There was a switch for going from petrol to paraffin, ran for about 15 minutes on petrol, then switch over. I had the same engine when I skippered 'Nellie' a few years later. Principle problem was the noise. On a still day they could be heard from miles away and were described as sounding like Angry Wasps.

Aha! Collecting the tulips and 'football cheeses' were we?
Shame you had to bash up the Cap'n to get a sail though😮
😎
PS Hope he remembered to retard the ignition when running on paraffin.
Lotsa smoke and pong☹️

I was on her for two years, she was actually sailed once in that time and that was when the skipper was in hospital for a few days and we had a beautiful sail on the Ijsel Meer. The two Chrysler Crown petrol/paraffin engines worked overtime the rest of the time.

Nerys

"It was about three years before she had her sails dressed. He never used them, motored everywhere!"
LAZY B*****!😠
Fuel musta bin cheap in 'them thar days'.
Or maybe he just had a sensitive hooter and a weak stomach? 🙊😝
😎

My skipper in 'Santille' certainly believed in that. It was about three years before she had her sails dressed. He never used them, motored everywhere!

Nerys

Yes I understand that but that was Bob Roberts who told me they would not push a new main'sl any harder than they had to. They brailed up a bit I guess

Quite right to say that sails were allowed to stretch and shrink for a year when new, but not possible to just use them in light airs at first. When a barge completed her refit and given orders to load a freight, she would sail, within reason, whatever the weather.

Nerys

I understood the reason barge sails were not dressed in the first year was to allow the material to do all it's shrinking and stretching. The skipper always tried to ease the sails into service in lighter airs to start out.
The breaking was important to the life of the sails. As said, the dressing was a year later.
Regards Nick.

Hardly applicable to models, but a barges sails were dressed with a mixture of mainly red ochre mixed with cod oil, cow's urine and sea water. The sails were laid out, then the men dressing them would paint the dressing on using sweeping brushes. It was a very messy business and the dressing would still be coming off the sails months later. Stowing any sail made sure you and your clothes were plastered in the dressing. I think nowadays, they use something less intrusive.

Cheers, Nerys

Hi ya ,
Nerys , in Model Boats Magazine -July 2007 there is an article about TSB model tuning.
If you want some infos, send me you e-mail e.g. via FB or messenger please.
Tom

Hi,
sails on my Capricorn model
(see below) are made of cotton, colours - red: brown about half and half, maybe it would need more red. Cotton dyed well, parachute silk at the same ratio is rather light brown .. It also depends on the manufacturer and type of dyes. As I read in the book, the sails in the first year were new and white, they were impregnated next year. Perhaps the impregnation held better.
greetings
Tom

Although I prefer the polycotton fabric, I can understand Jacko wanting to use the ripstop nylon as it can just be cut out and tried without having to seam the sides, especially if it is just an experiment to try for size and shape. I don't think I would like to see it as the permanent sails on a barge though, I'm really a traditionalist. If you still have some ripstop the same colour as used on your yacht, it isn't far out from barge colour.

Nerys

Nerys

i have some ripstop from my kite flying days so will use some of that, used some on this yacht 60" free sailer also has Braine gear comes out as a 10 ratter

That sounds a good idea. Rip stop nylon is easy to cut out and experiment with. You can always make a set in the proper colour once you have your sizes and shapes worked out. However, a new set of sails for a barge would be left white for the first year before being dressed in the traditional colour.

Cheers, Nerys

will be making a set of ripstop nylon and test than if needed make another size set

Very interesting and useful information, thank you Tom. May be useful to me when the weather eventually allows me to sail my new barge. Of course, you are right, the effect of the C of E is dependent on it's position in relation to the CLR, but my knowledge of this is more related to full size yacht design rather than models. I know that other people have found that too much sail area in the headsails does not make for easy tacking, so I will be interested to see how my barge with just a jib and foresail handles compared with my existing staysail barge and indeed Ken's staysail rigged Veronica when she is ready. If she handles as well in stays as my existing barge, I shall be well pleased.

