Double check your connectors!!! (important info)

Weather is still good in Ohio, so I've been running the Mystic 29 "Bud edition" a lot. But today--in the middle of the lake--it suddenly died. I thought for sure I fried the ESC as I have been running the x642. After spending hours deciding what new motor/ESC to buy, I did some testing with other motors and ESCs I have in my parts bin. Low and behold, upon plugging in another ESC, the wires simply fell off the connectors right where the ESC connects to the motor. The solder job was terrible, and two of the three wires simply "fell" off the connectors (inside the red shrink wrap--initially undetectable to my eye) and failed during my run today. I re-soldered the connectors back to the wires and the boat works perfectly once again.

As Darin said, these boats are assembled overseas, so it would be who of you to go over EVERYTHING to make sure things like this aren't looming.

Also, make sure you have a PLAN to retrieve your boat if something fails. It is a VERY sick feeling seeing your boat bob in the water having no means other than the wind or current to bring it to shore. Don't be over confident in thinking that nothing like this will ever happen to you! I have a Traxxas Spartan as another boat, but actually bought the Mystic 29 as the "retrieval boat" for the Spartan after having the boat stranded in the near-frozen lake for several hours helplessly waiting for the wind to bring her in. (I now ALSO have a quality blow-up raft in case of emergencies--like BOTH boats failing.)

Very common issue with the small 3.5mm connectors. If you where on the stock prop, it would have prob lasted. The slight added amp draw of the x642 prob overdid it on the small connectors. It's recommended prior to running any RTR boat, that the stock connectors be replaced with 5.5mm and the deans plugs also replaced for something that can with stand the amp current a little better i.e 5.5mm bullets or ec5. Just resoldering may be a temp solution, but the real solution is to change them out. They just handle much amp draw at all. JMHO

* If your going to use that as a rescue rig I would change the motor out on that Mystic to somthing lower kv with more torque. Try the PB1500 instead the PB1800. The 1500 provides a lot more torque. I have data logged amp spikes in the 70s on that pb1800 with a 40x52/3. Added the extra weight/resistance of a dead boat + the mystic won't be able to actually get on plane those factors are going to add severe amp spikes. The esc is also not going to have that much cooling water and is going to be working extra hard cycling on/off due to throttle management. I found that higher turn brushed motors work better for retrevial. I don't think the boat will last that long with the current electronics in it as a rescue rig. Not what it was designed for. Rescue rigs should be the most reliable and thought out and built as such. Just my cents..

I run both boats full out and enjoy them both. I treat both as super-fun boats tying to go fast possible, and handle as well as possible. If, however, one has to become a "rescue rig," I just give it very gentle throttle to bring the other boat home. I'm currently building a bungy-on PVC 1/2-inch-tubing "scoop" for the front of either boat if a would-be rescue materializes. Once a "dead boat' gets moving and gains momentum, it doesn't take a whole lot of energy to keep it moving. (Also, I could temporarily abandon the rescue half way, do a cooling pass, and resume the rescue.)

Diesel, please, chime in more on this as I don't plan on making a rescue a common practice (hopefully VERY rare).

As Darin has also said... you really need to upgrade those stock 3.5 connectors if you are going to prop up at ALL... I don't even plug one of these boats in without replacing all of the contacts, especially the 3.5s. I'm hoping that we can get Pro Boat to upgrade these parts in the future (bottom-line is something I have no control/influence on), but in the meantime... 5.5's or 6mm contacts are a cheap and permenant fix...

Good advice guys. I will be upgrading to the SeaKing 180 ESC next spring, and will install the larger bullets, then. While I'm at it, should I try a different motor? Other than durability, what gains should I notice just from upgrading the ESC? I am running the x642 s/p/b. Would want good speed, but nothing that would make the boat on the verge of control. (Also, I like 4s for this boat as I reserve the 6s for the Spartan.)

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Originally Posted by Brad

I run both boats full out and enjoy them both. I treat both as super-fun boats tying to go fast possible, and handle as well as possible. If, however, one has to become a "rescue rig," I just give it very gentle throttle to bring the other boat home. I'm currently building a bungy-on PVC 1/2-inch-tubing "scoop" for the front of either boat if a would-be rescue materializes. Once a "dead boat' gets moving and gains momentum, it doesn't take a whole lot of energy to keep it moving. (Also, I could temporarily abandon the rescue half way, do a cooling pass, and resume the rescue.)

Diesel, please, chime in more on this as I don't plan on making a rescue a common practice (hopefully VERY rare).

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Well "very gentle on the throttle" is very bad in boating (boats unlike planes/cars are torturous on esc's, Full Throttle as much as you can). The extra weight and drag of the pvc system, the added drag of the downed boat all combos for a blown esc. Your gonna be pushing things very hard. In a good rescue boat it's all about torque and no speed. Heres a thread I did on rescue boats, should be some vids in the thread as well https://forums.offshoreelectrics.com/...IO-Rescue-Boat

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Originally Posted by Darin Jordan

As Darin has also said... you really need to upgrade those stock 3.5 connectors if you are going to prop up at ALL... I don't even plug one of these boats in without replacing all of the contacts, especially the 3.5s. I'm hoping that we can get Pro Boat to upgrade these parts in the future (bottom-line is something I have no control/influence on), but in the meantime... 5.5's or 6mm contacts are a cheap and permenant fix...

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Same here. Connectors gone, flexshaft lubed and checked all screws checked over. Normally it's a few hours if not a day before a brand new RTR hits the water for me.

I've only been boating for a month (bought the Spartan on an impulse buy), and only in the hobby for seven months (I'm nearing 50 years old, and this hobby has made me feel like a kid once again). I guess I have a lot to learn (I have a lot of good car/truck mentors around here, but no boat mentors). I already have 17 various vehicles (I love large scale stuff, and I race SCT and buggies), so I guess I'll be up to 18 with a proper rescue boat. I bought all the PVC for the rescue rig, so what it the most cost effective boat I could get that would serve as a reliable rescue boat? I know that HobbyKing has a lot of quality inexpensive boats.

I won't bat an eye when it comes to upgrading a motor or esc, or buying the new Traxxas XO-1 100MPH supercar, but for a rescue boat, to make it more fun, I may want to build a barge or something over the winter for a "something to do" project--I already have an extensive spare-parts bin! Any advise on a project like this?

Diesel--took your advice and bought a rescue boat. Got the Tower Hobbies Power Vee EP RTR Boat A1, which is similar to the Rio, Blast and Appache, hull-wise, but MUCH cheaper. I'll just put my spare Traxxas XL-5 in it, and we should be fine. I have many spare 550 brushed motors, so we'll have plenty of backups (as well as a TON of those Traxxas batteries). I'll build the rig like yours. I found that the $94 boat, coupled with my existing spare parts, would be much cheaper than trying to create something from scratch. Most I've checked out had way more than $100 in their rescue barges.

Thanks for the tip!

I have a suggestion, why doesn't Pro Boat sell their boats as kits or hull only? Love the Mystic, not the apparent problems.