i posted a thread a couple of days ago about the shunbo sailboats, was planning on getting the Monsoon 900 as a lot of people are suggesting it. but i saw this phantom 1000 carbon version by shunbo aswell.

it's a couple of bucks more expensive than Monsoon (probably because the carbon thingy) but if its way better then i believe it'll be worth it.

just wondering if anyone has sailed with phantom before or both monsoon and phantom.. i need you opinion [sm=confused.gif]

There's a build thread on the Monsoon on http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/for...?topic=14796.0 I'd be prepared for substituting a lot of the original equipment on this and other models from the same manufacturer. It's built to a price and this seems to have been apparent in many areas.

Your Shunbo post was on another forum, but never mind about that...

Like Guiri said, the Phantom and other boats from this manufacturer look phantastic, I'd like to get my hands on a bare hull, keelfin and rudder, the rest can be binned instantly, so I don't need that shipped to me...

For its size 1000mm long, 1890mm tall and 2.80 Kgs Net Weight, the boat is way too light to be anything but a super lightweather sailor, my 1m Voyager weights 3,3kg and a similar sized IOM weighs 4kg.
There is a reason all these boats are photografed on the water in virtually no wind conditions..., they list under the weight of the sail and booms...

So, if you like to rebuild the Phantom with custom materials, I'm sure it will sail well.

Regards, Jan.

i think, the Phantom, Monsoon, Surmount and the others are all manufactured by Shunbo.. unless it was customized by other and had it renamed or something... but tell us, where have you seen these sailboats? eBay? most likely is, they are either fake or a bit substandard...

thanks for the link.. saw that... it's a bit of a drag replacing stuffs and all right?? and experience wise, i may not be able to put it all back together if i will dismantle some parts [sm=tongue_smile.gif]

also, aren't the other boats like this too?? i mean, eventually you'll replace the parts that you think has some issues right? no matter who manufactured it

@brainox

i was looking at these website http://www.twift.com/RC%20Toys%20&%2...RC%20Sailboat/
they have different kinds of shunbo and beili sailboats...


guys if you know something better please let know.. thanks!!

I have a Monsoon and would not recomend them. It sails OK but I have had problems.

The quality is a bit of an issue. If the Phantom is by the same manufacturer, I would expect similar quality issues.
Forget the radio, you will most probably have to replace it.

If you can get one for under 150 bucks fine. Remember to add for a new radio.

About the only thing carbon on this boat is the footprint it left behind on its trip from China.

Besides the hull which isn't bad, but meant for light air, the rig, fittings & electronics are junk & something you'll undoubtedly have to replace over time. All of the fasteners are low grade steel with many already rusting before even we got the boats on the water, & fittings & other parts of the rig are plastic are prone to breaking. Sails are flat panel dacron without any shape without grommets at the attaching points, they use thin plastic reinforcement corners glued onto the sail that will come off. Standing & running rigging is nothing more than the cheapest kite string. [:@]

I'd recommend getting a decent kit & building it yourself. I should know since we have 8 Monsoons in our sailing club & I've assembled &/or repaired most myself.

I'm the proud owner of a Century 750 and a Hurricane 1000 - both bought on evilbay[sm=48_48.gif]. Both plastic kit boats from China.

I wont even talk about the Century 750 but will mention the 1m Hurricane 1000.

Everything that can be, on this boat, is made to be as cheap as possible. The boat was designed to be photographed, but never near water!

Having said that, after 6 months of upgrading and fixing, this boat now outsails my other 1m boats in light winds. But that's afer 6 months of annoyance. In the interim I've scratch built 3 other boats. The Chinese hulls seem to be copied from the best of existing hull designs and the mast, rigging design is good. On my Hurricane I've kept the jib sail and replaced the main with a proper panelled sail. The drum winch had no elastic tensioners which I now know is crazy. On the plus side the radio and electrics do work. For the price, if I had my time over, I figure these Chinese boats helped me to learn about how to build a boat. As in what to look for that will sink a yacht and the crucial bits to watch. Jib tack, faulty chainplates, weak backstay, hatch that serves no purpose. Plastic rudder clevis that breaks immediately. Rust. Bulb so light it's a joke. I had to add extra 500gms.

