Vic Smeed’s Model Boat Designs

[John W EParticipant @johnwe]

Hi ya Tony

As you requested, here are a couple of pics of Vic Smeed’s Custom Launch that I build from the free plans. I made several alterations to mind, where in the plan, the wheelhouse door is on the front. I moved it to the side. Also, I extended the rudder to give it a bit more manoeuvrability. I used the model a few times in Scale Regatta Competitions and on a normal sized rudder it was a bit slow to turn. That was my excuse for poor ability to steer.

john

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hi Fella`s

To put the record straight…….My picture of the three Silver Mists, represents my 48" model, Ian`s 36" model and Ray`s 30" model, reduced to the 21 1/2" Vic`s original as Tony wished for

Bob

[Ian GardnerParticipant @iangardner62867]

I love to see all these old Vic Smeed designs. I remember pushing my daughter up and down the garden in her pram trying to get her off to sleep whilst studying the plan of Guardsman on the handlebars! It was published in 1982!

If I ever built another Vic Smeed design I'd love to do an enlarged Guardsman. It's such a well drawn design it would stand doubling- nudge, nudge, Bob! I remember mine weighed in the order of 4.5 pounds, so a twice size would be about 36lb! I had to build my original on a tray in the living room as I had to keep an ear out for said daughter when Mrs Gardner worked in the evenings.

I like that transmitter tray, Ray. I build my boat stands with an open tray at the bottom for tools and batteries but a wet boat drips on them -not ideal.

Keep up the good work chaps!

All the best,

Ian

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Ian, whilst discussing children and model boats, I can once remember having a telephone conversation with Vic's wife Margaret about Vic's modelling activities. She told me about the time when Vic stored all his model making bits on a building board under a chair in the living room, anyway Margaret had just sat down when one of the children crawled over (wearing a nappy at the time). Their daughter then handed to Margaret a double sided open razor blade of the type in use at the time (1950s) – Oops!

John, thanks for posting your Guardsman, it's good to see the photographs back, I guess you must have been modifying your photo albums. When building mine, I thought the rudder looked on the small size and enlarged it slightly.

Guardsman is a superb model to build as Ian has described. I thoroughly enjoyed building mine, it must have been the model which has given the most pleasure of any I have ever built. A thread was created about the build of mine on this site so I won't dwell on the build and bore anyone, Larry Whetton also built one which was powered by a 400 motor whereas mine by a 385LN, which was recommended by DM. Sadly Larry isn't with us anymore. Here is an on the water photograph of his –

Mine –

MM1330 plans (and a plastic hull) –

**LINK**

A larger 30" version from Scale Hobbies in Skelmersdale, Searcher –

**LINK**

and a link to the build thread –

**LINK**

Tony.

[John W EParticipant @johnwe]

Hi there

One model that hasn't had much mention of Vic Smeed's is the Pathfinder, the pilot vessel – I thought there would be a lot more pictures of it. It seems to have been a popular model. I know there are one or two in our Club, and I myself have the plans. Its on my build list. The only thing I need to sort out before building it, is the actual underwater shape of the vessel at the stern. I know Vic simplified the hull shape on a lot of his drawings for ease of building – and I wonder if he simplified the Pathfinder Hull? I have done a bit of investigation and I have found that there are one or two other vessels with a similar shape of hull to which Vic has drawn. I would like to know if Vic actually had access to the shipyard drawings of this boat. Or, if anyone has photographs of the Pathfinder in dry dock showing her stern and props set up.

John

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

John, I can't answer your question about the underwater design of the model's hull as against the full sized vessel, as you say without yard drawings this would be difficult. Reading the September 1955 issue of Model Maker, Vic mentions in the text that this model was to be a 'desk top' build so I would guess some kind of model makers licence has been applied. At the size of the model, my thoughts of a desktop build would be optimistic, but who knows!

Colin Bishop sent me four photographs of a Pathfinder on display at an exhibition a few years ago, I posted two of the photographs in page 8 of this thread. The other two are now posted below, should they be of any help. The original magazine item was in four parts which ran from September to December 1955 in Model Maker. I would guess that these four magazine articles formed the instruction manual which was available some time ago. Tom Gorman had a build of this model featured in the July 2007 edition of Model Boats magazine. Tom's model was built plank-on-frame as against the plan which is mainly for a bread and butter hull.

September 1955 magazine heading

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Whilst researching Vic's Lifeboat designs, I've come found some old pictures from past magazines.

