This article appears in the Jan 2002 edition of the Acquaint - Submitted by the MYA Publicity Officer Robert Hobbs

Having been bitten by the bug of radio yacht sailing after your visit to Gosport and the members have prized their transmitter from your hands, there are a few things that are not immediately evident when just enjoying controlling the yacht on the lake.

Most people will start with a second-hand One Metre yacht, and although this is not very large on the water, it should be borne in mind that for transport the yacht can be de-rigged and the fin removed.

Yacht Components

The hull is the main support for the mast, the fin, the ballast and the rudder. In most yachts the ballast and the fin are fixed together and are removable from the hull. The mast is also removable from the hull and may be a complete item with the boom and kicking strap attached, or the mast will be split just above the boom. The sails are normally left attached to the mast and its fittings and can be kept in a sail box or bag.

Radio Control Gear

This consists of a transmitter, hand held, and a receiver mounted in the yacht, these are linked electrically via the frequency crystals, which allow more than one yacht to be sailed on the lake by various skippers. Batteries are required in the transmitter and on the yacht to drive the receiver, the winch and the rudder servo. It is necessary to maintain the electrical contacts on these items corrosion free and in good condition, soldered joints and plugs should be frequently inspected. The winch, servo and receiver should be protected from contact with water. The rudder servo controls the movement of the rudder and the winch controls the movement of the jib and main sail; occasionally some yachts will be fitted with a large servo with an arm, rather than a winch. A charger is necessary for re-charging your batteries as dry ones are expensive and inconvenient.

Rigging and Sheets

The mast is supported with shrouds and adjustable bottle screws to maintain their tension. A back-stay is fitted from the top of the mast to the stern fixing. The tension on the front is provided via the deck hook and the adjustment at the top of the jib adjacent to the mast. Various other cords (sheets) are used to control the opening of the sails, the tension of the various edges of the sail and the position of the sail relative to the booms. The main sheet fitted to the winch, which provides the pulling power normally runs under the deck, and should be checked frequently for fraying. When assembling a yacht and adjusting all of these items it is essential to have a stable stand for the yacht, as both hands will be necessary for some adjustments.

Maintenance

All of the above items together with your deck patches require regular attendance if your time at the lake is not to be involved with electrical and mechanical break-downs. Time at the lake is for sailing and learning how to achieve the best performance. The crucial aspect of sail setting (the engine of your yacht) is shown on the reverse of this sheet.

Good luck with your new yacht and hope you have many years of enjoyable sailing.