Members Harbour
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Baby Bootlegger
Boat is fitted with 2 x parallel 7.2v - 5000 mAh batteries and using a 12v brushed electric motor. It gets up on the plane using that configuration, however am contemplating upgrading the ESC and putting the batteries in series to fully utilize the 12v motor. In the meantime altering the battery forward a fraction to allow the brass 3 blade prop to get a better bite at the water when at speed.
The build took me 8 months, mistakes were made as the whole thing was a learning process, but overall the end result in the water is impressive. It is 90% complete as I wait for some parts but nothing important.
Coated in fibreglass resin followed by 3 coats of varnish.
Construction largely balsa planks with a top of veneer strips (big mistake) done due to the non local availability of mahogany timbers.
The normal racing number for the Baby Bootlegger is G5 - I numbered it G34 which is my race number with my yachts.
A short video of my first day trial - in case the attached media file does not work: https://youtu.be/M1mMfLXkopc
Next job, rebuild my flyer from scratch as it did not get past the framing stage, fix up another couple of rc yachts, pull the weeds out of the rose garden, and look at building another yacht.
peterd
1 year ago
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Bruce Crandell Flyer - 1/4 scale Single Step Hydroplane
Fell in love with the design several years ago so thought it to be the time to do something about it. Purchased the plans from john-tom.com - putting myself at the deep end - and I have finally commenced building.
The original boat was in the 135 Cu Inch class and had a V8 in front of the single cockpit, and was just under 14ft long (waterline) with a beam of 5ft;
It will be interesting and I have a lot of research to do as I go - correct motor, batteries, ballast etc., but that is all part of the fun. Photos will be put up as I go. Wish me luck.
peterd
2 years ago
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Emma
6 months work finished and am able to fully reclaim the dining table.. Launched Emma yesterday in blustery winds. A few adjustments to make yet but very happy with her. Cuts a clean wake and after doing some tuning and adding my topsail will be great to race with the fleet. Mylar sails with a ripstop topsail.
peterd
9 months ago
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Baby Bootlegger
Three months ago i commenced building a Crandall Flyer. All going well till i discovered the instructions and the plans and the end result did not agree. Shelved for the moment and have taken on the Baby Bootlegger. Much better.
A scratch build from free plans, a few issues but nothing serious. It will still look similar. I have included a few photos to show where it is going. Hull is planked (1/2 in. wide balsa and next i have to plank again before cutting away the deck to allow access to motor, seating and the rear of the boat.
The original boat was planked in mahogany and the plans indicate 1/16 mahogany strips as a preference. Not available so I will be using lengths of veneer to give the impression and then coating that with resin. In the meantime, sanding, filling, sanding again. I will keep the images coming. (Who knows, we might even get the dining table back one day.)
peterd
2 years ago
Recent Posts
π¬ Re: My Harbour
2 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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Very impressive. Many years work there.
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π Battery esc combination
3 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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Thanks gents. I will have to check out those stat's in the morning. I had been running with the 4.5 gel battery which with the Esc and motor got the boat on plane very easily. Only issue was that after 15 minutes the battery was basically flat. Both the motor and esc have cooling fans and I have ensured good ventilation throughout.
The original specs for the boat are for a 750 series motor. I tried last weekend using a single 7.2v 5000a battery with a quickrun 60 esc, this of course did not produce enough grunt to get onto a plane.
More research tomorrow.
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π Battery esc combination
3 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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I am trying to match battery - Esc combination on my Sea Commander.
I have been running a 12v 750 size motor (around 16,000 rpm) with a 320 ESC and utilizing a 4.5a 12v gel battery.
Looking at utilizing two 7.2vx5000a nimh batteries - in series total of 12 cells. Easier to handle and a better fit. I think a little more run time as well.
3rd
It looks like this may not work due to the increased voltage. Should i stick with the gel battery and maybe upgrade to a larger capacity or should I be safe with the 320. Thanks.
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π Battery Esc combination for Sea Commander
3 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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I am trying to match battery - Esc combination on my Sea Commander.
I have been running a 12v 750 size motor (around 16,000 rpm) with a 320 ESC and utilizing a 4.5a 12v gel battery.
Looking at utilizing two 7.2vx5000a nimh batteries - in series total of 12 cells. Easier to handle and a better fit. I think a little more run time as well.
It looks like this may not work due to the increased voltage. Should i stick with the gel battery and maybe upgrade to a larger capacity or should I be safe with the 320. Thanks.
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π PT boats weathering
3 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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www.shapeways.com links in there to a lot of figurines whether navy from different nations or just use the search facility. I simply put in 'sailor'. Over 40 pages of figurines.
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π¬ Re: Yet to be named launch
3 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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Looks like she has really nice lines. Looking forward to seeing your progress.
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π¬ Re: Having fun with the kiddo's
3 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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They did a good job. Good styling.
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π St.Pierre Dory build underway
3 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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Looking good and not far away from getting wet. How many projects are you working on now?
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π IOM keel
4 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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Has anyone had the need to shorten the keel on their IOM?
After 8 months the local council has decided to drain one of our local waterways and clean out the mud.
