M-Class Yacht by Ian_Grant - RADIO - Refurbishing/Customizing a 70's RC Yacht

[Ian_Grant]

Moderators: this originally was a kit. I'm now customizing it. Please move it to kit section if you feel it should be there. Thanks!

 

Back in the 70's the teenaged me built a British-designed M-Class yacht for RC.  M-Class requires a 50" hull and 800 square inches of sail. It's taller than me from keel bulb to mast head.

 

During my working career it spent decades "in ordinary". I brought it out to the cottage once to sail it for my son and nephews when they were about ten but they couldn't have cared less. Modern kids!

 

Three years ago I took it out again. While it was reaching straight away from me, I realized I could see the white deck. How could that be? The answer was she was sinking by the stern! After she disappeared completely I was able to snorkel out and recover her. Fortunately the bay off our cottage is not too deep.

 

It turned out that the rudder post support block I had glued into the hull in the 70's came away from the inner hull and water poured in through the resulting hole. The radio gear was fine after packing in rice but the battery was very unhappy.

 

To fix the rudder mounting I had to cut a new hole in the aft deck for access. Looking at the resulting two holes, I decided to join them into one large hole and make a reasonable-looking cabin as on an actual boat instead of having just the little flat hatch amidships for access. The cabin turned out as shown below. I used a mannequin for a helms"man" to which I planned to add those black and whit circles like on a crash test dummy. I  also repainted her with actual boat topsides paint left over from my sailing dinghy. Sadly the coamings within the cabin proved to be inadequate at keeping water out. After a short sail the bilge was awash and the poor helmsman was up to his bum in water too. I set it aside for the last few years.

 

Recently I decided to change things up. I am going to add a new cabin with walls fixed to the hull, and removable roofs with gaskets to keep water out. I'm also changing the winch arrangement (finally) to an endless primary loop to which the sheets attach, instead of attaching the sheets directly to the winch drum. The old scheme constantly risked the sheets becoming unspooled from the drum with the resulting tangling problems. The scale is changing to 1/24 for which I need "G-scale" (~3") people (helmsman and female companion(s)). G-scale girls are common but a suitably-posed helmsman is proving elusive. I may have to order a "seated young man" and amputate and reattach his arm(s) to hold the wheel.

 

Here are a few photos of the first refurbishing, and the new cabin taking basic shape in this second refurbishing.

 

Old deck hacked up, new transom, and new (rather massive) beams in place for extended cabin.

New deck applied. It's sheet melamine.

Final assembly, repainted.

The helmsman.

New cabin started......

The new loop on the winch drum: no more unspooling!!!

Old 70's winch still works; 18 lbs pull; what's not to like other than its size?

It's well made inside.

 

Edited September 10, 2024 by Ian_Grant
corrected log title

[KeithAug]

Interesting project but I guess it will be a quick build.

[Ian_Grant]

I hope so.  I'm a bit discouraged about my Roman galley's steering ability, so I thought I could at least get this boat working

on the water this summer.

[Ian_Grant]

Cabin taking shape, with laser-cut window frames. Main access is via large cabin roof which will be held down by rubber-bands. Rudder area access via rear hatch which will be screwed down.

 

Mast will be stepped on top of the forward part of the structure. Plan is to have an inflatable dinghy tied down on the aft platform. Cockpit layout and finishing will have to wait until I have figures in hand. Still no luck finding a helmsman although G-scale girls are relatively plentiful. They're pricey. I need to tour some toy shops looking for ideas.

[KeithAug]

On 8/9/2024 at 6:48 PM, Ian_Grant said:

G-scale girls are relatively plentiful.

I don't think I want to know that!

 

I assume you own a laser cutter?

[Ian_Grant]

No, we're very lucky in that our local library has 3d printers and laser cutters freely available once you take a little orientation course.

For 3d printing, you pay for the plastic you use up. Laser cutting costs nothing if you bring your own material.

