Hi Bob,

seeing as you've asked explicitly re the rudder assembly on Sea Urchin, I'll give you a sneak preview before getting around to the build blog post itself😊.
I've started to make my own rudder assemblies using 0.5mm brass sheet soldered to (usually) 5/32" piano wire - I usually have this in stock as 'leftovers' from fabricating undercarriages for RC planes.
The rudder shafts are usually supported by brass tubes epoxied/embedded in the hull, and the top filed flat to accept the grub screw from a standard Dubro 5/32" diameter nosewheel steering arm - apparently these are commonly used by the local RC yachting fraternity, my modelling materials supplier claims.

However, on this smaller model, it made more sense to try and use 1/8" piano wire which led me to realise I had some small rc plane bits in a plastic bag, salvaged from a crashed model, including the 1/8" diameter landing gear straps, perfect for bolting the rudder shaft to the transom. A shallow groove needs to be filed into the transom to allow the movement, but it works.

Also found in the bag, 1/8" diameter wheel collets with grub screws.

SO, the photo shows the brass rudder soldered to the shaft, a brass sheet 'tiller' soldered to the collet, which is then secured to the top of the rudder shaft.

Unfortunately, the best I've been able to come up with in terms of 'hiding' the mini servo (also salvaged from the same crashed RC plane - waste not want not an'all that😉) is bury it in the rearmost compartment behind B3A, the idea being to have a small removable hatch over it with just the servo arm and linkage showing. I know it works as I've tested it, but ...🤔, perhaps not as 'pretty' as I would have liked.

I have also thought about having some kind of 'figure' sitting at the back with arm attached to the tiller, 'steering' the boat - I thought this might distract the eye from the visible linkage, but I haven't yet worked thru' to conclusion - getting a suitable figure may be an issue - I've been eyeing up my grand-daughters small doll collection...😁.

Anyway, many thanks for your encouragement - and yes at this stage I am intending to have a go at the Sea Nymph and Fast Patrol boat in the future. I am considering using small aircraft brushless motors/ESC/lipos for these as I have a set-up formula designed to give around 100watts which I've used successfully for several small planes and I have plenty of Lipo packs for these.
Used with small props, there should be more than enough 'go' for my pond, and a bit more for open water. Being air cooled, I may have to look at some mini fans, which is something I've already looked into for the Vivacity project, but I'll worry more about that when the time arrives.
As these are a bit bigger, I may revert to all ply construction, although the hybrid balsa/ply used on Sea Urchin has worked well to date - but that's a wee ways in the future.

Best regards,

Nick

9) 02MAR2026 - 3/32 hardish balsa cabin sides cracked and glued at 'crease' line shown on plan - propped up at approx correct angle and held with weights.

10) 3/16 balsa breasthook glued to keel assembly and checked for squareness.

11) Bulkhead 1 glued to breasthook/keel assembly.

12)&13) Bulkhead 2 glued to keel and checked for squareness, and alignment using centre markings and mark one eye-ometer - I think it was good...🤔

14)&15) Remaining main bulkheads attached and checked over plan for general alignment while glue still 'pliable'.

16) Cabin sides slotted into place after some keel length adjustment to ensure better fit to transom slots.

17) Top and bottom inner chine laminations added from 3/32" x 1/4" strips. NB the original plan shows 1/4" x 1/8 hardwood or spruce chine stringer pieces, but as I was using balsa, I chose to use 2 laminations of 3/32" balsa, as I felt it would be easier to bend into shape in 2 stages, and strong enough with it being laminated. The notches in the bulkheads had been cut accordingly. As it turned out, I probably could have got away with 2 laminations of 1/16" balsa, as laminated balsa is remarkably strong and stiff for its weight - a lesson learned in several of my vintage model aircraft builds.

18)&19) Outer chine layers added.

20) Lower chines sanded flush with bulkheads to seat hull bottom sheeting.

21) Reinforcing 3/32" strips glued around cabin window frames and cabin front added - I made a mistake with the front cabin window piece, which should have had a curve to match that of the roof hatch - I later had to add a piece to the top and sand it to shape once I had made up the roof hatch - see later.

22) Bulkhead B3A glued in.

23)12MAR2026 - prior to adding hull bottom sheeting - starting to look like a Sea Urchin!

Best regards,

Nick

I decided to start this following a suggestion from one of you on this website, that the smaller Lesro designs such as the Sea Urchin, Sea Nymph and Fast Patrol Boat would perhaps be able to be sailed relatively safely on my backyard pond with reduced power settings.
As I have most of the plans for these designs, it stood to reason that my severe building addiction could be somewhat satisfied in the background whist trying to solve arising issues on another much larger build I had already embarked on but which had stalled for the time being (namely Vivacity).
So here goes with just a few pics to set the ball rolling;

1) 20FEB2026 - measuring and transferring shape of parts onto paper templates and balsa - I decided to use balsa for most of the frame as I had plenty, and I find it much easier to work with on smaller boats. And the model was for modest electric power, not small diesel, so it should be plenty strong enough if the outer hull is covered with tissue, as on the Knocker White Tug model completed earlier.

