Jacko, thanks for posting that Broads site. It brought back many happy memories as we spent twenty years sailing in the Broads. We haven't been back for a few years - things seemed to have changed too much.

It was interesting to see pictures of the pub at Potter. It was there the first few times we went and it's absence seemed to knock a big hole in the place. Similarly with Martham Boats when they knocked the old green sheds down and removed all the old houseboats - just never the same afterwards. I know it's progress!

A wherry would make a very interesting project Nerys, I didn't realise there were grp hulls available.

Atb
Ian

Well done Nerys, the Dutch boat looks very good, I bet you are pleased.

Ian

Congratulations - he looks really convincing and I imagine you are very pleased and relieved that all your planning and hard work has paid off.

Ian

Well done, a very smart build. I'm sure we are all looking forward to some photos on the water, maybe even a video.

Ian

I have always liked this boat. Presumably it's the Dumas kit. I built a smaller Dumas boat and enjoyed it. Would be nice to see her running.

Ian

Looks very smart and looking forward to seeing a video.

Ian

Nice to see it finished Nerys. Love that curly gaff!

Ian

Hi,

There was a thread on Mayhem last year about this. I have copied a bit from it below.

The situation with Electronize is this :-) they are doing very small numbers of speed controllers on request - there is no website now though - but, there is a telephone number available - but - this number is only available during office hours throughout the week = i.e. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (UK time).
Tel:
0121 308 7411

I don't know what the situation is now. It is a shame as they are brilliant speed controllers and I snapped up a couple on ebay a while ago- always worth looking out for, absolutely bomb, and in my case, idiot proof!😊

Good luck in your search.

Ian

Ron,
I agree with Nerys that the sail plan of your boat is basically in the wrong place and adding a bowsprit would make things worse. There is a lot of info out there about centre of lateral resistance and centre of effort of sail plans. I think, if you want to keep the mast where it is then you will need to build a new rig, as Nerys points out.
There is no reason that Dragonforce rig shouldn't work if it was in the right position- it does look a bit odd though, probably a bit too high.
I Googled 'calculating centre of effort of sail plans' and immediately found fairly reasonable diagrams and explanations and any book on yacht design will make it clear. There are also You Tube videos.
I once read that experienced scale sail builders would mock up a rig with dowel, plastic bin liners and tape just to try a rig out before committing to spar and sail making.
You need to know the clr of the hull and c of e of any proposed sail plan before making any educated guesses. You can find the clr of the hull by putting in the bath and pushing sideways with a digit, when it moves sideways without tipping one way ot the other, that's it. Or trace the underbody shape and cut out in card and balance on a knife edge - if you have the plan.
The centre of effort of the sails should lead the clr to give a little weather helm.
Good luck and have fun.
Ian

Over my 40+ years of building boats I have taken all sorts of approaches. When I was younger I was fairly sniffy about kits and consequently didn't make much progress- it took me six years to complete my first model! I was the same about fibreglass hulls and used to get very irritated when folk would claim they had scratch built a boat when using a grp hull.
As I have got older and life seems distinctly more finite I take pleasure in building kits, building from plans and refurbishing ebay rescues. Do what brings you pleasure and fires your imagination and that, as far as I'm concerned, is the point of the hobby.

Ian

Tony very kindly sent me scans of the article about Sirius Star from July 1954 and the boat was used successfully by Max Coote in competitions, was used by him as a floating test bench for most of his equipment- and has Ripmax emblazoned across the transom. The design was based on a Thames cruiser built by W. Bates and Son at Chertsey. The article mentions that it is suitable for miniaturised radio and thus 7lbs of gear can be carried!

Apparently the offering on ebay comes with an original drawing.

PS I was born in Camden Town two years after the shop opened- I don't remember it!

Ian

That's very interesting Tony, thanks, I'll look forward to receiving the article. It's alway nice to read these old articles even if nothing is ever done about it. I wasn't aware of the designer's name but I love the boat. Not sure a boat like that looks right planing! Probably better trickling up the Thames or across Oulton Broad on a summer's evening with a wind up gramophone shattering the peace. It reminds me of a boat I saw in the Broads called Sir Losis of the River. The occupants were up on deck enjoying a libation or three.

IanH, I had a look through the X list but Sirius Star isn't there. It's funny how these little books become lifelong companions, as I mentioned, my copy of Power Model Boats is never far away.😊

Stay safe all,
Ian

I had another look at the Ebay listing and it was described as the Sirius Star - brain fade!
The last thing I need is any more plans, I decided some time ago that I'd better call one of my hobbies 'collecting plans'.
I might still have a look at X plans though.😊

Ian,

Very nice to have a look through. I happened to notice an attractive boat on ebay and this post helped me to identify it as the Sirius Star - well pretty sure it is. I also noticed the same design on an old Pathe news film I was watching on You Tube yesterday. Shame the drawing isn't still available, I could add it to the long list of boats I won't get round to building!!

Funny how these things come together! Thanks for posting.

Ian

Could be a lot of expense to drill some holes unless you thought it would be useful for a lot of jobs. I think I would bodge it the best I could and make it look neat afterwards, but that may be just me! The thickness and type of ply would make a difference. Birch ply can be tough stuff but liteply would be easier to poke through.

Looking again at Martin's idea it seems to have distinct possibilities but would depend on availability of pulleys or the facility to make them.

It is galling when you realise you have to go back in and do something like this, but it happens.

Ian

I was reading a thread on another site and a chap described a situation like this as trying to wallpaper the front hall through the letterbox. No help I'm afraid but it made me chuckle!

Could you get a pin vice in with a short drill and make a pilot hole to be enlarged? I have done this type of job with a Permagrit type grinding tool with a Dremel right angle, but obviously in a bigger space. As Graham said, whatever you do it may not be very pretty but you could always stick overlays with a neater hole over any messy work.