Just remembered my favourite bit about the Hurricane. If I leave my boat laying in the sun on its side for more than 15 minutes; the keel will bend! Made of hollow plastic. Nothing like having a bulb pointing at 15* away from the keel line. Have to put the boat back on a stand with bulb weight down in the sun for keel to bend back straight.

Worst thing about these cheap boats is that it will put so many people off rc yachts. A well tuned yacht sailing hard into a stong breeze is a thing of beauty. A quick tack with sails spread gullwing makes the heart race. Another tack and race to home. Boat keeled with a wake behind. Spectators ask - what size motor do you have.......

Enjoy a real RC YACHT. My AU Class 1.7m boat.

Larry L.

from the looks of it, it really is a great idea to just buy a good sailboat kit... larry, can you recommend one? im pretty sure, all of what you guys said about these chinese sailboats are true. most of the shunbo monsoon owners tend to replace the parts after they just bought it...

oops sorry.. lagged.

I honestly could not recommend any Chinese boat. I've heard good reports on the Soling and Nirvana. Go to this thread to read about kit boats -

[link=http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=767639]RC Groups[/link]

Larry L.

they say Monsoon is a bit jittery when there's wind.

what about sailboats like this [link=http://www.twift.com/RC%20Toys%20&%20Hobby/Gemini%20600%20RC%20Catamaran%20RTS%20Kit%20(Beili ).html]Catamaran?[/link]
looks more sturdy to me against wind..

there's someone in rcgroups named roachie who made a very good modding of [link=http://www.twift.com/RC%20Toys%20&%20Hobby/Century%20750%20RC%20Sailboat%20RTS%20Kit%20(Beili ).html]C750[/link].

at first he couldn't bare the sight, but then little by little he made some improvements at a very low cost.i'll try to find the link and be back in a bit.

the Century 750 is made from cheap plastic. but i saw that thread from Roachie about the modifications. turned out to be a good one when tweaked a bit.

i just from other thread, try to search for RT65.

catamarans are surely stable sailboats, but the trimarans are said to be 3-4 times more stable...

Re Monsoon 900 Deluxe.

Below are some screen captures from ebay of the Monsoon ads. <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);">In their own photos the mast is falling over.</span> And price! These boats sell here in Australia for ~$AU150. That's ~$US115. Most of the time there'e about 5 or 6 for sale. Means sellers are still making a good profit on these boats at these prices. Suggest if you have to buy one of these at least make sure you're not overcharged. Also there was a used Triumph 800 for sale. Same manufacturer. Selling price $AU30.

Larry L.

hmm. mast falling over. good sign. buyers beware of these.

Not if you know what you are doing. Go to http://www.shipshaperc.com

I don't have a Monsoon, but I do have and like my Phantom.

I received my Hobby King HB-F-06 RC Sailboat Phantom-1.89m (USA Warehouse) $97.29 + $18 shipping on Thursday like the USPS said (I missed the free shipping from the US warehouse cause I blinked earlier instead of biting).

Just did the maiden this morning in 15-20mph + 30gusts. Not recommended for the feint of heart. But she sailed excellently. Was able to control tilting/heeling with sail looseness. Only took on 2 tablespoons of water in about an hour of sailing. I put 3lbs 11oz of #5 lead shot to fill the ballast, then just electrical taped the opening. Others epoxy the opening and I think I will too since it's super full. Could use another pound for the heavy winds. Also sealed the hatch with electrical tape but had 72mhz antennae and battery sw coming out so not totally sealed. Now I drilled a hole for those wires and will add closed cell weather striping to the hatch so no water gets in. I used packing tape over the servo cover so no leaks there. Now I drilled a 3/8" hole in the stern behind the mast connector so I can pour out any water. I filled the hole with a cork I had. No other changes and she sails very well, even in a good wind. Oh, the lead is very expensive unless you have a better source than I did. I had to buy 25lbs of shotgun lead shot for $50 cause fishing weights were going to be $40 and if the ballast bulb breaks and the lead gets out then I would be out $40, this way I have extra in case I or my son needs it.

