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Author Topic: Vic Smeed design MV Arran  (Read 2625 times)

roycv

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Vic Smeed design MV Arran
« on: July 28, 2017, 12:31:52 am »

Hi all, I have a copy of the above plan  MM415 MV Arran a Clyde ferry, can anyone tell me which edition of Model Maker featured this plan?
I started building this boat in my youth but never finished it.  Might give it more serious thought this time.
regards Roy
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Colin Bishop

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Re: Vic Smeed design MV Arran
« Reply #1 on: July 28, 2017, 05:39:37 am »

Going by the number it was most likely published in the mid 1950s, probably 1956 or a year or so each side. This would also tally with the building of the original ship.


Colin
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tony52

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Re: Vic Smeed design MV Arran
« Reply #2 on: July 28, 2017, 07:51:12 am »

Roy,
Arran was in the February 1956 edition of Model Maker.

Tony
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Skimmer Fan

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Regards
Skimmer Fan

roycv

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Re: Vic Smeed design MV Arran
« Reply #4 on: July 28, 2017, 08:44:06 am »

Hi, Colin, Tony, in the time between reading Colin's response and Tony's I found my copy of the magazine, tucked away in a separate envelope as I was also interested in the yacht Carribee.  It is the copy I bought 60+ years ago.  Thanks for the responses. 
Cost of plan was 5/- (5 shillings = 25p now).  It came from 38 Clarendon Road Watford, just 15 mins walk away from where I live, all re-built now.
The construction write up is scant by todays expectations, no build photos, you are offered 2 methods of hull construction B & B or a la G.G.  It is a nice little boat 31 inches loa but I am wondering at it's stability having been down that route a couple of years ago with my obechi version of Noggsund.
I went to sleep last night calculating displacement if the hull was deepened by 1 cm.  That might work.
I remember the building of it now I had the hull constructed (B & B) but the thought of making all those passenger seats / floats was too daunting, clearly a short attention span!
Thanks,
Roy
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roycv

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Re: Vic Smeed design MV Arran
« Reply #5 on: July 28, 2017, 08:51:35 am »

Hi Tony that was a very quick response, do you have an archive of Model Makers or perhaps a listing of editions against plans?  I have magazines mainly packed in carrier bags by years and usually stored in a large cabinet.  But the fact I have this magazine tells you I hardly ever throw anything away!  But I do not always know where to look for any particular item.
regards Roy
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Colin Bishop

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Re: Vic Smeed design MV Arran
« Reply #6 on: July 28, 2017, 09:58:52 am »

Roy,

I built the model as a free runner late 60's and used balsa planks covered with gumstrip for the lower part of the hull and ply for the upperworks. The model is broad with a square hull section amidships so there were no stability issues. Screws are well separated and there were twin rudders so performance under R/C should be excellent.

I could never work out from Vic's plan just how the vehicle loading arrangements worked although this has subsequently become clear that there was a full width lifting platform with two turntables and side ramps which was used to bridge the gap between the ship and the quayside.

If you are not already aware, Jim Pottinger did a plan of sister ferry Bute which I republished in the 2015 Special Issue of Model Boats together with his accompanying article and photos which are very useful. I suspect his hull form might be more accurate than Vic's as well.

Seats can be made very easily. Use balsa rectangular strip for the base and round off the top edges. If there is a backrest then another smaller strip of balsa glued on for that, again with the top edge rounded off. You may need different base widths depending whether the seats are single or double with the backrest in the middle. You can do all this in long strips before cutting the individual seats off. Stain the balsa dark brown and then glue on thin strips of walnut or similar to represent the ribs. Smooth off the ends and then seal and varnish. They look very effective.

It's a very attractive design and I preferred the original colour scheme with the buff funnel.

The photo below was taken by the local paper around 1971 at one of our Berrylands Regattas at Surbiton Lagoon.

Colin
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Skimmer Fan

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Re: Vic Smeed design MV Arran
« Reply #7 on: July 28, 2017, 11:56:51 am »

roycv
Did you look at http://www.runcornmodelboats.co.uk/Model_Maker_Mags.html although it is only the front covers.


