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[zooma]

A couple of weeks ago, "my spy in Tasmania"  told me about an eBay advert for a  "Large Model Boat/Cruiser Hand Made" and said  that it looked like a Rapier.

It was the right length and looked like a Rapier so I kept an eye on the auction and noticed that the bidding was to start at £50 - but nobody had placed a bid on it - so I bid £50 just to get things started and waited to see how well the bidding would go.

Nobody else placed a bid - so I was not only the new owner of another Rapier (probably) but also had to pay another £20 for the delayed postage (the seller was "busy" ).

The very bulky parcel arrived today with the boat inside it.  The outside was wrapped in soft corrugated card and inside was multiple layers of bubblewrap and some odd pieces of very weak and brittle thin green ands brittle green foam sheet that split and broke as it was being removed form the other wrapping.

Sadly the main cabin side next to the cockpit was broken off - but the broken piece was there.  The front cabin side had been snapped out and a chunk of the wood was missing and despite searching in the packing in great detail for some 30 minutes or more - it was not there.

The boat had been put together reasonably well (not much glue - plenty of nails) and had a small brushed motor inside with a whopping 17" long 4BA prop shaft that protruded well past the bulkhead and into the engine bay by about 2 1/2 ".

When I looked inside the cockpit I noticed that it had a floor fitted and this had been glued down in place(!).

The rear compartment had a lovely little homemade wooden frame in it that had an open top that looked like it had been made to take one of the old type bicycle lamp batteries with some copper strip inside across one end.  Two thin white wires ran from the motor via a large on/off toggle switch and each terminated with a hand bent piece of copper strip on it - presumably to push onto the cycle battery terminals to make it run (no speed controller).

The cockpit roof was just a single piece of ply that had been glued across the top of the cabin sides and this had been smashed off along with the windscreen and its top windscreen former (no glazing).

A small three bladed propeller was still fitted to the end to the prop shaft and some tin strip was wrapped around motor shaft and prop shaft to make a coupling.  This would have been adequate for the amount of power that was likely to have been generated so I guess the boat was probably used as a pond cruiser?

If the seller had found or made a box to send it in, I doubt there would have been any damage as the Rapier is a tough strongly made boat. By way of a comparison, I sold a very well detailed Vosper MTB that I posted to New Zealand about the same time that I bid on this model (the wifes rules - "one in - one out") and the buyer contacted me to say that it had already arrived safely with only a couple of small deck fitting bumped off during transit !

A little more restoration is not going to worry me too much and I want to make some changes so I cant wait to get started.

[zooma]

I went out into the workshop/shed tonight to take a "proper" look at my new eBay boat that was delivered today.

Firstly - it is a definitely a Rapier, and the printed part numbers are still visible on some of the wooden parts.

The glue that was holding the cockpit floor into the boat was broken away and the floor was removed. Underneath I found a large sheet of double folded roofing lead that almost filled the compartment and it took a bit of time to bend it enough to be able to pull it out.

Next I attacked that long thin prop shaft (using my favoured "percussion" treatment) and removed it from the boat. The small electric motor and mount was also removed.

My restored Rapier has its prop shaft ending 7" in from the stern - and it works very well so I would like something similar on this Rapier too, so I temporarily inserted a 15" M5 shaft into the hull and from that I have calculated that a 12" prop shaft will be plenty long enough (just 5" shorter than the one that I had just removed!) - so I have ordered one from MMR.

This should give me a nice shallow shaft angle with enough clearance for an X50 propeller - the largest size that I could ever envisage wanting to use .  The motor will also be nice and low in the hull, but moved about 15mm further forwards than the motor in my restored Rapier as I want to add a small amount of extra weight towards the bows.

I found my old front cockpit screen template that I made when I was restoring my current Rapier and I much prefer the look of it rather than using the kit shape, so I think that I will use it again - but adjust it to fit this "real" Rapier cockpit shape!

At the time that I was trying to work out what to do with the cabin shape on my restored Rapier project,  I also made a rear screen to make an enclosed  cockpit, but I never used it.  It looks like it can be made to fit this Rapier OK so I will use it this time to make the model look just a little bit "different" to my existing model.

