Todays Boating

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Car park full by about 11am.

Ecranoplan fast, faster than the old motor.

Walrus elevators no good pointing downwards (even by the small bit) and managed to flatten them, but shifting the battery right aft worked. I need to put a fixed skeg at the rear though as it was not holding any sort of course.

Ashley

[peter ward 9Participant @peterward9]

yes we had a decent morning out 10.00 till 1200

ive put a motor in my schooner (think its known as a sharpie ) mainly just to get me out of trouble when , as it was today, the wind was actually too strong at times for the sail suit its equiped with to cope

end result usually is that no matter how much you let out the sails, tack ,gybe or any other evasive action, as i can testify , you can end up being blown onto one of bushy parks boating lake mud bars this then involves either ashleys fishing pole or waders ( usually assisted by richard when i get stuck myself !! )

but not a quick press on the transmitter and hey presto …. out of trouble at least most times

obviously we all obeyed governent advise and stood two meters apart whilst washing hands ,boats , and transmitters etc etc copiously at all times !

keep on boating

rgds

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

Posted by Dave Milbourn on 15/03/2020 19:23:38:

If only Diana were still here – she'd save us all!!

DM

SHE could have saved me any time.

[Richard BarnettParticipant @richardbarnett67129]

Hi all,

new video on You Tube. “Barbie pedalo at Bushy Park” just to cheer you all up, has a surprise ending so please have look. If you haven’t guessed by now we’re all a bit barking!

Ricky ye pirate 🏴‍☠️

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

My birthday today.

At least it is a bit brighter.

t/a Chinese tonight.

Loads of styrofoam and spare brushed edf’s staring at me from the bits box. Thinking about an extra light foam Bluebird for a larf.

Handles added to saucer storage box.

Fixed rudder added to Walrus.

no pub, no restaurant.. sob sob

Ashley

[NoelParticipant @noel26080]

Happy Birthday!

Posted by ashley needham on 20/03/2020 11:52:14:

t/a Chinese tonight.

Do please avoid the crispy bat and the sweet and sour pangolin.

[Richard BarnettParticipant @richardbarnett67129]

Hi chaps,

i will be sailing this Sunday, I don’t see a problem as long as we’re cautious about keeping a distance from the general populace and the rugrats!

Ricky ye pirate 🏴‍☠️

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

C u Sunday!

Ashley

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Papplewick Pumping Station is now closed until further noitice.

Bushy's a long way from Lambley!

That means more workshop time….. one can easily tire of that.

DM

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

I pity anyone without a hobby, As you say, eventually you tire of the workshop but at least you can do a bit during the day now and then, on and off. Although being old is a requirement for retirement, l am glad I don’t have the worry of a job to have to travel to/lose etc.

God forbid we have a complete lockdown… Hopefully the park will remain open and we can go to the pond and stand at a distance from each other in the fresh air and boat. Most of the crowd have something or other “on the books” to fiddle with or improve, and a session at the pond always gives us ideas. The trick is to think outside the box. I could go into low rate production of Styrofoam Ecranoplan kits for instance!

I still have the Waterwitch to be getting on with, as it has sat on the shelf for over a year now, and experience on the London regarding rigging will be a help. The hull has been made and tested, the propulsion works a treat, the deck is on. Carbon fibre for masts sorted.

There is also a Turbinia hull lurking in the rafters, made, but stalled from years ago by the difficult choice of then current motors for 3 props-per-shaft and battery weight (the thing is so thin), but with the advent of affordable brushless motors and Lipo’s this has become much more ‘do-able’.

I may be forced to have a hoot on one of my instruments later on in the shed to keep my lip in, what with all rehearsals having been cancelled.

Ashley

[Trevor HollowayParticipant @trevorholloway99134]

I decided years ago that having hobbies was essential having seen many retirees flounder.

Found out on Wednesday my employment will end next week so will have time on my hands, have been stockpiling / cluttering up workspace for years !

Plenty of craft on the drawing board.

