Model Boat Mayhem
Mess Deck: General Section => Model Boating => Topic started by: tigertiger on February 14, 2017, 03:08:22 am
-
I am about to restart a model historic sail boat. Finished she will weigh about 17-20 kg, be about 1.5m long with bowsprit and 1.5m tall. For launching I am limited to a platform, with a 2.5m drop to the water from the top of the handrail, or hand-balling the boat 2m down a couple of large rocks. I want to avoid the latter if I can.
If I am going to modify the boat, it is better to do this before the deck goes on. Which is why I am asking now, before I continue.
Has anyone seen a launch and recovery system for a long drop?
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Considerations:
This is a sail boat, and booms will move about in the wind during launch and recovery.
There is a bowsprit.
There will only be a shallow drop keel, about 75-100mm max below the keel of the hull.
Recovery also needs to be done from 2.5m
I will need to be able to do this single handed.
Any derrick systems needs to easily portable.
All advice welcomed :}
-
Truck fan belts are quite large and heavy duty
-
This might work but you might have trouble recovering the boat.
-
Seriously. I've seen some very good launching slings made if this stuff. Stiffen the top edges with battens and used a rope or bars to lower and raise the sling.
-
Strops are ok for a small drop but Tigertigers BIG problem is that it is a 2.5mtr drop which is 8 feet to the water and that's a long pair of arms to use strops sounds like he might need a lightweight engine hoist of some description,this a problem as it is not only a Historic sailing model but it has a bowsprit.
Whatever he constructs it has got to be strong enough to lift a full bag of spuds,so something like an engine hoist and a pair of strops are the order of the day and in my opinion this isnt really feasable due to the fact it would have to be allready 3m above the platform before the 2.5 drop to the water so would really have to do a lift of 5.5 meters and protrude at least 2m out into the lake,so thus in fact the sheer strain at that distance would be rather big....I dont think it would really work in my opinion.
The only way I am sorry to say would be to handball down the rocks
Dave
-
I was thinking of using the hand winch from an engine hoist, and some kind of cradle supported on fold/twist out davits.
The problems then would be:
- design of the cradle, as the height of the cradle needs to be able to accommodate the mast
- securing the davits to some kind of base, there are 2 steps up to the platform, this means I cannot use the transport trolley as a base.
-
Maybe it would make the sailboat somewhat not to scale, but how about a large diameter ring at the top of the mast, to act as a lifting eyebolt. It doesn't need to be too thick, just enough to take the weight of the boat.
Next is an extendable Perch Pole (normally for fishing). At our club they use them to hook onto broken down models up to eight feet out from the edge. On the end of the line fit a large hook.
You can lower your sail boat using the pole and hook, then use the hook to catch the ring on the mast for retrieval.
-
Interesting idea Bob.
I will have to see how the mast is stepped. The big issue is still weight, at 17-20kg, and the need for some kind of portable derrick. But at least that would mean only one boom/derrick needed, instead of two needed for a davit type arrangement.
-
You did say the boat was about 1.5 m tall, I assume including the mast. If you used the Perch Pole with hook the top of the mast is only a metre below you. Obviously the mast needs to be strong enough, and securely set in the hull. At "only" a metre below you maybe a more solid pole with hook would work.
Remembering that 20 Kg is close to a two-man lift, whatever the retrieval height.
-
Tiger - get in touch with Mr Colin Bishop - because a good few years ago he took part in the steering finals which were held at Ryhope pumping station and at the pumping station they use the cooling ponds for model boats to sail. Its a fair drop from the side to the water - about 2 meters or so or less - I am wondering if he has any photographs, cos I cannot recall if they used the pulley lift system or if they had the pontoon at the time for lowering the boats in. Now what they do though is have 2 tracks made from aluminium H girders with a trolley that runs in the track - on the trolley there is a cradle which the model boat sits in. This is lowered over the side and the cradle is lowered into the water down the tracks using a rope. The model boat is then driven away from the cradle and retrieval is just the reverse of putting the boat in the water.
