Build a Model Sailboat !!

The information used for the " Model Sail Boat Building, Making A Wooden Star45 R/C Sailing Model" includes posts found on the companion blog: The Star 45 R/C Model Sail Boat - Builders Journal


"Model Sail Boat Building, Making A Wooden Star45 R/C Sailing Model" is a start to finish, step by step, building manual. Including directions for covering a wooden star with fiberglass.

With the popularity of radio-controlled models, the number of people interested in owning a model yacht has also grown - in geometric range. As with model aircraft, the choice of sailing models runs the gamut from childs toy to sophisticated craft.

Over the past 30 years I have fielded many questions regarding the choices and considerations which go into selecting a radio-controlled sailboat.

Four questions are asked over and over by prospective skippers: How do the radio-controls work? How much do they cost? What do I look for when I buy mine? And, where can I get plans and instructions for building a sailing model?

The modern R/C model sailing craft is as different from a toy boat as a museum display model is from a childs tinker-toy creation. A model sailing craft operates with the same sophistication of design as any full-sized yacht

The AMYA STAR 45 Class discussion group is a terrific place to exchange ideas and talk about building Star 45 models for racing in AMYA regattas.

Feel free to contact me, Dave Mainwaring mainwaring @ rcn.com

Read More..

S45 Class Sailboat Plans line drawings on line

Model Sailboat Plans on line

Most browsers will allow you to right click and open the jpg images. You can then save them to your machine.

This set of plans are based on drawing from John Fisher 2006. John may have new and updated drawings available. Check with http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=star45 membership required.

I want to thank J. Herrmann, www.graphicLanguageOnline.com, for his assistance in converting pdfs to jpg drawing, adding color to the templates and adding the grid to the final images

You can print these drawing to many different sizes.They are not necessarily to scale.

Read More..

The Perfect Rowboat Sailboat or Both

Do you like the idea of a boat that can row and sail but they often dont like the idea of compromising on one or the other? It is a trade-off. A good sailboats lines are not good for rowing and a rowboats lines are not good for sailing. The latter is true mainly because the hull is quite narrow and fine on the waterline, especially at the ends. A fast rowboats lines just dont provide the stability, often, for sailing and the addition of a slot for the board introduces drag and makes the boat slow for rowing. Wooden Boats long time manager of their boathouse often cites the Joel White Shearwater as an example. Reluctantly, listening to customer demand, Joel White added the centerboard and it really made a difference in the sailing ability: it made it possible. But it also introduced noticeable drag when rowing: the boat was slower under oars. Drake is very similar to Shearwater, only narrower and longer on the waterline, no daggerboard, and therefore faster under oars. Drake sails downwind fabulously because of the moderate keel to provide some lateral resistance and enable excellent tracking for rowing. We dont have a centerboard, so there is no drag induced (though a tight fitting plug for a daggerboard trunk can fair the slot to the hull reasonably well). Ive been asked a number of times, and I just will not add a daggerboard to Drake. She is just a blast to sail downwind and can sail as high as a beam reach quite fast. The sail adds tremendous range when you consider the sail as auxiliary power.

But if you want to sail upwind, and row well, you need a boat with a lot of flare in the hull and a shape that provides excellent secondary stability. Joel Whites Shearwater and his 18 version of the boat are good examples. Another ideal example is the dory. What I love about the dory is that it is narrow at the waterline and flares out to a generous width, for a rowboat, at the rail, usually 48-5. The Deblois Street Dry is nearly 5 at the rail. The stability this shape produces lends itself to sailing (see photo of me sitting on D St Ds gunwale), but the narrow width at the waterline when the boat is not heeled means that it will row well. The double ended shape of the waterline on a dory keeps the ends fine for rowing ability. Drake shows a similar shape (see photo): narrow waterline, 41" at the gunwales provides secondary stability.

The Marblehead Gunning Dory is, to me, perhaps the perfect boat. If I could have only one boat (lets not think about that...what a shame that would be!), I would have a gunning dory or a Swampscott Dory. Come to my annual Shop Talk & Messabout to see both of these dory types in the flesh and meet two experts on dories: Sam Manning and Walter Wales.

