Radio Controlled Boats |

You do not want to find yourself asking this question…ever.

But from time to time, for a myriad of reasons, everyone will eventually end up with their rc boat dead in the water and need to have a plan for retrieval. The outcome can be a minor inconvenience or a total disaster depending on how well you’ve prepared.

As much fun as radio control boats can be, to insure that it stays that way, hope for the best, plan for the worst. So long as you realize you’re dealing with the possibilities of drowning, injury from boat operation i.e. cuts from sharpe, spinning propeller blades, if you have a gas or nitro rc boat, you’ve got flammable material to deal with, and lets not forget sunscreen.

 
If you’re lucky you’ve picked an area where no one else is boating. If there are swimmers, you are in the wrong spot. Never operate your rc boat while others are in the water and that includes you. No wading…these boats can come in at speeds you don’t want to be in the way of.
The problems multiply when others are in the area. Your dead boat can now cause harm to them and/or their property. Yikes…

As I’m sure there are more ways to skin this cat, here are four of the more common methods of dead boat retrieval. Although these methods usually work quite well… none of them are perfect.

1. Retrieval Boat

I’ve read articles saying an inflatable raft is good to use, but one must be careful when around any of the metal boat parts, especially the propellers, as they tend to be very sharpe. A canoe or a rowboat would be ideal, but what a pain in the butt carting them around.

2. Radio Controlled Retrieval Boat

Taking a slightly modified 2nd rc boat(my modification involves a coat hanger…)and simply using it like a tug boat, pushing your main boat back to shore.  
There are some pretty cheap electric rc boats that are capable of doing just this or maybe you’ve still got that first boat that just wasn’t fast enough, collecting dust. So long as the 2nd boat fits into a backpack and is strong enough to bring your rc boat home, this method works well.

3.Fishing Rod with tennis Ball

Because of it’s portability and ease of use this method of snagging your boat with the trennis ball, that’s attached to the end of your fishing line, is quite popular. Depending on how accessable the shore line is and how far away your boat is determines how this method’s overall effectiveness will be.

The best method I’ve seen but not tried is combining the rc electric retrieval method with the fishing rod. Attach your line to the retrieval rc boat and afer circling the dead boat use the rod and reel to bring back both rc boats. This will also save those batteries on the electric rc boat.

4.Water Currents

This method really only works if you basically have the whole place to yourself. You better know where you are and have an idea of the nature of the water currents or you might be in for a long wait.
One of my favorite places drains out into a creek and I know everything heads that way. I rarely worry about having any of the above because I know no one is ever there and with the currents I’ll have my boat back in no time.

Hopefully you’ll never have to deal with a dead boat(not likely) and remember…hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

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