by Mark Steele
- Auckland, New Zealand
Of a ketch
and a mullety,
and schooners with many masts! |
As everyone knows, L Francis Herreshoff’s ketches
Tioga and Bounty were the forerunners
to the famous Ticonderoga, often described
as the `ketch above all ketches’ both in her
beauty and her performance areas. Derek Nicholson
of New Zealand’s RC Bounty of Auckland
was a huge step-up from all of this modeller’s
previous model sailboat building, and was built exactly
as the original full size boat – scarfed stem,
keel, deadwood, rudder post, temporary station frames
etc, all brass fittings made to either traditional
designs or to those by Herreshoff. The 1500mm plus
250mm bowsprit in length model took him over eight
months of solid work time, aided only by Henk Hunkawood,
a Dutch migrant seen at work on the hull in Derek’s
workshop, and the owner is thrilled to bits at the
manner in which the model sails.
Above-Henk Hunkawood -
Right-Bounty of Auckland sailing
(click images to enlarge) |
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Below is an RC model of a famous New Zealand mullet
boat called Nomad, the original of which
(or what was left of her) was prized from the mud,
restored and then revered. The model, beautifully
build by Aucklander, Dave Moore (seen with the model)
is owned by him and sailed at Onepoto lake with the
Ancient Mariners windling fleet. Built out of timber
and the hull then glassed, in a good wind this model
is an absolute tearaway and since she appeared a few
others have built models of other famous mullet boats.
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Dave Moore's
Mullet Boat |
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`WHEN ONE IS WEARY
WITH THE WORLD
OR TROUBLED BY WORRY
THERE IS ALWAYS A MODEL SAILBOAT,
AND THE PEACE OF THE POND‘
Thames sailing barges are very popular in Britain
and as Brian Reed prepares Celia Jane for
a run up the lake with the Southwater Dabblers windling
fleet he hears a rustle in the bilge.!
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“WELL
GET YOUR LITTLE RODENT SELF OUT OF THERE
! OUT I SAID ! NOW “ |
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Here’s another very prolific model boat builder,
Keith Murrow of Hull in England who has built boat
after boat after boat, and who sails with the Hull
Model Boat Club. Keith reckons he has built some 27
sailing boat models including the Cutty Sark
(shown below,left), among scows, sloops, schooners,
catamarans and cutters. A man who is in his absolute
element when in the workshop building, he then delights
in taking great pains towards ensuring that his completed
models sail as they should. The group which is quite
large in numbers, sail at East Park lake which Keith
finds very handy in that he lives only about a mile
from there. With a good sense of humour, he says that
he occasionally delights in living dangerously as
the photograph shows a bit of a change from his model
yachting! I like it! We must not take ourselves too
seriously.
Keith reckons he has
built some 27 sailing boat models including
the Cutty Sark |
I say
there's enough for both of us here |
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`READING ABOUT AND LOOKING
AT OTHERS
WONDERFUL SAILING MODELS
IS OFTEN THE GREATEST MOTIVATIONAL
FACTOR
TOWARDS GETTING INVOLVED ONESELF’
Back across the Atlantic to the U.S.A, and to Great
Schooner Model Society member, Parker W McClennan
or `Buck’ as he is better known, of Solomons
in Maryland. He built this sailing model of the legendary
187’ steel-hulled, three-masted schooner Atlantic
seen underway in this photograph. Another member of
the group, Frank Pittelli also built one, and in fact,
this may well be his model seen here. Buck made his
boat using a plug and mould for the hull made from
Frank’s model.. The original Atlantic
held the world record for crossing the Atlantic ocean
from 1905 until 1980, 12 days, 4 hours, one minute
and 19 seconds from New Jersey to England. She makes
a graceful windling machine that is an impressive
sight on any waterway. I believe that a one sheet
plan with sufficient detail to produce an accurate
scale model is still available from the US Vintage
Model Yacht Group for about twenty US dollars.
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A sailing
model of the legendary 187’ steel-hulled,
three-masted schooner Atlantic
seen underway in this photograph. |
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And so, down under to Australia. Intent on building
a three-master (and they are incredibly impressive,
I have to admit!), this is the Lady Annette,
built in Queensland, Australia by Rick Mayes another
friend of mine some years back. He still owns and
sails the lovely model which was named after a late
wife. In another issue of this column I will share
with you, photos of his stunning model of the 1931
built ship Sea Cloud which you won’t
want to tackle building when I tell you, that model
took him eleven long years to build. Roy Lake of Auckland
produced this other three-masted schooner here. Complete
with beautifully carved and painted balsa crewman
at work aboard, Amalfi II is an absolute
head turner!
This is the Lady
Annette, built in Queensland, Australia
by Rick Mayes |
Roy Lake
of Auckland produced the three-masted
schooner here. |
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If you are a schooner man (or woman) but have five
thumbs like me, and would just like to buy one, (a
model schooner not a thumb!) I have recently heard
from Will Lench of Tippecanoe, a man I greatly admire
for his vision in getting involved in model sailboat
production, and he has produced a 43 inch in length
schooner. Built from pre-cut, eighth of an inch mahogany
plywood, I predict it will appeal to many for schooners
have become very much the rage. Grab this fact –
Will started 23 years ago, there are now 55,000 Tippecanoe
model sailboats in 46 countries! That is truly mind-boggling!
I haven’t even eaten that quantity of potatoes
in my 72 years!
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Will
started 23 years ago, there are now 55,000
Tippecanoe model sailboats in 46 countries! |
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`I am a mucker-abouter with boats,
models, I must be precise
Though I haven’t the urge
to race them for glory,
I leisurely sail (and that’s nice)
The sight of them sailing across
a still lake,
white-sail reflections on water
Hard on the wind my eyes on the
sails,
I delight as she goes where she orta.
Sails point at the sky, transmitter
held high,
starboard tack and she heads for the shore,
Another great sail, no water to
bail,
and on Sunday we’ll come back for more’
(Mark Steele c)
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I
may have inadvertently confused some model yachting
viewers. Where the winds blow
may not always be posted online monthly but will
appear regularly. As you can see there is always
a steady flow of new material on Duckworks and it
is rather akin to `waiting for a slot in the flow
of traffic in order to sail out of the marina’.
If you are a new viewer not totally familiar with
the website, I suggest you go to links below to
see the earlier columns and other articles of mine.
- Mark
Other Columns by Mark Steele:
Articles by Mark Steele:
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