Blog

34 inch Crash Tender refit

I posted a some pictures of my Crash Tender a few months ago and it was suggested that I should do a blog. So here we go. This is my first blog, and my first boat. I am not going to provide a blow by blow account of the refit, as this would largely turn into a repeat of the excellent blogs by Rob (Robbob) and Mike (mturpin013). These two blogs have been a great inspiration and source of guidance for me over the past couple of months. I built the boat in the early 1970s, but haven't had it on the water for nearly 45 years. Until recently, it had been collecting dust in my garage for all that time. The first task, having given it a good was to remove most of the dust, was to remove the ED Racer diesel engine, fuel tank, exhaust, etc and to fill in the exhaust hole in the transom. The diesel had always been a challenge to start, and to keep running. That, together with the unreliable, home built 27MHz is the reason the boat had been in dry dock for 45 years. A new brushless motor, water cooled ESC and 3S LiPo battery were installed in place of the diesel. The propeller also needed replacing as the old one was too large. This identified the first problem. Times have changed since the 1970s and props now have metric threads, whereas my 1970s propshaft had a 4BA thread at both ends. A new 4mm silver steel shaft was fitted threaded M4 at each end. The new shaft diameter necessitated also replacing the plastic bushes in the shaft outer. Plastic bushes were probably not a good idea in any case. New phosphor bronze bushes were turned and fitted and it was then time to get it back on the water. The first trial was very encouraging. The modern radio worked well, the boat was easy to start, quiet, and performed better than it ever had with the old gear. When I originally built it, I did not fit chine strakes. I cannot remember now why. It may be I didn't realise they should be fitted, or perhaps I felt they would spoil the smooth lines of the hull! Even without them it did manage to plane a little. Being fired up with enthusiasm after this first trial, I decided it was time to get back into the workshop, fit the missing strakes and start the refit proper.

5 years ago by Graham93

Response

Re: Pilot House Doors!

Very tidy doors Ed, what about making them open and close remotely, with the xtra channels on you new Futaba F-14 .😉 Cheers, Pete

4 years ago by Rookysailor

Forum

Orders from the boss.

Hi guys and gals, I have been given orders from she who must be obeyed. It is not permitted to accept any more model boats till I have finished the ones I have left to work on. Apparently I have 17 boats in various stages of disrepair. Plus three kits awaiting completion. As well as the 22 vintage showing boats and the six ready to sail. We also have my wife's 3 boats waiting for me to sort out the . And finally my son and grandsons 3 boats in the process of being built. Well I suppose it had to happen one day, ah well if I ever mention collecting another boat please give me a swift kick in the shins and remind me of the rules. Cheers Colin.

5 years ago by Colin H

Directory

HMS Hood

Recently purchased from Northampton she is seven feet and two inches long currently has no radio installed at moment planning to use maybe end of month depending on the cost of or type.

5 years ago by Carlos

Forum

46'' RAF Crash Tender

Ik, That's quite an easy set up compared to what I had to deal with on the 36" HSL as I had a lot to fit in a small space. The center of the boat is inaccessible due to the wheelhouse (which is removable) having a drop floor, (apart from 1 1/2"under it where the ESCs and one speaker sit) and the bow area originally having no large hatches. I had to make one to get the 2 sound units (plus speakers) and in. Rear deck behind the engine room is the same with only one lazarette and the dinghy on top. I didn't want to make another non standard hatch, so I managed with the space that I had. Had to do a similar thing to my 36" Thornycroft MTB. Thought about transfer boxes (see pics) but was too much work to get all the angles right, (although the one with a motor might be tempting on a future build) and motor space wasn't wide enough. Also the weight in the stern was another factor, (sits too deep in the water at the stern already but luckily runs nicely anyway.) It's fine if you don't have floors or interior detail, as you have a lot more room to play with, but I prefer to keep everything up off the bottom in case water gets in. Also the floors give you somewhere to place everything on a flat surface . John B

5 years ago by jbkiwi

Response

Re: HMS EXETER.

Sounds a bit like me Martin except I'm fortunate to be able to drive mine around. Great shame you can't get your fine creations out to a lake to see them in action. I seem to spend months or years making a model (planes and boats) and once I've perfected the performance, taken photos and videos, they just hang or sit there for sometimes years, full of expensive doing nothing, (think it's the general lack of clubs) Mainly I think some of us get more pleasure from the actual building of the models and having them operate successfully, rather than having one and using it to death and ending up being bored with it. In my case I'm just a hoarder of my own creations, (unfortunately) although now I have no more room, so it acts a bit like a brake until I can get off my butt and actually make an effort to sell some. John B

5 years ago by jbkiwi

Blog

Yorkshireman refit- rear deck

No turning back now I thought this was going to be straight forward. I've decided to put the main bridge superstructure to one side of the work bench and forget it, for now. In the past I found its easy to try to do to much, you get bogged down,disheartened and loose interest. So the next job now the decks are off was to check the rudders operation. It did seem a bit vague,the boat came with a full set of working . 4x6volt batteries in banks of 2 that took a charge well. A steering servo and 2x decaperm geared 6v motors turning in opposite directions with handed 4 bladed screws. The rudder cranks were white metal that didn't grip the rudder shafts tight enough, hence the vagueness, 1 motor was loose on the mountings, the other had a cracked gear box cover. Is it me, this scenario seems so reminiscent of so many good looking cars and bikes I've bought over the last 40 years, only to find within a couple of weeks you've got "sucker" written across your forehead, and a lame dog on your hands. These to me are the type of challenge I like. There the only ones I know come to think of it. New kits are for pussies? Jokingly. Anyway if someone in the past has taken all that time and effort to turn a silk purse into a pigs ear, I look at it as a challenge to turn it back into its former glory. None of the hatch tops were square especially the covers for the rudder cranks, and as can be seen in the accompanying photos the deck holes weren't raised to stop water ingress. I re cut the holes to help fit new cranks and fitted 10mm up stands, made new sheet hatch covers then refitted the original hinges and handles. Also while cleaning the loose paint layers off the outer stern bulwark, I uncovered the original name of the boat. It was originally a "Yorkshireman" hence my goal to turn a Irishman into a Yorkshireman. Apparently after a bit of reading up they were sister ships in real time and were built not 20miles from me at Selby, Yorkshire around 1976.

5 years ago by Rogal118