Specifications

ManualsBrandsHobbico Manualsbaby & childrenVELA ONEmeter

aquacraftmodels.com

WARNING:

➧ NEVER attempt to swim after a

stalled R/C boat!.

➧ Never operate your R/C boat

while standing in the water.

➧ Never operate your R/C boat in

the presence of swimmers.

➧ Always use a Personal Flotation

Device (PFD) when boarding and

operating your retrieval craft,

i.e. Jon boat or duck boat. NOTE:

Because of the sharp running

hardware included with this R/C

boat, we do not recommend a

rubber blow up raft.

➧ R/C boat running hardware is

very sharp. Be very careful

when working on and around

the metal parts.

➧ AquaCraft products are to be

used by ages 14 and over.

™

Summary of content (16 pages)

PAGE 1
WARNING: ™ ➧ NEVER attempt to swim after a stalled R/C boat!. ➧ Never operate your R/C boat while standing in the water. ➧ Never operate your R/C boat in the presence of swimmers. ➧ Always use a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) when boarding and operating your retrieval craft, i.e. Jon boat or duck boat. NOTE: Because of the sharp running hardware included with this R/C boat, we do not recommend a rubber blow up raft. ➧ R/C boat running hardware is very sharp.
PAGE 2
INTRODUCTION & DESCRIPTION CHANGES WARRANTY SERVICE Thank you for purchasing the AquaCraft™ Vela! We want the time you spend with your new R/C boat to be fun and successful so please fully read the manual. If for any reason you think this R/C model is not for you, return it to your local hobby dealer immediately. Your hobby dealer cannot accept returns on any model after final assembly or after your boat has been operated.
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CRADLE ASSEMBLY Begin by removing the sailboat components from the box and assembling the boat stand. You’re going to need the cradle to aid in the assembly and rigging of your Vela. Use a #2 Phillips screwdriver and the M4X16 wood screws to assemble the cradle. Take note that the support straps go over (not under) the top bars.
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SAILBOAT TERMINOLOGY BACKSTAY: A backstay is the line that runs from the top of the mast to the stern of the boat. Like other stays, it is a strong wire, rod, or line that is used to prevent the mast from being blown over. The backstay is specifically designed to prevent the mast from blowing forward. Backstays sometimes have adjustable tension in order to shape the mast (and consequently the sail) in varying wind conditions. MAST: The vertical spars on boats.
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BACKSTAY MAST MAINSAIL JIB BOOM DECK STERN BOW RUDDER HULL KEEL 5
PAGE 6
SAILBOAT ASSEMBLY Assemble the rudder, grease and a 2.5mm hex wrench. Remove both hatches from the deck by turning the winch drums 90°. Very lightly grease the rudder post and slip it up into the rudder stuffing tube located on the bottom of the boat. Align the tiller arm so the rudder post is able to slide through. Tighten the tiller arm screw using a 2.5 hex wrench. Make sure you align the screw with the flat spot on the rudder post.
PAGE 7
Remove the brass thumb nut from the keel post. Slip the keel into the hole in the bottom of the hull. Using the brass thumb nut, tighten the keel in place. PERFORMANCE TIP: If you are looking for the ultimate in performance and don’t foresee the need to remove the keel, you can epoxy the keel into the bottom of the boat as you assemble it. You can then very carefully fill and sand the area the keel around the attachment point to keep drag to a minimum.
PAGE 8
Unroll the sails on your work table. The larger sail is the mainsail and the smaller one is the jib. Lay out the mast on your work table. You will notice there are two sections of mast (upper and lower), along with pre-attached and labeled lines. Slip the mast joiner into the lower mast. If you feel you have no need to break down the mast, you can epoxy the halves together; just remember you are not going to be able to take it back apart.
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Undo the upper hook line of the jib sail and hook it to front hole of the upper stay. Attach the lower hook (A) of the jib boom onto the furthest forward attachment point (A). Match the letters and attach the side load strings B, C, D, and E, as well as the backstay line (F). Snug up the blocks to hold the mast upright. It’s not necessary to make them tight at this time.
PAGE 10
Next, slip the mainsail upper attachment line through the hole near the center of the upper stay. Tie off the line on the open cleat near the top of the mast. Open the sail clips and clip the sail on to the mast. Slip the lower mainsail attachment line through the open hole of the boom mast mount. Tie off the line on the open cleat located above the mount.
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Slip the rear sail line through the back hole of the boom and tie off the line on the open cleat of the boom. The longer of the winch lines attaches to the jib by slipping the line through the guide on the jib boom and tying off on the forward open cleat. Attach the last of the winch lines to the mainsail by sliding the line through the mast and tying it off on the open cleat on the main boom.
PAGE 12
SETUP OPERATION AND TUNING TIPS 1. Install the batteries into both the transmitter and receiver battery holder. Make sure your mast does not lean to the left or to the right. Adjust the line blocks to adjust this. 2. Place the left transmitter stick in the center position. Turn on the transmitter and then the receiver. For your first runs, make sure the main mast is straight front to back. After you have some time on the boat, you can adjust for weather helm and or lee helm.
PAGE 13
GETTING WHERE YOU NEED TO GO Sailboats can easily sail downwind but sailing against the wind can be quite challenging. In fact, sailboats cannot sail directly into the wind and attempting to do so will leave you “in irons.” Sailboats can sail at up to a 45° angle against the wind. Movement against the wind is known as tacking. Take a moment to study the diagram at right as you read through these definitions. ➧ Downwind: Sailing with the wind coming from stern (a.k.a. running and sailing free).
PAGE 14
PLEASE READ BEFORE RUNNING THE VELA SAILBOAT: ➧ NEVER attempt to swim after a stalled or stuck boat! Wait patiently for the wind currents to return the boat to shore or use a tennis ball attached to the end of a fishing line to retrieve it. ➧ Sailing the Vela in winds over 15 mph is not advised. ➧ It is dangerous to operate any R/C vehicle when there is insufficient light.
PAGE 15