[Electric Boats] Re: Electric Sternwheeler

Thanks for the info. I have been thinking of building the "Showboat" (
http://www.polysail.com/Showboat.htm ) and instead of human power or
small gas engine, using solar electric. Still researching the best way
to go about it. Next step is building a working model - which may be
the only one I build - to wring out the details.

I love sternwheelers and at my age (73) about all I need is one this
size. It could be trailerable and it would be great puttering around on
the Scioto or Olentangy rivers. (I live between the two.)

Mickey

> Re: Electric Sternwheeler
> Posted by: "danbollinger" no_reply@yahoogroups.com   danbollinger
>
> Sat Mar 5, 2011 3:32 am (PST)
>
>
> I investigated paddlewheel drives for small boats because of my shoal
> waters. I made a working prototype that I installed on a 12' john
> boat. It was a single wheel stern drive, 3' wide and 4' diameter with
> feathering floats (blades). I also put the wheel in a tow tank. Some
> highlights:
>
> Feathered wheels add about 15% efficiency.
> Small sternwheel boats suffer GREATLY from changes in trim.
> Paddlewheels are MORE efficient than props when the speeds are slow
> and the boat is heavy.
>
> Take a close look at the New Era sternwheeler. The slip seems just
> right to me, which means he put the right wheel(s) on the right boat.
> This is just as tricky as putting the right diameter and pitch prop on
> a boat.
>
> The boat is long. This helps with trim. However, you can see that if
> some of the crew were to walk fore or aft, the boat would change trim,
> which would mean adjusting the depth of the wheels to maintain
> efficiency. I would say that his boat is about the smallest that you
> could make that would be practical.
>
> My conclusion was that to make a practical sternwheeler it would need
> to be at least 24' long, narrow, and have twin feathering wheels with
> electric trim.
>
> Remember the television show Junkyard Wars? They did a paddlewheel
> challenge at my request. We wanted to do a tug-of-war, but decided it
> was too dangerous. I would have been the "expert", but I had built a
> working paddlewhee, so I helped them find another fellow.
>
> Dan
>
> --- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, "qc_ca_666" <qc_ca_666@...>
> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > Hi all!
> >
> > "New Era" is solar-powered paddlewheel boat.
> >
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLOYfdJ0DGU
> > http://www.spanglefish.com/newera/
> >
> > I hope it helps.
> >
> > All yours,
> >
> > Pierre
> >

_________________
Mickey E. Sadler
Dublin, Ohio