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[ChrisF]

Blimey Will - I knew you'd got a Stiletto (from your list) but didn't know you'd also picked up a Javelin and now a Rapier!

I'm feeling left out now, what with Harry having joined the club as well! No, only joking, I've got enough with my Faireys!

Talking of leaves, we get a pile at the front of the house and we don't have any trees in the garden or that near! It's the way the wind blows as the neighbours don't get them. I've filled the bin with one pile and will have to do it a couple more times over the coming weeks.

Chris

[zooma]

You need a Rapier Chris!


Dont feel left out - I can draw around all of the kit bulkheads and keel etc for you (so can Will!), then you can build your own from nice new wood!


I can also draw around all of the parts of a Javelin for you (so can Will) if you fancy an off-shore racer style for a change (same super-effective hull) but there were very few Rapier kits made and sold (plenty of Javelin/Streaker kits sold) so a Rapier would make you a member of a more exclusive club


Either would make a nice change from your fleet of Fairey's - and you will be pleasantly surprised at its performance - and at 39" long, it will be the longest powerboat in your fleet - but it does not need to be the slowest! 

[madwelshman]

Blimey Will - I knew you'd got a Stiletto (from your list) but didn't know you'd also picked up a Javelin and now a Rapier!

I'm feeling left out now, what with Harry having joined the club as well! No, only joking, I've got enough with my Faireys!

Talking of leaves, we get a pile at the front of the house and we don't have any trees in the garden or that near! It's the way the wind blows as the neighbours don't get them. I've filled the bin with one pile and will have to do it a couple more times over the coming weeks.

Chris

The Rapier and Stiletto (or is it the Javelin) are unbuilt kits Chris. The Javelin (or maybe Stiletto) has been part built and then dismantled. It is now an incomplete kit, but Bob has very kindly offered to help me out regarding the missing parts.


I too have MORE than enough Faireys to keep me occupied for heaven knows how long yet. They keep coming along at a price I deem too good to pass them by. That's my excuse anyway.


Will

[ChrisF]

Thanks for the offer Bob but I'm sticking to my Fairey only plan!

Certainly until I've finished all the ones I want to build.

Chris

[zooma]

Thanks for the offer Bob but I'm sticking to my Fairey only plan!

Certainly until I've finished all the ones I want to build.

Chris

The new Supermarine Spearfish 32 looks like a worthy future addition to your fleet Chris..........very swish and Fairey-esk.......but a Rapier would be a classic wheelhouse cruiser that does not look like another Fairey inspired creation.

[ChrisF]

As you say, very swish. I'd have to build it with a GRP or plastic hull though and for some reason they seem to be in short supply!

Chris

[zooma]

If anyone does make a g/f moulding of the new Supermarine hull (and maybe the superstructure too?) it would be very popular in 1/12 scale (32" long) - but until then I am more than happy to work on my classic Rapier's..........etc 

[zooma]

At last a coat of white undercoat was applied to the two new hatches (one being the re-cycled bow air scoop) and then after it had slowly dried, the first coat of trade gloss went on - and that is refusing to dry in the cold .

It will dry eventually, and when it does I will give is some gentle surface sanding and add another coat, and repeat until I have a good cover.  I think I may need to paint the sides of the two hatches black to tie-in with the rest of the paint scheme as they stand out like a sore thumb being white all over!

The problem with having slow drying paint in the workshop(shed) is that is stops me cutting any wood so that has again stopped progress........but it is cold - so maybe I wont be complaining too much!

[canabus]

Hi Zooma
Send it to Tasmania, to dry the paint !!!!
25C today !!!


Canabus

[zooma]

Hi Zooma
Send it to Tasmania, to dry the paint !!!!
25C today !!!


Canabus

That would be one way of getting a Rapier running on your club waters Harry!   

[Stuw]

Good to see your making progress Bob. I have no time for my boats at the moment. Lockdown got me motivated but now I have too many other things to do. I shall return though and it’s nice to read and see the progress of others on these threads.

[zooma]

Good to see your making progress Bob. I have no time for my boats at the moment. Lockdown got me motivated but now I have too many other things to do. I shall return though and it’s nice to read and see the progress of others on these threads.

I haven't made much progress in recent months Stuw, but I am going out to the workshop(shed) shortly to see if my paint has dried - and if it has I will put another coat on and hope it dries a bit faster this time!

Stay safe,

Bob.

[ChrisF]

Just been having a read back through this thread out of interest, and didn't realise Bob, that your modifications to Rapier 2 included extending the wheelhouse roof back and alterations to the windows which do make it look more modern.

Chris

[Andy M]

I looked back through all the lesro related stuff, I really liked it too, and I thought it looked a bit like the Edita with those mods, so I kept the Rapier top sort of standard looking and am on my way to having an Edita top as well. Its a lovely hull, suits anything. I am glad I made it with swappability built in. 😁

[zooma]

Just been having a read back through this thread out of interest, and didn't realise Bob, that your modifications to Rapier 2 included extending the wheelhouse roof back and alterations to the windows which do make it look more modern.

