As you obviously already have the benefit of a twin installation, wire them separately (with 2 ESC)! This way you can spin on the spot (if desirable??) with one motor going ahead and the other one astern. I am very impressed with your 320 A ESC. Do you intend to sit in the boat and drive it Tesla-style?
Ian G

Oh Gary, thou cometh so truly to the point . . .

PS: Beautifully polished items; my D10 looks downright dusty compared to your parts. By the way, I don't understand Appletons aversion against hexagon socket head screws; technically, they are top and I also like the look of them, especially in s/s.
Ian

Thanks, Gary, I sure will.
Ian

Gary, I will be back sometime with additional info. For the moment I am copying a Keith Appleton video on this engine (presumably the M29, but I have seen photos of an M30 just like mine). The engine I use came complete with boiler, etc mounted to a s/s base.

Ronald, you should have opened the seat opposite the guy. It's full of Crown Royal Canadian Whisky.
Ian

Dave, your refreshing blend of irony, seasoned with a good pinch of cynicism, is exactly the recipe for sitting back and letting today’s global madness roll off you with a certain sense of amusement. Firstly, most of us are probably too old to actively fight back, and secondly, many of us tried in our younger days – through military service, political activities, NGOs and the like, as well as in supporting the next generation – to instil at least some sense of reason in our immediate surroundings.
Ian

Steam and mahogany, possibly the ultimate "marriage" (as the French say). Combined with top workmanship - as here - is a joy to behold.
My steam yacht here started life as a Kingston Moulding hull of the famous 1911 50 foot Steam-Pinnace-199. It lay around for 20(?) years untill I happened to stumble over a neat Chinese steam plant when visiting leading Swiss steam specialist Holzapfel jr. to repair the Stuart-Turner D10 I had dropped. The D10, by the way, is very special. Holzapfel sr. built it in Bronze and I bought it some 50 years ago. With the Microcosm steam plant smiling at me I decided to transform the Whitmarsh hull into a self-designed yacht. Voila, the result. The boat floats as planned, the steam plant works very reliably just like the Denes steam engine control unit and I have even produced a blaze (forgot to lock the nut on the gas tank . . .) but the RC linkages are waiting to be linked (what else . . .?). Some pics will follow as soon as it takes to the water and I will be back then.
By the way, the somewhat dull look of the woodwork is due to the fact that I decided to oil the wood. Much more straightforward than varnish, easy to re-do, sufficiently waterproof (I don't plan to use the boat as a sub) and it still leaves the option of high-glossing some parts, e.g. the cockpit.
Ian

As a newcomer to this community, I am deeply impressed by how close many members are to one another, even though I assume most have never met in person (and possibly don’t even know each other’s real names). As a matter of principle, and also due to lack of interest, I am not active on any so-called social media; now I realise that the Model Boats website is exactly that – a social medium. No reason, however, to lump it together with TikTok and the like; on the contrary. I join in the good wishes – at 80 years of age, one is at least a candidate for similar "developments".
Ian

Just keep in mind, that acetone is a more dangerous chemical than its common use in nail varnish remover and general household uses implies. Nitrile gloves, goggles and plenty fresh air are very much recommended, especially if you are using it on a regular basis like in a model boat workshop. Check the web for more specific information!
Ian

I love the James-Bondy-look of the boat. And the dark windows help with this sinister image! The functional and constructional aspects also sound like Q had a hand at the design. What a refreshing alternative to a vac-formed plastic model off the shelf - nothing against those; they also have their worshippers.
Ian

Quite a few interesting thoughts nicely packed :
«Engineers and accountants» - an eternal contradiction ! Let’s be a bit provocative: That is why engineers love « turbulent times » like today. The accountants have much less say when the fighter plane, the destroyer or the rocket must prove to be perfect. Just too bad the guys operating this perfect stuff aren’t quite as perfect . . .

As for the Sterling (and Dumas) kits: I built a Chris Craft 63 foot motor yacht in the late sixties. I was not half as experienced as today and it went together perfectly. I would buy one immediately if the kit still existed or rebuild one based on a 40 inch fiberglass hull. (Why the original one no longer exists is a not-so-happy private story.)

« For experienced builders only » is still better than «suitable for beginners». The savvy builder will look at the kit and decide for himself whether he is sufficiently experienced. The so-called beginners kit might be bought by an uninformed father and result in a frustrated kid with a mess on his hands. (How responsibly do model shops coach their customers?)
Ian

Dear All

Some weeks ago I participated in a course on fibre reinforced composites, e.g. glass, carbon, aramid fibers and all that goes along with this art (chemistries, methods, tools, accompanying means and measures). The company that offers these courses on a monthly basis is «Suter Kunststoffe», also known as «Swiss Composite» (www.swiss-composite.ch). I mention the name of the company not because I believe you guys will be ordering products in Switzerland, but because of their excellent online catalogue (in German, French and ENGLISH). It not only shows all the products but also offers a wealth of information regarding their application and therefore can support you when planning something along these lines.
nb: The web site itself only offers German and French, but the catalogue is trilingual!

