sail making for model yachts

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Bluenose Canadian Schooner

Making Sails for Model Ships

December 3, 2017

On my Model Shipways Bluenose build , I debated whether or not to make the sails. Many (most?) ship models do not include full sails. The Model Shipways kit was designed with sails, and includes the sail cloth as part of the kit. The inclusion of sails was actually one of the factors that led me to select this kit for my second build.

With the booms and gaffs rigged and installed, I would basically be finished with the build if I omit the sails. The remaining rigging is all attached to sails, so I’d leave it off if I didn’t include sails. However, the sails really do add something to the model, especially for a schooner like this.

So, I decided to make sails. I’ve never made sails before, so this will be a learning experience. Here’s how I ended up doing it…

Choosing How Sails are Displayed

An important decision to make before you start is how you’ll be displaying sails. There are three different ways you can go:

For Display

(I made those last two names up).

Furled sails are sails that are lowered. Many modelers choose to do furled sails on their ships. The advantage is that the sails don’t cover everything up and make a model look like a bunch of cloth. When doing furled sails, you typically don’t make the full sail, instead making smaller version. The sail is put in place, but is bunched up and tied to the appropriate boom or gaff.

Realistic sails try to show the sails rigged and set as they would be while the ship is actually at sea. Ships adjusted their sails depending on the situation. In most cases, some sails would be raised while others would be lowered. Some sails might be set off to one side. Realistic sails would try to show the ship in some kind of ‘real’ sailing state.

Making sails simply ‘for display’ is what I’m doing. I’m making all the sails, and installing them all in their raised state. I’m not going to set any sails off to the sides – everything is just going to be installed straight and even. You’d probably never see a ship at sea actually set like this, but I think it works well for a model.

When to Make Sails

From what I can tell, the general practice is to make the sails before rigging and installing the booms and gaffs. Several of the sails need to be laced onto the booms and gaffs, and that is nearly impossible to do directly on the ship.

The standard process seems to be:

Build the booms and gaffs.
Make the sails based on the plans.
Attach sails to the booms and gaffs as appropriate.
Install and rig the booms and gaffs.
Add the additional rigging for each sail.

I’m not confident that all my booms and gaffs are 100% accurately sized, and I suspect that the dimensions of my sails might need to be adjusted to fit my particular ship. So, I intentionally put off making sails until I had installed all the booms and gaffs.

Once I had everything installed on the ship, I could make templates for the sails that take into account both the plans and the size/shape of my actual build.

Of course, this means that I had a bunch of rigging for the booms and gaffs that would need to be un-done so the booms and gaffs could be removed. That was fine with me, because I had avoided the use of glue when securing the rigging. Everything was either tied off (easy to un-tie), or attached with a hook or shackle (easy to remove).

So, my process is:

Build the booms and gaffs .
Install and rig the booms and gaffs .
Make the sails based on the actual layout of my ship.
De-rig the booms and gaffs, and remove them from the ship.
Re-install the booms and gaffs, and their rigging.

For me, this approach (while more work) has several advantages:

Initially, I’m able to focus on getting the booms and gaffs properly installed and rigged, without the sails getting in the way.
I can start with sail templates based on the plans, and adjust as necessary to fit the exact size/shape of my ship.
Once sails are ready to install, I can quickly get them rigged without spending any time on the other rigging for the booms and gaffs, since those runs are already done and just need to be re-tied/attached.

Paper Templates

Making the actual sails starts with making paper templates. Some of the sails were too big to use normal paper, so I picked up a roll of white craft paper.

For each sail, I took a piece of paper and laid it over the plans. I marked the corners of the sail, then used a ruler to draw lines between the marks, giving me the outline of the sail. Some sails have curves that I had to hand-draw.

Once the shape was laid out on the paper, I cut the paper to shape.

A paper template for the jib sail.

Next I positioned the paper template on the actual ship in the correct spot. I took note of anything that didn’t fit just right, and adjusted the template as necessary. Some sails needed to be made slightly smaller, while some had to be made slightly larger.

To help me visualize the sail, I also marked where the hems on the edges will go, along with any other key elements of the sail. For the edge hems, I’ll be folding the fabric over and sewing it. I’ll be shooting for a 1/16″ hem, so I used that size for the markings on the template.

The actual sails on the ship were made from strips of cloth, not one big piece. To simulate this, I’ll just be sewing lines onto the cloth. For some of the sails, I went ahead and marked these lines on the template since they need to be oriented correctly according to the plans.

The main and fore sails also have reef bands , which run horizontally along the lower portion of the sail. These were marked as well.

Preparing the Sail Cloth

Once I was satisfied with the template, I got out the sail cloth. Model Shipways includes sail cloth with the kit. This cloth is a medium weight cotton cloth in an off-white color. The kit includes enough to make all the sails, assuming you get everything right on the first try. I knew that wasn’t going to work, so I ordered two more packages of sail cloth from them. It was relatively inexpensive – about $7 for each package of cloth.

Sails on a ship were rarely bright white. I’ve seen that many modelers will dye their sail cloth to get a desired shade. There are many tricks for this, like dipping the material in coffee. I felt that the off-white color of the Model Shipways cloth was fine, so I didn’t dye my cloth.

If you’re wanting to use other sail cloth, look for something lightweight. Almost all fabric is going to be too thick and out of scale, so just do the best you can. I actually used some fabric from a local hobby store for a few ‘test runs’, and learned a few things. Look for fabric with a tight knit, so the fabric doesn’t start to come apart as you cut it. Also look for something without too much stretch, as stretchy fabric can distort the shape of the sails as you sew them.

Ideally, you want to wash, dry, and iron the sail cloth before you start. Most fabric will shrink a little during this process, so you want this out of the way before you start cutting things to size. Doing this will also release any wrinkles in the fabric. (I was too excited to get started, and didn’t do this.)

