a.bailey

Hey everyone

I've decided to try my hand at sailing and I have my first boat narrowed down to the aquacraft paradise or the proboat endeavor. I haven't been able to find side by side comparison reviews anywhere online.

Right now I'm split 50/50 on which boat I want to get.

Any suggestions or oppinions on which is better would be greatly appriciated.

PS, Also looking at the megatech nirvana II. My LHS doesn't carry it so I'd have to order it.

thorsail

Hello
well, welcome to a great part of the rc hobby -sailboats are indeed a wonderful way to spend an afternoon at your local pond.
as far as comparisons go , there is a source, but it is a "rival" website to this one, so for the url not to show up we type it out
like this...3wsdotrcgroupsdotcom about halfway down the forum list will be the "boats" section , click on "sailboats" and the very
top thread is a "sticky" thread - which means it is always at the top of the page - anyway it is a place for guys to "review" various
types of rc sailboats.it would be worth a look.
the first 2 types you mentioned I really don't know much about - the Nirvana I do - it is great- sails really well, easy set up.
boat itself is well made. the electronics on the early models were an issue - but that is now resolved with new options.
another source of info would be right in your neck of the woods, a rc club called the st. louis admirals(.com) - plenty of good
advice there - and as they used to have a active rc sailboat fleet there is a very good chance of picking up something used from
one of those guys. they had a Soling 1 Meter fleet for many years -now thats a great boat ( I have one of those as well) in
fact my boat came from that group.
like anything else in life, you get what you pay for with rc sailboats - and even expensive "ready to sail" boats have problems.
good luck , and keep asking questions, thats why we are all here-to help out each other.
Allan
Chicago

a.bailey

Thanks a lot for all the good info. The scales in my head are leaning towards the aquacraft paradise. It'll fit in my car and it's well within my price range.

boomer1

My Feedback: (1)

Mr. B
Intending no disrespect, I would suggest that two boats you have at the top of you list, are not worthy ofyour consideration. Theseboats are more toy like, than geniune RC Yachts.(That's what we like to call them) Those boats are typical of boats novices are drawn to, but most of them end up in a garage sale. Whereas, a Nirvana is in my opinion the best overall value for a person just coming into the hobby for a number of reasons. First they are designed to be simple straight forward, easy to put together and just a whole lot fun to sail. Next most of the people who buy a Nirvana end up keeping it, and sailing it for years to come.

The Nirvana has an official AMYA racing class, which means, if you are so inclinded, you can get involved in class racing in local sailing clubs around the nation and around the world for thatmatter. The Nirvana, if you should opt to sell it, has the best resale value in it's class and beyond. You really get a lot of boat for the money.
They sell new from around $190 to $270 depending on where you buy it. Two of the best places are http://sailrc.com/sailrcnirvana/home.htmland http://www.harbormodels.com/site08/i.../nirvana_2.htm

I suggest visiting another rc forum to read up on the Nirvana and just about any other RC Yacht you may have heard of, but didn't know how to find out about. Check out this link: http://www.rcgroups.com/sailboats-59

rcgroups.com is much more affective in RC Sailing than this forum. It would be well worth your time to visit this forum and check out the Nirvana thread at this link: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=794969

There are a number of very good boats out there that repsent better values.I am not shy about my view of theNirvana being the bestplace to start. Honestly, you should do a little more reading to discover what is out there, befpre you make adecision.

Have you establisheda budget for your boat? Is transportation an issue? Some folks have large cars or SUVs that make transporting their boats something to think of ahead of buying one. Again, the Nirvana is very easy to transport, so much so that my wife can take it apart and put it back together, so that should tell you how easy they are to set up.

I have had a lot of RC Sailboats/Yachts, some very expensive, the truth be told, I have two new Nirvana ll boats. I sold my first two after two years of sailing them. After a year, I missed sailing them and now I have two more. I got a pretty good deal by getting two. I guess that means I have put my money where my mouth is, or something
like that.

You can check out some of my RC toys by visiting my forum on this site. Just click on my login and the site should open up.

If you have any questions just let me know.I can offer a list of other boats that might be fun for you. And if you end up with eiter of the two boats you have listed, I hope you
enjoy them.

I posted a picture of one of my new Nirvana'sfor your to consider.

Boomer

a.bailey

Wow, $190 is the best price I've seen for the Nirvana. The cheapest I've seen it for is $260. I'm definately gonna have to look into this boat more. I haven't been able to find detailed close up pics of the boat, just the advertisement photos.