Thank you to Chris Partridge, blogger in the UK: Rowing for Pleasure for bringing up the subject of rowing vs sailing characteristics in a boat

Read More..

Roughing out the SailBoat Interior

Spring of 2011 was the time for roughing in the interior. All available surfaces are used as work benches and Richard got to experience the joys of working in cramped conditions.


Marks plans are pulled out to be scrutinized and figure out what was originally designed versus any desired customizations.



Lots of head scratching went into how the engine compartment would come together. It was difficult to visualize the relationship of the cockpit locker, quarter berth, and galley countertop.


Richard wanted as much potentially unrestricted access to the engine compartment as possible, even if not needed on a daily basis. He decided on making the engine compartment panels removable.


Each panel was developed and drilled to be attached using stainless steel machine screws threaded into stainless steel threaded inserts. These little beauts were found in the McFeeleys catalog.


Lots of fitting, refitting, crawling...

and groveling......

What is Kens saying about working on a sailboat? It involves being 4 foot tall, with 6 foot arms?

Here is a peek into the lazarette, still needing access holes cut into the bottom...

During this time, a coat of Interlux Brightsides Polyurethane PreCoat was applied and sanded to make the deck beams smooth.

Then, the prelim coats of polyurethane were brushed on parts with a good quality bristle brush.

Foam brushes didnt give the desired quality finish.

Panels and frames were painted and placed, cockpit dropped into place.

The parts are fitted, finished and reinstalled at different times. Its all about the order....one thing depends on another....

Aww...the access holes in the lazarette. After they were cut, it became evident that there was a VERY tight corner against the hull that needed protection and water proofing....inaccessible and too tight to tape with fiberglass. Joints needed to be smushed full of thicken epoxy, and a special tool was made by Richard to create the fillets. He came out bloodied. Add 2" wide hands to those 6 foot arms.

Cardboard templates helped with the brainstorming.

Easier to use the cardboard for establishing the scribe until he got the hang of all the curved parts and structural demands.

This is the view across both settees after the lower storage areas were formed and finished. The port settee (front of pic) has a "kick" under it....that allows access to the port side integral water tanks. Ventilation holes were drilled in the non visible horizontal aspect. The insides were painted with multiple coats of the easily cleanable and repairable Brightsides.

After the cover with access holes created was applied and epoxied into place, the complicated "seat back" was dealt with.....we discovered that there is a reason why backs are usually straight and not slightly contoured.

That sweet curve becomes compound in multiple directions.....Richard also notched for PVC conduit to run electrical.

The port settee was another complicated customization. As there is no V-berth in our petite boat, we planned for a large pull-out berth to share in the main saloon. It needed to be easily accessed with storage beneath and use its own two cushions to cover the entire area. When not extended it would work as a pilot berth with lower seat in front of it.

The "kick" area allows for a wider lower cushion that can move up and forward from its normal position to cover the wider berth in the "open"position.

Lots of trials and brainstorming to contemplate ways of providing adequate support.

More scribing to the hull......

The area under pilot berth has vent holes drilled and is finish for storage.

Notches for PVC conduit for port side electrical are placed.

Epoxying in the settees. No further "red itchy arms" while religiously wearing long sleeves, long cheap vinyl gloves, and respirator.

Looking over the painted deck beams at the epoxy "work bench"....

Looking forward across the painted beams to the beginning of roughing in the head area storage.

The hanging locker and clothing storage start to take shape on the starboard side.

The port side includes a few tool drawers, tool storage, bath sink and bulk storage.

The forepeak will be rope and chain storage, etc, then the anchor locker with the holding tank, then the head (under bench) between the storage cabinets.

The chain plate backers were laminated up....each curved to fit the angle and hull shape at its specified location.

This pic shows the "Big Stretch" technique used for entering the boat.

