Steering, 19.8.2018.

Photos of the steering comp.

By the water on the boat it seems the captains didn't escape the rain on the day!.

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David Lee, doing his ballast testing, see the previous post for Davids other pix's on this boat.

It floats!!.

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First Match of the season, 2017.

Hi All

Had a look at steering to-day, the first match of the season, 

all very keen despite the weather!.

Geoff, the Steering Rep

Donald looking like he knows what hes doing! 

Competitors getting ready

Cold wet and damp!

Trevor doing his stuff!

Al the comm.

Spring Steering at the lake

I thought I'd got it wrong at first, steering on the second Sunday of the month?. but Geoff the organiser reminded me that its Easter Sunday on the Third Sunday so he had had it moved forward.

It was quite breezy and most of the sailors were struggling to keep to the course so it was off with the superstructures for most of them.

Gives a whole new meaning to "Topless" doesn't it 

As you can see from the way some of the members are wrapped up it was quite cool on the landing stage, but warmed up when you got walking round.

The new docking facility being put to good use

A new member there with his grandad was young Ben. 

With two of his builds, which are coming on well!.

Here is Ben having a go at the steering course with one of our experts Terry 

Terry's boat "Topless" 

The Canada Geese are back nesting on the garden and when I left the wardens were trying to discourage them by putting some rubble on the spot. 

Won't do the plants much good but there again the prickly conifers that Velda put in didn't put them off either 

The Coots are all nesting round the lakes as well, spring is really in the air!.

                               

Not seen many of these tufted ducks around Etherow, perhaps they are finding the food in plentiful supply too.

                               

Thats it for now folks.

 Next event.

1900hrs 16^th April       Wednesday   Club 500 Racing      Landing stage

Steering Competition March 2014.

March 16th, was the first one of the monthly steering competitions for 2014, it was very well attended considering the weather was overcast and windy which you don't need for the steering competitions!.

 A family with a youngster who had brought his boat turned up and Alan the Vice Commodore did his usual thing and got stuck in with help and advice, after all these are the club of the future aren't they.

Here are some of the pictures taken on the day.

Waiting for the Start

I can imagine him saying I could build one of those in a couple of years.

One of Rob Gibbs boats waiting for the steering to finish. 

Alan at the back left helping the youngster!.

These boats are not to scale but are built specially for the steering competitions.

And here is a video of one of the boats on the water steered by Trevor Redford.

That's all for now folks.

Did you notice the header picture is now the Spring theme, hope this isn't too early with it still only March!.

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Message from Philp Laxton.

You may have had this in an email last week but just in case your details are not up to date here is the message again.

Hi all,

                On the 9th October,  we are having our yearly Auction at the sailing club hut.

We will be starting the auction at 8.00 pm.

If you have any models,  model boat parts or tools we will hopefully sell it for YOU.

Before the auction  register the item you have brought with us. If you want to put a reserve price on the item just let us know the reserve.

On the 23rd October, we are having our “ Hot pot supper and QUIZ.

Start time:- 8.00 pm

Teams of four.

Prizes for the winning team.

The Quiz,

First part questions are general knowledge and boat orientated, only 40 questions .

Second part of the quiz, Blockbuster questions from the t v program. 

Philip Laxton, club 500 secretary

Thanks for that Philip.

Here are a couple of pictures of Alan Breeze's Submarine at periscope depth, a bit rough if it was a real one!.

 Nice one Alan!.

Copy from the diary for October.

1000hrs  6^th October        Sunday       Fiesta Racing         Landing stage

2000hrs  9^th October      Wednesday  Auction Night       Clubhouse

(membership badges must be worn)

1500hrs  13^th October      Sunday          Club 500 Racing   Landing stage

1100hrs  20th October     Sunday          Steering Comp     Landing stage

2000hrs  23^rd October    Wednesday   (Quiz and Hot Pot)    Clubhouse

That's all for now folks!.

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Steering Sunday 18th August.

I'd forgotten this Sunday was the Steering Competition (though family commitments in the week) so the steering was well underway when I arrived.

There was the usual enthusiasm that this monthly event creates and here are a few of the contestants,

For the newer members and viewers, these boats are made for their maneuverability and size, rather than their looks, and there isn't much detail on most of them, but this month saw that a few had taken the time to make them more eye catching

This has a nice warship theme to it.

And another warship theme.

Under the table I noticed whilst editing these pix's  Alan Highams fast new boat waiting for his turn on the water.

