Todays Boating

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Besides the secret project, have been working on the Argus.

the quarterdeck flat is the lowest point of the hull and very near the waterline, so it has been sealed off from the main body by a bulkhead, the servo pushrod sleeved inside a plastic tube. All well and good, there can be water in the stern no probs…BUT…. it was very windy Sunday and the compartment was filled to the brim, the weight of which made the stern a bit low.

So. I have rejigged the tube and tiller wire, moved the servo further away so I can fit an adjuster and filled the compartment with polystyrene, stopping it filling with so much water, and of course adding buoyancy if this was the case (filled with pond).

The removable foc’sle and q/deck flats were also looking tired with grey paint loss, so they have been re-painted (grey primer). One Camel had come off and has Been glued back on.

Really the whole thing needs repainting, but all that striped cammo, phew.

Ashley

Edited By ashley needham on 03/09/2020 16:15:04

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Ashley

Can we see a few more photos of this mysterious black and white sausage.

And a few words, please

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Ashley

I've been through the Argos site and can't find that ship anywhere

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

It's in the Sports section!

Chris

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Yeah, I got it cheap!

Oooops….. ArgUs should have been.

The striped sausage is the worlds first flat to aircraft carrier, completed 1917, using the hull of an incomplete passenger ship. Something I-made for Berengar many years ago. Cammo stripes are approximately correct, and different either side. I am sure some of you will have seen this at sometime??

Not sure I have many pictures of it in the album….nope, just the one. Will add a couple for those interested. Model all about 3 foot long

Ashley

[Andy CParticipant @andyc56856]

Hi Ashley

looking at coming to the lake tomorrow but looks like Hampton Crt has a car show on. Traffic was awful coming back from queen Mary’s reservoir this afternoon. Will you be giving it a go.
cheers

Andy

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Should be ok early-is, no probs at about 0900.

if nice will be Swordfish, Walrus (both needs pictures) and Mintanic….plus a lander of course!

Ashley

[Andy CParticipant @andyc56856]

Cool. See you there.
Andy

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

"Fantastic morning at the pond. Perfect weather, bright and sunny, no wind, perfect for some outrageous fast jet and air-prop action featuring all the major players (myself, Trevor and Peter) Andy C also present (note to self regarding different boats etc)

All boats performing well….no….fabulously on the flat surface.

A gentleman was there from Yorkshire I think it was who commented on the lack of ordinary craft at the jetty and the fact that all the specials he sees in the mag seem to originate at Bushy….how right he is….the clear crisp southern air (as opposed o the coal dust infused stuff north of Watford) gets the old brain cells working hard!

But, there must be dozens of readers 30 mins drive away….where are they????

Next fabulous outing is scheduled for next Tuesday morning. Ashley

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

I popped down to the club today for an hour or so to check out the Club 500 in readiness for tomorrow's racing. Hadn't been there for weeks for various reasons and the last time I went the fun stopped when the elastic bands holding the motor in place broke.

As well as replacing those I replaced the rubber hose coupling which was a bit short. Boat ran well and it was good to do a few laps as I was rusty. Annoyingly hit the furthermost bouy a couple of times and launched the boat.

Batteries now fully charged and all set to go.

Chris

[Richard BarnettParticipant @richardbarnett67129]

See you there Tuesday 👍

Ricky ye pirate 🏴‍☠️

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Good session Tuesday.

Broke out the Farman Hydroglisseur and it was running just peachy, very fast and getting up on the plane very quickly, helped by the very flat water due to no wind or a very light wind behind us so it was heading into wind.

Invincible going well on 9.6v Nimh.

All other boats running well, fast or slow as designed, with no issues.

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Spent some time today sorting out the Bluebird (now with 4300Kv motor), having glued up the esc with silicone sealant and sealed the receiver in a plastic bag.

yes, or no even, not necessarily a good idea gluing up the esc, but it only has to endure short runs of a few seconds or so and should be ok….

Looking forward to giving it a good thrash.

