Hobbico Paradise AquaCraft Installation and operating instructions

Warranty
• AquaCraft will warrant this kit for 90 days after
the purchase from defects in materials or
workmanship. AquaCraft will either repair or
replace, at no charge, the incorrectly made part.
• Make sure you save the receipt or invoice you
were given when you ought your model! It is
your proof of purchase and we must see it efore
we can honor the warranty.
• To return your Paradise Sail oat for repairs
covered under warranty you should send your
oat to:
Ho y Services
3002 N. Apollo Drive Suite 1
Champaign, Illinois 61822
Attn: Service Department
Phone: [phone]
9:00 am - 5:00 pm Central Time M-F
E-mail: hobbyser[email protected]
HCAZ3022 for HCAB01**Entire Contents © Copyright 2004
Before Building:
Thank you for purchasing the Paradise sail oat! We at AquaCraft know how exciting a new R/C oat purchase can e and we
know you’re anxious to get started, ut please take time to read the instructions carefully and completely efore attempting to
operate your model. This manual contains the instructions you need to safely uild, operate, and maintain your R/C sail oat.
If for any reason you think that this model is not for you, return it to your local dealer immediately. PLEASE N TE: Your
hobby dealer cannot accept a return on any model after the final assembly sequence has begun.
ASSEMBLY AND PERATI N MANUAL
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by

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS......................................................2
REPAIR SERVICE ................................................................2
SPECIFICATION & DESCRIPTION CHANGES ..................2
ITEMS REQUIRED FOR COMPLETION..............................2
USEFUL TOOLBOX ITEMS ................................................2
BOAT TERMINOLOGY ......................................................2
FINAL ASSEMBLY ..............................................................4
Asse ble the Stand........................................................4
Trans itter Asse bly ....................................................4
Install the Keel ..............................................................4
Install the Receiver Batteries..........................................5
Install the Mast and Sails ..............................................5
Checking the Radio Syste , Rudder Installation
and Attaching the Sail Control Lines..............................6
SAILING THE PARADISE SAILBOAT ..................................7
Sailing 101 ....................................................................7
Reading the Wind ..........................................................8
Getting Where You Need to Go ....................................8
Launch Procedure ..........................................................9
The Waiting Ga e ......................................................10
ORDERING REPLACEMENT PARTS..................................10
RACING ..........................................................................10
• Because of the speed and mass of this oat, it is capa le
of inflicting property damage and severe personal injury
if a collision occurs. Never run this oat in the presence
of swimmers or where the possi ility of collision with
people or property exists.
• This oat is controlled y radio signals, which are su ject
to possi le interference from other R/C transmitters,
paging systems or other electrical noise. Before turning
your radio on, make sure no one else in the area is
operating a radio on the same frequency (channel).
If the buyer is not prepared to accept the liability associated
with the use of this product, the buyer is advised to return
this kit i ediately in new and unused condition to the
place of purchase.
Repair service is availa le anytime.
After the 90-day warranty, you can still have your Paradise
sail oat repaired for a small charge y the experts at
AquaCraft’s authorized repair facility, Hobby Services, at the
address listed on the front page of this manual.
To speed up the repair process, please follow the instructions elow.
1. Under all circumstances return the ENTIRE system, oat
and radio.
2. Make sure all batteries are re oved fro the boat and radio!
3. Send written instructions which include: a list of all items
returned, a THOROUGH explanation of the pro lem,
the service needed and your phone num er during the
day. If you expect the repair to e covered under
warranty, e sure to include a proof-of-purchase date
(your store receipt or purchase invoice).
4. Also e sure to send your full return address.
All pictures, descriptions, and specifications found in this
instruction manual are su ject to change without notice.
AquaCraft maintains no responsi ility for inadvertent errors in
this manual.
❏Twelve “AA” atteries (eight for the transmitter, four for the
receiver attery ox)
As with any ho y, it is a good idea to assem le a useful
collection of tools to ring along anytime you head out to the
pond. Here are some items you may wish to keep handy.
❏ Phillips screwdriver (HCAR1024)
❏ Long nose pliers 6" (HCAR0625)
❏ Paper towels
❏ Water Displacing Spray Lu ricant
❏ Electrical Tape
BOW: The front of the oat.
STERN: The ack of the oat.
PORT: This is the left side of the oat when a oard and facing
the front ( ow). An easy way to remem er this is that port and
left oth contain four letters.
STARBOARD: This is the right side of the oat when a oard
and facing the front ( ow).
HULL: The ody of the oat.
DECK: The top of the oat.
KEEL: A weighted lade that protrudes from the ottom of the
hull as a means of providing lateral sta ility.
RUDDER: The hinged vertical plate mounted at the stern that
controls steering.
BASIC B AT TERMIN L GY
USEFUL T LB X ITEMS
ITEMS REQUIRED F R C MPLETI N
SPECIFICATI N & DESCRIPTI N CHANGES
REPAIR SERVICE
SAFETY PRECAUTI NS
TABLE F C NTENTS
2

