Mini Scow

[DiasDePlaya]

Hello friends,

I have long been intrigued with the Melges Scows, I get the impression that they are very fast. In Chile there is none like to look at him personally.
Now I'm competing in radio controlled boats "Victoria" class and I'm thinking about building a RG-65.
The Chilean National Championship is in summer when winds are strong, then I'm thinking of designing a hull Scow type. They appear to be very fast with strong winds.
I must respect the rules that the rudder and the keel should go centered, but I am thinking of a long rudder and a flexible aluminum keel to hang the bulb almost vertically and does not prevent heeling of the hull to take advantage of its width.

Will work?

[Doug Lord]

Hi, and welcome to the forum! I've built quite a few RC models including an RC
scow(see pix below). I crewed on a 28' E scow when I was a kid-what a blast!
One of the problems with an RC scow is that it needs movable ballast to be able to heel the boat to reduce wetted surface and to be able to power up in strong winds. My boat used a small lead bulb on a keel fin in addition to the Power Ballast System-to insure righting in the event of a knockdown. In my experience, in any international class or any classes specific to just the USA, movable ballast is universally prohibited by development class rules. This is very,very unfortunate!
If you can't use movable ballast I wouldn't do a scow. Good luck!


click on image and then click again on resulting image:

[Chris Ostlind]

Dias,

Build the scow as you like if you stay within the rules. You'll find out soon enough if your ideas are an enhancement, or not. Thousands of model boat sailors worldwide manage to stay within the rules and they have a great time doing so.

If you design and build your boat outside the rules, as is being suggested, you'll be invited to stay away from the organized competition.

Most of all... Have fun.

[tspeer]

Originally Posted by DiasDePlaya

...I am thinking of a long rudder and a flexible aluminum keel to hang the bulb almost vertically and does not prevent heeling of the hull to take advantage of its width.

Will work?

The problem that I see is it allows the boat to heel when it should be sailed flat, and it doesn't allow the boat to heel when it needs to be sailed heeled.

A scow is sailed with heel in light winds to reduce the wetted area by getting almost half the hull out of the water. In heavy winds, the boat is sailed upright so it can plane on the flat bottom.

Your concept will have the boat sailing upright in light winds, giving it maximum wetted area when there is no possibility of planing. When there is enough power to plane, the boat will be heeled over and sailing on its narrow rounded bilge.

The flexible keel is effectively reducing the weight of the keel. You still have the length for hydrodynamic efficiency, but the heeling moment would be equivalent to a lighter bulb on a stiff keel.

Instead of a scow hull, you might consider a hull with a rounded V or flared shape to the bottom, so it is narrow when upright in light winds, and then heels onto flattened areas for planing in higher winds.

[DiasDePlaya]

I do not think I explained well. My idea is to make a boat ONLY FOR STRONG WINDS.
As the regulation of RG-65 has no limitations to the weight of the bulb I want to make a collection of interchangeable bulbs to get the right heel for the wind of the day.