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10 Compass360
This mo nth’sh ob by -related news ro un d- up
14 Readyf or a challenge?
Fras er Gray pres en ts an in te re stin gconve rsio np roje ct prop ositio n
18 Location,loc at ion, location
Ji mMar ti nexp la in sh ow to crea te ag od se nd of an aid, al be it ho pe fu ll yo ne yo u’ll neve rn ee d!
22 Nailing railing
Gl yn nG ue st shares so me to pDIY hi nt sa nd ti ps
26 Bott le Cat
Eric Be ls hawi ntro du ce shis grea t fu n, bu il tfor next to no thin g, ca ta ma ra n
32 TLCglow-getter
John Milesonadvocates forthe modellingequivalentofthe kiss of life
38 FREE PL AN for SS Vagabundo
Pl us,the fir st in stal me nt of at wopa rt gu id etocon stru ctin gyou rver y ow nver sion of this smallcoa stal trad er
52 Flot sam&Jet sam: HMVS Cereberus
Jo hn Pa rker ma ps th ec aree ro f this Ja rrow -b uilt wa rs hi pa nd th e op tion sfor mo de ll er s…
56 Wiredf or sound
Mtro ni ks newl yu pd ated Digi so un d 6D unit reviewed
Dave Wigg in sd raws ou ra tten tion to so me vin ta ge ra dioo ptio ns fo rthose co ll ec ti ng or re fu rbis hi ng on ab ud ge t
69 Your models
Mo re of yo ur brillian tworks howc as ed
72 Your Letter s
Op en fo ru mfor allmat te rs mo de lb oa t re la te d
74 Next month…
Ishould perhapss tart theintroductionto this month’sissue by explaining twothings abou tthe free coas taltraderplanand suppor ting featureincluded...
Firs tly, theconcept behind this plan is a modelthatc an be builteconomicallyfrom timber foundinany decent DIYs tore,and,as farpossible, usingtools likely to be ownedby themajorit yofyou.It’salsowor th pointing ou tthatalthough designer,Glynn Gues t, hasbuilt hisprototype as as team -powered model, if steam’snot your thing/tooexpensive to contemplate, youc an,ofcourse, optto equipyourversion with an elec tric motor
Ju st th re eo fthe reason syou wo n’twan t to mi ss th eAug us t2025i ss ue of Mo de l Boat s
Secondly,due to allthe detail Glynnhas packed into hisbuild guide(with theemphasis beingonguide,ratherthanins truc tionsto slavishlyfollow),we’ve hadtosplit this into twopar ts.Par t1naturally focusesonthe cons truc tion of thehull. Part 2, covering the supers truc ture,finishingand detailing, plus what to expect from themodel’s performance on thewater,willfollowinthe August issue (onsalefromFriday, July 18).
Thereare so many ways to enjoythis hobby, even on aver ymodes tbudget, so if you’re lookingfor aproject that requires splashingevenlessc ash, then checkout Eric Belshaw’sfun andeco -friendlylit tle Bottle Cat.Likewise, in otherarticles, you’ll find some inspirationalres toration/modification ideasand some toptipsonhow to develop money- saving DIYskillswhenitcomes to nailing railing.
Also worthy of seriousconsiderationis JimMar tin’ssuggestionofaddingasunken model boat locating device to themodels you’ve alreadyinves tedfunds,timeand TLC into.After all, whetheryou’renew to the hobbyorhaveyears of modellingexperience under your belt,toquote Nelson Mandela, “Onecannotbepreparedfor somethingwhile secretly believing it will nothappen”.
Fi na ll y, than ks so mu ch fo rkee pi ng all th econ trib utio ns to th eYou rM od el s/ Yo ur Le tter spag es an dthe even tn otifica tion sfor th eCom pa ss 36 0n ew ss ec tion co mi ng.
In particular,Ithink theall -too -often unsung heroes whoworktirelesslybehindthe scenes to keep modelboatclubs runningand organise promotionaleventsreallydeser ve ashou tout.Onthe subjec tofwhich,all best wishes to Redc ar MBC, whichI unders tand is stillwaiting forthe localcouncil to resolvethe issues with aleakinthe 10 0-year-old boating lake at Newcomen TerraceinCoatham, Redc ar.A pparently, alackofwater hasmeant R/Cc arshaverecentlybeenraced there instead. So,goodluckchaps,and Ihopeitwill allbeplain sailingagain very soon.
