Response by Lifeboat & Fireboat to Cabin cruiser fire! - Weymouth & Portland MBC Open Fun Day, July 2014

My latest project - Hull and some bits from a static display model, based on several photo's of Greek fishing boats, Mtroniks 400 motor, & 15A ESC, 12v SLA battery & 30mm 3 blade prop. Fish boxes from Coffee shop stirrers, Fish from long grain rice, Crew from Pound shop (Soldiers chopped & reshaped. )
She sails fairly well on first trial this week at Weymouth & Portland MBC, Miles Cross Farm lake . Hope to post video soon.
Chris

here are my three boats, oakgarth 42" twin screw 4 blade props with kort nozzles she also has a working bow thruster.She running two speed controllers off a 12volt sla battery and has full working lights I would love to say I built her but I never, all I have done is added lights and give her a full makeover. Next is Doug the26" pusher tug twin screw 3 blade props full working lights and water jet single speed controller futaba radio set up I have just changed the crane on this again I have only done cosmetics to this tug and my last boat is a 20" seaport tug this is what my grandchildren sail and for 60 quid its great thay love it .the paddling pool was 15 quid for argos and perfect for testing well better than filling the bath .

This is a Chris Brown fibreglass hull for Cariad, it was a reject so Chris let me have it cheep. I like to be different so I built it as Spray of Newport. Sailed well on internal ballast only just adjust the rig to suit the conditions. Two sail arm servo one on main other on fore sails. Rudder controlled from under the deck by servo 3. The westerman ( who sails the boat for the pilot) holds the tiller which moves his arm. A forth servo pulls a string passing up his leg through his arm which is a spring. When the spring is compressed the arm waves in a random way. ( the idea came from the toy animal on a stand when the bottom of the stand is pushed in the animal falls down.)

See forum and my harbour (CapnJim) for more details.
Just some footage of my weathered Model Slipways Puffer - now some years old but still cruisin'. Still appreciating the model and is one of my favourites. One day I'll build a puffer at 1/32nd. but for now this does very well.
Easy build but lots of opportunities to add detail. This has all the bells and whistles (well 'steam' whistle, smoke generator and puffer engine sound at least). Would fit in a briefcase but still able to stay afloat against the wash of bigger boats or blustery winds. Surprisingly, steers well when going astern. Speed with supplied motor about 2mph ' but this is faster than scale by a margin.
Clip prepared for YouTube resolution so best not viewed full screen.

This model of the tourist attraction in Liverpool a few years ago.Sadly after a couple of mishaps all four have been withdrawn from service. The model however survives. it was scratch built from photos and site visits by myself (Max Ferrie).There were no plans available. it is about 28inches long and roughly 1/12 scale.It was built almost entirely from plywood. As you will see from video it operates on land and water. it is six wheel drive using differentials on all wheels. When in water it is prop drive. it has two small electric motors for power, the wheel drive being very low gearing (too low really it goes very slow on ground). it was completed in 2010, and is filmed sailing at the portable pond at Toys For Boys in Waterloo in 2010. it has sailed at Hoylake MBC also.
It is powered by two 6volt 4AH batteries in series to give 12volts.

HI all new to all this bloggin.
Just a sum pics of my vliestroom from model slipway .
I was not happy with the Kurt nozzles so turned sum up on me lathe very happy with the result
All the anchor ports wer not wright so had to remodel them to so hears sum pics.

Following the legendary Keil Kraft Eezebilt plans for a Mermaid Ocean going boat. Plans exploded to 200%. Trying to build it completely out of Plywood and Foam Board.

OA Length 710 mm, Beam 180 mm. AUW 1.98Kgs.

She carries the name 'JAYSHIL". it is a portmanteau derived from the names of my late parents.

Model features working lights as prescribed by the international Maritime Authorities:

http://www.bosunsmate.org/seamanship/lights.php

In keeping with Rules 22 and 23:

http://www.bosunsmate.org/seamanship/rulesoftheroad.php#rule23

Brushed 550 motor, Reversible ESC, 2S LiPo, Turnigy Blue Prop, Working Lights and indigenous Sound Generator unit.

Video is available here: (you may need to turn down the volume a bit as the horn is rather loud)

I would welcome any queries and/or comments on this build.

Thanks and Regards,

VC

HI fellow model leers.this is my latest model.Built in 1926' for the Ffyfe(bananas) family. Originally it was run on steam,but in 1939 converted to diesel,this was kept until 1957 when all the staterooms were replaced by cargo holds . She was then made into a feeder bringing eleven thousand boxes from Rotterdam to Southampton. She was scrapped in the seventies.my model of her was from 1926 the scale is approx 1/30th her length is 48 inches including bowsprit, and has a beam of 10 inch amidships. She is totally scratch built, plank on frame, all the decks are individually planked with black card in between , wheel house and all other parts are mahogany. She runs on a decaperm geared motor @ 6 volts, and the lighting system consists of 10 accommodation lights, port and starboard , wheelhouse, and both mast headlights,the large saloon skylight is also lit up with a set of disco lights on a separate circuit. The funnel houses a heavy duty smoke unit switched on by switching unit.

I've at last done something with my mystery Orange hull, featured earlier, whilst in St Lucia last year I saw a launch used as diving support with almost identical shape called 'KIKA' so that's what it had to be!
Power from an old 600 Johnson type motor with 7.5v battery and 20A ESC, with prop & running gear from my oddments box. Tried her at Mangerton Mill last week, she goes well but needs a more powerful ESC as 15A fuses blow at 3/4 power, also veneer deck has started to bubble - so work in progress really!

Chris

Built out of house guttering to a scale equivalent to model railways HO the layout is approx. 4 x 3 ft. Mounted in a wooden frame and provided with a protective see through cover it fits into the car and can go anywhere. it has been an on-going project to build RC boats to suit. Those used at present are commercial products (loa 5" (125mm)) with simple two channel two prop drives - not proportional but with forward and reverse and by operating one or both props plus reverse steering is OK. Battery life limited to 6-8 minutes with similar recharge time. Built largely from scrap and odds and ends the project cost well under £80. The idea is/was to have several units and link them together to make a large layout!

RTR minI electric speed boat with proportional 2CH RC. 280mm loa (11")

Good boat and fast. Watercooled brushed motor. Normal problem with commercial mini-boats is lack of proportional RC but this is fine. Battery life about ten minutes - low freeboard and takes on water but electrics/RC have proven resistant to regular swamping!