world pond yacht day

May 30th 2021

World Pond Yacht Day

A worldwide event.

Sunday, 26th May 2024

Where to sail, yacht ponds and boating lakes..

Where to sail can be a problem, safety should be paramount especially with young children who should be supervised at all times. When introducing very young children to sailing model yachts it is best to find a raised pond like those at Aldeburgh near the Moot Hall and in the Croft, Sudbury, here you can free sail quite easily. Many parks have ponds and lakes but the maturity of overhanging trees and shrubs often dictates that these ponds are only suitable for radio control or sailing using a tether. Some sites like Wicksteed Park in Kettering however do have specially designed yacht ponds where you can free sail small and large yachts alike. It is a question of going to look beforehand to check the suitability of the yacht pond.

Village and town duck ponds are of course very handy some are in beautiful locations and are perfect for sailing but only if they do not have steep banks and are not choked with bullrushes, using a tether is advisable if some of the banks are inaccessible. One renowned duck pond is Consols pond near St Ives in Cornwall this pond hosts an all-comers sailing event every Good Friday this is a tradition that dates back over a hundred years!

The Seaside

Some seaside resorts provide outdoor swimming pools that fill when the tide comes in, the attraction with these pools is that the concrete edges act like breakwaters reducing the effect of crashing waves creating a virtual harbour providing a calm sailing experience. Smaller toy yachts can be sailed in rock pools or lagoons, but if you want to sail in the sea then you need to find a coast with a long shallow beach, such a beach will reduce the strength and height of the waves. It is best to find a section of tidal estuary like that near the car park in Kingsbridge, Devon. Your yacht should be washed down using tap water immediately after use as the corrosive action of seawater will cause the metal fittings to corrode.

Lakes are usually very overgrown with the water only accessible from swims made for anglers, they often have steep slippery banks, so they are usually best suited to radio-controlled sailing they can be very large, with many obstructions that will impede free sailing, Such dangers are overhanging tree branches, tree roots, thick reed beds, thick Lily beds and islands. It is advisable to sail with a tether then you can at least pull your yacht from danger. Some lakes in parks do a hard standing and Tarmac paths at the water's edge the edge of the water is sometimes better maintained, these lakes are more suitable if you are lucky enough to live near one.

Mill ponds can be accessible for sailing model yachts but be sure to ask the landowners permission some can be choked with cabbage weed and be too shallow, but you are certain of a beautiful location. Access may only be available from one bank so tethering your yacht would be sensible.

Sailing in a canal can be difficult if the water is difficult to reach and full of narrowboats, however, there is usually very little current and the banks are free from overhanging trees and bullrushes. Sailing with a tether is advisable.

Sailing on rivers can be difficult not only can they have steep banks, but the banks can be unstable and slippery. Some rivers are too fast-flowing and are too shallow to sail on, however, some rivers like the Great Ouse flow very fast and are also very deep. If you fell in you would be swept away. If you do find a suitable river your yacht will of course have to contend with a current, a tether would be very advisable.

Swimming Pools

Swimming pools either outdoors or indoors provide a super place to sail at home the water is clean and blue, you can access the water from all points around the pool, indoor pools are perfect for sailing in winter keeping you dry and warm, with the added bonus of heated water.

Garden Ponds

If you are lucky enough to have a garden pond you can sail your yachts in the tranquillity of your garden, just be careful not to spook your goldfish. Garden ponds come in a variety of sizes some are ornamental whilst others have been made to support wildlife, either type of pond is suitable.

Paddling Pools

Paddling pools are usually inflatable, come in various sizes and some are often deep enough to sail small to medium-sized yachts. Just be careful not to puncture the pool. 

Tin Baths and Butler Sinks

Some of us are not able to access a local pond suitable for sailing, but if you have a tin bath or an old Butler sink you can at least float your smaller yachts, in fact on Star Yachts Float Your Boat Day you are encouraged to sail on or in anything that comes to hand whether a bucket or the bath. Float Your Boat Day is held on the 30th of June each year and is held to remember the closure of the Star Yacht factory in Birkenhead near Liverpool. 

Model Yacht Clubs.

If you are a beginner you could join a local model sailing club, you are then joining a support group of like-minded experienced people that will help you get the best from your yacht, there are many model boat clubs up and down the country. Members have varied interests some are into radio control others just powerboats but there will be someone that like you that just wants to free sail for fun.

