Would be hamster wheel ocean crosser arrested again

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by mitchgrunes, Sep 6, 2023.

  1. portacruise
    Joined: Jun 2009
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    Location: USA

    portacruise Senior Member

    Sure, records are broken all the time by Gaming the forces of nature. If he gets the prevailing winds and current behind just right, all he has to do is expend a little energy steering.

    The current human powered boat speed record is held by a craft with an air propeller, because judges allowed it to use it's higher profile with a favorable wind boost- even though the competing water propeller craft were faster and the real record holders.
     
    Will Gilmore likes this.

  2. mitchgrunes
    Joined: Jul 2020
    Posts: 298
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    Location: Maryland

    mitchgrunes Senior Member

    I've got it! It can work, with a few minor mods.

    You need to go with the prevailing winds. The entire boat has enough cross section to act somewhat like a sail.

    For steering, mount a bunch of controllable rudders along the outside centerline.

    Then the person only needs to provide enough motion to steer, not to propel. Also, you either have to pick a short enough distance that the person doesn't fall asleep, or you need sea anchors so it doesn't drift to far while he is asleep.

    Or - you inflate one side more than the other. That creates rudder-like resistance on one side.

    A GPS to help him figure out where he is going would help.

    I would place the food, water and maybe first aid containers close to the central axis, so there is less moment of angular momentum.

    Also, you need a motorboat behind you, to rescue you just in case the winds die. The truth is, the lack of that is the biggest deficiency. An available nearby rescue craft can overcome almost any problem short of a major storm.

    And the cookiecutter sharks mentioned in

    Russian around the world inflatable sailing cat ended by shark attacks https://www.boatdesign.net/threads/russian-around-the-world-inflatable-sailing-cat-ended-by-shark-attacks.68385/#post-950837

    An attack by those things on any inflatable might be bad. :)
     
    Will Gilmore likes this.
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