2)&3) Keel and bulkhead parts cut from 3/16" balsa. Keel doublers glued on first side using exterior grade PVA, all excess 'splurge' immediately wiped away using damp rag - I cannot stress enough the importance of this, as it really minimises/eases the 'fettling' required to fit bulkhead/other parts as the build progresses.

4)Keel assembly turned over and propshaft 'slot' cut away/filed.

5)Remaining keel doublers glued with PVA, as well as 5 minute epoxy around prop shaft/keel/doubler sandwich.

6)Bulkhead shapes reinforced with scrap 1/16" balsa crossgrain at edges where slots are to be cut, creating a sort of 'liteply'.

7)Keel assembly completed with proptube reinforcement and bow doublers glued. Bulkhead slots for cabin sides/keel cut.

8)Fettling and test fitting bulkheads to keel - and a celebratory glass of Henkell Trocken to mark the progress to date - 01MAR2026.

More to come once I've done this weekend's property jobs!

Best regards to all reading,

Nick

Hi again folks,

apologies I haven't posted for a few months - been busy on other stuff, mainly property related.
As a result, my Vivacity build stalled after filing the groove for the propshaft into the glued up keel pieces, as I had to work out how to accommodate the oilers into the keel/doubler assembly, as well as still set up a test rig for the drive train - all still work-in-progress ... in my head!!😉
HOWEVER... after a comment from one of you (Bob?) on this forum regarding the smaller Lesro designs being able to sail on my backyard pond, albeit safely with limited power perhaps, I decided to embark on a small build which I could chip away at still on the kitchen table (Vivacity is "too big"...my wife claims...) a few minutes at a time if opportunities arose.

AND... guess what - work completed to date, I present my version of the Sea Urchin, admittedly a little different as I've used balsa for most of it, but some ply in parts as well, as it's what I had. It will use a similar battery/ESC/prop combo to the Glynn Guest Knocker White tug, just a 360 motor instead of a 260. Should be ample for the limited space on my pond.

SO...I'll start posting the hoard of build photos in the Build Blogs section, and (hopefully) this project will give me a kick up the backside to sort out the obstacles on the Vivacity project...more on that in the actual blog.

Regards to all of you - hope you didn't stuff your faces with as much chocolate over Easter as I did🤔 - all the weight I shed getting back into running has been put back on, and I've now got a dodgy knee preventing any running at all🙄! Guess I'll have to build more to burn the calories😁.

Best regards,

Nick

Hi all,

just posting a summary of (mainly) previously posted pics to kick off this build log and show progress to date since I first started researching the building of this 'leviathan'😉 last year.

I'm currently at a stage where I have acquired the necessary propshaft/tube/propellor assembly and awaiting delivery of my chosen powertrain. The timber for most of the build has been sourced, so now I have finished other projects, all that really remains is to get on with it!!😁
1)The plan...
2)Drawing bulkhead and keel templates from plan
3)Bulkhead paper shapes stuck to 3/8 ply - I chose to make the bulkheads slightly thicker for extra gluing area and because I need to have ply-skin joins across certain bulkhead positions as standard modelling ply lengths do not go to 54". Some of these may have lightening holes cut in them for better internal access to equipment - haven't decided yet.
4)bulkheads cut out and trimmed/notched for stringers. Waiting for keel cut out, as a couple of issues regarding installation of the prop tube into the keel pieces have arisen; I need to accommodate the two oilers somehow, and the original keel pieces need to have another piece added to support the prop shaft all the way to the prop bearing - I'll post details when I've sorted it out...I hope🤔
5)Original 10mm pine keel pieces cut out and assembled over plan - not yet glued up as an extra piece still required
6),7) & 8) Lots of spruce strips!! - spliced together to make up pieces approx. 70" in length for 3/16x3/8 chine stringer laminations, 1/4sq. sub-stringers, 3/6 sq spray rails and keel doublers.
9)18" 3-bush 3/8dia prop tube with oilers/tubes at two bearing positions, 3" diameter 3 blade propellor fashioned from 1mm brass sheet to be fitted to M5 thread on 3/16 steel shaft. I had this specially made up by Bill Nordmeyer who owns SAB Model Boat Fittings - thanks Bill!👍👍

The brushless motor and speed controller should be arriving in the next week or two. When they do, I intend to set up an engine/propshaft test to see what the performance specs are like prior to installing the tube in the keel. Once this has taken place I'll be able to post again.

Until then , best regards,

Nick

Hey guys, just a heads-up regarding my Vivacity build; I'm transferring any future comments (and possibly re-writing some of those started here) to the Build-Blog section as I've 'formally' started work on the build, so I suppose that will all but finish this thread.

Can I take this opportunity to thank all of you who have contributed, followed and given feedback regarding my comments and enquiries regarding this build, and I look forward to sharing my progress.

