hi does anyone know any site where i can read up on how to build masts and sails for a sail boat?.what materials to use and step by step instructions would be good .i have several plans but no tips on how to build the masts and sails or how to rig them etc.
cheers

martno1fan,
I looked at the following resources...lots of info - took a bit from each. After looking at those (and more) Ill bet that you could come up with a decent rig using parts that are readily available to you (kite shops, fabric shops, fishing suppliers, etc) ...
http://www.myrc.org/ look under their library - lots of build and some sail making stuff there.
http://www.amya.org/us1mcons.html - same - a bunch of info and ideas
http://www.legacyfamilytree.ca/sail/step-by-step.html - a bunch of Victoria rig building stuff here
http://www.ec12.info/building_the_ec12.htm - great rig construction ideas with photos.
http://home.mindspring.com/~pmyc100/Sailmaking.htm - more sailmaking info

There is some more sailmaking info out there but I cant locate it now.

Lots of researching for you but I found it all helpfull,
Spin

thanks for your help spin im sure it took some time to find all this for me and i appreciate your help.im thinking of building a boat called the luna rossa ive printed the plans after down sizing them a little for my needs the hull comes out at 33 inches 820 mm mast height 43 inches1110 from the deck.does that sound like a good size to start with?.the plans are good and he has a few pics of his build on his site here[link]http://www.velarc.it/eng/models.htm[/link] have a look and see what you think of her.hes offered to help with any tips etc.i have no clue how to set up a sail boat but building isnt a problem im a trained boat builder so i should be ok.im thinking rather than glassing the hull im just going to epoxy it do you think that would be strong enough? or should i glass it.i hate glassing lol, for the mast im undecided which to use wood,alluminium or carbon?.wood would be cheaper i guess for the sails i can get rip stop kite material the coated stuff thats water proof pretty cheap on ebay.rigging im thinking fishing line and braided leaders.ive seen a few articles on using brass tubing down the back of the mast and threading the leader through these and they tape some tubing to the sails with water proof tape would this work ? would it be strong enough? or is there a better way?.ill take a look at the links you gave me and see what they say but thanks for your help mate.let me know what you think of the boat and the plans.

i just came up with a great idea for my mast and boom i have a fishing rod i dont use as the tip got broken.the two pieces i have are the correct size in diametre and i can cut them to length.i though about leaving the lined guides on and using them to attach the sails.hows that sound to you? they are carbon poles it cost a lot of money when i bought it so its very light and strong.nice colour too should work i reckon saves buying blanks all i need to do is attach the boom any ideas on this? maybe pop rivets etc?.i think one of those links has some info on this ill have a read up on it.

well ive figured out how to attach the boom now using brass tube for the boom to swing on attached by making L shaped brackets wrapped with dacron to the mast and epoxied.when i get round to starting the booms ill keep you posted ,1st i need to get a start on the hull.when i start ill start a build thread to keep you guys informed on my progress.if any of this sounds wrong please feel free to correct me guys.

martno1fan,
Looks like a nice boat. Should be a real fun project. I definately spent a bunch of time figuring out the electronics. Winch arm geometry, rudder servo placement, batteries, receiver placement, antenna routing, sheet routing and deck hatch access / sealing. If you get those plans hopefully they have some info on servo placements, mounting, etc.

I used a 10mm carbon kite spar for the mast and 8mm for the jib and main booms. The fishing rod idea sounds good as long as you can get it properly supported with shrouds, spreader, etc. Dowell material would work for the booms but I got a deal on the kite spars. I have also seen some nicely shaped spruce spars that would be fairly easy to construct.

I am in the process of learning how to make paneled sails. Right now I am tying the main to the mast using spectra loops spaced about every 6" - I have seen this on other RC boats and it looks like a simple and effective method. I have been using Sevenstrand fishing wire and crimps for rigging wire and spectra fishing line for sheets, etc. Bowsies I have made out of old / extra servo arms.