3
Top Spreader
Main Sail
Main Boom
Boom Vang
Ji Sail
Ji Boom
Hull
Keel
Rudder
Mast Head
Lower Spreader
Mast

Carefully remove your Paradise sail oat and all remaining
components from the ox. IMPORTANT: Use additional care
not to end the mast while removing the mast and sail
assem ly from the ox.
ASSEMBLE THE STAND
❏1. Insert the wire uprights into the ase of the oat stand as
shown (note direction).
❏2. Tighten the two (2) thum screws firmly.
TRANSMITTER ASSEMBLY
I portant Note: The trans itter is not water resistant and
should never come in contact with water.
❏1. Remove the transmitter antenna from the parts ag and
screw it into the top of the transmitter. To ensure that the
antenna is attached, lightly pull on the ase of the antenna. If
it slides out, it is not installed properly.
❏2. Slide off the attery door on the face of the transmitter.
Install 8 fresh “AA” atteries into the transmitter in the
configuration molded into the attery compartment.
Re-install the attery door onto the face of the transmitter.
❏3. Turn the transmitter on using the switch on the front. The
green and red LED lights a ove the on/off switch should light
up. If they do not light up, turn the transmitter off and check to
make sure that the atteries are installed properly. If you see a
flashing red LED, the batteries are low and need to be replaced.
INSTALL THE KEEL
❏1. If you have not already done so, remove the Paradise
hull from the plastic ag and open the ag containing the keel
and rudder parts.
❏2. Remove the thum nut from the keel shaft and insert it
up through the ottom of the hull as shown. The keel has
een shaped to fit only one way. Pay close attention here or
the keel and hull may e adly damaged.
Antenna
Power Status
Indicators
Rudder
Trim
Sail
Control
Trim
Servo Reversing
Switch (Rudder)
Servo Reversing
Switch (Sail Control)
Rudder
Control
Stick
Sail
Control
Stick
Battery Tray
(shown with
door removed)
FINAL ASSEMBLY
4

❏3. Replace the thum nut and tighten firmly.
INSTALL THE RECEIVER BATTERIES
❏1. Place the Paradise sail oat on the stand. Twist the hatch
lock kno and remove the forward hatch as shown.
❏2. Install 4 fresh “AA” atteries in the configuration molded
into the attery holder. Leave the hatch open for now.
INSTALL THE MAST AND SAILS
Note: The snap rings and eyelets have een num ered for
identification only; the lines do not need to e attached in
numerical sequence.
❏1. If you have not already done so, remove the mast and
sail assem ly from its packaging and remove the tape
securing the rigging lines. Insert the ottom of the mast into
the mast ase.
5