Cheers Nerys

Hi,
Nerys,that sounds nice, but you need to consider the location of the fin.
On my model, when drawing the plan I placed the front edge of the fin about 4 cm behind the mast, the recommended value is largely 3 "(7.5 cm)for 1:24 scale . So the model did not want to float at all.
The sails were balanced with fin, and the model sailed only sideways with wind. After adding a large jib , she finally began to respond to the rudder and sailed away.
Unfortunately, advice from experienced modelers (such as Kim Holland) came at a time when the model was almost finished, so I can only adjust rigging, or adjust the shape and size of the fin.

Tom

Foresail is much better. I preferred the original topsail. Jib, I'd have a shorter leach, thus putting a greater angle on the foot. Jib topsail is fine for shape, but you may find that all that sail area will put the centre of effort too far forward and she may well carry lee helm, thus making it difficult to get her to tack. The barge in my avatar is my 30" model, she is well balanced with just the foresail and staysail and tacks without hesitation.

Cheers, Nerys

hows this ken but still needs refining

Well done Jacko, mainsail and topsail look very good, but foresail isn't right, you have cut away too much of the foot. You only need a bit cut off the luff to clear the blocks on the forestay. Try looking at photos of real barges and models so that you see what I mean.
Anyway, you're doing fine. Keep it up.

Cheers, Nerys

taking advice form Ken and Nerys today I started on the paper sails

Take Ken's advice, Jacko, That's how I have done it for both the barges I have built. Cut out templates, I use drawing paper, try them in place, sellotape is useful to hold them. Then, when you are happy with them, cut them out in fabric, leaving extra round the sides for turning in and seaming. I use plain polycotton, bought on Ebay, around £2 a metre. A metre will be ample for your barge. I use the colour they call copper. I've hand sewn mine, but you may prefer to machine sew. If you join AMBO, they have a leaflet on making sails.

Best of luck, and enjoy.

Nerys

thanks this will be most hopeful i know someone who will not be happy with all that sewing

name of barge is ?? its a vintage HFM barge so its generic, with bowsprit hope to call her Joanne (after the other half ) the only thing that did not come with the box are the sail plans (anybody help there)

all decking laid temp then glued and now painted

I look forward to seeing them Nerys.

Martin555.

Yes Martin, I'll post pictures of her when I have her afloat. Where she is at the moment wouldn't be any use for taking photos. That is if we ever get another gale free weekend.

Cheers, Nerys

Hi Nerys,
Will you be posting any photos of her ?

Martin555.

I'll say she's finished, Ken. She's sitting on the work bench severely blocking any daylight from getting through the window , looking lovely, though I say it myself and just lying windbound waiting for a break in the weather. I may have to adjust the mainsheet/vang line to the servo, but that's about all, Then house the topmast and steeve up the bowsprit for transport.
It's just that weather window that you were looking for too that's missing.
I'm contemplating getting on with the semi built crash tender I had from Kevin before I start my next barge. Any news from him?

All the best, Nerys

You need to contact the Association of Model Barge Owners. The secretary is Richard Chesney, 49 South Avenue, Thorpe Lea, Egham, Surrey. TW20 8HQ. Useful organisation to join, information readily available, regular newsletters etc.They have a facebook page AMBO (The Association of Model Barge Owners). Racing is held at Chantry Model Boat Club (Bluewater shopping centre, Kent) and Silvermere, Surrey. I'm not sure if there is any at Maldon any longer. The first race of the season is at Chantry on 15th March.

Hope this helps.

Cheers, Nerys

been trying to get in touch with the model Thames Barge racing sight but cant get there, is there another way of getting in touch and do they still race in essex

I think you could be right Ken. I'm ho expert when it comes to models but looking at it from a practical seaman's point of view, I can see that the centre of effort would be far too for'ard and she could carry lee helm if setting a foresail, jib and jib topsail. Big kites are all very well running and reaching, but not going to windward. My new barge has a bowsprit, but I have only fitted a smallish jib and a foresail which is virtually the same sail area as the normal staysail barge's rig of foresail and staysail No doubt I'll find out soon. Was hoping it would be this coming weekend, but the forecast is equally discouraging for a barge as it is for racing on the lake.