Once you’ve got your fabric ready and your template sized, you’re ready to cut some fabric.

I used a fabric marker to do all the markings on the fabric. I picked this up at a local hobby store in the sewing section for a couple dollars. This marker uses special ink that disappears as it evaporates. This means I can draw all over the fabric, and within a few hours the ink is gone. I found this to give much better results than using a pencil and trying to erase markings.

The paper template is used to mark up the fabric being used for the sail.

A note on marking fabric…since I’m going to be folding over the edges of the sail to create hems, one side of the sail is going to look better than the other. Often, you pick a ‘display side’ of the ship, and put ugly stuff (like the worse sail side) so it isn’t visible from the display side. I found that with the way I was marking, folding, and sewing the cloth, I wanted the markings on the display side. Making sure I marked the display side ensured that I as I worked I ended up with all the ugly stuff on the back.

First the outline of the sail is marked on the fabric. Be sure to leave extra space on all sides outside of the sail.

A second outline is made 1/16″ outside of the first outline. This is the hem that I want to end up with on the finished sail.

A third outline is made 1/2″ outside of the second outline. This one doesn’t have to be perfect…this is just a guide for cutting the fabric.

You can also mark the reef lines and strips at this point if desired. I typically didn’t mark the strips, since I was able to position those accurately using my sewing machine.

The fabric is trimmed, leaving excess material around the edges.

Once everything is marked, I cut the fabric along the outer-most outline. I used a rotary cutter (like a pizza cutter), which gave much better results than scissors.

To make sails you have to do a lot of sewing. I have no experience sewing. Doing all this by hand with a needle and thread was not practical, so I bought a cheap little ‘hobby’ sewing machine. That machine was junk, and broke within the first 20 minutes. Since I’m hoping to keep this hobby going for a few decades, I decided to go ahead and invest in a real sewing machine.

At my local hobby store, the staff helped me select a good quality machine. I got it for under $200. The advantages of a real machine include:

It won’t jam.
Variable speeds.
Selectable stitch length and width (critical for trying to get the stitching remotely close to ‘scale’).
Many different computer-controlled stitch types, so you can do more than just a simple straight stitch. This would end up making the reef bands much better.

It took me a few hours to get the hang of using the machine, but my skill level increased quickly. While I certainly couldn’t sew a shirt or a pair of pants, by the second or third sail I was flying along like a pro.

Since you’ll be sewing, you’ll need thread. There are three main considerations with the thread.

First is the color. This is a matter of personal preference. I’ve seen some models where the stitching on the sails was very high-contrast (dark brown thread on white cloth). I’ve also seen some where the thread was the same color as the cloth. I felt like the stitching shouldn’t stand out too much , and I wanted to rely on the texture of the thread to define the lines rather than the color. So, I went with a ‘natural’ color thread that ended up being really close to the color of the cloth.

The second consideration is the thread material. A hobby store will likely have hundreds of different kinds of thread. There are synthetic materials and natural materials. I went with a cotton thread. Why? No really good reason except that all my rigging lines are cotton and the sail cloth is cotton, so it seemed like a good idea.

The final consideration is quantity. I have no idea how to predict the amount of thread that will be needed (there may be some ‘trick’ to it that the pros know). Initially I bought one spool of the thread. That only made two sails. When I went back to by more, they were out of that exact thread, so I had to order more online. That caused a week delay in making sails. Obviously you wan the thread to be the same on all the sails, so buy a lot of the same thread up front. Thread is cheap, and it is better to have some leftover than to run out.

Sewing the Edges

On to sewing.

The first step is to sew the hems on the edges. I start with the longest edge first, then do the opposite edge, continuing on until all edges are sewn. The cloth is folded over at the first outline (the line that defines the actual edge of the sail) and pinned into place. The 1/16″ line that indicates the edge of the hem should be inside the sail. Since the cloth was cut 1/2″ past that line (on that third outline), there is some extra material here that makes pinning easier. I’ll cut that off later.

The edges are folded over to create a hem and pinned in place.

The hem is sewn on the edge.

The cloth then goes into the machine and gets stitched up. I used the machine’s reverse feature to double-stitch the first couple stitches to secure the thread, then just ran a straight stitch down the edge, staying between the edge of the sail and the 1/16″ hem marking. I used a small stitch length so things weren’t too out of scale.

My machine lets me set the position of the needle, allowing me to get really close to the edge.

Once the stitch was complete, the extra thread was clipped off. I used a pair of sharp scissors to carefully cut off the extra cloth along the 1/16″ hem line.

A completed edge hem, about 1/16″ wide.

This was repeated for each edge.

Two edges meet in a corner.

Adding ‘Strips’

To simulate the strips of material, some modelers simply draw lines on the cloth. I decided to run a stitch for each strip instead. It is more work, but it goes pretty fast

The ‘strips’ of sail sail cloth are simulated with stitches. Each sail has a unique strip layout shown on the plans.

The width of the strips is indicated on the plans, as well as the layout of the strips. It turned out that the width of the strips matched with space between the needle on my sewing machine and the edge of the ‘foot’. So I didn’t need to mark the strips on the fabric – I just positioned the fabric under the foot and ran the material through the machine.

Reef Bands and Points

The large lower sails (main sail and fore sail) have reef bands . These are horizontal bands across the sails. My sewing machine has a setting that creates a stitch that looks like a ladder (or railroad tracks?). I adjusted the stitch length and width to get the desired size, then ran this stitch across the sail to create the reef bands.

I ran this right over the strip lines. This is easier than doing the reef bands first and trying to start/stop the strip lines at the bands, and you can’t really tell the difference.

Reef bands were sewn in using a different stitch pattern on my machine.

At each point where a strip line crosses the reef band, there is a short rope that goes through the sail. These ropes were used to secure the sail when it was lowered and bundled up. I cut a bunch of 1″ long pieces of 0.008″ tan rigging line and punched them through at the appropriate spots. I used a small bit of fabric glue on each side to keep these ropes flat against the sail instead of sticking out.

