Sneak preview & some speed calculations
2 Comments Published by Adventures of Greg on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 5:34 PM.
I drove WiTHiN to the car wash today and pressure-sprayed her clean. She got pretty dirty from the long drive home from Vancouver Island. To top that off, it's been snowing here non-stop since we got back on Thursday night. I wish I had taken a photo of the boat on the trailer in my driveway with about 12" of snow piled high on the deck. Something just not right about that...
I am planning another trip out to Tofino for more fun in the ocean swells. But first, I'm going to make a few changes:
1. I am adding a ballasted keel to WiTHiN. From the sea trials last week, I realized that WiTHiN needs more rolling stability when the waves are all mixed up like they were the first day we had her out. A 3 foot narrow tube with a bulb containing anywhere from 40 to 100 lbs of weight in it will lower the center of gravity and increase the length of the moment arm. This should really help the boat stay vertical, even when sitting on a 'slanted' slab of water. This is what keeps sail boats from rocking right to left constantly. We were going to build the ocean crossing version of WiTHiN with a ballasted keel rather than outrigger anyhow, but I really need to test out how effective this keel will be in keeping WiTHiN stable enough to stand in, and not rolling around like she does now.
2. I am covering over that useless PETG window and inserting an opening port light window. This will be glass and will be inserted as close to vertical as I can get it. I will also be able to open it up for better venting, or to see in case it gets fogged up.
For the next sea trials, I would really like to get into some seriously windy conditions and I would also like to experience some larger swells. The plan is to go out with a support boat again for safety, and simply head west for a few hours. This should take me a good 20 km from shore. Then turn around and head back. I think two or three days of doing this will teach me quite a bit and will be great training.
Rick Willoughby and I have been incorporating what I learned from the sea trials last week into a design for the ocean version of WiTHiN. Here is a sneak preview:
The new ocean crossing boat will sport a sliding canopy top for fresh air. There will be a small window in the stern cabin so I can watch for traffic.
The stern sleeping cabin will be larger and taller which will allow me to sit up. The cockpit will be a 'wet area' which means that if a wave were to wash in, the bilge pump would kick in and drain it. The area behind my seat holds the water maker, para-anchor and water container. The gunwale compartments are also water tight and will hold a few days worth of food, and my various electronics.
The stern cabin is sealed off from the cockpit by a bulkhead with a hatch. I can enter the stern cabin through the hatch with the retracting canopy partially closed which should act as an awning protecting the cabin from water splashing in. The Bow compartment will hold spare parts, 50 days worth of food, tools, etc.
The new boat will be 30 feet long - check out the difference in size compared to the prototype. Because ocean WiTHiN will utilize a better hull shape, we expect the speed to be about 8 kph on 100 watts average daily power.
Here are my rough initial speed calculations:
La Gomera, Spain to Antigua = 4500 km
Ocean Surface Current = .8 kph x 24 hours/day = 19.2 km/day x 40 days = 768 km
Check out Chris Martin's most excellent analysis of the ocean currents for Dec/Jan/Feb months from the Canary Islands to the West Indies.
Here are my rough initial speed calculations:
La Gomera, Spain to Antigua = 4500 km
Ocean Surface Current = .8 kph x 24 hours/day = 19.2 km/day x 40 days = 768 km
Check out Chris Martin's most excellent analysis of the ocean currents for Dec/Jan/Feb months from the Canary Islands to the West Indies.
12 hours of pedalling per day @ 100 watts, 8 kph = 96 km/day x 40 days = 3840
Total = 40 days (new crossing record), 4608 km
NOTE: this does not take into consideration the pushing effect of the trade winds which blow from East to West. I am looking into what the averages are, and how they could effect a vessel like WiTHiN on the Atlantic ocean.
Total = 40 days (new crossing record), 4608 km
NOTE: this does not take into consideration the pushing effect of the trade winds which blow from East to West. I am looking into what the averages are, and how they could effect a vessel like WiTHiN on the Atlantic ocean.
I would like to finish today's blog by saying thanks again to everyone who has supported this endeavour by becoming a sponsor. We have sold a few logos on the boat for $250 and a whole pile of individual names/T-shirts for $100. I have a long way to go still, but TOGETHER, WE will get there!!
Why don't you think about a holiday in the Canary Islands for next December, or even better - Antigua for a HUGE PARTY next February!
Why don't you think about a holiday in the Canary Islands for next December, or even better - Antigua for a HUGE PARTY next February!
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Support Greg's quest to become the
fastest human to cross the Atlantic ocean
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Labels: boatbuilding, expedition
Love the stuff so far Greg.
Just a thought...
what would the disadvantage be of extending the rear part of the canopy about 2 more feet rearward beside adding some slight windage. It would give you even a bit more room in the rear.
The main reason to do this though would be so you could add a rear port(as u suggest) as well as two side ports that would not get covered by the front canopy when it is open. This would increase your visibility and ventalation when in the rear but still allow the front canopy open if you get some calmer hot days.
Cheers,
Paul Bell
Love the Ocean Going Within, even if it does look like a submarine. Interesting that you're thinking of abandonnning the outriggers after all.
But to stick my two-penny-worth in like Paul, I'm wondering about the disadvantages of extending the canopy in terms of windage, but I'm wondering about extending it further fowards as well as back, so that you have the ability to get to your stores section without having to clamber out of the pedalling station and over the front fixed part of the canopy.
I'm thinking about this in relation to other ocean going HPBoats where the "deck" is often upturned boat shaped.
Obvious problems would be if it was clear there could be distortion, but I'm sure you'll be able to say from your sea-trials how much use it was to actually be able to see forwards and what you could or couldn't see in swell.