vintage marblehead model yacht for sale

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Marblehead model yacht by Michael_A - Radio - 1:1 - 1940s design by J. Selmer Larson

By Michael_A May 26, 2021 in - Build logs for subjects built 1901 - Present Day

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Hello everyone,

I started this model a few months ago and am creating this build log (my first) so I can show the progress to date and get advice moving forward.  I have to say I am feeling a little nervous! The boat is a 50" model yacht of the Marblehead class. This class was started in the Depression era when, like now, people had more free time on their hands. These models were designed to sail in ponds (like the one in Central Park in NYC). Initially they would sail on their own and be redirected by the owner at the edge of the pond, with a stick. Now, they are mostly radio control. I'm more interested in building than sailing so we'll see how far I progress in that area. 

The design is by J. Selmer Larson, a well-known sculptor during that time. I love the hull design and am interested in working with aircraft plywood. 

I am really interested in seeing how well I can do using the tools I already own – I don't want to buy a lot of stuff just for this model. Here's the strongback (materials from Home Depot) and the beginning of the keel. It's in two halves to make it easier to form. I don't own a table saw so most of my timber will be standard dimensional spruce. 

Here are the molds, and my first pass at the keel fin. Parts of the fin will extend up to the deck to support the mast. Molds are made of MDF and the fin is two layers of 1/16" aircraft plywood epoxied together; to be built up and strengthened later on. I do admit, I bought a nice jigsaw just for this model; even so the molds do not feel very accurate. I can fair up the hull later as I get more into it (I hope).

Here's the framework with the sheer clamps installed. It all feels a bit wobbly so I put some dowels between the molds to add some rigidity. If you look carefully you can see my high-tech twisted wire clamps. The green tape will help keep the boat itself from being glued to the molds. At least that is the plan. I"m not sure how I will get the  boat out once it is planked either. 

That's all for now! My main takeaway so far: A huge amount of thought and planning is required for each step. Once the planning is done the actual "work" takes very little time at all. I was surprised how far you have to think ahead to make sure everything will work out at the end. I'm guessing this is an experience most of you all are very familiar with. 

Thank you all for your attention and I hope to post more soon.

• KeithAug , Ian_Grant , GrandpaPhil and 4 others

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I assume that most of our members already realize this, but it's worth mentioning that the build is 1:1 because it's not a scale model -- it's a full-size replica of a craft that was designed from the get-go as a pond yacht. Should be interesting -- good luck!

• mtaylor and Moab

Chris Coyle Greer, South Carolina When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk. - Tuco

Current builds: Brigantine Phoenix , Hawker Hurricane

Exactly! There are a lot of forces on a sailing model so the hull and rig have to be very strong. The bow will have a "bumper" to reduce damage in the case of a collision. 

Class M models are fun to sail. I encourage you to consider RC-ing her. Just need a single winch to control the two sheets and a rudder servo....

Ian, Thanks for the encouragement. I've pretty much made up my mind to complete this with RC. I may try to find someone to help me to the RC setup when I reach that point. 

Now that I have the molds in place I decided to use a block for the stem and transom. It weighs a little extra but gives me plenty of gluing surface, and I don't think the weight will make a big difference. Fun to get all the angles squared away! I am using the second power tool I purchased for this project; a 12" disc sander from Harbor Freight. It works great.

I glued the keelson over the molds and attached it to the sheer clamp using the blocks at both the stem and stern. Twisted wire worked well for the clamps.

Here's a view of everything so far, including the chine logs which I bevelled in advance.

Note, the spruce keelson was too thick (too stiff) so I had to cut into it every few inches to make it more flexible. 

Starting to look more like a boat now! I have glued the keel fin into the keelson to make it one solid structure. I will reinforce the keel later as it has to hold a 10lb lead bulb.

Thanks for reading and I will post more progress soon. I hope you all had a great weekend!

• Roger Pellett , yvesvidal , mtaylor and 2 others

Time to put on the two side planks! These are made from 1/16" 3ply birch plywood, from Boulter Plywood in  Boston. It's an amazing material – stiff and very light – and the surface is very clean. Here's my first try at wrapping the ply around the hull: 

I epoxied the side onto the framework, holding it on with as many clamps as I own. I guess you can never have too many clamps! 

I pinned the planks to the chine using toothpicks to prevent any shifting as the glue dried. The epoxy has no holding power when it is wet ....

Finally, I made a tiny transom to cover the blocks at the stern (and bow). Eventually the bow will have a rounded "bumper" in case there are any collisions.

Next step is to put on the bottom. Back to you all soon!

• GrandpaPhil , G.L. , aechmea and 2 others

That looks a very nice project, Michael.