The Vintage Model Yacht Group is also worth joining, you will then receive The Turning Pole, this publication is issued quarterly you can read other members articles on racing yachts down to clockwork and rubbered powered toy boats. Along with the latest news and items for sale, they have an excellent web site that is full of additional information.

Sailing a vintage Star SY1 on the village pond in winter

What makes a good yacht pond?

You might also ask "so what makes a good boat pond?" The answer is - a pond where your boat will not get stuck or lost. Free-sailing pond yachts are designed to sail across a pond in a fairly straight line and need to be turned on the opposite bank, either by hand or by using a turning pole. Once launched they are at the mercy of the prevailing wind and could go anywhere, especially if the wind changes.

I f your chosen pond has any of the listed issues, your boat is very likely to get stuck and lost.   Avoid sailing your pride and joy without the use of a suitable tether.  You might also be able to assess the hazard and get past them with a long turning pole .

Bulrushes or water lilies

Shallow muddy edges

Fenced-off parts of the bank

Overhanging buildings

Sheer walls as part of the bank

Overhanging trees

An outlet to a bigger lake or the sea

Fences, walls or dams that you can’t walk on safely

Rocky edges.

Other obstacles to look out for are 

Tidal ponds.

These are found on beaches and will disappear as the tide comes in.  Look for pools that have smooth bottoms, beware of those that are rocky as your yacht could become trapped.

Club Hazards.

Some clubs leave out annoying floating docks in the pond, these will trap free-sailing boats.

Avoid sailing if the pond is full of pedalos or rowboats not just when they are being used on the pond but also when they have been moored up. These can form a trap for your model yacht.

Some poorly maintained yacht ponds can become clogged with algae lookout for a blue Algal bloom in high summer it is poisonous. Clogged up yacht ponds will snag your yacht unless you sail using a tether so that you can pull it free.

Be prepared for disappointment and if the yacht pond is unusable contact the local authority and let them know your feelings. You never know if you complain enough they might just put things right.

Warning!! Never sail on a gravel pit! They are dangerous! They often have slippery steep and unstable banks and hidden dangers beneath the water. You have been warned.

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2024 POND YACHT CHALLENGE May 19th 2024  

And free sailing them on world pond yacht day may 26th 2024.

Inspired by the 'Vintage Model Yacht Group' and 'Bring Back Toy Boats', the challenge for 2024 is to build and sail a free-running monohull pond yacht. It must be no more than 18 inches overall length and no more than 8 inches deep (to allow for a dry summer!). There can be no radio control and, to keep it simple, Vane gear or 'Braine' may not be used. This challenge is to replicate the fun of free sailing pond yachts and toy boats of the past 200 years before radio control..

These yachts will compete in three events:

Sail Straight - Score points by aiming then releasing the boat and it going between the coloured buoys. 5 points for a bull, 3 for the next, 1 for an outer, 0 for a complete miss

Be the fastest - Two at a time knockout racing across the pond.

Concours d'elegance - The most boat-like and best made craft as judged by a non-competitor. Bonus points awarded for building the boat yourself.

The combined results will also be used within the club to calculate the club member who wins the Bob Morrison Trophy for 2024.

Like all of our competitions this is for fun! Luck will be required for your yacht to sail accurately in a straight line and for the wind to be advantages to you.

Be aware that the course will be set out at 90 degrees to the prevailing wind on the day - square rigged boats are unlikely to be successful.

Build a yacht and be lucky!

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Pond Yacht Restoration

Restore/complete your own pond yacht and get it ready for sailing or display..

John Stoudt was an industrial arts teacher focusing on woodworking, metalworking, and architectural and engineering drawing. He honed his skills and further developed his expertise here at WoodenBoat School. John took his first class with Alan Suydam, returning many years to build and sail model yachts. He has built and restored over 100 model boats, including many vintage model yachts. His skill set enables him to build a complete boat including hull construction, custom fittings, casting ballasts, making the sails, and tuning the rig for sailing. John is president of the United States Vintage Model Yacht Group (USVMYG) and an associate regional director of the American Model Yacht Association. He collects model yachts and currently has over 60 boats in his collection. John races various pond yachts in Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania and has participated in National events, placing in the top three on multiple occasions in the vintage Marblehead class USVMYG National Championship regatta with his 1934 vintage Marblehead.