❏2. Attach the forestay and ackstay to their corresponding
eyelets as shown. The nu erical arkings in the photos ay
not atch those of your odel.
❏3. Tighten the lines y adjusting the adjustment locks
( owsies) as shown. It is important to make sure that the mast
is as straight as possi le.
❏4. Attach the remaining snap rings to their counterparts
and tighten all of the lines. Once again, make sure that the
mast stands as straight as possi le.
CHECKING THE RADI SYSTEM, RUDDER INSTALLATI N,
AND ATTACHING THE SAIL C NTR L LINES
❏1. Turn the power “ON” to the transmitter and sail oat (in
that order).
❏2. Move the sail control stick (left stick) all the way down
and center oth the left and right trims.
❏3. Gently twist the helm pedestal and lift the rear hatch
from the deck as shown. This will ena le you to access the
rudder pushrods and rudder control arm.
❏4. Insert the rudder shaft up through the small hole at stern.
The rudder is shaped so that it will only fit one way.
6

❏5. Tighten the thum screw on the rudder control arm
firmly making sure that it contacts the flat spot on the rudder
shaft. Replace the rear hatch.
❏6. Standing ehind the oat with the radio system turned
“ON”, move the rudder control stick (right stick) to the right. This
should cause the ack of the rudder to move to the right.
Moving the rudder control stick to the left should cause the ack
of the rudder to move to the left. If this is not the case, simply
move the rudder servo reverse switch to the other position.
❏7. Thread the ji and mainsail control lines through the
eyelets as shown. Attach the end of the ji control line to the
ji oom cleat y coiling the line around the cleat several times
and tucking the end of the line through the coils as shown.
NOTE: Since it is necessary to adjust the sail control lines
depending on wind conditions, they should not e
permanently attached. A good starting point is to pull the left
stick of the transmitter all the way down and attach the lines
so that the ooms have a out 2" of play as shown. When the
sail control stick (left stick) is moved up, you should e a le
to open the sails.
❏8. Run the antenna up one of the mast guidelines and
secure it with a small piece of electrical tape as shown.
❏9. Replace the forward hatch and twist the hatch lock kno
to secure it.
❏10. Turn the power “OFF” to your oat and then your
transmitter (in that order).
SAILING 101
Unlike propeller driven oats that you asically point and
accelerate, sail oats present an interesting challenge. Sailing
requires constant reaction to water movements, any wind
gusts, and any wind direction changes. These reactions then
require adjustment of the rudder and sails in order to find the
est possi le course. In some cases transmitter adjustments
are sufficient ut at other times it will e necessary to make
SAILING THE PARADISE SAILB AT
7

physical adjustments of the sails via the rigging lines. There is
no su stitute for actual “on-the-water” experience and after
your first couple of outings you may want to read through this
manual again in order to help you to gain a etter
understanding of the “art” of sailing. While learning to sail, it
is a good idea to pick up on as much sailing terminology as
possi le; this will make it easier to grasp some aspects.
READING THE WIND
When you get to your favorite pond, take a few moments to
o serve wind direction, speed, and frequency of gusts and
adjust your sail oat’s rigging as necessary. What follows are
guidelines for tuning your ship’s sails and rigging, ut with
experience you will gain the a ility to fine-tune your sails and
rigging for optimal performance, regardless of conditions.
For light wind conditions (1-5 MPH): Use the adjustment
locks ( owsies) located etween the tops of the sails and the
masthead to tighten the sails so they will respond to the
slightest push from the wind.
For ediu wind (6-10MPH): Loosen the sails slightly in
order to find the most efficient com ination of sail shape and
tension. As a rough guideline, you will want it somewhere in-
etween the light and high wind set-up.
For high wind conditions (11-15 MPH): Loosen the ji and
main sail further. They will e etter a le to handle the high
winds and your hull will e less likely to lay over on its side.
GETTING WHERE Y U NEED T G
Sail oats can easily sail downwind ut sailing against the wind
can e quite challenging. In fact, sail oats cannot sail directly into
the wind and attempting to do so will leave you in irons. Sail oats
can sail at up to a 45° angle against the wind, movements against
the wind are known as tacking. Take a moment to study the
diagram elow as you read through these definitions.
DOWNWIND: Sailing with the wind coming from stern
(a.k.a. running and sailing free).
8
WIND
PORT TACK
CLOSE-REACHED
PORT TACK
CLOSE-HAULED
STARBOARD TACK
CLOSE-REACHED
STARBOARD TACK
CLOSE-HAULED
IN IRONS
BEAM REACH
BEAM REACH
DOWNWIND
BROAD REACH
BROAD REACH
BROAD REACH
BROAD REACH

