WiTHiN Tour
I've made some pretty decent progress this week in getting WiTHiN offshore ready - not open ocean ready yet, but I'm getting there. Baby steps.
I think she is almost ready for a multi day calm-water cruising trip. A chance for me to learn more about what it will be like to live within WiTHiN for a slightly extended period - cooking, drinking, eating, navigating, cooling, bathroom, entertainment, sleeping, etc, etc.
Here is a quick tour of WiTHiN in her current state (almost finished):
This image shows the port and starboard dorade vents directed fore and aft. The outriggers are retracted and locked into position with lock pins.
I've made some pretty decent progress this week in getting WiTHiN offshore ready - not open ocean ready yet, but I'm getting there. Baby steps.
I think she is almost ready for a multi day calm-water cruising trip. A chance for me to learn more about what it will be like to live within WiTHiN for a slightly extended period - cooking, drinking, eating, navigating, cooling, bathroom, entertainment, sleeping, etc, etc.
Here is a quick tour of WiTHiN in her current state (almost finished):
This is a shot from the cockpit looking out the starboard port light. On the lower left of the photo is one of my rudder controls. It slides on a block of UHMW plastic through an aluminum extrusion and can be locked into place using the wing nut to tension the block against the rail.
To guide the floats into their retracted positions on the deck, I have two guides mounted on the hull at the tip of the float and the stern. When the floats slide up next to the hull, these guides direct the float to 'land' onto a locked and supported position against the deck.
Also visible in the above photo is my hanging headrest. This was Ben's idea and it really works well. My head rest is attached to nylon cable and clipped to two hooks that are screwed into the deck walls. This allows me to unclip one side to gain access to the rear compartment, and to adjust the position of the headrest fore and aft by tightening or loosening the cable. It works perfectly.
Next on the list is to cover the rear walls with aluminum insulation, add a foam mattress to the bed, elastic cord the wood bed down, and cover the cockpit walls with something. I hate looking at the rough Kevlar. I'm thinking of spray gluing some white vinyl onto the interior decking, and something a bit softer for the arm rests (was kayak gunwale perimeter deck, now just arm rests and speaker enclosures, future could be storage). I also need to fasten some netting to the sleeping compartment walls to store stuff.
I would also like to do one more capsize test - this time with the outriggers locked against the hull. WiTHiN should still be capsize proof, but I want to be certain. I would also like to do a capsize test with the outriggers in the EXTENDED position. One of the advantages of being able to retract the outriggers from the cockpit is if she were ever to capsize with the floats extended, I can pull on those two pull-cords to slide the outriggers in which would allow the boat to quickly flip back around to right-side up.
If you saw the first capsize test video:
You might have noticed that quite a bit of water was leaking into WiTHiN from the drive leg bay. This is mostly because the water line on WiTHiN is now much higher than before and we're had to extend the drive leg bay walls to stop the water inside the drive leg bay from over flowing into the boat. The plug is no longer deep enough to displace the water that fills up the bay. We were going to build a new plug, but since this is a prototype, I'm going to take the easy way out and simply seal up the drive leg by adding some silicon around the bottom of the plug on the underside of the hull. The drive leg will be locked into the DOWN position. That's fine because for this prototype, if I have problems with the drive leg, I can just call for help or paddle to shore. I will have emergency paddles on board, and I will be able to extend the outriggers, sit on the nose like a log and paddle using my kayak paddle (something else to test at the next lake test).You might be wondering how I plan on launching WiTHiN with the drive leg locked into it's extended position. I have a new design for a trolley for the trailer which should allow me to launch her all by myself:
And finally, a few minor items for the todo list: Mount the flashlight, mount my knife, mount for the VHF radio (maybe on the instrument bar), a 360 degree white marine light outside somewhere - probably mounted onto the rudder tube, mount a few LED interior lights (I have these LED stick on dome lights), some mounts for cameras, oh, and paint and body work. I think that's about it!
Labels: boatbuilding
Greg & Ben
You have done a fine job of breathing life into a concept. It looks like a real little ship. I hope you find it a secure and comfortable operating platform. It certainly looks the part even without a paint job.
I for one cannot wait for your report from real water.
No doubt it is a bit heavier now but evrything at least looks practical, robust and well thought through. It has been a good learning exoerience.
Keep it going.
Rick W.
You seem to be trying to keep all the functions as simple as possible. Good choice.
Imagine if 50% of your controls failed. Would you still be able to continue? It seems like you would.
Oh, ya, bring along some extra wingnuts.
....And how are you working the food aspect?
Greg forget those Outriggers the Sea will DESTROY them and cause Problems. Use a Stainless Steel Box Keel welded to a form fitting SS outer Skin which Bolts to a Form Fitting Inner SS Foundation.
