Todays Boating

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Sundays Boating saw thge Manchester, as todays “large” representative , the Titanic as the non-warship element and a welcome return of the rubber powered “Ashleyboat2”.

 

I have not used this for about 5 years, and to be honest was suprised that the rubber bands, hiding all greased up with Glycerene, were still ok. Sadly the p[erformance was not up to wot it was at the beginning, despite a lot of oiling and greasing of the motor shafts. Possibly the rubber has lost a bit of oomph..?

 

But, nonetheless something different!

 

An HDML turned up, about 24 – 26 inches long ish, in the modt fantastic dazzle finish, broken groups of closely spaced black and white lines..massively effective, and in the bright sunlight, difficult to look at ,

 

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Sundays Boating saw thge Manchester, as todays “large” representative , the Titanic as the non-warship element and a welcome return of the rubber powered “Ashleyboat2”.

 

 

 

I have not used this for about 5 years, and to be honest was suprised that the rubber bands, hiding all greased up with Glycerene, were still ok. Sadly the performance was not up to wot it was at the beginning, despite a lot of oiling and greasing of the motor shafts. Possibly the rubber has lost a bit of oomph..?

 

But, nonetheless something different!

 

An HDML turned up, about 24 – 26 inches long ish, in the modt fantastic dazzle finish, broken groups of closely spaced black and white lines..massively effective, and in the bright sunlight, difficult to look at ,

 

Ashley

Edited By ashley needham on 04/07/2011 13:50:14

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

The TBD is now being fitted with fixed fin stabilisers, or bilge keels, although they are about 5 inches long and 3/4 inches deep. One either side. Someone said that bilge keels are more effective as a broken row of fins rather than a single long line??

I have borrowed a fabulous book “British Destroyers” by Edgar J March. A very thick tome, covering everything from the first TBD to the wartime “Daring” class. Fantastic and full of fold out line drawings pictures and ever single fact that you could ever hope for. Sadly extremely expensive to buy, published in 1966. I have seen examples go for well over £100, but well worth the price.

 

Did you know that the weight of the armaments on the last Daring class (guns, torpedo mounts, torpedoes , ammunition and directors was almost equal to the displacement of the very first TBD !! How things change.

 

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Boaters.

 

The fins on the TBD are very effective, and do not appear to have cut down speed at all, You used to be able to almost get the the boat on its side when at full chat and wiggling the rudder, but not any more!

 

The sub had a good outing , and after the usual messing around with ballast and diving plane angles was performing creditably. Once or twice, while going further out into the pond it was under without me realising it, and I suppose it must have been due to the change in water temp in the middle of the pond altering the water density.

 

Apart from myself and Chris with the supply boat, it was not until 1030 when two new and unknown gentlemen with 1946 era DARING`s turned up!! like busses. Shame our other man with the 30 year old and still not finished Daring wasn`t there.. may have spurred him on a bit.

 

I did get the GLORIOUS out but it was embarrassingly noisy in the shaft department, not even quieting down with a bit of water lubrication so it was returned to the boot post-haste. Reminder..must oil before the next outing. And there was no wind to try the Herald out.. not that it sails well, but it does need a very strong breeze to perform at all.

 

Our man Ray (arriving by bicycle and boatless) with the 6 foot Belfast ongoing project promised to bring that down next week, so I will have to choose wisely in order not to be upstaged…I may have to break out the secret project…

 

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Sailors. Amongst others, as it was a very breezy day I thought the Herals might be in for a wizz, and so it was. At a pondside suggestion I shortened the mainsail sheet quite a bit and it was sailing..I was going to say “very well” but that would not be the case in any event… best it has been.

 

A few mods are therefore in hand now, firstly shortening James May so he will fit under the boom and bob upright on a shorter sheet, and then slimming down the fore-sail, as it is tangle prone, and also spring loading its rope so that it stay taught. Lastly the radio reception is not good at a distance, and the motor stops working..which can be a bit of a disaster seeing that the car will not come about into wind..will have to get the wires sorted out in the cockpit. Other than that..

 

Shorty the Sunderland was struggling to stay upright in the stiff breeze, and all hail to the extra large floats I fitted, very neccessary, if somewhat large on normal waters. It was rather jet propelled downwind and into the wind I was wondering if, just a little bit, if it would leave the water…always in hope!

 

The Devastation (which shrugs off stiff weather) again showed its mettle in any wind..other boats present were fishing, bouy handling (barely making headway against the breeze!) and supply craft.

 

A small boy, 7yrs old was yapping away while we were sailing, regaling us with tales of his collection of boats which appeared to rival that of H.M the Queen both in number (not difficult nowadays) and in martial capability, his dad having stood over the other side of the pond on his mobile all the while, and he said did I think his dad looked like Johnny Depp?? I said I hadnt thought much about it (although he DID look like JD) and he said he WAS JD..?? BUT

As he didnt admire our boats I didnt bother asking about pirate ships.

