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[guitar man]

Hi all
 Hope to be putting my first boat on the water next month ( a tid tug ,not finished all the extras to do yet) must be honest and say, it could have come out better Not a disater but could have been a LOT better hoping to improve as i do more.This is actually not my first boat. My first was a huntmans I did when I was a teen all those years ago. Anyway was just wondering if you can remember your first boat and how you felt about it . I know some people are able to turn out a work of art on anything they do for the first time while others have to work at it (Me ) If this topic  has already been done my apology.

Regards Tony

[Norseman]

Any build pictures Tony?

Regards Norseman

[unbuiltnautilus]

My first RC boat was a semi-scale MTB, built on a hull that (apparently) was smuggled out of the local laminating firm over the roof! Anyway, it started life as a straight runner with a Graupner Jumbo 540 motor and a Ripmax 6v4A wet cell driving it. A tamiya coil type speed control and a lot of running around Canoe Lake. It was built in 1982  and every time you walked to the pond, the question was "going down the Falklands with that, Mate?" No, was the usual answer, batteries only lasted 10 minutes anyway

[guitar man]

HI norseman
   No build log really, will post a photo of it later some paint work still drying at the moment

[john s 2]

My first boat was a Vic Smeed  design called the Lorette. With the help of my Father it was built in about 1966
when i was fourteen. Not having or knowing about materials, it was made from old drawers and skined with
1/8th ply.It smelt nice because of the wood used. The power plant was an ED Racer 2.5cc. Hard to start and
never seemed to rev. I now know that i was running to big a prop. The engine had a Diesal and Glow plug heads. Not easy to start,now i realise it was worn out. but it started my interest. At that time radio control was
an expensive dream. So circle running only. Im hoping to build another one soon. What happened to the first?
It remained in the shed at home after i left home. The shed deteriated, So one day my dad scrapped it
including the boat inside. John   

[CGAux26]

A Springer.  What else, I am a member of the Northwest R/C Shipmodelers, one of which former members invented them.  A fun build from scratch and minimal plans.  She's a tough little boat, very maneuverable and good at towing.  My one regret is I painted it with a too-coarse brush, so the paint is a bit rough.

[philk]

first model was a hfm hms leander all balsa made from 36 inch planks.

1978 when i was 13 and had just given up crashing rc planes

[ayrshire andy]

Good old Dad used to let me build simple wooden boats in his shed from the age of ten onwards (as well as building me a memorable 16" long freelance ferry from a board from a beachcombed wooden fish box, remember those, and finished with white gloss hull and red gloss superstructure , the smell of gloss paint still brings back happy memories!) if memory serves, basically one plank of rough sawn 36"approx by 6" by 3/4" board with a pointy bow and a few blocks of whatever scraps available for superstructure, I wasn' t allowed to use his bow saw (nearly as long as I was tall !) but his 20" panel saw, these were the days before Health and Safety when we all had to get by on Trust and Common sense...first "proper" or powered steerable boat in late teens was a 1/72 Tamiya PT 15 torpedo boat which I fitted with a 280 or 380 motor methinks and 2 channel 27 meg, runs were never long nor fast because of she was overweight even with the little 600mAh AA cells which were as far as battery technology had gotten in those days, this was about 1990ish...the seed seems to be still growing!  

[Roadrunner]

My first boat was a PT fast launch RTR boat dad bought me for my 8th birthday ( i still have the boat) it only had forward back and right hand turns! boats not in bad nick to be honest i think spending a few quid on it could really bring it back to life!

Run time 15 mins, range about 20 yards! when your 8 that's GREAT! 

[ayrshire andy]

Good looking little boats, could be AWESOME with a cheap brushless ESC/motor combo (under£15?) and 2.4 4ch radio (£25.16 from Giant Cod)...would be like being 8 again but with more range and va va voom!

[Nordsee]

My first model boat that I built, was a model of the Donald Cambell " Blue Bird", It was built of balsa and covered in tissue, like a model 'plane, waterproofed by the dope on the tissue. Power was a Jetex 50, it ran, very fast( nearly flew!!) for about 15 seconds, then you had to hope you could get to it before the heat from the motor set it on fire!! It had half a dozen exhillerating runs before it got stuck in some reed and incinerated!! I salvaged the Jetex motor, which floated, and went home.It was a kit, but don't ask me whos! Next Model was a KeilKraft Eezi build "Neptune", great fun for the kids, lasted for years.

[Philipsparker]

Whenever you build anything, you always see the faults. When you show it to most people though, they won't see most of them. Most of us are are own worst critics.

Be proud you finished a model. If anyone criticises, just say "How did you do yours then ?" and they will run away with their tails between their legs 'cos they are all talk. People who get their hands dirty with some modelling tend to be a lot more tolerant.

Phil - 1st boat a Deans small scale puffer. Must take a decent photo of it !

[guitar man]

hi all
 Thanks for your replies, enjoyed reading them all. As promised a few photos sadly some of the early build ones I cannot find at present.