Neville Wade's Radio-Controlled Square-riggers
There are many people who build much better models than I. They are craftsmen, who spare no effort in the attempt to attain perfection, and often come close to achieving it. I approach my models from a slightly different standpoint; I want them to look real on the water, to sail well, and handle like the original ships, and to be robust and simple to operate and maintain. I also love the moment when a new vessel sails for the first time, so a building time of 400 hours, over six months, allows me to see a new experience on the water about once a year. The descriptions of the details of my models, that you’ll find here, should be read with that in mind.
Construction of the hulls
The hull of the “Catherine Louise” after initial tidying up. The planks are of lime wood, 8X2 mm., and the flat sections are made of plywood.
My keel attachment method in the interior of the boat.
My removable sailing keel. It is adjustable fore and aft; side to side, and in weight. Once finalised, it is coated with resin, and painted black.
A keel attachment block in the “Ann Louise”, seen from inside.
The keel attachment bolts in the “Judith Kate”.
The hull of the “Judith Kate”, with keel attached. The legs of the stand allow attachment of the keel at the side of the water.
The oversized rudder of the “Judith Kate” before painting.
But before getting to the description of the sail controls, here are the ships in the water:
Ann Louise (Joseph Conrad)
History
Ann Louise was modelled (scale 1:40) after the Joseph Conrad, an iron three-masted ship launched in Copenhagen in 1882 as the Georg Stage. Preserved afloat at Mystic Seaport.Gallery
Turning to port, going about from port to starboard tack
Braces are attached at the course and the topgallant yards
Beating, on the starboard tack
Sailing in very heavy weather, with the royals removed. Even in these conditions, she will sail "hands off" like this
Beating, in the evening sunshine
The little full rigger, and her bowsprit, the most dangerous place in the ship
Catherine Louise (Mozart)
History
Catherine Louise was modelled (scale Scale 1:76) after the Mozart, a steel four-masted barquentine (a rare type of rig), 1904-1935.Construction
Boats travel fully rigged, apart from the top two sails on the foremast
The 7 kg keel is bolted on by the pond, note the oversize rudder
Gallery
Just launched, with many details still to add
Calm wind for a maiden voyage, she is down by the stern, so the keel will be adjusted forward slightly
On the second sail, with the keel adjusted. Mozart was a slow vessel, but had a remarkably beautiful hull
Barquentine rig allows sailing closer to the wind, and is thus easier to sail on a small pond
Heavier weather. Rail still above the water.
Lots of wind but few waves.
Easily winning a race with a similar scale gaff-rigged schooner.
Elizabeth Ann (Fame)
History
In 1895 the R.I.M. Dockyard in Bombay (Mumbai) built two brigs (two masts, both square rigged) for the Bengal Pilot Service. Their names were “Fame” and “Alice”, and they were the last in a line of such ships that stretched back, and had been developed, for two hundred years. They were the last word, literally, in the design and production of such craft. They were two little beauties, with good sleek lines, and the handiness, speed and sea-kindliness that such vessels require, in their duty of welcoming inward bound ships, and speeding on their way outward bounders, for the port of Calcutta.Such vessels would have served ships from before the time of the opium trade to China, then the fast clippers which took up that notorious venture, and on into the last years of sail, when windjammers came to Calcutta for jute, to trade into the Twentieth Century with, among others, the city of Dundee. They were what was known as composite ships, with wooden planking on iron frames, and built so strongly that the last I have heard of “Fame” she was still doing duty as a lightship in 1949. Their rigging and sail plan hark back to times earlier even than 1895, with the very long jibboom, extending beyond the bowsprit, and single topgallant sails.
As pilot vessels they carried two ships’ boats, hanging outboard from davits at the quarters, which give them a very distinctive look, somewhat similar to a whaler. Altogether, they presented a pretty picture, and I felt that a model based on them would look good on the water, and would also sail, and handle, very well indeed. It was with that in mind that I set out to build the “Elizabeth Anne”, named after a niece of ours, based on Underhill drawings of “Fame”.
Gallery
Beating on the starboard tack, with as much wind as she can stand. Soon the royals will have to come in, and you can see how water gets into the pilot boats!
