I Just Got a RC Boat ...Now What?

There are basically three classes of fast remote control boats.They are the electric, gas and nitro rc boats.
The electric is the easiest to operate and maintain . It's plenty fast but the life of the battery charge is not very long. One-half hour is considered pretty good.
The gas rc boat is the most expensive to buy, but they run on regular gas, so you have more water time .They're not to bad as far as the learning curve involved, but they do require more maintenance, compared to the electric rc boats.
The nitro rc boats as you might expect by the name, are only for more advanced users. They are more demanding on every level and the fuel can be darn right expensive.

1 .Know thy boat. Make sure you have gone through the instructions and have a good

understanding how everything works.

2. If other boaters are in the area, be sure you ask them what frequency they're on. You

will also need to know how to change your transmitter's frequency if need be.

3. After every session of running your rc boat for any length of time, make sure

you oil all the moving parts especially the flex cable.I really like Finish Line's Teflon

Grease.It can be found in most bicycle shops.

4. Since all your radio gear runs on batteries make sure you have spares available

...you'll need them at some point.

5. Since some boats do vibrate a lot during operation ( especially the gassers), it's always

a good idea to check all nuts and bolts for tightness. Checking the seals and making sure

all water has been drained will greatly increase the chances of your boat staying in good

running condition.

6. When dealing with fuel, be careful about spillage or over filling as there's always the

possibility of a fire starting.

7. To ascertain if the radio control transmitter is working. With the antenna all the way down, walk 15 to 20 yards away and see if the controls are working properly.

8. While starting up your gas engine you find it just won't turn over, it's probably flooded.

Wait a bit before you try again. On a lot of engines the pull start is the weakest part. They

break easily because they're usually made of plastic. Use as little as possible or upgrade

to at least a metal ratchet ring.

9. Before you put the boat in the water give it some gas to blow out any extra fuel. The

problem with gas boats is that they do flood easy and tend to die on you if the mixture is

too rich.

10. Realize that your boat can cause harm to others around you. If people are swimming,

it's not a good idea to be there at all.Your boat has sharp metal and can be very hot. Be

smart and don't take chances when at populated areas ...the more room the better.

11.Now that you're finally in the water, before you do anything run your boat close to shore

for the first minute just to make sure it's running properly . Usually if somethings not right,

it'll let you know sooner than later.

12.Always have a retrieval method in case your rc boat becomes dead in the water( this will

happen ). The best way I've found, is a reel and a small electric that wraps the line around

your boat so you can just reel her in.

13. The best policy when other rc boaters are nearby is to keep as far away as possible and

be considerate.

14. Always make sure if your rc boat does die, that everyone around is aware of it's whereabouts.

15. After retrieval check for water in the engine by pulling the spark plug and turning the

boat upside down to drain any water out. Also make sure the radio box is dry. If any of the

electrical components did get wet , dry out before you use again.

16 .Check the gas tank for any water breach. Make sure cap is tight.

17.Remember if you need to adjust the carburetor turn the needle valve counterclockwise

for more gas and clockwise for less.

18. For a variety of reasons , it's always best to be able to have access all the way around the pond or lake you are using.
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19. If you are going to be using an area that has people living close by be sure to make sure it's ok to be there, especially if you are running a gasser as they are just too loud for some places.

20. If you are looking to find a place in your area to run your boat without any hassels , you can go to a local club or contact NAMBA. They will be more than happy to help.

Now go and enjoy !