Ashley (rescue lander at the ready)

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Had a secret boating session today (not that it stopped three others chaps turning up!!) to keep an assignation with possibly one of the worlds top model boat photographers (thanks Colin) to attempt to capture the secretive and very rare WALRUS that makes a appearance at Bushy now and then.

No only did it appear but it worked really well, providing countless opportunities of a photographic nature to be indulged.

Also making an appearance was the Bluebird, and what a stonking performance!!!! worthy of the real thing. Went really well, and better than expectations to the extent that it looked the part on just half throttle. Waterproofing measures worked well despite some water making it inside the boat. Only need to sort out the cabin now. It has a clear acrylic windscreen, but this is not visible at a distance, so I may matt it up a bit, very lightly, and use a shadow Campbell head outline rather than try to get a picture of some sort on there.

Crusader next….that may take a bit more effort though, starting with the waterproofing!

Other boats motored/sailed/rowed/spun round AND Round with varying degrees of success, and we had the first meeting of the toy story triumvirate on the pond! although the control, or lack of, left something to be desired…..

Sunday. Might bring Pontoon boat and sub.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Photos seem to have come out OK, some need a bit of cropping etc. I will send them to Ashley and he can decide which ones are secret…

You do wonder about the general public sometimes. Mostly people come to admire the boats, ask questions and chat but some people seem to be unable to read. There are signs all over the park forbidding feeding of the deer, birds and any other animals. Boaters use the designated boating lake so it's a bit annoying when, as happened this morning two little old ladies commenced casting their bread upon the waters while later on two mothers with kids were encouraging their offspring to throw food to the birdies.. In both cases from the hard standing where boaters were operating and within a few feet of a 'don't feed the wildlife' sign.

The inevitable result was the immediate arrival of literally hundreds of birds of all shapes and sizes looking for crumbs and fighting each oither enthusiastically. Impossible to launch or retrieve while all this was going on and of course the importuning avians then decided to hang about to see if there was any prospect of dessert.

Perhaps a change of menu to short sighted ancients plus the odd toddler as garnish might improve behaviour..

Colin

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

I took a couple of boats along myself, both Deans Marine kits, the tug tender Sir Walter Raleigh and my steam yacht Vectis based on the Deans Medea kit. They both performed very well.

Colin

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Fabulous boats Colin, the tug tender was a dinky little model with the smallest props I have seen on the pond for a long time!

Perfect water conditions for both, nice and flat, could have been just a bit brighter earlier on.

Ashley

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Nice models, Mr Bishop

School poem…..

"No stir in the air, no stir in the sea

The ships were still as they could be"

Name that poem?

Bob

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

Inchcape Rock

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

oh yes…..!

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Very nice Ashley…….More pix please

Chris E …..Correct

Bob

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

Ashley.

Looking really good.

I suspect that it would be rather too noisy, and at a very noticeable pitch, for my village pond sailing lake. Ducted fans are not normally regarded as very efficient units so how is duration?

[Richard BarnettParticipant @richardbarnett67129]

I can vouch that Ashley’s Bluebird is a bit wizzy but not overly so and in keeping with the nature of the beast. Some I’ve heard make you wince!

Nice picture, in black and white you could pass it off as the real thing —- apart from the feather floating in the foreground!

Ricky ye pirate 🏴‍☠️

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

It is not too loud. Having replaced the motor from 3500Kv to 4300Kv is seems that I am not actually using full throttle so may have been able to keep with the old, but I think that it is likely just the state of the pond….wind/waves etc.

Unfortunately if you want to speed you have to have some noise!!! Even the Swordfish with the brushed edf was about as loud.

It takes a lot of amps, and its a 2200mAhr Lipo, so not much in the way of duration, but really its just a demo craft, you take it out, impress everyone with a few fast runs and put it on the stand to admire and perhaps later do a few more runs. Not the sort of thing you let float about whilst chatting.

Sorry unable to post more pix!

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

How about that???

BUT ALSO ….. some ww2 action…

Edited By ashley needham on 12/09/2020 18:11:22

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