Corner Attachment Points

The sails typically have rigging lines attached to the corners of the sails. This means you need something in each corner to attach a rigging line to. From my research, it looks like most sails had a rope that ran around the outside edge of the sail, and that rope would form an eye at the sail corners to create the attachment points.

I decided not to add this rope. I wasn’t confident I could make it look good, and I thought the tan line would stand out too much.

So, I simply sewed brass rings (made from wire) into each corner. This was done manually with a needle and thread.

Anchor points in the corners were made from brass wire and sewn in.

Finishing Up

Once everything is sewn and I’m happy with the results, there are a few final steps.

I do a final pass to trim anything that looks bad (edges of hems, loose threads, etc.).

After all my disappearing fabric markings have evaporated and disappeared, I iron the sail to flatten it out and remove any remaining wrinkles.

Finally, I use some fabric glue along any exposed fabric edges (like the hems) to keep them from fraying. I also use a little fabric glue on the ends of stitches to ensure they don’t come loose.

Then the sail is ready to install!

A few completed sails on the ship.

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Perfecting Your Model’s Sails: The Art of Rigging | Seacraftclassics

September 10, 2023
Boats and ships

Mastering the Art of Rigging: Enhancing the Authenticity of Your Model’s Sails

When it comes to creating a realistic and authentic model of a sailboat, one of the most crucial aspects is perfecting the rigging, particularly the sails. The art of rigging involves setting up the sails in a way that accurately represents the real-life counterpart, capturing the essence and beauty of sailing. In this article, we will delve into the secrets and techniques of sail rigging that will elevate the realism of your model to new heights.

Unveiling the Secrets of Rigging: Techniques to Perfect Your Model’s Sail Setup

Rigging a sailboat model requires attention to detail and a deep understanding of the principles of sailing. Here are some techniques that will help you achieve impeccable sail rigging:

1. Research and Reference

Before starting the rigging process, it is essential to conduct thorough research on the specific sailboat model you are replicating. Study photographs, blueprints, and even real-life sailboats to understand the intricacies of the rigging. Pay close attention to the arrangement of the sails, the types of rigging lines used, and the tension applied to each line.

2. Use High-Quality Materials

Investing in high-quality rigging materials is crucial for achieving a realistic look and ensuring the longevity of your model. Opt for materials such as fine thread or fishing line for the rigging lines, and choose appropriate fabrics for the sails, such as cotton or silk. These materials will provide the necessary strength and flexibility to accurately represent the tension and shape of the sails.

3. Rigging Techniques

There are several rigging techniques that can enhance the authenticity of your model’s sails:

Running Rigging: Use thin thread or fishing line to create the running rigging, such as halyards, sheets, and control lines. Ensure that the lines are properly tensioned and secured to the appropriate points on the mast, boom, and deck.
Standing Rigging: The standing rigging, including shrouds and stays, provides the necessary support for the mast. Use fine thread or wire to create these lines, ensuring they are accurately positioned and tensioned to maintain the correct shape of the mast.
Sail Attachment: Attach the sails to the mast and boom using small eyelets or hooks. Pay attention to the proper alignment and tension of the sails to achieve a realistic appearance.

Elevate Your Model’s Realism: Tips and Tricks for Achieving Impeccable Sail Rigging

Here are some additional tips and tricks that will take your sail rigging to the next level:

1. Weathering and Aging

To add a touch of realism to your model, consider weathering and aging the sails. Use diluted acrylic paints or fabric dyes to create subtle discolorations and stains that mimic the effects of sun, saltwater, and time. Be sure to apply these effects sparingly and strategically to maintain a natural appearance.

2. Scale Accuracy

Pay close attention to the scale accuracy of your model’s rigging. Ensure that the size and proportions of the rigging lines and hardware are appropriate for the scale of your model. This attention to detail will greatly enhance the overall realism of your sailboat replica.

3. Practice and Patience

Perfecting the art of rigging takes practice and patience. Don’t be discouraged if your first attempts are not flawless. Take the time to learn from your mistakes, refine your techniques, and experiment with different approaches. With each model you build, your skills will improve, and your sail rigging will become more refined.

Mastering the art of rigging is essential for creating a realistic and authentic model of a sailboat. By conducting thorough research, using high-quality materials, and employing the right techniques, you can achieve impeccable sail rigging. Additionally, incorporating weathering and aging effects, ensuring scale accuracy, and practicing patience will elevate the realism of your model’s sails even further. So, set sail on your next model-building adventure and let your rigging skills shine!

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I have rearranged the information into separate web pages. The one page was getting too large was slow to load and difficult then to navigate. Hopefully by dividing the information into separate areas navigation will be easier.

There are many resources which offer all sorts of assistance to the beginner model sail maker. I have used as many as I could find including the following and would like to share some of my findings. I'm sure some will find fault with my ideas and I am only too happy to receive feedback. E-mail me on [email protected]

Lester Gilbert's one metre site

Larry Robinson's book on 'How To' make sails advertised in Radio Yacht Supplies Australia ; Radio Sailing Shop

While not specifically for models this program the ' SailCut CAD ' program allows plotting of panels etc for sails. Its discussions and examples are very useful. This is a free download but does require some computer knowledge to set up

An excellent article by Paul Bogataj on " How do sails work " - essential reading!

In all of this literature there appears to be two common themes

1. To achieve a truly efficient sail it must be constructed with separate panels with built in shape or curvature.

2. Some means has to be used to hold the edges of the panels to the correct shape while joining them.

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Masting, rigging and sails

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Your best sail cloth and technique

By steven sturgis March 11, 2015 in Masting, rigging and sails

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Click on the Nautical Research Guild Home Page straight up to the top of the page, then, click on Ship Modeling Resources, then, click on Ship Modeling Database of Articles, Then click Rigging and Sails, then click the pdf "Making and forming sails for your model."

