Show us your committee boat...

[jbfraser]

Hi All,

We might be replacing our aging committee boat soon and wonder if we have the best boat for the job. Our small lake doesn't allow gas motors. Our safety boats get an exemption and are allowed to have up to 10HP. So our committee boat needs to be small. What RC boats are other small lakes using?

Right now we're using a 15 ft open aluminum boat, single mast for signals. Pic below. We're tempted by really small pontoon boats: they'd allow for easier boarding from the water, and better handicap access for our adaptive sailors. But 9.9 HP on a 1000lb boat? And we'd have to leave it moored in the water all the time.

Plastic boats like the Whaly and electric motors have been suggested as well.

Pic from back when the lake wasn't solid on top:

 

[VWAP]

The old dudes that run our races use a bigger boat as they like a full crew on board

 

[Xeon]

Sorry we don’t have one

 

[bloodshot]

river not a lake, but here's "Fair and Square" from the Frostbite Yacht Club in Essex, CT. I would think a smaller pontoon type raft or "pahty bahge" (https://directboats.com/la610caelpa.html) would do the trick

 

[jbfraser]

Sorry we don’t have one

Are you racing? And keeping results? From shore, I suppose, with pre-set finish, or self-reported might work.

Our lake is pretty close to a circle, so we do a decent job of getting the course for the day set to windward which makes pre-set courses awkward.

 

[Xeon]

Are you racing? And keeping results? From shore, I suppose, with pre-set finish, or self-reported might work.

Our lake is pretty close to a circle, so we do a decent job of getting the course for the day set to windward which makes pre-set courses awkward.

You are correct, I sail on a tiny puddle so it’s not a problem.
We sail mostly pursuits so it’s easy just to jump in the rescue boat and motor back though the fleet to get results.
If we do sail normal handicap races we just set the finish line in front of the starters box so you can record the positions and times in the warm

But this is that they use at the nearest large club to me , Draycote water (complete with flags and a auto light system for starting the races )

 

[Steam Flyer]

river not a lake, but here's "Fair and Square" from the Frostbite Yacht Club in Essex, CT. I would think a smaller pontoon type raft or "pahty bahge" (https://directboats.com/la610caelpa.html) would do the trick

View attachment 569588

Uh oh, sensors detect the presence of the dreaded JY-15, the most hated dinghy in all human history (much less sailing history).

I assume the primitive shelter on the RC vessel is to protect the RC from deadly JY-radiation

 

[Fretz]

its hard to beat a pontoon boat on a lake and 10hp will move a decent size platform slowly. A 15 hp cowling can be redon with 10 hp stickers too.

An oversize bimini is key. I volunteer on RC with a open center console and the sun gets brutal.

 

[Foredeck Shuffle]

9.9hp/7.4kw motor is fine for a 1,000lb/454kg boat that does not need to chase down boats in need of help or work against waves. If that is a concern then a larger motor is needed.

Mercury has a 7.5hp motor already on the market and late last year they announced 20hp and 35hp motors coming in 2023. Your club should have options soon if you need a more spirited motor.

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And there are other options already out there.

Electric Outboard Motors | Made in USA | Elco Motor Yachts

Select outboard to see more options.

www.elcomotoryachts.com

 

[ride2live]

Here's ours.

 

[eyeshotpar]

Larger than you need but a lotta fun

 

[Mid]

lake wasn't solid on top:

huh .. No thank you

 

[Looper]

I believe we have repowered the twin screws at least 2 times.

 

[Dart96]

This is what I want. What I have is not this.

 

[Xeon]

This is what I want. What I have is not this.
View attachment 570285

Especially if it has its own wood burner

 

[bloodshot]

I mean, for a lake and when using audible signals with no flags, wouldn't something like this work well?

Inflatable Dock 10 Classic Package

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[The Q]

The motor boat, is 40ft broads motor cruiser, it's been stripped out and rebuilt internally, so it has a class room, tea making facilities, toilet and shower for use by our sailing school.
Note the ropes on the sides to tie dinghies to when the kids are in the classroom.

And our club pontoon, on which is the shed with a table and chair for the time keeper, in the back are two outside doors one to a toilet, one to a cupboard to keep the buoys.
The pontoon is towed into position by the rescue dory from its permanent mooring, and has mud weights in each corner to drop in and hold it in position.
There's some foreshortening of the photo that shed is bigger than it looks, for instance that course board has space in each row for class flag, number of laps, 6 course boards all of about 6 inches square, and up to 12 starts. That day
Reedling, Yeoman, Rebel, White boat, and a combined Allcommers B dinghy, and Allcommers C dinghy fleet.