IN IRONS: A sail oat is said to e “in irons” when the oat
stalls with its ow pointed directly into the wind with its sails
struggling to fill with air (luffing), keeping the oat from
moving. If you find yourself in this position, simply move the
rudder stick to either side and hold it until the sails catch
some air. You will need to adjust the tension on the sails with
the sail control stick to get the oat moving. Release the
rudder when the ship reaches the desired heading.
LUFFING: When the sails are una le to fill with wind and
egin flapping wildly (like a flag).
TACKING: Sailing towards the wind in a series of maneuvers
diagonal to the wind source. There are asically two tacking
directions. Starboard tack occurs when the wind comes from
star oard and the sail oom hangs over the port side. Port
tack is just the opposite, with the wind coming from port with
the sail oom hanging over the star oard side.
There are varying degrees of tack angle and it is important to
learn when each will e useful and how to get your sail oat
into position, especially when racing. For instance, when
trying to reach a specific position upwind, sailing close
hauled may e the most direct route. Sailing close reached
allows you to get upwind faster, ut is not as direct. In any
case, you asically want the sails to e full of air and just on
the verge of luffing. Here are some terms that descri e
different sailing positions in relation to the wind:
CLOSE-HAULED: You can sail up to a 45° angle against the
wind. Think of it as sailing “close” to the wind with the sails
“hauled” in tight.
CLOSE-REACH: Nearly the same as close-hauled, ut at less
of an angle toward the wind. This allows the oat to reach
greater speed.
BEAM REACH: Sailing with the oat at a out a 90° angle to
the wind.
BROAD REACH: Sailing with the wind coming diagonally
from ehind (a.k.a. sailing large or quartering wind).
PLEASE READ BEF RE RUNNING THE PARADISE SAILB AT:
•NEVER attempt to swim after a stalled or stuck oat! Wait
patiently for the wind currents to return the oat to shore
or use a tennis all attached to the end of a fishing rod to
retrieve it.
• Sailing the Paradise in winds over 15 MPH is not advised.
If you wish to sail in conditions where wind speed is a ove
15 MPH, you may want to install a high-torque sail servo.
• It is dangerous to operate any R/C vehicle at any time that
there is not sufficient light.
• R/C models produce vi rations which will cause screws,
nuts, olts, etc, on your model to ecome loose over
time. It is i portant to ake sure that all hardware is
secure efore operating your model.
•CAUTION: Windy conditions cause rough water that will
affect the performance of your sail oat and increase the
chances of taking on water.
• Your Paradise sail oat may occasionally take on small
amounts of water, especially when running in high
winds, rough water, and when making tight turns. Keep a
roll of paper towels handy and dry out the hull interior
after every run. Check for leaks if you notice excessive
amounts of water in the hull.
• After running, remove the hatch covers and allow the interior
of the oat to dry out completely. If you neglect to do this, it
may result in corrosion of the electronic components.
•IMPORTANT: If, for whatever reason, your oat takes on
a large amount of water causing the electronics to get
wet, you must do the following immediately: Remove the
radio equipment from the oat. Allow the components to
air dry completely efore reassem ling. Reinstall the
components and check for proper operation efore
running the oat in water.
• Total run time of the Paradise sail oat is approximately
45-60 minutes (assuming you egin with new atteries in
the receiver ox). When you notice a decrease in power
or sluggish response, it means the atteries are nearly
drained and it’s time to head for shore. As soon as the
oat reaches shore, turn off the power to the oat and
transmitter (in that order).
LAUNCH PR CEDURE:
1. Turn the power “ON” to the transmitter and oat (in
that order).
2. Gently place the oat in water that is at least 12" deep
and free of o stacles (weeds, rocks, sticks, ducks,
muskrats, etc.). The mast of the Paradise sail oat is NOT
A HANDLE. Do not hold the boat by the ast.
3. Initially you will want to launch the oat downwind and
note if the oat has a tendency to turn right or left. Adjust the
steering trim lever on your transmitter until the oat runs in
a straight line when the steering control stick is at neutral.
4. When finished running, e sure to turn the power “OFF”
to your oat and transmitter (in that order).
5. When you are through sailing for the day, remove the
keel and rudder and allow them to dry.
9