My goal is to make everything I can from scratch - I really enjoy the build / thinking process.

FYI - I built my hull using the balsa planked method listed in the US1 meter construction guide. Went fairly easy. I probably could have painted or varnished the hull but I wanted a bit more protection from water intrusion into the balsa. I did glass the hull using epoxy and thin cloth (.75 oz) that I got at the hobby store. That thin cloth is much easier to work with than the typical 6oz and heavier stuff I have used for small boat repairs. I ended up putting on a second layer of the same cloth since I got real close to completely fair but the cloth was a bit thin and I went through in a couple of spots. If I do it again I might go with 1.5 or 2 oz and only one layer. After I knocked out the interior sections I brushed on a thin layer of epoxy (no cloth) over the interior.




spin,

well have plenty of rod for booms i was thinking of permenantly mounting the 1st rod blank so its about 4 inches above the deck just the end part so i can just sit the mast on top of this as the mast will be the middle section of the rod,does that sound like a good idea?,thanks for the tips on everything else ,as for the plans no they dont show anything other than the hull ,sails etc.so i will probably need some help,any pics you have of youre build would be great.im also going to build everything i can myself.i think ill try the 2 oz cloth for the hull for added strength too thanks for the tip.what material did you use for the sails? i can get the rip stop stuff in nice colours on ebay pretty cheap.ill get the gf to do the stiching lol maybe, anyways lets see some pics of your build and thanks for the help mate.
mart

For sail material - I had some extra tyvek house wrap that I used for my first sails. I just wanted something to setup the boat with and make a pattern. That type of tyvek is really too stiff - I think when I try to make some paneled sails that I will use rip stop since I can get that fairly cheap at the fabric shops. Once past the learning curve Ill probably try some mylar or Tri-Spi material that the racers are using. I am planning on using 1/4" double sided tape for the seams with no stitching.

No idea on the mast - mine is one piece. One thing I did was to make a multi-position mast step so that I can move mast position as needed to change the center of effort of the sails if I need to to get the boat to sail balanced in different winds. I would assume that the CE is good since your using plans for a working boat (looks like the step is fixed in the pic on the web site)
I was just worried that with mine I wouldnt know until it sailed. I will have some ability to rake the mast for CE adjustments but I liked the idea of a multi position mast step. My step is a simple rectangular ply mounted on the deck with multiple holes to receive the mast base. There are a bunch of different way to do it.

I guess I should figure out how to post pics - If I do Ill let you know.
spin

to post pics click on where it says image above your reply and then go to underneath where it says click here to upload images and then click browse ,then go to your pic files click on the pic you want then click ok and thats it youve posted a pic.

Here is a picture of my boom vang. I used rivets - but they cracked the mast tube so I removed them and epoxied a sleeve.[img][/img]
Also a pic of the mast step and chain plates. The rear hole in the mast step is where the keel bolt exits the deck. The white thing is the jib sheet exit.
The deck is grey monokote wing covering - I figured that I may be doing some mods and didnt want a solid deck. And another shot of what the structure looked like before monokote was applied. Cross braces for keel support, chainplates, mast brace, reinforcement for jib boom swivel location. Backstay will be on tang mounted to the flat section of the transom. The small plywood piece on the keel trunk holds the front of the radio control board. Batteries are a flat 5 cell AA pack that will be under the board and the receiver is velcro'd under the deck beam next to the keel trunk on the opposite side that the jib sheet is ran.

cheers for the pics mate any more? ,also thanks for the heads up on the rivets i was thinking of just wrapping the bracket with dacron and ca glue.

Ill try to get some more pictures for you - Stations on building board, glassed, keel, hull interior with keel trunk and after pull from stations. A tip I picked up somewhere - when sanding / fairing the balsa I used lightweight wall spakling. It sanded easy and I didnt care about the white blotches since I was going to glass and paint.

no probs its been like it all day mate i tried posting a guy some pics of my deep v i built.

