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  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Central Coast, NSW
    Posts
    3,330

    Default Pond yachts are my new thing

    I was watching Antiques Roadshow a few weeks ago and a pond yacht came on. I've never really noticed them before but I loved it and decided to make myself one - not to sail but just as a decorative item.

    This is my first one. It's not quite finished as it doesn't have the steering gear needed, but i show you it now because I've moved on to the next one and I'm unlikely to go back to overcome the significant hurdles involved in fitting the steering gear. The hull is a 'bread and butter' hull, made of Oregon. It's carved with carving tools, and hollowed out for lightness. The sails and rigging are all hand-made - they have to be because there is no-one left manufacturing the original pond-yacht fittings.

    The design is 'daphne' and it dates from about 1915.

    The steering gear that is missing is basically a tiller; and some sheets, hooks, a rubber band and bowsies which attach the tiller to the mainsail boom. On this style there were 2 mainsheets, one for reaching and one for running. When reaching, the running sheet was unhooked, the reaching sheet was hooked onto the main sheet traveller and the rubber band centered the tiller. The boat then proceeded 'on balance', meaning that if your hull shape was good and the trim was right then it would sail a straight line with a neutral rudder. When running (sailing downwind) the reaching sheet was unhooked and allowed to dangle, and the running sheet was hooked onto the tiller such that when the boom went to starboard the tiller was dragged to port, trimming the rudder so that it compensated for the tendency of a fore and aft rigged boat to round up into the wind. That's a fairly crude solution that was in vogue until about 1900 (I think) when better solutions like the Braine gear and steering vane came along.

    All in all, they are quite easy to make. Pond yachts were a very working class hobby and the boats had to take a hammering so they never had the sophistication of a static scale-model yacht, which I think is what I like about them.

    Anyone else into these?
    IMG_1344.jpg
    Apologies for unnoticed autocomplete errors.

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Central Coast, NSW
    Posts
    3,330

    Default

    Next one finished. This one is actually ready to sail (given keel weights). It probably never will though. On the deck is the Braine gear, which is a further step along the evolution then the previous one. Braine gears were introduced in 1905.

    I need to get more sophisticated at working metal. Next I'm going to do a schooner, then move on to something else.

    Cheers
    Arron

    IMG_1400.jpgIMG_1342.jpg
    Apologies for unnoticed autocomplete errors.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Strathalbyn South Australia
    Posts
    1,141

    Default

    They look great! I have one in a box in the shed, started it about 25 years ago and never finished it. The hull, deck and mast are all ready, just needs rigging and sails. One day.....


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    McBride BC Canada
    Posts
    3,543

    Default

    Many decades ago, I was a Uni student in Melbourne. In front of the Art Gallery, there were rectangular shallow water ponds.
    From time to time, I would see a small mob of geezers and their boats, sailing those ponds. No radio control, just skill.
    I'm old enough to be one of them, now.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Central Coast, NSW
    Posts
    3,330

    Default Like this, I guess

    Apologies for unnoticed autocomplete errors.

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    McBride BC Canada
    Posts
    3,543

    Default

    Yes! I can only suppose that the breeze followed the solid wall of the Gallery building for a long clean air movement.
    Sails about 2m tall looks about right. Nobody in a vest & tie.
    Thank you.

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    349

    Default

    Pond yachts ? When I was a kid in the UK. nearly 50 years ago on a Sunday morning I would cycle 6 miles to a "Yachting lake" built in the early 1900's , there you could see all manner of ship & boat models .
    America's cup winning yachts with 5 feet tall masts ( Transported by bicycle to the lake! genuine steam driven tugs built by the people who had built the last of the full sized article before they had retired in their spare time , rivaled only by the 9 ft Bismark that could not fail to impress this 9 year olds eyes !

    Sometimes the "sailors" would have to spend longer than was necessary trimming sails Adjusting rudders etc. because the "shipping lanes " were too busy , despite the 2ft deep lake being about Olympic swimming pool size !
    All these were all working class guys with a passion & many with a seriously developed skill too.
    Still we have much better things to do nowadays Facebook , Twitter etc.etc.

    Mike

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    McBride BC Canada
    Posts
    3,543

    Default

    I last saw those ponds 46 years ago.
    Even today, I watch quite large radio-controlled models of vehicles and boats.
    Every last operator has gray or white hair.

    I wonder if it is possible to build functioning models of the hydrofoil boats racing in this year's Americas Cup?

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    1,501

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    McBride BC Canada
    Posts
    3,543

    Default

    I wish that you had not showed me that link, there were other around it as well.

  12. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Northern Beaches
    Posts
    71

    Default

    Very nice. I'm currently in the process of making a cedar IOM (International One Meter) racing yacht. They are a great boat for there size and they have a huge following around the world. The World's race has just passed and that was in France.

    These IOM are more for remote control racing rather than a really technical build but it's good to build something that can be competitive and be used.

    Keep up the good work and don't forget the pictures.

    Cheers
    Dirk.

  13. #12
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Central Coast, NSW
    Posts
    3,330

    Default

    Dirk, Your boat is planks over a frame I expect ?
    That would be a very time consuming build.
    Some pictures would be appreciated.

    Mine are just 'bread and butter' style. A dozen or so softwood planks cut to size following the buttock lines of the hull diagram, then hollowed out and glued together. Then shaped with a coarse flap wheel on a grinder. I initially used carving tools to shape the hull (hence why I put it in this forum) but really no advantage over the grinder. Because the hull wouldn't look convincing clear-finished it has to be painted so I just fair the hull with filler then sand, then repeat till its smooth. Then paint - they are small enough to just use rattle cans.

    The hull is therefore done in a few days, which might seem lazy but is true to the period.

    cheers
    Arron
    Apologies for unnoticed autocomplete errors.

  14. #13
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Northern Beaches
    Posts
    71

    Default

    Yes you are correct. I was going to post photos but didn't have any on my iPad.
    That is a very fast way of build very solid and good looking boats.

    Here is a few pics of my build.



    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  15. #14
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Central Coast, NSW
    Posts
    3,330

    Default

    Yep, it does look good. Is lt a kit set or did you shape the frames yourself? If so, how?
    I might try one of those next - it will be something vintage and largely aesthetic but it would be nice to be able to clear finish the whole hull.
    How are the planks fixed to the frames ?
    Apologies for unnoticed autocomplete errors.

  16. #15
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Central Coast, NSW
    Posts
    3,330

    Default

    Seems to be missing a keel too. Is that added later?
    Apologies for unnoticed autocomplete errors.

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