Well after discovering the lovely IRENE plans my racing sparrow build looks likely to be on hold.This schooner is such a lovely looking ship is why I have to build one.Building bigger is also great.While I am still trying to source 2.5 or 3mm ply I have cut and glued the patterns to some thin MDF and trimmed the patterns ready to trace onto ply.I have also made about 14 of the wee sheet blocks and they have come out quite satisfactory.I can get 3mm ply which is Euro poplar and would like to ask you would this be satisfactory as it will be sealed and painted when completed.please let me know if any of you think that this would be satisfactory.Well must get back to the workshop and carry on Regards to you all from me a new member here in New Zealand North Island.

Greetings, Peterrabbbit, and thanks! We'll be eager to see your project
As a model boat newbie I've had a great time building, sailing, and sharing my Irene (Deborah).

G'day PR (ah, yes, we tend to abbreviate usernames, not because we can't spell but we prefer to be boat building.)
Interesting that your Racing Sparrow has gone to the bottom of the deck because of Irene, she's a real heart stealer that one. The boat I was working on when I first met her is an Aussie rendition of the Sparrow, 1.2m and few differences. It’s a fibreglass hull and light ply deck. It has been waiting all winter for the weather to warm, so the final hull colour can be sprayed on (Orange). But now my mate says it is too HOT to spray, so the Water Rat (his name for it, not mine) looks like sitting out yet another plywood classic. I'm on to my third, and only intended to do the one, so watch it!

I’m surprised that you can’t get Australian radiata pine 3mm ply over there, but you will have obviously looked around. I’ve had a Google myself and the thinnest in radiata seems to be 4mm, which is too thick. This poplar ply, what sort of cost is it? Sounds like an imported item. We have Bunnings Warehouse all over the country and while you have a few, none of them list 3mm ply.
You could do what I first did and go to a second-hand yard and buy an old panel door (usually the in -wall sliding type) that has 3mm woodgrain veneer over 3 ply. It’s what they call door skin in USA and some other countries.
Anyway, there are hundreds of Sparrows out there, and maybe less than 20 Irenes (Gary will know) so, good luck with the project. If you haven’t already done so check out www.rcsailboats.pw which is an associate (well, sort of) site to RCG.
And start posting some photos as soon as you can, we thrive on the stuff!
oplar ply, what sort of cost is it? Sounds like an imported item. We have Bunnings Warehouse all over the country and while you have a few, none of them list 3mm ply.
You could do what I first did and go to a second-hand yard and buy an old panel door (usually the in -wall sliding type) that has 3mm woodgrain veneer over 3 ply. It’s what they call door skin in USA and some other countries.

I'm a retired Welshman who now lives in Brittany, France. I've just bought the plans for Irene and have had them printed(110$) and ordered my 8x4 sheet of 3mm ply(40$). I think I may be the first builder of Irene in France!! What a cracking boat. I can't wait to get started.

$110 to get the plans printed???

P R I paid $15 bucks to get my plans printed that is the hull and former pages.

It's only money.. Getting the boat built and having days/months/years of blissful sailing will totally compensate.

But yes, rather pricey.

I was surprised at $110 but it was the cheapest of three. I suppose I should balance it against paying $5 for a good bottle of wine!! Finistere, the area in Brittany where I live, have a maximum 35 hour week and all shops close for lunch. The lunch is also government subsidised and one pays $11 for a three course meal with a bottle of wine. Its a very laid back way of life.

After being hit by a severe and acute spinal injury I am more or less back in the land of the living. Sitting in a wheel chair before and after my spinal surgery I kept on working a few minutes at a time as long as the pain allowed it. When the problem appeared in September only the hull and deck where ready.
Today I can function again without a wheel chair. The boat is almost finished now and has undergone its water trials in the bath tub… The RC system is working properly and the sails are up thanks to the help of my daughter.

The maiden trip is for later when the weather (and my back) is better.

As you can see from the photos I did a number of things my way. The photos and videos from Gary have been a tremendous help in building this fantastic ship. Also the posts from all you guys have been very helpful. I could not bring myself in gluing the deck to the hull, so I screwed it and used pvc tape to seal the gap. In that way I can take the deck back off if ever necessary. The rim around the top of the hull is a pvc c-profile that is used for framing pictures and fits the thickness of the hull plywood perfectly. This rim is glued on.

i see people struggling to find the proper plywood. I used 3 mm birch 5 ply that is used for building light aircraft and ULM's. It is marginally more expensive but perfect for cutting and finishing.

Nice deck board details, screw holes, mitered corners!

BP

I also could not feel comfortable gluing the deck down so also screwed it on through the supportive blocks. as there were some gaps around the perimeter I used an acrylic gap sealer pushed in then smoothed off which will release if necessary with a thin sharp blade. hopefully, like most insurances, having it will mean you never need to use it. It doesn’t take much and it is not really noticeable.
My current Emma has a timber ledge fitted between the blocks and instead of sealer I've obtained some 1mm soft, closed cell craft foam which I'll lay with narrow filament double sided tape to act as a gasket. Haven't got to that stage yet, but will check that it works.
How did you mark out the planking on the deck? I’m trying different techniques but yours looks rather spiffy.

Having just recovered from a fairly serious shoulder injury that ,while nothing at all like your problems, makes me very sympathetic to your situation but also appreciative of your spirit. Keep at it.,. Sailing that boat will be a real bonus when you are able.

The planking on the deck are just pencil (just a normal pencil that was lying around) lines on the birch plywood. A coat of marine varnish to seal it of.

Pencil? that's easy enough. That birch ply really has a fine finish. Unfortunately radiata pine has sizable natural patterns which does not suit the effect of actual planking. I'll experiment with some finishes, like enamel , and see how it comes up.

When are you planning of sailing it? Video?

With the weather, that is.

When I was building my Schooner it was down to 19C/50F most days and glue and paint took forever to cure/dry, like, 2 days.

Right now I've just abandoned my machine shop at 2 pm in the arvo as the inside temp has hit 35C/95F and I have about a minute to locate a timber part with epoxy before it skins. within 15 minutes, hard fast. My shop is in two sections, one well insulated with a reverse cycle A.C., which on most days, winter or summer, stays around a comfortable if not quite balmy temperature and the machine shop, non-insulated and only what air I can blow into it from the other. The machine shop is where dust making, grindings, sawings, paintings etc are carried out. It also has more open bench spaces, although "open" is a bit more like, less cluttered. ?

But today? Outside it is already 40C/104F and will peak in a couple of hours at 44C/111F. we have at least a week to go with similar temperatures, although a few days quite "moderate" at 34C/93F. and no rain worth a spit for a month, now. We expect at least 2 more months of this.
Needless to say, the wind is great, but the U.V. down here is best avoided on days like this. We only sail in morning hours during the height of summer.

So, how is it where you are?

Hi Rob,
Northern Ireland Is reliably wet and often cold. Right now we have cold slushy snow which may or may not freeze overnight. As regards working in my man cave i usually warm up the epoxy first in a water bath sometimes even in summer! I don't have the patience even with bottles upside down to wait for them to release the contents. I can't imagine living in a hot climate. I enjoyed 3 winters in Alberta Canada with temp frequently below minus 20. My brother lives in Sydney and i now understand why he is off for 4 days to the blue mountains. Anyway Rob keep your cool. I do water sampling over here and at this time of year we frequently have to thaw out sample points with a blowtorch.
regards
Bob