Model Boat Mayhem
Technical, Techniques, Hints, and Tips => GRP & Epoxy => Topic started by: J.beazley on December 02, 2006, 08:59:48 pm
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Im sure Shipmate60 will help me here as my Schutze is way to light, i know some of you are thinking ballast her then but what weight should it be??? including battery(s),
just to keep the thread going, how much does your boat weigh???
Jay
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Hi
My Scharnhorst weighs in at 38 pound in 1/128 scale he's a beast
cheers
gary rowe
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got any pictures to show us Gary???
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Jay,
My first one was ballasted with a 6v 10Ah battery.
Took her down to the waterline.
I do have a few here if you want to try it?
My last one has a 12 volt 5 Ah battery, but she is solid Polyester Resin at the aft end ( a couple of pounds worth)
My next one will be built light for the larger battery.
Bob
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Voyager
No photos at present but He will be on the lake at Black Park in the summer after that i will be posting a few pictures of Him.
cheers
gary rowe
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Jay, keeping the waterline is not always necessary (in my opinion). Get her ready and put some lead-pellets in until she`s trimmed on the waterline. If it is an fast craft- less could be more! Though watch her trimmed on the waterline and then make some additional tries by taking off the lead in small quantities. Does her seaworthyness improve? If yes, keep it as you please- as you will see her with more delight like an full-trimmed boat which runs wet and makes sooner or later problems.
Jörg
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Hello,
My Schooner weighs 75 lbs !!.
John. ;D
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hmm...... saves you costs for the gym ;)
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I think it was Uffa Fox (a much respected designer of racing dinghies) who said " weight is only useful in a steamroller" :D
Don B
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cheers for the replies,
bob (shipmate60) came up with another great solution, fill the hull with water until she sits on her lines ;D then weigh the water.
then again tried a 6volt SLA battery in my Schutze and well it sits almost perfect.
Jay
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Hello Don,
I agree about the weight being a nuisance, when my boat has accidentally hit other boats, it certainly acted like a Steam roller !.
But when the Wind is only blowing in short gusts, it gets the boat through the calm bits !.
John. ;)
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John
I like that :D -but both my scale yachts in order to be completely scale like have motors - thats the real answer to calm patches ;D
Mind you I still stagger down the slipway on my old legs when carrying them - and as to lifting them out of the water - oh you should hear my groans ;D
Don B
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Hello Don,
Carrying my Schooner is definitely a two person operation, as is getting her into/out of the water.
So when the boat is in the water, thats where she stays, usually sailing around, until its time to go home, then I have to Press-gang someone into lugging her back to the car.
At the StHelens Open Day, Mark, (Ghost in the Shell ) carried her back with me, but I don't think he will volunteer again!!!.
John.
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so she is a tad heavy then JayDee ;D
might pay in building a small trailer type thing to pull your boat along with, think thats what i might do when i have a couple of boats to tow down to the lakeside for sailing.
Jay
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Hello Jay,
Last Summer, I did try launching in/out with a plastic fold up " Porters Trolley "- - - the L shaped one.
I fastened a piece if wood onto the front edge of the platform, to stop the Keel from sliding off and tried carting the boat around, it was quite stable, providing the speed was kept down !!.
Got the boat onto the trolley and off to the lakeside, about 50 yards, very gently pushed the wheels over the lake edge, expecting to be shot out into the lake! , but no, down she went into the water, smooth and easy !!.
The plastic trolley had to go nearly 2 feet down under the water to enable the boat to sail free, which it did, and plastic doesn't rust, so it didn't matter about the soaking !!.
I was loving it !, did a load of sailing about, then it was time to get her out again.
Got the trolley ready, sailed the boat to the bank, grabbed one of the masts, placed the trolley under the keel, took a big breath, then LIFTED !.
Up she came !, had a little "moment" as the wheels came over the lake edge and she wobbled a bit, but quite easy to do, MUCH easier than I expected !!.
Remember, the boat weighs in at 75 lbs ! !.
I should mention that the lake at Fleetwood has a wooden edge fitted near to the Clubhouse, so that boats can be moved about this way, a normal tapered bank would not do.
It needs to be tried if you have a heavy boat, any sort of trolley will do for a test, I tried it with a plastic one because Fleetwood Lake is a salt lake, but if yours is fresh water, have a go !!.
John. ;) ;)
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"Last Summer, I did try launching in/out with a plastic fold up " Porters Trolley "- - - the L shaped one."
I use a metal one. I added an extension to the bottom plate and an upright with plastic "cloth" stretched between it and the regular "handle" to make a soft U-shaped cradle. This allows me to use it for both my keeled sailboat and my other scale boats. By and large, it does what I want so who cares if my buddies call it overkill. But secretly, I do agree with them and am scouting around for something lighter. I saw somewhere about someone using a golf caddy, so I'm looking into that.
There are some problems though. It's heavy and with the boat in the trunk/boot, it has to go on the back seat, which is a bit awkward. Parts of the bank of our pond are undercut and must be avoided because the wheels catch on the lip. It comes up sometimes a bit muddy and needs time to dry out. Finally, we are over-run by Canada Geese - you can be careful where you tread, but it's not so easy for the trolley :o
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Hello Kaskazi,
Very neat idea !.
Bigger wheels than on mine and further away from the boat too.
I might have a look round for a stronger version of a "Fold up Trolley" than the one I have now - - - plastic if possible!.
If its got metal tubes, small drainage holes could be drilled to let the water out.
John. ;)
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Lee Valley Tools supplies a hand cart - XD511 - folds up, fairly light, easy to hose off afterwards. I've used it to pack case + boat to the pond. With some minor add-ons it would be similar to yours but lighter.
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Why dont you make one to fit you and your boat rather than adapting a bought one? Use plastic tubing and glued connectors and angle joints.
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I've tried the plastic - be careful as mine shattered - possibly the wrong plastic pipe, typically used here for inground sprinklers. It flexed a bit with the weight of a boat and broke off at the joints. Possibly OK for a short lift off the deck into the pond but not to pack it and jar it.
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One of our guys reinforces his pipe with dowelling. But then his boat is only 16 Lbs
As for why I didn't . . . wanted the bigger wheels to come over pond lip - axel would've made a weak point in plastic pipe, unless larger diameter stuff. Then you start to defeat other purposes. Also need to leave bottom ends open and pierce the handle end to make it sink and then you get mud up the tube. And the price is not much different either by the time you're done.
Just call this my post facto rationalisation of a lazy man's way!
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my models weigh from 20lb to 120lb. A ready rule of thumb is to estimate the underwater volume in cu.ft.(LxBxD).(block coefficient)
Remember that fresh water weighs 62.5lb per cubic foot.
Estimate your coefficient of fineness. This can range from about O.5 for a fine hull to approx. 0.8 for a full hulled merchantman. Divide your "block coefficient" by the "fineness" you think suits and convert that to water weight. That is the weight of your model. Easier done than to write about.
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Large diameter plastic pipes for the trolley can be a big 'plus'! Seal tops, insert air chuck, pump full of air to raise, exhaust to lower. Am I lazy or what?
- 'Doc
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Hi Bryan
Rather better if you MULTIPLY the block coefficient by the "finenss".
Malcolm
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Sorry. These little mental glitches will occur. Nice of you to be polite about it! Bryan Young
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Confused of Suffolk 'ere,
Just reading the thread and I thought the question was what the model should weigh, not what does it weigh?
Shurely shome mishtake?
Tony