Thought I'd show a couple short videos from the day. There was a lot more activity, but I was busy playing with my boats :-)

Another video that shows the waterjet action more clearly

This Racing Sparrow was built by Buxton Model Boat Member Graham Royle.
Detail and precision are Grahams hallmark and it is a privilege for me to showcase some of his work through "RC Sailing" and the Model Boats Website.
(Note best viewed on big screen to allow for pausing !)

Model Boats Website also hosts other blogs of his ie. :-
https://model-boats.com/blogs/106408 - Racing Sparrow
https://model-boats.com/blogs/86653 - Gaff Rigged Pilot Cutter
https://model-boats.com/blogs/99841 - Rescue Launch
https://model-boats.com/blogs/68795 - Row,row, row
Phil

After going over everything to make sure nothing had come adrift after being upside down after painting, thought I'd give it a quick dry run (no water ) . Did the vid and found that YT had put the vid/sound way out of sync. Tried to sort it but gave it up as a bad joke. You will see the smoke start, and then a while later you will hear the engine start (they actually start together,- the smoke being on a 5 sec timer to allow the element to heat up before the air turns on, giving it a puff on start-up. )

You'll have to pretend you are seeing them together, (very annoying). Apologise for the 'music' as I had to create it myself using a free beat app to get round the YT copyright rubbish. It's only there as a demo, showing using the remote to change the volume.

After I built the model of the Cotter fireboat I took it to the real Fireboat to show it off to the crew maybe 5 years ago at canal days in Port Colburn haven't had Canal days for 2 years because of the pandemic

A change from Maid Rosalind Thames cruiser blog posts! This winter I added a removable keel and rudder extension to the Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter I built in 2017. I wanted to produce a hull that was truly accurate above and below the waterline, and with the correct lead in the keel and in scale winds she sailed ok, but to get a model to sail realistically, you generally have to add a lot of weight deep down. The last picture shows that for regular display, the ugly keel and rudder extensions come off and the stand's extended legs unscrew. She stands 6' 2" with her new keel, and 4' 6" long. The trials were successful. She sailed beautifully, even tacking those overlapping headsails flawlessly, which is generally quite hard to do with RC! I have up to now only posted blogs as they happen, but I have full documentation of this build and can start a blog for it after Rosalind is finished, if it's OK to publish something from the past. I added a teaser build picture!

https://www.facebook.com/modelBoatsTrainsPlanes/videos/800923610583750/

🔗
Thank you Doug and Stephen for your help in getting the video to work. The stills give little idea of any movement but the video shows she was really trucking! Ed

Weather was perfect tonight for a test, so I did the 15km trip out to the Gulf harbour pond (most weed free pond) to throw the boat in. After a thorough under water hull inspection from the marine department, she was off. Everything worked ok except the silicone drive tube which had become enlarged due to soaking in the grease coming out the front of the jet shaft. It was slipping badly and probably losing about 60% of its' thrust. Manoeuvrability is excellent but reverse leaves a bit to be be desired. Steering in reverse is perfect but the thrust is not going forwards enough from the bucket. Might have to build in some nozzles to direct it better.

Smoke air and water are working as well as can be expected, (smoke is a bit wafty, but with too much air introduced it will disappear as it gets thinned out too much to see) I was not expecting miracles as this was a bit of an experiment (modified cheap jet unit with unknown abilities) but at least it shows promise😁. If I can find a coupling which is concentric it will solve the drive problem.

Trouble is, the Chinese insist on making a 4mm shaft, 4.95 (or whatever) which is useless for balance in a 4mm ID bearing for example. Fine for cars, but no good for boats or planes due to balance requirements (it's a mission trying to balance plane props due to this thinking,- they do it with everything) shafts for electric motors are a nightmare at times as the play they build in, can ruin an otherwise good motor. I might have to buy a flexible rubber/nylon universal or a collet style( preferable as these take up any undersize on shafts) to fix it. They included a spiral alloy one with the jet unit which is as loose as a rooster in a sock, and only good for slower things like 3D printers etc. One of these days they will learn how to machine things to fit.😐

A US Navy ARS ( Auxiliary Rescue Salvage ship), built to 1/48th scale. Twin screw with working radar, lights, anchor, and fire monitor. Built from a bare hull, with a lot of Thanks to Shapeways 3D printed parts. She is shown, at anchor, with a friend USN ATF ( Auxiliary tug Fleet) in the back ground.

Quick vid showing operation of steering and reversing bucket. Steering nozzle reduced in diam and made from a brass reducer, and reversing bucket moulded from f/glass with brass pivot and lever inserts.

In the news yesterday these pictures I took last year show the top of the glacier the bus rolled over on a steep grade before getting to this spot.Rick

Graham Royle joined the Model Boat Website last summer, returning to modelling after a 45 year break. It was a display at Buxton Model Boat Club last year where he spoke with one of the members that got him started again.

Graham who is now a member of the Buxton Model Boat Club started his latest project "Bionic Bill", only 3 months ago at the beginning of lockdown.

What resulted is truly magnificent working model example of engineering, woodworking, electronics, perseverance and total dedication ! .

Well done Graham !.
PS - Remember, set video resolution quality to HD 1080p (Bottom right cog wheel).
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have a crocodile that was a pond float so I took a hull that I had an put the electronic inside, fast the hull inside croc using a rubber band, added red LED for the eyes, I find that this is what kids like when our club does shows, runs good in our pond that we use