This has been posted in subs and dock talk but this might save your boat! think about making one...


Besides having scale RC boats, I also have a submarine. Being a static diving sub, I am quite afraid of losing it...so I only use it in my pool where I can see it. I've been working on a locator buoy. I've found that a 1000mg tums tablet will dissolve in just about 1hr in ph neutral water at 65 degrees F.-give or take 15 min.
So I've taken a wine cork and a tablet and 5min epoxied them to a base and wrapped 10FT of cord around them. This should cover the depth of most ponds. It should last for the time of sub usage without releasing. Of course I envision replacing the unit after each run. I could see painting the cork red, possibly some kind of disguise for boats like a lazarette, and coming up with a quick install attachment. On the sub it would probably be a throwaway but on a boat it would last until something "no bueno" happens. Am I reinventing the wheel, is there something out there that does this already?
I remembering reading Laser110's post(Boat down &found) about taking days to find his sunken boat..if one of these were hidden on deck he would have had it back in 1 hour...I'm looking for suggestions on the engineering and operation of this buoy. Yes the base shouldn't be plywood (should be aluminum) Remember that the attached picture is only a prototype...thanks.

Have you tested how long the tablet takes to dissolve or how long it takes for the cork to be released both at surface level & likely sink depth?

They might be the same thing but they might not! Good idea.

Didn't we do this thread already?

Alka Seltzer....
We used to joke about building tablets into hulls as we helped people build their hulls.

Originally Posted by ChrisE

Have you tested how long the tablet takes to dissolve or how long it takes for the cork to be released both at surface level & likely sink depth?

They might be the same thing but they might not! Good idea.

Good Idea to test at depth, my guess is less time due to pressure. I'll have to test when I open my swimming pool next spring...

Originally Posted by Umi_Ryuzuki

Didn't we do this thread already?

Alka Seltzer....
We used to joke about building tablets into hulls as we helped people build their hulls.

Sorry Umi for the redundancy..it was suggested from subs in a PM by another subscriber that I share this with the scale guys..all in all I realize that surface boats only need a string attached to anything on board that floats...this was originally put forth for my sub where I wanted a 1 hour delayed release in case the sub never came up in some strange pond.