QUEEN MARY MEETS QUEEN VICTORIA!

On Saturday, February 2nd, the 2 Green Sea Ships QUEEN MARY and new QUEEN VICTORIA met for the first time on the water on a joint voyage. The voyage was part of the monthly meeting of the West Valley R/C Mariners in Goodyear AZ. The joint sailing was an opprotunity for mass picture-taking with more than 40 pictures and videos taken.

New Year/ New Voyages

January 5th saw the first voyage by a Green Sea Ship of 2008, when the Battleship MUSASHI set sail on Mercado Lake in Scottsdale. I had intended to sail earlier with the West Valley RC Mariners, but I drove 45 minutes out to Goodyear before noticing I had left my batteries at home!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGHHH!!!!!!

So, I picked up the batteries and headed for the much closer Mercado lake, where I went all the way around the lake. It was a grey day that was forcast to be rainy, but there was no wind, making for perfect sailing conditions.

The only problem I can report is that the rudder is really WAY undereffective. She needs a better control horn for the rudder shaft. I intend to do one of those things where the control rods connect to BOTH sides of the control horn so that every action is push/pull.

Barrett Hochhaus
diamondback78@hotmail.com

QUEEN VICTORIA RETURNS TO THE WATER AS HER NAMESAKE ARRIVES IN SOUTHAMPTON!

Saturday morning at Chapparral Lake in Scottsdale, Arizona, the R.C.S. QUEEN VICTORIA returned to the water. It had been 5 months since her last sailing. She sailed in a brief window of time between the rain of Friday night/Saturday morning, and the winds that followed. In fact, the voyage had to be cut short due to rising winds. Nevertheless, I got some great pictures of the ship as she appears now. Since her last voyage, I have added the black balcony railings of her superstructure staterooms. She looks even more like the real thing.

Speaking of the real thing, the Cunard Line's new R.M.S. QUEEN VICTORIA arrived in Southampton England last week, and begins her Maiden Voyage on December 11th, (UK time), which is December 10th here in America.

I wish insurmountable success to the new Cunard Queen and hope to see her with my own eyes when she visits Los Angeles next year!

QUEEN MARY MEETS QUEEN MARY!!!!!!!!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 25TH, 2007 WAS WITHOUT QUESTION, THE MOST MONUMENTAL VOYAGE OF ANY GREEN SEA SHIP EVER OR PERHAPS EVER AGAIN.

For the first and (hopefully not) last time, the Radio Controlled Ship QUEEN MARY travelled to Long Beach California for an incredible voyage WITH THE REAL QUEEN MARY! The occasion was the celebration of my 30th birthday. My wife took me to the Queen Mary museum and hotel in Long Beach, CA. I grabbed the R/C Queen Mary, heartset on an incredible voyage with the real ship. Here is how it happened...

Before I arrived in Long Beach, I had spoken to a lady who works on the ship and has some connections, about sailing inside to Queen Mary's breakwater. She said 'no promises' but that she'd do what she could. When I got to the ship, I had given myself 2 options; sail my QM across Long Beach harbor, with the real QM behind her giving me some good broadside pictures of the 2 with the real thing in the distant background. The problems with that are: the deeper harbor water is unprotected from wind, and can be dangerous for a boat with a non-waterproof superstructure. Also, with those huge boulders lining the shore, it is doubtful I could have launched my QM without falling, hurting myself and probably destroying the ship anyway. BUT, it was public property and no one would prevent me from doing it.

The other option was to sail inside the harbor breakwater where the real QM is housed. This would provide a safe launcing area (a tiny boat dock over by the real QM's stern), and the water would be MUCH calmer. The problems with this were: I would need someone working for the QM to let me inside the fenced area, and I couldn't get distance shots of the real QM with mine in the foreground.

By Friday evening, I had decided that the latter was the better option. So, I had to begin the task of begging. :o

The lady (Katherine of Trans-Oceanic) said she would contact the Manager on Duty named John Adamson. To my great disappointment, on Saturday morning, John's voicemail said he was on vacation. So, I shrugged it off and got my stuff and headed for the other side of the harbor.

I was LITERALLY walking off the gangplank when Katherine called out to stop me. Turns out by chance she learned that the Manager WAS aboard, but was just so busy he was telling people he was on vacation. Not only that, he LOVED the idea! (and he had the keys ;) )

So, with profound relief, we went down to the rental van and grabbed the R.C.S. Queen Mary.