All the best, Nerys

In the days when barges were barges and they carried cargoes, a lot of bargemen referred to a boltsprit. Possibly a purely localised term, I don't know.

Cheers, Nerys

Now you've been an' gorn an dunnit again Nerys!
I ain't nevver 'eard of no 'boltsprit!😐
😁😎
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumpkin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boomkin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowsprit
Link gives possible origin as bōchsprēt – bōch meaning "bow" and sprēt meaning "pole", from Middle Low German. (Your age ain't that advanced Nerys😉) Modern German equivalent is now Bugspriet!
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Boltsprit&redirect=no
Redirects immediately to Bowsprit 🤔
Time for beddiebyes😴
G'night All💤💤💤

Ken, Thought you were building Veronica in her latter day racing for Everard's trim.

Cheers, Nerys.

I'm not sure if it's a modern term Doug. I've always known it as a bumpkin, but was aware that it was also known as a boomkin. I definitely wouldn't argue the point. Perhaps, if as you say, boomkin is the more modern term, then it can be put down to my advanced years. It could be one of those things where some people call bowsprits, boltsprits.

Cheers, Nerys

" Now that's a Chadian statement ..."
I just knowed you would recognise Mr Chad Nerys 👍😎
Interesting info, neat mechanism👍
Bye the bye; isn't the modern term for the bumpkin a Boomkin?
Cheers, Doug 😎

sorry to say this is not my barge but am using it to refer too👍

That's a smart looking barge, she's a credit to you. Yes, you have it exactly, even to the chain kicking strap. Well done.

Cheers, Nerys

is this what you mean ? as i will be doing this on mine

Doug, Now that's a Chadian statement which I shall answer with all due seriousness. You may have noticed that the mizzen boom on a barge sticks out well over the transom. In some craft it would be necessary to have a bumpkin in order to sheet this, but in a Thames Barge, the mizzen is sheeted to the rudder, then made fast inboard. When the helm is put over, the mizzen follows the rudder and is held aback, thus helping the stern to come round. All very clever and worked out over hundreds of years.

Cheers, Nerys

Wot? No Bumpkin?? 😁

Ken, How about the bowsprit? Do you have sufficient length in the car to leave that in place, or will you steeve it up to vertical?

Cheers, Nerys

Ken, My theory is that with the topmast housed, the height of the main mast and sprit is not too high to fit in the car, bearing in mind that the height with the topmast raised would be more or less double that of the mainmast on its own.

Cheers, Nerys

"It should fit, if only lowered.?"
Hi Ken,
The Germans have a saying
Was nicht passt wird passend gemacht! -->What doesn't fit will be made to fit!
If dat don't woik you'll ave to get a bigger wagon mate!😁
How about cutting a sunroof!?☀️
Cheers, 😎

Are you making the mast to lower? Mine will, but I don't want to unless it's really necessary I have made the topmast to house easily though. for ease of transport. My barge, to be known as 'Stangate' is almost ready, keel fitted, RC working, thank you Alice. I'm waiting for some waxed twine to come for the mainsheet and vang as ordinary rigging twine isn't running as easily as I'd like. I also have to engage the crew and make a rudder extension.
n.b. 'Stangate' is a large creek running of the River Medway, my first barge 'Upnor' was named after the village of that name on the banks of the Medway. I want a Medway theme to my fleet.

Cheers, Nerys

Sounds like a shop selling Dolls House bits and pieces, Ken. Have a look on line to see where there are any, alternately look at Dolls House fittings etc on line. I think Lendons in Cardiff sell some stuff, but there must be others. It's quite big business.

Nerys

Sounds as if you have acquired your decking materials then.

Nerys

went with the wife to a shop 😐 she wanted to go to but thanks wife found 30 lengths of 5mm x 0.5 x 36inch 😊timber in the dolls house fittings all for £5.75p deck wood only sitting in place to get the look

One lives and learns Nerys,
Lives and learns!😉
Keep your tail up😁
😎