Retrieval Boat for stalled nitro

[MoPower]

Hey what do you guys use to retrieve your stalled nitro/gas powered boat? I know about the fishing line and tennis ball tactics, so I was wondering what MODEL or other homeade Radio Controlled vessel do you use to get your pride and joy back to shore.

I was thinking about a cheap electric RTR like the Tower Turbo Vee II because the Nikko type store purchased RTR boats do not have enough radio range to go get my stalled nitro. A long time ago I think there may have been an article in RC Boat Modeler (like back in the early 90's) and the author built his own RC contraption that he would drive out and it would "capture" his stalled boat in a net. I was thinking that it wouldn't be too hard to make a floating "pontoon boat" out of PCV pipe, but not sure where to put the motor(s). It would be "U" shaped so that it could approach the stalled nitro from the rear, capture it, and push it to shore. I think you would need 3" or 4" PVC and fittings and form a "U" shape. Just thinking out loud, but really, what do YOU use to push-pull-tow your boat back in??? :)

[Boomer68]

I just bought the 1/8th scale Miss Budweiser & after a few runs it became evident that I needed a rescue boat. To accomplish the task I bought a Zig Zag Racer from Hobby Zone (Horizon) that works great. It comes with a push bar (for water soccer) that works great as a push bar behind even my big boat.

http://www.hobbyzonesports.com/shared/productimages/gallery/hbz3305-gallery-3-450.jpg

[MoPower]

that ZipZap boat is about $100 right? What does it take for batts? Does it have enough power for you? Does it have an ESC and reverse? The only other ~$100 RTR boat I can see if that tower one for $109 or so.

All I need is something that has enough power, revers, and wont capsize when trying to pull a load.

[Boomer68]

The Zig Zag was $79 and comes with the batteries (6-cell pack). It doesn't have reverse but works fine as a pusher boat.

[FlyerCAN]

That idea with the pvc is just the same as what i was thinking LOL.
was thinking it would be u shaped and in the bottom of the u a T and out of the t's stem is the prop and shaft. Took a while but here's a pic. LOL

take note I am not an artist:D

[FlyerCAN]

Think it's marketable?:D

[MoPower]

That is a great drawing, I can visualize it in my head. I don't have any spare radio equipment, nor do I have motor, ESC, or hardware. I would have to buy the cheapest AM radio I could find and either do a micro-swirch throttle, or cheap ESC. I can make the running hardware out of brass tubing and shafts... Good idea about stuffing the motor in the "T". The problem with PVC is that you can seal it up easily with PVC cement, but it's rather permanent. You'd have to hack it apart to get at your motor and electronics should you need to. Perhaps just using the 3-4" PVC for a floating vessel, "U" shaped of course... and have some other radio box built up on top to house the goodies. In the end of the "T", you could use some threaded PVC couplings and build your motor housing out of that. Using a bunch of teflon tape will ensure water stays out, and you can unscrew it if need be.

You and I should put our heads together and make something. I will post pics if I come up with any award winning designs LOL.

[FlyerCAN]

neat about the threaded motor box.
The radio up higher was my first thought but it took too long to think of how to draw in ms paint *LOL*
Was thinking of a platform across the sponsoons, (if thats how they are called)
Got a headache:mad: , can't think so hard right now.
Ideas are flyin through my head, but they are scraping on something. lol

[FlyerCAN]

I picked up a couple of motors with a switch connected to them. Didn't think much about the switches when i tried them on a batt. Turns out that the switch is double throw and reverses the motor. Just have to put a hole in the switch for a linkage to servo.

They cost me $5 each

Cheap motor control hey!:D

[FlyerCAN]

I want to keep the prop as low as possible though.
Think they sell an offset adapter that will keep it down?
I imagine my drive shaft connection will be fuel line so if it has to move up and down while unscrewing the end it wont matter much.
In that case I wont need an offset, just a cap. drill a hole in the bottom side and silicone it!

Maybe even a T-Y
Prop and shaft out the bottom and cap at the end.
The T in the U angled slightly up to reduce drag. We are not out for speed here, :D but less drag is good.;)


ach... Y interfiers with rudder

[hydroracer]

how's the range on that zigzag racer?

sometimes the tennis ball and reel trick just won't reach the boat...

[460_f100_dude]

wasnt there an article on a u shaped boat in rcboatmodeler a LONG time ago like 1996 seems like i remeber looking at it in my grampas old selection of magazines it was pvc and foam i think, ill have to go look.

[FlyerCAN]

Hope you find it so we can clear up how to build this contraption.:D

[460_f100_dude]

i found the plans for it on rcstore.com it is called the The Electric Go-For, i attatched the pic i got off rcstoe it looks good

[MoPower]

The next time I am at my mother's house, I will grab all my boat modeler mags. I know it has to be in there somewhere. If not, I will just get some 3" PVC, start assembling something, and see how it floats. Stay tuned...

[Boomer68]

I've had the zig-zag out 75-100 yards & it worked fine. Any farther than that & your depth perception is going to make it hard to catch your boat anyway.