Wondering if Colin has any photographs or maybe this wasn't around when he visited Ryhope.
John
-
Never been to Ryhope John, you must be confusing me with somebody else!
Colin
-
Thanks, Bluebird.
I can picture what you mean. It could be hooked over the hand rails. The lowering raising mechanism could still be done with a winch. The boat could then be push/pull maneuvered over the cradle with poles. The cradle would only need to catch the hull, no full height needed as the cradle would be pulled up the tracks to the side of the boat, and not from above.
-
HI Bin thinking
first does your platform have a side to it, if it does I have seen a cradle which holds the boat, the cradle needs to have two wheels attached sufficent in size to keep the boat away from the side of the platform, the whole thing looks like a tubeler sack truck, when out of the water it can be used to transport the boat back to your car, i will get on my ipad and make a sketch, I made one up for my schooner, worked a treat
Geoff
-
HI TIGER
I hope you are better at understanding my sketch than I am at drawing it, my schooner was about 27lbs with her ballest and it worked well, I have seen this idea used on pond launches before, I realize your boat is around 44 lbs, but the trolley needs only to be big enough to hold the boat away from the wall of the platform, let the trolley sink below water level and retrieval is the reverse action hope this helps
-
Great idea :-))
-
Hi TT, I have a similar system for my barge 'Will Everard' using a collapseable baggage trolley with a slotted cradle attached. At the lake I rig the boat and slide it onto the trolley stand then down to the water where it is lowered down the concrete side until floating, then the barge is pushed gently out of it's slot and off we go and at the end she is guided back into slot and hauled out ! You should be able to haul the boat up the steps with this cradle, but with the railing obstructing you I don't know how you are going to lift a heavy, unwieldy (especially if there is a wind !) model over the top using this type of gear, though
Mike
Just thought of another problem - the trolley stand being wood, wants to float up ! No problem with the boat on it but when it is time to go home it is a bit of a faffle to hold it vertical whilst 'docking' If you are good with aluminium construction then problem solved ! Oh, also the wheels are larger replacements from the DIY shop to give more clearance down the lake edge.
-
I have been and checked, sadly there is no wall.
If I did use a trolley, I would make sure it did not float. The same for any cradle I might make.
The handrail is only at 500mm height, a bit of a lift but do-able. No matter what the solution, I have to lift the boat, or boat plus cradle, over the hand rail.
Getting up the steps with the boat would need the boat to go fore and aft, or lift it above the rails, as the gap between rails is only 1.1m.
The rough layout of the platform is shown in the diagram below.
-
Ah well back to the drawing board ! I like your computer drawing, though. Wish I was clever like wot you are O0
Mike
-
It's only PowerPoint.
-
Just a quick note of thanks to all of those who have contributed so far :-)) :-)) :-))
-
I am about to restart a model historic sail boat. Finished she will weigh about 17-20 kg, be about 1.5m long with bowsprit and 1.5m tall. For launching I am limited to a platform, with a 2.5m drop to the water from the top of the handrail, or hand-balling the boat 2m down a couple of large rocks. I want to avoid the latter if I can.
If I am going to modify the boat, it is better to do this before the deck goes on. Which is why I am asking now, before I continue.
Has anyone seen a launch and recovery system for a long drop?
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Considerations:
This is a sail boat, and booms will move about in the wind during launch and recovery.
There is a bowsprit.
There will only be a shallow drop keel, about 75-100mm max below the keel of the hull.
Recovery also needs to be done from 2.5m
I will need to be able to do this single handed.
Any derrick systems needs to easily portable.
All advice welcomed :}
Is this location the ONLY place you can go to sail your boat
-
It's only PowerPoint.
