More of the Crash boat at our sea water creek and of Peter Dimberline taking a rest after an exhausting day at the radio sticks steering the model. After all, I only did the car loading, driving to the site, carrying fueling and starting, entry to the water and launching and taking the model out of the pond , cleaning and refueling etc to go again. You can see Peter is getting his stamina back. I only ever used 3;1 fuel and in later years 4;1 fuel, just how fast do you want to go? and I have defeated that(annoying) high whine of model engines with my muffler system. Needle valve is left alone and two or three clicks turn out/in in Summer or Winter is of no consequence, maybe too many fiddlers with model engines breaks down reliability? I usually wind the plug out 1 to 2 turns and start her dry and with one or two turns (electric starter belt now) of the flywheel and a fraction choke she STARTS at a bit above idle setting on carby , then throttle to idle disconnect plug lead and then screw in glo plug and lift model casually to pond and slowly place in water at IDLE. Just a bit of a mild throttle check / rudder function check, water outlet check, LOOK AHEAD and if safe clear release and gently open up.

Svitzer tug Ayton Cross, built by Terry O'Rourke in 2006/2007. Mostly scratch built, on a Mobile Marine Models GRP hull.

She is powered by two car heater motors, with a Marx luder bow thruster. I have used an Action kit motor mixer, it works well.

These photos were taken at the Chantry club lake, at the Bluewater shopping centre in kent.

The name of the boat is Amsterdam. This was a Artesania Latina kit built by me in the winter of 2005/2006.

Its powered by a car heater blower motor. I hope to sail for the first time, when I come up to Beale Park later this year.

This is the Brackengarth, it is semI scratch on mobile marine models grp hull. Built 2005.

It's powered by a car heater motor plus bow thruster. it is sailed with Chantry Club on lake at Bluewater shopping complex in Kent.

I rescued my PT Boat from EBAY in August 2005. it was owned by a young boy in Birmingham whose Dad had built if for him. it is an original Aerokits kit Fast Patrol Boat. When I bought the boat it had a sound hull with a few damaged fittings, which I removed. Since then I have made new guns, extended the front cabin to carry the life raft to make it look like a late World War II Elco PT Boat and added other new fittings.

I have made 6 working exhausts in brass tubing, have fitted a new open prop shaft running an Octura race prop and a Merco 61 glow engine. it still needs torpedos, guard rails around the machine gun turrets and a few other fittings. The number 349 is from an original Pacific Theatre 80' Elco PT Boat whose name in Bee Bee, which I hope to add at a later date.

I have also painted it in an original Pacific Theatre camouflage from a PT Boat book which I bought for reference and to make it look like a standoff scale model. This boat was also photographed by the local Burton Upon Trent newspaper at the Fireboat day in September 2006. I ran this boat at the Burton Model Boat Club's Fireboat day in September 2006 briefly until I broke the exhaust manifold and had to retire it early.

This is the Hugh William Viscount Gough. She is a solent class lifeboat. She went into service in 1963 as the Stornoway lifeboat. She was there for around twenty years.

She then went on to Barra and ended her service at Dunbar. She was sold in 1993 and is now out in Malaysia.

I have scratch built her from the hull up. She has a fibre glass hull and the super structure is made from plasticard. She took four weeks to build. I have some bits and bobs to do to her.

She runs on two MFA 850 torprdos, but I am going to down size to 800's.

We sail her at Mote park Maidstone most Sundays and also at shows.

She is 48" long with a scale of 1:12

This was originally built circa 1960 by my Uncle, with no radio control, you set the rudder, and let it go! it was then powered by an IC engine. All the fittings, engine and electrics where removed in 1965(ish) for conversion to electric, but the project was scrapped and everything was lost.

After a number of years carrying Action-Man around the living room, it was condemned to 30 years in the loft. Restoration started 3 years ago, completed after 1 year and given back to my Father as a Xmas present.

Sadly, he never got to use it much and it's now back in my possession. After 6 months or so (see posts!) sorting a better motor/esc/battery combo, it's ready for another restoration to bring it back to former glory.

Look closely on the 3rd picture, in the background you can see Fort Perch Rock Lighthouse, a listed building which stands at the entrance to the Mersey, and the famous Liverpool Waterfront further down river. New Brighton lake is in a fabulous setting for boat enthusiasts.

46 inch Crash Tender rescued from E-bay. Currently in the process of total restoration and have had to scratch build the entire super structure. Have fitted a Merco 61 engine with tuned pipe (the noise is awesome).

Have gone for it with the radio control- - employing a Robbe F14 plus an extra 8 channel module with decoder. So far extra controls are : each monitor (scratch built using brass pipe & sheet) left & right (using Robbe pulley set to give me 270 degrees travel), two Irvine water pumps, (real car) hooter, winch (using gearbox from Maplins) and movement for jib and search light.

I sail at Brentwood in Essex - where you can still run IC boats.