What s On.. January: There will be no meeting or other events in January. February: Sunday 2 nd Scale & Sail Thursday 6 th Club Meeting at Jordon Hill Sunday 16 th IOM Round 1 Sunday 23 rd Fiesta Round 1 March: Sunday 2 nd Scale & Sail Thursday 6 th Club Meeting at Jordon Hill Sunday 16 th IOM Round 2 Sunday 23 rd IOM Interclub At Watermead Christmas 2013 Newsletter A message from our Chairman John Cox Another interesting year for our club: The weather was not kind to the sailors but with a bit of calendar juggling we managed to get in a decent number of races. A varied range of scale & semi-scale models have appeared, the largest being Paul s Louis Heloise a 1:10 scale French fishing boat. The George Wren evening went well but it would be nice to see more models, even if they are not entered for judging. There are an ever increasing number of the excellent Dragon Force RG65 yachts appearing on the pond we will see if there is any interest in our starting a race series for them. Best wishes for Christmas and the coming year. John Sunday 1 st December Sail & Scale by Dave Smith The last Scale & Sail day of the year saw us enjoying a bright December morning, rounding off what has been a year of very mixed weather. We certainly had the lot, torrential rain, blazing heat and freezing temperatures, but at least not on the same day. John Shinton had his Thames Launch Kenzie out this morning. This is a beautifully crafted model, finished to a very high standard. Not new to the pond, but always a welcome visitor. Page 1 of 10
Another Thames river launch, this time Paul Izzards Slipper Launch, with its blond haired lady driver, is more likely to be seen on the stretch of water at Henley if the regatta programme is any guide. I think she may have been at the Champers if the jaunty angle of her boater is any guide. The time taken getting up steam is fully rewarded when you see Nic Panter s North Sea drifter on the pond. As I have mentioned before Nic not only built the model but the engine as well, sourcing parts from the UK and America. Dave Harrison has been bitten by the free sailing bug and brought along this small yacht. Rebuilt from the deck up, it features a swing rig for the sail setup. Some time back, a small freelance paddle tug plan Tipstaff was featured in the modelling press, and has proved to be popular with our members. A third model built to these plans was brought down by Doug Green for its first out this morning. Each of the three models have their own design features, in this case Doug has incorporated individual paddle wheel control which gives the paddler turn on a tanner (sixpence in old money) steering. Page 2 of 10
Three of the latest class of racing yacht Dragon put on something of a show this morning, running in line astern and being chased by a Fiesta. My big Destroyer made its first appearance at a scale morning, shown here in the distance behind the Dragons. Large scale models certainly have a presence on the water, but at five feet long HMS Kipling takes some getting to the pond side. That s it for this year; see you in the new year with projects new and old favourites. Dave... The Dragon Force RG65 class yacht: This yacht is becoming very popular and there are already several in the club. It was proposed at the AGM that we start a mid week race series for them. The rules will be that the boat must be sailed as it comes, with the only changes allowed being the use of the alternative short fin & the changing of the radio for one with more range and better handling controls. Sailing rules will be the same as for the Fiesta, so very simple and easily learnt & understood. The cost from our local model shop is currently 149.50 though prices change frequently as the supply & demand situation varies. It can be obtained without the radio for a small saving. We need to hear from members if they own a Dragon Force are they interested in racing it? Also if a mid week race series is held would any members consider purchasing a boat to participate? Please Email me with your opinions. Don t delay, do it today! Club Fleece with Embroidered Club Logo Several of our longer serving members have Fleece jackets with the club logo. I was asked to look into the possibility of obtaining similar jackets for members. I found that these can be had from a company in Abingdon. The cost will be approximately 18.50 including VAT Part of this price being the set-up charge for the embroidery. The Size Range with chest sizes in inches will be: XS = 36 S = 38 Med = 40 Large = 42-44 XL = 46 XXL = 48 XXXL = 52 The colour of the fleece will be Navy Blue and the lettering will be in white or possibly yellow. Please Email me with if you are interested in buying one. Don t delay, do it today! Page 3 of 10
