Todays Boating

[Richard BarnettParticipant @richardbarnett67129]

In my pirate sloop I use a 7.2 nicad pack with a voltage dropper for the receiver as the only electrics are a heavy duty Hitec sail winch and a standard servo for the rudder. I tend to overcompensate on radio power as a dead wind powered model can end up anywhere and usually where you don’t want it.

sailed for two hours straight with no issues and still a good 6volts plus left in the battery when checked after.

My Brigantine uses two 6 volt nicad packs which are also used as ballast, running two sail winches, rudder and a small 380 motor ( for tacking ) two outings are possible before a recharge is needed.

Ricky ye pirate 🏴‍☠️

[Empire ParkstoneParticipant @empireparkstone]

Well the Club mob are out in force this morning all the marker buoys are out.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Great mornings boating, with the Tups and secret projects.

Had the saucer down as well, andPeter had his new small sailboat out for its first public outing.

Car park fairly empty at 0900, and still spaces at 1000 ? We thought the park would be heaving….however I did see the incoming gates were shut as I left. The park seems to be employing a private car park firm, and they are monitoring cars in/out to stop there being 50 cars queuing up and going round and round the car park…probably sensible but galling ifypu can’t get in.

Ashley

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Yes Ashley, that's my problem, a 25 mile drive and maybe can't get in! Still, the schools go back around the 19th so perhaps the situation will improve then. Keep us informed.

Colin

[Richard BarnettParticipant @richardbarnett67129]

Yes, secret projects performed very well and produced many giggles as well as an occasional Whooh!

Don’t know about us all being retired it was like a bunch of 10 year olds standing by the pond this morning!

Hopefully Ashley will let you all know what he’s dragged us all into, it’s like being friends with M from the Bond films sometimes!😂

Ricky ye pirate 🏴‍☠️

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

FYesterday. Well freezing cold despite the sun. Wicked cold wind.

took Stingray and fishy, and decided what the heck and caved in to pressure and gave them a test despite my freezy cold digits.

Fishy performed ok on S35 prop but water was present in the hull as seen when we “fished” it out as the rudder stopped working. It was quite blustery and despite the raised combing from the first test, more work needs to be done in this area. Turning circle also very large but the wind probably made this worse than it was. As I have to replace the mini servo I think I will take the tail off and enlarge the underwater bit of the tail.

Stingray. 9.6v Nimh. As suspected, the nose dived under max power but the rear did not follow suit. Too cold to fiddle with more ballast, so tried a 2s Lipo. This was much better and the thing behaved like a speedboat..wow..does it go!, (and only on 2s!!). Downside of the partially hidden jet system (in the ratemaster cylinder) is another wide turning circle, but again, the chop not helping.

secret projects great again. Not even the smallest drop of water inside, and nothing to shout about in the cabin. They handled the wind and chop like pro’s (ooo er missus)(for those that know what I am talking about).

So a bit of work required but hopefully if it’s nice on Sunday I will re-test the new ones.

Ashley

Edited By ashley needham on 07/04/2021 08:52:01

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Did you get any pictures Ashley?

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Yes, may follow later!

Also forgot to mention..a nan and his son turned up with a simple catamaran made from ply with solid pine hulls, and a mast with cloth sails, free-sailing. It went very well and held a good straight line despite only having a fixed skeg on one hull. The hulls were just square section bits of wood but nonetheless it floated ok,and looked very nice in its varnished finish.

Ashley

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

A bit like the old 'Star' yachts when I was a youngster. Both myself and my brother had one. All you could do was to set the rudder and hope it ended up somewhere on the opposite bank!

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

A lot of people here on the forum may have had boats like that Richard.

Bushy has always had model boaters in it, and the i/c boats used to use the main lake (not allowed now, both I/c and use of Heron pond). The designated boating pond, called just that, had pedalos and row boats on it which I remember, and is the reason we have such a nice concrete jetty that is only 3 inches above the water level. Water flow in the park is regulated so by and large there is not much difference in jetty height through the year.

The boating pond is ok for non-controlled boats as by and large there is all-round access barring a few reeds, easily negated by use of a pole.

My big destroyer now has”H22” on the sides and rear, replacing the ones that were on there when I took delivery (made from individual strips of sticky tape, and a reasonable job, considering). Sticky vinyl letters 45mm high. A bit of a compromise, the letters on the stern are the right size and virtually fill the gap between deck and boot topping, but the side ones also 45mm are strictly speaking too small and that because the lettering is not cheap and I am mean….

Pictures of the boats in the early war show huge letters on the sides, much larger that you would think, but as the letters and numbers come as sets, you have to buy loads of sheets to get three H’s and 6x 2’s. I did think Of re-numbering it, but in deference to the original builder I kept is same as.

A few new men have been painted and will be stuck on today and if I make an effort a couple of the shipsboats might get mounted. The Davits feet have holes in for really weeny nails or screws but these ones are glued on…and are very easy to knock off. I may have to look at this and perhaps get the Dremelly thing out and see if I can pin them in place.

Not that it matters but the acrylic hatch (unseen) on the Stingray is a bit of a dogs dinner now and I think a new one will be required after I finish testing, when it’s warmer.

Ashley. Next sailing…Sunday morning…9 sharp especially if warm and sunny. Big destroyer possibly???

…..shock horror….just “found” a picture of the Destroyer as received and my side letters are either about same size or a bit bigger! They are also higher than the originals..tricky, as the portholes were in the way. Snaps in Mintanic album, for some reason.

