Hi what a lovely venue! I have found inserting a flexible length of piano wire into the seem at the foot of the jib sail stops it wrapping itself around the fore stay.

My best yacht is my Graupner Gracia, she still looks lovely on the water every time I sail her. I restored / finished the build of her nearly 20 years ago now. Interesting to note she has a cast iron keel weight!
Roy

Heiho JB-Kiwi!
Actually, I'm a bit jealous because your Optimist is sailing ... while mine is waiting to be revived. But on the other hand, I'm glad that these models still exist. (Of course, this also applies to all other models)
It bothers me that my paddle steamer requires so many solutions.
One day, I hope, mine will be back on the see.
Tinkerer's greetings
Michel-C.

Sailing alone in peace (or with a few friends or relatives) is priceless.
Nice sailing.

Majestic and peaceful👍
Beautiful😋
Well done Mate.
Cheers, Doug😎

Dear Hermank,
I still owe you one, don't forget it. You organised plans for me back then too! I haven't forgotten!
Michel-C.

Michel c
You are really an asset to th forum!!!!!

Hello everyone,

Enclosed for my ship model mates 2 plans as PDF for your disposal.
I hope to make a little Christmas present with these PDF files for those who are looking for something like this.
Good crafting
Michel-C.

Hi Roy, the Gracia is a nice looking Yacht, you did a great job restoring it,- I especially like the cabin style. Was the hull planked,? if so it must have been before they started using ABS (as in the Optimist, Commodore etc). Your deck planking looks good as well, much better than printed.

Re keel material,--I had to make my own lead keel (front half lead, rear half ply) as the original was cast iron, but the small model shop on Norfolk Island (5 miles x 3 miles in size, between Aust and NZ) I bought the kit from back in 78, did not bring the keels in with the kits, as the freight was too expensive. The Optimist kit I bought was the only one in the shop, (and the only one they brought in due to its' size) so I was lucky to get it.

The shop was called 'The Mini Golf Shop', - a tiny shop, owned by a lovely lady named Agnes,- packed to the roof with models, and was known round the world due to its' size and the range of models they carried, plus the fact that Norfolk Island was tax and duty free in those days. They had many Graupner boat and plane models, and I bought and flew 3 different planes, plus a helicopter, and built the Optimist and Commodore boat kits when I came back to NZ (nowhere to run them there). I bought 4 plane kits from other companies and many OS, Supertigre, K&B Veco and other IC motors as well. I Probably had one of the first new OS 4 stroke FS 60 engines in NZ, then as the price on Norfolk was around $180 Aust (tax free) and in NZ they were around $1000! It was a modelers paradise. Spent 2.5 years there.

They opened a bigger store called 'The Bounty Center,' which at one stage sold the most Lego in the world from one shop. I bought many Hornby and Lima model trains from there also.

I built 2 Graupner repro planes from the assembly plans about 5 yrs ago, due to the fact that Graupner plans were all full size with overlays, and you could just copy most parts. The original wings were Obechi over foam, so I had to design built up wings for both planes as well as reproducing all the decals. They fly as well as the originals which were long gone. I've posted all the Graupner models I've built, (most in the 70s and early 80s) and the recent repros, (pics 4,5,6,7,8.) I still have the plans for the Terry, Taxi, Cub, Optimist and Commodore as well as the original boxes for the Cub and helicopter. I also have a Graupner catalogue from 1978 which has an amazing volume of Graupner models and accessories, plus a Graupner Multilader (multi charger) from back then for Nicads.

I've taken pics of the Optimist plans and I'll post them together as a separate post, as they might be useful for reference if anyone has an Optimist they are rebuilding. They can possibly be downloaded and blown up to full size if needed, or if anyone wants a copy of them, they can PM me. The beauty of the old Graupner plans was that you could reproduce the entire model (except for maybe helicopters) with a bit of work and thought, (probably even the Optimist as a planked hull).

