Comments on: The pedal drive is here

By: Emery

Emery — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:23:01 +0000

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?

By: abonnema

abonnema — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:38:07 +0000

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.

By: Keith Kropf

Keith Kropf — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:39:42 +0000

"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

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:28:29 +0000

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