 One of the contestants on the course, whilst this competition is in progress there are no other boats allowed on the water as you don't need great big waves washing over the course when you are navigating the tricky courses that Geoff comes up with every month.

Hope you oldies don't mind me going over this type of competition, but you have to remember there are always new members and those people that are thinking of becoming members.

One of the members waiting for the event to be over, so he could sail was Terry Burnett with his Fun boat, The Punt Gun boat, I've posted on this boat previously but as Bob Abell was there checking it out and opening all the little hatches I thought it deserved another mention.

Although its a fun boat Terry has not forgotten to add his usual attention and build expertise to this model as you can see, even has it's own carry case!.

You can see on a previous post the type of boat this was and it's use,

http://etherowmodelboats.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/day-2-at-etherow-lifeboat-weekend2012.html

 in short a punt with a great big gun for shooting down wildfowl in the rushes, I know what some of you are thinking!, why didn't he make a real gun for on the boat.

The next club meeting this month 28th August is another of Phil's Kriss Kross Quizzes, so get your thinking caps on, I believe there is a prize for the winning team.

Hope someone let's me know how it goes as I will be on my holidays, thats the second one I've missed, but when you have to go on holiday it's tough but someone has to do it!. 

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That's all for now folks

Ps check out the "for sale" section couple of nice kits avail-abell.

First Steering Comp 2013

Yesterday at the lake saw the first steering competition of this year, it was well attended with competitors and viewers as you can see.

Have I managed to catch you?.

                                     

The set course for the day.

                                      

Can it make it through

Safely through.

The finish.

Geoff's the Sec's tea break.

Are you getting the sandwiches out Trevor? say's Pepe. 

Guard Dog or mascot?

These are not the most beautiful of model boats though Terry has made an effort with his warship,

there again they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder don't they. 

These boats have to be certain dimensions and have big rudders to make them more manoeuvrable, so I suppose that's the main thing for the builders of these craft!.

After dinner at my son's in Oldham it was off to the water again at Dovestones reservoir in the hills near Greenfield to walk our dogs and see the activities there.

Though a very nice place to walk the dogs and they do have a yacht sailing club the same as Etherow there isn't the same amount of activity there, seems a shame really doesn't it as there is a nice big club house as well, and the other downer is NO model boats!.

So you can see at Etherow we have a good venue, good program and a committee that put a lot of effort into achieving this.

That's all folk's,  

Model boat on unmanned Atlantic crossing challenge

As I'm always looking for items for the website Son John thought this one would be good for you all!.
http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-20516205

A toy boat is to attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

A retired NATO scientist will this week set the boat off on the voyage, which he hopes will be the first unmanned trip across the Atlantic.

Robin Lovelock has spent four years developing the miniature vessel, which he believes can survive the 6,000 mile journey.

The Daily Telegraph reports that the Snoopy Sloop is only 4ft long, weighs just 30lbs and is held together in parts by bathroom light cord.

65-year-old Lovelock built the boat in the games room of his house in Sunninghill, Berkshire.

He made the whole thing from off-the-shelf parts scoured from the internet at a cost of less than £450 ($720).

Lovelock said: "I got hooked about four years ago, I didn't even play with model boats when I was a boy. I sometimes tinker on the boat in the lounge, but am usually banished to the games room by my wife."

Lovelock and his team are hoping that wind power and a solar-powered computer and GPS system will navigate the boat all the way to the finish line. 

Watch some footage of the Snoopy Sloop below:

Anyone else fancy a try if this attempt fails?, but seriously this guy will hopefully succeed, he's certainly put in a lot of time and effort and that "Jack" on the mast will look great coming in to land in the good old US of A won't it!.

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Another Eureka moment for you 

From John Teal.

This first picture suggests the madness of glazing before spray painting, but its actually the product of a Eureka moment. Glazing that slots in without gluing, hence it can be removed.

From inside you can see the clear plastic and the inner frame can be slid up and out from 

a pocket constructed behind the wheel house wall.

When the glazing is slid out , cardboard can be slid in, providing the perfect mask
to allow the inside and outside of the wheel house to be sprayed different colours.

The end result showing the inner frame independently sprayed silver and slotted into the wheel house with the glazing behind it. No glue marks on what are big windows... Eureka !

Thanks for that John!.

This is part of a new series of Eureka Moments that can be found 

on the tab up at the top, or by clicking Here

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Hope you enjoyed to-day's post, don't forget its the Club auction to-night as well.

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