My patent covers a dual propulsion steering and control system. It’s basically two trolling motors mounted midship and on each side of the boat. Using a foot control, thrust is varied on each side to manage forward, reverse, speed and turning maneuvers . . . similar to a zero turn lawnmower.
Fishermen immediately saw the advantage and saturated my email and phone. Key to them was the ability to face downstream and hover in a river, then quick maneuvering around rocks and debris. To do this they needed a strong reverse mode with steering.
All modern props have a convex front surface like an airplane wing. It creates lower pressure so the prop sucks its way forward in addition to the pitch. The winglets keep the thrust going aft instead of rolling off the end of the prop. The creates the same effect of the tunnel of tube that some try to use to increase thrust . . . like on a jet engine. The downside to the winglets is they make reverse direction noisy and ineffective.
At lower speeds (under 20 mph) the tunnel or tube creates more drag than thrust. Think of it like a paddle. In a canoe of kayak, you rely on the water resistance on the wide blade of the paddle and actually push the boat forward with your torso. In high speed boats, the thrust from the prop is relying on the resistance of the still water behind it . . . and thus the prop, motor, and boat moves forward. To blend these two methods of thrust, we reverted back to the technology before props . . . augers! The continuous screw (about 3 revolutions) provides the grip of the paddle blade and some of the advantages of the prop. Without the convex shape on the leading side, it works equally well in reverse.
The downside is that it is not near as efficient as the prop.
John zimmerlee
John.zimmerlee@gmail.com
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