Sailing is one of those hobbies that has existed for hundreds of years. As the popularity of
the sport grew, as well as the frequency of regattas, many sailors and fishermen carved
small models of yachts for their children or grandchildren to play with. This is how pond
yachts were created.
Yacht models, so-called “Pond Yachts”
A pond yacht is a small model of yacht made of a floating hull of an appropriate size, suitably
balanced, which can be launched manually, along with adjustable working sails allowing free
sailing on open waters. Free sailing is the simplest form of model yachting. The direction of
your yacht is governed by the angle of the sails to the wind. With no electrics or Rc on board there is no way of altering the course of your yacht once it has left the shore and so all
adjustments have to be made before release.
Pond yachts came in all shapes and sizes, and many reflected the style of a full-size sailboat
of the time they were made. In the 20th century, mass production began, (and Star Yachts
were one of the first and certainly the longest-running manufacturers. After they introduced
lathes, no one could match Star for price in the cheaper yachts.) Before the war, there was a
fairly wide range of yachts, but production decreased during the war years and continued
full-scale production of this range until the 1950s. Other brands emerged around this time.
There has always been a division between yachts, cheap and affordable for most, and more
expensive, more complicated collectors’ items, many of which have never even touched the
water. Many owners who had yachts as children now pass them on to their children and
grandchildren so that they can continue to enjoy this unique pleasure and fun, outdoors,
away from screens and electronics.
Renovation of historic yachts
Nowadays, “pond yachts” have gained a new function and more often than on the water, they can be seen as sculptures in interiors. When such objects come to us, it is necessary to carefully plan the method of action. Sometimes they come to our workshop in parts. We have to consult the conservation work with sailing experts so that all the elements are installed in the right place and in the right way, because these small yachts were modeled on their large counterparts.
At Square Drop, our job is to recreate the appearance of objects as faithfully as possible, without stripping them of their naturally occurring patina.
Sources:
https://www.grovepondyachts.com/new-page-81
https://www.homesandantiques.com/antiques/collecting-guides-antiques/collecting-pond-
yachts
https://www.worldpondyachtday.com/what-is-a-pond-yacht