Real World Sailing

      As I mentioned recently, I have been spending time working on model boats. I have been stalled in repairing my RC sailboat, not having the money to buy some necessary parts.  I did come across a small model sailboat that I bought years ago. I test sailed it in the birdbath on a rather blustery day. After testing it, it road at anchor all day in the birdbath. At the end of the day when I retrieved it, I thought of an article in an old model boat magazine; the article was titled "Real World Sailing", where the author built several model sailing ships and sailed them on one of the Great Lakes, with the intention of having it sail across to Canada. His last model was sailing in the right direction; wither it reached Canada is another matter. However, this article encouraged me to try to send a free sailing model across one of the many local ponds in my area.

   I used the original model as a guide to build another sailing ship. The original was based on a Viking ship. I used stuff laying around the house to build my model. I was going to have it crewed by a Peter Laing sailor, as can be seen in the first photograph. If I end more models out, perhaps I'll make a home cast of Peter Laing Viking to man it.

  Today the model sailed. I launched the boat on the eastern end of the pond, the wind seemed to be coming from the west, so I didn't think it would go too far. (By the way, before sending her on her voyage, it was named 'Odin'). At the last second I removed the Peter Laing captain; perhaps next model I won't chicken out!  She started sailing along the shore, then suddenly turned towards the open sea and went some 20 yards out, then started running down the coast. Eventually, the westerly winds caught her and she disappeared behind some bushes, where I could not retrieve her. Hopefully some day  someone will find her.

The 'Odin'

The Odin sets out on it's mission of Exploration.

Odin turns towards the open sea.

Odin looks like she is going to run ashore...

..but once again heads out to sea.

The Odin at her farthest progress (the white dot in the left center of the picture).

The Odin disappeared behind the trees on the right of the picture. While it has nothing to do with wargaming, a Peter Laing figure was involved so.... I also think that this model looks like a 18th century gunboat, and I'm thinking that if I build more I might add a cannon to the bow.