Combining the highest craft skills and fine seamanship!

Radio‑controlled models of square riggers present the modeller with enormous challenges - not just all the physical elements of hull, masts, rigging etc. but the mastery of the electronic aspects needed to propel the model across the water in just the same way as a great ship-o'-the-line.

Mark Tindall of Sheerness in the UK, has constructed some superb examples of these.

His first model was HMS Invincible, and she was launched at Kensington Round Pond club in 1998. Mark sailed her for nine years.

He has also constructed a model of HMS Victory and is working on one of HMS Bellona. His Victory has a 36‑inch hull and is 58 inches long overall. Her height from keel to the main truck is 37 inches and she requires 16 pounds of ballast. She is fully rigged including royals, but does not have staysails between the masts; she has the capability to fire cannon.

Mark's Victory is made in her Trafalgar condition but without the contentious davits which are often shown, which Mark feels are ugly. She has her gunports open, as though cleared for action.

All of the lower yards are controlled  by braces which lead down through the hull via tubes and thence to a drum winch, an electric motor geared down to provide a certain number of turns on the drum which is doubled, viz a line being wound on in one direction, or off in another. Weights, attached via loops in their holders, provide a means of taking up the slack which manifests when one line is taut and the other slack.  Arrows in the diagram show a given situation of the action and from this it will be seen that the lower yards are made to brace around the masts. The mizzen and the main work together by having tandem arrangements of braces, as shown. The rudder is operated by a third winch. By this means the operator is able to sail the ship exactly as per the full size prototype with the exception that heaving to is achieved only by angling the foresails against the opposing main and mizzen. [For further details see “Model Shipwright” #119-124].

Mark is happy to share his experiences with other modellers: marktindall@btinternet.com