Best regards,

Nick

Not sure what the run time will be with the new brushless set-up, so I've put 15mins as a start point; I know I can get 10-12+ mins with this size motor and a 3200mAh 4s Lipo in a 63ins span KK Super Sixty trainer plane revving an11x4" prop alot higher, so driving a 35mm prop in water at a range of speeds should get over 15 mins ( I hope...🤔).
Same with the speed - I'll let you judge from the video, but it's difficult to tell how fast she can go in such a small area.
As for current draw - no idea at this stage, but I'll try and do an amp test in the future.
The photos on open water are with the original brushed motor set up. I've also included comparative photos of original motor set-up and the brushless set up. The short video should speak for itself, it's the same one as in the Classic Model Power Boats thread.
Best regards,
Nick

I've finally got around to re-engining my Lesro Sprite, using a Surpass Hobby C3536 1050kv aero motor. I chose this one, which I already had lying around in the workshop,rather than the purpose bought Rocket RC 2948 3450kv water-jacketed inrunner, as the latter's kv rating was just too high. I'll save that motor for a faster/higher performance design, perhaps.

The Surpass can produce up to (in theory😉) 580watts with a 4s Lipo, several times more than the brushed original, although the 7.2V buggy pack still seems to give ample revs under load to the 35mm plastic prop.

I replaced the ESC with a cheap Rw.rc 50A watercooled one from Ali Express to utilize the original water-cooling system intended for the 540/550 type motor.

I managed to 'road-test' it on my back-yard pond, although the rudder was almost permanently activated to keep it within the confined space, so it couldn't really reach its potential. However it was easy to see the vast improvement in performance. It feels considerably lighter than before despite the original 3000mAh NimH 7.2V pack, and with less motor weight up front it rises onto the plane far more easily.

Here are a few pics of the new installation, and a video taken by my trusty camera-person (my ever patient wife, Nicki😍😉).
Note, the video was completely unrehearsed in one take, mistakes-and-all, eg - the ESC has water-cooling built in, so is a marine type, not aero. If you look closely, you can see the cooling water exit out of the transom. The ESC was barely warm, and the motor slightly warmer but ok, I think - I'll keep an eye on this, as I may have to fit a small fan at the rear of the main hatch, and a vent at the top to draw some cool air through the motor compartment.

Also, the transmission is currently rather noisy, despite good alignment of the new motor and shaft (pre-aligned with a solid coupling before putting in the universal; I'm starting to wonder if the coupling itself is 'rattling' somewhat, as it is an all-metal one from Ali Express...?).
I also made up a new, larger rudder, which is far more effective than the original, but which needs sealing with grease as a little water ingressed into the rear compartment, driven up the rudder tube by the prop wash.

A great little boat, and I'm looking forward to trying it out properly on more open water, as it really is too big for the pond. However, as well as starting the Vivacity build, my next 'small' project might have to be one of the small Lesros...Urchin...? Sea Nymph...? Patrol boat...? These might just about fit ....🤔 Watch this space...

Best regards,

Nick

Since I've had two weeks holiday over the Christmas period for the first time in several years, I've managed to complete this project (at least for the time being - I may add a few more details in the future as and when they occur to me...🤔) more quickly than I previously thought.
So this will be my last entry into this build log;

42)The main emphasis here was to finish some details to the superstructure/hatch, starting with soldering up several LEDs for the navigation lights, red(port), green(starboard) two white for the front mast and one white for a stern facing light. The masts were to be from 5mm aluminium tube. A windlass and the port/starboard light mountings were fabricated from scrap balsa/ply/wire etc. General internal cabin lighting was to be provided by a 'cutting' from cheap set of LED christmas lights.

43-45)To ensure some level of neatness, I had to come up with a way to clamp the wiring inside the hatch. I used U-hooks fashioned from old dressmakers/modelling pins. These could be fairly easily pushed into the inside walls of the hatch and secured with a drop of thin cyano. The outside LEDs had their wires threaded through holes to the inside of the hatch, then their respective +ve and -ve wires bunched together and soldered so they could be secured in a standard 'choc-bloc' screw contact fitting.
The other side had the 2 x AAA Nimh battery box connections attached, together with the Xmas lights in parallel, allowing everything to be activated by the same built-in battery box switch. The battery box sits in the rear compartment next to the rudder servo and can be easily activated prior to sailing.
Note, the inside of the hatch had been already painted gloss white to help reflect the internal LED lights.
Glazing material had also been glued to the inside of the hatch windows/portholes prior to the fitting of the lights.

46-50) Here are a few close-ups of the fittings including port/starboard lights, forward mast with white light (single one at top of mast - wanted two pointing forward at different heights, but struggled to get this to work with the aluminium tube, so went with single lamp at top option; may come up with a small enclosure in the future to focus the light more forward), rear light behind funnel, protective metal bars over engine room skylights.
DISCLAIMER....I acknowledge that close-up these all look a little 'rough', however from only a short distance away when sailing, they certainly add sufficient character to the model to justify the effort making them.😉

51-52)Knocker White complete for a trial twilight sailing session, lights on!

