Buoys

[XtremeRcBoats]

Hi,

we just got a new pond and need some buoys to run around. What do you guys use for buoys?

We used skippy balls (or hopping balls) but when you hit thme well they sink

 

[Bart Drieghe]

Paul , look here ,

http://www.ihs-hamminkeln.de/fotos/oudenaarde2001/index.htm

first picture u can see

What is it :

Circle made of metal , lays about 3 feet under the water level , each bottle ( coca cola , etc ) hangs with a wire on this circle .

One of the cheapest ways to make them , u can drive through them too without really having damage ( i didn't say that u won't have damage )

regards ,

Bart

 

[Preston_Hall]

http://www.atagulf.com/cgi-local/webcat/products_page.cgi

Item FLTK12

Just cut the 12" float in half and you get an IMPBA legal marker.

 

[snowdog-2112]

Xtreme,

Here's a simple idea. Just get a plastic milk or juice jug, spray some expandable foam in it and Voila! Instant turn buoys. Oh yeah, it helps if they are orange in color for visibilty.

Snowdog

 

[Guest_bzubee]

The 12" lobster bouys work the best as Preston said cut in half they scoot across water when hit especially when you use a piece of bungy cord to attach them to the anchor. Shipping fo rthem is usally more expensive than the balls them selves.

John Equi has the contact information if you want to order them his e-mail is [email protected] His phone is 256-536-7957

 

[Ron Olson]

Places like Frank's Nursery and Crafts have foam balls in various diameters that can be cut in half.

 

[TomMoorehouse]

I don't like to foam balls. I have seem them act as ramps sending boats sailing through the air and cause significant damage. They also leave a mess to clean up. I like what our club used to have. We had sub buoys with water skiing markers attached via a string (attached to the sub buoys) and a thin rubber band. If you hit them the rubber band would break and the bouey would go flying. We used this setup at our recoed trials and i've seen many of them knocked loose with no damage at all.

 

[apache5056]

That's an awesome way to do it Tom, if you remove the buoys on a regular basis.

We've been using 12 lobster buoys, cut in half, on a counter weight setup for many, many years. The buoys are set in April and come out in October. And to be honest, they are not that hard on boats.

 

[rcguy76]

just use a clear 2 liter bottle and paint THE INSIDE orange.....use expandable foam if you want and seal it up......that way not only does the paint never chips off, but it doesn't chip off into the water.....just so you dont get the tree huggers complaining about containinating the lakes and ponds with paint flakes ;-)

 

[Rules]

I have tried everything in the last 20 years, and can honestly say the best bet by far is the 12 inch foam balls cut in half. I snake a 3/16 bungee thru the hole, place a 2" milk jug disk over the big center hole, leave a 2" loop on the top secured with 1-2 Ty-Wraps. Then pull the bungee tight, place another 2" disk over the bottom hole and add a metal 69 cent thumb spring clip cinched with 2 Ty-Wraps. I buy the red bungee cord in 25 foot lengths from a rock climbing supply. I make up 20-30 of these which last 3-5 years. I use liquid nails to glue the cleanly cleaved ones back together. The really busted ones get a 1/2 of a 7 inch foam ball to their top after I saw the busted pieces off, leaving a flat, with a bow tree saw. These are good for another 5-6 blows before they are trashed. The spring clips are never lost since they remain even after a rigger hits a buoy at 95 MPH and explodes the buoy, the clip is locked on the sub buoy. The bouys never damage a boat from what I have seen, and are a quick and easy replacement during an event. Even our sub surface buoy has been refined to an art. There's no messy liquid foam, no tough milk jugs, no crude home-mades. The 1/2 balls work great, and look super. The best part comes when you set the buoys, the top loop is a finger hook, which allows you to lift the buoy station and set it down right on the markers. I have also discovered the absolute best Day-Glow orange paint. It is sold by Advance Auto, which does not attack foam and will last for about a year in the sun before it fades.

So try it, you'll like it!!!

 

[Preston_Hall]

Certainly there are more durable floats than the foam ones but you want the float to give and not the boat. Yes the boat will most likely launch into the air but you aren't supposed to hit them in the first place. I can't really think of anything that these boats could hit without sending then in one direction or the other. Break-away floats don't seem like a good idea because it will be moving during a race. If the wind is blowing then it will be moving a lot. It would be possible for somebody to go on the inside while forcing the outside gut to go the long way around.

Regardless of the float material, I would suggest using a cotton and/or polyester rope to attach them. Haven't tried the bungee but that seems like a splendid idea. We used nylon once and even though the float was able to give about 2-3 feet the nylon would snap 90% of the time.

 

[TomMoorehouse]

yes my method would not be good for a long term setup.

i just don't like to foam balls as too many times i have seen boats get damaged by them.

 

[Guest_bzubee]

Our bouys have been hit at over 100mph and been sheared off but the boat hasn't been damaged. John (Rules) know what he is talking about. With bouys cut in half they have a tendancy to scoot on the water and moving out of the way. Unless the boat hits it square at 100mph +

 

[XtremeRcBoats]

Thanks for the replies guys. There are a lot of ways to get buoys I noticed

 

[Don Ferrette]

"i just don't like to foam balls as too many times i have seen boats get damaged by them."

If a boat is getting damaged by 1/2 of a floating styrofoam ball then perhaps a stronger boat would be something to consider. :huh:

Besides, like Preston said, ya ain't supposed to hit 'em in the first place.

 

[mark voorhies]

We use the 12" styrofoam balls cut in half, but for a break away system,

the nylon line goes up through the half ball, then through a milk carton

cap with a slit in it tied to a 1/8" dowel which breaks away when hit by

any style hull.

 

[Preston_Hall]

It seems as though some don't mind a trip in the retrieve boat every time somebody hits a buoy. The foam will take multiple hits without being totally destroyed or breaking away. If you want something cheap that breaks away and/or won't have achance of damaging your boat then I would suggest a common party balloon.