Here is a nifty little animation I whipped up showing the computer model of WiTHiN blending into the actual boat in my shop.
And the big news for the week is the drive leg is here! MitrPak built it and they did an awesome job! The ‘T’ gear box at the top has a Shimano crank axle which turns a stainless shaft which will run through a tube that connects to the lower ‘L’ gear box which will turn the prop. The entire drive shaft tube and gear boxes will be filled up with oil and the higher head pressure will keep the corrosive sea water out.
I am happy to say that Ben Eadie is back to help out with construction for a while. The above shot is Ken de-coring the portlight cutout edges. This slot is filled with an epoxy / micro-fiber mix and then covered with carbon.
The image above shows the seat panels now carbon taped into position. The round hatch below the arm rest is for dry storage.
The above illustration is a cut-away view of WiTHiN showing the cockpit, supplies, cabin and a new removable wind generator. My boat equipment guy Glenn Mulhare from Mariner Parts and I are having difficulty finding enough power with flexible solar panels to power all of the electronics, so we have decided to mount a removable wind generator for when the batteries need charging, and wind conditions are right. I can’t leave this up all the time because it would cause far too much drag in head-wind conditions. However, if I am stopped for the night, and have a sea anchor out, I should be able to charge the batteries overnight as I sleep.
Anonymous on June 30, 2009
Of course, if you have a tail wind, the more drag the better.
Do you sit on a cushion, or some kind of stretched mesh? A cushion seems uncomfortable on a hot day with limited ventilation.
Peter Raymond
Keith Kropf on June 30, 2009
"The entire drive shaft tube and gear boxes will be filled up with oil and the higher head pressure will keep the corrosive sea water out"
Hmmm…. what happens if a seal starts leaking – do you have some way to add oil? Those seals are very critical – the sea is full of floating plastic and creatures. Any little bit of rope, fishing line, fiberous plastic or gremlin will try to wrap around a shaft and crawl into seals. Don't want to hear that a seal ended your adventure!
Keith Kropf
Key Largo
abonnema on July 1, 2009
When you stop for the night, anchor out, how about the larger seaboats that must be traveling day and night?
I heard someone say the seas are quite busy nowadays, and it is not safe to use autopilot, at least in these areas (North Sea, UK to NL).
Is that a risk? Or did you figure that one out already?
Guus Bonnema, Leiden.
Emery on July 6, 2009
It's great to see such progress on the WiTHiN. What a beautiful boat, it looks fast. I was thinking about the keel with regards to seaweed, kelp and other flotsam and jetsam. Sailboats usually rake back the keel to make it weedless. If you have a weed buildup, can it be easily identified and cleared?