Hello all. My name is James, and I am just getting into the model boating hobby. I have a lot of experience with woodworking and small engine work so this seems like it might be a nice transition and quite a bit of fun. I have downloaded the plans available from this site but I am looking for some more options, so if anyone can suggest a good set of plans and the scale they should be printed at, it would me much appreciated.

You're already on the right track. I assume you've downloaded either the prowler or wild thing plans which are both excellent. ModelPowerBoat.com also has lots of plans and helpful articles, so does this site, my advice is to read through all of them. I think most people would agree that around 48" is the most common size, especially if you want a gas engine.

I am in the process of building a 48" Wild thing and have found it very fun and rewarding. The users on this site and others have been very helpful in answering the questions I had. I am still a rookie at this but I'm happy to share the knowledge I've learned from others.

Thank you very much. I downloaded the prowler plans but I'm not sure what scale to print it on or what materials would be best to use.

I use aircraft ply (birch) to build my boats
Andrew

Print the plans at 100%, this will give you a 48" boat. I used 1/4" birch and 1/8" luan plywood for my build.

Thank you. I'll post here once I get started.

Run away while you can! RC boats will monopolize your time,drain your wallet, they are as bad as rabbits, before you know it you will have 10 of them.Give you countless hours of frustration with engine and radio issues. There is no known cure or treatment program.
Fortunately people have been known to lead a healthy and productive life while suffering with this affliction.

Have you considered a Zippkits boat?

Zippkits

Thank you for the advice Bob, but I think I'm going to give it a go anyway. As this is my first build, I'm planning on using one of the weed wacker engines I have in the shed. Any pointers on what to look for to maybe guide me in the easier route?

With a "weed wacker" engine you will have a very steep up hill climb. You will have to make engine mounts, it's air cooled, might have to build a drive system or modify an existing drive. The weed wacker has 1/4 the basic hp of a zenoah, runs at 1/2 the RPM or less. If you are still going weed wacker design your boat so that you can install a zenoah in the future ie 5" engine rails at least 2" tall.

There is an article called "choosing a trimmer" on this site. Modelpowerboat also has an article about modifying wacker engines. If you are planning on using a weed wacker then the wildthing may be a better choice. I believe this is what Doug (designed the boats) recommended to me.