Mini-MAGIC's bronze turnbuckles, each fully functional and about 2" long.
AlanH, I knew you'd be an admirer of the new mini-MAGIC and posed some questions to Craig, who has owned, designed, crewed, navigated, and skippered schooners inshore and offshore the majority of his years.
Here's Craig's comments:
"Yes, the body of the winches will serve as turning “blocks” for the sheets of the loose-footed foresail and the headsail. As you suggested, these will be pivoting around a vertical bolt/bushing/cap combination. No need for a ratchet as the sheeting in or easing out occurs below deck at the R/C servo – as the working sheets come in on one side, the other lazy sheets are eased out automatically. (Sounds like a Scott Easom rig, hihi)
Initially, reefing gear will not be rigged…but!!... the R/C transmitter has the ability to handle 6 to 12 channels and we will only be using 3 to sail her, so if I have nothing else to do….
The sails are ordered from a quilting lady nearby.
Hollow spruce masts are planned. The foregaff will be very light as well. Camera(s) can be rigged aboard to record that screaming broad reach across Morro Bay you wrote about ;-) The Dorades will be hollow, but will not vent below.
Displacement is calculated at 60 lbs in salt water. I suspect that the boat, minus her ballast keel, may come in in the 25-30 # range, so the lead bulb on the bottom of her (future) “daggerboard-style” fin keel should help keep her upright (depending upon how far down I hang the thing.)
A friend who builds similar sized R/C schooners put a recording GPS unit aboard one of his boats and clocked his on several runs. He ran the calculation to get a scale speed and was hitting 9-11 (scaled) knots reaching. It will be fun to do the same with m-MAGIC once I get her sorted out in her sea trials.
I will, no doubt, think up other projects to do on her, should I be granted enough tinkering time."
The future MAGIC crossing Morro Bay under full sail? Hot Dog!