This particular waterway is fine for WeeNips and other shallow draft boats and owners of DF90 and DF65 yachts are able to shorten their keels without altering the bulb and still sail effectively. Our other normal waterway is weed infested however that should die back with the change of season, hopefully.
I have just finished rebuilding an IOM and cannot sail it at this stage, hence the query. Thanks.
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π¬ Re: Russian KC100D waterjet work boat project
4 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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Having been through several cyclones in North and Central Queensland I feel for you guys. Not a pleasant experience and especially with the flooding that ensues afterwards.
Thank you for the images and video.
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π Building Yachts - Servo or Winch For The Sails
4 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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We all use servos on our Wee Nips. Some very creative extension arms. A variety of 10, 15 and even 20k but 15 is the preferred.
My 1m Emma which has a jib and main is also specified with an arm servo rather than a winch, works well.
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π¬ Re: Battery holder
4 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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That is very neat and well done.
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π Celebration tonight with family
4 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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Happy birthday young fella. I only count two candles though.
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π The Wee Nip sailing Boat Construction Materials
4 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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Good article. Big issue nowadays is getting good balsa. Most available seems to be farmed balsa which does not have the quality.
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π The Wee Nip sailing Boat Construction Materials
4 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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A member of our club made one with a balsa hull. It goes quite well though I think he had to increase his bulb weight to make it legal.
We also have two Wee Nips with rounded hulls. One glass and the other timber. All else is regulation WeeNip dimensions. Very hard to beat. Attached are my only two photos of the rounded hull boat (red). Yellow is mine and one of the few instances I was in front of him.
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π Frozen Pond
4 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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Australia went metric with currency in 1966, converting to measurements in 1970. A lot of us still convert back automatically however in the long run, the metric system comes out on top.
Looking at some measurements for model boats being down to 3/32 or sometimes smaller makes me grab the smart phone and convert.
Builders talk in mm sizes with their timber, which in the long run is easier. Keeps the grey matter alive.
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π Nerys @ 90
4 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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28th Jan is a great date. I will have to join you in your celebrations and raise a tot of whisky tonight as I am only a youngster and turned 71 today.
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π Coloured Sticky Tape For Coach Lining
5 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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Pin Stripe - the same and purchased from auto parts shops. 12mm or 6mm x 10m lengths. Can also purchase in triple width lengths. Plenty on one roll for multiple boats.
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π Brushed versus brushless
5 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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Thanks Harry. I will investigate your suggestion with the motor combination. If I went that way I will need to double check the ballast of the boat.
One advantage of the heavier batteries is that they do assist in that manner. The same with the Sea Commander that I rebuilt. I use a gel battery in that which has the weight to perfectly balance the boat. Big downside is the limited time duration on the water.
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π Brushed versus brushless
5 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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I am thinking about taking the plunge and replacing my 750 motor and 240aH ESC currently fitted to my Baby Bootlegger. (Recommended motor for the boat.)
I fitted the boat with two 5,000 NIMH 7.2V batteries in parallel however would have liked to have them in series to give that extra grunt.
Any suggestions on what size motor would be the best for the boat would be appreciated.
Thanks
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π Building My First Sail Boat or Yacht
5 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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The Wee Nip was my first rc sailboat. We had a good group racing them regularly with all manner of construction materials. A great social boat. Now have 3 and all have different characteristics .
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π Power source for a 42" Fairey Huntsman
5 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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I use 750 motors with 320amp esc's in both the Baby Bootlegger and the Sea Commander. No issues. The motor is a basic brushed motor from a local electronics store running with a 7.2v / 5000 nimh battery in the Bootlegger and a gel battery in the Sea Commander.
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π 2023
5 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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Thanks, gentlemen, for the 2023 wishes. I am afraid I have let the side down - no alcohol for 2 days, though I am about to finish a delightful bottle of hand-crafted single malt whisky from Tasmania.
Looking forward to a couple of new projects in the next 12 months and your helpful comments.
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π 2023
5 months ago by
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The same to all out there in our group. 11.52 here in Eastern Australia and ready for another year.
Looking forward to it after the last year.
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π¬ Re: 1930 Chris Craft runabout
5 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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Thanks for that. I will check it out at our hobby store.
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π¬ Re: 1930 Chris Craft runabout
5 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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Used that with mine as well. Simple and effective. What product did you use for the transparent black? I would like to try it out.
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π¬ Re: Re: Emma
5 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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I thought it was a good idea to take Emma to the coast and give her a second swim. Drove 200k and discovered I had left the remote at home.
Needless to say, I was not happy.β‘β‘
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π¬ Re: Emma
6 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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Thank you for the photos, you certainly have done a great job. My Emma was built to Gary's specs apart from the actual sails which i made from Mylar. Not entirely happy with the look of them and will be changing them in the new year.
One thing I will be changing is the loop arrangement around the traveller. What you have done is so simple yet will give more adjustment.
Will be putting mine in the water for the second time this weekend so hopefully I will get some of the changes done by then.
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π Propellors
6 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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Agreed with Float a Boat. Great service and good people.
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π Boat Show
7 months ago by
π¦πΊ peterd (

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Looking forward to seeing her progress.
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