I could have pasted the direct link, but thought it better for you to see everything that was available here on MSW.

You can go to a Joanne's or any yard goods store and buy Egyptian cotton, almost silk like. Coffee and/or tea make good stains, very controllable.

I'm certain there will be other suggestions to follow....

LFrankCPA and tasmanian

Thank you twintrow. I did look at that but some one needs to go back and up date the links. About 80% don't work any more. I was going for full rigged full sails. Can you do that in paper? 1/8 scale

Im sure this is old hat to the expert modelers but passing on that knowledge is needed by the next generation of builders

JerseyCity Frankie

I make sails for models in scale 1:75 with seams of the cloths sewing marked with single thread ( courtesy of Admiral ). For models in scale 1:100 I use computer printing of cloths lines and reef bands on thermal transferring paper for ironing on to sails fabric . Sails leech, head and foot ropes are fixed in its place with use of textile adhesive .

Material for sails I prefer is old bed linen many, many times washed .

Work step by step

1.Make paper stencil for each sail and check it’s dimensions on your model.

2.With soft pencil transfer all lines in to fabric – add stripe 5-7 mm around

sail edges.

3.Make all necessary lines on fabric using sewing machine and thin thread with light brown or beige color.

For sails with thermal transferring of line any sewing is not necessary.

Cut of sail shape.

4. Fold the edges stripe to reverse side of sail and apply textile adhesive

5. Put sail on flat surface protected against glue adhesion ( wax paper )

and fix it with pins and nails for forming clews.

Using textile adhesive attach thread around sail and form clews and cringles as necessary.

After adhesive excess removal from sail surface and final ironing your sail is ready.

Foto 1-10 Sail making Step by Step

Foto 11 HMS Speedy - printed sails

Foto 12 HMS Warrior - printed sails

Foto 13 Patern for printing sails for S/S Savannah

tasmanian , bhermann , Canute and 9 others

I wouldn't use paper. If you don't want to use cloth, use silkspan from a hobby shop that deals with the RC guys/gals. It comes in various weights and you'd probably need to acquire small amounts of several sizes to find which one works best for you.

Elia and Canute

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Good stuff.

I have seen some members using silkspan and modelspan. Any thought on this material. I'm not familiar with thermal transferring paper. can you elaborate. How do you use textile adhesive with out making a mess? Is it diluted in any way?

The adhesive is not diluted , unwanted stains of adhesive on sails can be easily removed by scraping .

Thanks for outlining the step by step process you use. In my opinion, the thermal transfer is brilliant. I have been hesitating to start my sails for quite a while because I don't want to sew the seam lines (I think they would look too bulky) and I don't trust myself to be able to draw them evenly using pencil. You have certainly given me something to think about! I imagine transfer will be more durable than pencil - another plus for the technique.

Current build -- MS Bluenose

Future build - MS Flying Fish

"A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for." - William G. T. Shedd

Guest Tim I.

Good stuff. I have seen some members using silkspan and modelspan. Any thought on this material. I'm not familiar with thermal transferring paper. can you elaborate. How do you use textile adhesive with out making a mess? Is it diluted in any way?

Silk span is easy to work with. PVA glue works well and any glue that moves outside what you are trying to glue will dry clear. Also Rubber Cement works well, if applied sparingly. Here are some sails I have done using silk span. Nothing to write home about, but my first attempts at sail making.

I use strips of silk span to simulate seams and sail detail and work them up in layers. You can also add bolt ropes and reef points to add more detail. I did not go into a lot of detail with these, rather kept them simple to work on my technique. Also if you use PVA a good idea is to press the sails between some parchment paper and heavy books while drying to prevent buckling or bubbling of the thin strips of silk span.

I hope this helps.

I like the look of the silkspan and the layering of the cloth details. What weight silkspan do you use?

Not quite sure on the weight. I just bought what my local hobby store has. This Silk Span in my pictures is the "SGM White".

Hope this helps,

A question about silkspan. Can it achieve the draped and folded look of clewed up sails? Or will it be too stiff? I want to show my ship in the process of reducing to battle sail.

Laissez le bon temps rouler !

Current Build: Le Soleil Royal

Completed Build : Amerigo Vespucci

Just saw this while looking for a source for Sig Silkspan, source of quote is the Stuntbarn an RC Forum:

"Title: Silk Span Covering

Post by: ericrule on October 22, 2012, 12:10:29 PM I just got off the telephone with Sig Mfg where they informed me that they will no longer have silk span available. At the present time they have only OO (Light) in stock and when that is gone they will no longer be able to obtain it.

According to the person I spoke to the company that supplied the silk span is out of business and they can not find any other supplier. Mike is searching for a new source but it does not look like he is having any luck."

So not sure if real or not....? But if true silkspan may not be around loong??

Just saw this while looking for a source for Sig Silkspan, source of quote is the Stuntbarn an RC Forum: "Title: Silk Span Covering Post by: ericrule on October 22, 2012, 12:10:29 PM I just got off the telephone with Sig Mfg where they informed me that they will no longer have silk span available. At the present time they have only OO (Light) in stock and when that is gone they will no longer be able to obtain it. According to the person I spoke to the company that supplied the silk span is out of business and they can not find any other supplier. Mike is searching for a new source but it does not look like he is having any luck." So not sure if real or not....? But if true silkspan may not be around loong?? Tom

That is what my local hobby store told me as well. That is why I bought out everything they had, for stock.

Oh noooooooooooooooooooooooooo !!!!! Say it ain't so.

Thank you all this is good stuff. I hope I can still get silk span I would like to try it out.

Landlubber Mike

Is there a difference between silk span and model span? I have a roll of model span, but haven't tried using it yet.