To get back to the 1-day-course It was run by proprietor Marco Suter himself and Roman Lorenz. A stroke of luck: Roman is a professional boatbuilder and the piece-de-resistance of the course was the individual production of a fibreglass hull (see photos). The tuition was a mixture of hands-on (producing the hull) and theory in beween – whenever things had to set or attain a specific degree of tackyness. Theory, including a folder with a lot of information, comprised a broad spectrum of themes which all of us have come across when diving into the art of GRP: which materials, which type/weight of fabric, what weave pattern, epoxy or polyester (according to Marco polyester is dead for our applications), release agents, production of a 2-part form for undercut originals, vacuum technique, safety (no food ever in the workshop!!, no need of a mask in a well aired environment – not least because of the knowledge required when using a mask (type and ageing of filters), always wear nitril gloves, etc. I found the recommendation intriguing to use the cheapest auxiliary equipment available (brushes, rollers, popsicle sticks, etc.) and throw it away each time. The convincing argumetation: using cleaners (like acetone) a) costs more than the disposable items, b) is unhealthy and c) getting rid of the residue in an environmentally acceptable way can be a (costly) challenge.

My key message: If you are interested in obtaining (semiprofessional) skills in a model boat related area find a course that really advances your knowhow, is enjoyable and - if you are as lucky as I was – leaves you with a (near-)perfect proof of your aquired skills in form of a little masterpiece. It goes without saying that the quality of the my first-ever GRP-hull simply underlines the didactic skills of Marco and Roman.

Ian

Some info on the model:
length: 70 cm / 28 inches
beam: 25 cm / 10 inches
weight: 480 grs / 17 ounces (untrimmed)
clear gelcoat to show mistakes / air bubbles
white colour resin/glass mix to highlight stringers & reinforcement creases
3 layers of glass cloth: 1x 163 gr/m2; 2x 280 gr/m2 (= very stiff hull and yet easy to lay)
for Imperial-oriented guys: roughly 1x 4 oz/ sq.yard; 2x 8 oz/sq.yard plus peel-ply fabric

I use PVA glues for this job: UHU Express or Ponal Express. They are easy to apply, dry within 10 minutes (if the joint is stressed, I leave it for 1/2 hour) and sufficiently waterproof. Another great advantage: glue at the wrong places can be wiped away with a damp rag. To lay bended planks I jam the planks (several at a time) with some scrap balsa and weigh everything down with barbell weights (use the rubberized version, they stick much better to the underground). The deck of the lobster boat in the picture was done that way.

When glueing plastics - and I believe the Trent has such a deck - you have at least 2 ways of approaching the issue - after ascertaining the chemistry of the plastic = important (ABS, PS, PVC, Epoxy, etc.):

o go to UHU or any other of the key adhesives companies. They offer (mostly) excellent Q&A tools to answer your question.

o navigate to some leading plastics companies. They do it other way round and tell you which adhesive to use for which plastic.

. . . and if you get the same answer, perfect!

For cracks I usually use car filler (they offer a certain elasticity)
Ian

We'll see, Dave.

Dave,
damn . . . you caught me off guard. I'm afraid I'll have to go back to Chat GPT to find out when the replacement took place.
By the way, I should be in Basel around Oct. 20. If you require a guide or advance-info, don't hesitate.
Ian G.
pic: riverboat arrival in Basel

I had a little chat with Chat GPT this morning. Their answer seems to make everything clear regarding SVEA:

"In the context of boat names, **“Svea” isn’t an acronym or technical term — it’s a name with cultural and historical meaning that many owners choose.

🇸🇪 Meaning of Svea

Svea is a Swedish female name that literally comes from the old term for the people and land of Sweden — the Svear or Swedes.

As a given name, it basically means “Swede” or “Swedish woman.”

Historically, Moder Svea (“Mother Svea”) is the personification of Sweden, similar to “Uncle Sam” for the USA.

🌊 Why it’s used for boats

Maritime traditions often give boats strong, symbolic, or national-identity names. Svea is popular especially for Swedish vessels because:

It evokes national pride and heritage (“Mother Sweden”).

It’s a feminine, memorable name, fitting the tradition of naming ships with female names.

It connects a vessel to Swedish culture or origin, even if the boat itself is internationally owned or built.

