dauntlessfan

Some great posts recently, great work Bruno & Marty.

Snapped a few pics for everybody this weekend, first outing in a long time. On this run, the setup was two 3000 MAh 7.2v packs and a Novak EVX speed control. Got about 20 minutes of solid run time before I noticed it really slowing down. With the watercooling coils, the motors stayed nice and cool.

12skipper

Hi Lennoxman;
You have done a beautiful job on your "Dauntless"! I hope I can do as well with mine.
Chuck

Rich404

Dear Captains,

It is great to see all of the "action shots" of your Dauntless while underway! ....Keep em' coming! All of you have done a beautiful job on personalizing your yacht!!

Happy Cruising!

-Rich.

RCForever

My Feedback: (8)

I was glad to find this thread! The numerous pictures you folks have posted have led me to order my Dauntless kit today. I'm currently building a Dumas USS Crockett. There is an excellent site called Model Marina where there are many pictures and tips on building the Crockett. The Dauntless will be easier in some regards but I have been very interested in how some of you are building interiors and using different propulsion systems.

Rich404

Dauntless is a great choice!

Best of luck on your build!

-Rich.

Rich404

Dear Captains,

I did not post pics in a while because i have been doing a lot of sanding/filling and did not want to post the same ol' thing over and over.

Here are a few other things i did get done.

-I finished prepping the Bridgeshelter and remounted it. It now looks very close to the original.


-I prepped the Gates for mounting.

-Epoxied the gates and smoothed.

-Cut into the gate to fit the music box hinge and epoxied over the hinge and smoothed so that the metal is under the epoxy and cannot be seen when painted.

-Mounted the gate after fitting and repeating the process on Dauntless outer wall.

-Gates open and close flawlessly, flush with the exterior.

After i paint, i will mount stained wood moulding as a door jam and will probably use a cut down refrigerator magnet to keep gates in place.


I reinstalled the 2 FWD washroom walls to make way for the Mushroom Vent installation per S&S and Dumas Blueprints. (Dumas tells you to space them 2" apart but that is not true if you decide to build an interior.)

I did not like the dumas fitting therefore i made my own.

Using a Bic Pen, I measured 1/4" (Made 2) and cut.

Went to the hardware store and bought 2 steel washers that fit snug over the vents.

Went to Staples and bought a box of round brass paper fastners. (Only needed 2 but the box was cheap enough)

Keeping in mind the interior layout, i Drilled over the 2 washrooms and fitted the vents so that it was flush with the inside ceiling.

Epoxied the vents in place, let dry. Afterwards, i bent the prongs on the brass fastner and slipped it onto the vent.

It is adjustable, so i can have either vent open or closed anytime, no hassles.

It can also let heat escape out of the fwd cabin on hot days!

In the next day or 2 i will post pics of those areas.

-Rich

12skipper

Hi Rich;
You are an amazing and busy scale boatwright. I am looking forward to your new photos. My "Dauntless" is on hold for now due to the wife's need for close attention due to a fractured hip and pending leg amputation. I will be taking advantage of all your research and modeling ideas when I get back to work on my boat. Thank you for all your efforts to keep us up to date.
Chuck

Rich404

12 Skipper.

I am sorry to hear about your wifes condition. I wish her a speedy recovery!

Best Wishes.

-Rich.

dauntlessfan

Hoping for a speedy recovery for your wife, Chuck.

Rich your research is definately paying off.

Just curious -- any insight on the equipment locker box on the forward deck? It appears in some pics of the real Dauntless, including the most recent where she is beached in St. Croix. But it doesn't look to be there in some other pics and drawings. I have always it was a bit odd looking on such a nice yacht, and have never installed the locker on my model.

Rich404

Lennoxman,

The equipment locker was added on at a later time for convenience to the crew. I agree with you that it does not add much value to the apperance of the yacht and also, it would not be considered original equipment, therefore i would not use it again.

-Rich.

