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🎂 EdH turns 76 this week! 🎂
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Liked Re: Scratch Built 31" 'Blue Moppie' 5 months ago
Liked Re: Scratch Built 31" 'Blue Moppie' 5 months ago
Liked Re: Scratch Built 31" 'Blue Moppie' 5 months ago
Liked Re: Revamping a Damaged Model Schooner for a Non Profit 7 months ago
Liked Re: Revamping a Damaged Model Schooner for a Non Profit 7 months ago
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💬 Re: Scratch Built 31" 'Blue Moppie'
5 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH (
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Thanks Bill. I’m not sure if my grandson will ever get into building models but he enjoys driving them! We live on the Maine coast so my models have to run in salt water. No problem as long as they are washed down right away and any cooling lines flushed out. I also spray WD 40 through the cooling system if they aren’t going to be used again right away.
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📝 Scratch Built 31" 'Blue Moppie'
5 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
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Spent Saturday morning and afternoon in the Whaler with my 14 year old grandson, giving the model I built for him, Blue Moppie, her first two runs. To my relief she performed flawlessly, with no bad habits in the turns, even at ridiculously high scale speeds (250mph?). I think this is a huge tribute to the hull of the famous original ground breaking machine. The last picture is the original Blue Moppie. The 3100KV motor gave plenty of speed even with a 3 cell LiPo. It supposedly can handle a 4 cell. The prop is a three blade Octura, 1.57" x 1.88" total pitch. The very end of the second video shows her flattened out at full speed, while in the third video the transmitter is set to 50% power giving more realistic speeds (I like this feature). My grandson seemed to handle her ok and she went home with him. It was a beautiful day, although a bit windy, but we managed to find a couple of sheltered coves in the Sheepscott Estuary. We both had a good day!
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💬 Re: Revamping a Damaged Model Schooner for a Non Profit
7 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
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Hi flaxbybuck. Malibar II is 42', so considerably smaller and your reasoning makes sense. The sail you describe is a Gollywobbler, but unlike a headsail, it was normally attached by four corners. One on each mast head, one at the foot of the foremast and one loose footed. Thanks for your interest. Ed
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💬 Re: Revamping a Damaged Model Schooner for a Non Profit
7 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
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Thank you flaxbybuck. She's a model of Malabar II (although they kept the deck and cabin varnished instead of white). She was designed and built by John Alden and always had the single staysail sail plan. In the video in my later post, they mentioned that the sail plan was kept simple for easy handling. Maybe John Alden liked to race her with a small crew!
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📝 Scratch Built 31" 'Blue Moppie'
8 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
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The figures for ‘Blue Moppie’ are done. The moulding of the clay originals went smoothly. I made clay casings, suspended the figures, filled them with silicone, broke the casings, then the clay figures to get them out of the silicone. The arms were cast separately. Next came making the figures in resin. I was prepared to rotate the moulds as the resin dried, making a hollow figure to save weight, but to my surprise the resin turned out to be light. A bonus, as these figures stand high up on the model, but when I started to sand areas of the face, the surface tended to crumble and expose a honeycomb, which explained the lack of weight. I had to use wood filler to get these areas reasonably smooth. As I started painting I realized the result would have been far better if I had simply fired the clay figures and painted them, but I still feel the resin will stand up better to the inevitable knocks the figures will get. I chose this resin as it was one that advertised it could be painted, but I wouldn’t use it again. I had originally tried to find pictures of Sam Griffith, who drove her, both at Cowes and when she so convincingly broke the record from Miami to New York in 1961, to get a likeness, but with all the finishing problems, I’m glad I didn't. I can't imagine driving this open boat for that distance in open ocean, with no electronics, just a chart, a compass and dead reckoning. The figures are glued and screwed to the cockpit and the hands epoxied to the rail/steering wheel. In the water test, she floated upright and exactly on her waterline, so the lead shot I use to make these fine changes wasn’t needed! The power this thing has is incredible! While I had the bathtub full, I also tested Maid Rosalind and she was also right on the money.