 

I made extensive use of both for my Roman galley. 👍

[KeithAug]

1 hour ago, Ian_Grant said:

No, we're very lucky in that our local library has 3d printers and laser cutters freely available once you take a little orientation course.

For 3d printing, you pay for the plastic you use up. Laser cutting costs nothing if you bring your own material.

That is a fantastic public service. Hats off to Ottawa.

 

[Ian_Grant]

Painting coming along. I ordered two figures via Etsy; the helmsman who will need his arms amputated and reattached should be here by the end of the month, but the girl I ordered from Poland might not be here until October.😕 HaHa.......

 

I want a lot more stuff for aesthetics: anchor, cleats, bollards, dinghy and outboard, yellow pinstriping tape, lettering to put name on transom, liferings, wheel, maybe even stanchions and grabrails. After looking at prices I will be making the dinghy and whatever else I can using the library's 3d printers and laser cutters.

 

Can't detail the cockpit until my people are here unfortunately. The mast step is screwed down.

 

[KeithAug]

20 hours ago, Ian_Grant said:

the girl I ordered from Poland might not be here until October

She is probably a bit reluctant to travel given the threat of amputation.

[Ian_Grant]

7 hours ago, KeithAug said:

She is probably a bit reluctant to travel given the threat of amputation.

No no, it's the helmsman whose arms will need amputating!

 

I received an update that my Polish girl will be with me by Sept 6th. 👍

[Ian_Grant]

Well, I received my two figures a little ahead of promised delivery date. They were both from Etsy and advertised as 1/24 scale, though from different vendors. Girl from Poland, guy from somewhere else.

 

Here they are:  HaHaHa!!

I knew something was wrong as soon as I saw the small narrow shipping box for the helmsman figure. As far as I can measure in attempting to estimate their heights if they were standing up straight, she's a little tall and he's quite a bit short. She is much more nicely molded than he is. The Polish vendor at the time asked what pose I would like the helmsman to be in but I had ordered this guy with a view to amputating then reattaching his arms to hold the helm. I have now asked the vendor, Andrii, if he can make me a helmsman the same size as the passenger.

 

In the immortal words of the Polish Spitfire pilot to "Moggy" in "Piece of Cake"......."Is cock-up". 🤣

[KeithAug]

Looks a bit like “mother and child reunion” to me.

[Ian_Grant]

Ready for trials!  If not detailed yet.  Didn't have time today as I was repairing some stuff at a client's house. Tomorrow is the plan, wind permitting. Will be naming her after my wife when I find some adhesive vinyl lettering.

 

I need to make a better-designed stand.

Edited September 10, 2024 by Ian_Grant

[Ian_Grant]

Quick report on trial:

 

Went to my first RC boat club Wednesday sail at "Brown's Inlet" in Ottawa. They said they'd be there at 4:30 but no one showed up. A little after the 5pm the fitful  breeze died completely. As I was dismantling the rig, two ladies walking past asked, "Why don't you sail with those other guys?".  Turns out I was at the wrong end of Brown's Inlet and the two ends are cut off by trees etc. Next time I know where to go.

 

Anyway, as soon as I put her in the water I saw she was sitting stern-down with the forefoot barely touching the water. Even in the light breeze her bow kept wanting to veer off the wind. I'll need to rethink the weight distribution. Might even come down to completely tearing her down again and rebuilding much more lightly eg see those beams in first post first photo, and build the cabin with thinner pieces in pine not maple. Also get rid of the metal frame holding the pulley for the winch loop.

 

That's strike two for this summer in my RC revival; first the Roman galley and now this.

 

I'm also now getting enthused about restoring my HMS LION from WW I. Thinking of adding detail, correcting some errors and of course buy a modern brushed ESC for her decaperm motors. Will stay with gel-cell battery as that was most of her ballast, back in the 70's.

 

 

Edited September 17, 2024 by Ian_Grant