The VMW Marlin Cabin Cruiser by Robbob Preface. At the time of writing, I’ve had the construction of this boat on ‘the back burner’ since July 2022. By then I had spent about two months on and off constructing the boat to a stage where I could consider applying a glassfibre cloth and epoxy finish to the hull. However I couldn’t spend any more time on the Marlin project as I had a more important project to undertake, which was to paint, decorate, refurbish and prepare our house for sale so that we could downsize and move to a new area now that our kids had all fled the nest. Fast forward to today (mid-April 2025) and it’s taken a while to get the new house and gardens into shape and settle in, with the emphasis on converting my internal garage into a great new workshop, I can finally pick up from where I left off. Introduction to the kit. This new model is the latest undertaking by Vintage Model Works, now famous for their very popular models of the RAF Crash Rescue Tender and Thames River Police Boat kits which are based on old Aerokits and Veron designs. The Marlin is a re-working of an original Veron design by the late Phil Smith in 1953. His son Colin Smith, who was also responsible for the re-design of the Thames River Police Boat, has made some changes to his father’s design to take advantage of more modern materials and production methods such as CNC and laser cutting. The photograph below is of a prototype built by Colin Smith to give you an idea of how the boat looks in finished form. And there is also a review of the Marlin that appeared in Model Maker magazine, November 1953. The size remains at 36” and it employs the same construction method as the original. The spacious cabins of the boat makes it very easy to accommodate all the latest control hardware required, not that the original was lacking in that area even when the radio systems used valves and large batteries and the propulsion was usually IC or a large electric motor. Even the pre-production sample the Vintage Model Works kit supplied to me is well presented with a full size drawing including a pictorial construction sequence and separate pages of building instructions. All the required materials are supplied in quality ply, balsa, strip-wood and dowel including clear plastic sheets for the windscreens, and various white metal deck fittings. The builder is of course required to supply their own adhesives and paint of choice, as well as the propulsion, drive train and radio control gear. In the latter respect I will likely restrict control to throttle and rudder and not add any lighting or other features. That has already been done magnificently by Mike Turpin. Construction. As with the Thames river police boat, another Veron design, construction starts with the assembly of a box structure onto which formers and bulkheads are attached to make the basic hull shape. I will be tackling this in the first part of my build blog which I hope you will enjoy following and I encourage you to ask questions, leave comments and hopefully some ‘likes’ as I make progress. Robbob.

Haven't built anything for a while due to lack of space (too many models) but the urge to build something was too great. After looking at many options, I decided to go with something 'easy' to build. I found some full size plans for an Australian MkI Moth which I'm building to a MKII (double chine) style. I'm building in foam and glass again to make things easier. It's 850mm long and 310 wide which is roughly 1/4 scale (original is 11 ft) Started by converting all the lofting measurements on the redrawn 1953 plan to metric and dividing them by 4 to get the scale. Next was creating the ply deck, then contact gluing onto it a piece of dense 50mm building polystyrene. This was then shaped with a surform file and the chines shaped afterwards using eyeometry. Then the 10mm deck foam was glued on so the deck sheer could be shaped. Next the cockpit foam was routered out, and basswood sides and inner transom piece epoxied in. After that, the ply outer transom piece and hardwood nose block was epoxied on. The centerboard case upper and lower ply braces were routered out (using the mill and a 1/2" slotting bit) large enough to accept the case sides, leaving enough room for the 6mm aluminium keel (can't use a centerboard for obvious reasons) which will have to have a bulb fitted. A rebate in the bottom of the hull was routered out for the lower c/board brace. These braces are needed to form part of a box structure with the floor and cockpit sides which the c/board can lever on. Once everything is eventually glassed in, it will make it very strong unit, so the foam will just be the shape surrounding the box, and not having any strain put on it. The ply deck will take the strain of the stays/mast. The cockpit floor was cut, and will be slotted the same as the braces, then the c/board case will be built. The mast on this is 1.486m tall, - sail is -luff -11.295, foot 609mm, so quite large for a small boat. The full sized boat is a lot of fun to sail, so this model will be interesting to sail. Unfortunately, without the human input required, and being a performance boat, it may assume the attributes of a submarine in a stiff breeze, - time and testing will tell. The basic mast was made from 12mm ally tube, boom from 10mm. Sail pattern was cut from art card to the plan. All laid out on the floor to get an idea of what it will look like. PDF is the history of the Moth. There were a number of versions round the world as it went along,- scow, international moth (dinghy type) and todays high speed foiling moth. Lots more to do yet JB 2025 world champs, off the Whangaparaoa peninsula, just up from where I live. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuLhJ-yRLmc https://australianclassicdinghynetwork.org/moth https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWkd2e8apSI https://www.moth.asn.au/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAifFN0RJ0M

