Monday 30 June 2014

I am sailing...

Well, not quite, but I have every intention of doing so with a Veron Veronica yacht model. I bought it with a friend last year. He wanted the plans, I wanted the model, so we split the deal and I took this out of its box for the first time last week!  I used to have the original kit, but it got lost when I moved afloat, but it's a very pleasant 27", hard chine free sailer, although it can be fitted with lightweight radio control.

Why?  Because my nice new shed gives me the space to do so.

It soon became clear that the boat had been quite nicely built, but with a couple of changes to the design of the deck and it came with a lot of bits missing. So I ordered a load of those tiny screw eyes that were the essence of early free-sailers and have been busy screwing them in booms, decks, etc.
I've made a load of S hooks and Shroud hooks, a mast base and stay-ring for the very top rather than just drill holes in the thin mast top.  Also made an aluminium mast step with a variety of positions for the mast base to help "tune" the boat.
The spray rails are now glued on, as are the shroud eye bases in nice hard pear wood.
The other day I pencilled the planks in and sanding sealered the deck. Yes, I know that yachts have their planks running parallel to the covering boards, but I didn't have the time to make a curved template, so just ruled planks on in the old fashioned way, because I rather like that old tradition and this IS an old boat.
The square hole in the foredeck had a rather crude "house" made for it, but I'll knock up something in pear to look like a mahogany decklight.
The Veronica shouldn't have a cockpit really, but this one has so I might just make a small coaming to help stop the water coming in when she's heeled over in a blow.  Depending on how well she sails free will decide me on whether to fit a servo and small R/C for steering, but I prefer non R/C if I can find some water I can get all round.

Other work in the shed has involved getting an exhaust manifold done for the Dragon Rapide master. Only three of the six branches show, so that's all it has, plus the "mega" on the end like an old BSA!


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