Recent content by BGW

Now we know what all the aerospace machinists in Russia were doing after they lost their jobs with the collapse of the Soviet Union. That thing is beautifully made! Was it aluminum or titanium? Does seem to be a very complex solution to the problem though.

Got it, you are clearly doing a lot of thinking. And it makes sense to me in some ways. Having the mast support built in and stayed in four directions is definitley a good thing. My experience with that sort of system on tents or sun shelters has not been great for longevity. It creates a...

Having owned a number of boats and bicycles that fold or dissasemble, I think your focus on speed and ease of assembly is the way to go. I think you can achieve a similar degree of support with just the two transverse members being folding. Then you can position the mast forward and simplify...

Yeah, I have. It does seem slightly better with the motor tilted up two notches, but then it will ventilate if I dont get my body weight positioned just right. By 'ventilate' I mean it will increase rpm dramatically without increasing speed. It seems to be pulling air or at least aerated water...

Montero, I suspect the hull shape is just a severe compromise. The aluminum hull is almost flat at the front, with a token crease for a 'v'. It doesn't cut through waves but bangs into and over them, kicking spray up everywhere. A 30-40lb load of groceries under the seat in the middle means it...

Cocoon, I appreciate that, seems like you understand the problem. I did use an extension for the motor and try moving weight forward but I think the shape of the hull at the front creates more drag than not. It felt like I was plowing. I think the hull shape and the wetted area is just a major...

Helmut, thanks for the link. I followed that thread with interest. It looks like a fine dinghy. But I don't have the space to stow a rigid dinghy of any size without compromising access to my sail controls and deck.

Thanks Barry. I have tried that and found it doesn't make much difference. The only thing I've found that helps, sometimes, is to make sure my weight is in the middle. If I sit on one side or the other, it leans quite a bit and the drag of that tube in the water is too much. After writing the...

It is a rigid inflatable boat or rib. It has an aluminum hull and transom. I suspect that the length of the boat dictated the shape: it has almost no 'v' at the front and is wide.

These are the things I have seen on speedboats...

In order to fit on my available drop-down ramp, I bought a tiny aluminum hulled RIB, Achilles HB240, 7-10" long and almost as wide! (Achilles Inflatable Crafts | Boats & Parts https://achillesboats.com/boatmodels/rigidhulls/hb_al/) I have a mercury 6hp 4 stroke outboard. If the stars align...

The mast was integrated with the roller. I really like it for the simplicity, lay the mast down, slide the sail sleeve on, put the end of the mast in the deck and feed the two lines through the cleats and you're ready to sail. Where are you located? My old Escape Mango hull developed a number...

Excuse the double post, I thought I had deleted the first in error.

Are you saying you've found a company that will make you a one-off inflatable hull set? Or is this intended for production? The Escape line of dinghies had a very simple sleeved sail and roller furling 2-piece mast system well suited to a packable boat. North sails made the sails but don't...

Are you saying you have found a company in China that will make you a one-off set of inflatable hulls? Or is this a plan to manufacture these in quantity? I can't recommend anyone for making sails or trampoline, but the very simple sleeved 'Smart Rig' I believe it was designed by Gary Hoyt and...