Builing an IOM Model Yacht
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Making foam plug
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Making a Wooden Boat
  Making wooden plug / hull  
  Making a wooden deck  
  Finishing hull  
 

This site is primarily intended to help those building a one off IOM (International One Metre) or a similar radio controlled model yacht. Essentially the hull and decks can either by built in Glass / Epoxy throughout, or in Wood - typically Cedar or Balsa (balsa needs glass sheathing), and with a very thin ply deck.

Where you are intending to build a few similar boats, for example a group of you want to build the same design, a female mould of some form should be made. This is not dealt with here.

 
 
 
 
Do I build in Wood?
 
or in Glass / Epoxy?
 
  To me, wood is much prettier, but glass is likely to give a lighter, possilby stronger boat, so faster if done well. You can use correctors and put them in the right place for the conditions.  
 

I spent over a year deciding on what design to build, and was lucky to be lent a one off designed IOM which helped me get to know the class. Eventually I decided to go for a V8 IOM designed by Ian Vickers, believing this will give me the best chance of going well in all conditions with the current crop of IOMs. As this was my first go at such a project, I also decided to try out techniques and make my mistakes (hopefully) on another build first, so I made one to my own design, a design that I had done drawn up before I got the Vickers plans.

Several other club members built similar boats (V8s) and Goths, and now Alternatives, so the following pages are mainly from my forst build, but also include other members photos.

To complicate the process, I react to Epoxy resin and many other chemicals, so please read this page to help working with Epoxy.

Happy building & hope this site helps

P.S. whatever time you think it will take to build your boat, it will almost certainly take you much longer.