THE WAITING GAME
If for whatever reason, you lose control of your Paradise
sail oat, wind and water currents will slowly carry it toward
shore. The ad news is that the oat could e carried to the
opposite shore. Keep in mind things like wind direction and
size of the pond or lake when surveying areas to run your
sail oat. We recommend that you do not attempt to operate
your sail oat on any “free flowing” odies of water such as
rivers or creeks.
If your oat gets stuck in weeds or runs aground, use a fishing
rod with at least 12l . line and a tennis all tied to the end to
retrieve it. Above all, NEVER atte pt to swi after a stalled
or stuck boat.
If you intend to run on salt water, e sure to do the following:
• Tape the hatches shut for added protection.
• Use petroleum jelly on the rudder and keel shafts.
• Rinse thoroughly with freshwater after every run.
G D LUCK AND GREAT B ATING!
To order replacement parts for the Paradise sail oat, use the order
num ers in the Replace ent Parts List that follows.
Replacement parts are availa le only as listed and can e
purchased from ho y shops or mail order/ Internet order firms.
Hardware items (screws, nuts, olts) are also availa le from these
outlets. If you need assistance locating a dealer to purchase parts,
visit www.hobbico.co and click on “Where to uy”. If this kit
is missing parts, contact Hobbico Product Support.
REPLACEMENT PARTS LIST
Order # Item Description
HCAB9100.....Mast & Boom Set ........Includes main mast
and horizontal ooms
HCAB9201.....Sails ............................Includes ji and main
sail (white, no graphics)
HCAB7005.....Hatch Set ....................Includes the main & rear
hatch with hardware
HCAB9150.....Keel ............................Assem led keel with
allast and the nut to
secure keel to the hull.
HCAB6308.....Decal Set ....................Decal sheet with all six
(6) trim schemes
HCAB8704.....Rudder........................Includes the rudder with
rudder control arm.
HCAB7100.....Sail oat Stand .............Complete stand
(unassem led)
HCAZ3022.....Instruction Manual......Guide for operating the
Paradise sail oat
Although it is very enjoya le to go out and run the Paradise
sail oat y yourself, we think the real fun and excitement is
experienced when you get involved in RACING!
Racing does not have to e an organized and sanctioned
competition to e fun. In fact, small informal races can e
very exciting without the stress that comes with formal events.
Here are some suggestions for setting up a simple racecourse
for oats:
• Make 2 to 4 simple and inexpensive “marker uoys” with
empty milk jugs, string, and heavy o jects for anchors,
similar to the a ove sketch.
• For “oval racing” place the uoys similar to the a ove
sketch. NOTE: The a ove patterns are not ased on any
sort of official standards; therefore, you may set up race
courses any way you desire, using your imagination to
make the races more interesting. Usually the smaller
courses will provide more action and excitement.
• The length of the races can e determined y a set
num er of laps around the uoys (for example, the first
oat to complete 5 laps is the winner); or y time (for
example, whoever is leading at the end of two minutes is
the winner).
GALLON-SIZE
PLASTIC MILK JUG
NYLON STRING
(ENOUGH TO REACH BOTTOM)
BOLT, ROCK OR HEAVY
OBJECT FOR ANCHOR
RACING
RDERING REPLACEMENT PARTS
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Check us out on the web at www.aquacraftmodels.com
and watch for more exciting AquaCraft releases coming soon!
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