Thought I'd share some photos of a 1/25 sha chuan junk that I'm currently building to appease some of my local citizens who question the sanity of a laowai who builds model boats. It will be strictly sail with 3 working sails, reefing on the main & operating leeboards, the later mainly for show. I'll have a bolt-on fin keel to help keep this flat bottom barge on the straight & narrow.
I'm sanding the hull now prior to glassing & hope to get the masts turned by a local cabinet shop this week. The chunk of rosewood sitting on my bench is slated for the deck & rig fittings, mainly sister blocks & euphroe for the sheetlets. Am looking forward to making the sails & see just how well this contraption of lines, blocks & bamboo will actually work in a continuous sheeting system.
Other than the sail winch, servos for rudder, halyard & leeboards & wooden blocks purchased from Poland's RB Model, everything else is scratch built with the majority of materials locally scrounged from local construction in our development. Sail material set me back a few quai at the local fabric market. I did have to drag the dowels back from the States on a recent trip since one cannot find anything like this here.
To accompany my latest "piece of junk", I've started on the hull for the early Song 4-wheel paddle ship that is posted elsewhere in the research forum. I'll start a build thread on it once I gain some more headway.
Chuck
Hi Chuck,
Sailing boats don't normally do much for me, but a Chinese Junk looks like a challenge! ;)
So with this and then a four wheeled paddler, I can see we're in for some interesting post in the future. Please keep us informed of your progress on both models.....
Regards
Eddy
Yours looks like a very nice and straight Junk, I remember reading in one of my old Model Ships and Powerboats magazines of the 40's or 50's about a Crooked Stern Junk where the whole stern section curved off to one side so they could use a sweep to steer with I think. I will watch your build with interest and might even get inspired enough to drag out the pile of old books and think about building something very different. Cheers, Ian.
Its been a while since I've done any work on the junk between a busy schedule and hectic personal life with my eldest son now in town teaching ESL but here are a few photos to show that it has gotten closer to completion.
Sure does make a large conversation starter sitting in the hallway, not to mention a convenient place to store keys & spare change. ;)
The plan is now to get it on the water within the next 2 months so work can finally commence on the paddle boat. I already have all the parts & wood stored away for the latter for what will be this winter's primary build.
I am very happy to see a post in the sail section. As mine was the last post in 2010, The junk is looking good. I enjoy sail craft a much bigger challenge on the water than a paddler. R.G.Y.
Thanks. I'm putting some time into the final details & rigging now so it won't be long before she finally gets her bottom wet to sail alongside, or shall I say behind, my IOM.
PD's .......don't be fooled as Mrs RGY keeps bringing him :coffee all day long..... :nono
I have spoken to a few members :gathering ...& our recomendation is to take the advice of the Doctors & Mrs RGY for a few more days....
Then when you have the "All Clear"........just go for it :41 ....Derek