Model Boat Mayhem
The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Yachts and Sail => Topic started by: Chris G on October 11, 2014, 12:33:37 pm
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Well Autumn is here and the boss has allowed me to start building one of the two identical Aero-Naut kits of the yacht Bella that were delivered about 8 months ago. {:-{
Pearlsfirstmate ie the boss, is to build the other one and opened a blog in this section of Mayhem requesting information on suitable sailing boats in January before choosing our favourite. The decision was swayed by us having already built an Aero-Naut Diva the previous year and having been impressed with the quality of the kit.
It is my intention to post some pictures and comments on the build as it progresses and it is possible that there could be input from 'the other builder' ok2.
The competition on build quality and sailing performance will be intense >:-o
As the builds progress your comments and help will as always be appreciated.
All the best Chris G
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Well the kit is as good as I thought it would be, I checked the contents which were complete, had to download the instructions from the Aero-Naut website as the enclosed were in German.
Set the foam base on the workbench and proceeded to remove the frames and keel, which is in two parts, from the sheets of 3mm Birch ply. This stuff is as hard as 'Nag nails' and it is difficult to cut the lugs to free the frames, will certainly make for a strong and rigid yacht.
With not a lot of sanding got all of the frames to fit into the keel and positioned on the foam base which makes the whole thing rigid for applying small amounts of glue at this stage.
The sides of the boat are 1.5mm mahogany and are joined after shaping at the bow and held in place with lots of masking tape to aid gluing. The next job is to trim and fix the boats bottom and will require patience I think.
More to come.
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'Bella' soon to be renamed, who would call a shapely sailing boat Bella? %% is coming along nicely although the build is certainly more challenging than I imagined. The process and the instructions are good with very little that is not clearly described but achieving the correct shape with the ply supplied is slow. No suggestion that it is inferior in any way.
Once the sides and bottom are positioned using tape and pins and a little strategically placed glue the model is turned over, right side up and the serious gluing is done from the inside. In places where the gap between the ply and the frames was too large to glue >:-o a little P38 was applied.
Lots of sanding sealer and varnish completed the inside of the hull.
For a variety of reasons, visibility on the lake, the use of filler and personal choice being three I decided she should be painted so she has a sparkling white bottom and bright yellow topsides, I intend to paint the transom in white as well.
Question, the skeg is of 3mm birch ply and is one piece part of the keel, should I shape to leading edge in the way I will shape the rudder, no mention of this in the instructions? The lead bulb will be fitted to this.
Now to start the deck and cabin all of which will be varnished. :-))
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Crisis time >>:-(
Where can I acquire some 'Jib leading edge tape'? the tape supplied with the kit has been used by yours truly for something else {:-{ thought it was masking tape. Idiot. Strange stuff, very fine material quite strong and about 8mm wide it is very sticky.
Also I have seen on a 'Robbe' kit recently the leading edge of the jib in an envelope of sail material with the forestay running through it, looks very tidy and maybe worth considering. Anybody any thoughts on that idea.
Thanks Chris G
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@Chris G:
That would be luff tape perhaps... One way to do a jib luff pocket if you are making the sail is to cut the cloth a bit larger 10 mm or so and fold it over, then stick it with sail tape...
Not sure on your situation, working with a kit perhaps?
The tapes mentioned should be available from an RC supplier in your area I would think....
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You are right of course 'luff tape', I have not seen them on any of our web sites but that does not mean that they are not there. I might get some ideas from a large model boat show running this weekend.
Yes it is a kit and yes the sails are pre cut so no opportunity to cut oversize but will remember this when I make my next which I am thinking might be 'scratch'.
Thanks for your help Chris G
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Nylet will probably do luff tape along with the other sail suppliers.
Ned
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Thanks Ned, Nylett seem to have just about everything I could wish for to complete this yacht.
Not just the luff tape but some fabulous fixings.