53)Video clip of later evening sailing session (around 8-30pm, I think) - actually there was still a little too much light to get the best effect from the LEDs, but they are just about visible, so you should get a fairly good idea of their potential effect.
Apologies for the abrupt sneeze a short way into the video, and as you can see, our cocker spaniel Molly was as mesmerized as we were.🐶

54-57)Since reading Glynn Guest's 'Box Clever' article, I have started to build protective cases for any new boats I build. These are usually constructed from thin MDF/ply scraps left over from other projects, with rope handles and covers that can easily be removed/opened for access, but secured with velcro straps. I usually waterproof them with a couple of coats of slightly thinned polyurethane varnish. I try to source clear plastic sheet to include on one side of the case, so the models can be viewed while in storage.
As GG suggests, the extra time and effort to complete one of these is a fraction of the effort spent on the model itself, yet it provides long term protection during transport/storage/display - I thoroughly recommend this.
58)Knocker White takes her place in the expanding 'dockyard' in our house...😉

Well, that's it. Thanks to all who have followed this build, hopefully you have found something useful from it.

Best regards for 2026 and beyond.
Nick

Thanks for the likes and replies, guys😊

Forgive my original estimate for the run time, Roy - I had only run it for perhaps 15-20 mins initially, so it was just an initial throwaway guess-timate, but you are correct; the battery is actually a 5-cell 2400mAh Nimh RX pack, and the speeds shown in the video were generally between 1 and 3 clicks of the throttle only, giving a good range of scalish speed. I have adjusted the run time comment to the maximum 1+hours, probably a more realistic estimate.
There is on bit on the video where I show full throttle and the boat does just about plane in a very un-tuglike manner, and this is after the ballast was added. If you read the build blog, I have mentioned a bit where I tried her out without ballast at the start, and found I had a speedboat!😆😉
I have yet to finish off the build blog as I have some photos of the lighting fittings etc to add, plus I hope to do an evening/twilight sail with the lights on and video it.

Best rgds to all,
Nick

NB some of the stats above such as run time, max amps, speed, are estimated. The actual finished weight was 727grams,.
This boat was recently finished and maidened on Christmas day on our new back yard pond. Since then I have added some LED navigation lights and cabin lighting. I'm very pleased with the result and would thoroughly recommend Glynn Guests designs for small pond models. They are simple and relatively cheap to build, yet with a little effort can emerge with plenty of character.
Due to the success of this one, I intend to build a couple more of his small designs, as well as a couple of Hal Harrisons, so watch this space.
Full details of this build are on this website in the build blog section.

rgds,
Nick Ward😊

Further progress...
33) 03-08 Dec, hull painted matt black upper, brick red lower, white bulwark tops.

Actually, there were a few 'test' voyages for the hull prior to the xmas day sailing... . After sealing/painting the hull, I thought I would try out how she floated just with the running gear. I was initially worried that the forward position of the 5-cell AA drive pack would cause her to be nose heavy, but was pleasantly surprised to find she sat quite evenly in the water.
There was about an extra centimetre of freeboard below the intended waterline, so clearly lead ballast was required, yet I couldn't resist having a dabble with the throttle in this state; my neat looking little tugboat surged forward and rose up on the plane when the throttle was fully opened - quite hilarious to see her half out of the water, as agile as a small runabout! (It has inspired me to look into a simple runabout build for the pond in the future...😉). Anyways, enough of that!

34)13Dec - After drying her off I traced the hull planform onto squared paper and calculated she required about 300grams of ballast, 210 of which was added with roofing lead scraps.

35)22Dec - The remaining weight was to be provided with a 2-cell AA battery pack intended for LED lights, which proved to be a bit of a squeeze into the rear compartment; I had experimented with cutting down some cheap xmas LEDs to light up the inside of the superstructure, but also intended to use red/green LEDs for the navigation lights and white LEDs for head/tail lights - I thought these might add interest to future twilight backyard pond sailing sessions.

36/37/38 23Dec - After further hull tests, I found that while the hull was lower in the water, the double AA pack actually sank the rear a little too much, as well as being difficult to stuff into the rear compartment. As a result of this, I opted to buy some cheap(ish) AAA rechargeables, as these were both lighter and more compact for fitting. A further hull test proved this combination was just about right, and the video clip included in this episode shows a very satisfactory performance.

39 & 40)While all the hull testing was going on, the superstructure rear engine compartment housing was added, the tiller cover was made up from card, and the funnel from a plastic pill bottle was sourced. These were all subsequently sealed and painted with enamels following suggested colours from Glynn Guest's book. The inside of the superstructure was given a coat of gloss white enamel to reflect the LED light from inside once lit up.
41) The video clip of the official 'maiden voyage' on Xmas morning, taken by my wife on our recently completed back yard pond.

Although having achieved the aim of sailing by xmas day, I will post again once I have completed further details such as final superstructure painting/glazing/fittings/LEDs etc. These often take longer than the basic build...

Merry Christmas to you all and all the best for 2026,

Nick

Apologies to all - this little build has taken a little longer than expected as other projects/chores have got in the way, not least, further progress on the backyard boating pond.
So the current goal is to finish Knocker White and sail her on my pond by Christmas, before getting stuck into the Vivacity build (of which there has been a little progress, but just cutting out of bulkheads, keel pieces, and the sourcing of plywood and prop shaft/tube/75mm prop).

