Members Harbour
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Bristol pilot cutter - Three Daughters
Based on the Sarik Hobbies Katie by David Alderton. Built to be a working version rather than a pristine yacht like the real life 'Breeze', which the original plans were based on. Only recently completed and undergone sea trials, where the usual odd bits were found to need sorting. So far only has her 'core' sails fitted. The topsail has not yet been made, and depending on how things go and her sailing credentials, will see if it is necessary, as storage with a keel to mast cap of nearly 5 feet, the extra 18inches of top mast ,may not be practical.
luckyduck
3 years ago
3 Attributes
4 Photos
20 Likes
Billings Polar
My first radio control model built about 20 years ago. Only needs 2 channel radio. Built to a budget, so has only a single motor, driving the twin props through a home made gearbox, using Meccano gears and sheet brass for the frame. Alignment of gears and shafts was fairly straightforward, although it is showing its age now, and the gearbox can be a bit noisy, even when well greased. Added the crew to give it a bit of realism.
luckyduck
3 years ago
6 Attributes
8 Photos
22 Likes
Billings Zwarte Zee
One I built many years ago, and still use regularly. The fire jets all work, powered by a car windscreen washer pump in the bow with an intake through the side of the hull. Jets shoot water about 6 feet, so can have fun when youngsters are watching and get a quick shoot of water. Motor is 12v, so same battery can power pump, which means a small extra battery for the receiver. The big problem with this model is access to main hatch under superstructure, so battery access is very tight. Main stern hatch has easier access, but the weight of the 12 v battery is too much aft. The contacts on the rudder servo, energise the pump, by swinging the transmitter to maximum swing with trim tab maximum. This was built with only 2 channel radio, so had to dream up a switch solution for the pump.
Finally got a video of the firejets working.
luckyduck
3 years ago
7 Attributes
9 Photos
7 Likes
Coastal tanker
Model built in late 1950's by my uncle from scratch. Built of red cedar bread and butter. All fittings hand made. Originally radio controlled with a valve transmitter and reed receiver, see pictures, which I still have. I believe the radio only ever worked once as tuning the reeds was almost impossible, even for friendly friends at RAE Boscombe Down. Model was exhibited at the 6th International Boat Show, when the model stand was sponsored by Model Maker. Was awarded second prize and a pennant, see photo. The boat was given to me as a 21st birthday present, and a few years ago, I installed modern RC, and the model is now regularly seen at Chichester Canal Basin where it runs at scale speed, i.e. quite slowly.
luckyduck
3 years ago
9 Attributes
Members Blogs
8 Posts
11 Followers
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Katie, aka Three Daughters
Another version of Katie - kept the hull, but changed the deckhouse, to allow fuller access internally. The mast is fully removeable for car transport, using pelican hooks on the shrouds. All blocks are handmade from mahogany with fully working brass sheaves. Capping rails are single piece for strength, steam bent. The deadeyes are not fully setup yet, hence untidy ropework, all other ropework properly spliced. The white rope lines are testing the best sheet routing prior to home making the sails from cotton poplin. Sheeting will be winch line for foresails and direct drum for main. The large slot internally between the winch lines is for a large battery, resting on the keel to add ballast. Taken about 9 months so far, and might finish over the winter, but not rushing.
luckyduck
2 years ago
Recent Posts
๐ฌ Re: Professional Photographer at Southport
7 days ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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If it wasn't for the 'fixed' people on board you could almost imagine these as full size boats. Just the odd exception with a rather disproportionate bow wave!
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๐ Dutch sailing barge
8 days ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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Beautiful work Andy - hope she sails as well as she looks.
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๐ Upgrade at last
12 days ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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Hi Bob - water jets have always been successful, and fortunately water levels in the ponds and lakes I use, mean the jets will only hit lower leg levels, even if near the shore - most of the spraying is done out on the water. Shame you have had to disconnect - as many of the kids love it when a spray comes at them gently as a surprise.
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๐ Upgrade at last
13 days ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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After all the mess of fiddling with 2 channels, the surplus wiring has gone, and all a lot tidier. New receiver will clip into the superstructure, and the plastic tube is the feed to the fire monitors on the superstructure. It is removable to allow the superstructure to be taken off completely.
New pump fitted under foredeck, and suprised myself thast 25 years ago I thought of making it removeable to allow for maintenance!!
Next is the water test to ensure water comes out where it should from teh monitors.
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๐ฌ Re: Another Addition - Clyde Puffer
14 days ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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What a superbly built model, as Wolle says it should have minimal touching up. Is it a smoker?
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๐ Upgrade at last
17 days ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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After its last outing my Zwarte Zee, built over 25 years ago,finally decided that the windscreen washer pump used for the fire jets was not going to do any more pumping. To dig it out of its hiding place under the foredeck meant a fair bit of dismantling, so took the opportunity to upgrade the RC to multi-channel 2.4ghz from the old 2 channel 27 mhz. The old 2 channel required using the extreme rudder tab to provide the pump connection as in the picture, so that I could only use the firejets when going round in a circle!!!
Now with its own dedicated channel the jets should work whatever the tugs direction.