Heard of it but never used it. Since retirement all such things, spreadsheets etc have become redundant, but I will certainly have a look see bye and bye
Mike
-
Just as a suggestion, if the fence has horizontal rails with the right shape of davit they could interlock into the rails which would provide the support and take the weight. With a suitable cradle you may then be able to hand winch it down.
I think this is going to be very awkward. I've seen people use large diameter cam belts but I've also seen a model boat roll and drop into the water upside down from a height of 2-3 feet.
My belief is its essential to have a cradle which cannot let the boat roll or slide out one end and also to ensure that the actual lifting connectors are rigid and well above the centre of gravity to ensure a gust of wind can't topple the boat.
The problem is really that once you let go you have no easy way to stabilise the boat which really means a substantial cradle. Just as a thought think of a swing with a keel grove but rigid supports.
Goof luck with this but you may well find it easier, and less fraught to sail on a different pond.
Cheers
Geoff
-
Is this location the ONLY place you can go to sail your boat
Just about, yes. It is also walking distance from the house.
There is another far bigger lake very close, but there is still a problem of climbing up a 1m wall, with a 1.5 m drop on the other side, and then a 5m 30 degree slope to the waters edge. If the police don't throw me off, then for most of the year, there is the blue green algae problem, which at the height of summer is really bad (see pic, not photo shopped that is the real color).
I could drive 3 km down to the other end of the lake, where there is a lake wall (hard bank) but then I could not park the car, the water is still polluted.
Unfortunately in China, most lakes and rivers with access to the public have a hard wall and usually a handrail (see pic). Most modern Chinese cannot swim and if they fall in they drown. The hard river banks are often 2m or more high.
The nearest cleanish pond with easy access is about 20km away, bear in mind that Kunming is a city with over 7m people and traffic is worse than London.
-
In that case it sounds like your only option is the ring on top of the mast, and a one and a half meter pole with a hook on the end. Can't see any other practical method of launch and recovery short of some very large and complicated davits system.
-
What about a very strong eyelet at the balance point on the deck, anchored through to the keel, as this would be less intrusive and prevent strain on the mast structure. Basically hook it on and pull it up. The keel weight should keep the model stable
Cheers
Geoff
-
That would be fairly simple, except that the model will weigh 17-20kg.
Hard on the arms/back mostly.
Some kind of derrick, or something else, is still needed to swing the boat out for launch and back for recovery.
-
So what happens if the boat sails off and gets stuck somewhere else and cannot be brought back to the launching site?
Colin
-
Would you be allowed to build, or mount a derrick or plant a post at the site?
-
A derrick post can be interlocked with the railings so would be easily removable.
G
-
Thinking a bit out of the box.
Would it be possible to design a set of steps that could hang on the guardrails.
Or a roof ladder with a cradle sliding on the uprights.
Just a thought.
Bob
-
I could temporarily attach a heavy plastic pipe to the uprights of the guard rail to act as a base for a derrick. Although I have no experience with building derricks. Any design would have to be able to support the weight of 20kg, with a lever effect of at least 500mm.
Any advice on that would be helpful.
The house ladder is also a simple idea. I had considered the rail idea mentioned on the last page, but it was getting a bit complicated. The ladder would be much simpler. I could get around some transport issues by using the ladder as part of the trolley. As the ladder would need to be 3m.
-
Folding or telescopic ladder?
Bob
-
Can't draw so KISS, how about a vertical post, max one metre, secured to a handrail upright with say two U-bolts with wing nuts, easy to fix.
Thence a horizontal, long enough to swing out and clear the pathway.
Two slings for boat lowered via a simple block and tackle system, double blocks would handle the load easily and require little effort to operate.
The hard part is aligning the boat for recovery to allow slings to align under and the reverse procedure to raise the boat.
Much same when launching full size with spreader at top to keep slings apart for boat to sail in for recovery.
There is no reason why it can't be built out of timber particularly if metal working is not your forte and be "collapsible" for transportation.
-
I have been and checked, sadly there is no wall.