So here it is;

22)Basswood bow & keel strip pieces glued on, as well as skeg fill-in piece.
23)&24) Hull sanded smooth, corners slightly rounded, bulwarks trimmed
25)Over the course of a week of evenings, hull superstructure made up from thin ply offcuts and scrap sheet, including the tricky part of making portholes and cabin windows without tearing wood...yep, I swore a couple of times when I broke stuff!
26)&27) 1.5mm card strips cut and glued/clamps all around top of gunwales - card a more workable, and cheaper, option in this situation. (GG would have approved, I'm sure, as the original had card sides)
28) Gluing and pinning 1.5mm card rubbing strips
29)Freeing ports cut out
30) Tiller grating mounting blocks glued into place, then acrylic filler used wherever necessary to smooth over the inevitable nicks & blemishes on a balsa hull under construction😉
31) After fine sanding the whole hull, 3-4 coats of 50/50 dope/thinners mix used to seal hull inside and out, cutting back the raised grain between coats, then hull tissue covered , brushing through the thinned dope, again lightly sanding before further sealing with slightly thicker (I guess 75/25 dope/thinners ish) with another 3-4 coats until nice smooth finish produced, ready for painting with Humbrol enamels.
32) And this is where I'm currently at - lower hull with first coat of brick red. I've put the superstructure hatch on just to see how she looks...

Until the next post best regards to you all,

Nick

On the back of reading all the posts since my last one (thanks for sharing, all of you, not only entertaining but thought provoking as well - I have two grandkids now, Amelia just 3 and Greer 8 months, so perhaps some boat naming needs to happen....), and bearing in mind Will's comments re the 'real' boat count, I've just asked my wife how many pairs of shoes does she own.

Guess what, she mysteriously 'doesn't know' 🤔, but when I asked if it was over 30, she kind of sheepishly avoided the question, acknowledging there were " lots, but I don't wear them all...and sometimes give some away...". 😉 All I know is there are boxes and boxes of them in our wardrobe. Nuff said!😁

Nick

Some great replies here - I can relate.😁 My various modelling areas are in constant state of flux, re-arranging again and again to try and make them more efficient. The main room for storage is our 'Dog Room', where our Springer and Cocker spaniels sleep while sharing space with weights equipment, washing and model planes/boats!😊
Then there's one of the spare rooms, full of plans and some of the bits from the Vivacity build...oh, and spare chairs for the dining area...
I have a shed which is in constant use with all sorts of projects from model painting to garden bits to fixing stuff...
Then there's the actual dining table, which I inconveniently need to keep clearing so we can eat...you're probably starting to get the picture, no pun intended...

As for my wife's concerns... well, she gets a whole other spare room to fill herself with her knitting/soft toy/sewing stuff, as well as the couch, so suddenly I don't feel too guilty.🤔

And as my wife often points out, if we're not in the garden together, she always knows where to find me...😉.

As far as hobbies are concerned, I say more is better!

Best regards,

Nick

My Other Springer hunting for rats in the compost with her Cocker 'sibling'!
Nick

Already there, Bob, already there👍😊.
Warm Spring evening, glass of bubbly and a pootle around the pond with my Springer...the tug that is, not one of my dogs😆.
Question is, could this be construed as 'Drink Driving'?🤔
The Springer is a little large but manageable - Knocker White and similar sized models should go well - of course, the pond surround is still a work in progress - might have to do a little blog when it's a bit more finished...
rgds,
Nick

So this is how the build has progressed over the last 10 days or so;
11)Rudder tube cut from brass stock tube (5/32" internal dia) and glued using superglue after roughing up metal surface - epoxy could be used, but if the hole is a snug fit, I have started using super glue, as it wicks nicely into the wood fibres and scratched metal surface. The motor was test fitted so I could see if the battery pack could still squeeze through the hatch - it was at this point I broke off one of the contacts so had to get another motor🙄!
12)Rudder made up from 0.5mm thick brass sheet soldered to 5/32" piano wire; I cut a tight slot in the brass, and cut a slot into the end of the rod, so there is a mechanical fixing between the rod and sheet before securing with solder. The steering arm is a standard nose-gear steering arm from Dubro, with a grub screw that locates into a filed indentation on the piano wire.
13) Close up of the rudder assembly fitted.
14,15 & 16)Time to completely fit and test all the radio gear before sheeting the hull sides; looking to check the 5-cell AA 2400mAh battery can be removed/inserted easily, glue in spruce blocks to mount the steering servo, a 10gram item, fit a replacement motor(RS260 I think, more than enough for this little boat), plug into a Spektrum AR410 RX and 20amp ESC and wiggle the transmitter sticks - all seemed to work well.
17, 18, 19) Once satisfied all was well, the radio/powertrain etc was removed and hull side sheeting commenced. The pinning and glueing was carried out over 3 evenings, using 3/32 balsa vertical grain sheet for the sides up to the bow, then 1/8 sheet strips to form the rounded stern, as this would require more material removal for a smooth curved shape. Note I tried to cut the pieces to reflect the height of the bulwarks according to the plan - its actually quite hard to get it exactly right on both sides, so some sanding will be required later. Note also, the original used thick (1mm I believe) card for the sides, a nice cheap option, but I prefer to use balsa as the cost on a boat this size is very low anyway. I also like balsa as it can be reinforced easily with thin ply (see next pics) or thin balsa glued with the grain at 90degrees to form a 'lite-ply' - this is how I planned to reinforce the bulwarks to get a much sturdier structure, probably a good idea if I am to let my grand-daughter loose on this boat some day in the future!😉
20) Hull given a rough sanding to achieve the basic hull shape.
21) Bulwark reinforcement strips from 1/32" ply strips to allow handling without fracturing the vertical grain balsa. Ply was cut with outer grain vertical at the stern to assist the curve - without thinking I did the same for the rest, but the straighter sections would probably have benefitted more from the outer grain being longitudinal. Still, it will be plenty strong, I think.

