Geam

Started on deck planking late last week. Time takes time.

Having made the semi-scale interior cabin details, I decided that the hatches on the 2 companionways as well as the foreward deck hatch should be functional. ie. the hatch can be opened to reveal the steps and a narrow view into the hull below.

To achieve this, I have installed a small brass hinge on each hatch. Each hinge will locate into a hinge 'beam' -as used on the present full size CA RS1.  The small (non-operating) plastic hinges supplied in the kit will be used, but cut in two so that they will not prevent the hatch from being lifted up. 

It's this kind of sidetracking that results in my rather long build times. I get some crazy detail idea then take ages to work out the logistics of it, and ages again to produce it! After all that thinking, my brain cell needs a rest before getting on with the build!'

George

Plodding along slowly with the Colin Archer RS1. The hope to launch at Easter has been abandoned. The skylight and other deck structures are under construction. Not sure if the planking on top of skylight and companionways should be stained teak or kept natural. I intend to keep the deck planking 'natural' with no stain -just oil and varnish. Some of the wood in my particular kit is quite dark and I stained it teak thinking that all the rest would be stained teak anyway. Post a few progress photos.

George 

Nearly went nuts today trying to attatch 48 tiny brass bars to the window frames for the deck skylight. 

Glued on the gunnels and cut the 32 railing posts and dry-fitted them to the gunnels. Deck/hull joint has been filled with Tamiya white putty ready for sanding. Glued the main hatch deck onto the frame.

Not sure about the best sequence for the next steps but I think I'll paint the red hull hull stripe and then stain the gunnells in teak. Made a helmsmann's seat and instrument panel for the steering well this afternoon.

Finally got the deck glued on. Removing tape today. Hope it's well stuck on! It'll be nice to stop glareing down at all the wire and plugs. Hope I haven't forgotten anything. Not everything can be easy-accessed in spite of the extra deck hatches.

George

Happy new year to all,

Work -or play- on the Colin Archer has been stopped by the production of an Xmas train set under the tree. All that is now packed away and the CA is in focus again. The R/C gear has been installed and mostly obscured beneath seating and inside lockers. A number of extra hatches (6?) had to be opened up on the deck to give access to main R/C components. It will be interesting to see if I can make all of these watertight later. The ready cut deck sheet will be epoxied onto the hull during the next week or so. Before that, the rudder servo has to be connected to the rudder via a pushrod through the hull. Also the two winch drums need to be loaded with sheets and led to the main boom and  to the  foresail. The foresail sheet needs to be led through the deck via sheet guides. Sounds like I know what I'm doing, but I don't; I just know what has to be done😅

As usual, recent progress has been slow. More interior details have been completed and the R/C installation will start soon -ish. A lot of wiring to be threaded though the outer bulkheads and under the seating etc. Doing some head-scratching over the position of switches and fuse. A bit crowded due to trying to keep the R/C gear hidden from view, but accessable enough for maintenance.

Been doing a few fiddly jobs recently. Matt black stripes applied to the lockers, door frames and seaberth surrounds. Soon have to dig out the soldering iron and get the R/C components hooked up. When all that works, the deck will go on. I hope.

George 

The long-awaited compass arrived in the post at last. It will hardly been noticeable through the open deck hatch. The importance of this detail grew out of all proportion after I incorporated the porthole in the steering well. Anyway it's there now. The open porthole surround is a bit too big but again, will hardly be visible later on. The real one is shown...sideways!

Added some (non-working) door and locker hinges and made the brass fiddle rails on the locker tops. The companionway steps are also in production.

Trying some test-assembly of interior components. The aft cabin bulkhead with an in-locker navigation station is in place. The bulkhead is removeable to give access to the 2 servos behind. The pigeon-hole/shelf in the centre will house the compass which can be viewed by the helmsman through a large porthole in the steering well. The well has been given higher sides than shown in the plan to help keep water out when sailing.

The door to the heads has been fitted with a (slightly kinky) frosted, green-glazed, porthole!

George

Starting to paint some interior sections now. This is the actual green colour used in the present Colin Archer RS1. Don't know if the original was this green, because all the old photos are in monochrome!

George

Progressing slowly with the different components of the interior. Now rounding the last 'corner'. Not too happy with the home-made hinges on the stbd locker door. Only one or two of the locker doors actually need working hinges.  I have found some miniature brass doll's-house hinges in the UK -which are now in the post to Norway. 

The workshop area, aft to port, and the adjacent 'heads' are also in progress.  The opening for the compass-viewing porthole in the steering well has been drilled.

George

Aft bulkhead in production now. A locker on each side and a space to house the steering compass which can be seen by the helmsman through a porthole in the forward bulkhead of the steering well! The porthole and compass are not in place yet but they will appear eventually.

George

Bulkhead between saloon and what is termed as 'the hallway' has been installed. Don't know what else to call this area where the companionway steps will be. The 'hall' will enclose an aft sea berth to stbd, heads to port, engine, workbench to port, and a chart table on top of the engine cover. There is also a navigation area with a radar screen and GPS built into a locker and a rather large compass which can be viewed through a pothole from the steering well.

A friend in Eastern Norway has his Fisher 37 for sale. He moored it alongside the original refurbished Colin Archer for some 'mugshots'. Not often you see these two yachts in the same photo. 

George

Wood-burning stove and saloon table produced in last few days, also aft sea berth which is to on the starboard side.

George 

Slow progress recently due to unusually good weather here in S-W Norway. Have constructed some interior detail which will eventually be painted in the green colour used in the present Colin Archer RS1 afloat in Norway as shown in the lower photo. Saloon deck will be planked later  in oak-stained pinewood.

George

Rudder servo in place to STDB of the steering well/cockpit.

Spring tensioning pulleys/winch drum compensators fitted P&S abeam the jib winch. Hope they work as intended!

Will start on some interior fittings/furninshing soon.

George

Not exactly ground breaking tech, but there's now a winch (6-turns Graupner Regatta Eco Speed) installed abeam the main mast position. 

George

Apropriate beams/stringers have been cut away and a mainsail control winch has been fitted abeam the cockpit/steering well. The winch is a 4-turn Krick  unit  nr. 1004MG. The mainsheet will run via a brass guide tube, through the side of the well, up to a ring on the mizzen mast and  to the end of the main boom.  The winch drum will be fitted later in the build!

George

The cross beams and stringers are in place now. Some need to be cut away to give access to the hull internals.  Deck shown, loosely placed on hull. R/C gear locations to be planned next. Then I'll have a good think about whether or not to try to build an interior around the R/C installtions. It will take some time to achieve I fear.  

I have made some small adjustments to the genoa sheet runs above deck. A new, additional sheet block has been added further forward in an attempt to give more downards pull at the genoa clew and thereby tighten the genoa leech a bit. Under sail, the top section of the genoa often has too much twist and the wind spills out and does not provide thrust -just flutter!

The YouTube videos can be seen by writing "Model Fisher 34 motorsailer 1/12th scale".

The Billing Boats Colin Archer RS1 is now up from the cellar store and the build is underway....but at a slow speed-ahead.  

George

Sorry about the wrinkley main and mizzen sails in previous photo. This is due to sails being stowed under the sail covers. The nylon sailcloth did not seem to like that too much. Won't use the covers very often. Reefed and covered just for the motoring tests.