Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length.

[Edward Pinniger]

Here's another old wooden hull for identification. I bought this one along with the RAF seaplane tender I posted previously.
This is a small cabin cruiser/motor launch which measures just under 17in long, and is built from plywood skin over a very minimal bulkhead/stringer skeleton.
It's definitely built from a kit (all the parts appear to be die-cut, and some have numbers printed on), and has a very "Aerokits" look to me - it's about the same size as their Sea Urchin and Nymph but the cabin shape and windows don't match either - it looks more like a mini Sea Scout (24.5in) than any of the smaller boats in the Aerokits range (the construction seems a bit flimsy by Aerokits standards too! - just three bulkheads including the transom, a keel, and two stringers). I'd imagine there were many other small wood kits of cabin cruisers around in the 1960s-70s period - can anyone identify which one it could be? It's all plywood, no balsa at all, so I'd assume it isn't a Keilkraft product.

I'm also planning to restore this one to working order, but though it looks superficially in better condition than the seaplane tender, it's been glued together with balsa cement which is now falling apart (certainly not watertight!). So, as with the larger boat, I've removed the deck and re-glued all the joints with aliphatic wood glue, and will later seal the interior of the hull with GRP resin, which as well as making everything fully watertight, should strengthen the rather flimsy hull structure.

[Nordsee]

Rather nice! Built for a small electric motor judging by the motor mount. There seems as though there was some sort of bench or locker in the rear of the cockpit, maybe for the tiller control?

[Circlip]

Looks like a cut down "Larko" products Consort, but that one was 24" long with an 8 1/4" beam priced at 27/5d.

  Regards  Ian.

[Edward Pinniger]

Rather nice! Built for a small electric motor judging by the motor mount. There seems as though there was some sort of bench or locker in the rear of the cockpit, maybe for the tiller control?

There was a 385-type motor in the boat when I got it, but as it had apparently been glued in place with balsa cement it was detached from its (homemade-looking) wooden mount. I'll put it (or a newer motor of equivalent type) in a commercial metal bracket mount when I rebuild the model.
It does look like there was some sort of bench to cover the tiller at the stern - there's no evidence of R/C installation (and the kit was probably produced long before the availability of commercial R/C gear small enough to fit in a boat of this size) so I'd guess the tiller was intended to be adjusted by hand before putting the boat in the water.
The boat is definitely kit-built; all the ply parts are die-cut and some have printed numbers.

I've now stripped the model down, reglued all the joints with waterproof wood glue and applied a coat of GRP resin to the interior - once this has fully cured I'll get to work on getting the boat sailable again, with some improvements to the deck and cabin woodwork.
I've attached a photo of the style I'm aiming for - this is a small cabin cruiser moored on the Thames not far from where I live, not sure of the boat's origin and history. I will be keeping the same cabin layout, position and shape as the original model, but will probably replace the cockpit/well aft with a covered deck and canvas-covered access hatch, like that on "Gray Lady" - this will give plenty of room for the radio and rudder servo.

[Edward Pinniger]

Finally got the basics done - I plan to give the boat a test run at Black Park soon. It still needs the smaller parts (mast, railing, window glazing + frames, etc.) as well as deck and cockpit fittings, but is hopefully now presentable enough to sail in public!
I made a new cabin from mahogany ply, following the same shape as the original (traced onto paper to make a template) but with the aft cockpit greatly shortened (still plenty of room for a couple of 1/16 figures to stand up). The aft part of the boat is completely decked over, with an "engine room hatch" providing access to the rudder servo. The radio gear, battery and motor are accessed via the removable cabin roof.

I'll post some photos of the finished model in the "power/leisure boats" forum when it's done.