• 7 months later...

What a great project and it looks like this will be a very well built boat.  You are within 30 miles of 3 AMYA clubs who I'm sure could help you with fitting the RC equipment. Although I don't think they race vintage Marbleheads. You are also only 60 miles from Marblehead, MA where this class originated and they still race vintage Marbleheads like the one you are building. I picked up a 1970's Marblehead late this past summer that I can't wait to start racing in April. I will be attending the Wooden Boat School in June to take a pond yacht restoration class and have found a vintage Marblehead hull/keel that was damaged in a flood. So I'll need frames in the interior, a deck, radio equipment and all rigging to build during the week in ME.

You might also consider joining the US Vintage Model Yacht Group ( USVMYG.org) which is the group who enjoys building, restoring and racing model yacht designs from before 1970. The vintage Marblehead is one of the largest classes.  There are all kinds of resources available on the USVMYG web page including locating and installing radios.  Last October we hosted the US Vintage Nationals outside of Philadelphia. Here is a link to the video of the Marblehead class races.  I was racing number 150 and came in 12 out of about 20 boats which was fine since I just started racing this past summer. "Pirate" the orange number 150 was a loaner from the commodore of our club since I did not have a Marblehead yet.

Please also post your build pictures on the USVMYG Facebook Page or send them to me, I'll make videos of them and post them to the YouTube channel if you want.

I can't wait to see your progress.

Roger Pellett

A recent WoodenBoat magazine article had a recent feature article about a present day reimagined model yacht class that is popular in the Pacific Northwest.  Interesting stuff.

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The M or Marblehead Class, sometimes called the "50/800", is a remote-controlled high performance development class. It's original concept in the 1930's was to produce the largest model that would conveniently fit in the standard American car of the time. The class has been highly developed over the years to produce a high performance model that can be sailed in a wide range of conditions, assuming the owner has the appropriate rigs. Boats are available from several suppliers who can provide them from basic kit form to fully assembled.

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The SAILSetc range of products for the Marblehead class has been constantly refined since 1978 and provides for everything from a completed boat down to the smallest component part.

The Marbleheads built by SAILSetc have had a long run of success at world championship level:

3rd 1986 NO SECRET, 2nd 1988 HUSH HUSH, 5th 1990 ENIGMA, 1st 1992 PARADOX, 1st 1994 PARADOX, 1st 1996 PARADOX, 1st 1998 RAD, 2nd 2000 ROK, 2nd 2002 PRIME NUMBER, 2nd 2006 ROK, 2nd 2012 PRIME NUMBER, 2nd 2014 QUARK, 3rd 2016 QUARK, 6th 2018 QUARK.

Characteristic of SAILSetc designed boats is their ability to perform for sailors of all skill ranges and in a wide range of conditions. Not only can they give excellent results for some of the best sailors (there were three QUARKs in the top 6 places at the 2014 world championship) but they can also give better results for sailors lower down the finishing results. This is partly due to their reliability imparted by the build quality and partly due to the handling qualities imparted by their fundamental and detail design.

The boats previously supplied by SAILSetc are now available from BOATSetc, a new entity located in Germany. The moulding quality is superb leaving the builder with only the task of adding the foils, structural component parts and fittings before going on to add rc and rigs. 

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BOATSetc and SAILSetc can supply carbon pre-preg hulls for the Marblehead QUARK and the component parts and general arrangement plans required to complete them. We welcome enquiries and orders from individuals and other builders, in the UK and elsewhere, who want to purchase hull mouldings or kits for these boats. Please go to the class category sections of this website to find more information.

Please see the Licensed Builders page for contact details for the many other builders who are producing our designs.

SAILSetc will continue to offer rc installation, rigging, optimisation and measurement for QUARK.

SAILSetc foiuls, ballast, spars, fittings and sails provide an optimised and compatible range of products with which to equip any Marblehead, whether from SAILSetc or from another source.

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Status of Class: Adopted Administrative Body: IMCA

The Marblehead class (M) is probably the most exciting to sail with its minimal rule structure and modern construction techniques a modern M will usually be made of carbon fibre and kevlar with full carbon rigs. The rules do allow for most boats from the mid 90’s onward to be modernised and still hold their own in current fleets.

This is quite often referred to as the Formula One of Radio Sailing.

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For Sale: Italian Marblehead

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For sale: m class hull (boat to remain in the family), for sale: plank-on-frame traditional marblehead.

Classic Pond Yachts

This is a mr.  a w (bert) littlejohn designed kittwake marblehead, first registered 5 august 1939, (just in time for wwii) at the mysa in kensington gardens, registered name 'semels' sail number 94. her original owner was a mr.  r h hawkes and her builder a mr.  f e matthews..