That's all for now, just have rubbing strakes to do and final sanding/filling and I'll have completed the basic hull.

rgds to all, Nick

I mentioned in the Vic Smeed Vivacity forum I would do a few smaller builds while chugging through the Vivacity project; the first of these I have started (while waiting on certain components/materials for Vivacity), based on Glynn Guest's Knocker White tugboat plan from his book 'Small Radio Control Boats'.
The Driving force behind choosing this particular design was the fact I had just filled my Backyard Model Boating Pond for the first time and sailed a couple of small free-running boats in it.
I had already made Arcady and Bredette many years ago when they were first issued as free plans in Model Boats, so Knocker White was the next project from the book with the necessary compact dimensions to sail happily on my pond, the first of (hopefully) several small such boat projects.
Here are the first stages of the build shown in the photos;
1) Paper template traced/assembled from the book - a little 'guestimation' was required as the plan was over two pages that didn't quite align...
2)Carcass pieces (deck, bottom, bulkheads, stem) marked out on 1/4" sheet
3)Carcass pieces cut out
4 & 5) carcass glued together, care taken to get as square as possible - note extra piece placed in stern to support rudder tube, making stern slightly deeper than original
6)Power train/RC components; Specktrum 410 RX, Ali Express 20A esc, RS 280 motor (was eventually replaced with an RS260 type when I clumsily broke off one of the contacts while trying to fit the battery), 100mm prop shaft/tube assembly with 25mm 3-blade prop.
7)Power train set up & tested on the bench to ensure everything worked
8)Prop tube skeg/support added
9)Prop tube epoxied in place, sandwiched between skeg support and lower skeg piece.
10)6mm ply motor mount glued into position after checking alignment.
More pics and comments to follow soon,

Best regards to all following this,

Nick

Hi Muddy,

I bought this plan many years ago (about 30+ I think) along with various Vic Smeed plans including the Vivacity which I've just started to build. I re-discovered it in a file in the loft and have since unfolded it with a view to building one in the future (along with lots of others!)
I too am a big fan of balsa, and agree that when covered with tissue it can be surprisingly resilient to knocks.
I'll be following your build with interest.👍👍👍😊

Best of luck with it - keep the pics coming.

Best regards, Nick

Hey Murlough66, here's a suggestion,

- when you get your older boats out from the loft, assuming that some are salvageable, pick the one that will take the least work to get running again and focus solely on that until you have successfully run it (keeping us all posted with occasional pics, of course😉).
I have found that the completion of a project and test running of it is a supreme motivator for getting onto the next one. Having several projects on the go is the norm for me (currently the boating pond + surrounding area, small tug - see pics, Vivacity as well as helping wifey with the garden whenever she requests), but I agree there are times when there is too much on at once and motivation can wane. That's when I take a step back and focus on just one as much as possible until completion, and suddenly re-discover the will to finish the others in turn.
Hope this is helpful - I know it works for me, and perhaps others.
Looking forward to hearing about your boat stash.

Best regards,

Nick

Hi Guys,

so, I've started building model boats again to give myself a break from building planes over the last few years - I have a dozen airworthy (ie can be flown tomorrow if I charge batteries etc) airframes, and seven remaining kits (I've just sold the 8th) but as for planes yet to build that I have the want/need for...I will die long before I get anywhere near...!😊

And this brings me to boats; I've fairly recently built three, but one needs a motor swap, I've so far started two new builds (Vivacity and just this week a Glynn Guest Knocker White tug), but having just filled my back garden model boating pond for the first time (still a work in progress with all the planned landscaping etc - see pic with small free runner) I've been looking at LOTS of suitable small boat plans to add to my growing flotilla - Glynn Guest and Hal Harrison designs feature heavily, as well as adaptations of EeZebilt and John Reid designs (author of 'Model Boats That Really Go'- a great book from 1990, if you can find it online) . And that's before I even start on the Lesro/Aerokits plans I have that I want, as well as the Beachcomber....😉🤞.