Liverpool Class Lifeboat (MM374) at 3/4" to 1ft scale, from Model Maker May 1955. A couple of photographs of a superb model appeared in the National Radio Control Scale Championship item in the January 1982 Model Boats. The plan was later at 1" to 1ft scale (MM1448).

and a further photograph from February 1982

Plymouth R.N.L.B. Barnett and Stromness (MM418) was featured in the April 1956 Model Maker magazine. The scale was again 3/4" to 1ft. I haven't located any photographs of a model built to this plan to date.

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

In the latest, October 2017 Model Boats magazine, a new Glynn Guest submarine, Nixie comes as a free plan and detailed build. Glynn states in the text, that this and his two earlier dynamic diving submarines were based on the original Vic Smeed design Sprat.

Sprat was featured in the 1960 Model Maker magazine and the item is attached below for anyone interested. Nixie looks a good one Glynn, just kicking myself for giving away two new 40mhz receivers & crystals as I still have the 40mhz module for my hitec set, better start looking for a replacement.

[Ian Bell 1Participant @ianbell1]

I have long been a fan of Vic's designs, especially of the sailing variety, stretching back to the mid 70's. My Dad and I got into model boats by building a Starlet yacht, which I still have though it needs a freshen up. I also have an example of his Panache design which sails and looks very well. Waiting in the wings is a Harem M class bought off of Ebay which needs new mast and sails. Lastly, again found on Ebay is a Star C fibre glass yacht hull which Vic drew up with the intention of getting a smallish R/C yacht class started. Model Boats got 50 hulls made and they all sold but unfortunately the class did not take off. My first back in the 70's sailed well before moving on . Hopefully the new one will as well

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Ian, wasn't the Star C a 42" one design class? Would be good to see some photographs of the yachts.

Not too long ago, I had a request for a copy of the text for Starlet from Vic's book Small Model Yachts, which I managed to locate and send. The request was from Brian Barber who has just emailed these two photographs of his now completed Starlet. The model is sailing at the Bluewater Shopping Centre, Kent. The photographs of this excellent model show what lovely models can be built from Vic's designs.

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Empress of Britain was featured earlier in this thread (#4 & 5). Attached is the magazine article from December 1956, Colin Bishop posted the magazine front cover earlier. Two photographs of the full sized vessel are also attached of the ship whilst in Liverpool in the early 1960s. These are extracted from an old family cine film which has been digitalised.

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Brian Rossenrode, a member of the facebook group 'Classic Wooden Model Boats' built this Guardsman from the free plan in Model Boats magazine 1982. Brian is a member of the Durban Radio Boat Club and his superb little model took six months to build. A much quicker build time than mine.

[Ian Bell 1Participant @ianbell1]

Tony did say in an earlier post about photos of a couple of Vic' designs that I have, and I never got round to it!

One of the designs is the Panache yacht. Sorry haven't managed to change the orientation!

[Ian Bell 1Participant @ianbell1]

The other is the Star C yacht, which was projected as a new racing class but never caught on 42". MB sponsored the making of 50 hulls to get it started

In the day, it was reckoned that you could get it on the water for £20 excluding radio and that was buying the hull, the sails and fittings !

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Ian, it's good to see some yachts posted in this thread. Your Panache looks good, as does the Star C. The Star C at 42" should make a good sailing model, your blue coloured hull is most impressive.

After our discussion on facebook, here are the three photographs of your Harem. Plan number RM358 from the 1970s, I can't seem to find a magazine article to accompany the plan. Described as a Marblehead with a cabin/cockpit. This model which you bought off ebay looks to be in a solid condition and well worth the planned restoration, I wish you good luck with this project. This is the first example of this design I have seen.

[Ian Bell 1Participant @ianbell1]

hi Tony, the Harem featured in Radio Modeller magazine starting in October 1982 and running through to about February 1983. I have the November-January issues. I did see someone selling two on Ebay a little while ago and saved a couple of photos of them . I will look them out and put them on here if it doesn't bore people !

Edited By Ian Bell 1 on 20/10/2017 18:48:00

Edited By Ian Bell 1 on 20/10/2017 18:48:36

[Ian Bell 1Participant @ianbell1]

Those extra photos

Edited By Ian Bell 1 on 20/10/2017 18:41:03

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Ian

The sloping windscreen, shown earlier, looks very nice……..Was it on the plan?

