I have recently joined thercmodelboatforum in my 71st year after being retired for just over 3 years.
My first introduction to making and sailing rc model boats was when I first left school and saved-up my apprenticeship wages to buy my first two channel Launch Link radio control system to use with the Aerokits Swordsman that I had just completed as my first build.
I ran the boat on the River Avon as a member of the Bath Model Boat Club and almost straight away entered the Swordsman in one of the first British Offshore Series races at Torquay using a Merco 61 twin plug engine for power - a great experience and nice to be present when the ED Team launched their new Krack-A-Long boat at this same event powered by their 5cc ED Viking diesel engine.
After years of racing r/c cars and later starting the large scale model racing car racing competitions here in the UK, I have finally returned to making and enjoying model boats and I am currently trying to make most of the "classic" model boats that I remember from the 1960's.
I have just completed restoring a LesRo Rapier and I am currently attempting to restore a 1954 Chris Craft Corvette that was foolishly rescued from a skip!
Recently I build a Vic Smeed Remora using the free plans that I still have from my December 1964 Model Maker magazine, and I have just sent away for the plans for the Aerokits Swordsman so I can build a replica of my first rc model boat - albeit with electric power this time!
Since retiring I have become a member of the Southport Model Boat Club where I try to run my boats every Sunday - but I have not been able to sail at all this year due to shielding from Covid 19.
When I first joined the SMBC I made my first scale model from plans using plastic card - a 1/24 scale TID Tug that turned out quite well and has been run every week since completion and has also become my "rescue boat" where it has ben called into service a few time to push stranded models back to shore - including my own failed attempts to keep my fast cat the right way up - something that has confirmed that I much prefer mono-hulls and preferably deep V types as they are very predictable and always seem to "rail" nicely.
I enjoy seeing white water behind my boats whenever appropriate (not with my TID Tug !) and since ic engines (that I do understand) are now more or less "out-lawed" everywhere I am able to sail locally, I am attempting to learn a little more about brushless motors - but only enough to get the right type in the right hull.
Keeping busy is important to me so I have a few more projects lined up including making another Suzie Q to replace the one I gave away along with my first Remora when we moved up north several years ago.
I would like to make all of the Aerokits range and I have enjoyed reading the blog about the Sea Urchin (I have just bought a kit!) and recently won an original HMM Wavemaster 34 kit on eBay, but all the wood was so badly warped and twisted that I have read all of the parts in new wood - but a t least I got to use the plans!
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