Jack12477

Rule # 1: The customer is always right 

Rule # 2: When the customer is wrong, refer to rule # 1. 

Watch this video of Ice yacht Rocket launch , my model of this is in my signature.  She is clocking 55-60 MPH .  I was there when these were taken. 

We are hoping to complete the restoration by the end of this month, then get it moved out of our host, Jim's, workshop as he has an 1830s authentic Dutch windmill restoration project and will need to move back inside soon. Right now he's ouside cutting the main shaft on his sawmill. The windmill is on Long Island here in the colonies. 

Yes, it is a great and popular winter sport when we have ice, we need minimum 11 inches thick ice to safely sail these boats. The Dutch introduced it to America back in the 1700s or there abouts, we, Americans,  redesigned their boats into the design you see today.   The speed is theoretically 4 to 5 times the speed of the prevailing wind due to the combined effects of true wind and apparent wind and near zero friction of the (ice skate like blade) runner over the ice.

The "basket" is where you normally ride and it is pretty stable. One of the reasons why we opened the backbone completely was because videos taken by the previous owner showed it twisting under sail , some of the glue joints had failed, so we added additional blocks (bulkheads) and reglued everthing. Should be stiffer now. Will know when we get her on the ice and under sail. 

1 hour ago, Edwardkenway said:

shall be catching up after I've had my tea😉.

Is that "Afternoon tea" or "High tea"? Since it is around 2000 hours (8:00 PM) over there in UK now, I would guess the latter.  😉

I keep getting the date confused 😁 partly because were told it was 1912, then discovered the hidden note saying 1906. Yea, steaming the hide glue off to get the backbone open was a bear to do. Lots and lots of patience on that task.

1 hour ago, toms10 said:

Hi Jack,

Just catching up on your build.  It's coming along great.  Sorry to hear about your helper.

Tom

Thanks Tom

Edward, follow this Link for restoration blog.  The family in Iowa built the trailer for it

2 hours ago, Edwardkenway said:

Do you use it step the mast as well?

Edward, we acquired the boat about 3 years ago from a family in Iowa some 2,000 or so miles inland from us. It was originally built here in the Hudson Valley, Poughkeepsie, by George Buckhout who designed and built all the gaff rigged Hudson River ice yachts for the various "landed gentry".  It needed a lot of restoration when we got it, including a reglueing of the entire backbone.  We have not sailed it yet.   But, yes, the crane is used to lift the backbone, 38 ft in length,  in and out, the mast, runner plank can be lifted by 2 or 3 people.  It could be used to step the mast, which I think the prior owners did. We sometimes will use the mast of another ice yacht, or a gin pole  to step masts.    Since Buckhout built it in 1912, it has been on Long Island, Greenwood Lake on NY/NJ border, and then to Iowa, wher it was sailed for decades before the family offered it for sale to us. BTW it has 2 cockpits, one of a very few that does. 

The trailer photos were taken the week one of our members returned from Iowa towing the trailer back to us. 

43 minutes ago, Brewerpaul said:

How portable is this? 

Here' photos of Manhassett's trailer, complete with its own lifting crane.

We have sailed those and Lake Winnepasakee (sp ?) in NH.  All the boats break down into trailerable components. Our club boat Jack Frost a 50 ft boat was clocked on Lake Winne at 91 mph back in the 90s on a 16 mile run down the lake.

There is a section of river off of Barrytown down to Rhinecliff that freezes thick enough to provide a good sheet for sailing. Other location is off of Germantown. Last time we were about to sail in Barrytown was March 2014.  Orange Lake in Newburgh is another choice. We sailed there  2018 and 2019 seasons, no ice anywhere in 2020. Do a YouTube search on "Hudson river ice yachts" for videos of our boats. 

Hudson ice yachts

More yachts

Orange Lake

Just to let everyone know that I have not given up on this kit.

I decided to take a break from model building and finish restoring the Manhassett ice yacht that we have been sporadically working on the past 2 years. 

This past Saturday we got a 3rd coat of marine varnish on the backbone, runner plank and main mast. Next weekend we will flip the backbone and coat the underside, the boom, gaff and jib club foot and reinstall all the hardware. We hope by the end of August we can be finished with the restoration and move the boat out of our host's workshop.  Some photos follow

Backbone (aka keel) with basket

Runner plank and main mast 

At least this gets me outside in the fresh air for awhile instead of cooped up inside in my basement. I will get back to the model soon. 

Hmm. I have the same kit and mine were not warped. 

I put an angle in each corner, 4 in all, use 4 clamps.  

I bought some aluminum angle "iron", 90 degree, about 3/4 inch on each leg, using a hacksaw blade in my power jig saw, cut it into 1 inch, 2 inch, segments.  I then clamp these against the bulkhead and false keel, only put glue on the slots. Wait for glue to set, remove and repeat with next bulkhead.   The angle brackets hold the pieces at 90 degrees to each other. 

I use the Veritas miniature planes from Lee Valley

My '65 Mustang, 3 speed manual, 6 cyl engine, convertible cost $2,500 back then  

I'll third that Craig, as an owner of 65 Mustang convertible. My younger brother had a 60 MG A which was constantly in shop for tune-ups etc, he swapped it for a 65 Mustang after me. Great car ! 

And when do you pipe the Admiral aboard for her Ready For Ops (RFO) inspection ? 

15 minutes ago, Canute said:

How did Anzio Annie fit in with these large bore guns?

Anzio Annie

Saw this bad boy at Aberdeen Proving Grounds and the shell at the museum at Picatinny Arsenal when I was stationed there in the late 60s.  Little David mortar.  I don't think it ever saw service. 

I  concur.

Great looking diorama and model, Jim

Excellent presentation OC, very impressive dio. Congrats

10 hours ago, ragove said:

It is tail heavy and I needed a small dab of glue to keep the nose down for a photo.  Can’t seem to get lead fishing sinkers and nothing else is small enough or heavy enough to hold the nose down.  I have the same trouble with the B-24. 

 

Use copper clad steel BBs. They are small and heavy enough to hold nose down. See my Coast Dolphin Guard helo build  

17 minutes ago, Edwardkenway said:

If you pair don't stop squabbling we'll turn round and go straight home👿

No we will put you out of the car and make you walk home in the scary scary dark 😠

4 hours ago, Canute said:

OK, we can wait. Tic-toc-tic-toc. We're ready now.

"Daddy, are we there yet?"