 

Edited By ashley needham on 08/04/2021 08:22:11

Edited By ashley needham on 08/04/2021 08:43:40

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

Posted by Richard Simpson on 07/04/2021 12:08:57:

A bit like the old 'Star' yachts when I was a youngster. Both myself and my brother had one. All you could do was to set the rudder and hope it ended up somewhere on the opposite bank!

Yours had a rudder? My SY7 just had a fancy shape steel fin. You set the direction with the sails (very approximately)

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Like the ones my brother and I had Chris. They were kicking around in my parents' loft for years but then disappeared.

The plastic stands for two of my race boats are pretty inadequate for display purposes never mind transportation, battery changing and lubrication etc. so I've made serviceable ones out of 5mm birch ply.

For the smaller boat I've cut down the original polystyrene packaging that I used to take down the club and for the larger one cut a vee in some thick polystyrene. Ply all glued together with a/resin and just need a coat or two of varnish.

Got to solder up some battery leads for the white one (bought towards the end of last year) and looking forward to trying it on the water now that the club is open for restricted numbers now.

Chris

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

They look the part Chris I must say.

Most of mine are in full boxes, 4mm ply and battens…nothing special, painted with emulsion paint which is surprisingly waterproof. I even spent an afternoon drilling holes in the side grab rails to put nylon line through so they can be carried with the straps which is easier sometimes than holding the boxes in your arms. As below other than all these now have full fronts on them!

Ashley

 

Edited By ashley needham on 08/04/2021 16:28:46

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Thanks Ashley

I did get a little carried away but had the birch ply, including some offcuts, anyway. They are nice and light anyway and will serve the purpose well.

I shall probably make full boxes for the Faireys.

Cheers, Chris

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Jolly cold Sunday. It was the gusty wind that did it, out of the wind it wasn’t too bad. All boats suffering from the severe chop, leading to two…incidents…luckily no damage done and the boats were retrieved ok.

took the Tup, secret projects and BHA out. BHA not used for perhaps 18 months now..and the motors failed when out on the rescue attempt (wiggled esc lead in Rx and they started working again?) and then unbelievably the box holding the servo came unglued!! Probably just age? Fixed with double sided tape.

Gave up earlyish and went home for a hot cocoa.

Next effortTuesday am but it’s just snowed lightly here, so…hmmm…

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Well, really nice this afternoon. Will take the BIG’un out tomorrow if it looks nice!

Just spent some time re-stringing the ships boats back on the davits. Not the best job but unless I stripped the davits and repainted them and bought new blocks it’s all I can do. Looks ok considering the rest of it. Running it on 6v SLA batteries as that’s what it is ballasted for, and I have half a dozen (only two required to sail).

No Tup, but an Ecranoplan instead besides secret boats tomorrow (and the big’un)

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

snaps from Tuesday. Lovely day. Diamond really done as much as I want to, just waiting to see if the hull splits and needs fibreglassing….or not ?(hopefully).

Ecranoplan on form , Ferry good, projects great,.

Ashley

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Looks very impressive Ashley. Is she stable – particularly in a turn?

Colin

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Seems to be stable enough, and the bottom is flat, not rounded so that helps a lot. Put a 7.2V Nimh in there as I think all my little SLA batts are defunct now (it limped back to the jetty after 10 mins on two of them) but still need at least one in there for ballast.

The Monoperms or whatever they are , are not that powerful so the turns are relatively gentle even on the increased voltage. I must do a current reading next time to ensure the motors are not struggling with the prop combination.

The sailors look really good, quite pleased with them. Its a nuisance but you have to but about 50 figures just to get a dozen that you actually want, but they are not that expensive.

[Richard BarnettParticipant @richardbarnett67129]

Very nice pictures of Diamond, perfect day for it, warm, dry and light winds. Don’t get many of them at the moment, still the year is young! (Wish I was, Ha!)

Ricky ye pirate 🏴‍☠️

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Hopefully as nice tomorrow as today.

HMS Invincible carrier tomorrow, couple of special projects and the ferry as backup. Nothing fast!! (ok, the carrier is much faster than it should be..)

Interesting jousting with the ferry and specials last Tuesday. Hitherto the landers have been considered to be pretty maneuverable but the bar has since been raised….

Ashley

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Ashley

I like your Diamond ship

Have you designed it? It looks very nice

You seem to like flat bottomed craft I notice?

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Hi Bob. This was a “rescue” boat, from a model boats forum post last year!

It had to be disposed of….free…or it would have been put in the skip. 6 foot long, built sometime mid-60’s.

H class destroyer built 1931. Mostly Bread and butter hull with ply uppers, twin mono perm motors.

Ashley

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Nice rescue/ Ashley

How many models do you possess these days?

Let me guess?………..Thirty?

Bob

[geconParticipant @gecon]

I have always considered this thread as being 'Ashleys' -until recently. So seeing as I've been 'boating today' I will admit it here…..N.B. Admiralty came along too! Only there for an hour though.

Was out today witht he Fisher for more testing. Only have poor photos from the Roam3 cap-cam (ie. camera mounted on my cap! to show. The sun was on the 'wrong' side of the lake and the 'right' side was 2km away! Hardly worth posting the pics, but some good ones will appear when my family film-crew have time to process and beam over/down their photos.

The Fisher sails quite well I feel. Have not yet had a day with the 'right' conditons, but there were a few moments today when there was a little breeze and she responded immediately and picked up speed.

She floats level and responds well. Bow thruster makes it very maneuverable at low/no speed too.

George

 

Edited By gecon on 18/04/2021 15:09:29

Edited By gecon on 18/04/2021 15:36:00

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