Thanks again Chris G
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The build continues although I am lagging behind the competition. It is not as easy as I had imagined and there are some quite annoying little bits to make life difficult. Watch out future builders for the following:-
Sanding sealer is recommended for most of the cut wooden parts but do not do as I did coat most of the parts with sanding sealer at the beginning of the build, why >:-o you then have to use other than wood glue to achieve a really good bond.
The instructions do not advise a time for finishing whether in paint or varnish. >:-o If you do a finish too early you spend the rest of the build trying to avoid scratches etc. When the deck is glued to the hull there is a considerable overlap, sanding this down is difficult with the hull painted.
The lead bulb was offered up to a replica of the bottom of the keel and the two halves pressed close together. The two halves were then bolted to the keel with a liberal coating of araldite. When secure the gaps were filled with P38 and painted. I am happy with this.
Overall I am happy with the model so far and thanks to Ned for advising Nylett for the luff tape they are supplying that and several modifications I have planned for the rig, more of this later.
If you do not like sanding then stay away from this kit, hours of it. >>:-(
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Looking good and love the colour :-))
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Update time. O0
The tedious job of rubbing down is almost finished with one coat of varnish applied overall with some parts of the boat having several coats. The painted finish of the hull I am happy with although the transom remains varnished as I think it would have been nearly impossible to match the hull colour. I used three types of paint on the hull after a white primer, Tamiya acrylic and Valspar enamel both of which failed to achieve any depth ending up with Humbrol enamel which seemed to do the job. Total of about 7 brushed coats. The white below the waterline is again Humbrol, 2 coats.
The cabin roof is now finished a simple task although the pale wood pre-scored for deck lines is fragile until glued and varnished, then quite robust. The cockpit interior we felt was not going work but after building them we are both amazed at their strength and perfect fit, if anything a little tight.
Starting to look seriously at the rig now that the hull is about finished. Modifications being considered to enable them to fit in the car, at about 4'6" from bottom to top, the rig will have to be detachable. {:-{
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Very pleased to received the rigging screws and fixings from Nylet I hope that these will make the build more professional looking, will have to shorten the eyelet screws for the back stay and probably for the bow fixing but I am sure with some carefully placed Araldite the job will be a good un. :}
We spoke to 'Puffin models' who supplied the two kits regarding the servo's and they recommended a HS311 for the steering and an HS645MG for the sail control. The HS311 being a standard servo whereas the HS645MG has extra power and speed
to pull in the sails when under load.
Both suppliers have been most helpful and we have no hesitation in recommending them both.
Now back to sanding and varnishing although the competition has commenced work on the sails, that is good as any problems she can iron out before I reach that stage. ;)
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The painting and varnishing is now complete and I am very pleased, it has taken lots of coats of both paint and varnish but well worth the effort.
The servo's are fitted and the controls to the rudder done, the arm for the sail control is a tight fit but seems ok, time will tell. I am not sure where to position the receiver and battery box and how 'dry' {:-{ the boat will be when sailed, don't want everything shorting out in the middle of the lake. More on this subject to follow.
Now waiting for drill bits ordered online to enable the rigging to be started, more on this to follow. ;)
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Have to admit she looks a million dollars :-)) Guess I'm going to have to go some to beat that ok2
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That is a grand build Chris.
If she sails half as good as she looks
she will be stunning on the water.
Just waiting to see the first mates
try at beating that finish :-))
Ned
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Hey Ned - Just watch this space :kiss:
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Well fun and games today, never before rigged a model boat and was apprehensive going into the job. The new deck fittings screwed in easily with a 2.8mm drill hole each with a touch of araldite at the top of the thread for security. Opened the bottle screws halfway and proceeded to fit the halyards and shrouds to the eyelets on the mast and the bottle screws at the deck.
This all went well but not a job to be hurried.
Anyone building a Aero-naut Bella be warned when the parts list quotes widget, a, qty 10 you only get 10, maybe German efficiency but some of these parts are so small if you sneeze you loose them. Not one of the parts that I have used on this kit have there been more than the number required. You have to work tidily.