So, when you see Svea in several boat types (e.g., research ships, classic yachts, motor yachts), it’s usually chosen as a name meaning Sweden or the Swedish spirit, not because of a special nautical abbreviation or code."
Ian

SVEA probably simply stands for "swedish". The country calls itself Sverige and the adjective is svenska. Colin Archer, on whose design this model most probably goes back to, was a Norwegian. But in the end its all scandinavian. Ian
PS: for our friends from the ever greater United States of A. :Sweden is not the capital of Switzerland or the other way round. And Swaziland is something quite other again . . . no insult intended!

Ahhh, a real beauty! I love Colin Archer double-enders; not least because my father-in-law owned a 75 foot Colin Archer ketch, which was so seaworthy he took his standard crew for the annual Easter sailing bout in - what I call - terrible conditions (up to Beaufort 9 . . .).
Some info I found may interest you:

"Nordic Class Boats is a Swedish manufacturer that has launched a whole range of kits based on Northern European models. The kits, made of wood, cast metal and plastic parts, are manufactured by Nordic Class Boats using modern machinery.

Due to the unexpected death of the owner, production of the models was discontinued in 2016. The ship models are now available again. Optimised manufacturing and simplified delivery routes have made it possible to reduce the prices of many Nordic Class Boats models".

Manufacturer:
Türkmodel
B-6 blok no:49 Tekstilkent/Esenler
Istanbul
Turkey
tanerselvi@turkmodel.net

EU representative:
Klaus Krick Modelltechnik
Industriestr. 1
75438 Knittlingen
Germany
info@krick-modell.de

Krick, however, does not offer the Svea; but Cornwall Models does for 220 £, a very moderate price for a 43" model.

Perseverance and elbow grease . . . Fantastic!
I am contemplating the VMW 46" crash tender, solely due to your fabulous build logs (in spite of the missing flare in the bow).
Ian
pic: Bluejacket Maine Lobster Boat (considerably reworked)

. . . what a wonderful combination: a pre-WW1 warship and an Arduino GPS. Looks like you're in for a rather hectic summer!

The video works perfectly well on my laptop; media viewer possibly not installed??? An interesting model, the original being over 100 years old. By the way, is that really the entire armament this cruiser had; does not look very frightening . . . Ian

Hi Wolle
Couldn't agree more, and thanks for the warm welcome. The problem might be that after nearly 70 years of model building - with quite an elapsed time working for a living - I could be running out of questions, stupid ones and others. By the way, I like your "Tante Ju". Does that mean you not only sail models but also fly them? Ian

Absolutely, Mike. Looking forward to hearing more in the future.
Ian

Hello Mike
Na, wir Schweizer (ich bin auch halber Schotte!) sind ja so polykulturell, da üerleben wir auch die splendid isolation unserer kleinen Gemeinschaft innerhalb der grossen. Vielen Dank für die Kontaktaufnahme; gibt das gute Gefühl der Zusammengehörigkeit.
Ian in Binningen

*** translation***

Hello Mike,
Well, we Swiss (I'm half Scottish too!) are so multicultural that we thrive in the "splendid isolation" of our small community within the larger one. Thank you for getting in touch; it gives me a nice feeling of togetherness.
Ian
PS: "Mike Stoney" does not sound like you took part in 1291 . . .

Thanks, Ronald, for the warm welcome. One cannot help but notice how active a bunch this is. The atmosphere reminds more of a local club than an organisation spanning ten thousands of miles. Ian

Try to keep life simple - even building finicky and complex models. The Polaron charger has been serving me for roughly ten years, charging anything up (or down) to my camera and motorbike batteries. The Lipos in the Firesafe (clad in firebricks - safety first!) are up to 8 years old and all in (near-) perfect condition. The last pic shows 2 useful gadgets: a VERY noisy voltage monitor you can even hear when flying gliders and a de-charger which lowers Lipo-voltage automatically to storage state (storage voltage is IMPORTANT). Good when you have not emptied the battery; happens more often when running boats than flying planes . . . Both by the way cost so little I have a number of them. And I would never buy anything that has to do with electricity IN China. Yes I know, the stuff all comes from China, just like my Lenovo laptop. Differentiate! And when I fry things like ESCs I don't frown at the battery - I squint at the mirror. As I say: keep it simple and safe, don't change a winning horse. Your wallet and your nerves both say thank you.
Ian

Hi Stephen
In planes I mostly use a single (LiPo) battery, and in boats 2 batteries in parallel as a rule (ideal for low-down balancing and not getting in the way of the drive train). As Bobby mentioned use batteries of the same caliber (e.g. 3s/4.8A in LiPo). They do not need to be identical as long as you don't run them down to zero - which you shouldn't anyway.
Something puzzles me: You speak of a 320 A speed controller. That sounds like top-notch racing - with much more stringent safety precautions (like identical batteries). But if you race your boats you would neither be using NiMH batteries nor asking this type of question . . . 😉