I have taped the repaired cockpit parts together while the slow setting Araldite drys and also taped the 1/16 ply front screen template and the 4mm rear screen that I intend using into place to keep the broken side parts in place until they set.

Not a bad start - its surprising what can be done in an hour or so when working on a hull of the same type that has been worked on before - but I am guessing that will be the last of the fast progress from now onwards............

[tonyH]

"New" Rapier first pics.......

[zooma]

Before re-building the wheelhouse, I am making a LiPo holding tray and a shelf for the ESC.  These will look the same as the ones I made for my  restored Rapier, but I am hoping to make them removable this time as my original designs are "fixed" and cannot be removed without cutting them out of the hull.

A slot in the bulkhead to allow the three ESC/motor wires to pass through has been completed and the holes to route the water cooling tubes have been installed along with the opening for the steering servo wire plug to pass through to the RX position.

I will also copy the steering servo holder as that has also worked very well, but like the LiPo tray and the ESC shelf I will make it removable this time.

By contrast, the motor mounting plate will be built-in and made "as solid as a rock" to hold an alloy water-cooled motor mount so I can quickly and easily change the brushless motors between any of my hulls, but this can't be completed until after the new 12" M5 Maxidrive Shaft arrives from MBB.

Once the internal work is finished and the repair work and remaking of the wheelhouse is completed, it will be strong enough for me to turn the boat over and fit some strakes to the hull bottom.

So now I have a plan for the reconstruction work and for fitting the hull out to convert it from its previous use as a low powered majestic pond cruiser, to a fast water-cooled brushless r/c powerboat. 

I will also be changing the power source from a "dry" cycle lamp battery to a pair of 5600mah 65C LiPo cells..............

[Backerther]

Hi zooma;


I am so much interested in your plan of the fast boat to be powered by 2x5600mAh lipos of 65C !!!
When are you supposed to finish it ? Looking forward to a video,please!
She maybe runs partly off the surface like a flying fish.!!

[zooma]

Hi zooma;


I am so much interested in your plan of the fast boat to be powered by 2x5600mAh lipos of 65C !!!
When are you supposed to finish it ? Looking forward to a video,please!
She maybe runs partly off the surface like a flying fish.!!

I will be working own this old boat in-between my other projects, but the Rapier that was the original inspiration for this restoration thread has been running for  some time now - and it is quick with the same LiPo cells and a Turnigy 3648-1450 out-runner.

Bob.

[Stuw]

Another major project Bob! However it looks like you are on a roll with converting old and somewhat unloved or just neglected Rapiers into lovely rejuvenated versions.


I like the modded superstructure. I bought a copy of Radio Control Boat Modeller off eBay in the end for Mar/April 1987 which has a nice article on the Rapier as you’ve no doubt seen. Whilst I was at it I also obtained a couple of old Vic Smeed Boat Modelling and power boat books.


I am so much slower but am learning as I go.

[zooma]

Another major project Bob! However it looks like you are on a roll with converting old and somewhat unloved or just neglected Rapiers into lovely rejuvenated versions.


I like the modded superstructure. I bought a copy of Radio Control Boat Modeller off eBay in the end for Mar/April 1987 which has a nice article on the Rapier as you’ve no doubt seen. Whilst I was at it I also obtained a couple of old Vic Smeed Boat Modelling and power boat books.


I am so much slower but am learning as I go.

Hi Stue,

Thanks for the info on the magazine that has an article about the Rapier in it.

I have not seen this one so I will start looking for a copy - they turn-up on the Bay now and again and I am interested in reading anything that I can find about the Rapier as it was not a LesRo kit that sold very well and so there were not that many of them made.

Apparently the Javelin was a very popular boat and was a big seller for LesRo, and it was eventually re-named as the Streaker (no idea why) and it continued to sell under its new name, so it must have been the superstructure of the Rapier that was unliked as both boats share the same hull.

I have to admit that the Rapier is a bit of a "different" looking boat, and when it came out in the 1960's I was one of the many that just thought it looked a little "strange" when compared to the more usual Sea Queens, Commanders  and Swordsman etc that we were more used to seeing - and I could quite understand why it was not exactly a "big seller"!

