RC Boat Crashes

5 Of The Biggest RC Boat Crashes!

Published: August 6, 2019

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Categories: R/C Boating

It can be extremely disappointing to watch your boat on the water disappear, never to return, crash into a ship or rock and disintegrate, or flip and sink, especially if you’ve spent months making it yourself! We’ve compiled a list of 5 big RC boat crashes with explanations of what went wrong. At the end of this article, we have some suggestions for smooth sailing.  

What are the Most Common Causes of RC Boat Incidents?

1. Going Too Fast

This here is a typical example, where the pilot tried to go over 70 mph

2. Too Much Prop in the Water

There appears to be such a thing as “cavitating” the propeller. This person lost his boat because the propeller was too deep down in the water. What he should have done is slowly increase the speed for the propeller to gather momentum, and the boat would have taken off. Also, the boat was full of water and the strut angle should have been adjusted down.

3. Flipping at Unsuitable Speed

In this video, an RC gas boat crashed because the pilot tried to flip it at a very high speed. According to the owner of the now-defunct speedboat, this speed was over 150 km/h. What is more, there is a retrieval boat here, which is not safe as boats are running at the same time.

Admittedly, not much damage was done here. We’ve included it because a speedboat once killed someone with this very same type of flip.

4. Thrust Angle Issues

This RC boat crashed and sank spectacularly. Why? It crashed into a sea ship, which you’ll see when you watch the video. The real question is why it crashed into the ship to begin with. Its pilot was propelling it practically over the water and still in a straight line. The thrust angle kept the boat, which was DIY, level in the air. However, RC vessels with an airboat design can lose thrust at high speed all of a sudden, and if this happens, they will flip and crash. The nose of an airboat is kept pointed down by the thrust angle. If there is sudden motor failure, the thrust angle disappears, and the boat takes off into the air, much like a glider.

Most of the time, it will flip and crash back down on the water upside down. Sometimes, it will lose traction and crash into the nearest obstacle, which was a ship in this case. After that, no one knows what happened to it. The maker hopes “the ship is carrying it all over the world.”

5. Miscellaneous

Apart from going too fast, a boat can crash if it is flipped to avoid crashing, paradoxically.

How Can I Avoid Crashing?

To avoid throttle issues (watch relevant crash above), go on and off the gas slowly the first time you take the boat out on the water.

Try to stay away from the waves your own boat is making to avoid it jumping and subsequently crashing.

Always be attentive. Even if you’re a good operator, the person next to you might not be.

Before using, check your craft for damage or oil and fuel leaks (if applicable). Make sure you maintain it well. This is crucial, especially if you plan on taking part in RC boat racing.

Don’t forget that real (as in non-model) craft have the right of way on the water. Creating a distraction is a common cause of RC boat accidents.

Final Tip

Carry a fishing pole when you take your boat out to be able to retrieve your crashed boat more easily. 

Plenty Of Splash With The Crash