rescue boat?

[Beergnome]

long story short.. I have a live steam powered Midwest Elliot bay steam launch with a single action reciprocating engine with a a simple center flue boiler..

the issue?
not a very powerful engine.. and prone to stalling..

considering I don't care to have this thing peter out on me in the middle of the pond with no way of getting it back, I'm looking into the option of a small,cheap E-powered toy RC boat..
the idea is that I install a some small but very powerful button magnets to the rescue boat, and also inside the hull of the steam launch..

So, If I stall out on the pond.. I can shoot the wee little guy out there.. run the hulls together to catch the magnets, and pull the launch back to shore..

so.. the big question is..
any recommendations on such a rescue boat?

[Brooks]

Stalling: Due to not enough steam pressure. See the Steam Tramp thread for a boiler mod.

Rescue: Vacutug works for me. Either use the tug to drag a towline to snag a weighted bowline dangling from your launch, or make a H frame out of cpvc to capture the launch directly. Vac u boat site has info on rescue. The S frame will also work, though steering and hookup take a little practice.
steam tramp:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=717385#post7853743
H frame photo:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=727913#post7990441
vac u tug site:
http://www.vac-u-boat.com/

[lowdive]

i picked up a cheap dickie tug (also known as a seaport work boat) to use for my rescues. as i had expected, it comes with cheap electronics that give you on/off left, right, forward and reverse control... no in between. i gave it a shot but it was weak on power, could hardly turn and the ballast tank either wasn't filling properly or it just wasn't enough weight to make any difference.

there's a lot of information on upgrading this tug with quality electronics and getting a real scale look out of it:

http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/My_models/31%20Dickie.htm

i've almost finished fixing mine up. i've swapped out the stock motor with an old 480 from parkzone's stryker (brushed motor, not the brushless), installed a rudder servo, esc, receiver and replacing the ballast system with a SLA battery (sealed lead acid 12V, 7A). it weighs a good amount, so should be much better (if it's not too much weight!).

i've got a couple of pool noodles that i'll be sliding pvc through to form an H frame as shown on the vac-u-boat site.

vac-u-boat also has a nifty design for using magnets.

[windwarrior6682]

The photos below show several rescue craft and a comtraption used to help get the stranded boat back to shore. I not sure who orgininly design the contraption, but my hats off to the disigner, i think this was a great idea. The comtraption is easy made out of PVC piping. A Vac-u-tug is a good inexpensive rescue tug.

[waboats]

The photos below show several rescue craft and a comtraption used to help get the stranded boat back to shore. I not sure who orgininly design the contraption, but my hats off to the disigner, i think this was a great idea. The comtraption is easy made out of PVC piping. A Vac-u-tug is a good inexpensive rescue tug.


Windwarrior6682

Don't know who the original designer was but the Yellow/Blue Tug is mine...

I thought my Frame idea up about 7-8 years ago, & hadn't seen anything of this type before. Lots of variations but none with Reversing capabilities. It just seemed to me to be an obvious solution & cheap as well..

Did have photos published in a letter to the editor a few years back in Model Boats Magazine. Maybe it came from there.. Who knows, just glad to share..

Cheers

[waboats]

And she could go get the Big Ones as well.

[Brooks]

Not to take anything away from Waboats' neat design, but all it takes to make a H frame reversible is a bowline from tug to the crossbar. I also add 2 quarter lines from the aft bitts to the frame, but they are optional; I just like playing around with lines :-).

[LtDoc]

That was a 'straight' line, right?
- 'Doc

[Brooks]

Cost you 50cents (two quarters). :-)

[steveciambrone]

You just need to fix the steam boat.

Oil the propeller shaft, don't use grease
use Steam oil for the engine
Add a displacement lubricator
Add a oil water separator on the exhaust line. This is just a container with an inlet and an outlet to hold the excess oil and water so the junk does not go in the pond
Route steam exhaust out the stack
You can deepen the fuel tray by adding some foil or wrapping with brass to make it deeper to 3/4"
use fresh sterno

I get consistant 20 minute runs with mine and have never had the flame blow out.
It is a little boat with an open flame, not for windy days.

Feel free to ask more questions.

Don't need no stinkin rescue boat!

Thanks
Steve

[Brooks]

You can mix denatured alcohol into the Sterno for more pep. As you add the alky, the Sterno will become more "watery", so you'll have to decide when it's on the verge of becoming too sloppy to stay in the fuel tray. The added alky can freshen old Sterno to some extent.

[LtDoc]

Steve,
Hey, watch that "Don't need no stinkin rescue boat!" thingy. That's the best excuse I have for another boat!
:)
- 'Doc