 

Ashley    (and the boy didnt have a very American accent)

Edited By ashley needham on 07/08/2011 19:30:21

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Nah, just googled Depp kids and this child was nothing like the pictures.

 

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Boaters. A cracking morning, bright sun and fairly hot this Sunday. Loads of boats, a new chappie with a white hulled Thames sailing barge; Ray with the 6 foot Belfast, ;spanish fishing boat; fast runaround; Puffer; 1940`s HMS Daring, Revenue cutter “sentinal”; RTR sailing boat.

 

Bushy park has a really nice pond for sailing. Sit on the bench and you can believe you are almost inthe country; admire the parkland, theres no traffic noise, only bods wandering past and the honking of geese and ducks and noisy Green parakeets in the trees …and deer nibbling your bags.Have to keep an eye out!

 

Gosh. Yours truly took the plastic whale out initially, my MFA Fantome, complete with dolls, followed by the Manchester so as not to be too small against the Belfast in the warship stakes, and lastly for a bit of (more) fun, The DEVASTATION.

 

Its no good, I am going to have to use a proper plan and make a large Devastation. My fun one is simply not large enough.

 

Next week a LiPo equipped boat will be down and I am going to borrow a 3s (11.1V) battery for THE PROJECT. OOO er…will it or wont it???? Cameras set to “fast action” i THINK..

 

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

LiPo… yes it did! not quick enough with the camera.

 

Nice morning Sunday. Tried the TBD with its shiny new black 480 motor (in place of the speed 400) and there was not perhaps much speed increase, but the extra power meant the motor was not getting very hot now. Chris turned up with a 32,5mm “s” pitch prop and once fitted speed was much as before if not a bit better proving my 35mm job was too big to start with. Not seen a 30mm “s” pitch for sale anymore? Sunderland to show off at the end, a bit of a disapointment compared to the antics at the beginning though.

 

After taking Mum to the ART exhibition where she was on the towpath today (and yesterday) I popped to the pknd with the NELSON to try out my new 4-blade 30mm props . Possibly a bit faster, no slower anyway. The new smaller props were supposed to let the low powered 540s rev a bit more, however there is a fair old pitch on there new props, more so than the 3-blase 35mm ones..not sure why, standard Raboesh…do they come a bit more pitchy nowadays? blades almost at 45 degrees. Look nice though.

 

Oddly enough as I intended only to have a quick sail, the two Daring`s showed up, followed after a while by a Bismark!!! Not sure what scale, just a bit larger than my nelson. Just let down a bit by the hull. Commendably a plank on frame and scratch built at that, but 10 minutes extra sanding would have had the ouside nice and flat and that would have made all the difference.

 

At home I have cut off the TBD conning tower and added a 1/4″ insert to raise it a bit, and some 30mm plastic soldiers are being painted up as crew…should add a bit more interest, the crew. On the look out now for some proper resin or whatever figures…

Ashley.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Chaps/Chappesseses.

 

The mods to the herald were well done, and today`s sailing was almost…sailing !! there was a stiff breeze and the old Triumph was going very well, and it didn`t take very long to set up either with the new hooks etc .Just as well as we were on our bikes, the car being with her indoors..outdoors.. at scout training. Still, a large bag and some bubble wrap was O.K. If pushed I can carry (one at a time) the Landing craft, herald, Severn or Toybota for some cycling boating.

 

Ray and his Thames sailing barge and Chris with a go-fast and Norwegian fishing smack completed the line up. Where were all the others?? lovely morning, avoiding the stags wading across the pond.

 

Ashley

 

 

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Captains, Leading hands and stokers (in no particular order I hasten to add)

 

Dissapointment at the Amberly working museum “small steam” day yesterday.

This is a great “living” museum situated not far North of Arundel, in a disused chalk pit, once used for making Lime for cement etc etc. They have a small guage track, vintage busses give rides . loads of industrial and small steam engines and so on. Well worth a visit, it really is an all-day job.

 

The small steam week-end is a gathering of model and other live steam traction engines and what have you, quite a sight as the whole place is filled with the chuffing and smoke as they toddle about. There is usually a good model boat display as well, and a tarp pond for demo`s…BUT.. and I fell sorry for him, there was only one chap there, with two boats.

I could have bought a boot-full down for the day if I had known. I bet the chap was gutted and must have had a very boring two days there. I may see abouit entering next year…

 

Todays boating was dead good, nice weather not much breeze, park looking nice.

