Why ban IC Engines?

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Cont. 

But it is also apparent that the main concern and fear regarding I.C. powered models is the high speeds that these models can achieve and the damage that can be done by one of these craft in the hands of a novice.

It is this fact more than any other that has driven clubs to initiate a ban and whilst it is an understandable response to a perceived problem it is something of a knee jerk reaction as with a little thought and planning all clubs and local authorities could accommodate I.C. powered model boats.

For example it can be said that for all model boats there is a very strong case for limiting speed to scale speed and there should be no need for any model to exceed 10mph.and that I.C. powered should be used only in sectioned off areas of the boating lake and only sailed at specific times.

In summary.

The advance of modern technology which has brought us better batteries and radio systems has also brought the double edged sword of the internet. Now anybody, for a moderate sum, can buy a monster nitro powered boat and without any experience, or advice from a model shop or other modellers set sail on the nearest stretch of water.

Some of these newcomers will be responsible people who would seek out help and advice or ask permission to use a lake before launching, such people should be welcomed to the modelling world, after all not everybody can get to a model shop and the internet is quick, easy and cheap.

However there are others who just don’t care what they do to achieve high speed thrills and will invade a tranquil boating lake with blitzkrieg noise and speed as they race around the water ignoring other users and shattering the tranquillity, worse still they will decide to use a restricted water such as fishing lake or nature sanctuary which is obviously wrong and just serves to antagonise anglers and nature lovers, this unacceptable behaviour ultimately reflects on all radio modellers.

Modern times have also brought a host of rules and regulations relating to noise, pollution and safety (which is right and proper) but again these rules must be taken into account when deciding to fit an I.C. engine. However clubs and local authorities should do more to help genuine I.C. model boaters.

 

Paul

[Gordon BlanksParticipant @gordonblanks18647]

hi paul i/c motors the swans here in perrannporth lake do not like the noise dont mention the ducks they attack all boats made a mess of my solant lifeboat and that is electric  best of 2008 gordon  cornwall

[Chris RogersParticipant @chrisrogers49166]

I  have to  agree  with u  mate here in  Oz,  no I/C motored boat  can be run on any council  lake, and now Steam  has to be in a section all on  its own,  fenced off and no public allowed into the area.  The other  major thing is insurence now  some wont allow steam. what happened to the days of when you took your boat  to the lake for a sail and a chat with other blokes. to  take it now  u or club run the risk  of being sued coz little johnnys parents cant control there offspring and he definatley can  not read when it says  do not  touch  please . or he runs through an area that has boats of the floor prior to launching trips and  destroys one and skewers his eye on the mast of another  then his parents what  to sue because they let him loose in a roped off area he isnt supposed to be in  i  think its bloody irresponsible of all of us to let  this world  get into this  state that the minority  rules  we only have ourself to blame

there is  No accountability  or  resonsibility  or rights  any more  for what its worth  thats my veiw  and no doubt some do gooder will kindley point out  something i have  missed out that favours the inflicted

chris

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hi Chris

Thank you for your most eloquent comments in which you sum up problems faced by model builders everywhere.

We now live in society where the sensible and law abiding many have to make allowances for the manic and irresponsible few, it really does make you wonder about the old saying of who exactly runs the asylum, and yes we do only have ourselves to blame for putting up with this crazy state of affairs.

Perhaps we should form the peoples common sense party and get rid of all these liberal do gooders.

Thanks for e mailing from Oz and for letting me get my soapbox out again!

All the best to you down under

Paul

[Damien GardnerParticipant @damiengardner44683]

Chris i fully agree with you i’m also from Oz , Sth E Melbourne. Nearest suitable water is 30+km away and almost  that to the nearest club as well and that club is Sail & electric & a few steam ships.

 Paul  Happy to give you a reason to haul the soapbox out again good on ya mate.

Where did things go awry?  When i was a little tacker if we fell over and skinned an elbow or knee we got up an kept on doing what we were. no thoughts by mum or dad of suing for damages, bl–dy lawyers are to blame out spruiking for people swayed by speaches from human rights fools seems to have worked, all forms of diciplining of children are now illegal, i got a shock when an 8yo foster child i was looking after stood up to a police sargent and said nothing you can do cop i’m a minor. The officer looked at me and said he’s right take him home, sorry state of affairs.

 The sad part of the water for boats situation  is that there are 5 or 6 housing estates based on ponds and waterways within a few kilometers of me but made  boat unfriendly by calling them wetlands & putting large rocks all around the banks & planted with reeds and other water plants. 

Damien.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

I have no objections at all to seeing or hearing ICE on our local lake at Fleetwood, but I agree with you Paul that we are very tiny fishes in a big pond ( excuse the punn) and sadly sometimes there are more important things going on in life than to make a big fuss about just one small hiccup.

However here in Fleetwood, we are going under a transition where the Wyre borough Council are supposed to be going through a consultation period of how to make our sea front more attractive to the "visitors" to this fare town (what visitors, only god knows as I haven’t seen such a rare breed for many years except at the folk festival in August/september,)

And one of their plans passed  is to build monstrous blocks of flats on our already beleagured sea front Pier.

another resolution that they want to get throughplanning stage is to fill in and conctete over our beautiful and europe’s largest man made model yacht sailing lake.

So at the moment we up here also have our problems, and the council just ain’t listening.

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

That is a real shame those lakes at Fleetwod are great for sailing big models on.

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hi Neil

Sorry for the short note. 

I have spent many happy hours sailing on the huge boating lakes at Fleetwood and have always thought them to be the best in the UK, its just a shame that they are so far away from my home otherwise I would be there most days.

