What Shaped Hull?

[Broken-Sailor]

My Great-niece has a birthday coming up next month and the kid loves boats, so I am going to carve one out of the wood I picked up today. The block for the boat is 2"x3"x12" and then I have a 1/2"x1/2"x24" piece to use for the mast, boom, and the rudder control arm. This will have a single mast and boom. Since I am carving this from a single block of wood and I want her to be able to play with it in her pool or in the tub, what would you guys and gals think the best hull shape I should put on this sailboat toy and any ideas on what to do about a keel to keep the bottom side down in the water. I'll seal the whole boat before painting it to keep the wood from getting water logged. Not sure what I will use to make the cleats and the rails out of right now, I'll worry about that after I get the boat carved out. So how about giving me some ideas or single mast boat that is 36 feet long with about a 9 foot beam and about 6 feet from the top of the boat to the bottom of the boat not counting the keel to use as a model for this toy boat. Thanks.

[Hudson Force]

Broken Sailor, I would suggest that you spend some time looking at potential boats on the sailboatdata.com site. Many of the boats on this site are shown with full and proportional above & side view diagrams. Choose one that you like and allow it float in trim by putting a lead plug in the keel,- maybe from a tire balancing weight.

[Broken-Sailor]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

Broken Sailor, I would suggest that you spend some time looking at potential boats on the sailboatdata.com site. Many of the boats on this site are shown with full and proportional above & side view diagrams. Choose one that you like and allow it float in trim by putting a lead plug in the keel,- maybe from a tire balancing weight.

You would think as many times I have gone to that site to research different boats I would have thought to go there for design ideas first. I think I'll use the Avance 36 as the model. I thought about using wheel weights melted down and poured through the hold I cut for the mast with a hold drilled at an angle to the keel area but I figured it would burn right through the wood. I guess I could make a small metal T and then make a mold out of clay and pour the molten metal in the mold and put the T in the molten metal and let it cool. I could then use screws to "Bolt" the keel to the hull. I just don't know how well the screws would hold in that soft wood. Oh the wood I am working with is Balsa wood.

[Scot McPherson]

Lead melts at a very low temp. It'll scorch the wood for sure, but only a scorching. Keep a glass of water handy. Do this outside. Lead fumes are quite toxic.

[Broken-Sailor]

Originally Posted by Scot McPherson

Lead melts at a very low temp. It'll scorch the wood for sure, but only a scorching. Keep a glass of water handy. Do this outside. Lead fumes are quite toxic.

I cast my own bullets so I know about the lead part. I have a bunch of zinc wheel weights that I can't use for bullets but I can use for this project. I just don't know the flash point of the balsa wood. I might have to do the keel as a separate piece and glue it to the hull after hollowing it out to get enough ballast on the thing. I am going to have to coat the boat with a sealer anyway. I think I still have some fiberglass cloth left over from a Bondo kit I can use to cover the hull with to make it stronger. What is the average mast height to boat length ratio? I figure it is about 1.5 to 1

[Scot McPherson]

Right i forgot you were a relaoder. Submerge the balsa over night. If you want, use a hardwood (yeah I know, twhnidally balsa is a hardwood) and you won't have to ballast the boat. It's heavy enough to go down a bit and carve out a little bit of hallow for the deck and it's should stay upright.

[HappyMdRSailor]

I say you use new member patnhelena's boat...

Although it's going to be tricky to duplicate the interior...

Cruisers & Sailing Forums - PatnHelena's Album: 33ft "Flicka" our renovation project - Picture

[Broken-Sailor]

Originally Posted by HappyMdRSailor

I say you use new member patnhelena's boat...

Although it's going to be tricky to duplicate the interior...

Cruisers & Sailing Forums - PatnHelena's Album: 33ft "Flicka" our renovation project - Picture

I am not going to do an interior on a toy boat for a 2 year old. Just making a boat that will float and stay upright in her pool or the tub that looks like a sail boat. Got the basic chine carved out but still have to sand it smooth before starting on the top view shape of the hull. Picked up the cloth to use for the sails and some silver nylon thread to use for the lines yesterday as well as a bag of dowel rods to use as the rails once they are cut and sprayed with chrome paint. I am going to have a time carving, painting, and attaching little wooden cleats on the boat.

[ctl411]

Google "rain gutter regatta", it's a boy scout project. The kit comes with a small keel that you glue in agroove. I put ours in upside down from what they show to get more weight lower and use epoxy for glue. The boat is half the length you are talking about but may give you some ideas.

[lonesoldier0408]

For ballast, I would cut the head off a Stainless Steel Lag Bolt and cut a slot so I may instal it with a screw driver. Drill the hull prior to instal, to prevent splitting the Balsa, down the length of the hull, below the waterline. Epoxy and glass any voids. Above all else, have fun with it.!


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Scot McPherson]

Originally Posted by Broken-Sailor

I am not going to do an interior on a toy boat for a 2 year old. Just making a boat that will float and stay upright in her pool or the tub that looks like a sail boat. Got the basic chine carved out but still have to sand it smooth before starting on the top view shape of the hull. Picked up the cloth to use for the sails and some silver nylon thread to use for the lines yesterday as well as a bag of dowel rods to use as the rails once they are cut and sprayed with chrome paint. I am going to have a time carving, painting, and attaching little wooden cleats on the boat.

Oh geez, I thought you were making a simple toy boat, this sounds more like a model...a simple one but still. Enjoy

[David M]

For a toy, keep the beam as wide as what still looks nice. From a naval architecture standpoint, beam increases the stability cubed. What fun would a toy that capsizes frequently be?

As far as a keel goes, make it as long as what is practical and put the weight on the end of the keel. Righting moment for a keel is measured as center of mass times distance from center of buoyancy.

With lead exposure and kids, be sure to paint over the lead.

[Broken-Sailor]

Originally Posted by Scot McPherson

Oh geez, I thought you were making a simple toy boat, this sounds more like a model...a simple one but still. Enjoy

It is a toy boat, I just want it to look like a real boat and will float and act like a real boat without making a RC boat. If I was making a RC boat I would be going about this allot differently and would have had to start this project months ago.

[Broken-Sailor]

Originally Posted by David M

For a toy, keep the beam as wide as what still looks nice. From a naval architecture standpoint, beam increases the stability cubed. What fun would a toy that capsizes frequently be?

As far as a keel goes, make it as long as what is practical and put the weight on the end of the keel. Righting moment for a keel is measured as center of mass times distance from center of buoyancy.

With lead exposure and kids, be sure to paint over the lead.

One of the reasons I thought about using zinc instead of lead. Don't want anything exposed metal on it ether. I want her to have fun with it be also for it to be safe for her too. I know she is my great niece but she is more like a daughter to me since she has lived with me since the day she was born and I help take care of her everyday. Just look at that face and tell me you wouldn't do anything to keep a smile on that face.

[zatoan]

Google "rain gutter regatta", it's a boy scout project. The kit comes with a small keel that you glue in agroove. I put ours in upside down from what they show to get more weight lower and use epoxy for glue. The boat is half the length you are talking about but may give you some ideas.