Hi from Dundee

[edmundfaulkes]

Thought members might like to see the maiden voyage of my latest creation a model of the PS Ryde.  Rather a windy day in Dundee, but she was almost the only boat on the water at Dundee Model Boat Club today.  Handling is improved by doubling the size of the rudder to the original from the builder's plans and the use of a keel with ballast on it to improve stability.  The model has a surprisingly good turning circle but the wind was making handling a little difficult.  Model is to 1/48th scale.  I'm looking forward to sailing on a calmer day!

I built a model of the Ryde simpler because the original was a fine looking ship and I was saddened to see what she looks like today on the Isle of Wight.  I can't afford to restore the real thing but I can keep her sailing on Dundee's Swannie ponds in a slightly smaller form!  Also she was Clyde built ship and its my way of honouring the great ship building history of Glasgow.

The Ryde had many forms in her lifetime.  A friend who new her said she was refitted every few years and would change her look every time.  The major difference though was the bar built behind the funnel on the boat deck was removed at an early stage, something that didn't happen on her almost sister ship the Sandown.  So the model is built almost in her 1937 off the slips form.  After all she has to have a bar - this is Scotland after all - and if you get down close and look in through the windows you'll see that it is well stocked and well patronised......

[marinemole]

Cracking model and superb pics. Pretty impressive debut on Paddleducks. If the weather was as bad in Dundee as it was here on Loch Lomond this is a boat with excellent sea keeping qualities.

Retrospective build log perhaps?


Andy

[edmundfaulkes]

Thanks for your comments! 

The weather was terrible, the one yacht on the water was dipping the top of its mast into the water in the gusts.  I have built one other paddler before and top weight was a problem so a light build and 4lb of lead shot in a torpedo an inch under the keel was intended to stop the problem of dipping one sponson in the water as she went forward.  I may have overdone it but it certainly coped with the squally gusts.

I don't have a build log.  However - it is a plank on frame hull - very thin planking covered in car filler and then a thin layer of fibre glass.  Lots of plastic card and thin plywood for the decks and little people from Hong Kong.  Drive is electric with 50:1 gearbox and a 1 to 1 belt drive. The length is about 5'6"

I must say the inspiration for the build was some of your wonderful youtube clips of Lachie Stewart's paddlers on Loch Lomond and other places and I have enjoyed your build log of Lachie's HMS Kempton on this website.  And then I met Lachie himself at Summerlee a few weeks back and only put two and two together afterwards......   

[DamienG]

A beautiful model to be proud of Edmund 

Damien.