I have recently acquired two boats (the children have grown up and I now have time for a hobby!) and am hoping you might be able to shed some light on there identification class etc. The first boat was given to me by my Brother-in-Law following a loft clear out, but unfortunately he has no idea of its age as the old gentleman he acquired it from has long since passed on. It is approximately 24" long, the attached photo was taken before I started to strip it down for a refit. It is my intention to plank the deck (it is currently approx. 2 mm thick plywood with pencil marked planks) and would be grateful for any advice on what material to use and where it may be obtained, similarly any advice on appropriate rigging, fittings etc would be much appreciated.

The second boat was acquired a few weeks ago on Ebay, it is a scratch built sailing yacht with a fibre glass hull and herringbone planked wooden deck, the rigging is made from stainless steel attached to the hull with bottle screws, it would appear that a sail winch had been fitted at sometime. The boats dimensions are 49.75" long, 9.75" wide and 65" to the top of the mast. I have fitted a RC control to the rudder and the boat sails very well. The sails are show sails.
It is my intention to re-finish the deck (currently stained in a not too nice dark mahogany), re-coat the hull, fit a set of appropriate sail and fit a sail winch (which I don't have a clue about), again I would grateful for any information, links etc that may help me in this project.

  

 

Boat 1

I have no ideas about this one. It is clearly not a class racing yacht but where the design for a scale model of a pocket cruiser came from is anyone's guess. Looks quite nicely made, so far as the hull goes, but the sails could be a lot better. Whether it will sail well, or at all, will have to be seen. I'd be inclined to try it on the water before doing too much work on it. Planking the deck will best be done over the existing ply, or a replacement piece that could be thinner. A real planked deck depending on its many seams for watertight integrity is a nightmare. If you plank over ply, something quite slight will do, but you must be sure to get it to lie down all over. Lots of weights on each plank as the glue goes off. Suitable wood for planking may be obtainable from the sort of model shops that sell kits for glass case models. Their customers must need replacement material for the bits they have cocked up. Alternatively Dennis Nixon does a mail order service specialising in wood for modellers. I would consult him about what best to use. He advertises in the back of the boat modelling magazines.

Boat 2

This again is a bit of an oddity. The size suggests that she is intended as a Marblehead, but the fin is very unusual in such a boat. The rig, again, quite apart from the use of an old Red Hand banner, (does the Rev Paisley have views on this sacrilege?) is not right for the boat, as the Rule requires that the jib hoist should not be more than 80% of the main hoist. The general style of the boat and its mast suggest the 1930s, but the turnbuckles, booms and kicking strap are recent and the booms look as though they may be carbon fibre.
A suitable sail winch would be the HiTec drum winch.

Russell