The Great Bottle Boat

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by MikeJedi, Aug 19, 2010.

  1. Submarine Tom

    Submarine Tom Previous Member

    Hi Mike,

    Great contest!

    The rules don't say anything about not being able to cut and modify the bottles so why complicate things by asking?

    I suspect you're going to end up with something you ride, not sit in, again, not against the rules.

    Google: <bottles "duct tape" simple boat> and have a look at what's been done before.

    Unless someone on this forum has done this before, I doubt you're going to find the answers you're looking for here.

    Creative Googling is likely your best resource. Somebody's done this before and there is much you can learn from them even if it's only from video.

    Good luck, post some pictures/video of your final outcome.

    -Tom
     
  2. rwatson
    Joined: Aug 2007
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    rwatson Senior Member

    I have had some success with ridiculous boat building contests. Darwin (Australia) has an annual "Beer Can" regatta, where empty beer cans are used to make boats for racing.

    You have the problem, however, of being restricted to duct tape as a joiner for the containers, and even worse, a limit of 6 foot length.

    My instinct based on past projects, is to create two "tubes" of bottles, tightly wound with duct tape, which are then joined together catamaran style. The two crew should sit on 'saddles', with an oar each, like a "ride-on" kayak.

    Take care to make the tape very uniform under the water line, smooth and lumpfree as possible. I would go to the trouble of making the water contacting parts of the hull be only the bottom of the containers, thereby avoiding the hollow neck bump. Having the bottles vertically arranged should also delay that sinking sensation for as long as possible.

    Any hollow sections (like at the bow) should be filled with scrumpled up balls of duct tape before the final outside layer is added.

    I would also make sure that each bottle is leak tested before being added to the hulls.

    The attached design will provide 144 kilos of bouyancy for each hull, and allow each crew member a "jet ski" seating arrangement to paddle from. You should have plenty of stability and good directional control with this design. I have exagerated the yellow "duct tape" to provide a clear 'layup schedule'.

    these plans dont show each row of bottles taped to each other row, or taping of the necks together - but they should. Also, put duct tape around each bottles neck and top - like the covering over the cork on a wine bottle.

    Now - you cant complain about the service at this site - we expect the

    www.boatdesign.net logo to be displayed prominently on each side of the craft :)
     

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    Last edited: Aug 20, 2010
  3. MikeJedi
    Joined: Aug 2010
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    MikeJedi Junior Member

    Thanks for the awesome replies, folks!

    I have tried some Googling, but keep in mind that I'm on a military computer and can't see most videos, nor many sites. So I'm working with what I can. I like the ideas that have been presented so far. The biggest consideration is feasibility - we don't have access to any type of workshop or tools, or even a test pool to practice in. So we'll be flying blind until the actual race.

    We do have a knife, plastic bottles, and duct tape ;)
     
  4. hoytedow
    Joined: Sep 2009
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    hoytedow Carbon Based Life Form

    Use the biggest, toughest bottles you can find.
     
  5. NoEyeDeer
    Joined: Jun 2010
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    NoEyeDeer Senior Member

    Yup. You want Milspec bottles. ;)
     
  6. Submarine Tom

    Submarine Tom Previous Member

    Right, the "Standard 10" X 3", 1-litre" ones he said were allowed in his original post.
     
  7. rwatson
    Joined: Aug 2007
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    Location: Tasmania,Australia

    rwatson Senior Member

    Hopefully, you can lay out the bottles on any flat floor. The two six foot seats are one module. tape the single bottle layers separately, and then tape the two layers together. That will give you a nice straight "strongback" to add the other layers to.

    Complete each hull , and then tape each hull together.

    You can make an improvised test pool with rolls of plastic sheeting and wooden boxes supporting the sides. It only has to be 1 foot deep.
     
  8. NoEyeDeer
    Joined: Jun 2010
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    NoEyeDeer Senior Member

    I reckon to add some interest to this competition they should amend the rules so that all bottles to be used in the boat must be full of beer before construction starts and the crew have to empty the bottles by drinking the beer. This should encourage minimalist and efficient design and construction, at the cost of rather of lot of beer and brain cells.
     
  9. ancient kayaker
    Joined: Aug 2006
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    ancient kayaker aka Terry Haines

    I assume this will end up with a race between the boats. The winner will be one of the few boats to stay together long enough to finish. Some thoughts on structural integrity follow.

    The bottles will tend to crush. To make them stiffer, pressurize them. Here's some ideas on how; you will have to experiment:

    Pop a little dry ice in them before closing them. Handle dry ice carefully ...
    Store them open in a freezer for half-an-hour or so before closing them
    Squirt pressurized nitrogen in (it will get cold) before closing them
    Of course, if you have access to a hyperbaric chamber ...
    Wait a few hours before you use them to check for leaks

    Here's some more ideas; not tried yet so a little experimenting needed:

    Try to wrap pairs of bottles together rather than larger groups: this might take some planning ...