This course is appropriate for students with some knowledge and experience. Basic knowledge and use of hand tools is required for most shop courses. Basic knowledge and ability to sail is required for most waterfront courses.

This course involves a low level of activity throughout the week including: occasional standing and working, seating is usually available, working on your own project at your own pace is common.

This is a six-day course ending Saturday

There are various models and pond yachts out in the world in need of repair or restoration. The boat may have been a family heirloom, a model you found in an antique shop or at a flea market, or a project that you began but couldn’t find time to complete. If you happen to have such a boat, this week with John Stoudt will present you with the opportunity to evaluate your model and determine a plan for its restoration and completion. The work might include repairing a damaged hull, building a new rig, making fittings, repairing a vane gear, getting the electronics working, installing new electronics, or re-rigging the boat. An unfinished boat could have a planked deck built and installed, hatch openings framed, hatches built and fitted, spars constructed, electronics installed and set up, or the rig built and installed. A display and travel stand could also be built. And there may even be the chance to establish a waterline and paint the model to your specifications.

Students may bring any type of pond yacht, especially those rigged for remote control. Some older self-steering boats could be reconfigured for remote control sailing or the self-steering mechanism could be repaired. If you have any questions about the boat or model you have, you can contact the instructor through the WoodenBoat School office.

John Stoudt will consult with each student prior to the course to develop an understanding of your boat and plan of work. Together you will determine what materials and supplies you will need to bring along and what John will make available. He will have other materials and parts on hand for the unexpected. A final plan for the restoration and/or completion of your boat will be established on the first day of class. Each morning, the students and John will evaluate where they are, how they have progressed, and how to proceed. Come spend a week at WoodenBoat School and develop a passion for models that is both fun and rewarding!

This course is appropriate for students with some knowledge and experience.  Basic knowledge and use of hand tools is required for most shop courses.

What Our Students Are Saying

John Stoudt is absolutely one of the best instructors I’ve had here at your school. Very knowledgeable and willing to share his expertise with all his students. POND YACHT RESTORATION was exactly what I wanted and needed. I would definitely take this course again!

T.B., Kenosha, Wisconsin

Register For This Course

Courses fill quickly, so don't delay if this is a course you want to take.

Related Courses

Woodcarving, carving name boards, build your own plank constructed pond yacht, introduction to woodworking.

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Marblehead model yacht by Michael_A - Radio - 1:1 - 1940s design by J. Selmer Larson

By Michael_A May 26, 2021 in - Build logs for subjects built 1901 - Present Day

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Hello everyone,

I started this model a few months ago and am creating this build log (my first) so I can show the progress to date and get advice moving forward.  I have to say I am feeling a little nervous! The boat is a 50" model yacht of the Marblehead class. This class was started in the Depression era when, like now, people had more free time on their hands. These models were designed to sail in ponds (like the one in Central Park in NYC). Initially they would sail on their own and be redirected by the owner at the edge of the pond, with a stick. Now, they are mostly radio control. I'm more interested in building than sailing so we'll see how far I progress in that area. 

The design is by J. Selmer Larson, a well-known sculptor during that time. I love the hull design and am interested in working with aircraft plywood. 

I am really interested in seeing how well I can do using the tools I already own – I don't want to buy a lot of stuff just for this model. Here's the strongback (materials from Home Depot) and the beginning of the keel. It's in two halves to make it easier to form. I don't own a table saw so most of my timber will be standard dimensional spruce. 

Here are the molds, and my first pass at the keel fin. Parts of the fin will extend up to the deck to support the mast. Molds are made of MDF and the fin is two layers of 1/16" aircraft plywood epoxied together; to be built up and strengthened later on. I do admit, I bought a nice jigsaw just for this model; even so the molds do not feel very accurate. I can fair up the hull later as I get more into it (I hope).

Here's the framework with the sheer clamps installed. It all feels a bit wobbly so I put some dowels between the molds to add some rigidity. If you look carefully you can see my high-tech twisted wire clamps. The green tape will help keep the boat itself from being glued to the molds. At least that is the plan. I"m not sure how I will get the  boat out once it is planked either. 

