Defunct Sterling Kit Emma C. Berry - Originaly a Noank Oyster Smack 1866

[Neons]

I am going to start this Thread with the pictures and Pdf files of the Sailing vessel Emma C. Berry. There will be photos of my friend Bob Gomes of New Bedford conversion to his full size 33ft. Bahama Ketch and my build also of the original Emma C. Berry copy that Sterling produced for years. It is a gem of a sailboat if the vessel is built for RC sailing. By that I mean prepped inside and out for any water intake should it capsize or sink. Untreated wood could mean the end of the hull due to swelling and cracking. Metals for rudder post and the control horns and pushrods should be non ferrous to prevent corrosion and eventual rust freezing or breaking. The screw eyes should be brass as other fittings also. I may be hopping around here with what I post. Remember this was built in the 1980's when limited RC components were all big. Today it is so much better with newer technology and smaller equipment to take less space. Here we go.

Remember: Left Click to Enlarge Photos

[Neons]

Now that you see the plan and may have some interest in this type vessel for it's very classic lines. The first 2 Pdf files are the original Sterling plan and build instructions. You can use them to build the model with the instructions.

The following Pdf files and photos will bring us to the next level of re-incarnation. I communicated with people that had an interest in this vessel and we came up with a newly redrawn plan for the formers and deck parts. A guy named Skipper drew these and posted them in RC Groups Boat section.If you decide to print them out follow his text message tip I uploaded. Print from the redraw and do not mix with the Sterling drawings. One or the other so the parts match. Some printers allow you to split up a large photo or plan into sections and you match and paste them together. You could also take the Pdf file on a jump stick to a local printer and print it out full size. Here are the pictures and the Pdf files.

Found a great Emma C. Berry BUILD LOG by Skipper.
This takes you through the whole process of assembly.
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthr ... ma-C-Berry

[Neons]

I must again point out that I built this in the mid 80's if my memory is correct. Been awhile ago.I made a sail sheet winch from a long lost drawing from an early magazine article. The thing of note was that it was a screw driven travelor on a wood frame. It used dowels for traveling guides. It could be made with any length threaded rod. The size of the bay controlled how long it should be. I used 4-40 threaded rod. The blind nut was on the travelor. There was 2 limit switches to stop the traveling sheet to stop before it self destructed itself. This always worked real well sailing. This tended the main and foresail. The club foot jib was preset for tacking upwind.

If you sailed down wind (wing n wing or Reading the pages) You let all the sail out. As you came around you started to sheet in during the turn. The main sail (rear most) upper gaff and mast top had a fill in topsail that was self tending. Between the main and fore mast I installed by my choice a Fisherman sail. this blanketed the mid area for extra push in light winds. (beware of puffs) She could well over. In order for the sail to self tend in a tack I had to remove the triatic stay. Horizontal from the cross trees from main to fore mast.Only 2 servos were used in the vessel operation. Rudder and sail. The model has some dust over the years sitting around.

The rigging was tan nylon line to simulate the manila lines of the day. There was no such thing as nylon back then. The sails are from a yardage I purchased. I hand sewed all the sails on a sewing machine. I sewed in all the clews or corners in doubled and sewing the grommets. All the reef line were hand sewed also. After all the sails were finished I boiled them in coffee to darken them more to a canvas look of the age. As you may notice in the pictures, linen gives a great sail shape and set while sailing. There was no Dacron sails back then either. Canvas had to be dried after a rain or heavy fog or they would rot. All the sails are laced on like the real time period. One bad feature with the Irish Linen sails that was not known at the time was the water absorption. They soak water and that creates high up excess weight should the boat get blown over by a strong gust and could make the boat take on water and sink. (founder). I beat that problem by using 3-M Scotch Guard. Water beads up like little ball bearings and rolls off the sail.The old formula was stopped years ago. Today they sell a water protectant. I may have to try it should I sail this model again.

The hull was framed as per instructions. The Sterling kit used balsa sheet to plank the hull up in sections former to former. It was like patchwork. I sanded and faired the hull to a nice rounded hull using some spackling also to fill flat parts to the right shape. It took time but it is worth the process. Being a low grade wood that Sterling used it had to be glassed. I turned the hull upside down and laid 0.75 glass cloth to the hull. I think I used polyester glass brushed on with chip brushes. After it cured I turned the hull upright and glassed the interior hull with more resin totally encasing all the wood. The final exterior hull sanding was done to a smooth finish then painted.

A very important thing that most amateur modelers do not think of or do is to make sure that where all the formers meeting the keel area inside the hull has an angle cut to all water to pass between the formers to the lowest part of the hull unobstructed. These are known as Limber Holes.On a real vessel a chain passed from bow to stern through the holes on each former. If the holes got blocked the push and pulled the chain to clear the passage of water to allow it to be pumped out. You can run a plastic fuel line hose to the lowest part to the deck to suck water out with a squeeze basting bulb.

I used fish tank gravel in zip lock bags for some internal ballast. If you sail in puffy wind, it would be wise to make a bolt on outside the keel ballast. bring the vessel down to the hull waterline. Sail has to be tended the same as a real vessel. If breezy take the topsails in. You can sail with the jib and mainsail only or with the foresail and jib if too windy. She is very pretty under sail.

Remember: Left Click to Enlarge Photos

[Neons]

Before I post these photos I will mention that I will post the Model Shipways static model for display further down. It is a real beauty of the way the vessel looked when it was first built to do the oyster fisheries. Emma C. has been restore for the Mystic Seaport Museum some years ago now. It is a fine vessel in her present state. Imagine over 150+ years old. Enjoy the photos.

Note the bottom picture is a fashioned 33ft.Bahamas ketch my friend owned as Shoto-Kan built in FL in 1956. Later I purchased it from him and sailed her as Yankee Girls up until a hurricane took her in 1979.

[Neons]

First I will do the B&W original pictures of her early days as a family schooner. These give some great details.

Then a booklet,

Here is a great booklet on the detailing of the Model Shipway's fully scale display model. In this booklet you will see the finished model and fine details of setups and rigging her to a realistic model display or on the Sterling sail model. This is back to her original single mast sloop rigging. In 1933 she was purchased and converted to a schooner until 1947.
Download the Pdf Booklet near the end of the article.

In a final photo you will see her in Mystic Seaport being totally restored.
Remember: Left Click to Enlarge Photos
Enjoy

[Neons]

Here is a wonderful Build log of an RC Schooner IRENE. All the information is very usable even on the EMMA C> BERRY. The video on this schooner is so much fun to watch. The educational video of making blocks and a drop keel is very informative. Great way to set up the sails and store them using pelican hooks too.There are also 2 other vessels he made in this Forum. Plans and sails can be purchased here reasonable also. Enjoy.
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthr ... oner-Irene

An index with many How To's that will help the entry level builder.This link has nothing to do with Sterling Emma C. Berry. It is just an encyclopedia of helpful tips in an organized for easy find help of the RC schooner Bear. But there is relative help here for making the boat an RC conversion. Updated 8-2022
https://ezyind.xyz/