in the US warehouse

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/explorer...-receiver.html

The issue I have with this entire thread is that it is about one thing - competition! Newcomers quite often aren't interested in competition. I have never been and never will be. I just want to sail and have fun.

With that in mind the second issue I have is the idea that boats must be in a class. That means my beautiful, self designed, self built all wood sailboat doesn't qualify in your mind. Bull. I designed that boat to test the feasibility of a new type of design for a full size boat.

Since the thread is supposed to be about what boat to start with I'd say the Dumas Huson 24 and Star 30 are good starters. But then I like building things, not assembling what some factory has mostly built. My first boat was a Huson 24 and I'd still be sailing her today If a friend hadn't let her sink.

Originally Posted by rgburrill

The issue I have with this entire thread is that it is about one thing - competition! Newcomers quite often aren't interested in competition. I have never been and never will be. I just want to sail and have fun.

With that in mind the second issue I have is the idea that boats must be in a class. That means my beautiful, self designed, self built all wood sailboat doesn't qualify in your mind. Bull. I designed that boat to test the feasibility of a new type of design for a full size boat.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with a scratch homebuild. I would always suggest that a would-be builder own *some* type of RC sailboat before designing and building their own - just for the frame of reference.

As for not wanting to race, please read what I wrote about that in the original post:

But I don't want to race.

No problem. Show up with your boat. Ask questions. Watch the racing that happens. During races, pull it out of the water or sail it on the other side of the dock so you don't interfere.

In my experience, clubs exist because of racing. Sailing aimlessly around is relaxing and fun, but gets a bit tiresome after a short while. Racing is what keeps clubs going, fleets building and ultimately grows the sport of radio sailing. Does this mean you HAVE to race? Of course not. These are just my observations. Watch the racing, learn from it, keep an open mind. That is all.

So there's no pressure to race. But if your are a beginner, and even if you don't want to race, there's a distinct knowledge-base advantage to having the same boat that is popular locally.

My first was a Victor Blackhawk 32 which I had sitting I'm my shop for 10 years. It was a good starter but was crude in design with flat sails. the keel bent a lot under the weight of the bulb. I glassed the wood keel which helped a lot. I got a pair of sails from Rod Carr and they worked well. I love carbon masts. I sailed it against the Victoria fleet a few times and they were faster. The next boat was a T37. A fun build but again a crude design with a draggy bulb and flat sails. It has a very long boom that just kills the boats performance in medium to heavy air.

Originally Posted by rgburrill

Since the thread is supposed to be about what boat to start with I'd say the Dumas Huson 24 and Star 30 are good starters. But then I like building things, not assembling what some factory has mostly built. My first boat was a Huson 24 and I'd still be sailing her today If a friend hadn't let her sink.

My remarks on this particular discussion have more to do with the actual topic. Two friends of mine introduced me to the hobby. They convinced me I needed to get a boat right away so I could join them when they went sailing. I've been involved in boating most of my adult life so I thought it seemed like a good idea.
My friend suggested a boat to get me started, fortunately it was a Nirvana - a 32" long ready to sail package that was very affordable and came with all I needed. That was all it took, one day on the water and I was hooked. I discovered very quickly that I needed a decent radio since the AM radio the boat came with was easily taken over by almost any errant competing signal that would take control of my boat. I got a full featured 2.4ghz set up that I've been using now for 10 years.
In the ten years I've been doing this now, I've owned somewhere in the neighborhood of 35 RC boats, sail and power. I've had numerous aircraft but sold them all since I don't like taking my hard work home in a bag! One mistake and your plane is junk! No thanks!

The sad thing is the best starter boat is still the Nirvana, but sadly they are out of production with no sign of their returning. I still have a Nirvana and enjoy sailing it with my friends that have kept theirs all these years as well. So, if one was lucky enough to find a nice Nirvana for sale on line, that'd be my 1st choice. But since that is not likely there are so many opinions and choices out there.

Here's the deal, whatever a new sailor picks it should be able to create a positive experience for the newbee! Anything less and we lose a new sailor to something else to amuse them. I was not ready to build a boat because I knew nothing about RC sailboats or if I would even enjoy sailing one. Turns out I did like it, perhaps too much But the Nirvana's design features were exactly what I needed to get me hooked.

I wanted another boat! Didn't want to spend a lot and didn't know much so I ended up getting a very inexpensive Monsoon from Hobby King. I liked it's appearance and it's price was attractive. Had it for 2.5 years - learned a lot by having both boats. My friend owned the best looking RC sailboat I'd ever seen and I knew that I'd have one no matter what it took to get one. The boat was a Yamaha Round the World built by Tamiya. It took some months to find one, but I got one! After 10 years and having more the 35 boats, it is still my favorite RC sailboat.

Perhaps if I had been able to get that boat first I might have never lusted for other boats. Don't think so. I like toys! So moving forward what is a good started boat?

