Boat name: Translation: Sanderling
Owner’s name: Matt
Construction: Wood (balsa planks on ply frames) with a fibreglass covering
Year built: 2023, from scratch
Length: ~70 cm
Beam: ~22 cm
Owner’s name: Matt
Construction: Wood (balsa planks on ply frames) with a fibreglass covering
Year built: 2023, from scratch
Length: ~70 cm
Beam: ~22 cm
After completing this one, I made another version half the size. The smaller one is not motorised, but towed from the flagpole of the larger one. Keeping the Greek theme, the smaller one is named ‘ . I like the look of the two together like a duck and a duckling.
This is a fictional boat inspired by a scene on a jigsaw puzzle. The plans were included in a copy of Model Boats Magazine, having been designed by someone who saw a boat similar to this on his wife’s jigsaw puzzle. I was drawn to it as a charming design and that was built with a ‘plank on frame’ technique, which I had never done before. It had its challenges but I did enjoy this way of building, seeing the shape come together from a lot of thin strips glued to the plywood frames was very satisfying.
The plans named the boat ‘Osprey’ but I didn’t think that name suited a boat like this. I wanted to keep an aquatic bird name so chose ‘Sanderling’ which is a round wading bird that I thought matched the boat better than a sea eagle. The Greek theme wasn’t planned, it just fitted the blue and white colour scheme I went for (having decided against continuing to blue and yellow). From there, I had the name translated into Greek, to end up with . I can picture a boat like this doing day trips around Greek islands.
It is decorated with a Greek flag flown from the stern, and the name across the transom. Inside there are benches and life rings at the back and a simple driving position under the canopy. There are lights in the boat which illuminate the inside and display red/green navigation lights from the canopy, all of which can be turned on and off remotely.
The boat sails nicely with a small brushed motor and isn’t too fast, meaning I’m happy to hand the controller to anyone at the lake. Being invited to have a go was something I loved as a child, so I’m pleased to be able to be on the other side of it now. To date, no children have crashed it (though my adult sister has!)
The plans named the boat ‘Osprey’ but I didn’t think that name suited a boat like this. I wanted to keep an aquatic bird name so chose ‘Sanderling’ which is a round wading bird that I thought matched the boat better than a sea eagle. The Greek theme wasn’t planned, it just fitted the blue and white colour scheme I went for (having decided against continuing to blue and yellow). From there, I had the name translated into Greek, to end up with . I can picture a boat like this doing day trips around Greek islands.
It is decorated with a Greek flag flown from the stern, and the name across the transom. Inside there are benches and life rings at the back and a simple driving position under the canopy. There are lights in the boat which illuminate the inside and display red/green navigation lights from the canopy, all of which can be turned on and off remotely.
The boat sails nicely with a small brushed motor and isn’t too fast, meaning I’m happy to hand the controller to anyone at the lake. Being invited to have a go was something I loved as a child, so I’m pleased to be able to be on the other side of it now. To date, no children have crashed it (though my adult sister has!)
Orginal plan by Ray Woods, published in the July 2022 Model Boats Magazine issue 860