 

The lad had the Oberon out, and that was diving nicely, and its super sexy 6-blade swoopy prop was very effacious. The HMS Midge torpedo boat was out-along with its recent additions of anchor and flags fore`n`aft (with flag poles to suit. The Toyboata had a quick whizz not only through the water but along (and up/down) the bank with the Seahawk for a try out, having at last fitted a proper water exit flange for the watercooling water to exit the hull (rather than simply sticking the tube out a hole !!) and having replaced the out-drive brass u/j that was worn out with a plastic /brass one. Much smoother now, and i have altered the movement of the outdrive, by repositioning the rod on the servo arm so that there is not so much travel, I think this is what knackered the last one..?

 

A fast and pointless speedboat, large fishing boat, Herring drifter, Daring, Sentinel customs launch and a U.S coastguard launch completed the fleet for general mayhem.

Its a wonder the Oberon wasnt run over, you can hardly see it at the best of times let along being run mostly at full speed by a small boy and thus mostly underwater !

 

And doesnt the crowd like to see the sub diving. Oh yes.

 

Ashley (mr modesty)

 

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Great boating today.

 

The 5Ahr NiMh battery made, as one can imaging, being 1/3 of the weight of an SLA, a big difference to the performance. Its still not blistering but it is certainly more nippy. Problem is, and there is always a problem, the prop now tends to cavitate, as the draught is that much less..Ho hum. there is the start of some cracks in the gel coat at the back, and as the prop shaft has only been fixed with silicon sealant, I may in time cut this out, reinforce the back and reposition the drive a bit deeper, just an inch, or even just half would do. There is no doubt that a plain speed-boat is a bit boring after a while. The Fantome is OK, as it is very big, has some crew, and makes a very nice throaty sound- a combination of the low revving MFA 800`s and the boomy large box fuselage.

 

Some say that the wake on the jetty from such a large fast and hooligany piloted vessel is sufficient to wash small children into the pond….

 

 

The TBD HMS Hasty was out to show off the mods, and the Project (outs next week) also had an outing, although the breeze was affecting it a bit.

 

Also on the pond, on a glorious morning…Two Daring`s, tug, fishing boat, US C/G cutter, schooner, Thames barge.

But I had to disappear early to pick up the lad from Harvest day church parade with the scouts. Such is life.

 

Ashley.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Yes, of course as keen MB devotees and having peered at the magazine already you will have seen that “the project” is of course the Ecranoplan.

 

Now well dented and tested in all sorts of weathers, and I can report that such is the power available that even blustery and hence wavy weather on the pond does not affect it too much. You do get the very curious situation where it doesn`t like turning to port, but turns readily to starboard if the wind is up, however there is none of this paddling like the Sunderland (the props on which are much closer to the water) .

 

I can also report that having tried an 11V LiPo battery it indeed WILL leave the water very easily, in fact, a bit TOO easily, whereupon it becomes uncontrollable and I had to shut my eyes (but it landed the right way up) .

 

Being a bit more careful with the throttle I just had it on the point of departure, and my word….how fast ????? gosh. I will stick with the 9.6V pack…this gives a good turn of speed and is not in danger of taking off.

 

I think i promised Len that the next thing with a prop would take of, well, here it is.

 

Ashley

Edited By ashley needham on 30/09/2011 18:01:14

[Len OchiltreeParticipant @lenochiltree67043]

Any photos or is there an article coming out in MB.

 

Len.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Article out now in MB.

 

Ashley

[Len OchiltreeParticipant @lenochiltree67043]

Just read the article, yet another winner.

 

Len.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

fabulous mornings boating, 10 or so boats, fantastic day… a few snaps…

great morning, my TITANIC, rAY`S 6 FOOT BELFAST, VAR BOATS, THE LANDING STAGE, GET YER SUNGLASES OUT, RAY`S hdml (i THINK IT IS). aSHLEY

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

fabulous mornings boating, 10 or so boats, fantastic day… a few snaps…

great morning, my TITANIC, rAY`S 6 FOOT BELFAST, VAR BOATS, THE LANDING STAGE, GET YER SUNGLASES OUT, RAY`S hdml (i THINK IT IS). aSHLEY

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

just remembered taking this a few weeks or so ago. A nice fulllish boot for a pleasant mornings boating. Toolbox,wellies, waders and extensible fishing pole behind the seats.Extra batts in the front footwell, with Berengar (the lad). Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Sunday 15th Oct, Bushy Park..foggy or what. Took the TBD out, as this has a nice bright searchlight on the bridge, but of course left its battery in the kitchen….doh! Had to make do with the big `uns. All grey boats on a very grey sea. A couple more on my album.