[MoPower]

Boomer68, can you list the dimensions of the Zig-Zag? Thanks! AND, what does it have for a speed control? Is it proportional and have reverse? Thanks again -Jace-

[FlyerCAN]

http://www.hobbyzonesports.com/Products/Detail.aspx?ProductID=HBZ3305

[RCGUY76]

buy yourself a CHEAP rc boat...a CHEAP flyfishing reel and 200+ feet of fly fishing line......I attach one end of fly line to the boat and drive it around the stalled boat and come back in......the fly line floats so when you gat the boat back in.....hold the retieval boat and reel the line on.....I have never had it not catch some part of the stalled boat...especially the miss budd with its high uprights....or in my case...the rudder of my cat hull when it blows over...its works great and not overly expensive

I am in the process of building something similar to the plans for the two hull retieval boat, exept I am using a servo winch servo and a metal cage in between to pick up stalled or flipped boats

good luck

[FlyerCAN]

Less drag for the retrieval boat. Not that there would be much, but it would be easier to steer also

[NFB]

The Zigzag works great as a retrieval boat. It's also a lot of fun by itself! The radio has more than enough range to cover your pond, lake etc...I tested my ZZ radio at 300 feet! The motor pushes my friends 51 inch gas boat in with ease lol. It's ESC is proportional but no reverse. The steering servo is kinda weak and will fail after 20 hours or so with heavy use, but it wasn't designed for this type of abuse. At 40 bucks for a new boat minus receiver its a cheap repair. My ZZ has earned it's pay many times over. They need to re-market this thing as a rescue boat..or maybe I do :)
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid39/pbe58033170ae8922128005dc24c420c9/fd0c1ff1.jpg

[desygityaso]

olrighty boys and girls. I have a miss bud 1/12 and it should be called miss dud no or better miss turd. This is the most awfull excuss for a boat I'v seen. I bought it 3 months ago . Hit the water wouldn't crank. My mistake should have broke it in the swimmimg pool (tried it's to fast) or with a water bottle flowing through head. Tried it second time and it ran 35 feet and it was swimming time. Now for the third time I says to myself ,"Boudreaux you ain't as stupid as all those other Rc guys so I went and bought a high- teck genuine ZIG ZAG!! Oh what an animal. Third attempt, goes as follows," I brokin the engine on the miss budd for two tank fulls and was ready with the rescue boat well. I launched it, it ran 35 feet and killed. No sweat I'm not just any fool with an rc boat I'm prepared. So I deployed search and rescue team. My cousin was driving the rescue boat real proffesional like he hit the bud boat sinking it and after two hours I managed to loose both boats and it took me $65 to pay the jet ski rental guy to find my boat almost a mile from where I was. The horizon people stood behind it by sending me the new receiver and servos. I am now almost finished custom assembly of the boat with my already broken-in clutched driven trx 2.5 engine the only thing is I have to find a reversed rotating propeller. Oh by the way I just purchased a custom boat that was on that universal rc web site listed by this guy who owns Big Dog engines (i think) anyway it is 72inch hull with 4 K&B .82's outboards!! I better go get a couple more zig zags LOL.

[lovinnitro]

we want pictures of that bad boy when you get it:cool:

[NFB]

site won't let me delete my own post..sorry

[NFB]

Originally posted by desygityaso
olrighty boys and girls. I have a miss bud 1/12 and it should be called miss dud no or better miss turd. This is the most awfull excuss for a boat I'v seen. I bought it 3 months ago . Hit the water wouldn't crank. My mistake should have broke it in the swimmimg pool (tried it's to fast) or with a water bottle flowing through head. Tried it second time and it ran 35 feet and it was swimming time. Now for the third time I says to myself ,"Boudreaux you ain't as stupid as all those other Rc guys so I went and bought a high- teck genuine ZIG ZAG!! Oh what an animal. Third attempt, goes as follows," I brokin the engine on the miss budd for two tank fulls and was ready with the rescue boat well. I launched it, it ran 35 feet and killed. No sweat I'm not just any fool with an rc boat I'm prepared. So I deployed search and rescue team. My cousin was driving the rescue boat real proffesional like he hit the bud boat sinking it and after two hours I managed to loose both boats and it took me $65 to pay the jet ski rental guy to find my boat almost a mile from where I was. The horizon people stood behind it by sending me the new receiver and servos. I am now almost finished custom assembly of the boat with my already broken-in clutched driven trx 2.5 engine the only thing is I have to find a reversed rotating propeller. Oh by the way I just purchased a custom boat that was on that universal rc web site listed by this guy who owns Big Dog engines (i think) anyway it is 72inch hull with 4 K&B .82's outboards!! I better go get a couple more zig zags LOL.

I'd say find a new hobby:D

[hydroracer]

desygityaso said:

Oh by the way I just purchased a custom boat that was on that universal rc web site listed by this guy who owns Big Dog engines (i think) anyway it is 72inch hull with 4 K&B .82's outboards!! I better go get a couple more zig zags LOL.

wow!!! a couple of weeks ago i saw a picture of that boat with the four monstrous k&b outboards you say you recently bought . the price he wanted seemed very reasonable for what you're getting. just building and rigging something like that up is an engineering feat in itself! i believe they said it had never been run, yes? and that it has four seperate receivers, one for each engine? is that the one? if so, that may very well be the most radical r/c boat that has ever been built to date! :eek:

the thought of 4 BIG ASS (total understatement) nitro engines all running at once on a single boat!!! that will be an awesome sight for sure!!! i hope you know what you're doing... hehehe :D

be sure and keep us posted on it, OK?