Looking for a beginner boat, thoughts?

[James_NC]

Hey everyone

I caught the rc sailboat bug while taking my boys to a local science/nature museum. So I want to take the plunge and buy a boat. Just looking for a basic, dependable beginners boat that my sons and I can enjoy. If it really catches, then I'll look into getting a pricier racing boat.

I keep getting pointed in the direction of the Nirvana II but have heard some concerns about the stock electronics. I've seen packages with upgraded electronics for about 350.

Can anyone recommend this rig or maybe another solid dependable fun rig?

I'm figuring I'll have to spend b/n 200 and 400 bucks.

Thanks
James

[Islander51]

Look at the AMYA website for clubs near you, and go see what they sail.

you will have most fun that way, and good advice if things go wrong, or if you want to tune your boat a bit.

Maybe they even have a good used boat - some people are always upgrading, and there are bargains to be had ! !

[tigerbay]

The Nirvana does have a solid rep. Although I don't own one.

The Thunder Tiger Victoria is a good boat. It is also small enough at about 2ft for a kid to carry it to the lake on their own if they wanted. But you do need to budget for a basic two way radio, say under 50 bucks, and a sail arm servo another 50-100 bucks depending on the servo you buy.

Micro magic is also anothe polular boat in this class.

[michaele69]

James, where are you located? The club in Raleigh sails EC-12,s Victoria's
(a great beginner boat) and other eclectic home mades. Check out our web site

http://www.trianglemyc.org/index.php

Michael Edwards
EC-12 1969
Victoria 9669

[martin richards]

There's quite a lot to choose from out there. In the USA, as well as the models mentioned, you also have Victor Model Products https://secure.victor-model.com/Index.aspx The sail arm servo mentioned could also be cheaper. For kit boats up to 36", the GWS S04 works fairly well.http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/517

[Aten W Arthog]

Thundertiger Victoria or a Kyosho Fairwind. The nice part is, if you decide this is not for you, you can ebay it and get back 75% or better what you paid for it.

[windwarrior6682]

For a beginners, I suggest the Voyager. The voyager is ARF, you can finish the assmenbly in a couple of hours. The voyager is 1 meter in size, about 40 inches. The 1 meter size is not to small and not too big. in my humble opinion, the bigger the boat the easyer it is to see from the shoreline. The voyager is easy to sail. You can modified the voyager to imporve the look and handling. The voyager cost about $150 from Tower Hobbies. The voyager was orginaly produce my MPF and is now being produce by Thunder Tiger, which also product a the Victoria, a smaller boat. There is a new version of the voyager which is the ENTZ with out the fancy paint job. The voyager is currienly races in the AMYA open class. If more owner join it might get to be in it own class. Some of the older voyage from MPF had a wing keel. All the the newer voyager have a fin and blub keel. If you do a seach on this forum for voyager you will find photos and discussion of mod that several skipper have made to thier boats.

[artision]

I was in you shoes 3 1/2 years ago when I decided to get back into the rc hobby.

When I was into rc cars 15 years ago I didn't convert from off-road to oval track racing that was becoming the rage. That & not joining up with any local rc clubs I lost interest.

While growing up in Florida my family had either a sailboat or power boat at any given time. So, I decided that if I got into the rc hobby again that I would try rc boating & join a local rc boat club.

I picked a Nirvana II from a local hobby shop that did experience radio/servo issues after 6 months of great rc sailing. Megatech repaired the rc gear & I just got through replacing all the stock radio gear this past fall when it finally failed again.

The bottom line is this type of rc sailboat is a great starter that you can get in the water quickly & upgrade later on if you so desire... :cool:

You can read about my refit adventure at Offical Nirvana II Thread... (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=794969&page=22) (Post #322)

Cheers,
Doug

[Rusty Nail]

Don't overlook a wonderful opportunity here James.
Building a boat with your boys is another route from Ready To Sail.
Let's readdress the modern folly of throwing too much money at every passing whim. In these times it may be a lesson well worth acquiring.
Yes you can spend $400 and have instant gratification by being on the water in a few minutes. After a bit of floating around, a few leaks or a radio problem, the desire usually fades and the kids attention diverts to the latest advertized fad. The only real winner is the toy manufacturer.
Or you (we) can do what the following poster's grandad did. Kids today do not make anything and that is a shame. They also do not tend to have hobbies that engage intellect and desire and productivity over a long period of time - sometimes into a career and even into retirement. And this is possibly because of lack of role models.
So my encouragement is to think through the whole range of alternatives:
* You can make a yacht (or plane or kite...) from everyday household and found items that will sail as good or better than a bought one. You can acquire a used 2 channel radio set for a few dollars - all within the means of a childs' pocket money, and maximizing the 'life experience' of this task.
* You can buy a basic kitset boat so you have all the bits to assemble a known successful design. By putting some research and effort into the project, you increase the probability of remaining interested in the sport longtime.
* You can make a yacht from scratch with purchased or free plans to a class specification so you can race it against others. This is helped by contacting your local club to see what others are racing and utalizing the community of experience they have.
* As you gain experience you may get sufficiently into the sport that you can design your own hulls.

This rant in no way is supposed to address your specific needs or circumstances. I do not know how old your kids are, how much time you can devote to this or your perceived abilities. It is just an old man's observation on a modern world gone very wrong!

[flatlandsailor]

All of the boat types mentioned are certainly valid choices, however I would like to offer another option.

The Micro Magic by Graupner is a great boat for those who like to do a little building (novice skills needed) and want excellent performance from a small (21") model. The Micro Magic has truly a worldwide following, with affiliated class associations in about 12 countries--including the USA.



In the USA, the class has been growing steadily, with over 50 boats registered since October. Kits can be purchased through Hobby-Lobby International, and our official class website is located at:

www.usa.magicmicro.org Come on over and have a look!

Andy
USA-25
MMCOA Secretary

[mcledan]

Rustynail
So very well stated. I hope you dont mind but I have passed it on to my scratch building buddies. BTW I have a 50 in. home built Bambi of 17 lbs! Slow and steady ;^)
Also do AP with Old Timers, also scratch built.

Cheers from Ottawa
Dan
Ontario, Canada

[RCSailboatGuid]

Hi James,

if you are just a starter don't worry so much about the electronics of the RC Sailboat Nirvana II (http://www.rcsailboatguide.com/rc-sailboat-beginners-guide/rc-sailboat-review-megatech-nirvana-ii) . It's not like the stock electronics won't get you started.

It really is a good boat. Check here my review (http://www.rcsailboatguide.com/rc-sailboat-beginners-guide/rc-sailboat-review-megatech-nirvana-ii)

I got otherwise some a few other tips listed on my blog which might help you: http://www.rcsailboatguide.com/


Have fun with your first boat.

[gpzy]

My first boat was a Victor V32, bought it ready to sail. Has sailed great since day one.
https://secure.victor-model.com/Index.aspx

[john_auberry]

I have a Fair Winds for sell in NC. Im not sure whats a fair price would be. I paid 175$ about two years ago and never sailed it.