Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

This looks cool for a display boat. Sign me up for one. I loved customizing and displaying my Aquacraft tug and Bristol Bay.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/N...roduct_id=1153

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

Here a link to see it better using high resolution.

www.hobbico.com/prelease369/boats.html

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

The Aquacraft website has it up now and alot more pictures of it in case anyone is interested:

http://www.aquacraftmodels.com/boats...-features.html

http://www.aquacraftmodels.com/boats/aqub58-main.html

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

sweet

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

I want one, maybe if I'm good Santa, na not a chance.
Oh well I can dream.

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

I really like this ship and I like the idea behind it and all. Wish it were truly sail powered though. It won't ever look right sailing around a pond with its sails furled... [:o][:'(]

It needs a lot of work to make it look right--the details it does have are on the cheesy side and/or oversimplified like the helm and the scrollwork around the stern and transom. A lot of the detail including the ship itself is very cliche or stereotypical of what the mainstream believes a "Pirate Ship" should look like. I think it looks more like a Caravel, i.e., the Santa Maria and is therefore several centuries out of date. Pirates dominated the 1700's and the ship design should reflect a vessel of this era.

The pirate crew of 4 needs to be cloned a dozen times over to make the decks populated enough for my taste.

Still, I'd have one especially considering the current popularity of pirate movies.

-Harq

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

I agree it looks more like an icon of what most people probably believe a Pirate ship looks like than what would be more historically accurate but in my opinion you get what you pay for. And if you ask me the $320 price tag is pretty sweet for what you seem to get. Look at all the rest of the Aquacraft product line.....this has by far the most detail and what is doesn't have I plan to custom build to my taste anyway.

Don't get me wrong I would prefer to have a more accurate version of a Pirate ship like the Santa Maria but I'm sure the price tag would be A LOT different with that level of scale detail on a fiberglass hull of the same size.

Just my novice opinion:D

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

It actually DOES have sail power ability. The sails will unfurl. They designed the sails to basically be "self-tending".

I do the same thing on RC square riggers. The ships sails actually know before YOU do when the wind changes.

If you were a pirate standing on the ship, you will adjust the sails as the wind changed. However, you are on the shore. If the sails can swing back and forth to a maximum of as close to a center-line amidships as possible, the sails will adjust themselves.

As long as there is a high pressure area to the rear of the sail and a low pressure area on the leeward side, a square rig sail will adjust as the wind changes if the braces aren't secured and run on continual lhalf loop of sorts. The yards will move back and forth as the wind changes, thereby moving the sails. The pirate ships yards are connected to braces that move on a continous half loop if you will as the wind blows and changes. The rudder basically controls steerage.

On the free-sailing square riggers I build, I simply set the rudder with a few degrees latitude left and right (more depending on wind conditions), and let the sails run free. The rudder controls steerage and the sails adjust to the wind. Its kinda funny to watch, it looks like a tiny crew is adjusting the sails. Don't worry, I didn't think of this, I got the idea from the way free-sailers worked in the early 1900's. The photo is an example of one of mine with "self-tending" sails.

You will be able to point high on the ship, but it will sail.

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

I don't doubt your words saildog, but the product description states that the "Polycarbonate strips inserted into sleeves give the sails a “wind-filled” appearance for static display; remove the strips and the sails roll up and secure easily for taking out on the water."

They certainly didn't mention that the sails function in any way (except cosmetically) but I defer to your greater experience in this matter. I find it a bit strange that the sails appear to have double yardarms, one at the top (where it belongs) and another at the bottom of the sail. If I owned this vessel, I would add 2 extra sails on both the foremast and the mainmast to make it look better, maybe one of those square sails on the bowsprit (cannot recall what they're called).

I can grasp about 50-75% of your sailing jargon but the rest is beyond my experience. What does "point high" mean? Please elaborate on how your ship's rudder works in conjunction with the sails.

-Harq

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

I didn't read that about the insertable strips. Thanks for pointing that out. However, if you put 2 pieces of cardboard vertical on 2 sticks, mounted on the hull, this pirate ship would sail.

Actually, this ship WILL sail WITHOUT ANY sails up due to its high freeboard (that means how how the hull is out of the water). The hull on that ship IS a sail because it is plastic, light weight /tall and strong winds will have a real effect with only 3 pounds of ballast.


To "sail" you don't need much. The kon-tiki crossed the atlantic (for National Geographic) on a set of tied together logs, one mast, one spar and one sail. Nothing fancy. Sailing EFFICIENTLY is another thing, but the pirate ship, with the sails down, will sail. The strips that curve the sails, will serve to catch the wind more and create a higher air pressure area at the rear of the sail (bigger pocket to catch the wind).

Cloth sails on the pirate ship would help of course for various reasons.

Still, it looks like a fun boat. I would like to have it and add some ballast to it and some other mods....hmmmm...

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

The prop to me is too shiny. Yes, I realize that real ships like this, especially for this time period didn't use props but a black plastic one would look more the part. I'm afraid that it may be too fast but I'm waiting for someone to drop in a brushless motor and Li-Poly's into one!:D

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

Then you could get a 12 inch action figure of Captain Jack Sparrow to water ski behind it!