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F4B-4 and P-6E 1/72 Accurate Miniatures F3F-1/F3F-2 1/48 Tamiya F4F-4 Wildcat built as FM-1 1/48 Special Hobby Buffalo 1/48 Eduard Sikorsky JRS-1 1/72

Citroen 2CV 1/24 - Airfix and Tamiya Entex Morgan 3-wheeler 1/16

Terminated build: HMS Lyme (based on Corel Unicorn)

On the shelf: Euromodel Friedrich Wilhelm zu Pferde; Caldercraft Victory; too many plastic ship, plane and car kits

Future potential scratch builds: HMS Lyme (from NMM plans); Le Gros Ventre (from Ancre monographs), Dutch ship from Ab Hoving book, HMS Sussex from McCardle book, Philadelphia gunboat (Smithsonian plans)

I believe its just a different brand butt lets let the experts handle that question.

For what it's worth I got a big roll of model span last year from CornwallModelBoats.

Steven, if you're interested in furled sails, I shared my techniques that I used on my Badger in a separate thread:

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/3944-landlubber-mikes-technique-for-furled-sails/

2 months later...

jablackwell

Those looking for SilkSpan can still find it at the Guillow model airplane homepage. It can be found under the spare parts section. Each model plane has a spare parts assortment, and the wing covering is an option for most.

U.S. Brig Syren - 1803 - Model Shipways - First PoB Build

Sopwith Camel F.1 - 1916 - Model Airways - Not a Ship! , Completed

Kate Cory - 1856 - Model Shipways - Second Build, completed

Sultana - 1767 - Model Shipways - First shipbuild, completed

There's more on using SilkSpan for sails in a new booklet by SeaWatchBooks, or as a new chapter in a new edition of Swan IV.

EricWilliamMarshall

Be sure to sign up for an epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series http://trafalgar.tv

1 month later...

Jolley Roger

For what it's worth I got a big roll of model span last year from CornwallModelBoats. Steven, if you're interested in furled sails, I shared my techniques that I used on my Badger in a separate thread: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/3944-landlubber-mikes-technique-for-furled-sails/

Can you recall under what product name CMB was selling the model span?

I've been unable to find it on their site.

Samuel Pepys notes in his diary on 19 July 1667: "the Dutch fleets being in so many places, that Sir W. Batten at table cried, By God , says he, I think the Devil shits Dutchmen."

I can't find it on the website either. I'm fairly certain it was under building materials or something and listed as Modelspan. I looked at the packaging, and it had the Mantua name/emblem on it, but I don't see it under the Mantua fittings. Maybe email them and ask?

Thanks Mike, i'll send them a mail.

I am a passionate advocate of including sails on models so I am pleased you are making the decision to include them on your model.

I had a look at your Victory build log, those sails looks fantastic!

I think I will follow your method when I get to that part on my build.

Richard Griffith

Bluejacket Shipcrafters ran out of silkspan recently but they substituted model span which to me is the same material. I used it to added furled sails to Le Superbe. I am a very happy customer of BJ, not an employee.

Canute , Landlubber Mike and MrBlueJacket

I'm just using old worn bed sheets for my 1/100 scale HMS Victory. Check out my build log which is really not much at all about building the kit and mostly focussing on how I am making the sails. I bet if you searched through all my comments on MSW you would find 1/2 of all my posts are having to do with sails or rigging. I am a passionate advocate of including sails on models so I am pleased you are making the decision to include them on your model. I don't think the thickness of the material is that big a deal as long as the texture of the weave is fine enough not to draw attention to itself. Many very convincing ship model sails have actually been carved out of wood. My build log goes into a lot of detail on these points but I will just set them out here again: Don't use pure white sails, this will look too stark and in fact actual sails were cream colored or very light grey.(staining with coffee is super easy and very effective) Don't sew the boltropes on, no matter how fine a thread you use, it will look out of scale. Just glue them on. Do include sail construction details like reef bands and reinforcing patches, these give a good texture and are realistic. Look at all the photos you can find of reproduction ships that resemble your ship and try to duplicate that look.

JCFrankie, thanks so much for your detailed log on your sail techniques. I went with furled sails on my Badger, but was planning on doing a mixture of furled and unfurled on my Pegasus and future builds. Your results are fantastic, and I will certainly bookmark your log for when I get to that point! I experimented with tissue and a few other materials as well, but ended up with cloth as well.

Once again, a big thank you!

3 years later...

Hi I am making sails for a large pond yacht which will of course become very wet , if I chose a material that becomes too wet and heavy that will cause problems,

what is the best material to use

for a large expanse of sail.

My pond yacht is 5ft long not inc

bow sprit.

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I do admire those that can spend several years, adding detail after detail on a single model. I truly envy the patience they possess and, more importantly: the time they have available!

Most of the techniques I use are time-saving ways to fast-forward through mundane and time consuming tasks. Because, let's face it - there are only so many hours in a day...

Little by little I'm building up a small catalog of plans for download. First out is the civil war era USS Monitor and her nemesis - the CSS Virginia . As time permits, I'll add more plans.

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Model Yachts: How to Design and Build Them

Editor’s Note This is the earliest comprehensive treatment of model yachting that we have encountered. It comes from the English journal Amateur Work , a Victorian periodical with articles on arts, crafts, and some truly frightening electric devices. The article is interesting, and typical for its age, in the way it combines rules of thumb with engineering calculation.

The little thirty inch boat it describes is also typical of the era, and could easily carry radio control gear. The cutter rig is well regarded for its flexibility, and you should arrange the sails so that all but the staysail and the main can be removed in heavy air. The hull shape accommodates either strip planking or a carved hull laid up bread and butter style on the buttocks. A handsome and environmentally friendly weighted keel can be made from a brass or copper bar rather than cast lead. A traditional paint scheme would be bronze or green below the water line and black above.

Nothing is known of Arthur Hide, the author, except that he clearly was an expert.