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📝 Scratch Built 31" 'Blue Moppie'
9 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
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The electronics are in on ‘Blue Moppie’. The control switches can't be on the lift off cabin top, as the two parts would have to have a wire running between them! The only option was the narrow aft deck. I always try to hide the control switches and this time I put them under a hinged exhaust vent. The real boat didn't have one, but it doesn't look too out of place. The switch turns on the speed control, fan and the radio, but because there is still a slow drain even when the switch is off, I added a ‘key’ plug, which when removed, disconnects the battery completely. LiPo batteries can of course get unstable if their voltage gets too low, so this avoids running the battery down, or worse, if the model is left for longer periods with it still connected. The only time he will have to take the cabin top off would be to recharge the battery. The figures are missing as I have started casting them, which is something I’ve never done before, but it seems to be going ok. For those that are interested, the motor is a fan cooled 3100 KV brushless, powered by an 11.1 v LiPo, via an 80 amp ESC. Because this motor spins so fast (35,000 no load rpm), I used a relatively small diameter prop, with a steep pitch. 1.57” x 1.88”.
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📝 Revamping a Damaged Model Schooner for a Non Profit
9 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
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When we found the model I have been renovating is of Malabar ll (see previous post), Michael, the model’s donor, found this beautiful modern video of the actual boat. This is a preview but if you subscribe you can see the whole thing. They have many fabulous videos of traditional boats.
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📝 Revamping a Damaged Model Schooner for a Non Profit
9 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
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I’ve just about finished the model schooner we are donating to The Carpenter's Boat Shop. This week I worked on the rigging, which was in quite a mess. The rig uses hooks instead of more realistic fittings, which did however simplify things. Several blocks were missing so I made more from hardwood. Though tempted to make something less boxy and more accurate, I realized I would have to replace all 19! The jaws on the main gaff needed a graft. For some reason, the main mast hoops were missing. I decided to add rolling balls to new hoops, threading tiny 1/16” balls on fine wire, which was easier than using thread, but still a test! One of the model pages I follow found her origin. She is a model of Malabar ll. The famous marine architect John Alden designed and built several boats for himself, all called Malabar, which he raced and cruised. This is number 2. There is a nice kit offered for this same boat, but this is a prebuilt solid shelf model. She’s going to a worthy cause. https://www.carpentersboatshop.org takes in 10 apprentices for 9 months and through community living, building beautiful boats and helping others, it changes a lot of lives. Check it out. She’s 4’ long and 3’ 8” high so can't be shipped.
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💬 Re: Revamping a Damaged Model Schooner for a Non Profit
9 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
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Thanks Gary and all the best for 2023. Ed
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💬 Re: Revamping a Damaged Model Schooner for a Non Profit
9 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
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ChrisG another modeling site filled me in. She's a model of Malabar ll. John Alden designed and built several boats for himself, all called Malabar, which he raced and cruised. There is a nice kit offered for this Malabar, but this is a prebuilt solid shelf model. Best, Ed
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💬 Re: Scratch Built 31" 'Blue Moppie'
9 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
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Colin H, he was indeed smiling! For me, the pleasure is in the building and I hope he enjoys really using it the way he wants to, rather than keeping it on a shelf. Damage is bound to happen, but if he brings enough pieces back, I've told him I can rebuild it!
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💬 Re: Revamping a Damaged Model Schooner for a Non Profit
9 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
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Ron H, thank you.
Tony Ash, lots of sanding, finishing with very fine wet and dry. Residue removed with mineral spirits. Spray paint was the better quality Rustoleum.
ChrisG, I think this will have to be local pick up. From other model sites, we found it is a model of Malabar ll. John Alden built many Malabars for himself to cruise and race. This is a solid model of number 2, sold fully built, but there is also a quite different kit offered, many of which have been finished to a very high standard. This boat is a strange mixture. The hull and much of the woodwork is finished beautifully, but some fittings and rigging are fairly low quality. The cheap hooks on the end of lines is a tell tale sign for a boat made say in China or Russia, but she is still an impressive model, well worth saving. I hope you had an enjoyable Christmas and wish you all the best for the New Year.