Sails to do now, reinforcing pieces and stiffeners to stick, not a job for 7pm Saturday night.
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Hello Chris,
What a Posh job you are doing !!!!.
There will be tears when you first scratch her when sailing !. >>:-(
A First Boat too - - -
John.
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Hello John
That had occurred to me and I must admit I do not relish scratches or maybe even worse. This is my first attempt at a sailing boat previous builds have always had a motor to eliminate hitting things although even then it has been known to happen.
Have enjoyed building her sailing her is going to be another challenge. Thanks for the kind words.
Regards Chris
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I have been told that I have to finish my build blog as I am now falling behind, and looking at the blog from Pearlsfirstmate can see why. :-))
I was only hanging back waiting for the competition to ask the important questions regarding the R/C because we had both put the sail trim arm on the servo in the same way which was in fact upside down and we had both tightened the screw on the arm into the servo too tightly. Problem now righted and both yachts have silent running.
The rig was actually not difficult and the finish with the stainless fittings in place of the Aero-Naut brass rings which I thought spoiled and cheapened the build now looks good.
The sails seem to hang well, and the tightening and loosening of the sheets seems good only time will tell. Steering and rudder servo are very responsive. The receiver has been mounted as high in the boat as I dare and the 4 AA batteries are neatly stored in a beautifully painted Colemans mustard tin again hopefully out of the way of any unwanted wet stuff finding its way below. The whole lot is switched from the cockpit to alleviate the need to keep taking the lid off lakeside.
The boat actually looks good or should I say boats, they are really what we wanted, we wanted a yacht that looked like a yacht and not one of the plastic futuristic streamline design that seems popular at the moment, probably because they are very fast and ideal for class racing. 8)
If we had the space to build and store and a van instead of a car we would consider a J class, to buy 2 would also stretch the budget although a guy not a million miles away from us in Nottingham makes a fabulous hull, superb workmanship we have drooled over them at several shows. {:-{
It is now a case of waiting until we have a spell of settled weather with moderate and steady winds with no gusts, don't want much do I {-) then it will be into the water and a completely new set of challenges. We are considering a bulk purchase of foam so we can line the edge of the lake. I can see tears and angry times ahead. <*<
That is it for now the next bit on this blog will hopefully be photo's of her in the water and not keel up. Thanks again all who have supported or helped in this build.
Merry Christmas and a fabulous 2015. Chris G
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She looks a million dollars - nice build, well done :-))
You're just going to have to get used to a red boat in front of you!! :} :}
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Bravo Zulu. Well done both of you :-))
Two beautiful looking yachts.
Hope you have a bit of foam left after lining
the lake so you can protect the yachts from the
cut and thrust of competition on the water {-)
Ned
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You had better believe it Ned.
There will be more calls of starboard boat and water at the mark than you hear during Cowes week.
Good fun though {-) Chris G
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One little point....you have put your batts in a nice box to keep them Waterproof BUT your reciever is out in the open so to speak....TOP TIP put it INSIDE the box or at least put it inside a baloon to keep it dry.
Oh and ENJOY your sailing as I KNOW you will O0 O0 O0 O0 O0
Dave
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Thanks for the tip Dave, I will try the receiver in the Mustard tin or the balloon idea seems a sound one. I did not want to encase the receiver arial in the tin suppose I could make a small hole and have it poking out, all good things to try while waiting for that perfect day.
Regards Chris G :-))
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Box is a mustard tin so no reception if the
receiver is inside.
Balloon is good idea though Dave :-))Dave
Ned
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I sail my 1 meter with the reciever and aerial inside a plastic pot and never have ANY problems
Dave
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Same with my marblehead Dave
Plastic pots are ok but metal ones
like a mustard tin are no good if the aerial
is inside.
I would swap the tin for a plastic pot.
Ned
PS plastic doesn't rust either.