Earl Boebert

Part I: Designing — Sheer Plan — Half-Breadth Plan — Body Plan — Centres of Gravity and Displacement

By way of preface to those readers of Amateur Work who can’t think what people can see in such “childish amusement,” I will just say, what, no doubt, they have seen pasted about in a good many streets, ”Try it” and if their first model is one that they can pit against existing ones with success, and if they can make her go where they will the first time she is put into the water, I will say they are right, it is a childish amusement; but until that is done, I must still hold on to my opinion, that model building and sailing is as scientific and amusing a hobby, combining both in and out- door pleasure, as can be found. “So, there,” as the tender sex have it. And now to work. I shall take it for granted that you know how to make a mechanical drawing, since it has been explained in this magazine, for before you can attempt any- thing in models you must draw them out.

There are three plans of a model to be drawn out. Firstly, the sheer plan; this represents a view of the boat when looking at it directly from the side, as shown in Fig. 1. Then there is the half-breadth plan, which is a view of the half of the model (Fig. 2), looking at it from underneath. And, thirdly, comes the body plan (Fig. 3), which is the view from the front on the left half of the plan, and the view from behind the model on the right half.

We must begin with the sheer plan. The shape of this depends in a great measure upon taste, but for the first model it would be better to keep to the illustration shown here. Having selected a sheet of paper, to take the full size of the model if possible, (if not you will have to draw to scale), and glued or pinned it on the board, draw at about 6 inches from the top a line right across the paper, and draw it pretty heavily, for you must work all other lines from this one. Mark this on each end L. W. L., which means load water line, and is to rep- resent the surface of the water, when the model, with all her rigging, and quite complete in fact, is stationary in the water. But, before going any further, you must determine upon the dimensions your yacht is to be. A very good size is 2 feet 6 inches over all that is to say — from stem to end of counter, and, as many model yacht clubs adhere to this size, I should, I think, follow their example. The beam, or breadth, should be about one fourth of the length. Fancy dictates here in a very great measure, as it does in a great many things in model yacht building. Some like a broad beam and some a narrow beam; but experiencia docet applies here very well, and as most probably you are without experiencia , keep to the “4 to 1” dimensions. I should therefore make her 7 inch beam, so as to keep to an even figure. Now for the depth below the water line, take about one-seventh of the length, that will make it 4 inches deep. This is merely to the bottom of the wooden part of your model, and does not include the lead keel, which will come on afterwards. For the height out of water you must study circumstances a little. You see, to make a boat look pretty, there is always a certain amount of what is called “sheer” given her—that is to say, a certain curve beginning high at the bow, falling towards the centre, and then rising again at the stern. Therefore you must have a fixed dimension for your height above water at the stem and draw in your sheer according to fancy afterwards. Then again too high a stem looks bad, and moreover is apt to hold the wind and retard the boat’s speed, whereas too low a stem does not afford sufficient support to her if she has a press of canvas on. I think about 3 inches for a 2 feet 6 inches model is very fair, and the sheer you must determine yourself, or take it from the diagram here. Now you may begin drawing out in earnest. Parallel to your load water line draw 4 lines below each other, each 1 inch apart from the other. The lower line will then represent the bottom of the keel, 4 inches below the waterline. Now draw three lines above the load waterline, also 1 inch apart. The top line would then represent the deck line if the deck were without sheer, but now simply represents the 3 inches at the bow.

These lines will represent so many planes cutting the boat parallel to the surface of the water.

The next thing to draw in is the stem, or bow; keep this about a couple of inches from the edge of your paper, and never mind, for the present, the curve at the foot. Simply draw a straight line vertical to the load water line. Now, at distances of 3 inches, draw lines parallel to the bow—that is, vertical to the load water line, to the extent of 30 inches, which will give you eleven lines, and ten spaces of 3 inches each, which will be the exact length of your model. The counter, or over- hanging part, should be about 3 inches, so draw that in to your own fancy, and consult your fancy also on the “rake,” or slope of the stern- post, which should have more or less rake to allow the rudder to swing easily, of which more hereafter.

The body plan is drawn on the extended horizontal lines of the sheer plan, and the half-breadth plan on the extended vertical lines of the same.

Now, there is one part of a ship, looking at her endways, which is larger than any other part, and, past which no other part of the vessel is visible: this is termed the “midship section,” and is represented by the outside lines in the body plan. We intend making the midship section on the line 5, which will be rather abaft the centre of the load water line. Some builders prefer a long “entrance,” which necessitates having the midship section far back; while others like a short “entrance” and a long “run,” which means hav- ing the midship section well forward, so that the bow lines converge at a greater angle than the stern lines. Now draw a centre line, XY, on the half breadth plan, and on 5 mark off from XY 3 1/2 inches, which is the half- breadth of your vessel. Above XY draw a line parallel to it, and at a distance of 1/4 inch, to represent the half-breadth of the keel, and then with a thin spline or batten draw in the deck line on the half-breadth plan to pass through the dot on 5, and fall nicely into the keel line in front, and rounded at the stern for the counter. You had, for the present, better keep as near as possible to the diagram shown here; but when you get a little more accustomed to drawing in these curves you will be able to judge for yourself if a line is what, in shipbuilding parlance, they call “pretty.” Leave the half- breadth plan for a’ little while, and on the body plan draw a vertical centre line, O O, and on each side of it draw lines at 1/4 in. distant, and parallel to it, to represent the keel. One part of this body plan, you must remember, is the forepart of the vessel, and the other half the after part. Now on the load water line, still in the body plan, on each side of the centre line mark off 3 1/2 inches, which is half the beam, and, starting from this point, draw in by hand a curve somewhat similar to the one in the diagram, and see that there are no “lumps” in it, and that it falls nicely into the straight line of the keel at the bottom. Having rubbed this out and put it in again several times till satisfactory, rub it nearly out once more, and put in definitely with curves, so that you have a definite spot where the curve crosses each horizon- tal section. Do this on each side of the centre line O O. Go back again to the half-breadth plan, and with your dividers mark off on 5 from XY the places where the midship section, which you have just drawn in, cuts each of the horizontal sections—that is to say, the distances from O O to C, to E, to G, to K, to M, and to P.Through these points, or rather through the point G firstly (which is the load waterline), draw a curve to the bow, and to line 9, taking care to make it fall nicely into the straight of the stem and stern posts, the thicknesses of which are represented by the line above XY. You must be particularly careful to draw this curve in nicely since all the other lines are worked from it, and let me impress on you that india-rubber is, in the present state of the market, a cheap article, therefore you need not be afraid of wasting it by rubbing the line out again, if not to your fancy. There must be no “lumps” in the curve, and no sudden rise or fall; it must all be gradual. To find out if the line is “fair,” you need only look along it, with your eye nearly on a level with the paper, and any little inaccuracies will at once become perceptible. Having “faired” this to your satisfaction, mark off from O O (in the body plan), on the line G (the load water line), the respective distances from X Y (in the half-breadth plan), to the points where the curve, which you have just drawn in, cuts the lines 4, 3, 2, 1. Treat the after part of the load water line in the same manner, but mark it off on the right-hand side of the body plan.