Hello all! Before my two week sojourn out to California starting tomorrow... Here she is, all 31 inches and 4.8 pounds of 3D printed 1/10th scale madness. And the questions are starting arise after more than a few hours spent in research. How to get her to plane even close to scale? 1) EDF? Probably not, actually I don't think even a 90mm fan, (which will, in fact, push a faomy jet) will ever get this boat to plane. 2) Prop? Maybe with dual 6s and a killer motor, monster cooling etc. But, nowhere near scale with a big prop hanging out the back. 3) Turbine? probably yes, but way out of my league in mechanicals and $$. There will be tons of head-scratching my quickly balding head on this experiment. This is going to go on the shelf for the long haul as my freighter needs finishing and the big Sterling Chris Craft Corvette is screaming at me. But, off to Cali for now...I will drop some pix from time to time of our travels. Best to all!

Today was another part constructed. The motor mount is built, the propeller shaft and the propeller is installed need to wait till the glue sets and then I'll glue the motor in place.

The Northern Bay lobster and sport fishing boats are built in Qgunquit, Maine. Known as Down East boats they are semi-displacement hulls. They are very good sea boats stable in heavy seas. Compared to semi-vee hulls common to many other sport fisherman boats in the U.S. the Down East hulls tend to be wet boats. As with everything else, boat design is always a compromise. 1&2 The inspiration 3&4 Beginning steps

I've bought the above kit to keep me busy during these dark dank winter months. Originally I had planned to build a 880mm (34.6") Bluebird of Chelsea plank on frame kit. It is a famous pleasure craft built for Sir Malcolm Campbell and took part in rescuing soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk under 'Operation Dynamo' in 1940. Unfortunately much to my bitter disappointment only the larger 52" version now is available which is too big for myself. I'm hoping some kit builder will make a kit of this craft at about 36" so in the meantime here goes with LISA M The kit has an ABS hull (a bonus for my hands these days!) and laser cut plywood parts. The kit also comes with an electric motor so all you need is a servo and speed control plus the usual R/C gear and battery. A set of English instructions were also provided which are a reasonable translation with the odd error here and there! I feel they could be a bit more specific in places so study the photos. The ABS hull comes with about 1 1/4" (about 300mm) extra height above the deck level which needs cutting down to be about 2mm above the temporary fitted deck level. This wasn't that easy but in the end I used a pair of tin snips to cut it which proved to be better than using a Stanley Knife. I have drilled and filed the holes in the ABS hull for the prop shaft tube and rudder tube. I've now assembled the deck coaming, motor mount, battery box and supports for the rudder tube. Next job is to waterproof the deck on both sides, and all the other assembled plywood parts. Having seen another blog, I've decided to strengthen the wood around the rudder tube by using an offcut from the wood provided for the boat stand. I will smooth the edges when the glue has set!

Hi y’all..it’s been a minuet since I’ve been on here. Getting ready for Christmas, the annual NTMS Christmas party, work, etc. I haven’t been at my bench for a few weeks, so I decided to drag a simple kit out of my stash and build it up…the Graupner Pollux. This kit has been gone thru, some of the vac formed parts have been cut out but not finished, but it’s very buildable. First thing I had to do is build a stand. I pulled my trusty Ryobi scroll saw out from its hiding spot under the bench, got it set up, then the blade broke…and I couldn’t remember where I put my spare blades. So I built the stand up using plasticard for the uprights which I reinforced with 1/8 in ply strip, and used dowels to connect them together. I then looked at the kit and plans. I did not have anything similar to the Speed 180 gearbox called for, so after I trimmed and sanded the hull I made up a motor mount for a 28mm outrunner. The motor I’m using is a little hotter than I would like, it’s 750KV, which is not a “hot” motor in any stretch but is a little hotter than I would have liked…but it’s in my stock, so I used it. The shaft was missing from the kit, so I had an 1/8 in I.D Dumas tube and shaft that I cut down to suit. I have a few 3 blade props in the right size for this boat, they’re set up for a drive dog or pin style shaft. They are made for a 3 mm shaft, so it was easy to clean out with a 3.2 (1/8) drill bit to fit my chosen hardware. I also am using a rudder from my parts stock, which I started to mount in the original location, didn’t like that so I moved it aft a bit to give a little more clearance for prop installation. The original hole is filled from the inside by the rudder tube support, the rest of the fill will be done later. After I got every thing ready I checked fit and alignment then glued every down. I then built up a servo mount and did a Buick install and test on the linkage, after that I glued down a battery floor. That’s where’s she’s at now, I’m going to get the ESC and receiver mounted using Velcro, and once I’m statisfied that I can access them via the hatch I’ll start on the deck. Cash

