Pedal Powered Boats

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by Guest625101138, Jul 14, 2008.

  1. billjoat
    Joined: Jan 2009
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    Location: new bern, nc

    billjoat Junior Member



    SO now the gearbox situation has been solved!! I have been able to acquire a BRAND new wavebike gearbox which will solve my geartrain issue!!
     
  2. BlueBell
    Joined: May 2017
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    Location: Victoria BC Canada

    BlueBell . . . _ _ _ . . . _ _ _

    Gearboxes can suck.
    I'm happy for your find.
    What did you pay for it, what is the ratio, and how much does it weigh?
     
    Last edited: Sep 20, 2017
  3. billjoat
    Joined: Jan 2009
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    Location: new bern, nc

    billjoat Junior Member

    This really is a good gearbox and very heavy. Not too sure of the weight. The ratio is 3.13:1 and as far as price....well since I've known George for quite a while, lets just say I stole them.
     
  4. billjoat
    Joined: Jan 2009
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    Location: new bern, nc

    billjoat Junior Member

    This is the actual gearbox that the Wavebike was built around
     
  5. billjoat
    Joined: Jan 2009
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    Location: new bern, nc

    billjoat Junior Member

    BTW, I also know who the builder is at the tooling company and while he doesn't have any currently in stock, as the ONLY ones that were EVER made are the original 50 back in @ 1996, he can build some more. The minimum order is for 50 at @$300 each, if you're so inclined. The way I figured, I could probably sell 10 at @$400 but then I'd be hung with the rest.
     
  6. billjoat
    Joined: Jan 2009
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    Location: new bern, nc

    billjoat Junior Member

    So it seems that I might be getting a few of these gearboxes and would be willing to sell them for @$300. Any takers? I'll have more info in several days along with pics.
     
  7. W9GFO
    Joined: Dec 2014
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    Location: Olalla, WA

    W9GFO Senior Member

    I'm mildly interested. Need more info though.
     
  8. kerosene
    Joined: Jul 2006
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    Location: finland

    kerosene Senior Member

  9. penguin78
    Joined: Jan 2010
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    Location: aus

    penguin78 Junior Member

    This feels like riding a normal bike. It's not fast, but surely it can be improved.
     

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  10. W9GFO
    Joined: Dec 2014
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    Location: Olalla, WA

    W9GFO Senior Member

    I was wrong about the two right angle gearboxes, instead it uses an external belt to drive the propeller. Here is a good video demonstrating how the H2Pro Ped works:


    [​IMG]
     
  11. JamesG123
    Joined: Mar 2015
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    Location: Columbus, GA

    JamesG123 Senior Member

    Still a lot of losses.
     
  12. IronPrice
    Joined: Jul 2017
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    Location: NZ

    IronPrice Senior Member

    The are a couple of successful kayak pedal systems on the market - hobie's mirage drive system uses fins in sculling motion like a penguin's flippers. Native watercraft have pedal powered propeller basically looks like the bottom end of an outboard protruding from the hull.

    I'm mot sure that either system is necessarily more efficient than paddling, but because you can produce a lot of energy with your legs, they are very effective systems. Also, pedal drive imparts constant motion, so you don't have the somewhat start stop motion of paddle power, where the boat accelerates with every stroke. The GPS is much more stable. There is very little wasted motion, compared to paddling. I've borrowed a friend's mirage-drive hobie and you do get along very smoothly and briskly with minimal effort.

    I haven't tried the Native system, but I know guy who switched from a very sleek glass kayak to a native pedal yak and says he won't go back to the paddle won't go back.
     
  13. W9GFO
    Joined: Dec 2014
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    Location: Olalla, WA

    W9GFO Senior Member

    Right, even more losses than I first thought. Enclosing the belt in a larger strut would surely have less drag than running it on the outside, the wind-up and flopping around of that long shaft - and did you see the erratic pedaling motion? I guess it is a way to pedal power something with minimal construction or modifications but it is not anything that I am interested in.
     
  14. David Cooper
    Joined: Jan 2015
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    Location: Scotland

    David Cooper Senior Member

    Why not miss out the belt? Just put the flexible drive shaft inside a curved foil that ends up horizontally linking direct to the prop.
     

  15. W9GFO
    Joined: Dec 2014
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    Location: Olalla, WA

    W9GFO Senior Member

    The flex shaft cannot bend at a tight radius, the prop would have to be a meter or more aft of where the assembly attaches in order to accommodate the bends - might work but it would easily pop up out of the water when the water wasn't flat. Dropping the flex shaft over the side with a strut to support it à la the Willoughby design could be an improvement.
     
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