Another Canuck on the forum

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I’d like to start by wishing You and Yours all the best in this new year.
My name is Wally and I’m a Quality Engineer. I live in St Thomas Ontario Canada. I’ve been model building for over 40 years now. Started with control line nitro aircraft, freeflight. Couldn’t afford one of the Kraft Radios as the price was way out of mt budget. I got dizzy flying the planes and they were just too terminal. They’d go up and after they came down it was back to the workshop for repairs or salvage what I could before the rest went into the trash. Did some RC cars and trucks but my hand-eye coordination wasn’t up to the task. I always loved to build and was taken by the ingenuity of the mechanics involved in making a model perform.
I am new to sailing but have been doing a lot of nitro speedboat building and competing as of late. One day last summer I went to our pond (the Tames Valley Model Boat Club) to tune a couple of my nitro boats. I had made a error as it was the day that had been designated as wind power day. Just the sail boys were allowed to run. That is when the wheels started churning and my mind flickered with thoughts of trying a sailboat.
I stumbled across this sight and it is rare that I sit and read for any length of time but you have some very knowledgeable members who do excellent work. Never have I read 30+ pages of one thread without getting bored but I was mesmerized (it was the Alinghi build thread back in '09).
I hope there is something beneficial I can bring to the table but at this juncture I’m sure I’ll be asking more than I’ll be answering.

Wally

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Gday Wally & welcome

In my opinion, there is a vast difference between powered (gas/electric) sailing and using the wind.

The main reason I bought a sailboat was because the batteries lasted longer!!! (COmpare 20 minutes for a fast electric with 8-10 hours for a sailboat…)

I find I am now old enough to appreciate the serenity, but still young enough to appreciate the ever changing challenge of sailing well in varying conditions. I am sailing a number of cheap chinese boats (Hobbyking) and find them quite satisfying.

You may find it beneficial to get a sailboat similar to what is being sailed locally in your area…

But most of all - have fun!!!

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I know there is a vast difference and the learning curve for me will be steep.
We may loose our pond to development and there is a reservoir nearby so the intent is to go there rather than the 20 minute commute to the pond.
I never did the FE thing. Always loved the smell of nitro. Nearly bought the HK Monsoon but then I saw a Victor Valkyrie M. I’m working on that now. Anyone have any helpful hints on the build of the Valkyrie M (the 50" one)? I just blueprinted the hull and it is ‘wanting’. Tried to get a little info from Victor boats regarding balance points but they are a little tight lipped on the issue.
Wally