Hi all, just posting a summary of (mainly) previously posted pics to kick off this build log and show progress to date since I first started researching the building of this 'leviathan' last year. I'm currently at a stage where I have acquired the necessary propshaft/tube/propellor assembly and awaiting delivery of my chosen powertrain. The timber for most of the build has been sourced, so now I have finished other projects, all that really remains is to get on with it!! 1)The plan... 2)Drawing bulkhead and keel templates from plan 3)Bulkhead paper shapes stuck to 3/8 ply - I chose to make the bulkheads slightly thicker for extra gluing area and because I need to have ply-skin joins across certain bulkhead positions as standard modelling ply lengths do not go to 54". Some of these may have lightening holes cut in them for better internal access to equipment - haven't decided yet. 4)bulkheads cut out and trimmed/notched for stringers. Waiting for keel cut out, as a couple of issues regarding installation of the prop tube into the keel pieces have arisen; I need to accommodate the two oilers somehow, and the original keel pieces need to have another piece added to support the prop shaft all the way to the prop bearing - I'll post details when I've sorted it out...I hope 5)Original 10mm pine keel pieces cut out and assembled over plan - not yet glued up as an extra piece still required 6),7) & 8) Lots of spruce strips!! - spliced together to make up pieces approx. 70" in length for 3/16x3/8 chine stringer laminations, 1/4sq. sub-stringers, 3/6 sq spray rails and keel doublers. 9)18" 3-bush 3/8dia prop tube with oilers/tubes at two bearing positions, 3" diameter 3 blade propellor fashioned from 1mm brass sheet to be fitted to M5 thread on 3/16 steel shaft. I had this specially made up by Bill Nordmeyer who owns SAB Model Boat Fittings - thanks Bill! The brushless motor and speed controller should be arriving in the next week or two. When they do, I intend to set up an engine/propshaft test to see what the performance specs are like prior to installing the tube in the keel. Once this has taken place I'll be able to post again. Until then , best regards, Nick

Happy Groundhog Day fellow model boaters. Seemed like a good day to start a build blog after the weather we have been having here in SE Texas. From hurricanes to snow fall, now nice sunny temps in the 70's. I asked my grandson earlier this summer what boat would he want me to build next. Without hesitation, he said a cargo ship showing me a picture of a Maresk Lines container ship in a children's picture book. I thought about this one for several weeks wondering how to build a realistic replica of something that large. My dry dock isn't very big, and the Admiral frowns on large models. One morning at breakfast I was peeling my banana, and I realize the perfect boat. A quick google search verified my thinking of the perfect cargo ship. I have lived in this area all my life, and my first job was in the small gulf port town of Freeport, Texas. In the early 80's it basically only served the shrimp boat operators and commercial fishermen as well as a few cargo ships for Dow Chemical and the like. The size does not compare to the Port of Houston or even Galveston. However, in the 90's the Dole Fruit Company started operations delivering containers of tropical fruit for distribution to the US. At that time I was commuting to Houston for work, and would see the Dole container trucks on the road and would chuckle to myself "must be a banana boat in port! The Dole company just celebrated 30 years of service in Freeport, and in 2023 launched two sister container ships, the Aztec and Maya, specifically for the Gulf of Mexico deliveries. These are smaller ships which I estimate carry only about 500 containers. Since I could not find any plans on the internet for a smaller container ship, I decided to make my own. From pictures of the Aztec, I free handed a graph paper drawing of what I intended to build, and when satisfied, I produced a CAD version in Autosketch. The attached pictures are of the Aztec in port at Gulfport MS.. The Maya being built in drydock. My hand drawn rendering on graph paper, and a .PDF of the cad version with bulkhead detail. The model ship will be about 26.5 inches long with a width of about 4.5". I plan to have a brushless motor driving a 1 inch 5 bladed brass prop. Chris

Made the bilge keels from two laminations of mahogany sheet to get the correct thickness and then glued them in place. Once this was done I was able to return to the superstructure. Drilled the holes for the portholes and then glued the cabin sides in position. Made the forward cabin front window and glued in followed by that for the rear cabin. Bolted and screwed the upper support for the drop keel whilst I still had easy access. Really starting to take shape now but still a long way to go! Chris

This is a classic wave master it was built in the fifty's a nd a internet buy I have stripped out the rc engine and its tanks now on the research stage there are a few issues rear end smack thats had a poor repair done and the spray rails do not fit well of its history I know nothing

Well, I'm about to start my Vosper. I painted the crew, glued the transom in place. made a rudder up because I'm just thinking about how I'll propel the boat, rummage around in the drawers for a motor and drive shaft prop that may take a while. The model is about 24 inches in length, and the third photo shows that it takes 7 screws to hold it to the hull easily, but it may be a problem changing batteries. Lots of thinking will be needed to R/C the Vosper.P/S Ron gave me some ideas so thanks, Ron.