Model Boat Mayhem

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Author Topic: Check your Bottoms  (Read 1204 times)

GG

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Check your Bottoms
« on: February 16, 2020, 12:22:23 pm »

When sailing, my usual practice is to take at least two models on the basis that if one stops responding in the middle of the lake, the second one can be used to recover it.  Even if others are also sailing at the time, I've found it safer to make my own recovery than rely on the often misguided enthusiasm of others. In fact there is a model left in the "ready to run" state on my workbench for such second/recovery model duties.


After my giving my latest model a successful "wringing-out" on the lake with no problems, it seemed a shame not to extend the sailing session by giving the second model a run as well.  This was also a trouble free run but I had the feeling that the model was a little sluggish. On returning home I realised that it had been some time since the recovery model had been given any proper maintenance, probably a result of it being frequently taken on my sailing expeditions but rarely sailed.


Stripping out the "Vectored Thrust" drive system, a homemade steerable combined rudder and propeller, gave me the chance to closely examine the hull.  I was shocked to find that the underside of the hull was covered in lots of scratches, and scrapes, probably created when sailing too close to some of the shallow and stony edges of the lake.  Nothing that weakened the wooden hull but could, in time, lead to water damage. It also mildly offended my sense of aesthetics, it may be a functional model but that no reason to offend the eyes!


It was but a minor job to lightly sand the hull, the reapply a couple of coats of paint.  My post sailing inspection, which I'll confess used to concentrate on the hull sides, deck, superstructure and internal condition, now extends a through examination of all the hull including the bottom bit!


Glynn Guest
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McGherkin

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Re: Check your Bottoms
« Reply #1 on: February 22, 2020, 05:46:03 pm »

Yup, you can easily hit stuff. I took my Tamar out for a run a while back and lost one brass prop and really bent up the other. All I can think is I hit something floating on the surface but I was never particularly close to shore!
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