Fast forward to 2021 (almost 60 years later!) and as recently as last year when I first started to restore my twisted Rapier wreck (that I acquired at the start of the first lock-down) and I have admit that I now like the shape (and the pointed bows) and I no longer think it looks "strange" but "distinctive", and of course there are a lot of swish distinctive motor cruisers about with sharply pointed bows these days so it is no longer quite so unusual looking.

Basically I like the Rapier design now - and its unexpected excellent performance came as a "bit of a shock" and was a huge added bonus!


Bob.

[Stuw]

Here is a link to the magazine containing the Rapier article. You can obviously also find it on other auction sites.


https://magazineexchange.co.uk/cw/radio-control-boat-modeller-magazine-march-april-1987-issue.html

[Seacommander]

I have and still use this hull and the smaller Stiletto version,
Both very good boats, seaworthy and go well.
There is plenty of enjoyment and fun in this for you.
Great boat and nice project
Cheers
Mark   

[zooma]

I have and still use this hull and the smaller Stiletto version,
Both very good boats, seaworthy and go well.
There is plenty of enjoyment and fun in this for you.
Great boat and nice project
Cheers
Mark

 


Hi Mark,

It is always good to find out about another Rapier,  and one that is still in active service.   

Do you have any pictures of your Rapier and Stiletto to share with us?

Believe it or not, I have been looking for a Stiletto for over a year now as I really fancy having a mini-Rapier to keep in the car as it would be a nice size.  The Rapier at 39" long is just a bit too big to fit into the "compact car boat" category, but I can imagine that it would have very similar handling characteristics and be just as much fun.

Being a smaller sized boat (25" long?) the Stiletto may have sold better than the Rapier, but the last time I saw one was when I lived in Exmouth well over 35 years ago so I don't think they could have been that popular.

Maybe I should advertise for one?  There could be at least one lurking in a dark corner or a loft somewhere that needs a new home?

Bob.

[zooma]

As I have been looking at the Rapier2 (and doing a bit of checking and tidying-up) I have also been thinking about making some small modifications to make it look a little different to Rapier1........but not too much different!

Fitting the rear cabin window (as shown taped onto the rear of the cabin in the early pictures of Rapier2) is a possibility, but I have also cut a couple of extension pieces for the cabin sides as a "styling exercise" and taped them on to see what it looks like.

The cabin sides are broken and need replacing or repairing in any case, so I may as well look at this now and see if anything can be done to improve it while I am cutting new wood.

I have not decided on anything yet - but I do have the new 12" M5 prop shaft arrive and I have made the rudder servo mount and the ESC shelf and LiPo battery tray.  These are all replicas of those already installed in Rapier1 as I couldn't think of any way of improving them as they have all worked really well.

A new motor mount has to be made as the one I had cut ready to fit has been diverted into the Javelin hull as that has now over-taken Rapier2 while I dither about and consider making any styling changes.............and I need to fit the strakes etc.

[zooma]

To my shame, I have to admit that I have still not glazed any of the windows in Rapier1.

The boat runs well and does not let any water in via the open window cut-outs.......and as it has been my "test bed" for all kinds of things, the boat has been modified quite a lot, and it has never has had a final (well finished) coat of paint, so I am completing the current batch of modifications and getting the boat back together ready for when we will be allowed out to play again!

What I would like to do this time is to find some yellow coloured glazing plastic for the windows.

I have seen a lot of boats out there with coloured glazed windows that have not had them "tinted" with a clear paint, so this translucent coloured acrylic plastic must be available from somewhere.

If anyone knows where I can buy some of this colour tinted acrylic plastic I would like to get some fitted into the Rapier 1 windows - so if anyone knows where I can find some - please let me know!

[canabus]

Hi Zooma


They did sell car clip on day/night visors a few years ago and they had yellow/light black tint .


Canabus

[Stuw]

I spotted a use of translucent document wallet plastic on this forum the other day. Will find the link. Canopy glue used to stick it.


Reply #201 and after on most recent page:

https://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,59223.200.html#lastPost

For example:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/A4-Plastic-wallets-Stud-Document-Wallet-Files-Folders-Filing-School-Office/133656915361?_trkparms=aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20200818143230%26meid%3Db523c6eca5374c95ba2c8d0cf9118f35%26pid%3D101224%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D5%26mehot%3Dnone%26sd%3D162368772954%26itm%3D133656915361%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DDefaultOrganic&_trksid=p2047675.c101224.m-1



Right. Time to get off here and get sawing!