Li nd sey
Compass360
If you have anews story for these pages,please contact the Editor,Lindsey Amrani, via e-mail ateditor@modelboats.co.uk
Most useful feature Mo ef at erratum er m
Due to atechnical glitch, the explanatory diagrams featuredon page 46 of last month’s issue failedtoprint in their entirety.Sincerest apologies, therefore, if you found yourself trying to make sense of things! To set the recordstraight, hereare the diagrams as they should have appeared. The complete article in digitally amended form can also be found posted on our websiteat www.modelboats.com
OUTAND ABOUT T
BroomfeldParkboating pond is back!
Former members of the Broomfield Park Model Boating Clubare finally returning to beautiful Broomfield Park, located in Palmers Green in the London Borough of Enfield,after asix-year closureofthe boating pond there. Issues with the pond’spump, along with blocked pipes that prevented it refilling with water,put the pond out of action, and the exceptionally long, hot, lockdown summer of 2020 then leftit in avery dried-outstate.
Sadly, the Club’sChair and some of itsmembers passedaway during the pandemic, and with asailing venue no longer available, the Clubthen folded.
However,thanks to the Friendsof Broomfield Park championing thecause, EnfieldCouncil hasoverthe last year and ahalf undertaken the extensive work required to make thepond useable again. And while the Club has not been reinstated as such, agroup of former members areonce again casually meeting up at pondside everySunday. If you’d like to join then, you’ll find further detail posted on the Friends of Broomfield Park’sFacebook page.
Model boaters are now returning to the restored boating pond in beautiful Broomfield Park, as evidenced by the two RAF Fire Tenders out on the water when these shots were recently taken.
Tugs ModelBoatWeekend at Bressingham
TheBressingham Museum at Low Road, Diss, Norfolk IP22 2PA, will, over the weekend of August 2/3, be hosting the boat modelling celebration Tugs: The Exhibition.Amongst theattractions will be acollection of original models used inthe filming of thetelevision programme Tugs,first broadcast in 1989and produced by thesame company as Thomas the Tank. The steam museum is located 2.5 miles west of Diss and 14 miles east of Thetford, on the A1066 (program
your Sat Nav to IP22 2AA). There will, duringthe day,befreeonsite parking(please note thereis strictly no overnightparking). For those using public transport, thereisunfortunately no direct service to Bressingham. The nearest mainline railway station is in Diss, approximately three miles away. Ataxi journeybetween the railway station and the museum may be the easiest option and its suggested you book your taxi both ways from the station. Pleasealso note that no dogs (other than Assistance &Guide dogs) areallowed in either the museum or the gardens and should not be left in vehicles duringyourvisit, so please make other arrangements for four legged friends.
Food an dd rin ks will be availabl et o purch ase in Carria ge s, the Museum’s café ,a nd at th ea djoini ng re staurant ru nb yt he Bressin gh am Garden Cent re (y ou rd ay ad missi on ti cket to th em useum allow sy ou to leave an dreturn to the site as many times as you ’d like to on the day of your visit, so you can also visit the garden ce ntret ob oth ea ta nd browse). Alte rn a tive ly,y ou arem oret han we lcome to take ap icni ct oe njoy in Bressi ng ham’sg orgeous gardens. Advance tickets (va lid for one day) can be booke do nlin ev ia https:// bressingha m.merlin tickets.co.uk/ product/EVENT00 074. For further details visit https://bressingham. co.uk/e vents
ManananModel Boat Festival,IsleofMan
This year,the Manx Model Boat Club on the Isle of Man will be holding itsannual two-day modelboating festival,entitled Mananan, over theweekend of Saturday June 28-Sunday, June 29.This will take place at Silverdale Lake, located just outside the village of Ballasalla on the south of the island andwill be open to all. Starting at 10am each day,and runningthrough until3.30pm/4pm, Mananan will featurestatic displays,‘have ago’ boats,competitions and free sailing, although, please note, no fast electric models can be accommodated. Likewise, whileentrants/ attendeeswill be granted temporary membership so that they’recovered by theclub’sinsuranceand public liability policies, those wishing to run steam plant(whetherfor static demos or topowermodel boatsout on the water)must provide proof of in datesafety certification and their ownliability cover. Theclub would also like to point out thatitisunable to conduct any certifications orobservations of safety functions sign offs at this event
