tictac80

I recently acquired these two RC sailboats. They will be my winter projects to restore to sailing condition. Both have very old electronics and will be updated.

The first one is 36" OAL and has a single sail and a one-piece mast/boom... very strange (to me). It also has no shrouds although there are fasteners for them. Another peculiar feature is the hinged rudder instead of a rudder post.

The second one has a "ROBBE" decal on the hull and the word "SUNKIST" on the stern that looks factory-painted. Its OAL is 1M/39.5". Other than that the rigging appears to be quite standard.

I would appreciate it if anyone could identify either of these models. Thank you in advance.

gorge windsurfer

This looks like the second boat is a

Robbe Skandia Sailboat RC do a google search.

tictac80

Yes, I googled it and it sure looks like a match.
Thank you very much.

mfr02

When I first started model boats, there were pictures and line drawings of R36R boats with various rigs, one of which was the "Una rig" that looked a lot like yours.
About the same time there was a local class called a "Mustang" that was larger, with a single sail but a much simpler arrangement, which was spotted by an eminent Marblehead skipper at an event and he had a think and developed the Laser class.
The layout on that one must date back to the early/mid '80's. The difficulties associated with producing a reliable rig configured like that militated against its general adoption. That, and the introduction of swing rigs.

tictac80

Since doing some work on the first boat pictured in post #1, I have discovered more of the boat's structure. It is entirely filled with foam, so I assume it was a foam mould that was covered with wood, then fibre glassed. I have cleaned out some of the foam in the cabin area to make room for new servos and sail servo arm. Then I lined the remaining exposed foam with balsa to tidy up the interior. I had thought of restoring this boat with a Bermuda rig, but first, I will try it with the single sail shown and see how it sails. Since a cat rig has its mast way forward compared to this boat, I'm wondering if I'm going to have too much weather helm. Anyway, we'll see when the ice melts in the spring and I will report back.

nyslick13

I used to have a Skandia like that. Amazing boats.

tictac80

I have replaced the electronics in my Skandia. Before the spring thaw, I will need to clean the sails and re-do the rigging. I have read that it's no match for the Soling, but I have no intentions of racing it. It sure looks like it's built solid. I can't wait to get it out in a fresh breeze. this spring.

Lostmarble

Hey tictac80 would you have any more information on the Skandia at all? What components did you upgrade the servos with? Did you upgrade the controller as well? Thanks!

tictac80

Lostmarble,
I have put in these servos: Hitec HS-81 for the rudder and a DS3218MG for the sails. Both servos are working well in this boat. As for the controller I am currently using a Spektrum DX6i but I will be switching all my boats to FlySky (FSi6) soon. Below is the servo layout. The receiver is hiding up under the gunwhale on the starboard side and the battery is under the cockpit at the back. Do you have a Skndia as well?

Lostmarble

I have been offered one that was never built. Apparently some of the pieces were messed up so I’ll see how bad once I receive it... unfortunately COVID will be delaying this. You wouldn’t by chance have the instructions would you?

tictac80

No, sorry. I don't have instructions. If you have built or modified other RC sailboats, it shouldn't be that difficult to put it together.
If you have the hull, deck, keel and sails, much of the rest can be made or improvised. Even the mast can be made from dowelling.

thomas.armstrong

Hi - I've been following this with interest. I found a building plan and uploaded it here for you to download ("Bauplan"): http://www.allradiosailboats.com/design/skandia
It's not a perfect scan but I hope it will be good enough for you.

Regards,
Thomas Armstrong
www.allradiosailboats.com

Aman1234

I purchased a Robbe Skandia Sailboat Hull on eBay. It does not have the keel, mast or sails. Can someone give me the dimensions of the Keel and the Height of the Mast.

Thanks,

tictac80

I don't have my Skandia anymore and regret selling it now. Anyway, I did keep some data on it. The mast is 54" above the deck. The overall height from the bottom of the keel to the top of the mast is 67". And the draft from the waterline to the bottom of the keel is about 9". I hope that helps a little. Good luck with it.

Aman1234

Thanks for the help. It is more than I had before. It will get me started.

AEK42

Doesn't that cockpit hold water?

mfr02

Without a close fitting lid to keep it out, or some means of draining it to the outside world, yes it would. But only until it gets to the level of the hole where the pushrod exits. Then it will drain into the hull. A rubber bellows as used by the fast boat guys will help, but a positive drain via the transom is the best bet.

Aman1234

On the Skandia, Is the keel weighted? It is just a fin, no Ballast. Thanks,

tictac80

The Skandia is 8.75 pounds. I would think the keel would have to be weighted to at least half that ... maybe 5 or 6 lbs.
I sometimes balance an RC sailboat by laying it down horizontally on a dowel. It should balance when the dowel is near the vertical center of the keel.
This will depend on hull shape and sail area, so it's only a rough estimation.
If possible, add some ballast, then test it in the water. Add more ballast till it floats at its waterline level.

Here is a good explanation that I found online:
"General rule of thumb is that the bulb should be some where between 60-70% of the total weight of the boat for good righting moment, the lower the bulb weight ratio the more boat will be prone to heel too far. Having said that, most commercially made RC yachts are not designed to carry high bulb weight ratios, so you may then wish to keep adding weight until you get the hull sailing on its lines correctly, too much weight will sink the hull in the water and increased wetted surface area and slow the boat down (noticeably in light wind)".

mfr02

A bit of extra to the above - the added weight, if external to the fin, needs to be a good shape. I did see a few years ago a guy who had added weight down below that was an unshaped block. The yacht sat up right nicely, but was reluctant to actually move. A nicely shaped end cap that added weight and increased fin length worked well.

Area of the fin provides damping against the tendency of the boat to flick over, the weight at the end provides the righting moment. Any weight more than half way up the fin is not really helping.
"Real" boats like dinghys that have a relatively unweighted dagger board work because they have moving counterbalance ballast to try to keep them upright. Also called a "crew".

tictac80

Very good advice, MFR02.
I have added a few ounces of weight to a bulb at the bottom of a keel by pounding wheel weights (with a hammer) into the approximate shape around the bulb. I then used auto body filler to smooth it into a torpedo type of shape. It worked well. It may have slowed the boat down but not noticeably; it certainly allowed for sailing in more wind.

Aman1234

Thanks for the responses. I found a place that sells a Soling one meter Keel. Looks similar to the Skandia Keel. Do you think it would work? Maybe a good starting point. I was going to scratch build something.

tictac80

The Soling is about 1.25 pounds heavier than the Skandia but most other specs are very close. I'm sure the Skandia would sail with a Soling keel but it may not be the optimum weight and shape if you are aiming for best performance. Here is something I would try before buying the Soling keel: get the exact weight of the Soling keel, then find something of the same weight. Use that same weight as a reference and hang it under your Skandia or set it inside the bottom of the hull. Then float the hull in water (if it has a keel hole in the bottom be sure to plug it somehow). The boat should float very close to its waterline. Hopefully your hull has a waterline indication - a pinstripe or change in hull colour maybe.
Let us know how it works out and Good luck.

Aman1234

Hi Tictac80, the Soling replacement Keel I found is hollow and needs lead shot to be added. I the boat is still in transit from the seller, so I can't start experimenting yet. But the Soling Keel sounds like a good option. I can start at 4lbs and keep adding weight until it hits the waterline. I will not be racing this, so it will be fine. Thanks for your help.

Prestontony

I use silicon tubing that they use for sealing house windows up. works well