[zooma]

Hi Zooma


They did sell car clip on day/night visors a few years ago and they had yellow/light black tint .


Canabus

Thanks Harry,

I just searched eBay and the closest thing I could find was tinted visors for motorcycle helmets - but they are 3D shaped and expensive, so not really an option, but something will crop up........it always does.

Stay safe,

Bob.

[zooma]

I spotted a use of translucent document wallet plastic on this forum the other day. Will find the link. Canopy glue used to stick it.


Reply #201 and after on most recent page:

https://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,59223.200.html#lastPost

For example:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/A4-Plastic-wallets-Stud-Document-Wallet-Files-Folders-Filing-School-Office/133656915361?_trkparms=aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20200818143230%26meid%3Db523c6eca5374c95ba2c8d0cf9118f35%26pid%3D101224%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D5%26mehot%3Dnone%26sd%3D162368772954%26itm%3D133656915361%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DDefaultOrganic&_trksid=p2047675.c101224.m-1



Right. Time to get off here and get sawing!

Brilliant!


I have sent away for some clear yellow document wallets (with free delivery with Amazon Prime).


Thanks Stuw!

[Stuw]

No problem. All credit to Capt Podge and Stan. I only read about their ideas!

[zooma]

Right. Time to get off here and get sawing!

Did you say you were going to start sawing?


................have you lost your whittling knife Stuw?   

[Stuw]

It’s blunt after doing 6 strakes! 


Trying to make my motor mount braces from 12mm ply to get a good fixing to my somewhat slightly oily hull as per your suggestion with screw and epoxy. It’s going to be rock solid!


Cut one out by hand but it needs some careful sanding to make it fit properly due to the hull curve in the fore section. I am so slow it’s untrue. I did repair a dining chair today however that was more of a priority.   


It’s Friday again! Happy weekend all...

[zooma]

It’s blunt after doing 6 strakes! 

Trying to make my motor mount braces from 12mm ply to get a good fixing to my somewhat slightly oily hull as per your suggestion with screw and epoxy. It’s going to be rock solid!

Cut one out by hand but it needs some careful sanding to make it fit properly due to the hull curve in the fore section. I am so slow it’s untrue. I did repair a dining chair today however that was more of a priority.   

It’s Friday again! Happy weekend all...

Fixing your dining chair was a good move as you get to sit down to eat.........and it probably won you a few brownie points too !

I started to rebuild an old kennel some time ago as a stray/ferrel/non-pet type cat decided that he liked it enough to move in and claim it as his new home!

A year or so ago I made a substantial tongue and groove roof for it and covered it with heavy duty "flame-on" roofing felt, but the original sides started to rot away so I remade them a few weeks back using some wood that I had re-claimed from a pallet - so they are good and thick.

I also changed the floor for a new one - also made old pallet planks  - so that is also good and solid. I lined the inside with some thick wall insulation foamSpan boards and covered the floor with some of the clip-together floor insulation tiles that they sell for workshops - all "left-overs" from previous projects.

Yesterday I remade the front and back of the kennel from the same type of wood (another pallet) when one of the support legs decided that it had had enough!

Sadly, the corners of the kennel extend downward to also become the legs, so this was not going to be a quick repair job!

Luckily I had some 2" square section wood left over from when I rebuilt my falling apart workshop/shed a few years ago (the same source that the roofing felt had come from!) so I quickly cut four new corners/legs and managed to fit the front two corners before it got too dark.

Tomorrow I have to disassemble the back of the kennel to fit the two replacement rear corner/legs .  When I have done that I will have built a complete new heavy duty kennel - albeit in small sections spread over more than a year!

This has delayed the re-fit on Rapier 1 that I  still want to get finished and back on the water as soon as we are allowed out to play again........and that could be quite soon now!

