STARLET by Peter Cane - a 34" LOA sailing yacht designed by the late Vic Smeed

[Peter Cane]

Hi fellas.

I am currently building Emma on another thread but I want something just a bit smaller so as to carry it in a bag ( by train) to the model sailing club some 20 ks away.

Some of us have to or prefer to do without a car.

As a kid  ( and older! ) I have built numerous Vic Smeed designs.

In fact my claim to fame is that I came second in a " Tomboy " free flight competition at Middle Wallop in the UK some years back.

Needless to say the " Tomboy" was a Vic Smeed design and he appeared on that day.

THAT!!! was my day bowled over.

They are all simple and they all sail/ fly.

Vic was a genius.

I met him.

He was a charming English and very clever Gentleman.

Always immaculately  dressed  mostly in a suit.

I have just recently learnt that he was a fighter pilot.

This in itself gains even more respect.

He has written so much about model aircraft and also model boats.

Model boats was always his high.

He loved them.

Anyway..having obtained my plans and complete building instructions from Canada to Australia ( building instructions written by Vic himself) , I have commenced the build.

I just love the way that he has gone to depths of explaining the cost of each material in pounds , shillings and pence!

Superb!.

This alone has set me on a course of vintage model yacht building.

When I tried to explain to the young cashier at Bunnings ( Australia ) that the item should cost 2/6pence as per plan, she looked at me in total disbelief!!!

Not really... but just a bit of fun.

I have used the old fashioned methods of replicating the drawings to wood by using tracing paper.

Yes...they still make tracing paper.

The build techniques are archaic but then so am I so it matters not.

Here are a few starter pics.

Pete

 

 

[Peter Cane]

Having made the spine from 3/16" ply I found that it had next to nil strength in it.

This is as a result of the poor quality plywood they make today.

In Vic Smeed's day plywood had more laminations and was a lot stronger. I remember this myself.

Weetabix also remained in a solid block when milk was poured over it but as time goes on we get cheated.

Weetabix aside, I decided to make a new spine.

If I were to laminate three pieces of 1/16" ply the cost would be formidable. ( birch ply I mean).

So I raided the wood stash and found ten lengths of 3/16" sq Birch from the firm Artesania Latina.

I used the pattern from the already made spine and drew the curve I needed onto a good strong straight board.

I then steamed the lengths to shape and glued up a curved spine using nails to hold everything firm.

The deck laminations are glued up using a straight edge to keep things...well.....Straight!

I cannot see this failing as this is I believe how they made real boats.

I could not see the point in carrying on with a floppy spine which is the crux of the boat.

Pete

[Jim Lad]

Vic Smeed - now there's a name from the past.  I think my first ever model making book was by Vic Smeed - just check my bookshelf: 'Boat Modelling' by Vic Smeed, first published in 1956!!!

 

That looks a very neat little yacht, Peter.

 

John

[mtaylor]

Peter,

Are you using 3-ply birch.. the so-called "Lite" plywood?    Check around with some hobby shops as I've seen 5 and 7 ply wood in small thicknesses.  I'm using 3 ply Lite on my latest build and the backbone is 1/8" and it's very flexible.  I've had my moments where I wished I'd bought the 5 ply for that part.

[Peter Cane]

9 hours ago, Jim Lad said:

Vic Smeed - now there's a name from the past.  I think my first ever model making book was by Vic Smeed - just check my bookshelf: 'Boat Modelling' by Vic Smeed, first published in 1956!!!

 

That looks a very neat little yacht, Peter.

 

John

 

[Peter Cane]

Hi John.

Yes she is a classic boat.

The keel is quite short as well so she can sail in shallow ponds!

I have just won " Model Yachting " by Vic Smeed on ebay.

It was obscenely dear on postage but I believe that little book will be a gold mine of information. It will just be a matter of converting certain criteria to suit what us available today.

It is fun to think my Starlet will only cost £6 5/6d!

Hee hee. It says so on the plan.

Pete

[Peter Cane]

4 hours ago, mtaylor said:

Peter,

Are you using 3-ply birch.. the so-called "Lite" plywood?    Check around with some hobby shops as I've seen 5 and 7 ply wood in small thicknesses.  I'm using 3 ply Lite on my latest build and the backbone is 1/8" and it's very flexible.  I've had my moments where I wished I'd bought the 5 ply for that part.

