Boat sinks: The Illusion, Rest in Peace

[Queequeg QuintParticipant @queequegquint38270]

[Queequeg QuintParticipant @queequegquint38270]

Yesterday, my lobster boat the Illusion sank.

 

While I was walking on the land, I took my eye off the boat and, unbeknownst to me, I accidently put the boat into full reverse for about 15 seconds.  When I looked up, the boat was gone!  No where to be found.

 

Then, I noticed my controller was in full reverse. 

 

This boat has a low stern, so you can’t go full throttle in reverse without water coming over.  I think that is what happened.  The little bilge pump just couldn’t keep up with the flow of water.

 

The Illusion sank on September the 6th, 2010 at around 3:56 PM EST with the following equpiment on board:

 

MFA Como 800

55mm 4-blade brass prop

2.4 GHz radio system (PLANET 5 channel)

LED lighting system

7AH 12 volt SLA battery

RAM Boat Saver bilge pump

 

All resting at the bottom of the pond.  It’s a sad day

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

A sad day indeed, is there no chance of recovering her?

 

Colin

[Queequeg QuintParticipant @queequegquint38270]

The bed of the pond is strewn with rocks, boulders, tree limbs, etc..  And the very bottom is really soft, such that anyone walking would probably get stuck in the mud – that is if they survived the other debris out there.  

 

In this video, the Illusion is on the far right.  The Novi lobster boat, light grey with a greenish rear cabin.

 

The only chance lies in the fact that the city is currently draining the pond. If they go low enough, maybe I can find it. 

 

Yesterday, I took out the Orca with a video camera mounted to the pulpit, facing downward toward the water.  After completing a slow search pattern, the video did not produce any helpful results. 

 

Real boats are not permitted on this pond, otherwise I would have gone out there already.

 

 

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Quee`

 

I would suggest a glass bottomed tube and a grappling hook?

 

You could have great fun with them…..You never know you`ll find!

 

Bob

[The Long BuildParticipant @thelongbuild]

Waterbuoy Keyring 

 

Allthough to late for this one, have you seen this , makes me wonder why its not used for model boats..At 10 – 12 pounds I think it is worth it..

 

It could easily be hidden on an average sized model and protected from general splashing..

 

 http://www.water-buoy.com/index.php

 

Larry

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

RAM Boat Saver bilge pump

 

i’d demand my money back!!!!

[B BParticipant @bb42502]

I have a model of the Swarte Zee and I had the same problem. If she had to go in full reverse throttle she woulsd also swamp herself. Simple solutions: 1) if you have an electronic speed controller, set it up so that it can not go more than half throttle in full reverse. 2) if you have a manual wiper type speed control fit a limit cut out swithch in such a position so that it will cut motor power say at half throttle astern. I have done the latter and it works perfectly.

Sorry about the loss of your boat. Try abd find a local diver who can do an underwater search for the boat if you know more or less where she went down it can be found in about an hour if the diver knows what he is doing. I recovered a few boats at my club in the 1970’s and 80’s.

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