JB

Hi JB, the reference icon you put up for the Graupner yachts reminded me that I had built a Libera Ocean. It was for the Int Marine modelling magazine, I had been in Germany where our son lived at that time and I ordered one from a Model shop in Munich.
It was taking a while to arrive. In the meantime I had a phone call from the editor re the next build review. I mentioned my German order and he said that he had one to hand and I could build that one.
A hurriied phone call to Germany and my son cancelled the shop order. Well no response in over 3 weeks was a bit too long.

I did the review and the kit went together very nicely. The hull is built in an odd way. The bulkheads and a lot of the insides are assembled upside down on the upturned deck and when this is done the whole lot is inserted into the hull.

It is about 40 inches long and I decided to have a rehearsal first! Wth a mix of wood and plastic the recommended glue was Stablit Express. This is a 2 part glue with a 10 minute shelf life!

So I had an 80 inch+ glue line to do plus internal bulkhead attachment within the time limit! I did the rehearsal and gathered all the things I needed. This included quarter inch square pine lengths 4 feet long so that the plastic to plastic joint along the deck edge did not show pinch marks where the spring clamps were positioned.

It went OK but was glad I had done a dry run. Looking back I would have used bathroom sealer as all the reinforced parts for supporting the rigging were through the deck into the bulkheads.

She was the fastest sailing boat I ever had and the only one that would plane at speed to the disbelief of on-lookers.

I sold her on about 8 years ago as the 2 masts with all the rigging took ages to set up at the pond side!

Regards
Roy

Does your optimist have a lead keel? My gracia has a cast iron keel as at the time lead was at a premium. A magnet clings to it!

My Gracia was given to me by a semi professional model maker. He had had the hull with a view to restoring her but decided not to as he was busy. I had put a request on another web site for a Gracia in any state and he passed her on to me. I had the hull as shown and a broken mast and I already had some plans.

I worked on her for a month around June 2006. The deck was stained and irretrievable so I used it as a pattern to plank the deck, which I enjoyed doing. The planks are all joggled into the king plank.

The tiller arm is I think 11 layers of 1/32nd. ply and is the second one. She was at an exhibition and someone had loosened it and stolen it!!! So I made another.

Sorry not meaning to hi-jack your Optimist thread nice to post with someone who appreciates the old Graupner yacht kits.

Roy

Hi Roy, a couple of nice yachts ! The Optimist is 1.04m (41") long x 280mm (10" wide), and the mast is 1.35m ( 53") to the deck, so a good size. I like your Gracia, (circa 1964) not sure if it's modeled off a full sized boat, but being Graupner it probably is, as most of Graupners' larger models are copies of 100% boats.

https://www.allradiosailboats.com/designer/graupner

Hi jb, I have run a yacht with a large jib and no jib boom and I inserted a length of piano wire into the lower seam of the sail. It is flexible so not too large a diameter.😋

This did give a lot more control to the shape of the sail and you can fit a kicker as well.

This is Endeavour 40 inches loa. The sails are made from mylar film
regards
Roy

Hi jb I did not know that Optimist was a model of an actual full size yacht.

I have a model of the Gracia very similar to the Optimist but is 36 inches loa. One of my favourite models. Funnily enough I made a very similar winch control unit with a pulley on a stick which locates in the bow in a hard to get at peg.

Do you know if this had a prototype.

regards
Roy

Hi Len, The older you get the worse it gets 🤔🤣All working perfectly now (I think)

JB

I was wondering how you going to set the mast in place.😋Len

Hello Jb,
I think that if the whole structure was already totally rotten, I will modify it according to certain ideas. Something like the enclosed pictures.
My friends who sail the seas with their Trinity have inspired me with their photos. But first the Mississippi steamer has to be finished. Then yes, then . . .
(It's been stored untouched in a box from one corner to the other for over 35 years, poor thing).

As I said, one thing at a time . . . otherwise it literally gets out of hand!
Best wishes, your Michel-C.

