled great until I tried to put rear vanes on as I said.

She was left in England when we came to Australia in 1980, which I regret, but she wouldn't have suvived the journey. as it was we had a lot of household items missing. I intend to build her again when I do I will send photos (I've got to learn how) of all the craft I am building.

Neville (2)

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Photographs of a model of Pathfinder were posted earlier (page 8 of the thread). Recently whilst reading the January 1961 edition of Model Maker magazine, a photograph of another was spotted. This one would have been a real 'gem' with it's diesel power plant.

Relevant extracts from the text –

"The Pathfinder moving nippily along is from MODEL MAKER plans. Incredibly this nicely built model is fitted with a Taplin Twin driving two 1.5 inch three-blade props through a 3:1 reduction gearbox. The trim of the boat was corrected by including 12 ounces of lead ballast to counterbalance the offset motor. Radio is fitted and realistic scale performance is achieved with the engine running at low speed. The main modification to the model for this engine, was to increase the width of the engine room hatch, which made it necessary to remove the two Carley floats."

[Robert PutleyParticipant @robertputley]

I read Tony Hadley's piece on thr XQQME race boat with interest, as it reminded me of another of Vic Smeed's designs.

This was a very similat design, but I would guess about two thirds of the size, and elecric motor powered. My brother and I built one each, using Deac 4.8v 500mah button cells, this was before Nicads came on the mkt.

It would be great if anyone knows the name of this model, and if plans are avilable as I should love to build another.

[Author]

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