Now this is my first RC sailboat, but not my first real sailboat. I have a Hobie Cat's, 13feet, so very small, but has given me the needed "simulation" for the RC sailboat. So I kinda know what I'm doing in the water. I even have a Hobie 2 person kayak with a sail that I use, it's a blast, but not in high wind. So take what I say with that grain of salt. There are many bad reviews from many people who don't like the Phantom or maybe any Chinese boats. But I do, at least after this morning.

The manual is not included, but is pictured. A very similar (the same) model can be found here: http://mms.tiger.tw/upload/upload_fi...6062%20V.3.pdf


Mike
Hobby King HB-F-06 RC Sailboat Phantom-1.89m
ParkZone Extra 300, ParkZone Wildcat, 3' Pitts
ParkZone Sukhoi BL upgraded 2 cells, 6' EZGlider with BL launch motor and FPV camera and Tx
Super Cub BL wt moded ailerons wt Turnigy lights for night flying, Tx DX7
Function over ALL else
my photography: http://BesPhoto.com

There's a big eBook on this boat and the others from Shunbo. .. Contains much of what you are saying but..a lot, lot more.. http://www.shipshaperc.com . also an excellent Buyers Guide for those still thinking about it..

I have sailed both boats. There are many threads on these boats with various opinions and suggestions regarding this manufacturers RC boats. If you want to learn more details about these boats, I suggest visiting
a couple of more active forums. RC Universe doesn't have a lot of RC Sailor following.
Try: rcgroups.com and check out the Sailboat heading. You can do a search using the boats names and you will find a wealth of information. Modelboatmayhem is another good one.

Here is the short story: The least expensive place to buy either of these boats is Hobbyking.com if you get to their premier level these boats are about $100 USD plus shipping.

These boats are just fine for the price. You <u>must do</u> several things to them to make them sea worthy. Nothing a reasonably handy person can't handle. The rigging is the weakest point, but it can be repaired to make it acceptable. The Monsoon comes with a hatch cover that will leak if you don't make a few minor changes. If you decide to get one, I will be happy to send you all the details you would need to address their weaknesses and to bring them to a point where you will enjoy sailing them. They make terrific first boats.

My recomendation is to check out the NIRVANAll. This is the best overall entry level boat for anyone, bar none. They come ready to sail and you don't have to fix anything. They have a AMYA racing class for them and those of that started out with one, still have them an continue to sail them. As you can see, I currently have two of them among my RC fleet.

You can not go wrong witha Nirvana ll. I am confident that any knowledgeable RC sailor would approve of this suggestion for you.

Let me know if you'd like any more information

Boomer

Boomer's right in what he says..

However, if you'd like a overall buyers guide for the Shunbo fleet, by Shunbo boat owners (all of 'em.. boats, not owners) visit www.shipshaperc.com. and check out the COMPLETE ebook or the Buyers Guide.. ShipshapeRC is JUST Shunbo boats..

Thought I'd share a couple of pictures of my newest Nirvana ll. I just finished making a few changes to the boats appearence and upgrades to the electronics.
Turning out well so far. Had her out for a sea trial yesterday and it couldn't have sailed any better.

Just food for thought.. Great boat right out of the box. I just like to add my own touches here and there to "personalize" it.

Let us know what you decide.

Boomer

Very nice boat, as you say, Boomer..

I'm interested in the sails and above deck rigging.

Got any more photos that show how this is arranged?

Thanks

I hope these photo willshow you what you are looking for. I also posted the Nirvana owner's manual. That should provide the information you need.
Let me know what specifically you are interested in.
Boomer