This is how I first saw 'Semels' at Beale Park, the Marblehead on the right, she was part of the Richard Howard collection, covered in dirt, but looking very pretty, she had a mast and main boom, but that was all, no sails or paper work. Fortunately she had been restored by Graham Reeves, and sold through Bonhams auction house in London, so there was some history. When Graham sold her through Bonhams she had two suits of cotton sails, and a jib boom, but sadly they have disappeared.

Bonhams auction house press release for the sale of 'Semels'

Here are some pictures of Semels when I got her home. She has been beautifully  restored, like new really. I don't think she has been sailed since her restoration, so my plan was to get Cat Sails to make some sails, convert her to vane steering, and get her sailing at the next VMYG meeting at Hampton Court.

Graham Reeves sent me this picture of 'Joan' just before she went for auction, with her top suit of cotton sails. I am relieved that she was called 'Joan' during Grahams restoration, I love the history of these boats, but Semals is a rubbish name! so from now on, she is called 'Joan' my mothers name!!

Pictures of the inside of Joan, you can see from these pictures the restoration was a complete rebuild.

I really did not have much work to do on Joan, the biggest job was fitting the vane gear, I had to move the backstay and make it come down port and stb, then fitted a stainless wire extension  to the Braine quadrant, made up a mount for the wind vane, all nice and free. I am hoping, and have crossed all my fingers that the vintage Marblehead event will go ahead at Fleetwood in May, hence the conversion to windvane.

A stunning new suit of Dacron Cat sails, sails. I had a bit of luck, when I bought the Daniels Onward replica she was cutter rigged, I converted her to the original Daniels Gaff sloop rig, so I had two jib booms left over, one of them was perfect for Joan, ready to go sailing.

Intrepid bunch of sailors about to go into battle against Hampton Courts Iris Weed, the sailing was easy, getting to the boats was not!

Rigged and ready to go sailing for the first time since her restoration? Ready for what turned out to be the last time we could do any vintage sailing, Oct 2020.

Great to see her sailing, she sailed really well, as you would expect with her pedigree, these pictures taken on a breezy run down the lake, she was going really well, and under control. Restive in the back ground, another Bonhams boat from the Richard Howard collection.

But the reeds do make for a soft landing !!

So the next event I hope will be Fleetwood, we have one issue, this time last year vintage model yachts were not even on the horizon, all the boats on this site, plus the ones I have still to put on have happened inside the last year, so the issue, Vintage boats have single panel sails, everyone knows that don't they? so Cat sails making a suit of varnished Terylene, single paneled sails, and a B suit, it is Fleetwood. Watch this space for a full report of the event. By the event I have a list of jobs to sort mostly on the rig.

7 April 21 - Cat sails nave just supplied me a new suit of single paneled  sails made out of Varnished Terylene ready for the Vintage/Classic event in Fleetwood late May, We now have to get her sailing and tuned up ready to race!!!

New sails rigged, they look a lot more 'Vintage' than the Dacron sails, and single panel as per the sails made back in the day, to be honest she would have had cotton sails when she was new, but these look great.

A Nice picture showing the single panel sails rigged.

When I first rigged Joan to sail at Hampton Court I had a problem, which I have had with the other models, if you rig the sheet adjusting bowsie along the boom, you don't get enough travel to allow the boom to go all the way out for the run. I am sure there is a way of rigging this to give enough travel, a lot of models have the sheets on deck, but then I would have to fit some fittings to the deck which I felt was not required. So I have rigged the sheets in a different way.

This picture shows the mainsheet rigged in the normal way with a bowsie, the sheet goes from the track, through the eye on the boom, forward through the bowsie and through the eye on the boom forward, then back and the bitter end secured to the bowsie.

Here the Mainsheet has been re rigged using whipcord, which I think looks more like what they would have been using. I have rigged a jack line running between the two eyes on the boom, it has been run through two eyes in the bowsie, then tensioned and tied off. The main sheet comes off the track, through the eye under the boom, it runs forward and through the third eye in the bowsie, and then runs aft and the bitter end is secured  to the aft eye. This created a reverse purchase, and effectivly doubles the sheet travel, now more than enough adjustment to allow the boom to reach the shrouds. I have rigged the jib sheet in the same way.

10 April 21 - Went for the first Thursday morning IOM race at Gosport last week, great morning racing, Gosport at it's best really, a little fluky, but a reasonable wind direction down the lake slightly south of West. I took Joan down with me to sail after racing with her new sails. The sails are great, we were worried that the cloth may have been a little to light weight, but they set really well.

One thing we did learn, we will need to change down rigs early, but she went well, very pleased, sails are great!!

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