Vic Smeed’s Silver Mist

[Diede van AbsParticipant @diedevanabs87670]

Hi Bob,

I honestly don't see the problem in building a new GE?

You're 80 now, if you were a Volvo I'd say you are just run-in and ready for some REAL mileage. And seeing as you built the last one in only 6 months, even if you take your time you should be abell to pull it off in 2, 2,5 years tops, amirite?

By all means, go for it.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thank you, Diede

I admire your confidence in me…….But no chance at the moment, too busy doing this, that and the other and getting nowhere!

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Just for interest, VGC and Silver Mist sailing together

I`m hoping to do this at the next club Regatta…….Should be nice to watch?

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

For Geoff

Here is the picture of Silver Mist and Vgc sailing together, recently

Actually, VGC is on a rescue mission here and is retrieving SM with a jammed up prop

Caught a Plastic bag

Bob

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi All

Next months MB's to feature my enlarged build version of Silver Mist @ 30" not as big as Bob's !! but brilliant photos taken by Graham at his lake a few weeks ago, have a look in the forum albums

Regards Ray

[Ian GardnerParticipant @iangardner62867]

Looking forward to that Ray – always one of my favourite designs. Mine appeared in Tony's Vic Smeed article a while ago. Mine is a little bigger than yours but not as big as Bob's – but size isn't everything!

**LINK**

All the best,

Ian

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi All ,

Been a while since Bob A & I built our bigger versions of Silver Mist, here's the latest 15" version 😀I

Who said size matters !!

regards Ray

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Ray

Will be following your blog with great interest

Will you be having a chain operated rudder, like mine?

it makes a nice change and is an interesting mechanism

Take a look at my last post……It shows some of my steam locos

All the best…..Bob

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Bob,

Yes I will go back to steaming at some point, maybe when I get to work less days 😀

In the mean time Mini Mist progressing for a bit of fun.

Regards Ray

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

A very Dinky model

What does it look alongside your Cossack?

Bob

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Bob,

She will be a sweetie compared to Cossack's workman like size, we took the grandchildren round HMS Belfast yesterday, well I enjoyed it 😀

Regards Ray

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Cossack makes a nice stand?

I used to see HMS Belfast being towed up and down the Thames at Dagenham in the 70s

She was an impressive sight

Bob

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi All

The Mini Mist 15" version is progressing well, just the wheelhouse & dinghy and she will start looking the part, major outlay for the stancions but has to be done 😀I

Regards Ray

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi All,

Here is Mini Mist at 15" long half the size of my enlarged version of my favourite Vic Smeed design.

regards Ray

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hi Ray

Very nice

That looks a big cutting mat?

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Six years on from the last post here I am getting a bit frustrated with the fiddly work on my ss Miltiades liner which is making slow progress with not much to immediately show for the effort. ( I hate davits…!) I will continue with it but thought I might do something else in parallel and have settled on Vic Smeed’s Silver Mist at its original size of 21 inches which is much the same as my Greek Fishing boat albeit at a smaller scale. You can see what it looks like earlier in this topic. This gives me the opportunity to do a bit more plank on frame construction and I will probably substitute lime/basswood for much of the original balsa.

I think I have enough stock in hand to build the boat and this sort of model does give one a bit of a free hand as regards the colour scheme and the degree of detail to be incorporated.

Ray’s earlier posts will be helpful and I will have all Vic’s original building notes.

Not heard from Bob Abell in a long time. I hope he is still with us. It is sad when people drop off the radar unnoticed.

Colin

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Colin,

You will find the joy of building with Silver Mist, mine hasn’t been on the water this year yet but will get wet again soon, Mini Mist is an ornament at my daughters place 🙂

Regards  Ray  (Massive Vic Smeed designs Fan )

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

It’s a nice looking model and looking forward to another plank on frame being built.

Yes, I was thinking about Bob and other members a little while ago, wondering what has happened to them. Trouble is that unless family members know about forums which they used to frequent then we never know what has happened healthwise etc.

Chris

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Paul Thomason cleared out Dave Milbourn’s workshop after Dave died.I’ve not heard from him since.

Colin

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Colin,

Yes what ever happened to Paul T  I used to enjoy the sparring between him and Bob A  🙂

Neil still posts on Facebook occasionally !! more Lifeboats 🙂

Regards  Ray

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Just checked, PT was active on Facebook middle of last year.

Colin

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Colin, good to read of your forthcoming “Silver Mist” build. A lovely design.

Bob Abell crops up on Facebook occasionally.

Ian Gardner, who contributed to this thread earlier is still in touch sometimes. Ian built a larger “Silver Mist” and it is featured on his website.

https://iansmodelboats.weebly.com/silver-mist.html

Tony

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Found this interesting advert on a search for ‘Silver’ motor yachts. The wheelhouse has been extended aft to make a verandah area.

https://classicyachtbrokerage.co.uk/product/new-listing-65ft-silver-motor-yacht-1936-professionally-restored-lying-denmark/

I have also been reading through the many pages on this topic.

From taking some comparative measurements on the small scale drawing it would seem that Vic’s plan is approx 1:36 scale. Hopefully I can source some suitable crew figures at this scale.

My current thinking is to use Vic’s plan for the basic construction and embellish it to produce a near scale model which is what I did with my Greek Fishing Boat. Vic’s plan was developed from photos which allows plenty of modelling licence in the detail.

The original Silver vessels were twin screw but Vic’s plan, understandably, has a single prop. On the face of it, fitting twin screws on a small model of this type is overkill plus two ESCs and a mixer would be needed in view of the single rudder. BUT! Paul Freshney always claimed that a mixer was unnecessary as he simply fitted limit switches on the tiller which cut out the inboard motor when the helm was hard over. Cheap, cheerful and effective as he demonstrated. I shall definitely be looking at that option. No need to worry too much about astern steering as it is rarely needed and doesn’t respond anyway!

I have also noted the deviations from Vic’s design in respect of providing good access to the hull interior as evidenced by Ray’s model.

So! The present intention is to use Vic’s basic construction but modify the upperworks to give better access to the interior and add some extra above deck detail.

Hopefully the plan will arrive early next week.

Colin

 

 

 

 

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