Model boats – Page 6 – intheboatshed.net

Eric Allen builds and sails a model Ella skiff

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Eric Allen took these photos of a model he made using my Ella skiff boat plans – and I think it’s rather cute. He calls it Nereid, and here’s what he had to say about it:

‘I recently built a somewhat modified Ella skiff sailing version model, and figured you would appreciate hearing about it (as it is built from your design). I tweaked it to give it a Marconi rig and a jib, and added an over-sized bronze keel.

It was built on the cheap, and I have precious little experience, so it may not be the prettiest, best constructed, or most finished model, but it actually does sail. Quite well, in fact. It loves to beam-reach, and can really zip if it catches the wind on a broad-reach.

I am glad I found your website. I was looking for plans to build a simple yet nice-looking free-sailing model, and your plans fit my needs perfectly. Thank you for such a useful site and such well laid-out, logical, and easy to follow plans.

Sincerely,

Eric Allen’

Well done and thanks Eric – receiving something like this is a great start to a day.

For more on the Ella skiff, including the full-size and model plans for both the rowing and sailing version, click here and here.

PS Have you used the little logos below yet? They allow you to share this post via Twitter or Facebook, save the link in Google or your own web browser, and finally you can email the link to a friend. Handy, I’d say…

Boat Building Academy summer 2010 student launch

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18 year-old Alasdair Grant launching his Beer beach boat; Tim Price, and Tom Trevessey and Lachlan McKenzie bringing Yachting World Dayboat Tailwind to the harbour; Dominic Frankis sails his Mallard dinghy while James Downs in the background celebrates in his Canadian canoe; Martin McMahon, Jim Walsh and BBA graduate and woman gig-builder Gail McGarva in waders with Martin’s Islay skiff

Back in early June June 2010 six full-sized boats built by students at the Boat Building Academy workshops were launched at Lyme Regis.

If that seems a long time ago, I apologise – I should explain that as a one-man band and I’ve had rather a lot to keep me busy lately!

The full-sized boats were joined by as surprise additional contender – a remote-controlled model of a Nordic Folkboat built in student Tim Price’s spare time.

Among the boats launched were a 14ft Yachting World Day Boat, a 12ft 5in Mallard sailing dinghy, a 16ft 5in Beer beach boat and a 14ft skiff with a polyester and glass hull, and a wooden fit-out. The sun shone, as usual – I really don’t know how the BBA does it.

Among the students were a management consultant, a builder, a product designer, an architectural technologist, a snowboarding instructor and a handful of school and university leavers.

The selection photos above come from BBA staffer Emma Brice, who has promised more of the individual boats over the next weeks. Thanks Emma!

The Life-boat and its Work, a history from 1911 – part II

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‘It may seem strange that a cause launched with so much enthusiasm, and supported by such influential men, a cause appealing so strongly to the feelings of our countrymen, should have languished and almost died. But the nation was going through a time of deep distress and agitation, and many people thought the State itself was on the verge of shipwreck.’

How little things change! Hopefully, this time we’ll keep the lifeboats in service.

Here’s the second serving of The Life-boat and its Work, the history of the lifeboat of 1911 I started putting up a few days ago.

To see the rest of this series:

The Life-boat and its Work, a history from 1911 – part I

The Life-boat and its Work, a history from 1911 – part II

The Life-boat and its Work, a history from 1911 – part III