If I did use a trolley, I would make sure it did not float. The same for any cradle I might make.
The handrail is only at 500mm height, a bit of a lift but do-able. No matter what the solution, I have to lift the boat, or boat plus cradle, over the hand rail.
Getting up the steps with the boat would need the boat to go fore and aft, or lift it above the rails, as the gap between rails is only 1.1m.
The rough layout of the platform is shown in the diagram below.
I think I just created Raartygunner's design... LoL
Take a piece of plywood and drill four holes in it so that you can mount U bolts to the plywood.
Place them at a height that when you put the plywood an u-bolts on the outside of the railing, the
u-bolts pass between and under the rails. Then drop a piece of bamboo through the u-bolts and tighten them up.
That gives you a vertical support. Better yet, just use disposable zip ties instead of U-bolts.
On the top of your bamboo vertical you can mount a horizontal bamboo pole to hold a pully, and backstay to
That can be tied down at the back of the post. If an offset mounting bracket is created you can bolt the vertical and
horizontal in a manner that will allow them to fold for transport and storage.
-
Umi,
Yes, You have it in one. O0 O0 O0
Well done :-)) :-)) :-))
-
Now we are getting somewhere :-)) :-)) :-))
I like the idea of a wire stay at the rear. This would be so much stronger than a cantilever.
I don't think I could use zip ties, as I have found that they stretch and creep a lot, and the upright could go a long way off vertical.
A slight variation would be to attach a HD plastic pipe to the guardrail uprights with the U Bolts. The upright pole could then swivel in the tube. This means that the joint at the top of the upright does not need to swivel.
I am not sure what would be stronger/more stable. A swivel at the base end or a swivel joint at the top.
-
Just out of interest TT, what is the likely reaction of the authorities to what you are proposing? For example if a policeman discovers you attaching a hoisting mechanism to a public railing?
Colin
-
I have been chased off of public waters before. The general attitude of many security guards (China has mall cops for everything from school gates, to public parks) is that, if there isn't a rule permitting it, it must be prohibited. It only takes one person to say, 'I don't think he should be doing that', for a butt covering exercise to ensue.
However, the water where I sail (the one in question here) is at the back of our property development. Our bank is private property/public area for residents only. No cops. As long as I didn't attach anything permanently, or anything that did damage, I don't envisage any problems.
-
Hi TT, just out of curiosity how deep is the river that you wish to sail in? Is it too deep to stand in with waders? As I was thinking that maybe you could convert an old rucksack to carry a model on your back and climb down the ladder into the water? problem solved, just requires one ladder and one converted rucksack
john
-
As it is, I could handball the model and climb 1.5 m down 2 big rocks to get down to the waters edge. I do this with my smaller models, and stand on a platform made of cinder blocks about 2ft square for launch.
But the model in question will weigh 17-20kg, and be approx. 1.5 m long with bowsprit, and the model will be approx 1.5m tall from keel to top of mast. Rigging it after launch is not really an option. Handballing I don't fancy.
-
if there are steps down to the water, can you manufacture a slipway to launch and retrieve the boat, this can then be placed on the steps and provide a ramp to place the boat into and out of the water, alternatively a launch trolley designed to fit on the columns.
-
There are no steps. Generally in China the water's edge is high banked with no access directly to the water. It stops people drowning, washing clothes (yes even in middle class neighborhoods, any free resource is exploited) or car washing. There is also this thing of corralling nature.
What I will do, is go back to the site tomorrow to see what tricks I have missed.
-
A couple of photos would be good.
-
A Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane Helicopter ? (OK, ideas getting desperate !) %%
(http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n626/bobkiralfy/SkyCrane_zpsk7fb8a7z.jpg) (http://s1143.photobucket.com/user/bobkiralfy/media/SkyCrane_zpsk7fb8a7z.jpg.html)
-
Now we are getting somewhere :-)) :-)) :-))
I like the idea of a wire stay at the rear. This would be so much stronger than a cantilever.
