2 person Small Solar powered catamaran. Pedal board. Wood canoe

We rented two person kayak & gf did stand up paddle board.

The solar powered catamaran was cool looking. Had propeller recessed in back of each pontoon. Would have to try pretty hard to hit prop into something. Sorry no picture of props.

The stand up pedal board had a flutter/butterfly underneath looking propulsion underneath it. Sorry no pic.

Canoe looked like/wood rot/termites got to it

 

The SUP is a Hobie Mirage Eclipse and uses a modified Mirage drive. They seem to have 2 models at £2,300-2,500. I like the idea but would need to self build.

 

Great name!

How would you build the drive/propulsion part? I'm trying to build a bike powered tiny pontoon. (with sail & trolling motor & oars if possible) want to start with bike power 1st. Not quite sure where to start on gearing etc.

That's here:

Boat camper topper to haul behind prius https://www.boatdesign.net/threads/boat-camper-topper-to-haul-behind-prius.66685/

& here

How to make a pedal powered prop. https://www.boatdesign.net/threads/how-to-make-a-pedal-powered-prop.66698/#post-925724

 

You can take the drive from the cassette of a bicycle and use a twisted chain to a prop. So if you had a 7 speed cassette you might use the highest 5 gears to turn the hub, spokes removed, then have a second chain from the biggest sprocket which twists the drive through 90 degrees as it descends to a sprocket to turn the prop. You could do the same without twisting the chain to drive a stern wheel. Mine is 80 cm in diameter and about 40 cm in width. I know from my speed that it slips very little in the water but have no way to calculate it's true efficiency. It's worth remembering that pedalling will easily give you more power than rowing, though sliding seats allow leg power to be added to arm power.
I'm hoping to build a catamaran which folds in half! It will be 2.4 meters in length and 1.6 wide with a simple paddle wheel mounted just in front of the mid point. The aim is to be able to use a small sail for sail assistance in a pedal powered boat. Weight will be around 50 kg so it could be carried on top of a car but I live near enough to the water to pull it from home on wheels as I do with my first boat. I'll follow your development with interest.
In the first incarnation of my drive system on the first boat I tried a vertically activated fishtail. It was OK on the down stroke but on the up stroke it just bobbed the hull into the water. If I built something like the Hobie Eclipse I'd try a linkage driven vertical fishtail working right under the pilot which should prevent the bobbing problem. A shaped sheet of PIR foam sandwiched between 2 sheets of plywood or aluminium for the paddleboard part and you're in business. Boat building is one of the most fun things I've done.
Here's a blog post about my boat https://mountainbiker.online/2021/10/21/returning-after-a-cold/

 

I'm hoping to build a catamaran which folds in half! It will be 2.4 meters in length and 1.6 wide with a simple paddle wheel mounted just in front of the mid point. The aim is to be able to use a small sail for sail assistance in a pedal powered boat. Weight will be around 50 kg so it could be carried on top of a car but I live near enough to the water to pull it from home on wheels as I do with my first boat.

Why did you choose these dimensions?

I'm thinking about making my boat to be a dinghy but don't really know the rules of thumb for dinghys. Or even parking etiquette for that matter! Some reason I'm thinking other dinghy owners aren't gonna want my bike powered dingy to poke holes in theirs

Gf n i spent our 1st night on a sailboat last night in Miami. I loved it.

 

Why couldn't I figure out the metric system growing up

 

Most my boating experience has been freshwater Minnesota land of 10,000 lakes. Not salt water Miami land of 10,000 dinghys & one dock ha

 

My dimensions are based on the size of sheets of aluminium or plywood which are usually 8' X 4'. My dinghy used a single 2,500mm X 1,200 mm aluminium sheet with a plywood transom so it's a tiny bit bigger than 8X 4. Aluminium is soft so easy to work. Apart from the transom it only has one seam at the bow which could possibly leak. Of course it only has the volume for one person but if you joined 2 sheets together it would be easy enough to make a 2 seater. A pedal boat has just gone out of production in the UK where you sit facing each other whilst you pedal, which might suit you. Dad's Boats | Hand Crafted Pedal Boats https://www.dadsboats.com/ The business is up for sale if you fancy it!

 

Looks like they've got some really good stuff!

One of their props. Really beautiful.

Plus if gf n i were facing i could make sure she's doing her fair share lol

My skillset nowhere needed to keep up with their designs. Think I'll put myself at risk 1st before making anyone else go swimming!

 

How would it fold in half? Sounds handy.

My brain still thinking about twisted chain.

Illinois taking about 3 months to license boats. July like to have something besides my canoe put together to head to Wisconsin/Minnesota.

I bought this sail cheap before reading reviews. Reviews not so good but for under $20 worth the being able to study it.

Cheap sail material? I've got a few blue tarps free from harbor freight over here. Plus another shower curtain that is clear. Maybe glue sew the mess together & then cheap mast. Thinking only way to right boat i have in mind would be to get it to shore & then bikes would be hanging into the mud in river. Probably best not to flip it to start.