Finally took the pictures - see earlier post,
Spin

looks great mate youve done a great job on it i like the keel arrangement ,is it a removable keel?.keep the pics coming id love to see how youve progressed with it so far.what lengthe is the hull? mines gonna be 33 inches.thanks again for the pics mate is this your 1st build? i was a boat builder for a few yrs after school some years back .i actually built a few boats using the planking method so i should be ok with it at least i wont need to put the planks in a steam box to bend them .cant wait to start mine now ,how long has it taken you to build yours?.ill look forward to seeign more pics of her shes gonna be a real nice boat.

this may sound like a dumb question so dont jump on me but why do sails need to be made in panels? cant you make them out of one piece of cloth?or is it to do with putting shape into the sail?.

Regarding the sails - no you dont have to make panel sails. I just want to learn to make a real nice looking set and with properly made panel sails they will have a better shape and look more realistic.

Its my first build and so far Im really happy. Followed the balsa planking procedure in the US1M construction guide. Once started it went real quick - with thin CA glue I was planked in one evening. Not sure how many hours I have in it (dont think I want to know). I would have to say that I have probably spent more time researching methods and materials then actually building. If I build again Im sure it would be much quicker.

The keel is removable - upper bolt protrudes through the deck / mast stem and a nut will hold it in place. The keel construction is based on the hollow, ply with internal alum tube method described in detail in the US1M construction guide. I even followed their method for casting the lead bulb in two halves.
Boat is abit under 36"

im still a bit lost can you or anyone else explain why they have more shape if they are panel sails?.if i decide to make the sails in one peice will they work well or not?.by the way spin im ordering my balsa tomorrow so not long now till i get started.i reckon the longest and most difficult job will be installing the electrics and setting up the controlls etc.

Panel sales have draft like a airplan wing. The seams have a curve to them.
Try this, scroll down to sailmaking.

http://www.myrc.org/Library/Library.htm#SailMaking

thanks mate so does this mean if i make sails in one peice they wont work well?.

They will work fine, panel sails work better in light wind.

P.S.
I see your in the Uk, do you know what a Triumph is?
I have a TR6.

Thanks
Don M.

thanks mate well i guess ill maybe make them out of one peice of rip stop 1st and see how they work and maybe ill make some panel sails for her later.yes i know what a triumph is 1stly they make some of the best bikes ever built and second they used to make nice cars when i was a kid.what year is the tr6? i remember the tr7 from the 80s i think it was lol.im back to the sails im not sure if you know which boat im building but its the luna rossa and ive been told shes only good in light winds but where i live is near the coast so it can blow a bit from time to time.the lake is a bit sheltered by a high bank between it and the sea though.is there anything i can do to this boat to make her better in heavier wind? maybe lengthen the keel? or even widen it a bit too?.im building it 33 inches long rather than the size in the plans mainly for easier transportation in the car.any advice on what i can do would be great as id rather modify this boat than get more plans printed and build something else.cheers!!

Here mate.

How to build a Luna Rossa

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_2922664/tm.htm

P.S.
My TR6 is a 1974 I've owned it for over 20 Years.

nice car mate bit of a classic you got there!!,thanks for the link i got it allready thats where i found the plans if im correct.i saw a guy say he was thinking of building the boat and reducing the rig for windy conditions can you explain to me what this means?.does it mean making the sails smaller or shortening the mast or both?.i was allready thinking of lengthening the keel 2 inches would this help?.

Q.ā€ does it mean making the sails smaller or shortening the mast or both? I was already thinking of lengthening the keel 2 inches would this help? ā€œ

A. Yes making the sails smaller. Do not shortening the mast, lengthening the keel might help.
Most sailboat racers will have 3 Rigs.
A Rig light wind.
B Rig mild wind.
C Rig heavy wind.
Iā€™m no expert, check out RC SAILING FORUMS.

http://www.popupscores.com/rcsailing/forum1/

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=59

Don M.