I don't think I could use zip ties, as I have found that they stretch and creep a lot, and the upright could go a long way off vertical.
A slight variation would be to attach a HD plastic pipe to the guardrail uprights with the U Bolts. The upright pole could then swivel in the tube. This means that the joint at the top of the upright does not need to swivel.
I am not sure what would be stronger/more stable. A swivel at the base end or a swivel joint at the top.
If you used a tube, a good idea, and it was slightly loose to suit the "pole', no need for swivel bases etc, just swing it, the vertical pole, to and fro via the horizontal.
Umi's drawing is basically a simplified "crane" which you can refine/alter to suit.
-
I hope this works!!
-
Umi's plan looks good but you still have to wind the boat up, and that's a lot of weight, I think you may need to gear it for easier winding.
Len.
-
hi there
Looking at Umi's plan - the only thing that I would be concerned about is - with it being a yacht and on a single lift - with any wind, which there should be, if you are sailing a yacht :-) - once you start to lift the yacht in or out of the water - the wind will begin to blow it all over the place. That could cause a lot of damage if it is blown in to the wall.
I have put a rough sketch on of what they had at Ryhope Pumping Station; to lift the boats in and out of the ponds. Where they had channels, you could supplement them with an aluminium ladder. I made this sketch while I was eating a beef curry as you will see :-)
Before I forget, I am sure MachineMart have cheap hand winches in for sale.
John
-
Hi bluebird
As we are taking this problem seriously, as a shop floor tin basher in a very large engineering company, it was not unusual for planning to put a planning sheet onto the shop floor that looks good, but they forgot to run the process.
When the trolley moves down the ladder it has to get pass the platform, but there is the bracket at the back of the trolley that keeps the wheel on the ladder which now looks like it stops the trolley on the edge of the platform, we the shop floor as professional tin bashers know how to get round the problem, but we are returning the planning sheet back to the planners as a problem
Only joking bluebird you need something to hold the ladder off the platform, but I do like your idea the best so far, I bet that Beef curry tasted nice
Geoff
-
Umi's plan looks good but you still have to wind the boat up, and that's a lot of weight, I think you may need to gear it for easier winding.
Len.
That is where double blocks come in, they take the weight and effort out of lifting and keep it simple and with a simple ratchet, as when launching a trailer mounted boat, you can pause/stop at any time.
Ye old sailing ship had blocks an tackles etc.
-
Simple solution to any swing.
Provided the minimal arm length, is equal in length to the drop, thus being at least 45degrees to the bank it will never impact the bank.
It follows that the height needs to be as low as is possible thereby reducing the cantilever effect.
The weight is not that great it is the bulk that has to be overcome, namely a fully rigged vessel.
-
The hand winches are cheap here. About 4 quid for a 600lb model.
There have been some great ideas put forward for the derrick. I am not ruling it out yet, but unless I hit other snags, my thoughts are moving towards the rail option. The derrick would be the simpler option, if the boat was not a sail boat. But because of the height of the model complications are added by the height of the derrick needed.
Regarding the rail solution. The back of the roller housing hitting the hand rail issue can be sorted. It would be easy to attach something to a ladder rung to kick the ladder out from the hand rail. The weight/lateral forces of the assembly/kicker would then be resting on this, instead of on the ladder uprights. These lateral forces would only be small.
I need to check the depth of water, if it is very deep, the aforementioned kicker could also act as a hook for the top of the ladder, and there would need to be another kicker lower down that could be placed against one of the pillars to hold the lower end out and stable.
I will go to the lake today and take pictures, to post. I will also see if I have missed a trick.
Thanks again for all of the input so far. :-)) Lots of good ideas have been discussed, that I am sure will be useful to other members. :-))
-
Ok, I have been back to the lake edge. Still no pictures sorry.
Checked the depth of water, it is over 1m with a concrete side wall.