For further details, visit https://manxmodelboatclub. org/events/oremailmmbc@manx.net
Model boat enthusiasts and visitors enjoying Silverdale Lake and its café/ice cream parlour
Isle of Man Steam Packet Company boats on display.Various competing beauties await inspection by the judges at aprevious
CambridgeMBC Open Day Camb dgeM
The Cambr idge Mod el Bo at Club w ill be hosting an Open Day o n July 12, 202 5 ,a tP axton Lakes Sailing Club , Haul Road, Litt le Paxton PE19 6ET (nearest postcode)/What 3Words: l ib ra ri es .e ar li es t. gl or ified
The event will start at 11am,running throughuntil 4pm,and visitors will be
verywelcome to bring along their own boats, although no steam or I.C. models can be accommodated –there will, however,beastretch of water set aside for scale electric/fast electric models. Therewill also, be anumber of ‘have a go’ boatsfor visitors to try out underthe friendly supervision of clubmembers.
Free tea and coffee will be available, but please note that no food will be served. For those not packing picnic, thereisanearby Co-op storewhere sandwiches/snacks can be purchased. For further details and directions please checkout theclub’swebsite, Cambridgemodelboatclub.co.uk
Four days of festivities to celebratethe cityof Aberdeen playing host to participants in The Tall Ships Races of 2025 will take placethis July.From July19toJuly 22,50plus magnificent tallships (divided into four classes– from large sailing ships to smallersingle-mastedboats)will be open to the general public for inspection, free of charge, at the PortofAberdeen, with visitors alsobeing able to enjoybothdaytimeand evening entertainment, STEM(Science, Technology,Engineering and Mathematics) activities,street markets, charity stalls anda fun fair.For moreaboutthe vessels that can be seenand afull schedule ofevents,please visit https://www.tallshipsaberdeen.com/whats-on/.
The‘new’ e‘new’ Zeeland and winner
Thanks to the ongoing generosityofthe kindfolk at Billing Boats, in the April 2025 issue of Model Boats wereable to offeryou the chance improved 1:35 scale tugboat arenow announce entrant Allen
BournevilleMBC Open Day
Bournville MBC will be hol di ng an Ope nD ay at its pictures qu eb oati ng lake at Va lle yP arkway,B ou rnvi lle Lane, Birmin gh am B30 1Q So nS aturday, June 21, 2025 ,f ro m1 0a mt o4 pm, and visitors will be moret han welcome to ge th an ds on with on eo ft he club’s mode lb oats or yach ts.
Free parking will be available, and the refreshments will be served from the club house throughoutthe day.The entirevenue offers easy access for the disabled(including the perimeter of the pool, the club house and toilets). For furtherdetails visit https://www bournvillebrsmbc.com/
Kirklees MBCSummerOpenDay rk pe
The Kirklees Model Boat Clubwill be holding itsannual SummerOpen Day at Wilton Park, BradfordRoad, Batley WF17 8JH from 9.30am to 3.30pm on July 13, 2025.
Visitors will be welcome to sail their own model boats alongside those belonging to members on the club’slake (please note, steam powered models will need an up-todate certificateand no I.C.orhigh-performance fast electric boats can be accommodated), plus therewill be static model boat and military vehicle displays, possible trade stands to browse, amassive raffle, refreshments servedand free on-site car parking. For moreinformation contact the club’sevents planner on 0113 2675790.
ISPOTLIGHTON
LV 21
Got amodelship that’sseen better days or perhaps an abandoned unfinished project crying out tobegivena new lease of life? Then maybe you’re ready for FraserGray’s stunningly illustrated conversion suggestion…
suspect many readerswill have models that have either seen better days or wereperhaps abandoned half-finished and that now sit gathering dust on ashelf somewhere. Perhaps your modelling skills have moved on from those early days? Well, springtime is the season of rejuvenation and reinvention, and the good news is that almostany old ship model could be reincarnated as alight vessel.
