Bob Cleek

Bob (and others so interested)  For a model, she seems to slip along nicely.  She is reasonably quick in response to the transmitter's signals. The first sea trials indicated that additional rudder area would permit less rudder to need to be applied. Tacking was not crisp because both the headsail and the foresail lazy sheets were hanging up against the standing rigging.  And, you know, after years of sailing the original MAGIC from the cockpit, changing headings was intuitive. Rudder control while standing ashore as the model sailed away was also not a mental stretch...but keeping it all together when she's heading back will take more training of the operator.
The jury is still out on the functionality of the sheet servos because of the lazy sheet issue. The servos seem to have the necessary torque but they do take time to tighten the sheets on the working side, however I'm not trying to make foiling-speed tacks.  Not sure  whether the sheets would release as fast as simple rudder action would let her up. More trials required there.
When she gets becalmed or "otherwise incapacitated" ( that expression got us chuckling, Bob), Vicky or someone else serving as "Rescue", paddles out to get her. 
Here is Skip Allan serving as a reverse tugboat when the wind died the first morning. (Photo by Vicky Johnsen)
And Herself in WOODSTOCK. a Tom Hill ultralight glued lap canoe

Well, it certainly looks like you are well on your way to success! Beautifully done, clean, crisp work. It looks perfect, 

I've had two goes at the Winchelsea. I realised not long into the first build that the model was far too complex for someone of my limited experience and skill level so I gave up to start again. W2 was a much better effort but there were things I was unhappy with and  I ( I suspect many of us) can get disproportionately bugged by things I look at and think: if I did that again I'd do it better. So I took a break and made Syren's lovely cutter Cheerful in boxwood from Hobbymill EU and I'm very pleased with it too.
 
I thought I might have a go at a scratch build but I think that's beyond me. Apart from any other failings I simply don't have the knowledge. What I want to build though is a fully rigged ship. My own view - lots won't share it - is that rigging really sets off a model beautifully. So I've decided to have a go at a fully rigged Winchelsea. Scratch building the masts seems reasonably achievable and within my compass. And having had two as it turns out dummy runs at Winchelsea I'm reasonably confident I can make a decent effort this time.
 
So here goes.
 
I decided to start with the masts on the footing that if I can't get those right the project will go nowhere. I'm not strung up on historical accuracy (though I would welcome observations). I'm using a combination of Shipyard Model HMS Enterprize and Anatomy of a Ship HMS Diana plans with Herbert/Antscherl books for methodology.
 
I started with the crosstrees for the main mast. Here are parts 1-4, again in boxwood from Hobbymill EU.. 


And then the tops.







I made the mizzen mast first. Here it is (with the bowsprit).

This is the mizzen top more or less complete thogh I wonder if I should file down the radating battens towards the centre a bit more yet. The top is not glued to the crosstrees and the cap is not finished.
 

And here the bowsprit. Cutting the bowsprit from square section to this stage took most of of a full day.




And here trying the bowsprit for size (although not yet cut to length) on W2. I'm also having a bit of a go - experimenting really - at the ship's boats. That is the pinnace sitting midships.
 

 
I have cut out and assembled all the frames with sockets to take the masts. This is where I am at the moment. The masts of course are not glued in nor are the tops glued to the crosstrees or topmasts glued.

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 

All the best everyone
Fred
 
 
 

It doesn't seem fair to leave this tale at the above picture.
We first launched MAGIC in late November, 2021 and managed some preliminary sea trials. These generated a bit of a "squawk" list, as might be expected and I managed to work on a couple of items before her next sail 2 months later.
Photos by Vicky Johnsen

Above image taken by Vicky Johnsen in early January, 2022
 
We were fortunate to be able to build a mounting/display cradle in the house to hold her before life intervened for 15 months. The only space with suitable height was above the fireplace (we have a cat - 'nuff said) but the supporting shelf needed to be able to be raised and lowered. Hollow-cored panels were glued up and bonded together and the hull rested along her centerline with a maple stub projecting up into the keel slot.  A bolt projects from the backboard through the midship hawse of the bulwarks into a retention plate on the inboard side. This arrangement keeps the model from tipping over away from the wall.  The mainmast clears the roof T&G by 3/8".
And here she sat, not quite finished nor properly sailing for the next 15 months or so.
 