The other picture shows some of the cabling, including the historic Hunter speed controller, which still woks brilliantly with the new system, and drives the old Decaperm 12v motor.
Updates will arrive after completion of the upgrade and water trials.
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๐ Question of the Day?
21 days ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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Lovely when the answer is in the question - no idea, so just used the dates.
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๐ Question of the Day?
24 days ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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Capsize and upright are totally contradictory - a capsize means that you have gone over so far sideways that the lower gunwhale is under water. Although there are plenty of times when planing at full power that I have had so much water flying over me when hiking out, that it feels that I am under water!!
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๐ Question of the Day?
26 days ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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Nobody is forcing anybody to do QoD or even be on this group - if something doesn't fit, then others may just enjoy a bit of fun, and perhaps some learning?
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๐ Question of the Day?
29 days ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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Never heard of a wildcat windlass system - there only only two wildcats I know - the animal and the helicopter - just shows what you learn from these questions.
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๐ Question of the Day?
30 days ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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There have been many requests for members to send in suitable questions, but presumably there weren't that many sent in or suitable. Admin cannot be expected to keep dreaming up new questions, so thanfully AI is there to help him, otherwise this part of the site would collapse. Your choice as to whether you want some light hearted fun or not.
BTW - I have never had any emails chasing me to answer the question. Lucky, or have I got a setting to block them, never seen such a setting.
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๐ Question of the Day?
1 month ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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Surely in basic coastal navigation, when you see a headland sticking out, you steer to avoid it!!!! Many headlands actually stick out into the sea for a very long distance underwater, often with shallows that go on for a deceptively long way.
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๐ Bloody AliExpress
1 month ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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Yodel have the worst delivery record of all the companies in the UK. Interesting that they have now been taken over by InPost. Inpost for sending things are excellent, but have yet to try receiving any orders through them. Don't know who they use for deliveries, but if they do not do something serious about Yodel, they will lose a lot of credibility.
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๐ Question of the Day?
1 month ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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I didn't even understand the question - looked for common words in the answers, and by a fluke it was right - still doesn't make any sense to me, but then mayhbe the grey cells are aging too fast. As others have said, interesting to see how you get a model boat far enough out to sea and with someone on board to use this method.๐
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๐ BUXTON MODEL BOAT CLUB
1 month ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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If only we all had access to such a great lake.
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๐ Question of the Day?
2 months ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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No idea of todays answer about surf, but looked for an answer that had surf in it, and luckily it was right. More learning, if you can understand the actual answer.๐
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๐ Question of the Day?
2 months ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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Hopefully this site is for like minded people, with a core interest in model boats, but other wider interests which possibly feed into model making. It would be interesting to see how many of us do other types of modelling that both feed into and feed out to our other modelling interests. Fo me, my core interest is model boats, but I also model railways in both OO guage and N gauge.
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๐ Question of the Day?
2 months ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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Not just yacht racing - it is even more important in dinghy racing, when wind shifts have more effect than tides. In offshore yacht racing this tactic has to be considered with other factors such as tides, which often have a greater effect.
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๐ Question of the Day?
2 months ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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The toredo worm was the reason that so many wooden hullsed ships had copper plates added below the water line, added to the weight of the ship, but extended its life enormously. A toredo worm infestation could cripple a wooden ship within a year of being in the water.
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๐ when big is too big ๐ฌ
2 months ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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me thinks 6 foot long, and heavy equals mini mobile crane? Is that the next model?
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๐ Question of the Day?
2 months ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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That was a lucky guess today, for once the answer was not in the question - good way to learn
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๐ฌ Re: Latest Acquisition - Sprit Sail Barge
2 months ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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Bill - what ballast have you got on Veronica?
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๐ Power Saws for Cutting Wood for Models
2 months ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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Zooma - I use dremel style small drills and this saw for most of my fine work - the drills now come with flexi drives, so you can hold the drill bit end like a pen and get very accurate work. The saw is only one speed though, but not too fast and cuts beautifully - just get a load os spare blades as they are easy to break.
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๐ Power Saws for Cutting Wood for Models
2 months ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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For finr work, and to save space in my tiny shed I use a Dremel MS20 Moto-Saw Scroll Saw. All sorts of blades, including metal if required. I used it to make the blocks for my gaff rigged pilot cutter.
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๐ Question of the Day?
2 months ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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Boatshed - like anyone who wins or is at the top - there is only one way to go - might it might take a long time if you are lucky or clever!!๐
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๐ Question of the Day?
2 months ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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No idea about today, but as usual the answer is in the question. Antarctica being the clue!!
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๐ Question of the Day?
3 months ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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Probably like gob stoppers - health and safety hazard๐๐
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๐ Question of the Day?
3 months ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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Roy, often the obscure helps us all learn - maybe not very useful at our scales, but expands our knowledge and one day you may just need that obscure piece of knowledge?
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๐ My new toy
3 months ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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New toy = new workshop!!
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๐ Question of the Day?
4 months ago by
๐ฌ๐ง luckyduck (

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Don't worry Boatshed, I am still paying the penalty of taking a holiday and being away from a computer - not even back over 50%, even with a string of right answers. Luckily, sailing questions play right into my past, so I can get most right. But for other advanced topics, it is pure chance.
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