Light vessels, also known as lightships, historically servedas floating lighthouses,and would emit powerful lights andfoghornstowarn approaching ships of any potential hazards; the firstofthese, in 1732, being the NoreLight Vessel, which
LV21 moored alongside St Andrew’sQuay Gravesend before sailing for her new home at the Historic Dockyard Chatham.
D&M Towing Limited’stug, Christine towing LV 21 in Gravesend Reach on the River Thames.
operated at the entrance tothe River Thames. As an island nation witha maritime heritage to beproud of, we now have manylight vessels in preservation aroundthe UK and visiting them can be agreat source of model making inspiration.
Following on from theengineering skills of the shipyard,yourold model could be recycled into alight vessel
“Asanisland nation with a maritime heritage to be proud of, we nowhavemany light vessels in preservation around the UK and visiting them can be agreat source of model making inspiration”
once alantern tower(easily crafted from suitably sizedplastic pipes available from aplumbing supplier) and maybe aradio-controlledlantern has been added. Themodel can then be primed and painted astriking crimson andthe lightvessel’s number added to thesuperstructureinwhite paint. The completedlight vessel can then start anew life,perhaps setting
LV21 being towed past East Tilbury,Essex, with Coalhouse Fort to port, built between 1861 and 1874 to defend the Thames estuary against aFrench invasion.
A.J. &APratt’sformer MOD Port Auxilliary Service tug Christine, built in 1966 and still enjoying aproductive life working the River Thames, River Medway and south-east coast.
Christine carefully towing LV 21 in the Thames estuary.AsLV21’sengine has been removed as part of her conversion, the light vessel is reliant on the tug to navigate the tidal waters of the Thames and commercial vessels inbound to the Port of Tilbury and London Gateway Port. Note the visitor’sgangway and tyres placed along her hull to prevent damage.The are necessary modifications for the light vessel’snew role as afloating art and performance venue.
Tripping thelight fantastic
Nipashore gently tows LV 21 in the narrow channel between the yacht and boat mooring pontoon to port, while at her stern is the steam tug TID 164 launched in September 1945 –one of only four from the original 182 TID-class tugs built for the Ministry of WarTransport to have survived.
After spending the evening anchored off Hoo Island waiting for high tide on the River Medway,LV21and Christine are joined by A.J. &A.Pratt’sNipashore. The trio are passing the Elizabethan artillery fort Upnor Castle to starboard on the west bank of the River Medway
LV 21 safely alongside the Historic Dockyard Chatham, with the crew securing her
the stage for the next club boating regatta or as atow for amodel tug.
Strictlyspeaking, light vessels had their engines removed, although affording ourselves alittlemodeller’s artistic licencemeans this has doesn’t have be done. Your model light vessel could simply use her engine todrop anchor ‘onstation’inthe boating pond, without the need for waders!
Thehistory of LV 21
LV 21 was one of thelast lightships commissioned by Trinity House, Britain’smaritime safety authority, specificallycrafted by Philip &Son. This vessel, measuring 40 meters in length, was designed to withstand the harsh marine environment, serving as astationaryguide for vessels navigating the treacherous waters off the Kent coastline.
Throughout her service life, LV 21 was stationed at several key positions, including Va rne, East Goodwin, and Channel stations. One of the most notab le incid ents in her history was the collision w ith the Ore Meteo ri n1 981 while stationed at Va rne. Despite th es everity o ft he impact, LV 21 surv ived, at estament to her ro bust constructio n. This event, however,m arked as ig nificant moment in the vessel’ss ervice history,h ighlighting the d ang ers faced by these maritime sentinels.
After aservice lifethat spanned from 1963 to 2008, LV 21 was decommissioned by Trinity House Fortunately,rather than ending her days in abreaker’syard, shewas acquired by creative professionals Gary Weston and Päivi Seppälä in 2009, who envisionedanew life for theship beyondher navigational duties.