O = Front on Hull View
_U_ = Box Keel (Obviously Welded).
add Rudders to the 2 Keels and and extend the Horizontal Foundation for added Stability. Good Luck!
I need your email address to send drawings.
profeelgolf@hotmail.com
Greg, it's the first time I guess I've seen Within looking so complete. I was immediately struck by how much less cramped you'd feel day in day out if the top hatch was clear or even just transluscent. Have you thought of something like that? Also are you going to have any portholes in the rear sleeping compartment? Might be nice to have a view out to see what's going on at night, maybe look at the stars as you lay in your bed. Then again it might look like you're laying in state in a boat-shaped coffin.
It's a pity the vents have slightly destroyed her very slippery looks, but I'm sure fairly certain you've already thought of that.
Hi Alex: Any additional windows would contribute to solar heating. I really have to be diligent about keeping the sun out as much as I can. Even as it is, I was working inside WiTHiN yeserday with the top on and the fan going and it was getting fairly warm in there. During the heat of the day with me producing 150 watts to power in there and most of it being dispersed as heat (unfortunately), it will probably get too hot inside. I will need to experiment with additional vening.
Yes - I agree that the Dorade vents look ugly.
gk
Greg, I am forever amazed at your persistence and determination! Glad to see that you are planning a outriggers-extended rollover test- this has been a nagging thought in the back of my mind. If those slender aluminum tubes bend or kink or fold then you could get into a situation where the damaged outrigger is neither fully retracted nor properly extended, which might get dicey in big seas. I am sure you can avoid or solve this problem like you have with all the others!
Greg,
rather than full windows or even portholes in the rear to avoid heat build up, how about a little spy-hole lens, the type mounted and used to see strangers at the door? I don't know if they are waterproofable, but being able to look outside without having to open the hatch makes some sense.
DDeden
Hi Greg,
I think I wrote you a long time ago about the possibility of adding the power of your arms to the mix. But now, pretty late in the game I know, but I just had to offer my two cents.
I was always uneasy about the stability of you cool looking design, so I gave it some thought as to how I would maybe do it.
First, I don’t think of your boat as a kayak any more. I see it as a small, low speed power boat. And, of course, you’re the power. (a one human motor, which appears to be about ¼ hp) When you started thinking about stability and anti-roll possibilities, I got to thinking.
At my harbor (Channel Islands, CA) I see kayaks all the time. They rent Ocean Kayaks which are designed for more stability than an Eskimo type. For good reason. When I take my 29’ twin eng. boat out in the ocean and imagine being in a hull such as your, I am concerned. I believe that you may need stability more than occasionally. And, although you have done a nice job with you telescoping out rigger design, I am concerned about the added complexity and vulnerability to damage from ocean waves and chop.
So, I opened up my “Rhino” 3-D modeling software and roughed out an idea. I think you’ll see what I was trying to do once you see it. I started by overlaying an image of your boat as it is now. Your long, thin hull is great, but I felt it needed more side to side stability, not unlike the kayaks I mentioned. I worked off of that to add outboard hull shapes like “cathedral” hulled power boats. This is an attempt to integrate forms into one simple and straight forward shell. No moving parts and mechanical parts to foul. I can also visualize gaining some elbow room and interior space with this type of form.
I also modeled it with a sliding window. It seemed a good idea to allow for ventilation, as well as ease of ingress, egress. The fixed windshield could be a good grab bar.
If you’re interested in seeing what I came up with, let me know. Just email an address and I’ll send some images. You’re doing, and have done a fantastic job in the HPV area, keep up the great work. Don‘t know where you get the energy.
Steve K
Greg!
Nice job man. I always get amazed about how fast things move around you. I have to say that I am still very concern about the floaters. I think they are going to be more a problem than a solution. I have seen aluminum bars bending pretty easyly, and by the picure you posted, the arm is very long and maybe easy to bend. If it bends, you wont be able to retract nor extend the arm anymore. Well, I am sure this is a minor concern now.
Actually, I wanted to tell you something i saw in a sailboat that can help you with the ventilation problem during the day. I've seen some little exastions (dont know if i spelled right) fans that moves by a little solar panel about 2x2inches. They use it to get the bad smell of the boat's bathroons. I think it is worth a research.
Keep going man!
Yuri/Brazil
Have you considered using fiberglass or carbon fiber with some very minor flex for the outrigger extension tubes? There are issues with telescoping designs when bends, breaks or dents develop. The device effectively becomes disabled maybe even locked in a dangerous configuration. I learned this from failure of the telescopic tubes in my suitcases, which are usually the first thing to go. My oldest suitcase over 20 years uses an inner tube made of stiff plastic composite. It has enough give that you can't break it under severe bends and is self lubricating with some give. So it can still be extended and retracted despite dents and non-linear bends in the outer metal tube. Hope this helps.
Vic