Thinking of buying a boat... talk to me

[jondilly1974]

I’ve never had an RC boat before but have some prime areas to run one nearby and am throwing around the idea of buying one. Before you say it, I will NOT buy a Traxass product, so save that advice. You can miss me with that one.

I saw some ProBoats that looked cool but nothing is in stock. Also saw one on the Saylors that looked kind of ok but really basic.

I’m not spending $$$$ on this but I don’t want a tiny little TPU grade POS either. Something $200-$400 that will be fun. I’ve got plenty of lipos from 2S to 6S if they can run car sized packs then that would be ideal.

 

[drjim]

I'll dispense with the "boat" jokes, and just wish you luck! They look like they could be a lot of fun, and we have lots of ponds and lakes here, but I'm NOT buying a boat!

At least until I get my Limitless finished.....

 

[gotnitro]

Wrong time of year... ?

 

[Fyxxterzc]

Make your own. I'm building one from spare mega parts. Link isnt in english but it's not to hard to follow. There is a second video to this where he paints and puts a lid on it. I'm using basswood which is a bit harder to cut than the balsa in the video.

 

[roondog]

Run time is really low. I have a pro boat sonicwake and it's about 4-5 minutes total. That's with SMC 6500 mah batteries. Don't get me wrong it's a lot of fun and fast as hell but too short run time. You also will want a second boat or rescue boat for when you need to recover a flipped boat. There are some that are self righting.

 

[SARRT8]

Bust Out Another Thousand = BOAT

 

[bicketybam]

Since you like speed running I think you will like the boats.

 

[Camaroboy383]

Pro boat ul-19 if you can put your hands on one.. 65-85mph boat depending on setup..

Aquacraft ul-1 45-60mph depending on setup...

don't forget the kyak or a fishing pole with a tennis ball on it for retrieval..?

Spent alot of good years in the boating scene, always liked them better than ground vehicles.. it goes into the water clean, and comes out of the water clean..?

 

[arrma_tigger]

I have a nitro and have had some electrics. They are cool .. but I think they're like the boats in real life - your 2 best days are the day you buy it and the day you sell it. If you really get into it, I could see it working. For most people, they might make alot of time to go to the water when it's new - but after the new wears off, it might cut back to what you do now. Because of the run time issue, gas is better. Boats flipping over is another issue - you need to be prepared to get it, wherever it is. If you get a smaller/lighter boat, keep it away from the ocean (or get away from the shore). Rivers (or fast moving water) also pose a threat - if it flips, it may be going downstream. I'd run the Kyosho Viper (25" electric deep vee) in a small pond and pools during adult swim (the lane buoys make great ramps). For the most part, it ran good - but now and then, the weeds in the pond would wrap around the prop shaft. At the time, I had a community pool about 100' from my door. The small pond was about 20 mins away (I didn't go there alot). The ocean (and salt) took that one into the light. I also had a Miss Budweiser hydro but unless it was smooth water, that thing wasn't good. The nitro (deep vee) has been ok but hasn't been run in years (and is currently missing alot of parts).

There are some guys that really get into it though - and they have some awesome vessels!

My $0.02

 

[Be Ready]

Big boat or small boat... Best boat is somebodies else’s boat.

 

[Rainger40]

The jet boat rcsparks uses looks awesome and like a total blast, but I think they’re stupid money iirc. I’ve got a 50+acre lake and kids are always trying to leave the LHS with boats haha

 

[jondilly1974]

Wrong time of year... ?

Buyers market ??‍?

Run time is really low. I have a pro boat sonicwake and it's about 4-5 minutes total. That's with SMC 6500 mah batteries. Don't get me wrong it's a lot of fun and fast as hell but too short run time. You also will want a second boat or rescue boat for when you need to recover a flipped boat. There are some that are self righting.

View attachment 101633

I have kayaks to get to it. ??

 

[Exc3l]

Watch this vid by kevin talbot. Here

 

[jkflow]

Used to have speed boats and scale boats a long time ago, they were fun for a while. I'm living next to a lake now and have no desire to re-visit tbh.

Boat essentials- must have a way to recover. You will get stuck or catch crap in your prop.
Self-righting is a must.

Suggest to get a small one first. If you think cars suck money, these will toss money out the back-window just for upgrades.

Two of the happiest days in a boat owners life, the day of purchase and the day when they can get rid of it.

 

[jondilly1974]

Pro boat ul-19 if you can put your hands on one.. 65-85mph boat depending on setup..

Aquacraft ul-1 45-60mph depending on setup...

don't forget the kyak or a fishing pole with a tennis ball on it for retrieval..?

Spent alot of good years in the boating scene, always liked them better than ground vehicles.. it goes into the water clean, and comes out of the water clean..?

I think something in the under 50mph range would be best for a starter boat. The smallish lake/pond I have in mind probably is too small for much more. But this thing is flat like glass most days. And it’s a nice oval shape.

 

[jkflow]

I was considering this one but I have those in real life.

 

[jondilly1974]

I was considering this one but I have those in real life.

I saw that tonight too. That would be really fun in a swimming lake

 

[Camaroboy383]

Can also always call Joe petro at zipp kits and grab a jae fe rigger too if you want to get into some real rc boating.. ?...

If your into outboard tunnels try to find a htb 260 or 290, bill britton cobra, or carl van houten lynx with a lawless or o.s fe lower..?...

if you get into it and run any sanctioned events like namba or impba you will see how next level and friendly that scene is... I've met some greats through boating, martin truex jr., Antron brown, mike zabrowski, jerry Dunlap, the list goes on, and the people are just nicer all around...?

I think something in the under 50mph range would be best for a starter boat. The smallish lake/pond I have in mind probably is too small for much more. But this thing is flat like glass most days. And it’s a nice oval shape.

View attachment 101642

View attachment 101641

Your in.. that's a 100mph pond all day... remember, boats set up properly run on rails and can take a 15-20ft turn around at 70mph all day.. ?
I'll just leave this right here...? perfect example of a small space being no issue..?

 

[joostin420]

I like my proboats; blackjack and impulse. Speed on water just feels faster than land. Deep v hulls handle rougher water better. I got the cat after, and I use the deep v more.

 

[arrmadillo]

Reading your title, thought you were talking about real boat, first thought, don't do it, $$! ?