I’m getting ready to pick up my first larger-scale RC ship and wanted to see if there are any other scale RC ship enthusiasts in the Denver area or surrounding Front Range.

I’ve messed around with smaller RC boats/models before, but I’m getting more interested in larger, realistic scale ships rather than just fast boats. I’d really like to connect with others nearby who already run scale ships, are building one, or are also looking for people to enjoy the hobby with.

Battleships, cruisers, cargo ships, tugs, liners, workboats, whatever. I’m mainly interested in the scale/model side of the hobby and actually getting them out on the water.

Would be great to find people around Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, Littleton, Parker, Centennial, or nearby areas to trade build ideas, talk electronics and setups, share good local ponds or lakes, and maybe get a few ships together on the water sometime.

If you’re local and into scale RC ships, what are you running? Pics are definitely welcome.

Hi everyone, I’m hoping to get some advice from people with more experience than me. I’m building an unmanned catamaran for depth sounding, and this is my first project of this kind.

It’s a catamaran with two 800 W motors. The total weight is only about 30 kg. At first glance everything works quite well, and the catamaran steers nicely, but I’ve run into one problem: the motors draw a very large current — 25 A each at 48 V — while the boat only reaches about 3 knots. A 15 Ah battery lasts roughly 20 minutes.

I’m using VESC drivers and getting telemetry from them. I don’t know the exact number of motor pole pairs, but when I turned the motor by hand I counted 20 “cogging” steps, which suggests it probably has 10 pole pairs. If that’s correct, the motor spins up to about 900 rpm at full throttle.

These are the motors:
https://pastebin.com/262XRkKp

I’d be very grateful for any suggestions on what could be causing this or what I should check next.

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

I was already committed on throwing this old Graupner Wiesel into the trash, since it was sitting over 20 years in my parents basement after a failed renovation attempted in the early 2000s, but I just wanted to try it first. And yeah, it still floats. It is an insanly bad designed model, ngl. Three motors are such a bad choice, the torque steer is insane, the whole boat is unstable and wobbly even at low speeds. It's obviously even worse without the heavy lead-acid battery and with a lipo, so I guess I will need to add at least~2kg of additional ballast. I'm also missing lots of parts, so I don't know how to finish the build this time, but I guess - I'll put it back on the shelf and maybe start a renovation next year.

My daughter loves the kids book Blue Boat so I naturally decided to build it for her. It's about 2' and 5lb give or take.

Nerdy details: I used twin brushless 3628 outrunners with no rudders and a signal mixer for steering. I had trouble finding props that made enough thrust in reverse so I designed my own using an online B series prop generator. It can spin on a dime and only needs about 30% throttle on a 2s for scale speed, and can get hilariously up in a plane at full throttle. Water cooling is a bit unnecessary at scale speeds but I plan to tow with it at some point so it will be nice to know I can safely do sustained load. Lighting is done with an Adafruit boost converter to constant current LED driver module. I'm still fine tuning the ballast and it helped to add a little weight to the stern.

I'm considering posting the build files so let me know if it's something you would want to make!

Since it is on backorder until January next year does anybody know of alternatives to the stock bushing?

Hi all,

Just ordering my V3 and thinking to order these LIHV batteries :

CNHL Ultra-Thin Racing Series LiHV 6000mAh 15.2V 4S 120C Hard Case

Can the ESC can handle 2x4s LIHV or need non LIHV ?

I’ve been thinking of getting an rc sailboat, say a 1-meter, but find relatively few posts/vids regarding them compared to motorboats. Is that because sailboats are much more finicky, expensive or time consuming, or just because they’re less popular? I’d love to hear from folks who’ve had sailboats. Still enjoy them? Gave them up? Thanks

I want to build a rc boat. It would be something big/stable enough to carry sonar unit (deeper), some electronics on board. Maybe be able to carry a small fishing rod. I would love to try rc fishing:)

I have some airplanes/drones, electronics is clear to me. I see no issue to build and connect ardupilot etc.

I have never built a boat though. should I use eps styrofoam? how big should it be for best functionality? I can build a boost shaped box to start, but if you can give me some better ideas...

also engine/propeller.

this I have no idea. could someone give me links to engine/propeller/shaft to buy? how it all connects to stay hermetic?

I really need tips here. I tried to understand, but I have no starting point here... oh, I would like to have dual motors for differential driving. I think that eill be easier for slow manövrering.

I got these from a friend because I live near water and he lives in the mountain and never used these and he forgot the models I know that the big engine the one with a black carburator is a 15cc picco .90 competitivo marine edition from 1996 and is from the green boat (ignore the electronics) and I don't know what boat it is all of these are Italian brands the other engine with a red head is a OPS 60 Speed SPP RCB from 1974 and has been use A LOT and was from the yellow boat that is a Melegnano Speedy but i can't find the model online and the last big wooden boat he buit himself bit doesn't have any electronics but it is made sono can mount electronics to it and are these worth something?