MT.

No I am not using Lite Ply but it flops around as if so.

It is normal building ply from Bunnings.

The outer plys are too thin to give any strength whatsover on a thing like a long skeleton spine.

Okay for solid and hollow bulkheads.

I reserve my 1/16" birch ply only for when it is needed as it is so expensive.

I have now constructed a really strong spine.

When it is daylight tomorrow I will send some pics.

It is quite a tad heavier than normal ply but hell...she is strong!.

Pete

[Peter Cane]

The keel box was constructed from four laminations.

The port lamination was of a 1/8" dark red hard wood and 1/16" birch ply.

It was then glued to the spine but no glued applied to the marked out area where the keel fits.

When dry the portion of the spine where the keel fits was cut out with a tennon saw.

The starboard lamination made in the same fashion was then glued to the spine exactly in line so as to form a keel box with an accurately angled slot for the keel to fit into.

Pete

[Peter Cane]

Having a perusal around the Starlet plan and came across this!!!

Oh classic!!!!

Love it.

Pete

[Jim Lad]

A good stat, Pete.  Now all you need to do is find a brass light switch! 

 

John

[Peter Cane]

49 minutes ago, Jim Lad said:

A good stat, Pete.  Now all you need to do is find a brass light switch! 

 

John

Yep.

That is exactly my point John.

Ha ha.

Oh what joy.

Pete

[Peter Cane]

Starlet's spine has now been champfered before the bulkheads were fitted as it is easier this way.

A dry fit of all bulkheads and necessary champfering to them to fit the spine was carried out.

Spine and bulkheads are now glued up.

I will brace the bulkheads left and right before adding the whales.

Oops! Little gap seen?

I will glue a piece in to give me peace of mind.

 

Pete

 

[Peter Cane]

She has quite some beam on her.

I like beamy boats!!!

Pete

[Jim Lad]

She'll be sailing before you know it, Pete.

 

John

[Peter Cane]

Ha ha. 

Thanks John.

I hope so too.

I tend to go at a pace but try to avoid beating time!

I l eave that to watches.

Pete.

[Peter Cane]

I have glued and chamfered the inwales.

Thank goodness for CA!

The instruction sheet recommends glueing on the bottom inwales and then to turn the whole over to fit the top ones.

I thought it better to keep the boat on the board for as many operations as possible .

I do not want it to twist out of shape.

I will now start to fit the bottom skins leaving the boat on the board.

I think it will have to come off to fit the side skins but by that time she should be rigid and true.

Pete.

[Peter Cane]

Thanks for all the likes and I do appreciate you putting up with me with my simple craft compared to your works of art with ship building.

I just have another take on it all.

Well I have had to remove the hull frame from the board because nose blocks had to be made.

I have made them now and will post pics tomorrow when daylight arrives.

I made the plug today for the two lead halves that form the bulb on the keel.

It is now in the hands of my friends at work who will cast it in lead for me.

I am a volunteer two days a week and enjoy the workshop facilities there.

They have their own foundry and wood work shop where I work/ hang around and make model trucks etc.

Here is a pic of the bulb half made from very workable red cedar which I have a good stock of.

Also a pic of the truck I finished today after two months of fun.

Sorry to digress but I was quite pleased with it.

Now you see face to name.

The reason behind the mug shot is not to show how irresistably handsom I am but for scale purposes.

Its quite a big truck!

 

Pete.

[Jim Lad]

A very nice looking truck, mate!

 

John

[druxey]

Thanks for the trip down memory lane to Vic Smeed. Takes me back a long way as well! Nice cut-out work there, Pete.

 

As for quality ply, I don't know whether 'Baltic birch' ply is available Down Under, but it is of high quality, no voids and has many layers.

[Peter Cane]

Thank you John and Druxey for the nice comments.

I always thought that there was something amateurish about hard chine hulls until I read up about them.

I still do not know the full nine yards but as far as sailing purposes are concerned there is a lot to be said for them.

They plane on the water better and are less inclined to " roll ".

When we are racing ( and I am not inclined towards that ) then do we want our boat to roll right over to look " cool " or do we want it as upright as possible in order to catch maximum valuable wind?

My gut feeling is the latter.