Thank you everyone for your interest.
Tony Ash, lots of sanding, finishing with very fine wet and dry. Residue removed with mineral spirits. Spray paint was the better quality Rustoleum.
ChrisG, I think this will have to be local pick up. From other model sites, we found it is a model of Malabar ll. John Alden built many Malabars for himself to cruise and race. This is a solid model of number 2, sold fully built, but there is also a quite different kit offered, many of which have been finished to a very high standard. This boat is a strange mixture. The hull and much of the woodwork is finished beautifully, but some fittings and rigging are fairly low quality. The cheap hooks on the end of lines is a tell tale sign for a boat made say in China or Russia, but she is still an impressive model, well worth saving. I hope you had an enjoyable Christmas and wish you all the best for the New Year.
Thank you everyone for your interest.
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📝 Revamping a Damaged Model Schooner for a Non Profit
9 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
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Another board member of The Carpenter's Boat Shop, was given this beautiful model that had fallen off a shelf. He suggested I restore it, so we can donate it to The Carpenter's Boat Shop to raise funds for them. It had quite a bit of broken wood in the Bulwarks and cabin top, but the bigger problem was the damage to the hull and topside paint work. Luckily the wood underneath was fine, but it did mean the beautiful paint job had to be taken down and repainted. It's coming together nicely. Next stage is untangling and revamping the rigging! I have seen one other example of this model on eBay, but the seller had no information on where it came from. If you recognize it, I’d love to hear from you.
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📝 Scratch Built 31" 'Blue Moppie'
9 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
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My grandson got to see 'Blue Moppie' at Christmas, although he had to give it back for me to install electronics and cast those figures in resin. There will be a slight pause, as I am revamping a model schooner to give to a non profit.
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📝 Scratch Built 31" 'Blue Moppie'
9 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
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Blue Moppie is not finished but far enough along to be shown to my grandson this Christmas. The figures are roughed out in clay. I left the hands and arms oversized and rough to allow some wiggle room when positioning them. After Christmas I will make a silicon mold to produce them in resin.
I finished the stand and hand painted the name. It would have been technically better to have a company take my chosen font and produce perfect stick on letters, but I get a kick out of doing as much as I can from scratch.
Another grandson has always said a powerful boat should have huge exhausts and I probably went overboard with these, made from a plastic insert and Bass wood. The actual boat had smaller exhausts but four of them!
I still have some electronics to add. The only place for the ESC switch and a disconnect plug seems to be on the aft deck, covered by some kind of hatch.
I have never made a resin mould. As I am molding clay, it seems I have to use a tin based silicon rather than the more popular platinum based. There are many undercuts, so I will use strength three, which produces a very flexible mold. Even so I will probably have to break the clay to get it out. No problem as this is a one time effort! The flexible mold produces some inaccuracies, which is why I didn't finish the hands or arms, because they will need to be altered to line up with the rail and steering wheel.
This is the first model I have kept track of hours and expenses. So far 198 hours, which is why I never build models to sell! All mine have gone to children or charity (Carpenter's Boat Shop). The cost of materials (wood, paint etc) was reasonable at $90.20, but the electronics, propulsion and steering will be several times that. The materials don't include the silicone or resin I will be getting.
Getting close!
I finished the stand and hand painted the name. It would have been technically better to have a company take my chosen font and produce perfect stick on letters, but I get a kick out of doing as much as I can from scratch.
Another grandson has always said a powerful boat should have huge exhausts and I probably went overboard with these, made from a plastic insert and Bass wood. The actual boat had smaller exhausts but four of them!
I still have some electronics to add. The only place for the ESC switch and a disconnect plug seems to be on the aft deck, covered by some kind of hatch.
