Boatdude1

This Soleil Royal square rigger that I did is 20 inches in length. Self-tending sails and rudder.

Iseeu

Looks awsome but the waterline looks awfully high[X(]. You must be pretty nervous sailing her.
Have any more pics or details?

LtDoc

saildog,
What are 'self-tending' sails??
- 'Doc

Boatdude1

In up to 35mph winds, it had never dipped the deck in the water. The leaning shot was at 35mph or so. Actually, the ship is completely fiberglassed and sealed...in theory, you could hold it under water and it not sink.

Boatdude1

The "yards" (cross spars that hold the sails) of the masts turn (left/right/port/starboard) as the wind changes. The braces (sheets) are on a half loop that adjusts with the sails. The yards will turn to about the position in sailing known as a "close reach". The rudder is a weighted free turning rudder with lead in it . When the wind hits the ship as example from the side, the weighted rudder drops to the side of the lean compensating for the ships "weather helm", that is the tendency to turn into the eye, or direction of the wind. With the ship balanced right and the right amount of rudder and lead, the ship will sail straight in even heavy winds.
Trying not to get complicated here...hope that answers your question...

Boatdude1

Heres a few more shots...

LtDoc

saildog,
It isn't too complicated. Thanks.
- 'Doc

Boatdude1

Heres another example of a weighted keel ship, the HMS Victory that I did. A key point in this one is that you can see the oversize rudder in the water that is also essetial for these ships.

locosteamer

Saildog,
These are very beautiful! Do you start from a kit? Or from scratch? I understand your self tending sails, but do you follow in a full size boat or just recover it on the other side of the pond?
Bob

Boatdude1

The hulls I import and then I do the rest. Plank on bulkhead construction overseas is relatively fast and is down to an art. For me, its not worth the time.
I basically recover the ship from the other side of the pond. The ships will arrive within 10 feet (generally) from where you point them (unless the wind dramatically changes direction). Free sailing is really a lost art. It was a big deal in the US in the 20's, 30's, 40's etc... then, it evolved into a rich mans hobby and new blood did not come in for the most part. As the old guys died off, so did the hobby until RC came on strong.

locosteamer

So.........like the boats you see on ebay and then you doctor the hulls, good idea. Free sailing is a lost art! I remember seeing this a lot at the pond in Central Park NYC. I suppose that you cannot use a wind vang rudder system since you can't really point up into the wind?
Bob

Boatdude1

Thanks for the thoughts for sure...The ships will point into the wind to with about 65 degrees of the eye of the wind. The problem with that is the scale ratlines that the yards bump up against. I have move them back more you impact the "scale" looks of the ship. The boom vang type setup on these small ships would not impact them greatly and would only find use on the stern spanker sail. The smalls ones don't have jibs.

Square riggers will point into the wind...the only thing that limits that is how close the sails can be pulled amidships (along the centerline). There was some thinking that developed over the years that square riggers would not point. There is some significant data on boatdesign.net about square riggers and pointing and where the thinking came from. There WERE square riggers that would not point well, but then, there were others that did. Check out boatdesign.net about it and some studies done on it.

Its actually takes a great deal more than taking an ebay boat and modifying it, although, like you indicate, the hulls of those particular ships are no different than any plank on bulkhead kit you might build or purchase. I buy the hulls and pieces from overseas because its represents 2/3rd less time in building. Still, even the small one in the picture iare well over 100 hours of work or more.

One reason, which may help folks considering this, is that the check must be balanced. Simply placing the keel on the bottom and a rudder will not insure the ship will sail. The ship must be balanced so that it has a few degrees of weather helm with the bow slightly up. The challenge is to add all of the wieght on the hulls and deck, the fiberglass, caulking, paint, metal brackets to hold the keel, ballas and the thing sail right. Getting them to hold a straight course in most wind conditions is a daunting task. Add R/C equipment and the plot thickens.

Boatdude1

I found one shot that shows the keel in the water if you look close.