Adirondack Challenger / Texas Water Safari

since I got plenty of aluminum tubing I'll have to try out this connection technique, and maybe try it on some bamboo while i'm at it! Once I have a mockup built I can see how all the ergos will play out and adjust from there. I do want to make it adjustable to fit other people though. In looking for possible sponsorship, this could come in handy .... (thinking ahead to the around florida race!)

 

rick, how's that folding prop idea coming along? I can see how that could come in pretty handy!

Initially, during the summer, I'll practice making some props. I'll start with wood to make all my mistakes on. then once I got it figured out I'll go with aluminum (or whatever). I have some mesquite and ebony (a very hard wood) that might be nice to use and might even possibly work out for water tests?

I have no idea how I'm going to make a pattern or jig to make this though.

 

here's a list of other craft (while looking for ideas):
http://www.humanpoweredboats.com/Photos/OtherDisplacementHPBs/OtherDisplacementHPBs.htm

 

I have not started the folding prop yet other than getting some material that I will machine for the hub.

I fabricate props from stainless flatbar. If you can weld I will send you a procedure. I would need to design the prop specifically for your apllication so you still need to determine the design power level.

I can fabricate a prop in 3 to 4 hours. It is not difficult. Just noisy shaping stainless blades with a grinder.

There is a Bolly boat prop that is not too bad for most applications. I think they cost AUD50 and are very strong and light, being made from carbon fibre.

Rick W

 

I don't yet weld, so this commercially available prop sounds like a good start.

now I'll just have to figure out which one.
http://www.bolly.com.au/models/glasstwo.html

edit:
15 x 25 385x635 $55.00
Man power boat racing, a proven winner. Actually many of our carbon props are used for this purpose.

as for all my performance data I'll have to do some training first to get to an acceptable level so the numbers actually mean something. How do you train when you're not in your boat rick? a recumbent bike? that's what I was thinking of.

 

design software

I found this design software for the mac: "Bearboat Pro" (freeware)

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/22639

 

Look for the 15X25 "boat" prop.

I travel quite a lot and start climbing stairs around October. I will do that a little earlier this year. I also have a swing arm frame that is set up to lift a 10kg weight through 600mm with each stroke. I pedal this around 60 to 70 cpm.

Stairs are quite good if you have a few floors. Just walking up briskly is working at quite a high power level. A building I often stay in has 8 stories and I go up and down about 20 times in an hour. Usually staircases are rarely used by others so it is peaceful. Can get a little hot if it is not weel ventillated. Avoid lifts and elevators.

I also have a very steep hill near my house that I jog up and walk back down a few times. I try to find high power exercise rather than high impact. I do not jog at speed on the flat or down hill as I have had some ankle problems that I worry about if I jog.

As the races get closer I spend both days on the weekend on the water working up to about 70km a day.

The serious paddlers get up to 50km most week days before or after work and then longer runs on the weekend.

Rick W

 

I'd imagine that when I got my seat/drive frame all built I could end up using it like a stationary bicycle?

and stairs? as kinda weird as it might sound to me, for where I live (at the beach) , yeah we got stairs here! (tall high rise buildings, condos.) I could try this out, but it's easier just to get water time (once my boat is built). but during the winter months when the weather is crappy, some indoor training will be just the thing I'll be looking for.

ok, speaking of training, it's 6am and time for my beach run. gonna beat the sun rise today!

 

here's a pic of Carter Johnson during the 2007 Texas Water Safari, one of the races that I want to do. this is an example of the water that I'll have to get thru, intact of course. this brings up design questions for the outriggers, to fold up, or swing forward, or swing back? I'll also have to be able to portage my craft. then there's the question of the prop. It'll have to be raised to survive this but I still need propulsion thru these types of sections .... a back up paddle? and a seat adjustment? and ...

http://www.adventuresofgreg.com/HPB/2008_07_27_archive.html

 

Hi, first time to post, though I have been reading this list for a few weeks. What do you think of having 2 boats? Maybe one for low water drought conditions which can be portaged easily and another for speed with high water conditions like Carter experienced?

Porta

 

boats are like motorcycles, seems you can't have just one to do it all! but I do have a motorcycle that does much of what I do and that's what I want this boat to do. If I can get by the narrow skinny stuff at the beginning of the texas water safari the rest will be ok, the adirondack race has it's portage problems but I feel I can over come that easy enough. some trial and error will certainly be part of the course, and if you read the greg's adventures website he certainly had his fair share of tuning problems. I'm still open to all kinds of ideas but I think that rick's v14 design can get the job done for me. as for a possible around florida boat, well then I might have to do something a bit different. I can do overnight, or a few days with the v14 but I don't think I can do weeks worth and carry all my gear to live on.

 

rick, do you think my outriggers should swing forward or to the back? I want to be able to paddle a kayak paddle when necessary when the outriggers are folded in. Having the extra floatation in the front might be a good thing when hitting a hole in the whitewater of the texas water safari? I'm still trying to picture this in my head when it comes time to portage ........

presently I'm really busy getting ready for my summer trip, but I at least want to duck tape a model together to see some geometries before I leave so I got some things to think about on my 2k miles worth of driving.

one more thing, are you on a mac? any suggestions on design software? (shareware stuff?) I might have to upgrade from my 17" G4 Powerbook into a intel powered mac notebook so I can run bootcamp or similar .....

 

If the outriggers are pivoted for fore and aft movement then they could go either way.

You have somewhat opposing requirements here. Having the outriggers beside the hull will make it more difficult to place the boat on your shoulder. However to give sufficient initial stability to allow you to get moving with a paddle will mean the outriggers are set off the hull a little. I guess you could make their locking position variable to ensure they can be snugged into the hull but they will still make it more difficult to ballance the boat on your shoulder.

I use both Mac and Microsoft. The only drawing software on my Mac is Google Sketchup. Delftship is probably the best of the freeware for boat rendering. I think there is an earlier version (FreeShip) that will run on Mac but you would need to find someone who has tested it.

Rick W

 

I think I've pretty much decided against folding up like this, at least having the alma tucked under on the side like this. when folded in they will still have to give stability, at least some.









I just did a photoshop copy and paste to get an idea of what a forward outrigger arm would look like. without building a mock up I can't see if going from the seat mount to the rear mount would be better or if going from the seat mount forward to the drive mount would work better. whatever the case, the prop and drive axle will have to be raised while the outriggers are folded in and I'll have to be able to portage it, but not necessarily in that one configuration. I could have two modes, portage mode and rapids mode. Then there's the transportation modes, long haul and short haul. and then of course there's two different drive modes, prop mode and paddle (rapids/skinny water) mode.

 

I think you have some interesting challenges. I expect it will take some trial and error to get the best result.

In an earlier version of my drive system I had a much more severe shaft curve and the shaft had a finite life of about 100km. I used to install a new shaft each day on the MM. On the longest day the shaft failed about 5km from the finish and I paddled to the finish. I managed 5kph with the paddle compared with 11kph with the prop. My biggest problem was steering while paddling.

The normally paddled craft has foot steering so this is something you need if you want to get reasonable results with a paddle.

Also the lowest drag hull has little inherent stability. The outiggers when collapsed will not offer much.

Rick W