It is said that we are all our own worst critics, so I am constantly suprised when people are suprised by my models. I keep expecting someone to say "that's it???".

Anyway, in a couple of minutes, the Mary was in the water at the stern of her namesake, making her way towards the bow under the maze of girders and hoses connecting the ship to the shore. I saw people from the gangplanks looking down saying "hey, look at that!".

There was one heart-stopping moment when I returned to the railing (I was on land) and the Mary was GONE! I knew she had drifted under the concrete dockside, but I couldn't see where. Katherine on the ship was telling me where, but I couldn't see! I asked her if the bow was pointed towards the open water or away from the open water. She told me and I ran the motor full astern, hoping that the signal would make it through the concrete. I few long seconds later, the ship bolted into view, full astern!

Then we made our way past the russian foxtrot submarine, and finally reached the bow. I hardly used any battery power during the short voyage and I began REALLY taking pictures!

John let me out on the rocks to service the Mary (switching batteries) and taking pictures. I heard some lady on the PA at the Catalina boat dock. I think she was talking to me telling me to get off the rocks! LOL :rolleyes:

Then I saw some security lady walk up to the gate where John was, and he promptly PWNED HER ASS! (young people talk for putting someone in their place) and she left! My Queen Mary officially has clout!

When I felt I had gotten enough pictures and video, I began the march back to the stern where the boat dock is. As we passed the foxtrot again, I watched people point and gaze at my Mary as her floating oddity passed serenely.

Then it was out of the water and immediate washing off with half a gallon of fresh water. The prop shaft was removed as a precaution and the rudder area was scrubbed with a toothbrush. Then I put vasoline all over the area.

I obviously can't bore you all with 82-100 pictures, but here are some of the highlights. Please enjoy!

Barrett Hochhaus
diamondback78@hotmail.com

KAMLOOPS RETURNS!!!!!

On September 9, 2005, the R.C.S. KAMLOOPS sailed on what would become a fateful voyage. It was a very windy late afternoon when the ship set upon Chapparral Lake in Scottsdale. A single-channel ship at the time, she sailed steadily to the south and the end of the lake. Then, fatefully, she turned north to return to her starting point. The ballast had been placed in her hull to defend against a wind on her starboard side. When she turned north, she became vulnerable to the wind, and before long, she CAPSIZED, much like the QUEEN MARY 2.

For nearly 2 years, the event was hidden in secrecy. No mention was made on RCGROUPS.COM, or here on the Green Sea website. In October of 2005, a new and identically-sized hull was constructed and fiberglassed for a NEW KAMLOOPS, but it would sit by for nearly 2 years collecting dust.

Now, I am pleased to report, the KAMLOOPS has returned to service! Several elements of the original KAMLOOPS model (like the pilothouse) were preserved on this new hull.

The NEW KAMLOOPS made her Maiden Voyage on the quiet morning of Sunday July 22, 2006 on Mercado Lake in Scottsdale. It's good to have her back.

Ironically, the real KAMLOOPS was a 250-foot package freighter that sailed Lake Superior from 1924-1927 and was lost in a storm with all hands.

Barrett Hochhaus
diamondback78@hotmail.com

NEW HIKAWA MARU/ MAURETANIA RIDES AGAIN

It has been a busy week on the water as both the Mauretania and the BRAND NEW HIKAWA MARU sailed Lake America in Scottsdale on consecutive days.

The new HIKAWA MARU which made her Maiden Voyage on Thursday is the smallest R/C ship I have yet built. Only 36 inches long, she is uniquely maneuverable and can turn in half the length of any other ship of mine. Interestingly, the HIKAWA is powered by the same Radio Shack 24,000 rpm motor as my small 1-channel R/C boats like the RAFFAELLO or TITANIC or AMERICA. HOWEVER, the HIKAWA has an ESC, allowing her to actually STOP and REVERSE (amazing, huh?)!

The HIKAWA MARU is modeled after the real ship, which was a Japanese Pacific ocean liner from 1930 to 1960. She is also a "Nelson" hull, meaning that instead of the cardboard/ fiberglass arrangement, she uses only foamcore board and enamel paint for waterproofing.

The Mauretania made her 3rd voyage on Friday afternoon and was met by very strong wind, but while she got pushed around a bit, she never showed any sign of wanting to capsize! She is an extremely stable boat!

Barrett Hochhaus
diamondback78@hotmail.com