Good luck,

Ian

I agree with Pete that a mechanical fixing is always a good idea, brass rod or small brass nails which can be sanded quite well. I have never thought of double sided tape- worth thinking about. I wonder if you have a brand name, Commodore, for such tape?

Ian

I always took a paddle even when rowing - for close quarters work. The other really important items were a flask and a packet of sandwiches!

Sorry Martin, just realised you mentioned those earlier. One all!

Not to worry Martin, easily done. Rick I hope your project works out.

Ian

Hi Martin,

It was Rick who wanted to do this, I only looked at it at one stage. I think the article that Tony has linked to would be very helpful. I wasn't sure if Rick wanted to use an actual steam engine and power it electrically or hide an electric motor in a casing such as might be used over a steam engine in an open launch. All of it would be possible. Given that most working steam boilers are vastly over scale it might be a good opportunity to get things more in proportion.

Rick, another way to go might be to just build an electric launch. Many of them were just as attractive as steam launches. I turned my Wild Rose from steam to electric and hid the gubbins with a mahogany box. It also means that a nice striped canopy won't get covered in oily gunge, and nor will the rest of the boat!

Tony, I noticed there was a model outboard in that MB special- looked very smart.

Have fun all,

Ian

Hello Nerys,

I should think the Starlet would make a nice project for you. I built one over thirty years ago now and am in the process of tidying her up.

I have looked at Belair's website recently as they do laser cut parts for several classic designs. I suppose the best thing would be to contact them direct. I think I am right in saying that Sarik do a kit for the Star Baby which is a smaller version of the Starlet as previously discussed on another thread. You will run into the problem of casting a lead keel again!

All the best,

Ian

I had considered using a mist unit in one of my launches as a sort of ' faux' boiler as they work well. I could only find a horizontal boiler shaped unit from Model Boat Bits here in the UK. They cost around £50 which isn't cheap, but certainly cheaper than a boiler. I did find a vertical example but they don't seem to be produced anymore.

If you weren't bothered about steam coming out of it, it should be easy enough to mock up a boiler out of a tin or similar with mahogany lagging - or make up a cylinder from styrene sheet.

Many steam launches had the engine covered with a wooden casing, ie the Windermere launches, and that would also be a way of disguising fact that you didn't have a real steam engine, although reading your post again, it sounds as though you intend to use a steam engine turned by an electric motor.

Sounds fun.

Ian

Hi Tony,

No, my Starlet isn't on my site- I haven't got any decent photos of her but that may change. As I said I changed the topsides to look like a YW Senior - Vic would turn in his grave! I was once sailing the boat on the Thurne in Norfolk and I suddenly heard a shout, 'starboard!' It was a full sized classic Broads yacht bearing down but the helmsman shouted, 'Is that a Senior?' So I was quite pleased.👍

Jane always berates me for not having her in commission as she liked to sail her, so I thought I would tidy her up - and have just ordered a cheapo outboard from Hobbies in Dereham - £10. I don't expect much but it may do - I'll report back.

I like the outboard you posted from Peter Holland. I can't quite make out the details, perhaps you could attach it next time you email. It looks like a belt drive which would be very do-able I think. I remember seeing Peter Hollands strange contraptions in the MAP books of old. Looking forward to more news of Royal Falcon. Stay safe Tony, I gather things aren't so good in your part of the world.

Thank you Colin for setting this train of thought in motion, and sorry to hijack your thread somewhat!

Best wishes to all,

Ian

I always thought it would be fun to have an outboard on a bracket on the Starlet- would need to find a suitable outboard though.

Ian

Yes Colin, sounds like the smaller one which is, I believe, 25''. There seems to be a lot of stuff on the internet about these boats and plans are still available should you need them. I think the original Starlet came out in about 1966 and there was a booklet called Simple Model Yachts by Vic Smeed which was published in 1970 which has a description of the building of Starlet. If I have any of this wrong I know there are folk with more knowledge of this subject who can put us right!

I have just been having a look at my old Starlet with the thought of bringing her back to life - it was my wife's favourite boat to sail.

Ian

Hi Colin,

The Starlet was a Vic Smeed design. It is a hard chine yacht 34" long with a fin and bulb keel. Sarik still do the plans. I built one years ago as a gaff rigged YW Senior lookalike and it sails well.
The original rig is a bermudan sloop and I believe there is now a drawing for smaller version called, I think, Starbaby.

Ian

Good luck with it Nerys.

Another way to go Nerys would be to laminate lead sheet as sold for flashing. I have done this in the past. You cut the sheet to the shapes you want and glue with epoxy. Leave to set under weights. This may be denser than lead shot. The resulting shape can be refined with a surform or rasp. It is even possible to plane lead using paraffin as a lubricant.

Of course, the problem with all this is getting the flashing. It is sold in rolls in DIY stores or builders merchants but not sure if those are open in Wales yet.

I have tried making lead shot with absolutely zero success! A friend described pouring molten lead, slowly, from a height into a bucket of cold water to make shot. It isn't as dangerous as it sounds but it doesn't work. You end up with many small misshapen lumps of lead. If anyone know better how to do this I, for one, would be interested.

All the best,

Ian

That's very kind of you. I looked on Hobbies site and couldn't find them but have found other suppliers of timing pulleys and belts. The ones I got from SHG were XL pitch pulleys and, although I don't know what that means, I can replicate them from elsewhere. The main problem always seems to be getting the right bore but these seem to come with a pilot bore which means I can drill and ream to my requirement.
Thanks again for the offer but as I don't need them at the moment, just thinking ahead, I will try an online supplier. Also, if your workshop is anything like mine, you could be looking for some time!

All the best,

Ian

Thanks, I'll have a look.