    Put several thicknesses of stretched tape along the entire aft edge of the oars or paddles to absorb the tensile force. Don't worry if they bend, they'l straighten in use, but you'll need to wrap over them to stop them pulling away from the bottles.

    Round bottles will stack more securely if they are arranged in staggered rows rather than on a square grid pattern. It will not be the most efficient in the water but the strongest bottle pattern will look like honeycomb: one bottle in the middle, 6 around that, 12 around those, 18 around those 24 ... increases by 6 with each layer. This will tend to create a circular boat, so you can build up the ends to obtain the 6 ft permitted length once you have enough beam for stability & bouyancy. Don't sweat the shape: it's not going to make much difference to speed.

    Whatever shape you make the boat, a skeg might help control its direction, although it will act more like a sea anchor.

    Final note: there's duct tape and there's duct tape. get the good stuff!
     
  10. Submarine Tom

    Submarine Tom Previous Member

    Perhaps something you lay on and kick with fins/flippers or simply "paddle" with your hands while holding cut bottles as scoops.

    You could run a row or two of bottles down the bottom centre (keel) FULL of water or sand to act as role resistance by inertia and lateral drag.

    Think simple.

    -Tom
     
  11. philSweet
    Joined: May 2008
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    philSweet Senior Member

    The duct tape you want meets Mil Spec PPP-T-60. Please don't ask why a former minuteman missile guy knows this ;) Don't forget that you can make rope out of duct tape and just lash stuff together. Lashings can be a bit more forgiving.
     
  12. apmc.1987
    Joined: Aug 2010
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    Location: malaysia

    apmc.1987 Junior Member

    X-bow Design

    i am undergraduate of university technology of Malaysia and now taking thesis title " x-bow design study for displacement hull" .i have to design a tanker with x-bow and conduct a resistance test.

    if any members here have any knowledge and experience of the methodology x-bow design.

    Pls share vif me.i really really need this information..

    thanks
     
  13. ancient kayaker
    Joined: Aug 2006
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    ancient kayaker aka Terry Haines

    If you start a new thread in the boat design forum you will get more attention.
     
  14. Petros
    Joined: Oct 2007
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    Petros Senior Member

    what a great contest idea! I have observed milk carton boat races for many years, and have entered a few boat building contests myself.

    I would go for a catamaran type of design, two narrow hulls only six feet long would have less drag than a dingy large enough for two. make them so you are both in the sitting potion like you would be in a sea kayak, one on each hull, and low down close to the water surface. You will need about 100 bottles per hull below the waterline for flotation. Be sure to make the cross beams very strong, you need at least two beams, make them as large and stiff as practical. Remember that the duct tape will be the "tension" link, and the bottles carry the compression loads. So if you make a beam, you not only will need tape wrapping around the beam to hold the bottles together, but also running the length of the beam to get any bending strength out of it. The same is true for the hulls as well. I would completely cover the bottom with tape to make it as smooth as possible. Use the type of tape with cotton or poly filaments in it (it is much stronger) rather than the vinyl duct tape.

    The paddles may be the most important part of this contest, is like the engine of your boat. I think the key to winning is making good paddles, none of the boats will be very efficient at that size, so the one who generates the most thrust will win the race. If it is possible to make decent handles from the bottles I highly recommend you build kayak type paddles (double ended). You will get many more paddle strokes in than with single ended paddles. Do not attempt to make oars, these are not practical nor very fast for this kind of contest. Scoops made from bottles is not very efficient, they would be a waste of effort in my experience. I would build some good strong paddles instead. make the blade as large as possible, and make them fairly long and narrow (high aspect ratio), bout 6" wide and perhaps 24 to 30 inch long blade, with overall length about 7.5 to 8 feet. Make them strong enough to take the hard thrust I am sure your muscles can generate. Fully wrap the blades with tape to make both sides smooth, the paddle is like a foil that generates thrust as it moves through the water, smooth surfaces on the blade, like on an airplane wing, will generate the most thrust. make sure you design your boat so the two hulls are far enough apart so you minimize the amount of times you strike the paddles and interfere with each of your paddle strokes.


    Here is a link to a canoe made from bottles using hot glue, duct tape would work as well.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c52cgEb6J5Q&feature=related

    Good luck, have fun and try to post some pictures of your "boat" when it is done.
     

  15. Submarine Tom

    Submarine Tom Previous Member

    Petros,

    You need to read the thread as much of what you talk about is irrelevant.

    What do you propose they make this wonder boat you describe out of?

    They are only allowed duct tape and one litre bottles...

    They don't have access to YouTube...

    -Tom
     
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