Thanks for the info on this boat boomer!

boomer1

My Feedback: (1)

Mr. B
Ok, here are a few more pictures of the same boat. If you like this boat check out this link. http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1433410
I can tell you it is the best deal in or out of town.

I attached a copy of the Nirvana owner's manual for you. It will give a some good information.
Boomer

a.bailey

what are your thoughts on the aquacraft vela? is it worth tge extra money? I'm going on vacation this weekend and there's a good size lake where i'll be staying and i'd really like to get a boat before leave town. I would love to get a nirvana but none of the shops around here carries it.

boomer1

My Feedback: (1)

Mr. B
I just sent you a PM (private message) with my phone number - give me a call - we can chat - explore your options etc.
Boomer

ICCA

I agree with Boomer about the Nirvana, but if you can transport a 1 meter boat, the Vella is a good sailor. One of the guys I sail with in Yuma has both, and for an out of the box boat, the Vella does well. They can be had for about $300. Picture of an ODOM, IOM, and Vella.

Dave

[img][/img]

boomer1

My Feedback: (1)

A Vela is a far better choice than the other Aquacraft or Proboat choices. It does have a few issues that take a more experienced sailor to address easily. There is a very good thread on this boat on rcgroups.com go to this link for details - http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1327983It has over 13,000 hits and almost 300 posts on the subject and lots of pictures and tips on this boat. I got one when they were first released, liked it's looks and has a good radio system.
It does have a few fixes to make it right.
Check out that thread -
Boomer

a.bailey

I know what your thoughts are about the paradise, but I was able to pick one up for real cheap ($50). It's in new condition and all that it needs is a radio system. I have a DX7 and a spare Rx so I'll be putting that in. It also has a hitec hs625mg winch servo.

I've read that adding weight to the keel and increasing the rudder area makes these little boats preform much better.

I have an AC Vela on layaway at my LHS and I'll have it in a couple months.

boomer1

My Feedback: (1)

Sounds like a no loose deal to me! Not sure what your LHS gets for the Vela, but a Tower Hobbies, if you join their Premier member deal, you can get one for about $300 withno shipping cost or sales tax (tax depends on what state you are in)
Just an FYI.

Have fun with your new boat. Hey, any RC boat is better than none!
Boomer

a.bailey

www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_8369048/tm.htm

I'm gonna do pretty much the same thing for the keel. Gonna make a rough cast and then machine it on my lathe to it's final shape and finish. Then I'll epoxy it to the keel and paint it.

I've only done a few fiberglass projects so I may try making a mold and make a new, larger rudder.

It's been a while since I've done a project thread with pics so I may make one for this project.

a.bailey

Just completed my paradises' maiden voyage. A heavier keel and larger rudder is definately necessary. When I first got her in the water the winds were around 5mph and I'd guesstimate gusts around 10mph. It was really hard to control and when the wind picked up the boat would whip around into the wind inspite of my rudder controls. About an hour later the wind started easing up to a constant 3-4mph. At that point the boat handled beautifly! I circled around infront of the fountain in the middle of the lake for some photos.


I temporarly modded the rudder to see if that helps.

TFLHOBBY-Candy

Hello everyone
sorry to disturb you

Welcome to visit http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_10...m.htm#10505796

for the 2011 Beijing show ,there are more and more pictures of the RC HOBBIES . Welcome

a.bailey

So apparently, my modded rudder can be used as a flipper if the wind dies down. moving the stick back and forth will actually propell the boat! The rudder works great and now all I need to do is make the heavier keel bulb.

a.bailey

Got bored today and decided to make some parts for the boat.
My jib seemd to have way too much curve to it, so I decided to make a jib boom extension to flaten out the sail. Haven't tested it yet.

GBR2

My Feedback: (1)

What about a Victor Model Products boat. I have one of their V32-k's or a completed V32 depending on your budget. They sail very nice.

a.bailey

Just a little update on my paradise. I just got done with the new keel and all I can say is that it completely changed the nature of this boat!
The keel weighed in at 26 ounces. The wind in the video was gusting up to around 10-15mph and the boat handled it very well!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL0md_f5Td4[/youtube]

Paulvive

As already suggested in this forum I would consider a Victor Soling. If you want to race it seems to be the most popular boat around. The boat you are suggesting is a deep draft boat and some ponds or lakes might not be deep enough for the draft. As I found out.