There is another option. There is a gap next to one of the big rocks, where the smaller rock is only 1m above the edge. There is a barrier made of logs across this gap that can be 'moved' and put back afterwards. I figure I can make some sledge arrangement to slide down the 45 degree plus to the waters edge.
Boat will be in the sledge stern first, the some sort of tie down to hold the boat, and maybe a rope at the bow end of the sledge wrapped round a tree trunk to take the weight, and help haul her back up.
The boat could theoretically be launched and recovered from the sled.
But looking at the pic, this is just as scary, considering the total weight with sled is going to be over 20-25kg.
-
Hi TT,
How well is it going to sail in such sheltered waters?
-
Well, there will probably be a brief displacement of air to get it started as TT falls in after it..... :o
Colin
-
Hi TT,
How well is it going to sail in such sheltered waters?
1st pic
No problem, lots of air moving. The only real problem is if it is very windy. Then the wind is not consistent because of the canyoning effects, and there is a long bend in the canal/water. It can change direction by 180* within a meter, literally. Sometimes I sail down one side of the canal with the wind behind me, and then back up the other side with the wind behind me. There is also a tributary canal/branch of the lake that also gets its own wind pattern. On a windy day squalls can come from any of 3 sides in rapid succession.
2nd pic
From the opposite bank
-
So what happens if the boat sails off and gets stuck somewhere else and cannot be brought back to the launching site?
Colin
To answer your earlier question Colin.
If it gets stuck on our side, I can ask one of the home owners for access to their gardens.
If it gets stuck on the other side, I would probably lose it. The culture here is finders keepers, and there is no legal equivalent of 'theft by finding'. My only chance would be if I drive 3km to the tourist park gate, park, pay to get in, walk back across the park to the water, and hopefully the boat is still there.
I did get stuck on the fence at the far end of the water last week. I sat there for what seemed like an age waiting for the wind to change to blow the boat off the fence. Unfortunately it was not windy that day, so wind was mostly from the wrong direction.
-
Where is this lake tiger, I would like to google it
Geoff
-
Here is the lat long from Google Earth
-
The pic shows the location. The clean water to the right, is also part of the tourist park and inaccessible.
The huge lake to the west and south is walled, mostly a 2m wall. I have cycled down every tributary and bank on the east side of the big part of the lake, and there are no slipways. Also there is a fetch of over 20km making a huge swell. You can also see the blue green algae coloring the lake. The west side of the lake is nearly all government, or farmers fields. There is a 1m wall to the north of the arrow, but access by car is difficult, and the water is polluted.
There are a few reservoirs around the city, but these are strictly off limits as they are for drinking water.
-
Hello,
As you probably know I have two rather large yachts.
I have launched them from two wheeled trolleys, by running the trolley over the edge of the lake and letting the boats sail away.
Very few problems with most of the lakes here.
But, launching your boats Stern first into the water may cause trouble.
Because of the angle of the boat to the water, the boat may not float until the water reaches the base of the mast,
Which could cause problems with water entering the Hull of the boat.
Also, retrieving the boat will be tricky, the bowsprit will touch the lifting device first - - the boat will stop, when you start to lift it, it will want to go backwards - - not UP !!.
If you make this device, it will need to be tested in a location that is very safe and level !.
I am very thankful that I don't need one.
Wishing you all the Best !!!!.
John.
-
Hi John,
I hear what you are saying about stern first. I fully agree, it could get a bit hairy, I hadn't considered the points you made, but the plan is a little different. The boat would not be launched from the bank as such. The plan would be to lower the boat, cradle, and all to the concrete edge. Then spin them around beam to the wall. Lower the lot into the water, or from a horizontal position slide cradle off the wall the last 1" or so into the water. Finally, float the boat out of the cradle. Recovery would be the reverse.