Nearly current...
 

Sally soon stopped by with the newly-sewn up sails and I set to doing the necessary handwork at the corners, the sail slides and the fitting of the mainsail's battens.  Once this work was done, I raised the new sails for the first time and began setting up the running rigging as well as tweaking the positioning and luff tensions on the masts.



The bowsprit net was knotted up and hung in place. 
 
And I started getting impatient to start MAGIC on her sea trails even though there remained a list of projects yet to finish.  In our locale, there are very few useful launch ramps, either into a bay or nearby fresh water lakes.  At that time, (November, 2021), we were also further limited due to the extreme drought's effect on the levels of the lakes.  Since the useful access to the bay's two ramps was strongly effected by tidal height/current, there were also only a couple of days a month when, winds permitting, an initial launch for a sea trial made sense. 
 
First launch and sea trials next
 
 
 

Not sure if you are telling this story after the fact or in real time. I'm betting your local Joann's fabric store is going to give you a blank stare when you ask if they have any three-quarter ounce nylon spinnaker cloth!  
 
Very creative fabrication solution for the sail track slides. They look great, too. 

Indeed they do. Actually, there are three basic types of molding sand and lots of specialty sands for various applications, but the basic, tried and true "el cheapo" material is called "green sand." It's a mixture of very fine sand with about ten percent finely ground up kitty litter and water. There are lots of YouTube videos on how to mix up your own casting sand. You can also buy it premixed from foundry supply houses. 

Not sure if you are telling this story after the fact or in real time. I'm betting your local Joann's fabric store is going to give you a blank stare when you ask if they have any three-quarter ounce nylon spinnaker cloth!  
 
Very creative fabrication solution for the sail track slides. They look great, too. 

Indeed they do. Actually, there are three basic types of molding sand and lots of specialty sands for various applications, but the basic, tried and true "el cheapo" material is called "green sand." It's a mixture of very fine sand with about ten percent finely ground up kitty litter and water. There are lots of YouTube videos on how to mix up your own casting sand. You can also buy it premixed from foundry supply houses. 

Indeed they do. Actually, there are three basic types of molding sand and lots of specialty sands for various applications, but the basic, tried and true "el cheapo" material is called "green sand." It's a mixture of very fine sand with about ten percent finely ground up kitty litter and water. There are lots of YouTube videos on how to mix up your own casting sand. You can also buy it premixed from foundry supply houses. 

Craig,  
 
Just amazing work and as I posted earlier a beautiful subject.
 
I am interested in your sand casting.  As a kid I often tried to cast toy soldiers to replace broken ones.  My father took a dim view of this.  He was concerned about steam- hot lead explosions.  I later did cast a set of ducks like yours in a crude sand mold.  What kind of sand did you use?  I believe foundries use special sand that allows the pattern to be removed without collapsing the mold.
 
Roger

While Vicky continued with her detail varnishing, I made arrangements to visit a neighbor's pool to conduct a displacement and trim check. The boat was weighed on a scale beforehand without ballast or rig and then at the pool, calibrated weights were added into the bilge to bring her down to her waterline. Weights were also adjusted fore-and-aft to tweak the trim. Allowing weight for her rig and sails, most of the remainder would be configured into her ballast bulb. (Yes, I did factor in the difference between freshwater and salt water buoyancies.) The aft-mounted propane locker - carved from a block of AYC with teak trim - had been finished and mounted by this time. I was pleased that the location of the ballast keel trunk proved to be in the correct fore and aft position.

