Thanks Will, but as per my post I already have them. Sorry wasn't very clear that I have them in PDF.

I'm trying not to start any new builds! Though I've printed off the Sprite outboard project!! 🤔

Chris

Bob is correct Chris, I have the plans as a pdf that I can send you. I'll try and remember to do it in the next couple of days.

Will

Hi Bob

No plans but that's no problem as they are amongst some that Harry sent some time ago. I prefer them on the computer anyway as I can print them off to suit my carbon paper transfer method and make other changes e.g. size, though in this case it's probably fine as it is.

Remora.

That was a good stroke of luck Chris 👍

If the plans are still in the centrefold of the magazine, I can really recommend building your own Remora as it is one of those timeless designs that really does suit the modern era of small brushless motors and LiPo batteries - possibly even better than the original intended .21 glow engines.

My Remora is a few years old now, and although it was designed as a competition boat for the old “Steering Competition”, it performs beautifully with a modern electric motor.

If you don’t have a plan a believe that Will has a download or I can let you have my original magazine plan. Although this original plan is a little fragile now, it is still in one piece and is very usable.

Bob.

I've got that magazine - it was amongst some old ones I bought for a Fairey article.

Chris

One of the plans that I enjoyed building from the most came free with the December 1964 Model Maker magazine….probably because it was the first model boat I had ever built from a plan.

Vic Smeed’s REMORA design builds easily from this free plan and the design still performs really well today with a brushless motor - although the one I built in 1965 had an OS21 Marine engine to power it.

LewZ showed us his idea of making a lighting box as a way of copying plans, and this idea would be brilliant for copying old plans like this one as it was originally printed on cheap yellow paper (it was free!) and over the last 66 years it has become a little fragile to handle!

The option that Lew suggested about simply taping it onto a window to copy is a very simple method that is only restricted by the size of window available, and the weather (if an outside window is being used).

Lew’s method for copying a plan can also be employed to copy the parts (such as bulkheads) from the plan without damaging it as well, so it is quite a good practical idea.

Making card templates for the parts to be cut worked well for me as the ones I made in 1964 are still good and were used again when I build my second Remora many years later.

Building a simple model like this as a first time effort helps to build confidence for future more complex builds, and in my case it was a TID tug that followed using the same technique of making card templates from old cereal packets for all the parts that needed to be cut.

Bob.

Hi Roy,

You are so right, it is so much easier to say “no” than to make any effort (or take any possible risk) to provide or support a facility such as an area of suitable water that can be used for model boats.

This situation is far worse now than it was in the 1960’s when “those in authority” were much more accommodating than they are now.

When we asked for “official permission” to run our Classic Model Power Boats on the local waterways in the 1960’s, our club was granted a “pleasure boat licence”, so for a small annual fee we became bonafide users of our local Avon and Kennet Canal and the local stretch of the River Avon.

I bet they wouldn’t do that now.

Bob.

Hi Zooma you are right Health and Safety have left a trail of filled in ponds and neglect mostly done by local councils where 'No' is so much easier than considering a possible Yes.

Fisherman pay lots of £££s for exclusive use of ponds. We have a lot of ex-quarry ponds but no access. You might find local libraries have an on-line list clubs and societies that might help find a place.

Back in the 1890's when Royalty was sailing their yachts it filtered down to would be Captains who would run a sailing club and have 'their man' build and sail their yacht but collect the trophy if they won. Gradually with various conflicts Royal yachting's last phase was Prince Phillip and his yacht.

I note that Princess Anne has a yacht a Rustler 44 which she sails in and around Scotland with her husband. Two Admirals on one boat there's a thought!

Sorry for the aside but society has left the act of making and doing and has gone over to preening and image.

Roy

Hi Cheddarman,

As a fellow model boat enthusiast from Somerset, I was also surprised at the lack of model boating facilities in the county when I first started looking for somewhere to run my first model - an Aerokits Swordsman.

When I joined the Bath Model Power Boat Club back in the mid 60's we used to run on the Avon and Kennet Canal in Bath, and on the River Avon at Saltford where we managed to find a nice access point to launch (and recover) our Classic Model Power Boats next to a small parking area alongside the road and the river.

We had members joins us from the surrounding area - a good friend of mine (Roland Steemson) use to drive over to run with us from Trowbridge with his plan built Swordsman and we often drove around the county (and strayed into Wiltshire) to try out any village pond or lake that we could gain any reasonable access to run our Swordman models on.

Most of the ponds and lakes were unsuitable for one reason of another, and the local boating lake in Victoria Park (Bath) really was just too small (and often over-crowded with small toy yachts etc) for use with our Classic Model Power Boats.

.......hence why we run from many different locations on the River Avon (including on the water both above and below the famous weir) but mainly in Saltford where we found the most user friendly stretch of water with good access.

The bowl at the end of the canal in Withycombe (behind Morning Star Racing Motors) was another favourite weekend and evening meeting place where we enjoyed running our model together.

Word and mouth and messages left in our local model shops "The Modellers Den" and "Cyril Howes Models" helped to keep everyone aware of where were were going to meet-up over the large area that we frequented to help everyone stay in touch.

Bob.

Mark II ready for sea trials, only problem there isn't a lake anywhere near here!!