RMS Columba

[Sandy]

Hello all,

RMS Columba was back on the water today after a few years. Spent a month doing some refurbishment but she sailed very well.

See you at the Paddler Day!





All the best
Sandy

[the bombus]

she looks verry nice, nice job done
gr from The Bombus

[kiwimodeller]

Looks great on the water Sandy, any chance of a photo or two of the "workings"? Cheers, Ian.

[djcf]

Hi Sandy,
She looks very nice indeed, i'm guessing she's 1/4"  =  1 foot? Also can I ask is she scale draft or is the hull deepened?
regards
Clark

[Sandy]

Hi Clark,

This is George Sutherland's old Columba from the Model Steamer Club, built back in the late seventies.

George and my father were great friends and he unfortunately died last year after a long illness. The last time I saw him and the Columba was at the Model Steamer Club's 40th anniversary.

My mother and Kathleen keep in touch (George and Kathleen lived across the road from us in Glasgow but they moved to Caithness many years ago) and we went up to visit back in May and I have Columba on loan to sail as best I can. This is somewhat ironic as, way back in the late sixties/early seventies George used to let me sail his Duchess of Fife at many of the MSC's shows so I am continuing this 40 years later.

As expected, when I collected it, it was full with George's electronic wizardry to allow paddles, rudder, horn (an old car horn), ships telegraph bell (an old house door bell), smoke (oil baths) and three light systems:- navigation, saloon and deck. He was also running on 12GHz radio of his own design.

At the moment I only have paddle motion and rudder set up but I will order some of Action's switching gear.

I will post some photos later... oh, and, yes, it is still running the old 24v Lancaster bomber gyro bombsight motor ... and she is a flyer...

All the best
Sandy

[Sandy]

I think it is scale draft:-





Setting up a test 'paddle':-



Not without some flames and smoke:-



Paddle wheels:-



The bombsight motor, needs a separate 12v feed for the field:-

[Sandy]

Hi Ian,

Here is the inside:-







And a few more of Columba sailings:-







All the best
Sandy

[djcf]

Hi Sandy,
very interesting pics, the water level ones are smashing!

[the bombus]

waterleveled pictures are my favorites , well done
i'll do a lot of them when my Wodan hits the water (soon i hope )
and a boat full of people , also one of those things
i see to many ghostships  floating around
happy paddlersday and gr from The Bombus

[Mercury]

Sandy,

Great to see George's Columba again. I remember this boat from when I first joined the Model Steamer Club 25 years ago. Does the horn still work - I remember this was particularly distinctive.

Richard

[Sandy]

Hi Richard,

The horn is out at the moment. I need a BIG switched relay to make it work again, I think. Hopefully someone is bringing me back one of Action's Quad switches so I should be able to get all the lights to work, and maybe the smoke.

I was sailing at Rouken Glen yesterday and had a major drama when there was a severe gust of wind. Not good when the profile of your paddler suddenly becomes a half plan. Anyway, Columba survived after a bailing out.

Anyway, just about every member of public says "oh, look, there's the Waverley", until, late in the day yesterday I hear two little old ladies say "oh look, there's the Columba".

Turns out as young girls in the early 1930's they used to sail on the Columba from the Broomielaw to visit their uncle in Ardrishaig and then wait for the Columba to pick them up on the way back. Quite fascinating to talk to them.

All the best
Sandy

[Sandy]

A couple of photos from last Sunday at Richmond Park Glasgow:-





All the best
Sandy

[marinemole]

Looking great Sandy.