Bob

[Ian Bell 1Participant @ianbell1]

Hi Bob,

Yes the cabin is shown on the plan. The plan also details the bulkheads needed to produce the flat(tish) deck version

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

I made a typo earlier, Harem plan number should have read RM258, not RM358.

Another of Vic's popular designs, Tiddler (plan V104), a small 20" TID tug, again built by Brian Rosserode.

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Suzie Q from item from Model Maker magazine March and April 1965.

Cover from the April edition.

March edition

April edition

[Gareth JonesParticipant @garethjones79649]

Hi Tony,

With you being the expert in all things Vic Smeed and following on from the postings by Ian Bell above, could you give us some advice on a yacht restored by my wife about 5 years ago. It is shown in the photos below and was initially identified, with Colin Bishop's help as a Vic Smeed Genie.

However when we bought the Genie plan, we came across several discrepancies. The prow of LaSwan is more steeply raked and it does not have the flat bottom section shown on the Genie plan, but two simple chines on each side. In addition it does not comply with the Marblehead rules, as it is 51 inches long.

I have thought for some time that maybe it is a Harem built without a cabin but I have never seen the Harem drawings. Do you know whether Harem was 50 or 51 inches long? It certainly seems to have more a steeply rake prow similar to LaSwan. However the stern of LaSwan is cut off square and not sloping as shown in Ian Bells photographs of his Harem.

The original builder of LaSwan was evidently heavily influenced by Vic Smeed as most of the fittings have been home made and could have been made directly from the drawings in Vic Smeed's book Model Yachting.

Any advice you can offer would be gratefully received. Whatever the answer, LaSwan is a really nice yacht to sail and while it does not have the graceful lines of many of Elizabeth's other yachts, it does have a powerful, purposeful appearance, almost a small warship shape.

Gareth

[Ian Bell 1Participant @ianbell1]

Gareth,

I have just been looking through a few old Radio Modeller magazines that I bought off of Ebay . In the January 1982 edition, in his regular column, Vic Smeed shows a small design which is extremely similar to yours. It has the sweeping stem and the upright transom.

 Although he doesn't mention design length, from a picture of someone sailing it , I reckon that it would be about 25-30 inches . It is called Witch Wind and is plan number RM231.

 

I wonder if yours is built from the same design at twice size.

 

P.S  Just found a list of Vic's yacht designs and it was 30"

Edited By Ian Bell 1 on 26/10/2017 17:59:25

Edited By Ian Bell 1 on 26/10/2017 18:01:51

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Hi Gareth,

Firstly, what a superb restoration of LaSwan by your wife.

I don't have any drawings of Harem, but managed to find a photograph in an old plans handbook. The photograph is in the middle of the attached page, it's not a good photograph but does show the sloping stern which shows that Ian Bell's Harem is correct. As Ian says earlier Harem was originally from model aircraft magazine Radio Modeller. Vic ran a series on model yachting in this magazine commencing March 1980 under the heading Sail-In. Off topic the other plan from this magazine was Witchwind, plan RM231 with the accompanying article in the May 1980 edition. I once thought about building this neat little 30" yacht, but a reality check and return back to work prevented this.

If you send me your email in a private message, I will send you the latest listing of Vic's designs and see if anything else could be a possibility, it's a word document. The first listing was on this site as a Members Contribution, then a second listing was featured in the Model Boats magazine special edition of April 2015, which Colin Bishop edited. Colin provided a great deal of help and support with this. Nowadays I just add designs to the list as they appear.

[Gareth JonesParticipant @garethjones79649]

Hi Ian and Tony,

Thanks very much for your help in trying to identify the original design of LaSwan. I am not sure whether Elizabeth would be pleased or annoyed by your compliment about her restoration as the photos on the previous page are of LaSwan before she started on it. However she did do a good job, the link to the album is here **LINK**

I am intrigued by the plans handbook page because the profile which is most like LaSwan is the one in the top right hand corner which does not have a reference number against it so it's another mystery. I have ordered the back issue of the magazine which featured Harem and expect to get it in the next few days so if anything new emerges I will let you know.

At the moment I am trying to identify the origin of her next restoration project which is another Marblehead that we think is a Stan Witty design. By a process of elimination I think it may be a design called Vega from October 1963 but I have not got a plans handbook which shows that one so I am waiting for the back issue of that Model Maker as well.

Gareth

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