After the float testing, MAGIC returned to the building cradle for more work. I built the hollow spruce masts and once shaped, we trial fitted them to check rake angles and standing rigging lengths.
   Here, the glued mainmast is curing and the early stages of the boom gallows fabrication from brass tubing, bronze plate and teak is shown.

More bits of hardware


                                      The boom, gaff and a variety of blocks were made and varnished                                      
The turnbuckles arrived from Florida 
 
    and the mainsheet arrangement was trial fitted.
 
The first "raising of the masts" showed that the rake angles needed a bit of tuning.     

I believe the archival material for inking such details is old fashioned India ink applied with a drafting pen over a smooth wood surface previously sealed with shellac or thinned varnish. India ink is basically water, shellac, and lampblack. Modern "markers" with synthetic inks are not necessarily color-fast. "Permanent" means it won't wash out of your clothes and "waterproof" means it won't run or smear if it gets wet. Beyond that, it's anybody's guess.
 

Here you go: 
It's from the "More" drop-down menu at the top of the forum homepage under "ropemaking."

I believe the archival material for inking such details is old fashioned India ink applied with a drafting pen over a smooth wood surface previously sealed with shellac or thinned varnish. India ink is basically water, shellac, and lampblack. Modern "markers" with synthetic inks are not necessarily color-fast. "Permanent" means it won't wash out of your clothes and "waterproof" means it won't run or smear if it gets wet. Beyond that, it's anybody's guess.
 

Lovely work! I'm curious about what design arrangements you've made for her sailing qualities. Am I correct that your "dagger board" slot will carry the customary long, removable fin with a ballast bulb on the bottom end?

I believe the archival material for inking such details is old fashioned India ink applied with a drafting pen over a smooth wood surface previously sealed with shellac or thinned varnish. India ink is basically water, shellac, and lampblack. Modern "markers" with synthetic inks are not necessarily color-fast. "Permanent" means it won't wash out of your clothes and "waterproof" means it won't run or smear if it gets wet. Beyond that, it's anybody's guess.
 

Here you go: 
It's from the "More" drop-down menu at the top of the forum homepage under "ropemaking."

It is great to see the new Amati plates looking like small nail punches instead of the gigantic rivets.  Hard to tell if they overlap but no matter as they do appear to be shingled properly rather than laying side by side what with having a single row of nails showing on each side.  Very good call to make the switch David
 
Allan
 

Brilliant, exactly the tread I was looking for. Much appreciated!
 

Here you go: 
It's from the "More" drop-down menu at the top of the forum homepage under "ropemaking."

Here you go: 
It's from the "More" drop-down menu at the top of the forum homepage under "ropemaking."

Hang on, Bob.  The answer shall become clear. Patience, my friend. 😉 (Yes to your question).

Lovely work! I'm curious about what design arrangements you've made for her sailing qualities. Am I correct that your "dagger board" slot will carry the customary long, removable fin with a ballast bulb on the bottom end?

Before the house could be glued down, it was necessary to bend and fit copper tubes from the aft bulkhead up and through the deck near the future winch locations for the mainsheet, foresail and jib sheets to slide through.

The cockpit is a removeable structure to permit access to the rudder and its servo.  I strove to make it a watertight unit with a tight fit to the deck lip.  The depth of the cockpit could not be scale directly down from the original schooner's "pit" due to clearance issues between the bottom of the cockpit and the rudder servo on the model.  This also meant that the wheel needed to be slightly smaller.

I took the inspiration for making the binnacle from Michael Mott's work on his lovely cutter, hammering this out from a copper plumbing cap and then finding a properly scaled marble to serve as the compass. Here it awaits a final positioning once the cockpit is finished. (She Who Has Steadier Hands is shown painting.)

The rudder needed to be built and fitted up through the rudder trunk to check clearances:


The topcoat-to-primer lack of adhesion can be seen above right.  I eventually had to strip off the white top coat and a hard automotive grey primer before re-painting with a marine primer and topsides paint. So we learn.