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After I spent all of that time rubbing it down and painting it 'No Chance' {-)
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Defiantly needs to be changed from a metal pot to a plastic one...........one darned good reason for changing form a metal pot to a plastic one is pure safety.Ok I know the chances of this are slim BUT there is always a chance that the batt plastic covering getting damaged and shorting out on the metal casing causing a short.
There are loads of plastic pots out there that could be utalised.My cables go through the pot to the receiver and sealed with some sealant,so the receiver and batt pack are always inside it so no water can get in
Dave
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That makes good sense I was just getting to like the two mustard tins, beautifully painted and that fitted very well. I am sure that I can find a couple of plastic containers that will do the job although not looking so pretty. :}
Good advice thanks.
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Congratulations on a beautiful boat. The standard of finish is really a joy to behold.
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Thanks mrpenguin hope that your build is going well, we just hope that they both float and that we can sail them, I am sure that 'pearlsfirstmate' will do anything to get to the finish line first.
Merry Christmas to you down under enjoying the sun.
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Well we did it.
The weather forecast was good sunshine and no wind just what we wanted for the maiden voyage of two much loved yachts.
It really was a nerve raking experience, so much love and effort plunged into an unfriendly environment. O0
That's enough of the poetry, we launched having checked the controls and each one performed as well if not better than expected and the reaction of fellow boaters was very positive.
Pearlsfirstmate had made rig bags, so we stripped the boats for the journey to the lake and re-rigged at the lakeside which went well. They worked a treat and cost next to nothing, just thought and good sewing.
This trial has identified a few minor rig problems and I intend to get some strength into the sail corners which are not up to the job, also some method of achieving quick sail and sheet adjustment at the lakeside.
That's is it we will not go into the best build or the best skipper as I am too much of a gentleman to do such a thing suffice to say we will thoroughly enjoy sailing our Aero Naut Bella yachts. :-))
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Chris.....
Our choice seems to be boosting the sales of the Aero Naut Bella kit - in my opinion deservedly so
More wind tomorrow - so watch out after all our "tweeking" of the sails ;)
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Hi Pearlsfirstmate,
I assume all the sea trials are now complete, have you or Chris shipped any ogin or are you both dry?
How about photo's of poppy and saffron together.
Happy sailing to you both. Don't do as i did, sailing my atlantis i went into day dream mode (my boat is 20 times bigger and i am in the med) bang, more paint missing as i have hit the concrete pond side at quite a few knots.
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Hi Mickkays,
Ouch, bet that hurt!!
Our "tweeking" seems to have paid off, they both went beautifully today, and pleased to say both as dry as a bone :-)
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The view that 'Poppy' will have to get used to. {-)
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Hi Chris,
Did the sail servo that you fitted have enough travel for the full range of sail adjustment?
Thanks, Terry.
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Hello Terry
Neither of us have sailed our yachts much due to weather and time constraints, we were however pleased with their sailing performance when they were on the water.
The sail adjustment is good for close hauled sailing through to reach and broad reach, the boom however does not go to 90 degrees of the boat fore and aft for running before. This does not pose us a problem but if you wish to achieve this point of sale perhaps you need to try a winch.
They are lovely boats and we have no regrets building them but I don't think they will ever be very fast sailers.
Hope this helps and wish you a happy new year. Regards Chris
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Hi Chris,
and a Happy New Year to you too. Thanks for the reply. I had been doing a bit of research on this subject today and came across a small electronic device called a Servo Morph which enables you to extend servo travel. Available from Action Electronics. Apologise if I am "teaching my Granny to suck eggs"! Incidentally my wife and I sail together too. She sails a Racing Sparrow 750 which I built from plan, and I have a Robbe Sirius, somewhat of a mismatch for racing one another, although not that far removed in terms of performance. I predict that when she sees the Bella on the water I will be building a second one!!
Cheers, Terry.
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Hello Terry
Serious apologies as I realise I failed to respond to your last message, my excuse is that of the recent festivities which seemed to go on forever and a case of the dreaded lurgey, not connected I might add.