Specifcationsand design
LV 21 is asteel-hulled vessel, reflecting the post-wartrend towards more durable, long-lasting maritime constructions. Her design included accommodations for crew,a manned light tower,and, later,automation for unmanned operation. Her original optic, donated back in 2013 by the Association of Lighthouse Keepers and Friends of St. Mary’s Island, is now acherished relic aboard, connecting the ship’spast to her present cultural identity…
Transformation into acultural beacon
Post-retirement, LV 21 was transformed into afloating art space and performancefacility.Her current role is anod to her past,asshe now serves as abeacon not for ships but for cultural enthusiasts and artists. Moored at the River Medway’sHistoric Dockyard Chatham, she has become an iconic landmark, fostering adiverse array of creativeactivities andhosting various
events, performancesand exhibitions, acting as aplatform for emerging artists across different disciplines. This unique setting provides an immersive experience, blending maritime heritage with contemporary art. Educational programs, heritage projects and community engagement activities are also part of the repertoire, making LV21 asignificant cultural asset to the Medway towns.
This transformation was further recognisedwhen she was awarded the title of National HistoricShip’sStatic Flagship of the Year in June 2023 –a celebration of her 60th anniversary and her ongoing contributions to art, culture, and education.
LV 21’s newhome
My photographs, which Ihope you will enjoy,show LV21 sailing The RiverThameswith assistance from tug Christine and also her arrival at the Historic DockyardChatham, her new home. She has now lowered her gangway to welcome visitors aboard. The Dockyardisafascinating museum to visit, with atall ship, warship and submarine all open for inspection. There areplenty of hotels in the Medway area, and the City of Rochester’scathedral and castle areboth within walking distance. High speed trains offer servicestoLondon and theBluewater shopping centreisnearby,too. ●
Location,location, tion oc n, location… on…
Jim Martin explains how to create agodsend of an aid, albeit hopefully one you’ll never need!
Having read the sad story about John Parker’smodeltug Craig sinking last November and being lost in the lake, it made me think about ways to find submerged model boatswithout having to wade around in the pond poking the mud witha stick. This reminded of asolution used in the full-size world to indicate the location of underwater objects and hazards–the marker buoy
If abuoyant object is located on the deck of amodel boat and tethered to it with aline, this will remain floating on the surface and indicatewhere the model has gone down if it sinks. In its simplest form this could be a
ping-pong ball attached to themodel with apiece of string, butthatisnot a particularly elegant solution, so there areafew things we can do to make a moresophisticatedmarker buoy
Any buoyant and detachable object positioned on deck could be used as amarker buoy,so, on ascale model you could consider using afender, life ring, life raftcontainer, acargo crate or barrel, atender,oreven adetachable floating funnel. The possibilities are only limited by what would work well and look right on your own model.
If the buoy is large enough to accommodate some electronics, we can take the idea astep further and
add sound and light to makethe buoy easier to find in alarge pond. Adding strobes and asiren is not difficult, and they can be activated automatically when the buoy floats offthe model if it sinks.
As Ihave abox of spareelectronic parts left over from all sorts of previous models, including radio-controlled helicopters and cars, Ithought Iwould build aprototype marker buoy with two flashingLEDs and abeeper.
The key to this design is automatic activation using amagnetic reed switch in the buoy and amagnet fixed to the boat. When the buoy is close to the magnet it remainsswitched off, but if
Figure 1- Basiccircuit with oneself-flashing LE D.
Figure 2- Ad vanced circuitw ithstrob em od uleoperating 2LED sand ab eeper.
• Stro be PCBincludespower switch andstrobefrequency adjustment
• LE Ds arenot self-flashin gasthe strobe PCBcontrolsthem.
• Beeper is a‘co ntinuo us tone’typeasthe strobe PCBcon trolsthe beeps.
• Wiri ng thebeeperand LEDs in seri es rather than parallel worked best in this circui t.
