Watson total refit !!

gawd that looks good Mike, especially knowing I'll never be able to afford it, lol.

by the way I have gathered all the lifeboat plans together for you quite a bundle so will package them up in the next week or so and send them to you.........have also enclosed the plans for the Flying Christine ambulance launch I had...........sort of a lifeboat, lol................do with them all what you want matey.

next is to make a list of all my tools to go.............Oh what a life, lol.

nhp651 wrote:

gawd that looks good Mike, especially knowing I'll never be able to afford it, lol.

by the way I have gathered all the lifeboat plans together for you quite a bundle so will package them up in the next week or so and send them to you.........have also enclosed the plans for the Flying Christine ambulance launch I had...........sort of a lifeboat, lol................do with them all what you want matey.

next is to make a list of all my tools to go.............Oh what a life, lol.

Thanks for the kind words Neil.  As to affording TGB, make an offer and see what happens!!!

 I look forward to having the plans and as I said they will have found a good home with the rest of my collection. The Flying Christine qualifies as a "Lifeboat" in my eyes.

Spent the last couple of days marking out. cutting out, glazing and detailing the windows for the superstructure.






Windows held in place with blutac to check that they fit correctly.






Next job will be to paint them all!!

brill matey.

plans on their way in a big green parcel.

nhp651 wrote:

brill matey.

plans on their way in a big green parcel.

               

Yet again.  

didn't know a few plans could weigh so much..........   4.5 kilos, lol.........anyway they went 48 hour sighed for parcel force ....you should have them on thursday matey.

nhp651 wrote:

didn't know a few plans could weigh so much..........   4.5 kilos, lol.........anyway they went 48 hour sighed for parcel force ....you should have them on thursday matey.

Still lighter than a boat !!!!!

Extra donation to the RNLI will be on its way next week.

Spent a few hours cogitating (they can't touch you for it as it's legal in the UK!!) on how to make the upper runners for the doors.

The answer was sections of hollow rectangular styrene tube and "H" shaped styrene beams. These tubes were cut to length and a section of the wall removed down one of the wider sides to give a square-ish "C" shaped section. One flange of the "H" beam slides inside and the other flange is glued to the styrene door hangers. Easier to see than explain!!






The rectangular tubes are glued to the top of the wheelhouse and the door slides along with the bottom being held in the lower grooved runner.






Just need to paint it all and add the door handles.

You ARE the MASTER Mike...........superbly thought through and executed.....brilliant matey. neil

Very nice Mike, I envy your 'Boat-Yard'

More done on the Watson as well as working on other builds.............not enough hours in the day !!!!


The window frames have been painted and fitted as well as the painting done on the doors. Also made and fitted the DF loop and the support plate for the radar.






The access door from the wheelhouse to the rear cabion has also been made and fitted.






Inside the wheelhouse the throttles and engine instrument repeater panel made and fitted.






The floor panel for the wheelhouse has also been started with the making of the grid stands, the battery box covers and the steering wheel column.

Superb 

Managed to get a few minutes to work on my Watson refit at last!!


The wheel has been made and fitted along with the working compass. The helmsman has also beem made from a modified figure and fixed in place on the grid section.






The floor section has been fixed in place inside the wheelhouse along with the grab rail and the backrest.

I like your very detailed work, tiss very good

he's a master at it paul..............can't stop him when he gets going.

Finally got back to one of my lifeboat passions, after the Atlantic refits, building old lifeboats.  


The mast/exhaust has now been refitted and its rigging added, also the rope bins have now been fixed to the superstructure.






The radar has beem made and fitted onto the stand at the rear of the wheelhouse. The scanner is operational via a thin wire drive up the support from the geared motor (modified micro servo) in the rear cabin.






The quarter bollards on the stern deck have been made, painted and fitted in place.






Now the radar and mast are in place the wiring for all the functions has been done. The battery pack is in the rear cabin and the navigation lights, radar and fore deck floodlight are controlled by these three switches which are hidden under the self righting bag.






The rudder made earlier has also been fitted and awaits the connections to the rudder servo and the cover making.






Finally for now an overall view of the boat as she is today.

superb mike, absolutely superb!

Exactly what Neil said.

Ditto the both of you

Nice to be appreciated gents.  



Now that the rudder is in place a 'representation' of the gearbox cover has been made, painted and fitted over the r/c linkages at deck level, a little oversized but doesn't look too bad.






I have also made the supports for the Fisherman's anchor that was fitted to the Starboard side of the boat. These are made from several sections of styrene rod and sheet with rivet detailing.






The anchor has also been made from styrene sheet.






All ready to paint and fit.






Fitted in place forward on the starboard side along with the suport blocks that fit over the fender. The stanchions at either end are not standard but have an extra arm to allow the upper safety chain to go behind the anchor, this was achieved by using low temperature solder (70 deg C) to add the extra white metal arm to the white metal upright without melting the whole thing!

Now have all the stanchions and brace bars in position on the kick boards and bulwarks. The chains for them have been ordered and will be fitted soon.

The screen wiper motor box and wiper arms have been made and fitted onto the wheelhouse roof. Also the large vhf aerial and its supports have also been made and fitted (the top section is removable to aid storage).

Now started adding some more of the details onto the boat.

The axe and its clips have been fitted in position inside the forward canopy.






The safety lines from the wheelhouse to the canopy have been fitted, as well as the handrails.






At the bow the anchor has had its chain and rope added.






At the stern the radio mast has been added. The top section is removable to assist storage and the radio aerial wires are very thin elastic thread.






Still at the stern the straps that hold the airbag in place have also been fitted.






Under the airbag the switches are now labelled so that I don't get any more confused than usual!!






Finally for today another look at the whole boat with still lots more details to add.

Nice work, it is really coming on now

cheers lads  

More of the details added.

The first thing done today was to make and fit the haul up cleats that sit at the stern either side of the sampson posts.






At the bow, the anti-slip strips around the forward mooring post have been cut and fitted. This is real anti-slip as fitted onto ladder steps.   The strips were also fitted on the deck by the doors.








Last thing done today was to give the boat its identity and service station. She is to be the RNLB T.G.B. from the Longhope RNLI station  on Hoy in the Orkney Islands.








This refit is being done as a tribute to the crew who lost their lives on board the TGB 17th Martch 1969.

To read more check out this link:          Longhope disaster

Love the spring washers at the base of vents very ingenious Mike.

Damien wrote:

Love the spring washers at the base of vents very ingenious Mike.

Just gives the right size base collar for the vents.

The liferings and their holders have been made,painted and fitted in place on each side of the wheelhouse plus the door handles have been added.






The chain for the stanchions has arrived, been fitted in place and given a coat of white paint. The lifelines that hang over the fenders have also been fitted in place.






Next thing to do is to refit the shafts and props.

Having an understanding wife who is adept at crochet, knitting, etc means that when I want a 'cotton slug' (aka bow bumper ) making she can knock one out quickly with her crochet skills.






and fitted onto the bow. Some Watsons had this overpainted in red to match the fender but I think I will leave it natural as the 'look' is better in my opinion.






At the stern the rigging for the raising of the rudderr blade has been fitted.






and the shafts and props refitted.

Looking really good Mike we are very fortunate when we have wives with multi craft skills mine is also multi talented in many areas of crafts.

The motors (car electric window motors, high torque - low current drain.) have been fitted into the hull along with a basic r/c system, could really do with twin escs/ mixer and four channel but it works OK with the two channel.






When running at full throttle the current drawn by BOTH motors is under 6 amps!!






Views of the boat on the water in the test tank.










Short video clip of the Watson under way , big boat..... small test tank!!