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[Nige52]

Sorry to be asking a lot of questions but,
I have the opportunity to buy either a 5cc Nitro powered race boat OR a similar 26cc powered petrol race boat. There is a price difference of 250€ between the two, the Nitro one being the cheapest at 300€.
Although I owned a glowplug powered boat 25 years ago, I have absolutely no experience of the petrol engined craft except a mate telling me they are chainsaw engines....
So, apart from the obvious engine difference, what are the Pro's and Con's of either nowadays? I don't want to go and buy the Nitro boat only to find that I would have been better off spending more cash at the outset and getting the petrol boat.
All input gratefully received.
Nige

[Martin (Admin)]

I take it you have a lake or 'water' nearby to run Glow (nitro) or Petrol boats?
Glow engine boats are usually smaller (and faster) than petrol boats so that maybe a consideration.
Glow engine boats usually also need more "support gear" (starter motor, battery, glow lead etc).
Petrol boats are 'usually' cheaper to run.
Petrol boats are 'usually' easier to start.

.... but I've never owner and run a petrol boat so what do I know?!!! 

[jonny shoreboy]

One thing to consider too is that Nitro fuel is quite expensive. I run to quality Nitro fuel in all 5 of my r/c cars and I think I am paying about £35 gallon. It is also only available form local hobby shops that stock it and i might be wrong here but I don't imagine it is o.k. to have it posted which will mean travelling to your LHS everytime you need fuel. For me the means a 1 hour round trip..
Petrol is of coarse available from your local garage.
So, Nitro is cheaper, but running cost could end up being more? Is the boat going to be used for pleasure or competition because that could also have a bearing on your decision.

I would like to add that I don't own either a petrol or Nitro powered boat, this is based purely on my experience with Nitro in r/c cars.

[Nige52]

Thanks for the reply guys,
The water we have is the 1 kilometre long Mediterranean games water sports centre at Cuevas del Almanzora, Almeria, Spain PHOTO'S HERE which is also 200m wide. So we have plenty of free water.
No, we won't be racing but we want fastish boats for friendly messing about. We all have electic boats and want to take the hobby a step further and venture into IC. But never having experienced the new petrol boats, I wanted to know the for's and against's before parting with my hard earned. I didn't want to buy a Nitro boat then find the petrol ones are a better buy. For instance, I'm still not sure if nitro boats have pull starts ? So a basic comparison of the two would be good 
Thanks
Nige

[Nige52]

I have found these two 26cc boats on an online shop here, I'm fancying the Volvo....what do you think for the money?

http://www.modeltronic.es/lanchasyates-explosion-c-25_57.html

[w3bby]

You'll spend the same again trying to get them to run well. Not a tuned pipe just a silencer, cheap Chinese engine, coil most probably rev limited, AM radio no good with spark ignition........... I would have a rough guess at 40-45km/h.
As you are looking for RTR have a look here http://www.arrowshark.com/about%20us.php These have relatively well made hulls and hardware, not sure about the motors.
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to try a Thunder Tiger Outlaw http://www.thundertiger.com/product/5213.html for a review in the Swedish modeling magazine (not the writer, just giving my opinion). This was a well molded hull with good hardware. The motor started easily and straight out of the box it was a good runner. Whilst you would need a starter for the motor you could get away with a leather thong to start with, don't laugh but until last year one of our FSR-V racers started this way.
More pics of it here http://www.pudenitroz.se/gallery/?album=albums/SM1%20och%20SM2%20Eksjo%202009/&pic=DSC_5958.jpg This could be a good boat for your group.

[jonny shoreboy]

Again the following comments are based on my r/c car nitro experience...

I only buy top quality nitro cars from high quality manufacturers because buying cheap results in all kinds of headaches. Often when we are playing with the cars in the park we come across some poor sod who is struggling with a cheap knockoff. The are usually badly built, impossible to get spares from (very important) and a nightmare to work on. The will often wonder over asking for help and wondering why their car doesn't do what ours do. Even with all my experience it is always hard to explain to someone that their new toy is a lemon..

Even with quality kits you'll find yourself upgrading parts to go faster etc, and this is where a quality manufacturer is important because you will be able to get parts easily and upgrade parts will also be available.

[omra85]

Hi
The advice so far has all been useful, but before you part with your cash, try to find out what's going on locally to you.
This will have significant bearing on your decision.
If you (and a couple of friends) buy something that you will soon get fed up with - ie. 'racing' against the same people all the time, unable to improve due to lack of spares or knowledge, etc, etc, then you will soon lose interest and pack up.
There is a club near Malaga (your side) who seem to do ic racing -
http://www.fsrmalaga.com/default.htm
Now, even if you initially don't want to race, most ic racers are more than happy to give advice on what's best to buy, where to get bits, how to get the thing running ...
Try and meet up, just to see them at play. I'm sure they would be happy to advise, then if you don't like their style of boats, racing, etc, you can always do your own thing then.
Danny

[BJ]

The water we have is the 1 kilometre long Mediterranean games water sports centre

Oh, to have such a big piece of water as that plus sunshine!
It would be a joy to run big (15cc Nitro's or Gas) boats on that and get a suntan. The two Martins (Mr Fid and Martno1fan) would have a "field day" on that with their fast boats.

[Nige52]

Yes, it is nice to have the water available, they charge us 5 euros a day each.
Danny, Malaga is a full out motorway 4 hours drive from where I live at 120kph, so it's not a day trip outing, a week-end would be worth it though.
I have took the plunge and bought a 26cc cat, new from a Spanish shop. I decided on this purely because of the advantages petrol has over nitro, which you guys helped point out  We are simply a group of friends who enjoy boating and competitive racing will never happen, there's not enough of us to do that, although from what I've seen on the Spanish club sites, they seem to prefer nitro.....there again, Spain always falls a few years behind the rest of the civilised world when it comes to new innovations 
I'll let you know how I get on 

[Martin (Admin)]

We are simply a group of friends who enjoy boating and competitive racing will never happen,

I can't think of a better catalyst for a start of a racing competition!

It's a bit like the Club500 electric boats races we have over here in England, it's not how fast does it go but
can you beat your friend to a winning line!!!

See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLkYxEuH4IQ

[omra85]

Hands up all those Mayhemmers who said they wanted a meeting further South ...   
You lucky people 

By the way - in OMRA, petrol is the latest fashion!

Danny

[Bill D203]

Here is a Youtube link to my petrol Makara at this years Wicksteed park Mayhem weekend. It was only running on 30% full power as it was on a very small lake.
Enjoy? Type in "D203 Wicksteed park" That should find it. Or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cf0qyMmU_9s

[SteamboatPhil]

I've seen it up close and nearly (well nearly) full power----OOooooooooooooooo
 

[catengineman]

So how did you get the passenger to wave at the crowds? 

Great vid 

R,

[Nige52]

Yes, excellent video's, many thanks.