I too like kit boats but they are not for everyone. But a great starter kit would be a Victor 32. If you are a turn key person, then consider a DF65 or it's larger big brother the DF 95, both fun boats and not expensive. Another get started boat is the 1 Meter Seawind which is priced nicely at $360.00 with everything included. There are so many choices. Pick one you like the looks of an buy it! You can always sell it if you don't like it! We are not talking about tons of money here.

Join the fun! It won't hurt.
Boomer

Originally Posted by Boomer1

... I've had numerous aircraft but sold them all since I don't like taking my hard work home in a bag! One mistake and your plane is junk! No thanks!

Here's the deal, whatever a new sailor picks it should be able to create a positive experience for the newbee! Anything less and we lose a new sailor to something else to amuse them. I was not ready to build a boat because I knew nothing about RC sailboats or if I would even enjoy sailing one. Turns out I did like it, perhaps too much ...

I cannot agree with these two items enough!!!

Second in my book is, you can build and experiment with very little worry and concern that all your work will end up in a pile.

And the basics of sailing are easy to get down, with the right boat. The right boat comes first, and even for an avid scratch builder, the right first boat really is NOT a scratch built thing, or even a kit built boat. Get one that gets you out on the water ASAP with minimal fuss, and also has good setup information available. Tuning these little sailboats is kinda difficult because it isn't easy to learn to sail, and try to figure out how the subtle changes change the feel of the boat. As a newbie, it just won't mentally translate. Get the sailing part down first.

Originally Posted by Boomer1

If you are a turn key person, then consider a DF65 or it's larger big brother the DF 95, both fun boats and not expensive. ...We are not talking about tons of money here.

Join the fun! It won't hurt.
Boomer

I also vote for the DF65 for the simple fact that it is the most sailed RC sailboat in the world. Production won't be stopping anytime soon either, they are already on version 6! And there are awesome tuning guides to get a "base" tune dialed in bang on. This base tune is more than good enough to start racing with even.

If price on it is still too high, the Hydro Pro Affinity is a very similar boat. I suspect the DF65 tuning would get the Affinity dialed in close enough too, since it uses most of the same parts. Right now this boat is $91 + $12 shipping in the States. You will need a radio, receiver, and either 4x AA batteries, or a life battery pack.

I LOVE my DF65! I took some time to read over a few basic sailing books like Bond's Handbook of Sailing. But the most important thing might be to simply print out a basic sailing circle guide so you can figure out how to position sails for the direction you want to go. Googling "Sailing Circle" brings up dozens of images like the one below.

My first outing with the DF65 was my very first time ever sailing (well successfully anyways, I built a sailboat many years ago that sunk my first time out...) Anyways with a base tune set, I was able to not only get the boat going the direction I wanted, but was able to get it back to shore with no outside help. After just that first outing, I had the confidence to go out in bigger winds.

I had NO former sailing experience. And I can easily get the boat around various marks now with no fear of a broken pile of balsa. I have flown planes on and off for over 25yrs. I still crash them more often than not. And have built more than a couple planes I never even flew for fear of ending up with that pile. In just 6 months, my sailing skills are easily past my flying ones. I have no fear of putting one of my handmade boats out on the water, or even just sailing a new boat I haven't skippered before.

An appeal to all,
Over the past 12 months, I have been trying to track down the current owner of my wooden proto-type 'Drisky', 6 meter class yacht. I am trying to locate this boat, with the hope it may be returned to myself.

So far, it is believed the Drisky yacht is still in the UK. However, it has not been seen actively sailing for many years. The yacht is possibly gathering dust in someones garage / shed. Nothing has been viewed on the internet or Ebay.

I have appealed on other forums but so far little progress has been made. If anyone has knowledge of my previous wooden Drisky, (6 Meter Class), I would be grateful to hear from you.

Regards,
JT

Contact email: johnmtaylor69@yahoo.com

Just wondering if you tried posting on model boat Mayhem that site covers that part of the world pretty effectively worth the try

Originally Posted by BillKuhn

If I had a bigger choice when I started sometime ago. It would have been a Seawind. Don't have to race it. They look nice 5he are pit together well so it seems and they are reasonable. Furthermore, if you decided you do want to race I do belive they do race these. My first boat was a one meter carbon fiber. Again some years ago like 15 or more. Carbon was in its infancy I believe. A guy advertised in the bargain news. He wanted 250.00 fir it with extra sails. They raced in Stratford ct. I bought it. It was a great boat. Fun fast and in any type water. The deck was monokote. Was extremely light. Then Koyosho came out with the Sea Wind I believe that's the name. I never bought one but always wanted too. Instead bought an EC 12. Glad I did. Love that boat. So for the money I would suggest that Koyosho. But I'm sure there are plenty others out there. Happy sailing with whatever it is you buy.