The cradle would be closed at the rear, so stop the boat slipping out stern first, and I would need some kind of tie down to stop the bow from tipping upwards out of the cradle when at a steep angle upwards, and maybe some kind of removable bar at the stem, to stop the boat slipping forwards (unlikely but anything is possible if things go wrong).
I am lucky though. Unlike your magnificent Bluenose, there is no long drop keel no my model.
-
Tiger
I have looked on Google Earth at your lake, and there are lots of places where there are steps down to the lake edge, are you unable to get to these locations
Geoff S
-
If you can show me where, I can look.
-
hi Tiger
have marked up the photo from google earth, I used the co-ordinates you gave me, and you will need to use google earth to open the picture icon where indicated.
regards Geoff S
-
Hi Geoff
If I could access it, that would be ideal. Unfortunately, everything on the right had side of the water is part of a theme park. I think entrance is about GBP 10, and they would not let me bring my boat in. All of the small enclosed water, as opposed to the big lake, is in private grounds, including the water I sail on.
The only easy option would have been from the park, a bit further south at the big lake, but with a prevailing southerly wind, all of the algae builds up on the N end of the lake (our end), and the 20km fetch makes for some sea like waves. Even when it is calm and not in full algal bloom there is the problem of the barbed wire fence. The park is really the only bit of lake wall that is low enough to provide access to water. The park was redeveloped 2 years ago. Before that it was a sea wall.
-
Hi Tiger
Sorry if I raised your hopes, but we tried
Geoff S
-
No probs, thanks for trying. :-))
-
Hi TT, I dont know if this idea would work, but I hate seeing people struggle. Just excuse the simple drawings but the idea is there??????
-
Didnt know dimension of weight of your boat but a bit of ballsst on one side of truck would suffice, just hope you can weld/fabricate..... :-)) :-)) :-))
-
Tiger,
How far would you have to travel, to a place where you could launch your boat from the bank of a lake, in a normal fashion?.
After launching your boat at this place, would you be able to retrieve the boat safely if anything should go wrong with it?.
I have travelled to Fleetwood Lake - - round trip 100 miles, Southport lake, round trip 45 miles, Birkenhead Lake, round trip 30 miles, great sailing venues, with great peace of mind!!.
There are lots of other places to sail around where I live - - but the peace of mind would suffer greatly!.
I really think you are chancing loosing your boat sailing at the lake you propose.
A small tree branch floating in the water will cause the boat to stop dead, lots of small things in the water could do the same, not to mention faults within the boat its self !.
Please have a look further afield, there must be other places.
Very Best Regards,
John.
-
Hi Big Stew
Great design. :-))
BTW the boat will be about 17-20kg and there are a couple of steps that have to be climbed up to the platform.
-
Hi John
I know I am taking a risk sailing there. I already sail two smaller models on that water. I am prepared to take the risk, as it means I can sail every day after work to unwind. :}
The nearest water that I know that is suitable is about 1 hrs drive. Not far compared to your Fleetwood journey. but I would be going to sail on a small piece of water, on my own :(( . I know of no other model boaters. When I am back in UK I drive to meet people, and boat. The two go together. :-))
-
Tiger, as a thought, furthering JayDees misgivings. It might be worth cobbling together some small, powered, rescue craft to take with you or have handy at home.
Mike
-
Yes, good thinking.
Something like a Springer tug, that can ideally drag as well as push. That way, if a boat goes head to obstacle (sail boats only really go forward) I can drag it out.
-
TT, don't think the weight of your boat will matter that much, if you go with a cradle type arrangement, just have to get the balance right (use something that weighsthe same as your boat in case it tips over). Next problem, these steps, how about using rubber tank tracks and 4 wheels on each side, a couple of 12v batteries to drive it as well (your ballast), one hell of a boat transporter!!!!!!!!!!
-
I was thinking just the same thing. %)
What you need is a Springer tug that you throw into the water (as seen on YouTube!). The perfect recue boat mmmmmh!!!!
Cheers
ken