Edited By ashley needham on 17/10/2011 11:02:18

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Boaters. UNLIKE last week, the weather was v nice today, although I was billy no mates until 10ish, having arrived at 9.15. No Berengar today, so i started with the Sunderland for 30 mins or so, before stepping up the pace with the jolly old Ecranoplan.

 

Fellow boaters, with children, arrived to bolster the numbers and a fast-and-pointless joined the fray, with a small fishing smack , sailing Thames barge and a free-style patrol boat. I released the TBD to zoom around a bit before again demonstrating the Ecranoplan, by this time though the wind was up and I had difficulty turning Left, in fact, i had to bring it in after 10 mins. Chris has loaned me a brushless motor and ESC..a 2Kv motor…dare I try it in the TBD…hmmmm

 

The Devastation was then called upon to battle with the wind (largely unaffected) . I borrowed a couple of batteries to add weight to the Devastation and it looked much better..the front ALMOST taking it green at full speed which looks much more authentic given the ridiculously low freeboard of the originals. I only wish I had made it a bit bigger, it is not very large for a battleship, and may at some stage build another, having now purchased a few more books on the subject . I then may make it more “scale” rather than the tin-toy look I wanted for this one. BUT I have a few things on the go…the next “secret project”, for a start (apart from the Harrier -carrier)…and what a hum dinger this will be.. If you thought the Ecranoplan was a bit racy…..

 

A very pleasant 2 3/4 hrs boating. Just right for opening time!

 

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Nice morning, breezy so took the Herald out for a motor-assisted sail.

The Two Daring`s were out, a 1-metre yacht, Puffer, fishing boat and fast`n`pointless completed the line up.

 

I had the Fantome out after the Herald, followed by berengar`s Argus- minus yet another Sopwith, although not lost I am happy to report as the aircraft are now £12 a throw…bit expensive to replace now (cost about £7 when I originally made it). They do do some nice DH4`s though`….hmmm

 

NO BOATING next Sunday as its remembrance day and we, obviously like yourselves, will be parading, as I think I have done since being in the sea cadets at age 11 every year since.

 

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

whoops getting ahead of myself there,,,remembrance day is on the 13th!

[Kimosubby ShipyardsParticipant @kimosubbyshipyards]

Here on the IOM we had a good morning’s sail with a good turn out too. Unfortunately one member managed to “throw” their transmitter in the ogin, but it was rapidly recovered and contents dumped quickly. Only one battery lost. Should have worn a neck strap!

 

The Pirate boat went for its first sail fully rigged – which lasted all of 30 seconds – I had opted to ignore rule one with boats – the at home tank test! With all that top hamper (only 250g sails and masts) she wanted to list about 20′ either side of upright.

Will have to add about 500g as a keel below the hull to get her stable again.

I should know better!

 

All being well, she’ll make her debut in the UK at Warwick, demonstrating how to make the rigging easily detachable and for the kids to “have-a-go.”

 

Kimosubby

 

 

 Yes, well spotted, the spritsail yard was bust too – in the scramble to hoist her out before a possible capsize!

 

Edited By Kimosubby Shipyards on 31/10/2011 08:23:47

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Cor blimey. Bit parky at the pond side. Didn`t have gloves and my poor pinkies were quite cold.

 

The wind was up, and so that was very good for the old boats, nothing like a good chop, and so the TBD was looking very realistic, with water streaming off the turtleback…and everything else come to think of it. THEN the Nelson had an outing, also very happy in a good chop, being heavy and low in the water. Looked great heading into the wing ploughing a furrow through the water.

 

We also had..sailing Thames barge , fast patrol boat, fishing boat, buoy handler, Harbour ferry..

 

and then a chap, a new person, turned with what looked suspiciously like an RTR fast cabin cruiser complete with a water skier! This looked very good and worked a treat despite the weather. The chap admitted to having made “a few” before getting it right but it seems to have been worth the bother.

 

The trick appeared to be that it was being pulled along by the skis rather than the skier, and the wide skis were weighted at the back. I was well impressed…it also worked at a fairly low speed, a bonus as you can demonstrate the skiing qualities without flashing across the pond at a distance. Having a spare Pippa I may try making one for the Fantome…

 

Ashley

 

 

 

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Kimo. looks good. Shame about the keel business !

 

Strikes me as there might be a market for a fibreglass “man`o`war” hull, so that chaps can try their hand at a bit of “square sail” action without fiddling about too much in the planking stakes. You can get almost an other sort of hull…or is it that gallean types are more serious and no one would entertain a fibreglass one??

 

At Blackgang chine theme park on the Isle of Wight there is a kiddies boating pool.. 50p a go or whatever and they have “Pirate” ship type boats of a simplified form, and I remember thinking that with a bit of work you could produce something quite adequate for a bit of pond-fun.

 

Ashley

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