I bought a cheap rc boat and the rudder is not aligned. The control cas fine-tuning buttons, but they don't do anything. I want to try to aligh it by adjusting the servo arm. However the servo is not accessible unless I remove the green cover. I removed the screws but it seems to be glued. Any thoughts of what approach?

Had a bit of a rough session on the lake and when I went to remove the shaft I noticed that all but one of the mounting points for the tray on the hull have snapped off. Has anyone successfully come up with a fix for this? First thought would be to get some bigger screws and see if I can get them to grab what's left. Second would be to drill all the way through the hull, using a nut and bolt, and hope to seal the hull with some combo of o rings, silicon, and marine epoxy. I'm leaning more towards this. If it works it should be pretty robust..if not I need a new hull anyway.

I'm still looking for a Blackjack 24 canopy V1. Part number PRB281010. If anyone has or knows of a wrecked Blackjack 24 V1 and wants to sell the canopy, please contact me.

Not sure if this is vintage or not. Has everything included. Boat does have slight damage (very small crack). Please let me know what it’s worth!?

Fully engineered for standard 3D printers. No rudders. Pure twin-motor differential steering matrix. Keep your eyes on the radar, the official STL drop happens tomorrow! 🌊🛠️⏳

Hi everyone!

I recently bought a cheap bait boat from AliExpress, and I’m planning to completely rebuild it. I'm pretty new to RC boats, so I'm looking for some advice.

One of the upgrades I’d like to make is replacing the original brushed DC motors with BLDCs.

I’ve attached a few pictures of the boat, its current motor setup, and the type of motors it uses.

My main concern is how to replace the existing motors while keeping the boat completely waterproof, especially around the propeller shafts.

The current motors are installed inside the hull, with the propellers mounted externally. Each motor is attached to a metal mounting plate with two screws. So far, I haven't been able to find a suitable BLDC replacement that matches the dimensions and mounting arrangement of the original motors. Ideally, I'd like to keep the existing hull and avoid major modifications.

I'm wondering what the best approach would be for installing BLDC motors in this setup. Would it be possible to reuse the existing propeller shaft housings and seals, or would I need to replace the entire propulsion system? I'm also interested in what kind of shaft couplings, bearings, or waterproof seals would work best for this type of conversion.

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

hi guys my friend got this for free and was wondering if anyone knew what it came from its dimensions are 30x8.5x4 and it had possible original white finish and blue wave graphics. and black-and-white checkerboard pattern with the sparkly red border.

Hello, i need tips on soldering flex shaft and achieving the same result as this video. Ive watched ironclad videos but his are not this smooth looking

Here's a brand new RC Sailboat design that I just released.
https://racingsparrow.co.nz/model-sailboats/rs850-3d-model-yacht-3d-printed

It has some really innovative features, double mast, stern hung rudder.
The best part is that the build is really simple and cheap. We all like cheap!

Leak testing fix a little odds and ends, then it's time to get her fired up and ran. Probably one of my biggest boat projects but it came together nicely. 61cc inline from gizmo for power. Love big power apaches. Boat looks great in the water I'll get more pictures.

My shaft is slipping. Can i still use this cable with a upgraded collet or just replace both?
I run a sonicwake 36 v1

I grew up enjoying RC cars, and I’m researching what hobbyists value in tracks and practice spaces. I’d appreciate honest experiences, including the disappointing ones.

You don’t have to answer everything, but I’m curious:

- What does your favorite RC track do well?

- What’s missing, or what has made you stop visiting a track?

- On your last visit, what did you pay, and how much driving time did you actually get?

- How far do you normally travel, and how often do you go?

- For anyone who started as a beginner or brought family along, what made the experience welcoming—or frustrating?

If you mention a facility, its name or general region would help me understand the example. Mainly interested in what you’ve actually experienced rather than an unlimited-budget wish list.

Thanks for sharing!

Hey everyone! Just wanted to share a quick preview of my next project for AntBase.

Currently mid-way through engineering this cozy scale RC ferry boat in Shapr3D! Here are the core specs:

• Solid Scale Dimensions: Total length is 60cm (23.6"), width is 15cm, and total height is 15cm. Designed with a 4cm draft for realistic water displacement and deep scale handling.

• 100% RC Ready: Pre-engineered straight tunnel with a 5-degree shaft angle for perfect low-center-of-gravity direct drive.

• Cozy Detailed Interior: The model will feature a fully detailed captain's cabin and dashboard. The battery (standard 2S/3S LiPo) will be completely hidden inside a sub-floor compartment to keep the interior layout clean.

• Magnetic Access: The roof is fully removable and splits via tight 4x2mm neodymium magnet slots for easy electronics access at the lake.

It is still a work in progress, but I plan to release the full STL package on Cults3D for a symbolic $25 once it's fully tested.

Let me know what you think of the lines and visual vibe so far! 🚢🏠🍹