Now draw in the other curves in the half-breadth plan through the points already marked on 5, trying to keep them as little hollow as possible. These lines you must simply guess at to begin with, but after a little practice your eye will tell you very nearly where to draw them in. After this is done, mark off from O O on C, E, G, K, M, and P, the distances from X Y, along 4, to where the curves C, E, G, K, M, and P, respectively cross 4. Through the points thus obtained draw a curve, and if the curve thus drawn falls in nicely, with- out lumps or kinks, your lines in the half-breadth plan will be pretty nearly right. Treat the lines 3, 2, 1, on to the left-hand side of the body plan, and 6, 7, 8, 9, on to the right-hand side, in the same way, and if each curve comes in nicely your lines will be right; if they do not fall in well, you will have to alter the “waterlines,” as they are termed, in the half-breadth plan, until the body lines can be faired easily.

It will, I am sure, entail a good deal of rubbing out and putting in again, before your lines will come right, but do not be afraid of that, since it makes your work much easier when you come to the wood-working part of the business, and do not say to yourself, “Oh! bother it, I can’t get that right on the drawing, but it will come in all square in the wood.” It is a fallacy, I can assure you; you would never have been more mistaken than when you said that. If your drawing is not correct, your wood-work cannot be correct, and therefore you will be guessing at things all through the job, instead of having everything down on paper in a respectable manner. So put that notion out of your head, and say it must come right in the drawing, and when it is right you will be a great deal more satisfied with yourself, I am sure.

You have not yet, by the bye, drawn in on the body plan, the sheer, therefore measure off the heights from the load water line to the sheer in the sheer plan on the various lines, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc., and mark them off on their corresponding lines in the body plan, and the distances from O O to 1, 2, 3, etc.; you will take, of course, from X Y, in the half-breadth plan, to the deck line along 1, 2, 3, etc., there. Having joined the points thus obtained with a nice curve, I think your drawing is finished. The keel you can only put in afterwards, when you know the weight of lead your boat will carry, which will be more or less, according as you have made your lines “fuller” or “finer.”

In the next paper, then, I shall begin with the building of the model; but before we come to that, a few words on the shape of models would not be out of place. Models must be considered as racing yachts, and, therefore, unlike merchant vessels, carrying power, or rather “cargo space,” is no object. The great thing in models is to get your lines as nice as possible, and, to my own idea, the less hollow a line the better it is. Then again, as I said before, some like the midship section for- ward of the half-length of the boat, while others, myself included, prefer it abaft.

It appears to me that, considering a vessel is nothing more or less than a wedge driven through the water, the smaller angle that wedge has the easier it will separate the particles of water with a given driving power; and then, again, as water will close up again more easily than it will be separated, so the quicker the lines in the stern con- verge, the better, to a certain extent. In both these, as in every other case, excess is not meant, and you must, therefore, not make too long an “entrance” or too short a “run.”

With regard to the proportion of beam to length, there are one or two points to be considered before deciding this matter. Firstly, beam gives a vessel greater carrying power, and, to a certain extent, greater “stability” (by stability is meant the power a vessel has of resisting any force which tends to press it over on its side, when in the water, of course) —or, I should rather say, greater “stiffness.” A broad and shallow vessel is “stiffer” up to a certain angle of inclination than a narrow and deep boat, but press both over to that angle and you will find that past that point the broad vessel will perhaps capsize easily, whereas it will be impossible to capsize the narrow but deep one, since she will always right herself again. Now this is easily explained when you know that there are two very important points, or “centres,” in a ship: the one known as the “centre of displacement,” which is in reality the centre of gravity of the mass of water which the ship “dis- places,” or takes the place of, when she is put into the water i and the other the “centre of gravity” of the ship itself. When a ship heels over you can readily see that her centre of displacement will shift, because the shape of the water she displaces alters as her own shape differs under water, according to the various angles of inclination. Therefore in a shallow ship, where the centres of gravity and displacement are close together, the centre of displacement has to shift very little to cause the vessel to capsize; but in a deep boat it has to shift a great deal, since the two centres are further apart. So, then, in a model you must com- bine the qualities of a broad vessel and a deep one; but take care not to get her too broad, because the lines will not be fine enough in that case, nor must she be too deep, since the more surface a boat has in the water the greater is the resistance caused by the friction of the water on her sides to her headway.

I am afraid space will not permit me to say more about designing, but practice will assist you more than anything else, and if you can reason a few points out for yourself, so much the better. About the centres I shall have more to say further on, when we come to building.