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

I don't think I answered all your questions. You asked how the ships rudder works in conjunction with the sails. The rudder is for steerage. On the free sailing model like you see in the photo, the rudder is wieghted. That is to say is has lead weights mounted on it.

Most sailing ships have some degreee of weather helm, which is the tendency for the ship to want to head up into the wind.

So, when the wind strikes the sails from one the side or the quarter, the ship wants to heel over into the wind. When the ship leans (or heels), the weighted rudder (on its hinges) falls to the side of the lean. The weighted rudder then compensates for the tendency for the ship to want to sail into the eye of the wind and the ship actually sails relatively straight.

All without RC.

The sails are attached to long "spars" known as yards that run left and right on the masts. At the ends of each yard a string (the ole term is brace) is tied to each end and run on a continous half loop through screw eyes to the other end of the spar (or yard). That way the sail self adjusts as the wind causes the sail to move left and right. All the while the rudder is also compensating for the movement.

Technology that was developed in the early 1900's possibly earlier. Sorry, I didn't answer that earlier.

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

Boy with your knowledge of square rigged ships you would have loved to be at the Green Bay, WI Tall Ships festival this weekend.

Lots of ships to tour, reenactments and sailaways on the square riggers (2 hours only 30 bucks).

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

FYI, Tower shows them in stock and available for order. And it looks like the price dropped a few dollars as well.

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...=LXMKL8**&P=ML

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

$300 bucks is still high if you ask me. This is more of a big ass toy than a scale model boat the closer I get to look at it. I was all jazzed in the beginning but it's wearing off fast the more I see of it.

This is nothing but a cheap fiberglass hull with plastic parts glued onto it. The motor and driveline are uber cheap 550 motors and straight shafts. The ESC is a super cheapy basic model.

Hopefully they will drop the price if noone buys them, or have some on Scratch and Dent soon. I really want one for goofing around, but not at that price.

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

Thanks for the info...I would have loved to have seen that. Too busy with models for customers and getting ready to start back the school year teaching.

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

I just read the manual on the pirate ship that on-line at Tower Hobbies. They warn you about using the sails in all buy very light winds. 3 pounds of ballast just doesn't cut it. If anyone gets it, and you want a bit more stability, glue on about 3 pounds more lead at the bottom of that keel (test first by laying on top of the ships deck to see how far it sinks down).

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

Anyone buy this boat and give it a run yet?

BTW the Aquacraft site has a video up of it.

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

A friend of mine just got one of these and to be honest I'm not impressed. It sails really fast for what it is and the outside is as detailed as a nikko r/c boat. The only real selling point for the price tag is that the boat is really damned big at around 40 inches long. The wooden stands probably have something to do with the price as well.

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

FYI, there are detailed build, sail pics and opinions under the "scale boats" section of a different forum that rhymes with "RC Soups" :D

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

Well, my dream came true. Tower had one on Scratch and Dent and I snatched it up fast.

It is listed as box damage only. With my free shipping on the Savers Club Membership, the boat's price on S&D and the $20 discount they are offering right now the boat is $180 shipped to my door!

Plus I get the free mini-drill set because of my membership.

Now that is a more reasonable price for this boat. I can't wait to start messing around with it.

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

Well, by gum... I didn't think you'd ever bite on that one (considering your previous opinion of this "toy" ) so it is surprising to hear you nabbed one at a steal of a price. I guess you weren't so disdainful of it after all. ;)

Aside from that, I will await further developments from you. Pics, build details, modifications and so forth.
Didn't think this thread had any more life in it.

-Harq

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

I surprised myself too. I wanted the boat, then when I saw more pics of it I decided it was too toy like. THEN I saw one at the local store and really loved the size and potential of the boat. But he was asking a ridiculous $350 for it.

When I saw this one on Tower with only box damage (well I got it and it has much more than that damaged) for peanuts I thought why not try it. The worst that happens is you have a large caricature of a pirate ship for under 200 bucks.

I got the boat yesterday and I was none too happy with Tower. The boat was heavily damaged. Not just the box as they said. I put about two hours in it last night gluing pieces back on. The radio mounts, servo mount and motor mount was completely severed from the hull. That was the hardest task to fit my gorilla hands in there and epxoy all that back and get it lined up correctly. Manyof the metal fittings on the outside are bent and mangled. I reattached what I could and will braze/solder the rest back to working condition.

I will be calling Tower to see if we can work out a deal on a partial refund of more money since this was grossly mislabeled.

The rigging is OK, and only OK. The chinese people putting this together got a little happy with the CA and many of the ropes are soaked in it and super stiff.

The deck is real wood, not plastic. More like hard bass wood with lines on it.

Overall I'll say it's a good boat to mess around with and for a kid, this would be a very cool boat to pillage the local lakes and ponds, or even mess around with in the pool.

RE: Pirate Ship by Aquacraft "King's Ransom"
 

Sounds like you have the makings of a good project. I'd be curious to know how you progress. I posted a forum and a couple pics yesterday on my own conversion of the Kings Ransom into a frigate, under RC Sailboats, if you'd like to check it out. I have finally come up with a couple of satisfactory quarter galleries which has been holding me up, so I hope to post some pics of the new paint job on the hull soon.