I have never made a resin mould. As I am molding clay, it seems I have to use a tin based silicon rather than the more popular platinum based. There are many undercuts, so I will use strength three, which produces a very flexible mold. Even so I will probably have to break the clay to get it out. No problem as this is a one time effort! The flexible mold produces some inaccuracies, which is why I didn't finish the hands or arms, because they will need to be altered to line up with the rail and steering wheel.
This is the first model I have kept track of hours and expenses. So far 198 hours, which is why I never build models to sell! All mine have gone to children or charity (Carpenter's Boat Shop). The cost of materials (wood, paint etc) was reasonable at $90.20, but the electronics, propulsion and steering will be several times that. The materials don't include the silicone or resin I will be getting.
Getting close!
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📝 Scratch Built 31" 'Blue Moppie'
10 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
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Painting is finished. My grandson probably wouldn't have chosen these colors but this was Blue Moppie’s color scheme. Pale blue and lots of shiny white fiberglass. I find it far more interesting to make scratch built models of actual boats, trying to get them accurate. I have had to make some concessions. I couldn't have spaces that would fill with spray, so covered the center cockpit with a tarpaulin and blocked off the aft cockpit, painting it black. I did see a rolled up cover in one photograph, so it did exist, but she always raced with it open. My cover came from the base of a grocery wine carrier bag (I glued the edges on instead of sewing them!). This fabric was glued (contact cement) to a solid piece of Bass wood, sculpted to make the hills and valleys of blowing canvas. The valleys were also painted slightly darker. To make it more obviously a cover, I added lacing, pushing the brass pins in with a framing tool.
The blue paint on the hull had to be recoated within the hour and as I only had a couple of 2” stick on numbers, I stuck them on one side, painted that side, peeled them off after 55 minutes to reveal the white, then stuck them on the other side and painted again. I need not have bothered as I ended up repainting the white eights by hand! I tried 7 stores for more 2” numbers, but had to settle for 3” numbers on the cabin top. They are the same size on the real boat. Painted the knob on the bolt that holds the cabin top down. Don’t know what it could represent, but it kind of looks ok. The whole cabin top fits tightly, so I think it will survive a drowning! Building the top slightly flatter than the deck really worked, as tightening the screw puts a lot of pressure on the ends.
Now that painting is done, I could put the motor and all the mechanics back in the boat.
I took the boat as is to a meeting of a local modeling group I belong to. It got good reviews, which is encouraging as some of these members produce some truly exquisite museum standard work.
I’m currently working on the base and the two standing figures in the aft cockpit. Being so large and so visible, I think the driver and navigator will make or break this model. I normally make figures in fired clay, but unlike my others, these are very exposed, both to spray and occasional bumps. I therefore plan to make a mould from the clay figures and cast them in resin. I have no experience with this, so it could be interesting!
The blue paint on the hull had to be recoated within the hour and as I only had a couple of 2” stick on numbers, I stuck them on one side, painted that side, peeled them off after 55 minutes to reveal the white, then stuck them on the other side and painted again. I need not have bothered as I ended up repainting the white eights by hand! I tried 7 stores for more 2” numbers, but had to settle for 3” numbers on the cabin top. They are the same size on the real boat. Painted the knob on the bolt that holds the cabin top down. Don’t know what it could represent, but it kind of looks ok. The whole cabin top fits tightly, so I think it will survive a drowning! Building the top slightly flatter than the deck really worked, as tightening the screw puts a lot of pressure on the ends.
Now that painting is done, I could put the motor and all the mechanics back in the boat.
I took the boat as is to a meeting of a local modeling group I belong to. It got good reviews, which is encouraging as some of these members produce some truly exquisite museum standard work.
I’m currently working on the base and the two standing figures in the aft cockpit. Being so large and so visible, I think the driver and navigator will make or break this model. I normally make figures in fired clay, but unlike my others, these are very exposed, both to spray and occasional bumps. I therefore plan to make a mould from the clay figures and cast them in resin. I have no experience with this, so it could be interesting!
