Getting the ballast just right on a conversion project is time consuming but once you get it, the pleasure of sailing begins. It makes take several attempts but keep at it.

Nerys and Ron, Still working on a bit more keel weight and trying other rudder profile surface areas to improve turning ! - I think the last two videos may illustrate the need for further improvement in these areas.

What a superb collection of different boats you get sailing at Buxton. Thank you for videoing them Phil.

Cheers, Nerys

Nice model Ron, pretty good representation 👍 Looks like it's actually done some work.

JB

Ron, I think you've built an excellent representation of the real thing, well done.

Cheers, Nerys

Nice conversion , where is she sailing?

Location here is Buxton Derbyshire,we sail at the Pavilion Gardens.👍

Great to be able to take the model on board the real thing. I was lucky that way as well, being able to visit the EX RNZAF 63ft HSL (although converted now to a luxury launch) with my model, and the owner was stoked. He had only seen black and white pics of it during the war, but as I had been on board it in original form (1968 before it was first modified,- this is its' 3rd cabin mod) I had done the model in it's original colours ) Funny how close it looks to the original (just coincidence according to him)

You're lucky the real boat was still original! (and in beautiful condition as well by the looks of it.) Bet they'd love your model mounted inside somewhere!

JB

Hi Garth, think I found the pool- Spencers on the waterfront ? If that's the one,-very nice!

JB

That's the pool for running model boats in Burlington Ontario Canada. It was closed most of the summer & all the boat guys are happy to be running .We sailed at the Leander Boat club on the Hamilton Harbor in the spring but the green algae started & weeds got real bad so off to Burlington . Your summer is coming & our fall is almost here.

Hi JB,

I'm afraid my days of building real boats are long past. I have difficulty in finding enough strength to perform even the simplest tasks, Alice has to come to my aid for almost everything these days. I was very pleased that I managed to finish the rigging of my latest barge project a few days ago with only the slightest intervention from her -and that's a model!. Actually the only time I ever built a boat from a plan was when someone gave me a part built Wharram cat. The rest of the time I built on the old adage of if it looks right, it probably is. And, blowing my own trumpet, it always seemed to work for me.

Cheers, Nerys

Hi Nerys, you're doing well to do what you are doing still under the circumstances, and you are not just sitting in a wicker chair staring out the window. Your models are great and a credit to you, and you are obviously enjoying them. I'm the same (re - if it looks right.......) as most of my models, (boats and planes) are scratch built or highly modified kits or resurrected and improved bin jobs from other modellers.

The only model boat I've built from a proper plan, was my Vic Smeed MTB, the rest have been from drawings from model magazines. I built a 15ft delta hulled racer in the late 70s using the 'looks right' method, and powered it with a 75hp outboard. Managed to get 50mph out of it, and it handled quite well. Blew the motor up before I could refine it unfortunately. As kid we built 8ft skimmers, powered with a 10hp outboard which were a lot of fun as well.

I've enjoyed restoring 5 small boats (plus a f/glass clinker sailing dinghy for my son) and completely fitting out my Hartley from a shell, but the price of materials is getting prohibitive these days, and approaching the price of a small new car to build anything around 20ft. My 15ft day sailer for example (built 1986) would probably cost around $12,000 to build today complete. Not a lot of home building these days unfortunately due to the cost,- cheaper to buy a second hand boat ready to sail or motor.

I think we are lucky to be able to build from an idea without a plan and have it work, as many people are not as fortunate. Perhaps boating experience gives you an idea of how things should work. We have a top boatbuilding company here who started building fantastic launches, starting with a 'looks right' half model,- taking measurements from it and scaling them up. Has worked well for them since the 50s

Stay Safe.
JB

Hi Ed,

The link is fixed. The space in the URL is deliberately added to avoid some web browsers trying to stretch the page width. The gallery works a bit differently to the rest of the site (different code), but I've just enabled the displaying of links.

Thanks
Stephen

Thank you Stephen and Doug for helping to get the video fixed. It makes a big difference to the post! Ed

'Naiad' is an interesting concept of a very traditional design. I like her lines and it's good to see a good old gaff rigged boat being built today.
Likewise 'Emma', lovely old Bristol Pilot cutter, sailing well. You have some good boats at Buxton.

Nerys