Regards
Skimmer fan
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Martin (Admin)

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Re: Vic Smeed design MV Arran
« Reply #8 on: July 28, 2017, 12:22:40 pm »


Who is the model holding the model?!


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Colin Bishop

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Re: Vic Smeed design MV Arran
« Reply #9 on: July 28, 2017, 01:00:18 pm »

Tis me Martin, in those days, as Donald Trump would put it, I was excellently beautiful...

Colin
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roycv

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Re: Vic Smeed design MV Arran
« Reply #10 on: July 28, 2017, 01:34:03 pm »

Hi Colin, thanks for the photos of your model, looks great.  I pretty much used your seat making method for my Ogdensburg, which is within a day or so of completion.
I had not realised she was similar to Bute, one of our members recently completed a nice model of Bute about 50 % larger than plans, I will check with him to see his plan.
Thank you for all the responses.

I was looking through the Model Maker Feb 1956 and in the adverts was the Feltra MTB which I made in my early teens, next page an advert for MS Dolphin which I built privately on commission only 2 years ago.

My favourite yacht I never built is Carribee.  I am afraid the hull is distorted but a 20 % or so increase in bulkhead spacing would put it right.  I really researched this boat and have a letter and photograph from the owner Carlton Mitchell and a copy of his book Passage East when he wrote about his Atlantic crossing sailing to UK and raced and beat all comers in the Solent that year. 1955 I think.
Then there is a small beam engine that I was thinking of constructing, (not steam).
Interesting to note that MV Arran came under the model railway heading, discerning readers will know that they used to revolve the interest each month and this was Model railways 4mm to the foot, OO scale.
Nice trip down memory lane.  A positive cornucopia of compulsive construction.
regards to all,
Roy
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roycv

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Re: Vic Smeed design MV Arran
« Reply #11 on: July 28, 2017, 03:05:32 pm »

Hi all as far as I know the last yacht Vic designed was called Star Baby.  This was drawn up after a visit to the St. Albans lakes, when he said he would draw us a yacht suitable for the lake.  Later that year I invited him to be a judge at our society exhibition and as club Secretary I had the very real pleasure of escorting him around for the Saturday afternoon.  I took a photograph of him posed in front of several Panache models and this is the photo used in his obituary.
A while later I saw the yacht Star Baby and it was tested out by the builder Vic Driscol, a close friend of Vic's.on the St. Albans lake.
Sometime later I emailed Vic to ask why the yacht had not been published, he came back to me and said he had not heard back from the Model Boat magazine and I think he was a little huffy about it.  As it happens the reason was he had sent the material in to an old address, but I did not know this at the time.  I said I was in regular contact with Chris Jackson editor of Marine Modelling International and he asked for that address.  So the model yacht ended up with MMI I seem to remember in a special edition.
regards Roy
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tony52

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Re: Vic Smeed design MV Arran
« Reply #12 on: July 30, 2017, 07:11:41 pm »

After reading about Star Baby, I had to go and check if I still had my copy, as you say Roy, it was originally presented in an MMI special. I think it was in an early edition of their plans handbook. Couldn't find my copy and hope it's just been misplaced.
 
Whilst looking through the yacht plans, I came across two of Vic's earlier small yacht designs from the mid 1950s, Waterbaby and Sea Urchin. Designed to the meet MM class yachts they are superb plans, Waterbaby is a round bilge whereas Sea Urchin is a sharpie. The MM class was a half sized Marblehead which was intended to be a racing class for all. From what I heard, the class didn't really become a success, the plans were selling, but the builders weren't too interested in racing, more a Sunday morning sail.
 
Managed to find the MM class yachts are still in existence as beautiful built models by Grove Pond Yachts as their Gentlemans Racers. I think their MM2 is based on Sea Urchin.

[urlhttp://www.grovepondyachts.com/hard-chine/][/url]





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