I have lined the bow end of the engine bay with some rigid foam that was laminated to the front bulkhead and then backed with some 3/4" plywood.  This was also laminated on with a clear Uhu glue. The bottom of this additional bulkhead does not quite touch the bottom skin as the purpose of this and the foam is to kill the resonance in my attempt to find out why this boat sounds more like a glow powered model that an electric powered boat!

Along with the motor mount reinforcements that I have already finished, I am hoping that the boat will run a little quieter in the future........fingers crossed !

[ChrisF]

Hi Bob

Where was the cat whilst you were rebuilding its home!

I've also been diverted away from model boat building by some DIY. I replaced the kitchen many years ago but there was a base unit and the sink unit where I never fitted the mid-height shelf. Reason being that I had to modify the base unit to fit around a big pier and one side of the sink unit was taken up with the wastes.

However my wife has bought a lot of baking equipment since she retired and needs more storage so I got the shelves out of the garage and with some modification fitted them. Been good using the bigger tools again!

Time for my model building is going to get less as we move towards summer though anyway. Like you looking forward to getting back on the water again.

Chris

[zooma]

Hi Bob

Where was the cat whilst you were rebuilding its home!

Chris

Probably in the kitchen demanding some food.....or else!   

He is NOT our cat! 

We have had a lot of cats over the last 50 years or so - all types from Abyssinian, Foreign, Siamese and Burmese through to rescue moggies and feral cats who were in need of some medical help and refused to go back to the wild after sampling the "good life".

...but this cat is a whole different ballgame.  He is beyond mercenary and actually try's to bully us.  He does not like us (or anybody else) but gets into the house in a flash and takes over the best seat and demands food most of the time.

He will lash out, bite, and hiss at the drop-off a hat, but can almost be like a pet for a few seconds when he can see some food being prepared for him!

Fortunately he is well capable of looking after himself so as soon as we can go out to play again we need not worry about him when we disappear for a few days away in our van - he will just pick on some other suckers - he has worked out where all the soft touches live in this area and takes advantage of us all!

We are hoping he will share more of his time elsewhere as soon as we start going out more again!

Yes - looking forward to getting out again and sailing some boats......hence the more urgent need to get Rapier 1 back together again as I run that boat more than anything else at the moment!

Stay safe - and enjoy your DIY   

[Stuw]

I wonder where the resonance is coming from? Could be the forward bulkhead. My Javelin as no doubt your Rapier has a sealed forward section at the bow which perhaps acts like a soundbox.


Or could it be the hull skin in area of the motor mounts or the engine bay to cockpit bulkhead?
Perhaps as these boats were designed for glow power, this issue hasn’t been noticed or dealt with before as it was masked by the noisy motors! It could be the large sections of hull skin that are largely unsupported apart from the very occasional bulkhead?

[size=78%]Good luck! I’m not at the stage to assist with troubleshooting yet! [/size]

[zooma]

Hi Stuw,

You make a very interesting point about the sound of a glow engine drowning-out any other sounds that could be coming from the hull itself.

Another of the reasons for having a removable motor mounting plate and battery tray etc in my current restorations because this is the same hull as the Javelin (and of course Rapier 2) so at least I can get to the bottom skins if the resonation/vibration is coming from them as (like you) I suspect this could be the case.

The motor and shaft have been carefully aligned using a solid coupling during the build so I know that this area (the most likely cause of excess vibration) is done as well as it can be. I have also tried various propellers and sizes and this has made no difference either!

The engine mounting plate has been securely bonded into the hull and has recently been reinforced, so when combined with the foam and additional engine bay bracing I am hoping that I have solved the problem.

I am aware that Rapier 1 never had the glass fibre chopped matting added to the inside of the hull, and that is something that my more recent restoration models have received and this on its own may help to reduce the resonance or vibration induced sounds?

Harry's friend had a noisy Spearfish, and he solved this problem for him by sticking a couple of long strips of wood lengthwise inside the hull to dampen the vibrations - and this worked, so this is the final option that I will keep in mind if the work I have done so far fails to kill the excess noise.

The truth is that I actually like the sound of Rapier 1 as it reminds me of the pleasure that I enjoyed when running my glow powered powerboats and this boat is at least as fast as they ever were, but I would like to make it run a little quieter if I can as it has become a challenge  to identify the cause and resolve it.

Enjoy your weekend!

Bob.