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[Chilli]

Hello all at MBM
Firstly I must say hello and thank you to the Knightcote Model Boat Club who I spoke to at the International Model Boat Show this weekend and who gave me some great advice and pointed me towards this forum.

My dilemma is my first boat!

I inherited her about 25/30 years ago and never found time to enjoy her. I have now retrieved it from my fathers house, where he had started to dismantle and strip her down to try and give it a new lease of life, but gave up.

I would now love to rebuild her and make her look as good as some of the ones I saw at this weekend show. So far I have worked out it is a motor yacht, but that's it. She has a hull the same design as a PT boat, she is 50" long and 10.5" at her widest point. If any one can enlighten me with more info about her design or more specifically if she is based on a real boat I would be very grateful.

I have some knowledge of R/C from my cars and if I strike out here I'm contemplating converting her to a PT boat.

[john s 2]

There are plenty of mtb boats around.From what i can see of your boat id restore it as it is.Sadly im not able to help you identify it.The boat has a certain style that sadly modern gin palaces lack,to me they all look alike. Good luck with your restoration.Im sure the lads will help with any questions you may ask.John.

[cuppa]

I agree with John.

Your boat has lovely lines and a great deal of charm. I would definitely restore her to her original state rather than convert her to an MTB.

Why not restore her and then build an MTB as your next project?

Cheers
          Jon

[Chilli]

Cheers for the support guys. I have to admit that I loved her looks when I was a kid and still do now. I just feel a bit unsure what to do as I can't work out the scale or what she should look like. What do you reckon the scale might be?

Baz

[Netleyned]

1:12 would make the orgiinal 50Ft long

Are there any doors on the superstructure as they would
be a dead giveaway.
6" would be a 6Ft door but bear in mind that on vessels
that age one needed to duck wherever you went
It is ripe for restoration
Don't paint it Grey 

Ned

[Chilli]

There is a hatch opening at the back housing, which I know is not a full height access, which is about an 1" give or take a bit.

Cheers for a good starting point with the scale though, at least I can determine what accessories I might need to buy.

And I'll try to keep away from the grey paint! 

[irishcarguy]

First things first, welcome aboard. You have joined the best model boat forum period. Get cracking on your boat & get it in the water ASAP, then you will really have some fun.The guys on here are very helpful & don't be afraid to ask lots of questions, it's a fast way to learn. If you don't find the answer here it probably does not exist LOL. Mick B. 

[bat44]

hi chilli your boat looks looks like one of the american fast cruisers from the 1930's -50's ,as netleyned said scale could be 1:12 or 1:16

[malcolmfrary]

With a lack of doors, best is to guess where the cabin floor would be, assume six and a bit feet headroom, and calculate from there.  The answer should work out near one of the "round figure" scales, and that would be the one to work to.
Avoid grey - it deserves varnish and white paint on the unvarnished bits.

[Chilli]

Hi Bat44, I will start a new avenue of research down this American fast cruiser root and let you all know. :)

I shall try your suggestion Malcolm, and get a better idea of scale, cheers.

One option I have thought of is modifying the main hull support (forgive my lack of correct terminology) under the bridge to make it a full height and attempt to make it look like a proper bridge, as at the moment all detail is, or was, external.

Thanks for all the advice so far and keep it coming 

[bat44]

hi chilli here's some pics to start you of if you go to rc groups web site and go to scale boat section they have a section on wooden boats with a lot of pics and info hope this helps

[Chilli]

After working on Malcolms idea for calculating scale, I worked the following:-
Main Cabin is approx 1.75" above deck level with 3.5" below
Therefore estimating a head room of 6.5' = 78"
78 divided by 4 =19.5 to 1 scale
So I assume this means the scale should be 1:18

As for research, I seem to have found a few that are fairly close but don't have as long a stern as mine, but a Halvorsen built cruiser does seem very close.
Still got the American cruisers to look into as well

[Welsh Wizard]

Chilli has this ever been radio controlled or has it got a stattic rudder,if that is the case then what you have there is what is called a straight runner and if so the man to tell you all bout it would be the Guru himself Steamboat Phil

Dave

[Chilli]

Hi Wizard,

This was a full running RC boat with engine and working rudder.

Thanks

[malcolmfrary]

Still guessing at the scale (I would probably have guessed at 1:20, but it is only a guess) -

http://www.classicboat.co.uk/buying-and-chartering/two-berth-cruiser/

Its a much shorter boat, but I think it can be assumed that the original for yours would have been a well moneyed character, and thus averse to banging his head when on his boat, but some scaling information might be possible from the height of the man standing alongside it in one of the pictures.  Sometimes magazine websites have really useful pictures tucked away in odd corners.