Funny story...I never followed-up since the thread sort of died:
So after my post on 10/13 I went to the lake for a test, and there was a brand new sign that read, "The operation of radio controlled aircraft or watercraft within the park is prohibited by the Superintendent of Parks blah, blah, blah..."
Couldn't believe it! posted right where I'd been playing. The weird thing is that I don't believe I was in "the Park". I was so P.O.ed that I made up my mind to go to a local club race...at which I got totally sucked in...and now I intend to race my SV for a season with them (...and maybe my Caliente 2!).
Anyway, day before yesterday I just went to a little parking lot next to the lake that is .5 miles north of where I was...no sign there (...yet!) and definitely not "in the Park".
I still haven't run my SV27 at the lake...attracts too much attention and goes twice as fast as my submerged-drive fleet.
I must warn you about the weaknesses of the Caliente Saleens7...it's still pretty much a POS. I intended to GPS it the other day and get some real data, but I flipped it while testing the new rudder system before I sealed it up and therefore flooded it, ending my tests for the day.
The ABS is a little thin and will crack under some stress, however, I've hit some rocks/beached it a few times, and let my dog chew on it a bit, and it has handled it well. I do think this boat is pretty light, though.
The hull is not a very fast or stable design...very shallow V and submerged-drive - I may do a surface-drive in the future. It can be reinforced even more than I have...my pics will help you understand better. Most N1's will spank this boat mightily. I just don't want you thinking this boat is race worthy...it probably isn't, but I am not afraid to lose races in the spirit of having fun and making others laugh...as cheaply as possible.
Pics/build soon I promise.