Chris

I am not too sure if that wheelhouse roof extension looks OK with a rear cabin Chris?

When I get back onto it again I may convert the rear into an open cockpit as I think that may suite  better...........I like the extended roof though, and the three part construction was nice to build and making all the parts fit well and include the central lift-out section was nice to put together.

The side elevation drawing of my future Rapier3  takes it all a stage further, whereas Rapier 2 is just an "in-be-tween" that does not take too much away from the original Rapier shape.

Tony reckons that my new version (Rapier 3) looks more like a "gin palace" 

[ChrisF]

Hi Bob

Yeah, I know what you mean, as the roof extension is usually associated with sport fishing boats which have an open cockpit. Depends on whether you have a window in the rear of the wheelhouse as well I suppose?

Chris

[zooma]

Hi Bob

Yeah, I know what you mean, as the roof extension is usually associated with sport fishing boats which have an open cockpit. Depends on whether you have a window in the rear of the wheelhouse as well I suppose?

Chris

I do have a window in the rear of the wheelhouse - I made another "mask" like I fitted to the wheelhouse front windscreen.


Depending on what looks OK the next time I look at it, the rear window mask could stay...........or go!   

[ChrisF]

I wonder where you get into a Rapier!

Chris

[zooma]

I wonder where you get into a Rapier!

Chris

 It depends how big you make it 

[tonyH]

From Bob.

[zooma]

Following delay's outside of my control, Rapier1 had it's belated first outing this year on the Southport Club lake yesterday.

The boat was displaying its new cabin roof "air-con scoop" for the first time in public and its new flat front deck hatch.

The scoop had previously been fitted to the fore-deck, but I sliced in down to make it lower and re-fitted it to the cabin roof.  Access to the large void under the fore-deck is now via a new flat hatch cover.

I think both looked OK enough to stay, so they will be given a proper coat of paint in the near future!

[madwelshman]

Rapier 1 looks very smart on the water there Bob and appears to go pretty well too.
You've done a cracking job of it.
Time to get some fun from using it now.


Will

[zooma]

Rapier 1 looks very smart on the water there Bob and appears to go pretty well too.
You've done a cracking job of it.
Time to get some fun from using it now.
Will

Thanks Will,

Although this boat has been continually "worked-on" since it was rescued and restored, it has had a busy life and has clocked-up a lot of hours running as it has been my "go-to" workhorse that has never missed being taken to the lake.

The boat was put on the water and run as soon as it was able to turn the propeller and (like now) it has still been run when alterations and repairs are being under taken, and due to its continual use it has had to be maintained and repaired so it is a work-horse and not a show queen - but it has given me a lot of pleasure.

Sometime in the near future I need to face replacing the M5 prop shaft assembly as it is beginning to show some signs of wear.  If I can remove the old bearings this would be the easiest way to avoid removing the complete prop shaft so this will be my first choice - but for now I will continue to keep the prop shaft well lubricated and try to keep it running every week until the end of the year.

[ChrisF]

How far have you got with your other Rapiers? You need another one ready for the water so that you can alternate when one is in dry dock for maintenance and repairs.

That's what I need, a workhorse type of boat, that can be run in various weather conditions and not be precious about. The Rapier tackles the choppy water really well. Being quite a big boat helps of course.

Chris

[zooma]

How far have you got with your other Rapiers? You need another one ready for the water so that you can alternate when one is in dry dock for maintenance and repairs.

That's what I need, a workhorse type of boat, that can be run in various weather conditions and not be precious about. The Rapier tackles the choppy water really well. Being quite a big boat helps of course.

Chris

Following a very difficult 12 months or so Chris, I have not have much time in the workshop or as much time as I would normally like out on the lake either, so Rapier2 has made no progress since last pictured here some time ago.


I would like to get it finished (or at least working and "on the water") so that I can take Rapier1 out of service and still have a nice boat to run when she is in dry dock getting the attention needed.


There is a possibility that I could run my Remora for a while instead as she is more or less finished and ready to run - but like all of my models - she has not been given her final coat of paint as I just don't seem to be able to get the painting done properly on any of them!


Trying to use traditional brush painting methods with spirit based paint is all very well (and good), but it takes a lot of time to prepare and then apply each coat and then wait for it to dry hard enough to be given another fine coat of sanding ....and repeat until a good and final finish is achieved.........or not achieved in my case 


My workshop never seems to be clear of dust that sneaks onto the (very) slow drying paint after I have gently closed the door and walked away( so it can dry without anything being moved or picked up that could cause any dust  ).


Despite preparing the workshop prior to painting anything by cleaning and vacuum cleaning every surface and then using a fresh tack cloth to ensure the surface is well prepared - I still get dust specs in the finished paint surface!


I could get the airbrush out - but then I would need to make a spray booth and rig-up some sort or extraction system, and to be honest my workshop (shed) is too crowded to accommodate this - and I also like to finish my new built or restored classic model boats using traditional painting methods and oil based paints to be authentic - and was something I used to be quite good at when I was younger - but now I fail to make a half decent job of it!