A beefy oak block was laminated, shaped and applied to the stem in the forepeak. It will become attachment for the bits (they support the bow sprit and function as a sampson post).

Fuel tanks were roughed out of cardboard. A firm decision on materials for the custom tanks have not been made. They are shaped for maximum capacity and fitted to still be ultimately removable. Richard does not want to rip apart the boat to replace them.

A view back toward the engine compartment. Note the supports for the rear galley countertop taking shape.

The beginning of the galley design included a stove mock up.

Janes pride and joy Origo sits in a protected area.

Deck supports, aka "knees", were laminated in stages over several days.

Thin strips laminated using TiteBond 3, to create the full thickness needed for the knees.

Each knees angle is different dependent on its placement..

Here is a completed knee in place against the frame in the saloon. Note the chain plate support installed at the designed angle of pull for the shroud.

Roughed in cabinetry frames are removed and finished on the insides prior to any final installation.

Primed and sanded beadboard is fitted. The cabinetry outside finish will not be applied until the risk of ooze from deck application passes.

Access holes for the curved seatback storage in the starboard settee are cut and finished. The bulkhead will get beadboard after it is extended upward to height and shape of new cabin top.

The quarter berth is in and cabinetry is formed above it.

Countertop is created at rear of galley, and over engine compartment. Note the outside trim is raised. The countertop will be covered with Sapele later.

This is Janes galley. The wood countertop is on the left, the hole for the Origo non-pressurized alcohol stove/oven is straight ahead and a sink is to the right.

Galley cabinetry is coming together. Note stove gimbal on rough spacer.

Access hole inside galley cabinetry......

Every inch is used...

No problem fitting in that pressure cooker! The floor of the left cabinet (behind stove) is lower to help snuggle in bottles and tall containers, .....also a three inch high flat space is create under counter top. Use every inch!

The white paper helps me visualize the undermount stainless sink. I perceive a promise of solid surface countertop and fiddle.....

Looking toward the galley from the saloon.

The top of the centerboard is planned to be trimmed in wood and contain drink holder or other storage with the use of a creative fiddles......to be designed later....

General views from topside, pre-deck....the combo of the nautical looking white beadboard and the bright finished Sapele will keep the small interior bright and larger.

The compound curved settee back rest....pre-upper cabs.

This shows that sweet curve with the beginning of upper cabs and book shelf. The curve was formed by laminating 1/8" marine plywood veneers. Clamping was the hard part. The holes were cut after shaping.

The slightly curved storage doors needed a clever way to keep them from falling into the storage area. Hinges do not work on compound curved doors.

Richard designed a system of cleats on door and seat to retain them....

The bench over the toilet fits nicely with the cabinetry.

Head area is painted with numerous coats of Brightside. Beadboard and trim takes shape.

Front of head bench will be trimmed in painted beadboard.

The solid center of head floor will be replaced with teak grating. Dust is sure amplified with the flash of my poor little camera.

Im likeing the over all feel of the beadboard and Sapele.

This small triangle will become a small shelf with a tall fiddle, once the cabin top is installed. Great for change, glasses etc. Oh, I guess we need to have Mark design that cabin top!

We extended the cabin into a single, and created curved sides. Since we did this, we can not keep the arch of the cabin consistent all the way forward. This would make the vertical sides of the cabin grow taller as it narrowed. Oh no....back to compound curves.....Richard is feeling the call of cold-moulding the deck vs trying to get marine ply to bend in the desired shape.

Richard sent new measurements to Mark to assist in the design and engineering of the cabin top and mast support.

The trim pieces above cabinetry was scribed between the beams to extend up to deck level.

We have decided to make the lower cabs at the "nav station" into the refer....another major upcoming project....

This shows the camber and shape of the deck, as well as the shape of the cabin. All underdeck support for hardware is in place.

It has taken a whole bunch of little projects, each depending on another, to reach this point.

Richard appears dwarfed by the size of the project....but she is really coming together.

A wet Gus and Joy are getting excited too...they havent considered that there may be a reason that they have never seen the inside.... they just love the "family time".

Read More..