hobart_specs1

Hobart - Retrieval Boat

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                       Specifications
Construction:
                  Hull:
                      1/32 Plywood over Styrofoam
                      w/ 1/4" thick Oak Deck.
     Pontoons: 3" pvc drain pipe - Adjustable & Removable
            Tug Length:
             Tug Width:
                   Weight:
Pont. Inside Width:
           Power: Automotive A/C blower motor.
        Batteries: 12 volts from two 6 volt motorcylce batteries.
       Propellor: Octura 1460
            Radio: 4 Channel Aitronics 75 MHZ.

The Head Lights are powered by 2 C cell batteries.
The Flashing beacons are 12 volt.

                                          History
The idea for "Hobart" (named by my son after a character a kids informational show) came after getting tired of swimming after stalled boats. After seeing plans for a retrieval boat in Radio Control Boat Modelers Magazine, and considering several capture methods, I decided the pontoon method would be the best. I had an automotive A/C blower motor lying around, so I decided this would be a good source of power. I also used the automotive A/C controls for the speed control.

On the original boat, I used 2 foam Knee Boards glued together for flotation.
I used large swimming noodles, the ones with holes in the center, for the pontoons. I created a frame with 1/2" pvc pipe and fastened the frame to the deck. The noodles slid over the pvc pipe, which gave them the rigidity they needed.

It originally had two forward speeds and one reverse speed. At that time I only had
a .21 tunnel. Hobart worked great for this size boat, but the larger boats I later built made it a little harder to maneuver while retrieving.

The head lights were added to aid retrieving in late evening. When the lights are shining on the stalled boat, you know you are aligned.

   Hobart began getting more attention than the race boats. Since at this point it looked like a project on "Junkyard Wars", I decided to redesign it to look more like a Tug Boat which is its present design. The pontoons on the present boat are adjustable. They can be adjusted outward for larger boats and removed for transport.

Hobart is a lifesaver and on some test days with the race boats, it gets more run time than they do!