Progress of the Chairman s Puffer. At this stage of writing (early December) the inside of the bulwarks have been coated with P38 body filler and then cut back with wet & dry to leave a smooth surface similar to the outer area. The short (3 ) prop shaft has been fitted and the stern frame, plus white metal skeg all secured with two part resin. Other fittings such as the wash port covers have also been attached to the outer hull in the positions called for on the plan; the wash ports are non-working. Provision has been made to mount the motor and Olympus Drive referred to last month. Two wooden blocks have been bonded into the bottom of the hull which in turn mounts the motor and drive unit; the drive unit is connected to the propeller by double universal joints although another system of u/j is being considered. Before finally securing the motor mounts, they were sawn through horizontally and then re-bonded with a slice of flip flop rubber between, to form a sandwich; this it is hoped, will soften motor noise. The whole set up was carefully aligned by putting a 4mm rod through the prop tube to meet the drive output from the Olympus unit. The inwales were bonded in with two part resins; these are made up from a mixture of 5mm square timber for the straight areas, and lengths of 5 x 2mm plastic strip where the hull curves at the bow and stern. The plan then requires construction of a ladder type frame, the width of the hull, which is then bonded in to the inwales and basically strengthens the deck at the hatch area. There are in fact two decks, the main deck and a slightly raised quarter deck, the latter supporting the superstructure which in turns carries the bridge/cabin, funnel etc. The decks themselves, plus the hatch area, are of pre-cut plywood, but need a lot of trimming to fit; both the inwales and deck were all secured using two part resin. Certain areas of the decks have planked overlays which are separate items; these will be fitted at a later date. Page 4 of 10
It is hoped that the accompany pictures will show how work has progressed on the inner bulwarks by fitting the butt plates and support stanchions. All of the butt plates and stanchions are from white metal with each casting requiring a lot of fettling to make them worthwhile. The capping rails to the bulwarks are a mixture of grooved timber and white metal castings. These were fitted using super glue and were one of the more simple parts to fit. The timber goes on the straight section and the white metal items which bend easily go on the curved areas. An additional touch is angled white metal strips that are glued at the joint of bulwarks to deck, and cover any gaps/glue lines that are often difficult to conceal. The angle pieces, which also bend easily, are pushed in with a piece of wood and conform accurately to any curves. The interior of the hull is accessed via the removable hatch on the main deck and the superstructure on the quarter deck. Both items are secured on coamings which have now been raised. The coamings are quite high at 33mm but it at least makes for a very secure and watertight job! The main anchor winch which also serves to operate the crane is almost a kit on its own. It is all white metal, but constant use of the moulds has left a lot to be desired with the alignment and accuracy of some of the parts. However, a lot of fettling and repair work has made for a reasonable finish. Moving back to the deck area; there are a lot of minor white metal fittings still to be applied but these are in the process of being painted and will be fitted once the major work has been finished. The main hatch is constructed mainly from plywood sheet although a certain number of white metal fittings are also called for. I defy most people to understand the building instructions for the hatch; they go on forever but make little sense. I settled for two end pieces in thicker ply, shaped as the end walls of a small bungalow, joined by a roof of thin plywood; the effect is the same! A lot of work still remains; some undercoat has been applied, mainly to the deck area as this makes any defects easier to see and rectify. The underwater area of the hull has also been given several coats of red primer which serves nicely as anti fouling paint. When thoroughly dry, the water line will be taped off and then the area will be sprayed matt black. Mention was made earlier of the printed deck overlays. These are yet to be fitted, but they have been properly planked using the printed lines as a guide only. The printing was all accurate and symmetrical, but the hull is not! hence, the separate planking of the overlays. A bit of ingenuity and juggling has made an acceptable if not perfect finish. More to follow. Page 5 of 10
