Done a little bit this week. Finished the outside first skin, looking more like a Riva every time I look at it, the skinning went on very easily by doing it in strips one at a time each side, I used waterproof white glue and half tacked them on the bulkheads, when dry (next day) removed tacks. I then stripped everything out, sealed the prop tubes and two part resined the inside, it took forever to go off, I think the ply was a bit damp due to my workshop (no heat), eventually brought it indoors, smelt the house out!, and it went off nice and hard. I have now aligned the motors proper, connected the basic electrics up and water cooling pipes then ran the motors up, I am very please with the sound, they seem very smooth and quiet, so although I spent about four hours getting them in (motors) it was worth it. I have now got to decide what to do next. I have only put one watercooling pick-up on the hull am wondering if too put another or a twin pick up in, also whether to put a pump on board or just leave as forward pressure to work it, and another thing, where do I exit the water, side or rear, I have seen photos of it exiting at the rear as if through the exhaust pipe (I think!).
Decisions, decisions!!
Bye for now, Brian

HI again, this weeks work. its too cold and damp to do any gel coating on the hull bottom, so I've got to be patient. I decided to get on with the under decking and cabin, I put two dolls house louvre doors on the cabin bulkhead (Temporarley) just to see if they work, they do now!. I've fixed the cabin floor and sundeck floor down and cut hatches in them to access the motors, esc's, etc etc. as an aside I decided to have a go at the stern end, so I vinyled the centre walkway and veneered one side of stern just to see if I could! and it worked out. I am quite pleased, it's not perfect but I hope to Improve on my veneering skills by the time it comes to the sides. I have some white gel coat which I'm itching to put on, but that is in the future when the better weather arrives. (If ever!)
Speak to you soon, Brian

HI again, decided today to make a start on the upholstery, cold and damp outside and I can do this inside. My wife sewed the sundeck floor together and I Impact glued the vinyl to the removable base. Tomorrow I will seal the underside to make it waterproof. The middle photo is the padded vinyl sewn at 10mm gaps and the false sides to which I will attached the padded vinyl, all will be removable for servicing the electronics underneath. Post some more later, Brian

Hi, went to Maplins and bought some hi intensity leds to work of 4.8v, had to buy some resistors as well. I epoxyied two chrome tubes about 6" long into the bow and then mounted the lights in the tubes the results are in the photos. The reason for the tubes was so I could get at the bulbs through the door in the cockpit should they need servicing at any time. if the bulbs were directly in the hull my fat hands could not get to them. The bulbs are 3.5v so the need for the resistors.The tubes are lipstick containers (what I get up to in my spare time is my business!!) The photos were taken this afternoon in daylight as you can see by the background and you can see the brightness, there will be a lens and chrome surround placed on the outside of the hull eventually.
Happy Xmas everyone and good and prosperous New Year, Brian
ps Colin thank you for your kind remarks.

Just a little bit more done but it has taken me all over the xmas period to do. I've Gelled the bottom of the hull with epoxy, self coloured white. Three coats with a fibre cloth put between the hull and first coat. Rubbed down then another coat applied rubbed down again and final undercoat ready for the gloss top coat. The problem I had was rubbing through the coats and the wood appearing close to the surface, so I was continually patching, well I think I've got there ready for the gloss. The batteries arrived from HK, they are buggy hard lipo cells. 5000MAh, 4cell hard cased, 30c discharge. And up to this morning, a large packet arrive from Vietnam via the postman.The bottom two photos show what was inside, all the bling! There are 60 parts there, including the hard to do parts; windscreen, steering wheel, bow anchor chain guide, plus air intakes, exhaust outlets, rubbing strips (pre-drilled), instrument bezels, gear change and various light fittings. There is also scale prop shafts with propellers and the support plus exit plate they are good but not strong enough for RC use. I am very pleased with my purchase and it only took 17 days from receipt of money, delivered to my door. I am now going down the lake to sail my Veron MPB, hopefully the rain will stay away, thank you Colin for your kind remarks, I will contact you again later, Brian

After getting all the chrome bits out off the box I couldn't resist placing them on the hull, just to encourage me to get on with it. I have opened the lights on the pieces to take LED's, I will have to make the lenses though as the fittings were solid brass castings, chromed. I have also finish the bottom of the hull as far as coating is concerned, I put on a waxed final coat and cut it progressively with 260, 400, 600 and finally 1200 with soap wet and dry all by hand (no machine) to stop going through to the wood again. When I was happy I Tcut it but now I am not happy as there is a few blemishes in there, I will have another go with 600 and 1200 to see if that helps. I also have put one side on the boat this afternoon, Impossible to put on decently in one go, as the full size, without moulding it first. so I put it on with strips about 15mm wide. I marked the veneer with masking tape, back of boat and outside, using a new scapel blade I cut the strips, it took about 3-4 cuts to go right through, I was being very careful, then when I mounted the strips, I lined up the masking tape marks so that the grain followed itself pretty perfectly. Then gently rubbed down with 280 grit dry to bond the strip to hull. When I finished I rubbed down with 600 to help fill any gaps and finally did a bit with 1200 dry, not the final rub down I hasten to add, that will be later, but you can't see the join, so I have achieved what I really wanted a pretty seamless hull side.
I hope everything is OK with those who are following this build and speak to you again when more progress is made, Brian

Well because off the rubbish weather I've spent some time in the shed, managed to put the deck on. Left and right with matching grain and cut out the planking holes before I laid them. I lined the holes with 1/16 balsa then used some decking I had left over from another project with 1/16 balsa between each plank, I used pva glue and pinned at the side to hold in place whilst drying took place giving me time to work on other side matching the the planking in colour as best I could. it's looking sweet, I've also started on the final dash board and bathing deck access, wasn't happy with my first attempt. Hope everyone's OK and keeping warm, Brian

HI there, all I seem to do lately is rub down, varnish, rub down, varnish, rub down you know what I mean, well 5 coats into it so far and things are beginning to take shape. I am using Le Tonkinois varnish from B. E. Murkin, Maidenhead www.letonkinoisvarnish.co.uk, excellent service from them and their product is vvgood. it does everything it says on the product, the brush marks vanish after a few minutes, I use a ordinary brush 1.5", and as you can see indoors, it does not smell but the only drawback is it takes 2-3 hours to go off so be careful with dust etc. Just denib between coats so no heavy rubbing down and wait 24 hours. I have done some more to the electrics and have covered all the seats.
Thank you Colin for recommending this varnish it is exceptionally good and you have more control over it than epoxy. So there is this weeks episode can't see much difference for next week as I have a few more coats of varnish to apply!!So speak to you all soon, Brian

Just some more photos. Started to add all the deck furniture, the side/rubbing strips are on using 1mmx8 CS screws, very time consuming! Have to find a way to keep the paint on the chrome steering wheel. The RIVA logos I cut out myself using a CraftRobo machine. The wood is now a super smooth finish and has 8 coats of varnish plus four Mer polish coats the gloss is not high but very scale looking.
Hope the weather Improves soon, Brian

Just a few more photos to show progress of deck furniture. Had to make the compass out of half a gell ball and draw the face myself. The binoculars holder is made by forming half a circle of acetate around a tin can, and the uprights are poly sticks ground half through by half up from bottom then let into cockpit top and all glued together. The tea tray is deck grating now the surround has to be put on. The name (GLORIOSO) is gold vinyl lettering cut on my Robocraft cutter, having a bit of a job to get the letters to stick fully. Now to get the lighting sorted!
Thanks to everyone who has followed this build, Brian