Part II The Hull — Materials — “Dug Out” Mode of Building — Block — Hollowing Out Sections — Layer Method — Adjustment of Pieces– Marking Off Water Lines — Roughing Out — Gluing Layers — Deck — Keel >>

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IMAGES

Making sails for model boats ~ How to build a timber boat
Making sails for model boats ~ How to build a timber boat
Your best sail cloth and technique
How to Sail Your Model Yacht
The Design of Model Yacht Sails
R/C Sailboat Builds

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Vane A Class for the Yachting Monthly Trophy Aug 2014 at Gosport Model Yacht & Boat Club
Pond Yacht May 2018
Yacht Models with LCD displayed water
Building a 8.2 foot sail mold for making model yacht sails

COMMENTS

Making Sails for Model Ships
On my Model Shipways Bluenose build, I debated whether or not to make the sails. Many (most?) ship models do not include full sails. The Model Shipways kit was designed with sails, and includes the sail cloth as part of the kit. The inclusion of sails was actually one of the factors that led me to select this kit for my second build.
RCSails
Learn how to build sails for model yachts using Mylar or Polyester Drawing Film, two part jig, spinnaker tape and other materials. Follow the steps and examples for IOM class sails with camber, luff and leech adjustments.
PDF Scale Sails for your Model
Almost any material used for scale model sail making is, by definition, too thick. With furled sails, though, it's possible to compensate for that problem by reducing the sail's depth - and thus the size of the bundle.
Sail Making for Model Yachts
The making of sails is an art whether they are to be used on large vessels or on a miniature. A great many novices have an idea that any piece of cloth cut to fit spars is a sail.
Perfecting Your Model's Sails: The Art of Rigging
Mastering the Art of Rigging: Enhancing the Authenticity of Your Model's Sails When it comes to creating a realistic and authentic model of a sailboat, one of the most crucial aspects is perfecting the rigging, particularly the sails. The art of rigging involves setting up the sails in a way that accurately represents the real-life counterpart, capturing the essence and beauty of sailing. In ...
PDF 2004
Learn how to make model yacht sails from woven cloth, laminate or film materials. Find out about cloth weight, cutting, shaping, sewing and finishing techniques.
Making Model Yacht Sails
Larry Robinson - Making Model Yacht Sails - how to build in their shape, a master class in sail making for modern rc model yachts. Around 700 copies sold by mid 2015 and still going strong.
Sail Making for RC Racing Yachts
Included now is a much improved spreadsheet for defining your sail seams and calculating the lift needed on your building board. See in the 'Set the Seam Curvature page for more information There are many resources which offer all sorts of assistance to the beginner model sail maker.
Potter Solutions Ltd
At the age of fifteen David Potter started sailing model boats at the world famous Birkenhead Model Yacht Club. In 2012 he decided to turn his passionate hobby into a business and launched Potter Solutions. As a qualified engineer, with a good eye for detail, he produces a range of equipment for the majority of radio controlled model yacht classes.
Model Yacht Sail Catalog and Price List
We can make sails for any boat for which dimensional information can be developed. It is impossible to list every boat we have ever made sails for here. If you are restoring an older model, we can work from the old, tattered sails, from the existing spars, or even from the holes on the deck where fittings and spars were mounted.
Sail Making Articles
Sail Making Articles. We have several articles related to sails and sailmaking. The first is a short discussion of theory: The Design of Model Yacht Sails by A.M.Ballantyne. We then move on to the most complete set of instructions on how to sew a set of sails from cotton: "Sails" by Walter K. Moss from The Modelmaker, 1940.
How to make Scale Model Sails Tutorial Tips and Tricks #10
How to make Scale Model Sails Tutorial Tips and Tricks #10 Davaoshipmodeller 6.48K subscribers Subscribed 479 54K views 6 years ago ...more
Your best sail cloth and technique
1.Make paper stencil for each sail and check it's dimensions on your model. 2.With soft pencil transfer all lines in to fabric - add stripe 5-7 mm around. sail edges. 3.Make all necessary lines on fabric using sewing machine and thin thread with light brown or beige color.
Building Model Boats
Building model boats explained: Learn how to build boat and ship models from plans or kits; static or radio controlled; sail, electric power or steam.
Making Model Yacht Sails
Quick Overview Larry Robinson - Making Model Yacht Sails - how to build in their shape, a master class in sail making for modern model yachts. Around 700 copies sold by mid 2015 and still going strong.
Rigging Tips for Building a Model Ship
Rigging is a significant part of building a model ship. Modelers Central guide you through the importance it adds to the beauty of your finished model.
THE AMYA
The Ships Store is where you can get, Back Issues of Certain R/C Sailboat Model Yachting Quarterly Magazines, Plans for certain R/C Sailboat model yachts, AMYA logo items, and more.
Model Yachts: How to Design and Build Them
Model Yachts: How to Design and Build Them This article was reprinted in The Model Yacht, Vol 8 No 1, Summer 2004.
Sailmaking Materials
Batten Material - Medium. $8.38. Sail Reinforcement and Deck Patch Material 685 mm x 375 mm "White". $7.75. Sail Reinforcement and Deck Patch Material 685 mm x 375 mm "Red". $7.75. Sail Reinforcement and Deck Patch Material 685 mm x 375 mm "Blue". $7.75. Sail Reinforcement and Deck Patch Material 685 mm x 375 mm "Black".
Model Yacht Building
Model Yacht Building: Model yacht building is a wonderful hobby for boaters who like the many different designs available for full scale yachts that can be made by several techniques. I started carving models of my ideas of boats at the tender age of 9 or 10. With a d…
SAILSetc
However, the equipment we supply is also suitable for, or adaptable to, many of the other classes of radio yachts used throughout the world. Our specialist knowledge of the sport helps us to design, develop, make and supply goods which are ideally suited to their purpose.
Modelers Central
Explore a wide range of wooden model ship kits and boat kits with over 240 options, plus fittings, plans, and tools for your next crafting project.