Can nothing be done to stop the council?

Could the club take control of the water. or is this just whistful thinking

Paul

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

at the moment it is only rumours and whistfull thinking on the councils part to fill parts in and turn into car parks, but sadly this council has a record of not listening to the public, and the rumours do come from solid scources..

the members are not worrying too much at the present, as they have had no formal notification, and a lot of the regeneration ideas seam to be falling on stoney grounds, but such things can happen.

I just hope that if such proposals do come to fruition, we have the power to beat any such ideas.neil.

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Neil

Vote somebody into the council and get them onto the planning committee, As a former builder and developer I know just how powerful such a person can be.

Paul

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

sadly on our council the councillors have taken root.there doesn’t seem to be a change unless some old sod croaks, and then another old sod takes their place.it’s either nepatism or incessed that rules, don’t know which, but it would be easier to get into the pentagon than get yourself ellected onto our local council??

[Len OchiltreeParticipant @lenochiltree67043]

Hi Neil,

Would a on-line Petition help regarding your pond?,I’m sure this lot would sign up,and there are 4 or more other Forums around.

 Good luck,

Len.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

hi len. it’s not got as far as that yet. they are just mooted discussions in the grand development of the new look sea side area of fleetwood, but should it get to the stage, after consultation that this is what they plan to do, then i will clearly shout out for help to you all and the modelling press. born and bred in the town, and now in my late 50’s, i can shout loud and strong when i have too, and thanks for your support gents, it is very much appreciated

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Neil

In my experience of local authority planning departments by the time things get to consultation stage they have already made their minds up and everything else is just hot air.

Make a loud fuss now and get the local papers involved ..the one thing local politicians hate is confrontation before they are ready for it, they are forced to take sides when all they wish to do is hide behind bureaucracy.

If they see a very strong local grass roots objection to the proposed plans there is more chance of the plans being changed before they go to far.

Paul

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

you have a point there paul, I have a contact in the local paper, so wil;l contact him monday with my thoughts. will keep you posted.cheers,neil.

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hi Neil

This matter is to important to be lost at the back of this thread so I have started a fresh one.

Please keep us posted on events after all our membership encompasses many professions and abilities including media experts so we should be able to help and advise.

Paul

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

many thanks for your support, Paul.

I have in fact emailed the reporter/editor of our local paper the "Fleetwood weekly News with the rumours of the lakes being made into car parks, so will see what they make of it and what the local councillors and Wyre Borough Council have to say on the subject.

If anyone else would like to make their voices and suspissions known to the Counclil via the paper the email address is        [email protected]    and the reporter as a gent called Richard Hunt.

 I will , as they say , keep you posted.

Thanks again.neil.

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hi Neil

Poor Mr Hunt, I hope that he is inundated with e mails and writes something about this in the paper.

I have taken the liberty of quoting your last message onto the new thread I hope that you don’t mind.

Keep the pressure on all the local papers and councillors.

Paul

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

no problems at all Paul. I’ll keep you posted on what goes on and let you know what the paper prints.cheers,neil.

[Mike DavidsonParticipant @mikedavidson22772]

 Hi Paul, I used to be apathetic, but I couldn’t care less about that now

[60wattParticipant @60watt]

Hi Paul.

You are building a sub just now.

Doubtless you will soon see a 37 minute film of a submarine gala held at Eaton Park,Norwich.They permit I.C. there.

If you fast forward to 36 minutes you may change your opinion based on noise alone.

Tom

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hello Tom

I posted this thread last Christmas hoping to raise awareness about how many lakes were having IC bans imposed upon them, well time has passed and now most stretches of water have some kind of ban on them but I am very grateful that you have taken the time and trouble to add your comments. 

I agree that some IC engines are extremely noisy and that in the wrong hands a model powered by such an engine can be lethal so perhaps I should clarify that it’s not the ban itself that I object to but to the subjective way that local authorities apply it.

For example if the ban is imposed based upon the noise then the same criteria should be applied to model aircraft, nitro powered model cars, petrol powered strimmers and lots of motor bikes as all of these machines produce noise at a higher decibel level than model boats.

It just seems that model boaters are a soft target as it is very easy to enforce any bylaws when the targeted group have to use the local lake and so by definition are easy to police, whereas model flyers or model car users can, in theory, enjoy their hobby almost anywhere and so would be very difficult to locate and in the case of motor cycles very hard to catch.

It was just my little rant against the faceless gray men who see fit to run our lives for us.

Thanks again for taking the time to add your comments.

Paul

   

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Paul,

I noted your comments about petrol strimmers. A few weeks ago i was sailing a yacht on the ‘Lido’ in  Bury when one of the councils gardeners was strimming the grass verges. The noise was far in excess of what my multi racer (no longer with me) ever made, and for a longer period. The noise it made was ‘disturbing the peace’ to say the least. IC were banned some years ago, due to the vicinity of a hospital (closed down 2001).

Bury did have another lake which allowed IC called ‘Townsfield Park’ which was also known as ‘Pyramid park’. This was ideal as you could drive up to the waters edge. However this area became nogo area. The vandals moved in and wrecked the bronze statue and fountain. The whole area is now a building site, and I must say full marks to the local council for putting the land to good use. It was called ‘Pyramid Park’ as when the park was built, after the railway sheds were demolished, three large grassed pyramids were built along with the lake. These, along with the lake were superb,when new but again fell into disrepair. These and the lake can still be seen on Google Earth.

Tony.

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

[Dr John BoothParticipant @drjohnbooth43899]

I thouht it was time to air this topic again, seeing as how Paul has found himself a lake where IC engines are not banned

 

John

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