Long tail drive on steroids

As my riverboat nears completion, I will post photos of the long tail drive for your amusement. She will be driven with a Cat diesel, Velvet drive 2:1 transmission, with a calculated 9 knot top speed and 6 knots cruise at 2.5 GPH. Michigan Wheel supplied the prop, a 22" four blade bronze.

This vessel has been discussed on other threads, and the help from board members has been of incalculable value. Thank you.

 

Its great to see ingenuity and engineering skills on boat design, thank you for sharing your project.

 

How are planning to cool the engine?

 

Cooling the engine

The engine has a radiator with fan and all necessary equipment to cool itself. The vessel does have a second and uncommitted keel cooler which was installed for unknowns and/ or design expansions. But as long as the existing equipment performs, I'm sticking with that.

Do you have differing ideas? I am only armed with ignorance. Knowing nothing about boats, this is all new and beautiful to me.

Please advise.

Ryland

 

That's your ingenuity advantage "Knowing nothing about boats" and not stuck with conventional thinking.

 

Holy catfish Batman. That is some rig. I love it when someone does something way out of the mainstream of thought like this project.

You must have a special reason for using the longtail method. Will there be a hydraulic lift and steering system?

 

Longtail

I started this vessel with a stern wheel in mind. But after examining the efficiency problems, redesigned to include the long tail. Also, this vessel is a river boat for protected waters which by nature includes shallow waters at times and water-borne hazards such as logs and other debris. The long tail lends itself well to these conditions. I'm using the adult-sized helm pump from Vetus for steering. There will be an air lifting system for withdrawing the drive from the water as well as an emergency mushroom button at the helm which will lift the drive, idle the engine and switch the transmission to neutral when the pilot observes a hazard in the water ahead.

Thanks for your interest and kind words.

Ryland

 

What were the efficiency problems with the sternwheel?

 

Sternwheel

Without a finite analysis regarding the stern wheel, I viewed the weight of the wheel, the size required to be even remotely efficient to be less than a reasonable application for my vessel. The shrouding for splash and spray control were a factor, too. I looked into articulating the paddles with a cyclic control not dissimilar to a helicopter rotor.....and it just got to be too much. Add to that vulnerability of the wheel to logs in the rivers and I thought the long tail would be more suitable. Also, I like the concept of being able to remove the drive from the water when not in use. It will swing around and park on the side of the deck for maintenance.

What are your thoughts?

Ryland

 

Because you are a machine gun manufacturer it may of had some thought influences of anti aircraft machine gun platforms into your design.

 

They are a lot of weight hanging way off the back end where there is no flotation, they are big and clumsy and steering is not good, especially without speed built up for the rudders. Wooden paddles that sit in the water not turning get waterlogged and upset any balance the wheel has. They are vulnerable to cannon fire. I like that it's one of the few propulsion systems someone can build with junk laying around and repair with standard items found everywhere.