Open Water Bike Project: not so open?

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by Deadweasel, Apr 10, 2015.

  1. Deadweasel
    Joined: Apr 2015
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    Deadweasel Junior Member

    I've been tearing through the design threads like a demon, and I kept running into posts from "beppe" regarding the Open Water Bike Project. Indeed it seemed to be his mission to turn every conversation to his site.

    From the title, I'd hoped it was a collaborative effort to pool knowledge and experience into building the ultimate pedal-powered boats for each design type (monohull, cat etc). Instead, it's a pile of pages that do little more than talk about how awesome the OWP is, with no substance other than some photos from "members" who have built and modified the design, and hints interspersed throughout that they're looking to partner with manufacturers and retailers.
    If you are an user-innovator, a manufacturer, a dealer, a designer, or if you are simply interested in human powered pedal boats, please contact us.
    There are no plans to view, no numbers to scrutinize, nothing apparently there beyond marketing fluff. I'd hoped to have access to some existing plans to help me kickstart some ideas, but I don't see anything "open" about that project.

    Is there something I'm missing? Do they have a secret forum where all the magic happens? Or, is my initial gut reaction spot on that he was doing little more than using the project as a means of scraping the forums here for knowledge to shortcut development and market his own thing?
     
  2. gonzo
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    gonzo Senior Member

    Are you a denier? Members of the Faith accept the facts without question!
     
  3. daiquiri
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    daiquiri Engineering and Design

    The only truly competent, collaborative and open site for design of anything that floats, sails foils or skims over the water surface, that I know of, is this one. ;)
     
  4. Deadweasel
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    Deadweasel Junior Member

    I reject your reality, and substitute my own.
     
  5. Deadweasel
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    Deadweasel Junior Member

    Definitely what I've been seeing so far! ;)
     
  6. Gib Etheridge
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    Gib Etheridge Junior Member

  7. daiquiri
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    Location: Italy (Garda Lake) and Croatia (Istria)

    daiquiri Engineering and Design

  8. gonzo
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    gonzo Senior Member

    Heresy !!!!
     
  9. Tiny Turnip
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    Tiny Turnip Senior Member

    Where's the 'like' button? :) If I could hit it, I would!
     
  10. Squidly-Diddly
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    Squidly-Diddly Senior Member

    IMO you should be able to make a "dynamically balanced" monohull pedal bike, and that would be faster than cats, tris or proas.

    One or two mini-scull non-displacement stabilizing oars which would become skimmers as soon as you start moving, then bring them out of the water and stabilize by Seat of Pants.

    Hey, if you saw and tried a bicycle for the first time without seeing others master it you probably wouldn't believe it was possible, much less practical.
     
  11. SamSam
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    SamSam Senior Member

  12. Tiny Turnip
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    Tiny Turnip Senior Member

    I'm not sure Rick would regard himself as 'from' open waterbike, SamSam! ;) though Beppe does seem to feature Rick's work rather a lot!
     

  13. WindRaf
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    WindRaf Senior Member

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