Yeah I bought a Vela. I'm hoping for the best with the quality it seems like a good boat . I like the idea of fiberglass. I do have my eyes on the CR 914 if I like RC'ing.

Originally Posted by Boomer1

Gents,
I am not sure how many times I've contributed to the question of "which boat? I've read most of the other posts made on this topic over the years and have concluded many of the opinions and suggestions shared are all well intended but tend to over think the question.

Key factors are the budget and the taste of the buyer. If money is not an issue, dream big! If it is, like for many of us, then common sense limits choice. A person should like the boat they are going to start with, meaning it should appeal to them visually and functionally. This goes a long way to having a good first experience.


I think if a Lad or Las are interested in trying

radio sailing, they should give it a go! Heck, I got started with a Nirvana and a Monsoon. Here I am more than 24 boats later and still want more

What boat get you start is not all that important. Getting started around other enthusiast can really make a difference.

Most everything that gets shared in these dialogs is good information.

In closing, I submit it is important to stay away from known loser boats that don't sail properly.

Boomer, you have a lot of boats I see. What are the top three transmitters and receivers in your opinion for sailboats? Can you mix match companies with receivers and transmitters,?

If you have 2.4 rc gear, it will work. All you need for most sailboats is two channels, sail control and rudder.

The receiver must match the protocol of the transmitters, and there are a couple of different ones out there. Futaba has the FASST and FHSS system. Spektrum has the DSM derivatives. Those two do not mix.

There are plenty of aftermarket receivers to go with those two systems, and there are other systems, like the Taranis & FrSky systems as a less expensive alternative to Futaba or Spektrum. Search RCGroups for "too much" info.

A favorite TX at our club is the Spektrum DX6i. 6 channels, expo and mixes are available in a radio that can be had f or way under $100.00 in the classifieds.

BP

Originally Posted by rgburrill

The issue I have with this entire thread is that it is about one thing - competition! Newcomers quite often aren't interested in competition. I have never been and never will be. I just want to sail and have fun.

With that in mind the second issue I have is the idea that boats must be in a class. That means my beautiful, self designed, self built all wood sailboat doesn't qualify in your mind. Bull. I designed that boat to test the feasibility of a new type of design for a full size boat.

I'm with you... I am completely new to RC sail boating and for now, I will try my hand at leisure sailing at my local pond. At some point I may try competition, but in the meantime I am looking forward to simple, local, relaxing, low-stress sailing.

Originally Posted by rgburrill

The issue I have with this entire thread is that it is about one thing - competition! Newcomers quite often aren't interested in competition. I have never been and never will be. I just want to sail and have fun.

With that in mind the second issue I have is the idea that boats must be in a class. That means my beautiful, self designed, self built all wood sailboat doesn't qualify in your mind. Bull. I designed that boat to test the feasibility of a new type of design for a full size boat.

There is nothing wrong with the concept of "A Gentleman's Walking Boat" that you take for a walk just for pleasure.
I started with a home design, realized early that I knew sweet nothing about yachts and finished it as a freelance pilot boat with a motor. Then got a really cheap yacht kit (Chris Brown Cruising Yacht) and sailed it for a while while I looked around and thought about its shortcomings. The next step up back then was the Fairwind, which had its own problems, so instead of laying out cash on a boat that (from observation of other) either sat still and upright or on its side if there was wind, I used the learning and did a meter long boat that carefully avoided being either an IOM or 36R, but could be used in a good range of conditions. To make it work well, I borrowed a lot of hints from the proper racers that I saw at the stream of National and World championships that the Fleetwood club hosted around that time.
A racing boat has the advantage that it works well in a wide range of conditions because when racers turn up at a meet, they race almost whatever the conditions on the day. A GWB that has the right characteristics should be OK in any conditions that you care to stand there in.
It should be remembered that even when just sailing for fun, if another yacht appears, by mutual consent a race is going on, even if the consent is more mutual on one side than the other. My pair of Victorias will fit my wants for some time yet.

Originally Posted by mfr02

There is nothing wrong with the concept of "A Gentleman's Walking Boat" that you take for a walk just for pleasure. ....

I LOVE this idea and wholeheartedly agree that competition isn't everything. With that being said, I still stick by the choice of a DF65 as a first boat recommendation even if it isn't sailed by your local club, or even if you have no intent to go sail with them yet. Why? The setup is VERY VERY well documented! With zero background knowledge, you can put one together, get it dialed in, and be sailing in a few hours.

And putting a boat out on the water is even more important than building your first one. Sailboats are deceptively complex. It is much easier to figure out how to rig a boat, with a rigged boat in your hands to get ideas.

Mind you, I enjoy building these probably 2-3x more than sailing them. I still think getting out on the water though is the first priority. You need something to sail while you build a dozen more boats out in the workshop!!!!