Category Archives: Transporting the Boat

Marblehead Hull Bags….!!

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How do you protect your hull when it’s in the car boot ? Or elsewhere?

When I started with a loan IOM boat, I simply lined the car boot with old towels and travelled around like that. To be honest, it only needs a sharp dab on the car brakes and things can get a bit out of hand back there.

When I received my One Metre, the builder said not to keep taking the fin on and off – so I ordered one of those One Metre Onesie bags from David Potter – see the category named “Transporting the Boat” on this website. I’ve come to quite like that bag, but I have to remember to remove the bulb cover before sliding it in. It all feels very safe and well protected.

By contrast, transporting the Marblehead is somewhat more challenging due to increased dimensions. David Potter does supply a Onesie bag for that job, but as the fin is 55cms below the hull, most people I think, remove the fin for travelling ….. leaving the rudder in place.

For a year or so I have been using the (lovely) lower bag for the Marblehead. Albeit with the rudder sticking out at the end, but it’s still fabulous. All soft and snug! You could sleep in a human size version. It has an adjustable strap and buckle for the enclosure.

Rudder protection does worry me though – our member Richard U designed a new bag with a simple drop down section for rudder protection – the top bag in the photo. It has a velcro strip for sealing the enclosure. Nice – I’d hazard a guess that the same design will take a Ten Rater too. The first couple of car trips using this have been very promising.

So now I have two bags…. question … “what is the ideal number of Marbleheads to own?”

“N+1….. where N is the current number that you have…”

The lovely bags are available at K7yachts or you can contact us vis the email address on the CONTACT page of this website.

Futaba Users : Do You Have a Transmitter Carry-box ??…

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Do you get anxious with carrying your delicate transmitter around in the boot of the car… kind of sliding and rolling around?? It has been worrying me. Delicate joysticks and all that.

My Radiomaster Pocket feels like you could throw it across the room and it would come up smiling. Blinking tough, they are. The rest of my transmitters, less so.

Do you have Futaba? Half of our club do. Very popular 🙂 I’ve been looking online for bags or cases for the transmitters simply to protect them from bashes. I found some cheap ones made of black felt which didn’t inspire. I also found some smart steel cases (very sexy in a way) with foam inserts (allegedly for Futaba) but they only take one transmitter at a time and are unreasonably expensive I felt. If you are a two transmitter person, that means lugging two suitcase things into the car each weekend and that’s just before you load the boats and rigs. I felt… not good.

Then by complete accident, I discovered this from Black and Decker. Their standard 19inch toolbox – available everywhere globally I’d guess for about £20 if you’re lucky. I bought mine in UK Homebase DIY Store – in the start of year sales.

Before I show you the inside, those two little red flap compartments on top are good for spare receivers, batteries etc. Very quick access….

But Futaba lovers – look at this!!

It’s like the toolbox was made for our transmitters. Amazing ! One transmitter, no problem! You could get one or even two in there – and the size even protects your transmitter switches just perfectly. Can you see in the photo that the switches are held securely in free space?

To stop them bouncing around, I simply popped some sticky back neoprene in there. The end corners are deliberately not lined as that’s where the switches will sit. It’s really snug and the neoprene holds them like a gloved female hand. You can see I have one piece of loose neoprene to separate two radios.

On top fits a loose tray – great for batteries, voltage testers, or whatever you want.

I tipped the tray over and did this…

I put four neoprene pads to sit over where the joysticks are situated. I reckon that if the transmitter wriggles out (unlikely) of the gloved female grip, they can only move upward 10mm before they touch this neoprene. I might put an extra layer of neoprene in the bottom of the box to lift them up and close that gap completely.

What do you think?? Good for £20 ??

I even like it that it looks anonymous and doesn’t shout “please steal me”!!!

By the way, I have tried it on my Spektrum and it’s too wide for this. So Futaba people, this idea is just for you !!

Transporting Your IOM !! How Do You Pack the Car?

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For 2023, I moved my IOM from house to club by padding the car boot floor with old towels – then laying the boat on its port side, nose to the front along the left hand side of the boot. Got the picture?? One day, under sharp braking I almost got an IOM in the left ear… so I learned put a tool box in front of the leading edge of the fin, basically locking the boat in position. It works OK, but we shall all just pack our car boots in whatever way suits us!!

By the way, if you use the method above…. don’t pack the boat in rudder to the front – the rudder would be very exposed to damage with a dab on the brakes.

I became quite interested in the idea of removing the fin and bulb for travel, when I saw a rather super bag system from, I think…. Catsails. They declined to make me another though, and I don’t think it is currently listed on their website. You need their fin bag as well !! Looks great though!

Then two things happened –

Recounting the “IOM in the ear story” to the friend who had loaned me an IOM, he recommended a Potter “Onesie” that protects the whole boat and fin, with great carrying handles and everything. You do need to develop the knack of sliding the boat in and out of the bag safely, but actually it does inspire confidence in the car boot.

I was still slightly hankering to try a “keel off” type padded bag arrangement that I had seen from Catsails. However, when my new IOM arrived from SailboatRC they specifically said “don’t keep taking the fin on and off for each weekend!!”

They want the fins left ON…. Upon reflection I guess it makes sense and I’m going to be a Onesie-Fan.

By the way, Nigel Barrow has made his boat a protective hull box which is rather fetching. Maybe that’s my 2025 project.

https://www.nigelbarrow.co.uk/boat-box-rig-box-and-stand

I might say that with the Marbleheads, I think we all take the fin off each and every weekend !! I’ll do an article soon on the rather luxurious, German made, hull bag that we have for that. It’s a nice idea too.