Yes, I believe that cartoon definitely applies to me!😁👍👍

Best regards to all of you,

Nick

Although still waiting on the prop shaft and tube, I decided to go ahead and trace/mark/cut out the pine keel pieces - feels good to finally get this build underway😊. Pieces were placed together over the plan to check fit. Will wait a little longer to see if tube turns up in next few days, but if not, I'll go ahead and glue-up the keel as it is, then cut it to fit the tube and doublers as and when it arrives.
Next job will be to make up the bulkheads, and then a jig of sorts to secure the keel in place for fitting the bulkheads to it while keeping everything square....🤔.
What do you guys do as far as jigging is concerned, if anything?

rgds, Nick

Thanks for that, Bob. Yes I had thought of it, and now you've said it, it's probably the best compromise, a more elegant solution than what I originally suggested. I could also wrap a band of brass sheet around the end of the tube and bolt it through this skeg for further reinforcement - I did this with the Sprite (see pic). Looking at the shape of the hull, I can only assume the shape suggested on the plan was to improve the steering perhaps? Can't think of any other reason ...

Thanks again for the feedback,

Nick

Hi all, just a quick update ....and a question.

Firstly, I've started to draw up paper templates (see pic) for the bulk heads, including provision for the 6mm sq. stringers between the chines to support the slightly thinner (1.5mm) ply skins I intend to use.

I also managed to find a very nice piece of 10mm pine from which to cut the keel pieces - very consistent grain, almost dead straight (rare in depot stored pine, I've found - took me a while to find this one, after searching through the whole pile) and completely clear of any knots.

I'm still waiting for the prop tube and shaft, which I believe is meant to be 9.5mm outer diameter, allowing it to fit nicely between pieces of the keel with ply cladding on the outside. However, having looked at the plan, the original design leaves about 5 inches of the prop shaft hanging outside the keel unsupported, which I am not comfortable with, so I have decided to extend the keel piece as shown in the photo ie extending the bottom line all the way to the plane of the tube opening.

Here's my question; do any of you think this will have any kind of adverse affect on the boats performance? It might make the design look more conservative, I suppose, but I don't think performance will suffer, but I could be wrong - your thoughts...?

rgds Nick

Lovely video of your Rapier, Bob - feeling quite inspired to both start Vivacity and finish my backyard pond!👍👍😀

Nick

I recently had Ali Express apologise for an issue with the delivery of a brushless motor - the supplier somehow lost the tracking, so Ali Express fined them and ordered them to give a full refund, which turned up in my bank account a week or so later. I've since ordered another from a different brand, again through Ali Express, and I believe it's about to arrive.
Generally, I've not had too many issues, but then I probably don't use them as much as some....

rgds, Nick

Hi Bob, might have to try the ZNDT! 👍

Nick😊

Hi all,

firstly, many, many thanks for all your comments - I've taken on board everything resulting in a welcome (and almost certainly necessary) reality check!🤔 I must admit feeling a little foolish about perhaps giving the impression I am attempting to build Vivacity on the cheap. I too have traditionally always bought the best I can afford, but to be fair, I've never attempted a boat this size, and so was initially a little overwhelmed when I started to tot-up just how much the wood alone would cost.

However, it was never my intention to buy it all in one go, having usually bought just enough to get me to each stage, spreading out the cost over months or even years, so it hasn't been noticeable (I tell myself...and my wife...although I know she does the same with some of the pricier materials she consumes in her knitting addiction!😁)

Also, slightly in my defence, I hate wasting materials so if I can find a way to use up leftover wood in not too critical areas I will. I have used Basswood successfully as stringer and bulkhead material on smaller boats, but listening to you guys has made me realise this is a bad idea for Vivacity because of her size, so I will stick to the original plan of splicing (to get the necessary length) and laminating quality spruce strips on the chines, taking care to stagger the splice-joints. I have used this method before with spruce, using a 4:1 ratio of length to width of the joint - it produces joints stronger than the wood and allows continuity of grain strength. The spruce from my model supplier is of excellent quality.

With regard to bulkheads , I will be purchasing some brand new ply, although the type of wood is to be decided - I'm not going to get the Gaboon - the bit I have in the garage will make a nice stand. My choices from the model supplier are Birch, Hoop Pine, Bass ply and poplar. My recent models (Sprite and Springer tug) have used Hoop Pine ply for outer skins and other structural parts, which is strong and stiff, but MUCH more economical, when compared with Birch. It is more than strong enough for bulkheads. The only disadvantage I could consider is the fact it has a more open grain than birch ply, but this only means a little more surface preparation before painting, no biggie. Using oil based undercoat and enamels, I got a really good finish on my Sprite, one I was quite proud of, I have to say...

I am still tempted to use a new sheet of 9mm 5-ply from the DIY supplier for the bulkheads, as it has a nice surface finish and will provide a greater gluing surface for the skins - still haven't decided on which option, but NOT going to attempt to build bulkheads from 'scraps'!😉

I received an email reply back from the guy who makes model boat tubes/shafts today - he says he can provide me (I'm assuming he meant build up for me with the 3 bearings and oil tubes...?) with a 450mm (18") tube and shaft, so that's another component sorted, and he suggested he might be able to fabricate a 75mm brass prop, but needed to do a little more research... .