I was not aware of a 'Servo Morph' but I am not sure if there enough space within the Bella to accommodate further servo travel, if it works then perhaps you would give me further details and maybe fitting one in 'Saffron' I might be able to get in front of that pesky 'Poppy'
The lake we sail on has been drained for maintenance so not sure when our hulls will get their bums wet again, soon I hope. Anyway take care and best regards Chris G
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Hi Chris,
We also are in the middle of a bout of the lurgey, it's an annual epidemic here in Vienna. I will update you regarding the Servo Morph, but it may be a couple of months before I get to that stage. The kit arrived before Xmas, but not yet started. Would you believe it, I am waiting for Aeronaut to send bits and pieces that are missing from the box !!
Cheers, Terry.
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Sorry to but in. Details of servo morph here:-
http://www.componentshop.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=servo+morph&cat=0
Ned
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Hello
Terry you must be unlucky, between us we have now bought 3 Aeronaut kits the Diva and 2 Bella's and have experienced no shortages at all. No rush with the results of fitting the Servo Morph, my guess is it is a bit complicated for me. Simple stuff only for me, interested to see how things go with your build.
Ned, thank you and no apologies necessary, I think 'butting' in is what makes this forum tick and makes it so helpful for all. Since receiving the information from Terry I checked out Action Electronics and realise I know them well or the Component Shop which I think are one and the same, not many people hide up in Bethesda! North Wales. My poor knowledge of electronics will probably mean I will leave Terry to sort it {-)
Again thank you both and hope you recover from the lurgey quickly, regards Chris G
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Hi Chris G
You have both made a great job of the yachts,
I have started to build the same kit , could you tell me the part number for the deck fittings from nylet that you have used please.
Spud
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Hi Spud
I cannot remember the part numbers but if you get up Nylet web page and check their parts list it should become apparent, we bought just stainless deck fittings with the hole a suitable size to take the adjustable shroud wires. If you get stuck I could if required take a close photograph of the parts and post it here on Mayhem.
Wish you luck with the build and will be interested to follow your progress.
Happy building and later sailing. Chris G
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Hi Chris,
Thanks for your reply,
I'm hoping to get the deck on this weekend I will post a few pic's, hopefully it will turn out as good as yours
I have emailed nylet, I can't see the part numbers of most of the fittings when I'm looking on my tablet, I need to look at the page on my laptop . I could send a screen shot of the photo you have already posted if that's ok with you ?
Spud
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Sorry for lateness of this reply. Yes by all means use my photo.
Regards
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No problem, thanks
Deck went on last night (I will post a pic later), I could do to get them sorted out this week
Cheers
Spud
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Hi all owners of a Bella. I have one which is an unfinished project but mainly complete and every one of the widgets complete in a box.
What I would like to know is did you make the mast removable? If so was that by leaving the tabernacle on the deck and locating the mast in the tabernacle?
Also when finished, I assume the cabin roof comes off but is the seating unit also removable? I was thinking about water getting in. There is a comment by Andy Cope in the Model Boats magazine review in June 2017 that she was only suitable for light to moderate winds. Have you found this to be the case?
kind regards Roy
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Hi roycv
I built one the other year , my mast is removable (for transportation purposes) i didn't fit the sail arm servo as i only wanted a sunday sailer.
I can post a few pics later if you want?
I'm happy with the performance in light to medium wind
Cheers
Spud
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Hi spud, thanks for the response. How have you made the mast locate on to the deck? is your seating easy to remove is it a good seal?
regards Roy
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Hi Roy
I glued the two foot pieces together and filed the slots (allowing for the varnish ) then glued on to the deck
Hope this helps
Tim
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And
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Last one
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Thanks very much spud. Looks like you have done an excellent job as well.
kind regards Roy
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Hi Roy,
Thanks Roy , I must admit that I'm happy with the result and enjoy sailing her
If I get chance tomorrow after work( and before its dark ) I will take a few pic's of the complete model , with the roof /sitting area out .