[Richard BarnettParticipant @richardbarnett67129]

Absolutely Trevor, I’ve known guys who have retired and been dead a year later because the job was their life.

long live the hobby whatever it is, got to keep the grey matter working!

Ricky ye pirate 🏴‍☠️

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Very windy on the pond Sunday and a bit nippy that wind.

Had the Invincible and Boxer combination out, and both shrug off the weather.

Richard has taken social distancing to new limits…..

[Richard BarnettParticipant @richardbarnett67129]

For the amount of people in the park on Sunday it was the best place to be actually. Gave my pirate waders a workout too!

Ricky ye pirate 🏴‍☠️

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Looks like a possibility that the parks will be closed if people don't behave.

Colin

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

The mrs has just told me that cars have been banned from bushy (and presumably all the royal parks) as people have not been “social distancing”.

Bad news. I am ok to boat-by-bike with a few landers and so which are bike transportable, but.

you cannot believe the pictures on the news of the streams of people “getting away” to Scotland and the isles. It won’t be long before we have a lockdown that’s for sure.

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

On a happier note, the Boxer T22 frigate has been drying in the sun this morning (given the dunking it had Sunday) and again was impressed by what a nice little model it is, and what a fabulous hull shape the batch 2 and 3 T22s had.

As you all remember (!) this was built as an escort for my Invincible, to be towed by an acrylic rod underwater, and as such it was tricky to get a decentish looking frigate, in scale with itself, but also looking to be about the right size for the somewhat shortened carrier.

construction was single sheet 1.5mm ply sides, 4mm ply frames, balsa bottom, and of course I had to motorise it…seemed to be a waste just making essentially a barge. It has a speed 400 motor, two blade plastic prop and runs on a 6 cell nimh battery. Not only quite fast, but seaworthy too, helped by the 6 inch flat steel strip underneath the hull and bilge keels. It’s actually bigger than I always think it is at 34 inches by 3 3/4. There’s no detail on it much, as at the time it was just a quickie as I had the idea, and it’s difficult at this scale to get much detail on it so I left it clean and simple. Helicopter is Matchbox die cast, not a Merlin but painted up to look the part.

Edited By ashley needham on 23/03/2020 11:30:25

[Tim CooperParticipant @timcooper90034]

We had to go to Strathaven Scotland on Friday / Saturday last week, for family reasons.

Walking the dog in the local park on Saturday morning I found that they had cleaned the boating pond.

I wished I had a Model to sail. I must take one next time or make a small one that is easy to transport. I think I will have plenty of time to make one before we can go again .

Tim

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Tim. This is where the humble little landing craft come in handy. Indestructible and boxy, they sit nicely in a bag over the shoulder.

make one for the cost of a bit of 4mm ply! (Plus a 385 motor, shaft, coupling, rudder, servo, receiver…..)

or even several!

Ashley

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

make one for the cost of a bit of 4mm ply!

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Ashley,

I can't look at a landing craft without seeing the opening scene from Saving Private Ryan as they hit the beach and the ramp goes down & !!!!!!!!!!

BTW have you made a DD tank with the flexible skirt??

Regards Ray

Edited By Ray Wood 2 on 23/03/2020 16:47:51

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Ray. It is one of the things on the reserve list. I would make a Valentine DD one if I were to be tempted. It would have to be pretty big to get all the gear in. In fact, the thing would end up quite enormous when the skirt was added?

DM. Superior man made board reserved for SERIOUS builds only.. 🙊

Ashley

[Richard BarnettParticipant @richardbarnett67129]

I know what you mean Ray, very powerful no holds barred, poor buggers.

Ricky.

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

DM. Superior man made board reserved for SERIOUS builds only.. 🙊

Nah, man – it's rubbish.

Seriously.

DM

[Tim CooperParticipant @timcooper90034]

Ashley

I have a landing craft. It is a 1/35 scale plastic conversion. I changed the motors last year but haven't got around to trying it yet. Perhaps I should get around to making a carry box for it. Guess I will have plenty of time over the next few months.

Tim

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