Darting along, under all sail. The complicated buntline arrangements, for furling, can be seen across the fore parts of the square sails.
She was a very tall little ship, setting royals on both masts. As soon as there is much more wind than a good breeze, the royals would come in, both on the real ship, and on the model. The pilot boat hung over the starboard quarter gives the vessel a very distinctive look.
The helmsman at the stern, with the pilot boats hung outboard on their falls. On the real ship there would have been no raised platform for the wheel, but there is one on the model because it is the hatch that covers the rudderpost. She is beating on the starboard tack, and the spanker sheet can be seen astern of the handrails.
The scene on the fo’c’sle head, as she approaches the side of the pond, about to go about. Some hammer and bar work is being done on an anchor, as the mate looks on.
Both the royals have been removed, and she is tearing along, putting her lee bulwarks under. Any more wind than this and the topgallants will have to come off too, also the main topmast staysail.
Beating on the starboard tack, under reduced sail, with the two royals removed. Two sailors can be seen aloft.
Judith Kate (Herzogin Cecilie)
History
Judith Kate was modelled (scale 1:87) after the Herzogin Cecilie, a steel four-masted barque launched in Bremerhaven in 1902 and stranded in South Devon in 1936 after a long career.Construction
7 kg of lead for ballast, on a detachable, "plate" keel. The plate minimises the tendency to make leeway
Sail servos between the masts haul on the braces
Gallery
Going about, from port to starboard tack
34 sails, 4 control channels
The beauty of a deepwater square-rigger
All sail set in a quartering wind
Bounding along, with the crew at work on deck
Royals and upper topgallants down, and forging along in a winter gale. She will beat "hands off" like this
Beating in heavy weather, the long poop deck still above the sea, despite the heel. Royals and upper topgallants removed
Yard and sail bracing system
Drawing of the servo and brace arrangemment
Schematic of servo and yard movement
The interior of the “Catherine Louise”. On the left is the sail arm servo, used to control the sheets of the fore and aft sails on the main and mizzen masts, and on the right is the same type of servo, this time with a centrally pivoted servo arm, which is used to control the yards on the foremast. The braces, which control the yards, are attached to the ships’ sides by the side of the main mast in the centre of the picture. They are then led forward, to the ends of the servo arms, and then aft, to lead up through the deck, next to the main mast, en route to their yards.
This is the interior of the “Ann Louise”, a full rigged ship, with square sails on all her three masts. The servo on the left controls the yards of the main and mizzen masts, and braces can be seen leading both forward and astern, to the main and mizzen masts respectively. The servo on the right controls the yards on the foremast, and braces can be seen leading astern from it to the main mast.
These servos are those for the fore and main yards of the brig “Elizabeth Anne”, that on the left for the foremast, and on the right for the main. As you see, the main mast braces run astern to their yards, as in a real brig.
Four of the five yards for the “Catherine Louise”, with their bent wire pivots glued in.
The tube, into which is fitted the pivot, on the fore side of its mast. The tube is clamped to it’s mast, using the brass strip illustrated.
The assembled yard pivot, in situ on it’s mast. This arrangement allows the yard to be positioned ahead of the mast, vital if the yard is to swing to within 30deg. of the centreline of the hull.
This is an easily removable sail, suitable for “shortening sail” quickly for windy days. There are hooks sewn into the bottom corners of the sail, which engage in “goalposts” on the yard below. Simply unhook them, and lift out the yard from it’s pivot. See a “goalpost” in silhouette, on top of the yard.
As the yards are braced, a single "sheet", connected clew to clew, simply moves with the sail, holding it against the wind, when from astern.
This is a port side view of the “Judith Kate”, showing the endless sheet running aft from the mainsail, through two ring screws in the deck in front of the mizzen mast. The purpose of the sheet is to hold back the sail, into the wind, no matter the angle to which the yards are braced.
The courses, the lowest square sails, are fitted with stiff wire, sewn into their sides and bottoms, to allow the sails to be set without yards beneath them, and to allow them to use the wind from ahead, without wrapping themselves around the mast.
How to sail model square-riggers
See article published in Marine Modelling International.
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