Help me pick a hull

[mmakay]

We recently moved to northern Virginia, and my house has a view of the Potomac. I want to get a boat to mess around with, but I?m not sure how big I should go. When there is wind, the chop can be several inches (I haven’t measured?) and I would like something that can go fast in those conditions. I don’t need to set speed records, but fast enough to be fun. Originally, I was looking at <34” hulls on the off chance that I may try racing at some point, and P-mono seems popular. I get the feeling that something beefier is going to work out better in my typical water conditions, though. Having said that, I also see that going bigger gets much more expensive at a disproportionate rate, and I don’t want to sink TOO much into my 1st boat.

So?

• No Spartan
• RTR is OK, but I do enjoy building and painting
• Build from scratch isn’t entirely out of the question (ala Wild Thing, though I’d prefer a free plan)
• Definitely open to used, too

Thoughts?

[fweasel]

Don't want trouble in rough water, 50" V-bottom comes to mind. No idea what you're budget or what you skill level are.

[mmakay]

Don't want trouble in rough water, 50" V-bottom comes to mind. No idea what you're budget or what you skill level are.

I don’t have a strict budget, other than wanting good value for money. Until I have a better idea of what to look for, I don’t know what range is even realistic.

Regarding skill, it’ll be my 1st “real” boat. (I had a Radio Shack Coast Guard cutter for the pool when I was a kid. LOL) I’ve raced on- and off-road, though, and was decent on the wheel. I fly a little, too.

[NativePaul]

Do you have a full sized boat? Personally I wouldn't run an RC boat in a river without one, as watching a stopped or flipped boat float off out of sight downstream would be gutting.

Definitely get/make one that has self-righting so flipping is less likely to be an issue.

[Capt'n Crash]

36 inch self righting Proboat Sonicwake Version 2 it can handle some chop and is a great boat right out of the box. I've been having a blast with mine all summer long.

[mmakay]

Do you have a full sized boat? Personally I wouldn't run an RC boat in a river without one, as watching a stopped or flipped boat float off out of sight downstream would be gutting.

Definitely get/make one that has self-righting so flipping is less likely to be an issue.

I hear you about the chase/rescue boat. Plenty of boats and kayaks around here, so that’s not a big issue. The current is really slow, too. (The river is about 3 miles wide at this point.)

Self-righting definitely sounds like the way to go. I need to decide whether it’s something I want to tackle in a bare hull, or restrict myself to the available options (very few).

36 inch self righting Proboat Sonicwake Version 2 it can handle some chop and is a great boat right out of the box. I've been having a blast with mine all summer long.

The Sonicwake looks great. They don’t seem to be available anywhere at the moment, though. I do wonder if I would be better off with a fiberglass hull … maybe it’s not a big deal either way.

[1coopgt]

https://www.horizonhobby.com/product/sonicwake-v2-36-self-righting-brushless-deep-v-rtr-black/PRB08032V2T1.html

[mmakay]

https://www.horizonhobby.com/product...08032V2T1.html

Back ordered. Next delivery for black may be this month, white is scheduled for January at the soonest. Of course, the black might be in by the time I decide.

[CJPB32]

Shows Sonicwake in stock here:

https://www.whiterosehobbies.com/products/pro-boat-prb08032t1-36-sonicwake-deep-v-self-righting-rtr-boat

[mmakay]

Shows Sonicwake in stock here:

https://www.whiterosehobbies.com/pro...hting-rtr-boat

Cool. I’ll bookmark it in case I decide to go RTR.

[mmakay]

Shows Sonicwake in stock here:

https://www.whiterosehobbies.com/pro...hting-rtr-boat

I just realized the Sonicwake in stock is a V1. They don’t have the V2, either….

[Capt'n Crash]

I have both versions and find the V2 to be a much better designed boat and handles a lot better so hold out for the V2. Also do not be turned off by the plastic hull as it is very robust and has an internal reinforcing skeleton so it can withstand some punishment.

[mmakay]

I have both versions and find the V2 to be a much better designed boat and handles a lot better so hold out for the V2. Also do not be turned off by the plastic hull as it is very robust and has an internal reinforcing skeleton so it can withstand some punishment.

Do you have any experience with other similar boats? The Impulse is an obvious comparison, obviously. No flood chamber, but FG hull….

[Capt'n Crash]

The Sonicwakes have been my first experience with ProBoat and I do a lot of research on the boat forums before making a purchase. I started with the Aquacraft Revolt 30 about 8 years ago and then progressed to upgraded old school TFL Pursuits and a TFLRocket. Both are excellent boats if you are willing to make some modifications. I was seriously considering the new impulse but from videos I have seen it seems to be unstable and many forum members complained about the hull taking on water. Given my experience over the years I think the Sonikwaqke V2 is the sweet spot for ProBoat. That is why the are out of stock but Horizon hobby should have them by the end of the month. I like it so much I am even considering getting a second one.

[CJPB32]

Do you have any experience with other similar boats? The Impulse is an obvious comparison, obviously. No flood chamber, but FG hull….

So the Sonicwake I just purchased used for my son on this forum arrived today. It's big. The previous owner upgraded many things so I think it's nearly on par with the V2; maybe a few things are better on this one- motor and esc? It doesn't have the grid glued to the hull like the V2. Being an engineer... I disassembled EVERYTHING tonight. LOL I'll clean her up, realign the shaft/motor, waterproof everything with corrosion x, lube the bearings, etc...
I don't know how she will run but I'll let you know.

I own the new Impulse 32 and have been running her all summer. The common issue is it leaks water from the water jacket. It's because the rear motor clamp goes around the cooling jacket instead of around the motor. Tighten the clamp too tight and it flexes the top of the jacket o-ring, pulls the jacket off center of the motor body, creating a gap between the motor and jacket at the bottom (6:00 position). Loosen that clamp and no issues at all. Mine runs dry now; it leaked initially.

Mine is now stable. Yes, it was unstable at first but a few adjustments and no problems. I angled the stinger down a bit (just slightly so the flex shaft would slide in easily and not make much of a bend. I like three blade props so that's what I use. Then adjusted the tabs downward until she ran perfectly. Only ever ran on 6s.