For whatever reasons, I've been too unmotivated to do much blogging about this Alternative IOM RC sailboat build. But I'm making progress regardless. It started off quickly after planking it in only eight days. But now I've slowed down. I've installed the interior bits now. The true IOM jockeys that are shooting for top in the world will never want this boat because a woody is too heavy for them. They'd look at my inside bits and say that it all weighs too much. For them, that's true. But for most people this boat will work well. It's too early to gauge the weight, but I'm hoping for as close to 100 grams of corrector weights as I can get. It's a heavier boat than the V8 though, for sure. All that said, this will be a strong boat. Here's how it looks so far... This is how it looks as of today after I installed the scoop deck.  But if you go back a week or so, I've done this... Made my own fin box. And I installed th...

Still haven't received my rudder or fin from Radio Sailing Shop , but have added a few more additions to my 3D model. In the rendering below, the greenish wood colored parts are the temporary frames. They look funny toward the deck because only the hull portions are showing. The lighter colored, yellowish wood bits are permanent.  I've added the rudder tube frame and alignment bit. I've added some fore-and-aft support beams for the aft deck, and I've started to work on the aft deck. There's also a mast post support beam. Here are just the permanent parts: The rudder alignment piece looks large and heavy, but it's neither. In fact, depending on which rudder you use, you may be able to cut this down significantly and only use the aft end of it. What is shown is for rudders that need to be placed from 60mm to 85mm from the transom. If you're using a rudder that needs less than 85mm, just cut the forward portion off. Here's how the aft deck l...

I'm making some progress on the Laerke 3D model. Have chatted with Bob Wells who knows everything about IOM's. He agrees that the Laerke is a beautiful boat, but is pretty sure that it won't be competitive with the modern post-BritPop! boats. I agree, but just want to start my IOM journey with a nice looking wooden boat. It's all about the wood and the aesthetics! He suggests that I get the plans for the Corbie 5, so I'll probably do that anyway. Here's where I'm at so far: The blue/purple thing is the building board. Green frames are temporary and will not stay in the boat. Tan/wood-looking frames are permanent and will stay in the boat. They will mostly be 1/8" Lite Ply, or 1/16" birch plywood. More later! Aloha!

Now back to the Wampum VM. I've spent the past couple weeks working on the 3D model and laser cut frames file for the Rip Tide HF, but today I was able to get the outer sheer rail on the Wampum installed. Yesterday I installed the inner rail. It all seemed to fit well, except for frame 6. I had to go back into my 3D model and adjust a portion of frame 6 out by about a 1/16". I've already made the adjustment on the frames file too, for future cuts. The aft portion of the sheer rails are required to have a very hard twist to them. It's taken a load of clamps and even some screw clamps to keep them twisted, but I think it will hold once the epoxy cures. At the bow, you need to bring the sheer rails in a bit from the front to leave room for the planks. More later! Aloha!

I've just completed the files to laser-cut the frames and parts for the Rip Tide RC Vintage Marblehead sailboat. There are two options: One with the original 13" draft fin, and one with the extended 16" draft fin. Otherwise the boats are exactly the same.   NOTE: BOTH VERSIONS STILL PLACE THE BOAT IN THE " HIGH FLYER " CATEGORY! The shorter fin is still too deep for the " Traditional " class, and the rudder is spade not skeg which also disqualifies it for " Traditional ". The fin depth is a matter of which you think would work with the rig that you'll add to the boat. Some people suggested that I keep a version with a shorter fin, so I offer it here. Personally I'd go with the deeper 16" fin if only because it looks better! Here's what you get with the 13" draft fin: And here's what you get with the 16" draft fin: Yes, they are exactly the same except for the fin parts. If you look carefully, ...

First : I've changed the name from Wampum III to Wampum VM (for Vintage Marblehead). It may not be the final name change though, but it will do for now. It's a Vintage Marblehead sailboat, but with a few modern updates to help the builder. However, the boat should sail essentially the same as it did in 1933, when it was originally designed. Second: I've finished clear coating and laminating the frames, and have just installed them on the strongback. In order to do that, I've laminated the entire keel build-up, and have also shaped the keel. In the pictures below, you can clearly see how the keel system works. The main keel is built up of several laminations of 1/16" plywood on top of a 1/8" inner core. You can also see that the front section of the keel only shows the inner core, but the aft part is shaped wood. The lead ballast will be secured to both sides of the inner core section, and will be molded to match the wood. When I cut the fra...

The Wampum III is on its way to reality! Last week I cut the frames. Sixteen sheets total! Yowza. This weekend, I made a strongback to build it on. Now I am busy laminating the double-frames, laminating the keel layers, and clear-coating the rest of the frames. I'm also going to start on a plywood mock-up of the ballast. I laser cut those sheets and will laminate them together. I'll then fit them to the keel and shape the entire thing. Then the ballast mock-ups will be removed, further shaped with thickened epoxy, and then eventually molded in refractory cement. Finally, after the molds have cured, I will cast the lead ballasts. Fingers crossed that it all works! Here is the strongback made from 3/4" MDF. The sides are 4" x 48", and the top is 8" wide. Notice that I've drilled holes in it where the keel alignment holes are. With the Wampum III, you will want a very flat space on which you laminate the keel. You'll do this before you...

Well I started on the Wampum III today by cutting out all the parts. It was a total of sixteen sheets of 12" x 24" plywood! Took about two hours to cut them all on the Full Spectrum laser cutter. Here's how they look so far... The frames are all cut from Lite Ply. It was first time that I've tried to laser cut it, and it cuts very well! I'm using Lite Ply from now on whenever possible. It is also actually very lightweight too. Good decision. Here are all the rest of the parts. The keel is going to be built up from layers of 1/16" plywood. I'll mold my own ballast so that it is fitted onto the inner core piece of ply. Should work well. Next step, start to laminate the keel. More later! Peace!