John Fisher Dave Mainwaring Award

Star 45 R/C Model Sail Boat - Builders Journal: Star45 : John Fisher - Dave Mainwaring Award

Monday, June 23, 2008
Star45 : John Fisher - Dave Mainwaring Award


Star45 : Message: John Fisher - Dave Mainwaring Award:

"I have received a wooden plaque with a half model of a Star 45 and several brass plates on it from Robert Fisher. Here is what he wrote along with the plaque:

Deed of Gift
John Fisher - Dave Mainwaring Award

The purpose of this award is to recognize the efforts of John Fisher and Dave Mainwaring to utilize 21st Century computer technology to support and facilitate the scratch building for the Star 45 Class, and to regonoize the best builder-sailor at the Star 45 National Championship Regatta. Only people who scratch - built the Star 45 they sail in the National Championship Regatta may compete for this trophy. Any person who did not personally scratch - build the boat they sail is not eligible for this award. The trophy is to be awarded, until the next National Championship, to the eligible person who has the best finish in the Star 45 National Championship. This award shall not be retired.
This award is in addition to the Julie Ayers award!
Don Keeney
Star 45
Class Secretary"

Read More..

S45 Rigging Bill of Material from John Fisher

Building Displaying Sailing
Model Boats and Ships

S45 sail boat Rigging Bill of Material from John Fisher
To:Star45@yahoogroups.com
From: J Fisherjfisher@wildblue.net
Sender: Star45@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2007 21:02:38 -0700 (Mountain Standard Time)
Subject: Re: [Star45] Deck rigging and such

Here is the list on the star 45 yahoo groups for rigging. I am using the following for my next couple of builds:
GBMY item #, description, qty, purpose
019, 3/8 alloy tube, 1, Jib boom
034, Hales single block, 2, main and jib sheets
146, tapered drain plug, 1, plug in transom
182, Z sheet hook, 2, sheet ends/boom attachment
202, large bowsie, 1, back stay/forestay with 80 lb Dacron, order small ones if using spektra
206, O-rings, 1, hold the Z hooks to the boom.
254, double block, 2, main sheet and jib sheet adjuster
255, sheet exit, 1, turning block for main sheet from under deck to above deck.
269, eye plate, 1, mounting for jib block.
272, 180 deg sheet lead, 1, turn around for jib tweaker
280, sheet hook, 1, hooks for backstay and fore stay.
282, tang, 1, attach lowers to mast.
907, rigging screw, 4 hooks, 2 packs, upper and lowers to the deck.

I also build my own chain plates, so I dont order them from GBMY. Don does carry them if you need them. I also like the Ludwig mast better than the bantock mast, so I ordered 8 foot masts cut to 69 from Larry Ludwig, the other 28 or so is the main boom. Last time I made all my own boom vang, mast fitting. This time I ordered them from Larry. You can use the bantock mast, boom, and fittings from GBMY as well. They are good stuff and I have them on my IOM.

The back stay crane is made from 1/16 (.063) aluminum that I bought at the local hobby shop.
John Fisher
---

photos courtesy of "Larry Ludwig" at www.LudwigRCYachts.com, Ludwig Mfg.

Read More..

Navigator John Welsford design

Fellow blogger Robert Ditterich has reminded me to include one of my favourite open boats the Navigator, designed by John Welsford this pretty and traditional looking boat has proven to be a highly successful, fast and capable open cruiser.

The words and pictures are of Roberts own Navigator Annie, the build log of which is chronicled on flickr.

LOA 4.5m 14ft 9in
Beam 1.8m 5ft 10in
Weight 140kg 309lbs
Sails 12.6sqm 136 sqft


Robert explains - Available as a sloop or yawl rig the latter seems to find favour with builders and sailors due to its flexibility and frankly it is a very handsome rig.

Annie is one of hundreds of Navigators dotted around the globe, and while not all of them spend endless days cruising placid bays, and camping on impossibly beautiful beaches, plenty have done that, and all are capable of making many of our boating fantasies real.



Mine was launched towards the end of our good weather, so experiences are limited and action shots are scarce. But I have to say that I was surprised and very pleased with Annies manners since I first took her out. The most surprising thing was her initial stability. When the first gusts caught me, I was amazed to be still within the cockpit, and not making use of the tiller extension. I dont mind sitting out, but it is wonderful to have a choice about these things in a dinghy.

Building a Navigator has the distinct disadvantage though, of making it harder to justify building another boat, because it is attractive and practical and flexible, and it gets you cred with the stink boat people at the ramps. Every outing will create at least one good conversation with a total stranger. So another boat often seems to be just a gratuitous, superfluous thought. A pity, if you like building as much as sailing. Some of you might see me wriggle and squirm as I try to rationalise my way out of that one.



JW got something very right when he drew Navigator, and for my money the most important thing he got right was to make it possible for so many people to be able to build such a good boat themselves. All strength to anyone who empowers ordinary un-skilled people to get away from the TV, into the shed and to make something wholesome and exciting and capable of bringing people to-gether in a natural setting.

Robert a who also makes violins professionally has built Annie to an incredible standard, the pictures which show the plank stringers and the planked up hull above has an almost sculptural quality about them. I also agree with Roberts comment about encouraging others to build, while not many of us can build to his exacting standards we can all be encouraged by his enthusiasm and enjoyment of building.

Robert is also author of a book "Something About Navigator" which is available as a download and thankfully for those of us who still prefer a volume we can brush with our fingers as we work along the book shelf a printed version.

Read More..

S45 Construction John Fisher keel tubes

Photo sequence showing how John Fisher made his keel tubes. He was mounting a keel from CPM (David Ramos) with longer keel bolts so they will go through the deck when finished. He coated the brass rod with carnuba wax as a mold release.

To align the keel tubes John drills the holes in the center of the boat, this is easy to find since it is simply the middle of the king plank and the middle of the two keel planks. Then to align them so they are straight he placed a metal ruler along the two keel bolts or if a flat plate along the plate. Then look at where the end meets the transom. It should be off center by half the amount as the bolts/keel are thick. John does this on both sides to make sure it is centered. Once the bottom is aligned he tacks it in place with CA, then verify the alignment at the deck the same way.

Read More..