Introducing the Salish 475 RC Sailboat

Yes, it's the same boat, but with a new name all its own... the Salish 475 RC Sailboat. Perhaps it should be formally known as the Coast Salish 475 in homage to the First Nations Coast Salish peoples of the Pacific Northwest and to better define it as being from the PNW coast. Some might object to it being named after a people though, so in that case it will be simply the Salish 475 as in the Salish Sea.

Although I have taken 9 credits at the University of Washington from Bill Holm on Northwest Coast Native American art, I do not have adequate talents yet to incorporate NW Coast art onto the boat. Perhaps in a future boat!

A number of ideas were floated on the RC Groups discussion, but the final vote was my wife's. I like it!

By the way... it's pronounced "Say lish".

The Coast Salish 475:

• LOA: 47.5"
• Beam: 11.375"
• Weight: 14.5 lbs, 9 of it in the bulb (Yes, it could easily be build lighter... this was the prototype)
• Kiln-dried cedar bottom planking
• Kiln-dried fir decking with walnut veneer between planks to simulate caulking
• 1/16 plywood sides
• 1/32 plywood hatch (two layers of 1/32 plywood epoxy laminated together to match the curve of the deck, with supports added and neoprene to seal the hatch) with mast step holes built into it
• Star 45 laser cut frames from Stevens Aeromodel. Only used frames 1-8. 1 - 6 in the normal slots, then skipped a slot and put frame 7 in slot 8, skipped another slot and put frame 8 in slot 10. Then flared out the tops of frames 7 & 8. Transom cut out of the overhang.
• Bulb from CPM
• Sails from Carr Sails
• SailsEtc booms and rigging
• Ludwig mast
• RMG280ES SmartWinch

Read through the earlier posts on this blog for how it was built and the differences in building it compared to a regular Star 45. The Salish 475 is a modified Star design and should be able to be built by anyone with skills and tools enough to build a standard Star 45.

This is a 'builder's' boat by the way, meant for those who enjoy the building process and like to push their skills. There are no fiberglass or plastic hulls available. This is the prototype and only one exists so far (USA001x). If you are like me and appreciate a wooden, hand-built RC sailboat, then you might consider building one of these yourself. If I can get frames designed and cut then we might have a better chance of having a USA002 built!

No, as of now there are no other boats to race against and certainly no fleets. Performance-wise it is very close, obviously, to a Star 45 but perhaps a touch faster. If you built one it would be for the pleasure of having a lovely, high-performing, wooden RC sailboat for your local waters. 

I haven't made an addendum to the Star 45 Construction Manual (PDF or Print versions) yet on how to make a Salish 475, but if there is any interest about it please let me know either here or on the RC Groups discussion page. You can also just buy the Star 45 Construction Manual and then follow along on this blog for the differences.

I would be very excited if anyone else were to build one! A new class...?


Peace!  _/)

Steve

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So for the most part, this concludes this series of blog entries for the construction of the Salish 475 RC Sailboat! I may add more entries in the future if anything else becomes of the boat or if people are interested in it. But otherwise it's time to move off to new adventures. What will I build next fall during my next building season (I have too many other outdoor adventures and house projects during the summer)?? I've already purchased a Proctor 1/6th scale Sopwith Camel. It's an RC airplane but I'm way too chicken to fly it, so I'll build it as a static model. I may also build another RC sailboat though as sailing and boats are my top interest! IOM? Marblehead? Tipencanoe T50? Another Star 45 or Salish 475? I'm not sure what I'll do but whatever I do I'll post it here or on a linked page. Peace! 

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