the buoy floats offthe model, the reed switch closes and triggersthe strobes and beeper
Figure1 shows abasic circuit layout using abattery,power switch, reed switch andself-flashing LED.I have not shown exact components as this would depend on the size of the buoyyou plan to make. Youcould usebutton cells
to power aself-flashingLED, although in my prototype Iuseda9vPP3 battery to power an electronic strobe module
The re ed switch mu st be of the dual mode type which ca n operate as ‘n orma lly open ’a nd ‘no rmally closed’. These hav et hree co nn ec tions to provide both an ope n and ac lo se dc ircuit when no ma gn et
“If abuoyant object is located on the deck of amodel boat and tethered to it with aline, this will remain foating on the surface and indicate wherethe model has gone down if it sinks. If thebuoyis large enough to accommodate some electronics, we can take the idea a step further…”
is present. In the buoy,t he re ed switch is con nected so th at it is open (off) when am agnet is cl ose by and close d( on) whe nt he re is no magnet within range. Th ereed switch Iu sed re qu ired conn e ctin gt ot he two wi re s exiting the re ed switch at the same end. Yo uc an test how areed switch works by connecting am ulti-meter to it an du si ng th ec on tin uity function to observe ho wi ts witch es on and off wh en am agn et is move db ack and forth nea rt he switch.
If you would like to add morethan one flashing LED or maybe asounder, this can be done using self-flashing LEDs and an intermittent type of beeper but thereisnoguarantee that the flashes and beeps will be synchronised as each component will be working independently.Toovercome this problem,anelectronic strobe module can be usedtodrive all the components togethersothat they flash and beep at the same time. Figure2 shows the layout for this type of circuit.
Prototypepar ts list
In the spirit of using bits and pieces I had in the shed, Iset about getting all the parts together for aprototype. The only item Idid not have to hand was asuitable reed switch but fortunately these arereadily availableonline for apound or two each.I found apack of five on eBayfor £6.49, including postage. Having sketched out a design, here is thelist of parts needed:
•A suitable watertight container
Iused asmall plastictub which originally contained herbs and spices, as sold in major supermarkets. Thelid was airtight to keep the contents fresh and submersion tests in abucket of water confirmedthe lid was also watertight.
•Anelectronic strobe module
In my case Ialready had an old Velleman PMK147strobe kit left over from ahelicopter project. This uses a9vPP3 battery and normally drives two ultra bright LEDs. The frequency of the strobe
Crisis management
is adjustable. This particular kit has been discontinued and replaced by the Whadda WSL147, whichis available online for afew pounds. Themodule comes as akit so you will need to solder it together,but many other ready-made strobe and timer modules arealso available online. (see Photo 1).
•A magnetic reed switch
This needstobethe dual-action type which can be ‘normally open’ and ‘normally closed’ depending which connections you use. These have three connectors and arenormally described as SPDT (single pole, dual throw) or ‘changeover’ types. Iused amodel rated at 0.3 amps (see Photo2).
“Becareful with these magnets as theycan damage anything sensitive to magnetic forces”
•A magnet
This is used to operate the reed switch. Iused a‘rareearth’ neodymium magnet, which looks abit like abutton cell, witha countersunk hole in the middle for attachment using ascrew.These magnets aresmall but powerful. Amagnetwith adiameter of 10mm and thicknessof3mm gave arange of about half an inch to operate the reed switch. Be careful with thesemagnets as they can damage anything sensitive to magnetic forces. Observe the warnings provided by suppliers as they can also chip or shatterifdropped. Suitable magnets areavailable online for a poundortwo each.
•Anelectronic beeper
Iused asub-miniature5vcontinuous tone self-driving sounder as this does not need aseparate signal generator to produce abeep. These arealso available online for acouple of pounds.
•Light emitting diodes
Although two ultra-bright LEDs areincludedwith the strobe kit, I decided to use blue LEDs instead These areultra-bright 5mm types without the self-flashing feature, as the strobe module controlsthem.
•A PP3 9v batteryand battery clip
My old strobe module included abattery tray,but to save space I used aclip-on type of connector, which is smaller
•A baseplate
Iused an offcut of rigid acrylic sheet to make abaseplate, which slides into the buoy case allowing the reed switch to be attached underneath it and the electronics on top of it.
•Thin wires and heat-shrink
Iextracted some lengths of wire from apiece of sparehouse alarm cable. This had six separate thin stranded wires within the overall cable and was ideal for connecting the LEDs to thestrobe module.
•Elastic band and foam pads
These allow the battery and strobe module to be adjusted on the baseplate so that the buoy floats the right way up and is level in the water.The battery and strobe module act as ballast and therefore need to be positioned carefully
Assembly
Having gatheredall the parts, Istarted by building the electronics to see if