Rich404

Dear Captains,

Here are some recent pics of my Bridgeshelter. Soon i will have it re-primed.


-Rich

Rich404

Here are pics of the Gates for Dauntless. Still needs to be primed as well.

-Rich

Rich404

Here are some pics of the FWD Mushroom vents.


-Rich

dauntlessfan

Wow, I might have to borrow your vent design, looks very much like the original. Well done!

I dig the doors too, looks like those hinges will definately disappear with a little sanding & paint.

Uh oh, now I'm digging around in my parts bin looking for tiny hinges and rummaging in my desk drawer for old pens and brass paper fastners.... Hummmmm. [sm=72_72.gif]

Rich404

lol.

I'm glad you like...Just make sure it is a BIC pen and not a Papermate, Papermate is too thin.

-Rich.

Rich404

Dear Captains,

Here are some pics of the Plexiglass for the windshield corners. I heated it with a hairdryer, then fitted onto the nails with the dryer running for a few more minutes. The wood piece on the bottom holds the bend and will later be epoxied to the ceiling corners in the bridgeshelter to hold the place for the plexi. Once the plexi cooled and removed from it's "mold" it kept it's shape.

Also, are pics of me trimming the supports on the bridgeshelter. They do not look raggedy anymore.

-Rich.

12skipper

Hi Rich;
You do nice work. Thank you for the photos. Thank you fellows for the well wishes for Sally.
Chuck

Pusar

My Feedback: (1)

Ugh I bought another Dauntless "completed" I must be nuts... like I don't have enough pokers in the fire! I just could not pass it up.

Everyones boats are looking great. Keep up the good work.

Marty

mcomp93

I'm at the part where the spects say to fiberglass. Should i fiberglass now, or wait until later?

Pusar

My Feedback: (1)

Hull looks like is is ready for some glass.

Marty

12skipper

Hi MCOMP;
It looks like you are close to fiberglassing. I would make sure all block sanding is finished as it is much easier to sand wood than glass and resin. Your project is coming along fine. Keep us posted.
Chuck

Rich404

Dear Captains,

Here is another Dauntless Tid-Bit. As time goes on, i think we will have her entire history on this forum.

The kayakers also passed boats that had been washed up during hurricanes, including a small yacht that had once belonged to American millionaire Laurence Rockefeller and a no-longer-handsome boat with intricate teak carvings. That vessel had belonged to a couple who divorced after the wife ran off with the woodcarver, Wartenberg said.

-Rich.

dauntlessfan

Marty -- Cool new toy! What are your plans for this aquisition? How's your website for Dauntless fans coming along?

Rich, great history nugget. Did Bill from St. Croix get back to you with pics? Have you though about how you'll model the exhaust accurately now that your research has revealed correct placement?

So many questions, so little money...

Rich404

Lennoxman,

I sent Bill 2 e-mails since he helped us out the first time and they went un answered. They were sent about 2 months apart so that he had plenty of time to respond.

Has anyone else on this forum been in contact with him?

I did find Dauntless on google earth in the same location as she was in the past. I guess the guy who bought her did not do much with her.....Shame.... Probably another reason Bill has not got back to me...nothing to see, nothing to share...

As far as the exhaust goes, i will definitely have my water cooling empty out the top of the transom on each end, but still does not give me enough pressure to pull off what Dauntless has going on back there.

Dauntless has watercooling and exhaust coming together in the same tube and then spraying out the back. I will be using electric motors, and have to find a way to introduce air into the cooling tube to increase pressure and have it billow out.

I was thinking of buying one of those micro electric fans, and create a chamber with the fan mounted on it so that when the fan is on it creates pressure in the chamber. There would be 2 tubes at the end of the chamber that leads into each watercooling tube thus creating an air/water mix so that it billows out the Transom instead of stream.

*I am just speculating and not sure if this would work or be efficient and am open to suggestions.

-Rich.

mcomp93

Thank you Pusar and 12skipper for the comments. Thanks again 12skipper for the info. I'll keep you all posted.