Almost any kid can spend an afternoon fishing with a homemade pole on the banks of a river, or building dams, bridges and pools. It only takes a little bit of imagination to create a small raft to float in your backyard streams.
With some parental guidance and a chunk of balsa wood you can create a genuine craft to navigate that brook that will last for years to come. Follow this step-by-step guide and build your own floating masterpiece.
DIRECTIONS
The Keel and Hull:
1. Draw an outline for your boat on the 7-inch balsa block. Mark the boat's top edge on the 2-inch-wide surface.
2. For the hull, carve away the wood around the outline. Continue downward, tapering the sides of the boat so they meet to form a rounded ridge along its bottom.
3. Use a scoop blade (adults only) to hollow out the hull. Leave a 1/4-inch thickness around the sides and 3/4-inch along the bottom.
4. Carve a lengthwise groove (1/4 inch deep, 1/8 inch wide, and 3 3/4 inches long) along the middle of the boat's bottom.
5. For the keel, cut a 1 3/4- by 3 3/4-inch rectangle from the sheet of balsa.
6. Make a diagonal cut along one short side of the rectangle; the resulting tip should face forward when you join the keel to the boat.
7. Affix fishing weights with Krazy Glue along the bottom of the keel. Coat the groove with glue before sliding the keel in place.
8. Inside the hull, drill a 3/16-inch-diameter hole, 1/4 inch deep and 2 1/2 inches from the bow. Cut a 7 1/4-inch mast from the dowel.
TIP: Since the thinness of balsa wood can be challenging to work with, use a gentle hand when cutting and shaping.
The Boom and Sail:
Your child can personalize his boat by choosing the material for the sail, or by painting the canvas with fabric paint.
1. For the boom, cut a 1/4- by 5 1/2-inch strip from the sheet of balsa.
2. Glue on the boom at a right angle, 1 inch up from the bottom of the mast. 
3. For a sail, cut a right triangle from the cloth that measures 5 1/2 inches wide and 6 1/2 inches tall.
4. Sand and paint the boat parts before affixing the sail. Put a few drops of glue in the drill hole, then insert the mast.
5. Spray the finished boat with a silicone sealant.
Voila!...
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Sep 14, 2008
Making My First Model Yacht !
Jul 5, 2008
Racing Coke Bottles: Getting Creative With Model Yachts
Creating anything is fun, after all. When you create a model yacht it has life and beauty of its own when you get it onto the water. Sailing the thing is fun too, and its a pretty good introduction to the skills of full-scale sailing.
When it comes to racing boats the Setley Cup model boat race at Setley Pond is always one of the most hotly contested regattas in the Lymington racing calendar!
The rules are fairly simple:
- Hulls of a maximum length of 660mm with unrestricted beam
- Sails must fit in a rectangle of 1000mm by 500mm
- Boats can be of any design and can be made of any material, usually old coke bottles!
- No stored power (rubber bands, batteries, radio control or pets)
- All boats must be launched by helms under 18 years old
- Bows of multihulls must be connected to prevent trapping other boats
Radio control model yachts are extremely popular all over the world. RC model yachts are raced exactly like full-sized yachts. They start in a fleet, race around a predetermined course using buoys set in the lake, and follow rules of sailing very similar to those followed by full-sized yachts. It is very competitive, requiring keen depth perception, concentration, and practice with your boat.
Most RC classes have national organizations and host national championships!
Watch this space for more on model yachts this month. Read more...
Apr 30, 2008
Model Yachting
What is model yachting?
Before we get to the explanation of model yachting we need to understand what are model yachts. Model yachts are like miniatures of full size yachts that are created by craftsmen, model yachts are just the reduced version of the actual yachts and contain every aspect of the actual yacht.
There are fine collections to be seen at both general interest museums such a the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and at many specialized maritime museums worldwide. Many of these models are of exquisite workmanship, every rope, pulley or portion of the engine being faithfully reproduced. In the case of sailing yachts, these models were often pitted against each other on small bodies of water, and hence arose the modern pastime. This pastime activity has become a full fledge sport now.
Due to its sporting nature there has been significant change in the structure of the modern day model yachts which enables better handling and stability even on rough waters or harsh winds and that’s why model yachts, which usually have fin keels, are of about 15% or 20% deeper draught than full-sized vessels.
Where can it be held?
Anywhere you want it to be. In a small pond, a lake, a creek, a ocean, may be even a swimming pool as long as there is wind present.
Measurement tool –
Like regular yachts, model yachts are also classified into different categories based upon the size, the only difference being the measurement tool. Unlike regular yachts which have ‘feet/meter’ as a measurement tool, model yachts are measured in sq inches.
have a look at the video below to get a better understanding.
The hull is also an important tool while preparing a race. the type of hull can also be one of the requirements to participate in competitions. I came across the American Model Yachting Association which has about 30 different class of boats which are used for regattas, they are based on sizes, types, manufacturers, hulls, technology, builder etc.
To give you an example Sanctioned in 1998. The International One Metre is the fastest growing class in the world. The rules in this class are identical to those used throughout the globe. The class has a one-design rig and weight minimums, but the hull design is very much developmental. One meter long, with a sail area as big as a Marblehead.
For any info related to the 1metere international model yacht log onto their official website - http://www.iomclass.org/
How to operate model yachts?
If you cant stand on it how do you maneuver it? There are typically two categories – traditional wind method, radio method. In the earlier days when there wasn’t advent of technology model yachting enthusiasts used to (even till today) rely on the wind to control the movement of the boat. To give you an example -
Main sheet balance method -
The preferred method in the United States uses the main-sheet balance gear, in which the boom is connected with the tiller in such a manner that, when it swings out with a pressure of wind, the rudder is automatically pulled round sufficiently to keep the yacht in its course. This will usually involve some sort of return spring so that the mechanism is responsive to the wind. This apparatus is particularly efficient in sailing before the wind.
The radio method which was introduced due to technology has been pretty popular in most parts of the world. To give you a better understanding –
Radio control may be used in many locations. Typically two controls are provided for sailing yacht models, a general–purpose small servo for rudder control and a specialized sail winch to draw in the main sheet and jib. Motorized craft control rudder and throttle, and perhaps other functions such as reversing, lighting, and mechanical novelties. Other radio controlled watercraft hobbies include the operation and battle engagement of scale model warships (with gas-operated guns intended to sink opponents), and various high speed racing craft driven by powerful engines.
A good branded company radio controlled model yacht can cost about $5000 for starters which would be able to rough out the salt waters of the sea. The prices keep dropping as per the design, size and type of material used to construct the boats also self made boats would be a lot lesser in value.
We will do a post in the near future to give you more insight into the model yachting industry.
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