Hi Michel C,

looks like you've made a start. Yours looks like it has the original cast iron keel? I had to make my own from lead, as when I bought my kit in 1978 on Norfolk Island (between Australia and NZ) while working there, the model shop didn't import the keels with the kit, as they were sold separately, and were too heavy and expensive to ship all the way from Germany to the island.
Are you going to rebuild it to original, or modify it. I still have the original kit plans, and I think I have photographed them already for someone previously on the site a few years back, so if you need any info I can see if I can find the photos.

JB

Hello JB!
I saw your contribution by chance. . .
When I think that I still have a similar corpse waiting for me . . .
Had to remove everything, was completely smashed.
I was really frustrated for a moment . .😔😔😔
Good luck!
BB Michel-C.

Hi Mike, I don't actually belong to that club as they mainly sail the very expensive one class IOR boats, but as the lake is in a public space, anyone can use it. The club installed the jetty which is very handy for launching any boat type (if a little high) but the height doesn't worry them, as they drop their yachts in by the mast (as I had to do with the Optimist, - crook knees)

These guys are far too fanatical to be fun, -rules, rules, rules, electronic voice start countdown clock, strict class rules and stupidly expensive boats etc. You could buy a full sized sailing/racing dinghy for the price of these models. I prefer to just quietly enjoy modeling and not be told what and how I should do it. A lot of these guys have never owned a real boat but go completely overboard with these models, but there are some who have full sized Yachts and do this in between outings. There is also a club in a gated community in Orewa where I live, but only for residents. (see pic)

When I first built this model back in 79, I mainly sailed it in the sea, as we lived right on a beach. A few fittings got a bit corroded, but it has lasted well being an original quality Graupner kit. There are always stainless fittings etc (now has wire stays replaced with stainless ) if I ever want to sail down the road in the big estuary. Still to take the airboat down on a calm day😁

JB

I've been having a look at your club web site, its a very inviting piece of water, I bet your itching to get that new boat on the water

Hi Martin, Re- be strange seeing her in the water after about 22 years

It will be like launching a new boat, as last time it had no radio gear and was just free sailing so my son (pictured) could see it going, (I'd sold the winch years previously and taken everything out) My son is now 27 and nearly 6ft so it's been a while, (boat is about 66" from mast to keel)

JB

Re snowing there, frozen pond etc,-

Hi Graham, - just to make you really jealous, this was my place at 7am on Wed morning, nice sea mist rolling inland, 20deg C clear sky😁,- but it only lasts till 9am then the wind picks up, (pos 12mph) and it could cloud over and start raining at the drop of a hat. Hard to plan anything during our summer. I suggested to my neighbour that he connected the downpipe on his house to fill his above ground pool which he assembles every year (about 1000 gals),- so he made up an 80mm system from the house, round his big deck/garage and into the pool. It had poured down a few days earlier so it looked promising, but no rain for 2 weeks. He filled the pool from his tap (we are on water restrictions still and it's illegal to use a hose without a cut-off/trigger gun).

Cost him about $80 to fill it, and guess what, 3 days later it absolutely hosed down the whole day and he had so much water it overflowed the pool completely. He had to get his 3 girls to jump in and try and get some of the water out. He's gone away for a week and has had to turn the pipe around to run on the drive. I was chuckling away when it was overflowing, as I had suggested the pipe about a week before the first rain, which would have filled it no problem. Just been raining again yesterday quite hard and his pipe was going great guns.

Pretty much always windy in summer here,( between 8-20mph avg) just enough to make going out in a 12ft dinghy hard work,- too rough to go fast and not pleasant for boat fishing, and at the moment, blazing hot, (still thousands out sunbathing, sucking up our dangerous high UV sun)

JB

Looks great JB. 👍 Looking forward to seeing it on the water.

“Just waiting for a good day”. Know how you feel! In addition to the Covid lockdown restrictions, it is -3C and snowing here. My garden pond is frozen solid - can’t even get PD Donald, the duck, out on the water 😂

Graham93

Jb,
I bet that will feel strange seeing her in the water after about 22 years.
Does the Mazda have a sun roof? LOL!!

If the car starts wandering all over the road you will have to lower the sails LOL!!

Martin555.

Looking Good Love these old timers.
Good luck with the test
Ian👍👍👍