That's all for now! My main takeaway so far: A huge amount of thought and planning is required for each step. Once the planning is done the actual "work" takes very little time at all. I was surprised how far you have to think ahead to make sure everything will work out at the end. I'm guessing this is an experience most of you all are very familiar with. 

Thank you all for your attention and I hope to post more soon.

• GrandpaPhil , aechmea , KeithAug and 4 others

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I assume that most of our members already realize this, but it's worth mentioning that the build is 1:1 because it's not a scale model -- it's a full-size replica of a craft that was designed from the get-go as a pond yacht. Should be interesting -- good luck!

• mtaylor and Moab

Chris Coyle Greer, South Carolina When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk. - Tuco

Current builds: Brigantine Phoenix , Hawker Hurricane

Exactly! There are a lot of forces on a sailing model so the hull and rig have to be very strong. The bow will have a "bumper" to reduce damage in the case of a collision. 

Class M models are fun to sail. I encourage you to consider RC-ing her. Just need a single winch to control the two sheets and a rudder servo....

Ian, Thanks for the encouragement. I've pretty much made up my mind to complete this with RC. I may try to find someone to help me to the RC setup when I reach that point. 

Now that I have the molds in place I decided to use a block for the stem and transom. It weighs a little extra but gives me plenty of gluing surface, and I don't think the weight will make a big difference. Fun to get all the angles squared away! I am using the second power tool I purchased for this project; a 12" disc sander from Harbor Freight. It works great.

I glued the keelson over the molds and attached it to the sheer clamp using the blocks at both the stem and stern. Twisted wire worked well for the clamps.

Here's a view of everything so far, including the chine logs which I bevelled in advance.

Note, the spruce keelson was too thick (too stiff) so I had to cut into it every few inches to make it more flexible. 

Starting to look more like a boat now! I have glued the keel fin into the keelson to make it one solid structure. I will reinforce the keel later as it has to hold a 10lb lead bulb.

Thanks for reading and I will post more progress soon. I hope you all had a great weekend!

• Roger Pellett , GrandpaPhil , yvesvidal and 2 others

Time to put on the two side planks! These are made from 1/16" 3ply birch plywood, from Boulter Plywood in  Boston. It's an amazing material – stiff and very light – and the surface is very clean. Here's my first try at wrapping the ply around the hull: 

I epoxied the side onto the framework, holding it on with as many clamps as I own. I guess you can never have too many clamps! 

I pinned the planks to the chine using toothpicks to prevent any shifting as the glue dried. The epoxy has no holding power when it is wet ....

Finally, I made a tiny transom to cover the blocks at the stern (and bow). Eventually the bow will have a rounded "bumper" in case there are any collisions.

Next step is to put on the bottom. Back to you all soon!

• mtaylor , ccoyle , aechmea and 2 others

That looks a very nice project, Michael.

• 7 months later...

What a great project and it looks like this will be a very well built boat.  You are within 30 miles of 3 AMYA clubs who I'm sure could help you with fitting the RC equipment. Although I don't think they race vintage Marbleheads. You are also only 60 miles from Marblehead, MA where this class originated and they still race vintage Marbleheads like the one you are building. I picked up a 1970's Marblehead late this past summer that I can't wait to start racing in April. I will be attending the Wooden Boat School in June to take a pond yacht restoration class and have found a vintage Marblehead hull/keel that was damaged in a flood. So I'll need frames in the interior, a deck, radio equipment and all rigging to build during the week in ME.

You might also consider joining the US Vintage Model Yacht Group ( USVMYG.org) which is the group who enjoys building, restoring and racing model yacht designs from before 1970. The vintage Marblehead is one of the largest classes.  There are all kinds of resources available on the USVMYG web page including locating and installing radios.  Last October we hosted the US Vintage Nationals outside of Philadelphia. Here is a link to the video of the Marblehead class races.  I was racing number 150 and came in 12 out of about 20 boats which was fine since I just started racing this past summer. "Pirate" the orange number 150 was a loaner from the commodore of our club since I did not have a Marblehead yet.

Please also post your build pictures on the USVMYG Facebook Page or send them to me, I'll make videos of them and post them to the YouTube channel if you want.

I can't wait to see your progress.

Roger Pellett

A recent WoodenBoat magazine article had a recent feature article about a present day reimagined model yacht class that is popular in the Pacific Northwest.  Interesting stuff.

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