So I ordered a new Friendship Sloop kit and the kit arrived yesterday. In case you're keeping tabs, I now have three projects on the building board (sigh), am I like the only one? So I have a Pirate Ship that is pretty much RTR except for a few custom touches, a Baby Bootlegger going through the excruciating painful process of planking and now this, a Friendship Sloop which sure is a pretty little ship. I'd figure that I'd work on the Sloop while I'm waiting for the glue to dry on the Baby.

Anyway the kit arrived yesterday and I'm really pleased. The plans are simple and easy to understand and was drawn on a nice sized 8.5x11 sheet of paper.

And here is the wood. Nice clear wood with only a few knots. I have to cut and mill the wood but that's okay. Wooden want to make it tooo easy, now, huh?

So I borrowed some tools from my girlfriend and got to work.

Wow, that looks like a great kit!

more, please!

And after about an long sleepless hour into the dark stormy night, I got this far

But how did you cut the wood with the table knife?

Is she R/C?

Okay, enough of the BS.

I ordered this model from www.woodenboatstore.com

It is a 1:12 ( or 1/12, 1" = 1'-0" or whatever) scale model of the Friendship Sloop that was built plank on frame. It required minor assembly of the sails and rigging. For a model made on an assembly line in China, it is pretty nice. Probably not as well built as I would have done it but the colors and the paint is pretty nice. And the brightcoated mahogany hull is beautiful. It is pretty big at 35" long and 41" high with a 8.5" beam. It weights about 2.2 lbs.

And I plan to hack this model apart and make it R/C controlled. :evil:

So far it looks like what I need to do is:

1. Drink a few rootbeers and then cut into the boat to make a hatch somewhere for installing the radio gear.
2. Drink some more rootbeer then cut out and make the rudder operable.
3. I may have to clearcoat the finish on the hull with a marine paint or fiberglass/epoxy. And possibly seal the interior.
4. I have to decide on a keel of some sort.
5. Re rig the sails for R/C control.

Hopefully if I'm sucessful and it turns out to be a pretty easy project to do, there is a whole bunch of prebuilt plank on frame models out there just begging to converted and sailed.

Originally Posted by Aerominded

But how did you cut the wood with the table knife?

Is she R/C?

Used the butter knife to cut the box open.

Originally Posted by RCheroske

Okay, enough of the BS.

.......
1. Drink a few rootbeers and then cut into the boat to make a hatch somewhere for installing the radio gear.
2. Drink some more rootbeer then cut out and make the rudder operable.
.......

I knew I liked you. ^ that was pretty funny I really expected a crude floating plank picture in here somewhere.

Originally Posted by Aerominded

But how did you cut the wood with the table knife?

Very carefully...as we all know a dull tool is dangerous.

NEAT! Please keep us up to date on how it goes! the wooden boat store has some interesting models at very reasonble prices! (China!) they have/had a power cruiser that looked like those built on Lake Union in WA that looked quite nice and interesting for conversion!

Originally Posted by Boatfox

I knew I liked you. ^ that was pretty funny I really expected a crude floating plank picture in here somewhere.


Very carefully...as we all know a dull tool is dangerous.

Yeah, She sure is a pretty ship, it is going to be hard to make that first cut without fortifying myself with a few rootbeers. (sigh)

Has anybody else tackled a project like this? Any tips?

Hehe, best post ever :P ! Anyone have a good site on the mechanics of RC sailing? Ill admit I dont even have a handle on how its "Really" done, so Ive been searching for a "how its done" website :P

LordS, the folks 'next door' in the sailboat section are knowledgeable! are you looking for the basic how it is done or an advanced how it is done?

A&W? Or Barqs?

Heck no!! I never drink root beer out of aluminum cans. Glass bottles only. I usually drink IBC but the local market has started carrying 10 different brands of Root beer. We also have two micro breweries in town that makes their own root beer @ $4.00 a glass. Very good root beer.