2013 Competition Results: FIESTA ANCHOR BOWL Name Pts. Pos. % 2012 % 2013 % Imp Pos ANCHOR I Smith 121 1 11.33 13.90-2.57 4 1 I Smith 121 J Cox 161 2 12.25 19.64-7.39 7 2 J Cox 161 M Robinson 192 3 13.33 20.00-6.67 6 3 M Robinson 192 D Skinner 210 4 29.06 23.21 5.85 1 E Hoare 227 5 20.41 23.64-3.23 5 N Panter 338 6 23.66 36.69-13.03 10 D Smith 347 7 27.37 36.14-8.77 8 P Izzard / 5 236 8 17.29 29.50-12.21 9 BOWL P Pulford / 5 347 9 47.50 43.37 4.13 2 1 D Skinner 5.85% D Harrison / 2 168 10 50.00 52.50-2.50 3 2 P Pulford 4.13% R Maddocks / 1 41 11-25.62-3 D Harrison -2.50% J Diestler / 1 87 12-54.37 - ONE METRE SHIELD ROSEBOWL Name Pts. Pos. % 2012 % 2013 % Imp Pos SHIELD M Robinson 66 1 14.81 12.73 2.08 3 1 M Robinson 66 I Smith 117 2 18.12 20.71-2.59 5 2 I Smith 117 N Panter 152 3 27.11 26.11 1.00 4 3 N Panter 152 P Pulford 200 4 46.66 35.55 11.11 1 D Skinner 206 5 29.37 34.33-4.96 6 ROSEBOWL E Hoare 83 6 38.33 34.58 3.75 2 1 P Pulford 11.11% D Payne 15 7-12.50-9 2 E Hoare 3.75% R Maddocks 69 8 52.08 57.50-5.42 7 3 M Robinson 2.08% D Naybour 74 9 43.99 61.66-17.67 8 GEORGE WREN Best Boat Best Sail Boat Louis Heloise J' Class Yacht Paul Izzard Iain Smith Page 6 of 10
OXFORD MODEL BOAT CLUB Accounts for 12 months from 07.12.2012 to 06.12.2013 Balance at 07.12.2012 Bank Account 935.85 Income for 12 months Cash 59.50 Total 995.35 Membership Fees Expenditure for 12 months Donations 274 Forest Fair 161 Total 1083 Meeting Room 50 MYA 77 Insurance 340.23 Boyancy Aids 66.85 Keys and Locks 33.30 Chemicals for Pond 114 Wychwood Project 161 Parking permits 50 Compensation (I.S.) 100 Table making (D.G.) 70 Website renewal (2 years) 94.64 Donation to cancer research 50 P.G.boat sale to cancer research 75 648 incl MYA Total 1282.02 Loss for 12 months 1282.02 1083= 199.02 Balance on 6.12.13 995.35 199.02 = 796.33 Bank 729.70 Cash 66.63 Page 7 of 10
Apologies. OXFORD MODEL BOAT CLUB. AGM 4 TH DECEMBER 4 TH DECEMBER 2013. Apologies were received from Merlyn Coates. Chairman s address. The club had seen a good turnout of members over the year although bad weather early on curtailed activities. As the summer progressed and weather improved, members were more able to get on the water, especially during the very hot days midyear. The previous problems with blanket weed, usually activated during hot sunny spells, was completely absent during the season, going to prove the biological treatment of the small pond worked well. A new, if part time park keeper, has recently been appointed and is a decided asset to the park, and the club in particular. Among his other duties this gentleman keeps the pond topped up to its maximum level, ensuring our maximum use of the facility. There has been a spate of new members during the year which is encouraging. Our attendance at Wychwood Forrest Fair produced a favourable reaction from the organisers while the Watermead Open Day was well attended by club members. An approach has been made, via the OMBC chairman for the club to attend Binsy Fair, to be held on the August Bank Holiday 2014. At this stage it is not known what the format is, but a meeting with the organisers nearer the day will hopefully reveal the intent. The matter can then be put to members. Secretary s report. This has been a busy year for the secretary despite various health problems that interfered with his actual sailing days. The News Letter takes up a lot of time and can only progress if member contribute, even in a small way; please do not leave it to the few! A new calendar of events is being distributed and members are asked to refer to it on a regular basis, and support the listed events. The Watermead Open Day is scheduled for the 7 th September 2013 and members are urged to bear it in mind and attend in support of the club, if at all possible. The George Wren Trophy was quite well supported; but again, please make efforts to attend, as it encourages the club officers who put time and effort in to arranging theses events Treasurers report. A yearly balance sheet was circulated showing the strong position of the clubs finances. Although showing a loss over the year, several extraordinary outgoings account for this anomaly. Examples are the compensation for injury paid to a member when carrying out club activities, new buoyancy aids and website renewal. Questions were invited regarding the balance sheet but no queries were forthcoming. The balance in the bank stands at 729.70 and cash in hand equals 66.63. Page 8 of 10
