Vintage Gentleman’s Cruiser

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Ashley……You have the annoying habit of rocking the boat!

For once, I have to disagree with you

This model is extremely bulky, so handling it from the car to the pond and into the water, needs to be as simple as possible, manually and mentally

To make room in the car, the fixed wheels idea has got rid of the stand and a launching trolley……..Nice?

For once, it's not a high speed model….It's a Vintage Gentleman's Launch and will simply purr around the lake in sedate style, hooting and tooting along the way, hopefully, the wheels will create some interesting water disturbance too

The fun part for me, is the building…….I'm hoping the sailing will be too

Thank you for your comments, my friend……I can always take the wheels off, if necessary

The prop blocks are bulkier than usual, in order to take the fat prop shafts

Capt Bob

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Bob. Thank you for that. As usual my comments were just my personal opinion but its you thats building it and will do what you want!

The problem of transporting and launching larger heavier vessels is of course an issue and one that indeed needs addressing.

You wheel approach is certainly a way round this and novel too. We could do with some exploratory work in this feild, and although I dont care for the wheels, will be very interested to see the practicality of them in use and also the effect of them on the boat. i suspect this will be negligable, as you say, it is a boat for pottering around with.

I of course have several items with wheels and i would think that they make no difference to the craft in the water considering the general shape of them.

Motorising yours (like my Toyboata) would be the way to go, if you dont mind me saying, and would be the icing on the launching wheel saga.

Ashley

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Ashley….There you go again……..Sit down, you're rockin' the boat

How can I have motorised wheels? They are under water most of the time

It's a fanciful idea, but it would mean that the front wheel would have to rotate, and at the moment, we've got just a brass rubbing strip

Eventual fancy features will be the klaxon horn….or horns……..Sump pump……Fan cooling, with fan on spare end of motor…..Bilge pump and a further pump for squirting water, out back for effect…….Maybe an animated driver, if he can be seen….and engine room illumination

Just up your street?

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

if you were to revisit my Toyboata article, you would see that the wheel axle has meccano toothed wheel on it, and the prop shaft has a meccano worm drive on it.

The propshaft has a prop on the end, but the shaft in rotating also then turns the wheels at a very reduced rate (due to the worm)…

If you had an easily replaced nylon strip at the front , this should do you as a low friction rubbing strip (it will be water lubricated). We are not talking about driving miles, just off the ramp??

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

This may be difficult to reverse engineer now, but just a thought… Ashley

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thank you, Ashley

All good stuff and interesting, but our model boat pond hasn't got a launching ramp…. The big lake has, but we can only use the big lake on special occasions

Ours is a steel checker plate surface with 3 x 3 timber all round…..See photograph

We intend to slide over the wood and into the wide blue yonder!

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

Given the conditions that prevail at Etherow I think that your method of transport, launching and recovery is the best possible option for the VGC.

Paul

[Andy CParticipant @andyc56856]

Hi Bob

Am I missing something here. Don't get me wrong the Abell drives look absolutely fantastic, but, do you really get twice the power / torque by using two motors connected by a belt? What if one goes wonky?

Might have covered this off before or elsewhere, apols if you have.

Andy

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Andy

If the motors are working hard, then they would give out twice the power

But, in our case they will just be tootling along

Should one motor pack up, then the system will run as normal on the one healthy motor

Thanks for your question

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hi Andy

The Abell drives are Bobs own creation and I have to say that it is an impressive and very elegant way to add extra torque to a power train.

As you can imagine a 5ft model will require a lot of motive power, especially so when moving against a current, and Bobs solution of adding matched pairs of motors is a very innovative method of solving the problem.

The really elegant part is the ability to change the gearing by simply substituting smaller or larger pulleys to the propshaft ends.

Brilliant idea.

Paul

[Andy CParticipant @andyc56856]

Cool, new Bob was on to a winner. Keep them coming.

Andy

[Andy CParticipant @andyc56856]

Cool, new Bob was on to a winner. Keep them coming.

Andy

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Final drive belts installed

Now the drive can be finalised and tidied up

Sorting out the belts and pulley sizes was just like being back at work

BOB

[Andy StonemanParticipant @andystoneman15177]

Hi Paul, I like the look of your Gentlemans cruiser, A classic design Hey. I would have thought that her age would have dictated the type of propulsion more common in her time would have been either Thornycroft or Perkins Diesels. Possibly a Perkins P6M

Andy

[Andy StonemanParticipant @andystoneman15177]

Hi Bob, You have shown what can be done with some thought and ingenuity, I like the finishing touches with your name plates and Volvo Green paint.They should look good when installed.

Andy

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hi Andy

Thank you for your kind words.

Credit for this build has to go to Bob as he has taken my basic design and created something far better, and I agree that his Abell drive motor setups are a stroke of sheer genius.

We might do a Morecombe and Wise double act sometimes (as the readers seem to like the banter) but without Bobs construction skills and bravery to build in the full glare of so many experts I doubt that my designs would never be built.

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Many thanks Andy and Paul

We are enjoying the build of this big boat, for some strange reason, and like to add interesting features, out of pure curiosity, I suppose and the challenge

We also like to work as a team with plenty of humorous banter and friendly sarcasm when called for

It would have been nice to see other members having a go, but perhaps somebody will take up the challenge, when they see the finished result on video or the boat shows

Progress is quite slow at the moment, due to diversions, waiting for gear and glue and paint to dry etc

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

I would like to echo Bobs comments that it would be nice if other members had a go.

Come on and have a go……after all if us two chuckle brothers can build these things just think what you could do.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Work in progress

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Bob, does look much better with a splosh of colour on it I must say. Beautiful props.

Paul. I Do do, as you know !

Ashley

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thank you, Ashley…..I agree it`s looking much better now

Found some Doll`s House lino for the Gentleman's engine room

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hello Captain R W Abell.

For once I can honestly say that I am stunned……..I had expected shiny checker plate as being the obvious choice for the engine room floor covering but I had never thought that you would choose lino.

Ashley

I do, I do (sounds like an Abba song) yes I know you do………and we should all thank our particular deities that you do do: otherwise our world would be a darker place.

Paul (from the top of a Eucalyptus)

[DuckyParticipant @ducky]

Hi Bob

Like the Lino motor bases, the bilges would look nice with a coat of varnish to bring the colour out there?

The rudder set up looks good as well, no Becker rudders though?.

Duckie.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Duckie

Thanks for popping in……Pleased you like the Lino….I got it off the net, where I was spoilt for choice

Couldn't make use of the coffee jar lids, they were too brittle in the lathe…..Thanks for the nice idea

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Bob. I must say I like the lino, striking and different. Although at first glance an odd choice, it is pleasantly PERIOD and will better show off the ABELL drives than shiny ally or wood which is what one may expect to see normally.

I might suggest browsing for other domestic and marine items from the period to come up with more ideas. Colour especially for some things.

Ashley

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