RC Boat Tragedy

[RC PHB]

Hi all,
I had a RC boat - "Volantex - Vector 80" until this evening, but something strange happened when i was cruising it. It was late in the evening around 5 pm, when I started cruising the boat in a near by lake. The lake is surrounded by water plants( the typical water plant that's capable of covering a entire water body when not cleaned up).

The boat ran for 5 minutes, but suddenly it took a dive inside the water and came out inverted. I was playing the video that I took, several times to figure out what happened. I didn't make a turn, but something strange happened in water, which pulled the boat inside and it came out inverted. Not sure if the propeller hit something solid inside the water or did it get pulled by any plants that wasn't visible outside.

So the boat was floating upside down after this happened. Due to wind, the boat started moving towards the water plants, that are grown all along the border of the lake.

I know swimming, but the distance where the boat stopped, was too far and I wasn't confident of getting there and coming back. By the time I brought some help from people who live on the banks of the lake, the sun was about to set. When they got into the water, it started becoming the dark, and the boat also disappeared somewhere in the middle of the water plants.

I have two questions to this group :

1) Though I disconnected the wireless system, the battery would have been still providing supply to ESC, servo and receiver. I am sure water will somehow enter the top cover(though it was locked tight). What will happen if the water gets inside the boat ? I am not concerned about ESC, servo and receiver but could the battery cause any problem inside, due to water.

2) Will the boat sink and reach the lake bed ?

The people who helped me today said they will again look for it tomorrow, first thing in the morning. But I am really afraid if the boat will sink and reach the lake bed at that point of time.

Thank you

[Aravind298]

Hi

I'm no boat expert, but I can give something on the electronics.
Since you are living in Tamilnadu, the water is bound to be salty. Since the circuit is closed, electrolysis will take place, you will have an external layer similar to rust, on the circuitry. The same thing happens to the battery pack too.
I'll link two videos, which I believe will be helpful for you in the future.






Hope that helps!

[RC PHB]

hi Aravind. Thank you so much for your response. Yes the videos are helpful. Fortunately, I got the boat with the help of people around.
The boat's hull was fully filled with water. I dried up all the parts for 2 days and all parts are working fine.

But I am not going to use the lipo batteries. I am afraid to use it, as I am not sure what would be the implications. It's a hard case lipo battery. When I pressed the case, I saw water coming out of it. So I believe it isn't safe to use.

I have a question on Lipos. Could you help me ?
If I connect two Lipo's, one at 7.4V 4200 MAH and another one at 7.4 V 2000 MAH. Is the output 14.8 V 6200 MAH ?

Thank you

[AL HAM SHARI]

No bro , the voltage will be 7.4 as long as you connect it in parallel

[RC PHB]

Thank you Bro for the information