Treasurers report continued: The insurance premium for the forthcoming year shows no increase and at the moment 38 members are listed. Subscriptions can remain at the 2013 level ie 20 with an additional for MYA membership. It is expected that 2014 will see finances break even. Sailing secretary s report. The Fiesta events were well supported in most instances, although various disruptions due to weather conditions did affect the smooth running, and in some cases forcing alternative dates to be arranged. One metre events are a little disappointing, mainly due to members moving on thus leaving the fleet depleted. Despite the lack of 1 metre skippers, a result was obtained, but lack of experience is very evident; only by participating will this be overcome. In several instances sail events were brought forward to a 9am start as the good summer weather was attracting extra park visitors and parking space was being rapidly filled. The 2014 sailing events will be found on the 2014 calendar. Scale secretary s report. Most events were well supported and a spate of new models appearing. There are two active steam powered models in the club which adds so much to the variety of boats on show during sailing. The George Wren could do with more support and it would add a bit more variety if more models were shown, even if not competing for the award. Award of cups etc. The Winners of the various club competitions were: Fiesta Anchor to Iain Smith Fiesta Bowl to Dick Skinner IOM Shield to Mike Robinson IOM Rose bowl to Peter Pulford George Wren for overall best boat to Paul Izzard George Wren for best sail boat to Iain Smith The various cups were then awarded for the events sailed over the year. A full list is in possession of the secretary & will be published in the Christmas newsletter. Winners not attending the meeting will be notified. Election of club officers. Nominations were invited for the various posts within the club, the current officers having formally resigned. No nominations were made; the current officers indicated their willingness to continue in post and were thus unanimously re elected. Page 9 of 10
Any other business. It was proposed by the secretary that Merlin Coates and Noel Donaldson be elected Life Members. Merlin was one of the original founder members of the club, but serious illness has now restricted active participation, although still interested in all aspects of model boating. Noel Donaldson learnt his sailing within the club and served as secretary for a number of years. He was also very generous in many ways relieving the club of excessive expenditure. Having moved out of the area, he will not rejoin for the coming year. The proposal was unanimously agreed. The secretary will draw up a formal certificate and inform these gentlemen accordingly. A question was raised over membership cards which had been issued in the past. It was decided that little benefit was forthcoming with such items and only served to load the secretary with unnecessary work. The question was raised regarding the new Dragon Force yacht which is available at a very active retail price and causing a lot of interest in the model yachting world. There are several such models in the club and it was thought a Thursday afternoon series might attract a following. This model also falls within the increasing popular RG65 class. After some discussion it was decided to see how many more members purchased the Dragon Force and then sound out if such a class would be supported in a racing environment. This could only become reality if owners wanted a racing event as opposed to casual sailing. The meeting closed at 20:45. Paul s Plastic Magic The Revel Campanula - on it s first day out. Wishing you a HAPPY CHRISTMAS & Good Winds In 2014 Page 10 of 10