Finally, the keel piece; I'm going to go with the 10mm pine, as there are various doublers along its length, and the prop tube is 9.5mm in diameter, so will 'sandwich' nicely into the skeg which I will clad either side with 1.5mm ply to encase the tube. If you look at the plan, there are strengthening doublers at various points on the keel - and we don't have to contend with a thumping IC motor.

Bob, thanks for the photo of the double universal jointed shaft extension - I've actually used this idea successfully myself to iron out slight discrepancies in shaft/motor alignment, but with much smaller joining pieces between the universals. I hadn't thought of using it to deliberately extend the drive train - a very useful bit of info for future reference!👍😊

Thanks again for the advice - please feel free to keep it coming, I learn something new everytime I come onto this site, which is what it's all about, isn't it?😀

rgds,
Nick

Hi all,

further to my last post, I've just done some more pricing/research and as a result have made some decisions (prompting some more requests for your thoughts on my observations if at all possible) with regard to Vivacity.

My continuing analysis of the brushed versus brushless question has, I believe, reached a sensible conclusion; - there is no longer any point pursuing a geared brushed set up with this size of model, when there is a viable (and actually cheaper, I have found to my amazement) brushless set-up which gives more power, is lighter, and with sensible selection of motor kv/lipo battery capacity and capability to deliver higher currents without over-revving an appropriate prop, will almost certainly allow the model to perform admirably. One solution I have just costed out came out between 30% and 40% cheaper than a brushed set-up, using a high capacity 4s Lipo, which should easily be able to generate 750watts, double that of the best brushed motor. Yes it will require a smaller prop, but the max speed at this set up is around 9000rpm (4082 motor with 600kv rating, at nominal 16+ volts charged from 4s lipo = around 9600rpm without load- I suspect an M5 60mm 3blade brass prop will perform well at even half this rpm, and even if the current is up to the 52 amp max this motor can take, the costing includes a 90amp watercooled ESC ). Remember, we are looking for 'majestically' rising up on the plane , not skimming the surface of the water, more 'carving' through it🤞 at a 'reasonable' pace.

With all the above in mind, if I cannot acquire the desired 18" tube and shaft, I CAN get a similar diameter M5 thread 350mm (14") one; all this will mean is the motor will be set further towards the rear and possibly lower in the hull with a steeper shaft angle, but not as steep as the Beachcombers, so it should still work.

With regard to timber for the frame, My local DIY depot supplies some very nice warp-free 10mm thick pine in various widths and lengths - I'm fairly sure it will be stiff enough for the keel pieces (plan shows 1/2" or 12.5mm pine), although I was surprised they did not have 12mm - I'm sure they used to stock it. Anyway, the 10mm keel has doublers in a couple of places, and the 9.5mm diameter tube will be sandwiched nicely between these where appropriate as well as doublers adding stiffness wherever else necessary according to the plan.
I also found some 5ply 9mm ply board in 600x1220 sheets at a reasonable price - indoor grade, but as all the interior will be sealed with at least 2 coats polyurethane varnish, nothing should de-laminate, so I'm now looking to use this for bulkheads, but with a view to cutting out unnecessary material....OR...

...still considering using strips to 'build-up' bulkheads - while rooting around in my garage, I found the left-overs of a sheet of 12mm Gaboon ply left over from about 15 years ago, so it's about time I found a use for it. It's not wide enough to cut out all the bulkheads directly, but if I cut this into 25 or 30mm wide strips on my band saw, I can glue up some of the bulkheads as described in the previous post. The extra thickness won't matter as it is very light material, and it will give a greater gluing area for the ply skins. It has 9 laminations so is quite strong/stiff. And it effectively costs nothing!👍👍

The chine and gunwale stringers I'm still planning to laminate from 3/8 x 1/8 bass strips cut from sheet and spliced to make the necessary length, but I'm still not 100% convinced this will be strong enough - any thoughts regarding this would be appreciated. Other 1/4 sq stringers can also be cut from 1/4" bass sheet, again splicing to obtain the required lengths.

Keeping the initial build costs down as above should allow me to splash out on the plywood skins when the time comes. The plan prefers 2mm ply, but as this 'odd' size is almost twice the price of the 1.5mm, I'll stick with the thinner grade - the plan does suggest fitting extra 1/4sq stringers halfway between the chines to support the thinner ply panels. The last time I ordered 1.5mm ply (for the Springer tug and Lesro Sprite) I used Hoop ply, much cheaper than Birch and seemingly just as strong, so I'll go with this again, but it's a wee-ways off yet.

I welcome, and look forward to, any feedback regarding all the above.

Considering all the research I've done, I now have a fairly good idea where I can get what I need, so I'm at this point in time about 80% sure I will stick to building Vivacity before the Beachcomber, although I already see the Beachcomber as a very different kind of model, much more 'performance' orientated - more on that another time.

All that remains is to wait for a reply regarding 18" prop tube availability etc AND, of course, feedback from you all - it makes some sense now, but if any of you might do things a bit differently, I'd like to know, just in case I've missed something obvious..🤔..it wouldn't be the first time😁!

Looking forward to your comments,

rgds Nick
PS I've attached again a pdf of the plan so as to remind myself this is what I'm letting myself in for!?!🤔