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💬 Re: 39' Windboats Fairwind
10 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
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You are correct. I was trying to help Gary research a boat he liked, which turned out to be a 1953 Star Class, from Jack Powels, Wroxham. Not sure how I labeled this picture incorrectly, but my point was the Windboat built Southwind was a very similar design to the Powels built Star Class he liked. There must have been quite a bit of sharing of ideas between the yards. I really enjoyed researching the Windboat's history when I built Maid Rosalind, and was happy with the eventual model, which brought back a lot of childhood memories spent on that actual boat.
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📝 Scratch Built 31" 'Blue Moppie'
10 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
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My grandson’s ‘Blue Moppie’ is progressing. The toe rail and rub rail were added to the hull (some interesting bending challenges), but most work was on the superstructure. As in past models, I wanted the whole thing to come off in one piece, but knowing how this model will be driven, the seal has to be perfect. The cabin side and coaming was a three piece laminate to fit over the the raised edge around the opening and because the locking device would be in the center, the whole superstructure was built very slightly flatter than the deck, so when dogged down there is a lot of pressure all around the seal. The fitting I used has a tapered entry so is easy to line up when replacing the top. The fit is tight, so because the real Moppie has a rail in front of the driver, I made it strong enough to pull on. I bent a piece of solid brass rod and threaded the ends, so it bolts to the plywood base. It would be nice to also have another handhold in the front, but I can't think of anything that looks like it would belong. Suggestions? The knob used to lock the superstructure down will be black and hopefully look like an RDF or compass in the wrong place? Because any cockpit will fill with spray, I am putting a a tarpaulin over the center cockpit (one photograph shows one rolled up) and the driving cockpit will have to be a black pit. The crew will have to be cut off at the knees. The top half of the steering wheel is in. As before, the last picture is the real ‘Blue Moppie’.
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📝 Raf Tender PAINT Colour
10 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
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When I did my RAF tender several people on this site said do it any color you want, but if you want to be accurate, I used these specs. It does vary by year. Hope this helps.
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💬 Re: Scratch Built 31" 'Blue Moppie'
10 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
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Chris, the flare was indeed a challenge. In the first third of the hull, the bulkheads are 1 1/4" apart and the remainder are 2 1/2", plus each bulkhead is 1/8" thick. This was not a problem as I'm not doing the interior and it did make following the curves a lot more accurate.
I did a dry run for each sheet, clamping the fir strips as hard as I dared, then leaving them overnight with wet paper towel over both the strips and sheet. Next day I cinched them all the way in and again left them all day, soaking. When I eventually glued them, they had taken on a shape, but still required a lot of pressure.
I normally fiberglass my hulls, but I'm trying to keep the weight down as my grandson wants something really fast. It weighs very little, which will restrict it to flat calm days, but it should fly, hopefully in a straight line. My Black Watch 30 model, which has the same lines, is a heavy boat with lots of twin engine power (picture), but is absolutely controllable at way over scale speed, so the hull is proven. I put some power into the RAF Crash Tender and this gets unstable with too much throttle, at much lower speeds than the BW30. I've heard the same with models of older hull designs like the tenders and PT boats
I did a dry run for each sheet, clamping the fir strips as hard as I dared, then leaving them overnight with wet paper towel over both the strips and sheet. Next day I cinched them all the way in and again left them all day, soaking. When I eventually glued them, they had taken on a shape, but still required a lot of pressure.
