Member Model – Ernie’s Dorade

  The prototype is considered to be the first modern yacht. It won the Bermuda regatta in 1932 and the Fastnet race in 1933.

      Ernie’s model is an Amati kit which is intended for static display. Ernie chose this because he was looking for a sailboat design which either included a motor drive, or could be fitted with one. Then if it gets into trouble, he has a means of getting it “home”.

      As part of his modifications to fit it with radio control and motor drive, Ernie has added a large central access hatch, and a smaller one forward. Where the cockpit would be at the stern, Ernie has used it for the switches, and covered it with a hatch.

       One of the challenges Ernie has encountered is the need for adequate run length on the main sheet. (If you’re not too familiar with sailboat terminology, the main sheet is the line that controls the angle at which the mainsail is set.) With the maximum length of servo sail arm that he can fit inside the hull, he has a run length of about 9.5”, which is not enough with the main sheet attached to the end of the main boom.

      The preferred solution is to attach the main sheet at the mid-length of the boom, and have the sheet come out through the deck in a corresponding position. That’s where it gets tricky. The required location is right in the centre of the new hatch which Ernie has fitted, and where the non-drive end of the drive motor sits.

      Ernie’s final solution has been to create a bridge over the hatch and deckhouse which positions the  “anchor point” for the main sheet in the right location over the deck. A simple, single span athwartships is sufficient to provide access to remove the hatch, but with the main sheet coming up through the deck aft of the hatch, there is doubt that a single span would be strong enough in the fore-and-aft direction. Ernie’s overcome that limitation by adding additional supports, an arrangement clearly shown in the photo. This arrangement allows the hatch to be removed rearwards.