Gaff-Rigged Sloop, 1/4 Scale (3" = 1')

DocBlake

DocBlake

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Pewaukee, Wisconsin
About 10 years ago, I built a 19', shoal draft, gaff-rigged sloop for my wife and I to sail. We've enjoyed "Molly" immensely. I decided to build a large model of her (1/4 scale, not 1/4" scale!) to display in a large dormer window in our house that faces the street. Construction is similar to how the real boat was built. I started with the keel, then the cabin floor was added. Bulkheads were placed and the deck installed. The cabin trunk was next, followed by rafters and the cabin top. The project has been sitting, untouched for about 5 years, and I finally decided to get her completed. Here are some photos of the model, and my wife and I sailing the original boat.









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polydoc said:
Enjoyed your pictures and your build data as I just posted something very similar (https://shipsofscale.com/sosforums/threads/a-25-sail-boat.9897/). Howver mine was 1/25 scale with a 12" long hull. Fits nicely on my mantle.
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That is one pretty model! You should be proud!

I added the rub rails (Function like wales). Here are some shots of completed parts sitting in place, not yet glued. The wood is mahogany and birch plywood. When complete, the hull will be flag blue and the topsides will be white.


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I love the boat build for the house. Install a nice light inside to illuminate the cabin and backside for the evenings viewing.
 
Thanks, Kurt!

The companionway door hatch on our boat has a functional louver (British spelling = louvre) panel made of mahogany. It allows nice ventilation of the cabin when the forward hatch is open. I wanted to duplicate it, but a functioning louver was just too fussy to attempt, so I simulated it! I cut some slats at an angle and glued them to some 1/32" plywood, then framed the "louver" in mahogany. The final photo is the finished product.


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Most people seem to build a model before the full-sized boat, you've reversed that process. Very impressive job. Liked the louvers solution.
 
DocBlake said:
About 10 years ago, I built a 19', shoal draft, gaff-rigged sloop for my wife and I to sail. We've enjoyed "Molly" immensely. I decided to build a large model of her (1/4 scale, not 1/4" scale!) to display in a large dormer window in our house that faces the street. Construction is similar to how the real boat was built. I started with the keel, then the cabin floor was added. Bulkheads were placed and the deck installed. The cabin trunk was next, followed by rafters and the cabin top. The project has been sitting, untouched for about 5 years, and I finally decided to get her completed. Here are some photos of the model, and my wife and I sailing the original boat.









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Hallo Dave alias @DocBlake
we wish you all the BEST and a HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Birthday-Cake
Enjoy your special day
 
Still at this? This is the model of the 1/1 boat you built ? Very nice. Was wondering where you’ve been. Haven’t seen much activity from you.
 
Tony P said:
Still at this? This is the model of the 1/1 boat you built ? Very nice. Was wondering where you’ve been. Haven’t seen much activity from you.
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I’m still at all my projects. Life just got in the way! I just returned from a 3 week holiday with our family, and my consulting business has a big backlog. Also a few home improvement projects underway. I’ll be back to the shipyard soon!

Thanks for asking!
 
Nice work Dave. It looks like one of the double blocks has a ring bolt attached, what is it used for?
 
I wiped a couple coats of poly on all the mahogany parts and painted the hull below the rub rail. The color is "Marine Blue", just a bit lighter in color than the "Flag Blue" Interlux Brightside Polyurethane paint I used on the real boat.

The short mahogany "spacers" along the outboard port side of the cockpit are stanchions for toerails on both sides of the boat. They are just sitting in place, not glued yet.



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