Classic Pond Yachts
'Lady Betty' a 36R class yacht designed by Bill Daniels
This is the model as found in Gosport model yacht club, along with a suit of old Nylet sails, this is how she started.
The bread and butter construction, and the graceful shape of the hull can be seen in these pictures.
Removing the layers of paint, as the paint came off, I started to appreciate the lines of the hull.
Whilst the outside had been well carved, the boat was over weight, a 36 should be less than 12LB but the hull was nearly that, so I had to remove some weight to at least try to get down to weight! this picture shows where we started.
Removing some of the excess weight, not pretty I'm afraid, done during the April lockdown, I ordered some carving gouges, but they took months to turn up, I need more patience ! but I took a lot of weight out !!
The inside of the hull sealed ready for the deck beams, the small holes are where I drilled out the waste, I would not leave the hole there if I did it again, but at the time I did not realise where this was going to go!
First coat of varnish on the hull, inside and out. I also built a stand ready to display the yacht when finished, but the main point of this restoration, is the same as all my boats, it is to get them sailing again!!
Deck beams and forward king plank being fitted. The timber was cut from timber I kept when the new bannisters fitted to our stairs, I think it is beech, been inside our house since 1977!
I also had a problem with the keel, one of the bolts had broken allowing the keel to move, for a yacht this small I was not worried about making the keel removable, so I put some long screws through the lead and fin into the hull. Hard to take pictures, I missed this one.
Hatch carlins and rigging base backing blocks fitted
Deck roughly cut out, timber for mast, sails and booms on deck, weighs just under 12LB, allowance has been made for the stand!!! But no deck fittings, running and standing rigging, paint etc etc. but, I tried!
A plastic bag, silicon tube nozzle and tape, ready to be filled with epoxy/micro balloons mix to stick deck on
Epoxy applied with my gun, deck positioned and held down with tape the deck is also clamped around the hatch opening, I then put plastic bags with lead shot in on deck to hold the deck down to the beams.
Deck trimmed to fit after epoxy cured.
Hull varnished, leveling up hull with a laser ready to mark waterline.
Deck has three coats of varnish, this will be rubbed back ready for deck lining, tip don't use a BIC Biro for deck lining, looks fantastic when done, varnish then goes over the lines OK, but they fade away in 6 months, I had to do it again, use India Ink !!!
Deck lining done and varnished, ready for hatch coamings and deck fittings. I will do something on deck lining, this was my first deck, there was nothing on the internet about how to do it, I think as a beginner who can remember thinking this is going to be tricky! I am probably idealy placed to tell you the issues I found, and how I over came them.
Custom built deck fittings, took a while to learn to silver solder again, what I love about restoring these boats is the range of skills you use, wood work and metal work. These fittings were fret sawed from sheet brass, then silver soldiered and lacquered.
Hatch coamings fitted, deck fittings fitted, note brass mast stub, used so we don't lose mast rake settings when mast removed.
Deck hatch being made, from the bannisters!
Ready to rig, just the sky light detail to paint in on the hatch. Note the bow fender, still available from EBAY !
Making the mast, this one solid! Cut out a square section, plane four cornest to make 8 sides, plane and sand round, make up mast head crane, and varnish mast.
Key to a successful restoration, and to keep calm, Beer, lots of beer! And coffee, but not to much coffee or you will get over excited, bad for VMYG members!!!
The finished boat on display, and sailing under Braine control at Gosport, and the Rick pond Hampton Court (with new hatch detailing) at a couple of Vintage Model Yacht group days. A not inconsiderable amount of time went into this boat, and after sailing her all it did was make me want to do another boat, great stuff!!!
One thing sailing the model revealed was if she was hit by a wind shift, and came head to wind, she was very reluctant to pay off and start sailing again, next job to fit a 'Liverpool Boy' to the jib to make her pay off in that situation, I will add to this list when done.