Good luck with your build
Tim
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Hi Roy
Unfortunately I didn't get home before it was dark tonight so this was the best i could do for now.
I made the rigging as easy as possible, not to plan but quickly set up at the pond side.
Tim
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Hi.
i did away with the tabernacle altogether and made a mast jack instead. This makes the mast removable and setting up pondside very simple.
Cheers, Terry.
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Hi Spud and Terry, thanks for your pictures and notes. I am dealing with a couple of problems and I think I will use the boat as an experiment but not yet settled on final outcome. My one has been stored on its side and the keel weight has warped the keel to one side. I have cured this by removing the lead weights and sandwiching the keel between 2 pieces of glued obechi and this has straightened the keel. I have sanded the now wider keel to an aerofoil section but it has now increased the displacement so I shall increase the lead keel weight to compensate.
I am also thinking of a sail change to another rig and may well move the rudder aft to be under the existing placing of the tiller on the model. I can then put a rudder servo into the 'box' space at the stern.
I am concerned about the access under the seating to the servos, so that takes one of them away.
I have calculated the centre of effort of the sail plan and am working on the new sail layout.
Any comments welcome.
Regards Roy
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I am in process of completing a Bella and on the whole have been very pleased with the result, particularly as I am a newcomer to model boat building.
However, on attempting to fit the two sections of bulb keel, I was surprised to find that the ready drilled holes did not line up and the hole in the fin was about 25mm out. Also, the fin was too wide for the recesses in the bulbs and needed about 4mm trimming from the after edge. I have, of course rectified these little problems, but was very surprised to find them when the rest of the kit was so accurate.
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Hi Gwylan, just noticed this is your first post and nobody responded. So a late welcome to Mayhem.
I hope your model is now in the water and works well. I have been tinkering with model yachts for years now and my version is still on going. I have altered various parts to suit my ideas, but it is a pleasure to work with such a precisely cut out kit. I have found some inaccuracies in the assembly of the one I have but nothing that cannot be remedied. I like the use of the mahogany or similar wood and intend to keep all mine as a wood finish.
best regards Roy
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Hi Gwylan
Sorry I also missed your post ,welcome
I remember the bulb didn't fit very well in my kit , but after a bit of trimming and filling I was happy with the end result.
have you any pic's of your model you could post on here?
Spud
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Hi Roy and Spud,
Thank you for replying to my post. I enjoyed building Bella, there were, apart from the keel, one or two inaccuracies in the build, but nothing that could not be rectified easily. I made a couple of alterations to the rigging though. I did not like the idea of the forestay coming down to the jib boom and then being relatively slack through the connection between jib boom and deck. I therefore fitted a forestay going down to the stem, then fastened the luff of the jib to a light spar then to the jib boom which gives the sail a good straight luff rather than sagging off to leeward. I too liked the plain wood, varnished finish and have only painted below the waterline
I have sailed her several times and am quite pleased with her performance, though I must admit I have found the transition between sailing a full size boat and a model far more difficult than I expected. I have some pictures but cannot work out how to resize them for this website.
My next project, a scratchbuilt Newhaven Sharpie rigged as a cat schooner with spritsails is approaching completion and I hope to have her sailing in the next week or two. Watch this space.
Best regards,
Gwylan
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Hi Gwylan, and welcome from me too. I would be interested to see pictures of the alternative forestay arrangement you have.
Just for everybodies interest, I recently got my Bella out of winter storage to give her a once over before the sailing season and noticed that the wooden keel fin where it enters the keel weight looked as though it was suffering from a little dampness. I am assuming that water is getting into the wood via the relatively uneven fit between wood and weight. A job for bathroom silicon sealant I think.
Cheers, Terry.
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Hi Gwylan
Like Terry, I'm also intrigued to see the alterations to the sail set up .
A couple of pictures when you get chance would be great
Spud