I normally fiberglass my hulls, but I'm trying to keep the weight down as my grandson wants something really fast. It weighs very little, which will restrict it to flat calm days, but it should fly, hopefully in a straight line. My Black Watch 30 model, which has the same lines, is a heavy boat with lots of twin engine power (picture), but is absolutely controllable at way over scale speed, so the hull is proven. I put some power into the RAF Crash Tender and this gets unstable with too much throttle, at much lower speeds than the BW30. I've heard the same with models of older hull designs like the tenders and PT boats
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📝 Scratch Built 31" 'Blue Moppie'
10 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
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Work continues on my grandson’s scratch built ‘Blue Moppie’. The motor, shaft, rudder etc were removed and short pieces of shaft were put in all the openings as dust shields. Because of the extreme curves, the chine and toe rail were laminated. The topsides and hull were a challenge as the sheet of 1/16” Bass not only had to curve top to bottom, but also bend sharply towards the bow, something a flat sheet of wood does not want to do! The thin Bass would split if I used individual clamps, so I made a jig to hold the frames securely, then bent two lengths of 3/8” x 3/8” fir across the frames, clamped to the jig. This way the load was spread out. It took a lot of pressure to bend the fir this sharply, but nothing split and the frames held together. With the hull flare, the toe rail did not come to a point at the bow, but was one continuous curve at deck level. Even using three thin laminates of 1/16 x 1/4 it was a stretch. Blue Moppie actually had more of a point than the Black Watch 30 I had the line drawings for, so I could have saved myself some trouble. Many people modeling this type of highly flared bow use a solid piece carved and sanded to shape, but I wanted to try to bring the sheet all the way to the stem and still keep the curves. Next I put the lift rails on the hull, which of course was what helped the early Ray Hunt designs do so well offshore. I used 1/8" x 1/8” Bass, which again involved some hefty bending. The later Ray Hunt designs had less of a curve at the bow, which again would have easier. Once firmly attached, they were sanded to their triangular cross section. Much more sanding to do, but the hull is taking shape. I included a picture of the real Blue Moppie as a reminder.
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💬 Re: Scratch Built 31" 'Blue Moppie'
11 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
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Madwelshman, I only currently have rather blurred photographs of Blue Moppie's superstructure, so there may be a bit of ‘interpretation’. The hull is fine as I’ve got accurate line drawings of the Black Watch, which is so similar. If anyone has drawings or an aerial shot from roughly above they would be appreciated!
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💬 Re: Scratch Built 31" 'Blue Moppie'
11 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
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ChrisF, I would use this method again, especially for difficult curves. I essentially built the boat from the inside out, so no foam was visible when the cabin top was removed. You have to paint the foam when sanded to avoid issues with the resin
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pressonreguardless
💬 Re: Scratch Built 31" 'Blue Moppie'
11 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
Midshipman)✧ 144 Views · 2 Likes
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The bow is very similar in the two boats and not easy to replicate with full sheets of wood, even with many bulkheads and 1/16" Bass. The next post will show the result!
I used a totally different method on 'Huntress', the sister ship model. I sprayed expanding foam between the bulkheads, sanded it to shape, then fiberglassed the whole thing, using very fine cloth. No problem with curves this way!
Incidentally in the real boat the extreme flair really works. I have been caught in some heavy seas off the Maine Coast and the flair just powers the waves aside.
I used a totally different method on 'Huntress', the sister ship model. I sprayed expanding foam between the bulkheads, sanded it to shape, then fiberglassed the whole thing, using very fine cloth. No problem with curves this way!
Incidentally in the real boat the extreme flair really works. I have been caught in some heavy seas off the Maine Coast and the flair just powers the waves aside.
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Colin H
pressonreguardless
💬 Re: Scratch Built 31" 'Blue Moppie'
11 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
Midshipman)✧ 151 Views · 2 Likes
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Thanks ChrisF. The frames are all Bass wood so everything is still very light. The hull will be 1/16" as there are some horrendous curves, but I'm hoping with all those bulkheads and the many lift strakes running the full length, that this hull has, it will be strong enough.
My Huntress is a 1" to 1' model of our Black Watch 30, built in 1989 by Ted Hood at Little Harbor. It was designed by Ray Hunt, who of course had a hand in designing the original Fairey boats. The Bertram 31 hull, which he did later and was so revolutionary in the industry, is the same deep V, but is somewhat different. The Black Watch has very similar lines to the Bertram 31, so although I'm cheating a bit, it's very close. I got the line drawings from Ted Hood's biography.
