Sea Sled Performance: Qualitative Analysis

I'm not so sure really - we have been independent for 55 years now already, and changing to a republic is not going to change things very much I reckon.

But by doing this we got a lot of excellent free PR for tourism on all the major news sites in the world, and that can only be a positive thing.
So long as Omicron does not throw a spanner in the works now for all the folk wanting to escape to low latitudes for some winter sunshine.

 

From what I have seen it looks like the founder of Pure Watercraft used a classic Sea Sled to develop and demonstrate his electric propulsion. The cost for power and range of electric propulsion are the biggest concerns so going with an "old" boat that is actually very efficient is brilliant.

 

Have you seen this John?
John Bond - Aircraft and Marine (Boats, sea sled, Tech 2)
1. sea sled, moored at dock, bow view, 1982 2. sea sled, port view into interior, 1982 3. port view engine hatch open, 1982 4. interior controls, 1982 5. Model 28 Sedan, sea sled, 27 ft. 5.5 inches overall by 6ft. 8 inches beam., speed 38 mph, double planked bottom and sides copper fastened at short intervals. Hall Scott LM6, 200 horsepower, 6 cylinders 6. Wren, a 28' Riva docking at the Concours. 1957 -19' Mariner , 1953 - 19' Chris-Craft Raceabout, 7-8. Viper fifth type, sea sled, motor boat , A comparison with the screw propeller speed boat by Albert Hickman 9. manufacturing sea sleds by Charles H. Hall 10. USA 39 Blu Water Catamaran, Don Aronow 11. Letter to John Bond from RobertG. Spelts, 4/9/82, - Hickman Sea Sled Company, model 13 Sea Sled bulletins, demensions, a detaileddocument about the model 13 sea sled, another document about the Model 22 seasled, model 26, The V-bottom, invertedV-bottom description, documents and pictures of , the tunnel bottom boat, surface propeller boat, screw propeller boat 12. The Seasled Fleet 1929, contains info on safety, model 28, model 26, model 22, model 18 Outboard Express Cruiser, model 16, model 13, construction, detail designs 13. The Seasled Fleet 1930, contains info on whatmakesa sea sleddry, soft and safe, model 28, model 26, model 22, model 18 Outboard Express Cruiser, model 16, model 13, construction, detail designs 14. image from back of magazine 15.Hickman's sea sleds "Sea Sled History" Motor Boating (Aug '31) pages 29-32 and pg 246 16. A Revolution in Fast Motorboats, Bulletin No. 212 (only front of bulletin) 17. Hickman Sea Sled trademark, Bulletin No. 215, George F. Crouch, Captain Henry C. Mustin, Professor Joseph C. Riley, H.B Greening, Colonel V.E. Clark, Navy Torpedo Station, C.F. Chapman, Linus Coggan, John A. murray, Robert Edgren, Hale Holden, Jr. , Chester A. Nedwick, Walter M. Bieling, Commander F. W. Sterling, Raymond V. Morris, P.J. Little, Joseph Van Blerck 18. Hammerhead seasled utility, International Boat and Yacht builders, James S. Krogen naval architect, marine engineer, drawing 19. sea sled utility 21' x 8' Bond 8/31/64, revised 3/29/82, blue print -large foldout 20. outboard profile, Figure 30.E Elevation, Bottom view, and body plan of a sea sled, center line cove, lower chine, larger then image folds out 21. Model 28 blue print 1929 catalog, 9 degree Hall scott LM6, 200 HP, blue print, folds out.

 

I had not, Tom. That's some good stuff.

 

Found another one.
Not great footage but interesting nonetheless?

 

Fantastic!

I'm struck by how flat it trims, and how little wake there is for such a heavy machine at speed.

 

It looks like it would drink gas like a tank. Somehow, the sd just seems horribly inefficient, but whaduino?

 

George Crouch, through empirical testing, gave them a Crouch constant of 240, compared to 150 for a typical runabout. That's 60% more speed for the same power (and therefore fuel consumption). Bear in mind that's a 1925 boat. So very heavy framing, double mahogany planking, and engines that weigh as much as steam locomotives.

 

Lotsa good comments about the prior hull weight. I was not aware. I wonder what they weighed..