Race Course Setup

[Travis Benjamin]

I'm trying to get some local interest in racing and I wanted to setup a course at our local pond. I was wondering what everybody's using for bouys. Our pond is a public park so we cant have anything that creates an eye sore so to speak. In the past I've used pool noodles cut to about 24" and weighted so they stand up but I couldn't leave them out over night. I was hoping to find a way to have the anchor points fixed and just remove the bouys when needed, or maybe just find something that's not too much of an eye sore. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Hydro Junkie]

I would ask JWO about this one. Being an officer in R/C Unlimiteds, he would probably have some ideas on this. Al Waters, Don Ferrette Say Mikey and several others might also have insites as well

 

[SayMikey]

Sub buoys will work.its a buoy that sits just under the water line. Its best done with a diver. We have subs with 1 1/2 pvc pipe in them to drop buoys in,you could just use hooks like on a dog chain but we wave races with 150 plus boats and changing a buoy quickly is often needed. Look on the IMPBA web in the rule book for some tips

 

[Don Ferrette]

I'm trying to get some local interest in racing and I wanted to setup a course at our local pond. I was wondering what everybody's using for bouys. Our pond is a public park so we cant have anything that creates an eye sore so to speak. In the past I've used pool noodles cut to about 24" and weighted so they stand up but I couldn't leave them out over night. I was hoping to find a way to have the anchor points fixed and just remove the bouys when needed, or maybe just find something that's not too much of an eye sore. Any help is greatly appreciated.

The FLTG712 7 1/2" diameter floats from Atlantic & Gulf have become the top choice for inexpensive buoys-http://www.atagulf.c...age=2&reset=835

They come pre-sleeved and at a tick over $2 each they are a bargain. Order as many as they can stuff in the shipping bag (usually 25-30) as it's the same shipping cost. Simply paint them and use them as is (don't cut them in 1/2). When we first tested these they were found to be amazingly tough easily withstanding direct hits even from the big gas boats and most times the boats glance off of them because they are completely round. I found this out from watching a few vids of buoy strikes/explosions in slow motion (frame by frame actually) and what I noticed was as boats hit the typical 12" foam buoys cut in 1/2 was that as the boat begins to hit it turns the flat (bottom) face up like a wall. Anyways just pass a short nylon rope through the center sleeve with 12" hanging below the buoy and a clip on the bottom. Drop full size cinder blocks with nylon ropes attached and passed through a roughly 6" to 8" section of pool noodle with a clip on the noodle end. Set the rope length so the noodle and clip floats about a foot below the surface and you clip the buoys to these. This allows you to remove the buoys when the day is over but leave the course anchors in place so each time all you have to do is go out and clip on the buoys and there's no "eyesore" when you're not there. On a final note I'd also suggest painting the buoys with 2 coats of white latex outdoor house paint to seal the foam before you spray then with the florescent spray paint. The chemicals in the aerosol paints attack the foam and sealing them first makes them last much longer. The other option that I've done before is to have a bright orange latex color mixed so you only paint one time. Hope this helps and good luck with getting some racing going at your pond.

 

[Andy Greene]

You need a sub-buoy system, Pretty simple to do. Lets start from the bottom of the pond up-

You need a solid weight for the sub buoy- ie cinder block. A length of rope from cinder block to some type of floating solid buoy ( small boat bumpers work great) and attach to rope so that your floating buoy sits 6-12 inches or better under water-water clearity will dictate. On the side not attached to the rope , we use a small plastic tee and clear tubing to form a loop that your removable buoys will slide right in on a weighted piece of rope.

Andy

 

[Buddy Benedict]

I would also suggest to use floating ski rope and you won't need to have a very large sub buoy.

 

[JeremyEdge]

I sell 3 strand poly pro rope in orange, yellow, blue and black for the sub bouys. Its good ol american made high quailty rope and will last a long time under water.At one of our test ponds I have some yellow 3/8" poly pro for holding our bouys in place for over a year now with no signs of failur.

Letr me know and I can get you some pricing shipped to you.

 

[Blackout]

These buoys are what Don suggested when I asked a few years ago and they work awesome. They hold up to a lot of abuse. I painted them with enamel orange and while the paint did eat at the surface a little, it worked out fine. Just made the buoy not smooth anymore. The paint will fade in about 2 months if the buoys are left out.

I use pool noodles as the sub-surface buoys, with a loop tied in the rope at the end. I use steel pipe for weights on the buoys and slide the weight through the rope loop at the pool noodle. Make sure the weights are 3 or 4 feet hanging below the buoy. If a rigger grabs the buoy and takes it for a ride, you do not want the weight to come up and hit the boat's bottom. The weights are nice because it ballasts the buoy and many boats will just jump over the buoy.

Another thing, my pool noodle sub-surface buoys have no damaging hardware attached to them. What this does is allow you to keep them closer to the surface of the water, so they are easier to find. Also, if the pond water drops during the summer, you don't have to worry about boats being damaged.

 

[Samuel Hagan JR]

On a little different note. How strong do you guys make your bouys.

 

[Travis Benjamin]

Thanks for help everyone. Looks like I just need to find someone to help me set layout the course. Thanks again too all and happy boating

Travis

 

[Travis Benjamin]

Up early this morning so I thought I'd try a shot at making some bouys for our Sunday run. Using just what I had in my shop I think I came up with a good system. I cut pool noodles into 1.5' lengths and 2" lengths. I found some stainless steel deck railing base fittings and slide one into the end of each 1.5' noodle, then I fed a nylon rope through the noodle and tied it creating a loop. Then just added a spring loaded 'S' hook. Then for my sub-bouy I just tied the 2" noodle to the rope with a large loop so I can just hook the main bouy to it. I'll tie one end of the rope to a 8x8x16 CMU and tie the sub-bouy so it floats just under the surface. Enough typing here's a couple pics.

 

[harvknox]

Here is another thought.I have access to the excess foam from a local stucco contractor.I 'm sure with a little searching the same is available elsewhere.I also use his hot wire cutter to make whatever size we need.I have access to any density.The one lb density,which is the lightest will not damage any boat when hit no matter what size or speed.They make spectactular explosions when hit! As the density goes up they last longer,but can damage a boat.These buoys are not round or spherical,but they work on a practice course.

 

[bzubee]

Harvey only problem with is the debris left in the lake. Boater need to watch that too, there was a lake site up in IL area Yorktown they were not even allowed to use any type of foam due the debris left, true tree huggers ran that park. They even required an enviromental study on the fuel used in model boats and the club had to use electric trolling motors for the retrieve boat. I still have a copy of the enviromental study done by Byron fuels for the club, if anyone needs a copy PM me at [email protected]

 

[harvknox]

Bill,you are right on the debris left after a hit,which we try not to do.We take the retrieve boat out to get the major chunks out of the water.

 

[glenng]

Bill,you are right on the debris left after a hit,which we try not to do.We take the retrieve boat out to get the major chunks out of the water.

The Utah D-20 club started out with styrafoam buoys cause they were cheap but the mess when run over or hooked by a rigger took time to pick up.They eventually switched to water ski buoys attached to the sub buoy system of pool noodles by a small tie wrap. Sometime the rubber buoys will puncture, other times it will just break the tie wrap and can be reused.

 

[bzubee]

Yes instead of rope to the buoys we use Bungy cord and use the real small wire ties on the top loop it will almost always break prior to tearing up a buoy.