I've had a lot of fun looking at clips from the 1962 Cowes to Torquay powerboat race which I remember following as a kid.
My Huntress is a 1" to 1' model of our Black Watch 30, built in 1989 by Ted Hood at Little Harbor. It was designed by Ray Hunt, who of course had a hand in designing the original Fairey boats. The Bertram 31 hull, which he did later and was so revolutionary in the industry, is the same deep V, but is somewhat different. The Black Watch has very similar lines to the Bertram 31, so although I'm cheating a bit, it's very close. I got the line drawings from Ted Hood's biography.
I've had a lot of fun looking at clips from the 1962 Cowes to Torquay powerboat race which I remember following as a kid.
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Colin H
pressonreguardless
💬 Re: Scratch Built 31" 'Blue Moppie'
11 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
Midshipman)✧ 156 Views · 2 Likes
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Thanks jbkiwi. I try to do unusual scratch projects. The last one was 'Maid Rosalind', a 40" model of a Thames cruiser, a Windboats Fairwind built in the 1940s. I did a blog on it.
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jbkiwi
Colin H
📝 Scratch Built 31" 'Blue Moppie'
11 months ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
Midshipman)✧ 173 Views · 10 Likes · 14 Comments
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I’ve started the model my youngest grandson asked for. He wanted something similar to my 30” Huntress model (green boat pic) but he felt there was no need to go into this detail. For me it's more interesting to build an actual boat, so I had the idea of building the famous Bertram ‘Blue Moppie’, which with all her racing success, put designer Ray Hunt’s Deep V hull firmly on the map and radically changed powerboat design. She had a Bertram 31 hull which is almost identical to ‘Huntresses' Ray Hunt Deep V, for which I still had the line drawings, so it was a no brainer. If I put a tarpaulin over the center cockpit, the whole boat is essentially almost flush decked, with no places for water to collect. I will have to think up two figures in the back! As usual I put the whole drive train in before even adding bulkheads, as I find it so much easier to get the shaft straight and the motor accurately lined up. The keel is two halves, with routered groves in each side to take the shaft and rudder casings. By loosening the four motor mount screws, everything except the shaft casing can be removed during the build, but it's easy to re-install, with everything already lined up, once painting etc is done. My grandson wants this to blow every other boat out of the water, so instead of fiberglassing the hull as normal, I’m painting the wood directly to save weight. He’s going to have to understand that any accidents will cause quite a bit of damage, but I guess that if I built it, I can rebuild it, at least if I have some parts salvaged!
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RNinMunich
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Madwelshman
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pressonreguardless
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Graham93
Colin H
📝 47ft Vosper Crash Tender
1 year ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
Midshipman)✧ 85 Views · 2 Likes
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A couple of years ago I rebuilt one my father and I built 60 years ago. You might find it helpful, but there are several other rebuilds on this site. Search on
Aerokits 1962 34.5" RAF Crash Tender rebuild, including interior
for mine.
Aerokits 1962 34.5" RAF Crash Tender rebuild, including interior
for mine.
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MartynB
Colin H
💬 Re: Scratch built Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter
2 years ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
Midshipman)✧ 210 Views · 1 Like
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Thank you Stephen and Doug for helping to get the video fixed. It makes a big difference to the post! Ed
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Martin555
💬 Re: Scratch built Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter
2 years ago by 🇺🇸 EdH ( Midshipman)
Midshipman)✧ 212 Views · 0 Likes
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Doug, I see the space now, but when I go into edit it isn't there. Even widening the margins on my computer so the full copied and pasted link gets on one line, when I submit the post the space still appears. When I take out the https so the link is shorter, the space appears in a different part of the URL. The link has a line break above and below it. I don't get it! Thanks for helping me try to solve this. Ed
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