I have been reading up and price checking on the International One Metre all singing and dancing carbon and fibre glass hulls together wih custom made sail sets made from the newest " this that and the other " and I have been totally put off by it all.

It costs thousands of dollars, nothing is hand made by the person sailing it and I am not set on competition.

Back to Vic Smeed and building a nice old model yacht.

This IS  a hand built boat in the old style.

Take a look at the lines of the hull.

She is a beauty!

Check out the Beam!!...its huge and she will not go over in a hurry.

Just looking at it....I was contemplating making another hull the same and planking it out like an old 50s motorised speed boat.

It has the lines.

The decks are beautifully curved by design.

It gives me much pleasure to go back to Vic's days and relive them by building another of his classics.

In his instructions he even stipulates that the tracing of all parts takes 20 minutes and all the cutting out just 1 1/2 hours.

A full materials list is included.

Thats what I call comprehensive.

Pete

[Mirabell61]

Nice build Pete,

also the truck looks great   

 

Nils

[Peter Cane]

10 hours ago, Mirabell61 said:

Nice build Pete,

also the truck looks great   

 

Nils

Nice to hear from you Nils and many thanks.

Pete

[GrandpaPhil]

Awesome!

[Jim Lad]

She looks great with those bow chocks in Peter.  Get working - I can hardly wait to see her on the water! 

 

John

[Peter Cane]

Cheers John.

I cheated and used my belt/ disc sander ( very carefully ) to do the bow.

I cannot wait to skin it.

Trouble is I get side tracked into doing something else.

My mind is uncontrollable  but I do try to practice the " breathing " and calm down.

See my " Brando " thread and you will understand.

I will need 30 minutes as I am just about to post.

Pete

[Kikatinalong]

Love the truck, the model is certainly taking shape and looks terrific. You might need to buy an old duffle bag to Carry it to ur club, and your a bit like me, we both have good heads for a radio show. 😂😂

what local club do you go to, as a newbie I have one near me in Box Hill ( Melbourne) which I intend to visit now that the weather is improving.

Cheers

Peter

[Peter Cane]

4 hours ago, Kikatinalong said:

Love the truck, the model is certainly taking shape and looks terrific. You might need to buy an old duffle bag to Carry it to ur club, and your a bit like me, we both have good heads for a radio show. 😂😂

what local club do you go to, as a newbie I have one near me in Box Hill ( Melbourne) which I intend to visit now that the weather is improving.

Cheers

Peter

Hi Peter and thanks.

I have to devise something that is not heavy and easy to carry in order to get it to the club by train.

A duffle bag sounds a good idea.

I have a sewing machine so I will knock something up.

I also have a lot of thick bright red leather so Starlet might get treated to a purpose built bag.

Its just lying there doing nothing ( as leather does) so the duffle bag sounds great.

I am not yet a member of the group but there is a large club with their very own boating lake in Boondall, Brisbane which is an hour and twenty seven minutes away by train.

They are called the SSS club.

Triple S standing for Sail, Steam and Scale.

They even depth charge $5000 worth of rc submarine!.

The destroyers all have firing guns which puff smoke, go bang blah blah blah.

Underwater videos with G PROs ,the whole nine yards.

It seems they have a shed load of fun.

Pete

 

[Peter Cane]

I have started to put the skins on.

I keep moaning about the cost of birch ply but it is good stuff to work with.

Nice and strong and also hard.

The skinning and decks will realise about £100 but I suppose that is normal for a boat of this size.

I filed out half of the keel slot so as to make finding it easier after skinning both bottom halves!

It makes for a neater job.

Nearly got caught out there!!!

Pete

[Peter Cane]

Thank you all followers of this thread for your interest.

It is more than I ever imagined.

The hull shell is now complete and out in the hot Australian sun for its first coat of interior varnish to dry.

My Vic Smeed Yachting book arrived this morning and it is an absolute Gold Mine!

If you get into making a sailing yacht then this book has all you need to know.

What tickles me is that the past owner who is no longer with us had several engineering letters after his name but he still bought the Vic Smeed book as there were obviously things he needed to know.

Vic was a technical genius.

Onwards! 

Here is how his Starlet design has emerged.

It is an easy build.

It must be as I have done it!

It is imperfect but so am I.

Pete

 

 

[Jim Lad]

Looking good, mate!

 

John