Do you think a model sailboat weighing under 22 pounds(10kg.)
could be designed ,built and carry out an 8000 mile voyage across the Pacific totaly unaided?
Check out this site:
http://www.amyrc.org/index.htm
edt:crct url
Doug Lord
–High Technology Sailing/Racing
easy, just find somebody who works with general dynamics, and borrow a guidance system of a tomahawk cruise missle, shoehorn it in the hull,and there you go, a fully autonomous setup
My dear friend lorsail!
It’s an idea discussed here in Gothenburg, regarding the Volvo Ocean Race for rc. As I mentioned about a month ago here in R/C Sailing. Impact considerations with other rc and/or ships strongly limits the size, 10kg as you mentioned probably is the upper limit. Just imagine the rc-fleet of 100-200 entering one of the ports in the Volvo Ocean Race! Again, the GPS-system must be calibrated for rc. Moreover, some kind of tender boat system for service of the rc must be developed. Robustness of the designs must be improved. What a possibilty for advertising and massmedia!
Regards,
Booster
A few years ago a couple of guys from Princeton University put a first generation “autonomous” system on one of my 68" tri’s. The weight was around 10 lbs. then which means it could be lighter now.
For such a long trip there would be many other considerations and I think the weight limit is too light for now…But could a boat be built to do it? Definitely…
Doug Lord
–High Technology Sailing/Racing
My dear friend lorsail!
Yes, a non-monohull approach is probably a must for the Volvo Ocean Race for rc (or similar). In order to keep massmedia interested each leg of the race shouldn’t take longer than say 3-4 times that of a ordinary monohull Volvo Ocean Racer.
Regards,
Booster
I have sent a couple to Tahiti from Hawaii going down wind with the trades with no support. Just tie down sheets and keep checking then let it go. The winds and waves should have taken it there. I had friends there at the time and they were going to look for it on their way back. No way they would have seen it.We watched it for a few miles and it was right on course but if we got 1/2 mile away we couldn’t see it.They said it would never had made it because sharks hit anything that moves on the surface. They caught quite a few fish but the sharks ate most before they could reel them in. The first fish they caught the shark came right on the boat to get it. The diving access platform on the back. I have seen pictures of a shark chasing a model maybe AMYA.
Hoj!
Well, what can we say about the sharks lorsail? I don’t think the sharks are any threat to present technology. Just use a search engine like Google. Test the seach words sharks and nose, or sharks and sense. I get about 70.000 search results in the first case and 180.000 in the latter. It would be an easy task to install a shark-protector based of any of the technologies discussed on the web-sites found in Google. Especially, when GPS already is at hand. Not mentioning the chemical dosing possibilities…
Regards,
Booster
I just saw a thing on TV where they put low voltage electrodes on divers and when they turned them on the sharks took of like they’ed been stung.
Thanks
Don
Vancouver Island
Did you know that they’ve crossed the Atlantic with a model airplaqne? No GPS! Planned perfectly, the thing went across and landed in England somewhere.
My dear friends lorsail et al!
Living in Gothenburg, Sweden, the hometown of Volvo I feel some pressure to do something. To pull some strings regarding a Volvo Ocean Race for rc. However, I must admit that my number of strings are very limited. Here you have to help me. We must have a action plan. How sould I act?
Regards,
Booster
My dear friends lorsail et al!
Using Google on “Volvo Ocen Race” and r/c yachts or rc yachts I get 15 results in first case, and 156 in the latter. There is a lot going on here! Let’s say we sail every other leg in the Volvo Ocean Race. And transport the rc-yacht to the Volvo Ocean Race ports we don’t enter by sailing. By such tactics we can probably start a new leg at the same day as the ordinary Volvo Ocean Racers. We can benefit from the organization present. And the mass-media support. Not mentioning other possibilities, like Volvo Ocean Race groupies…
Regards,
Booster
What an amazing boat this is going to be [:-bigeyes]!!
So far it has got GPS,low-voltage shark repellent,anti-shark chemical warfare systems,if it is to avoid impact with other r/c and or ships it will need radar/sonar.As the normal 2100aH batteries won’t last past the first hour or so driving all that electronic gear and the extra servos/winches needed, what about solar energy panels etc but then you’d need a lot of storage capacity to get through the night, so maybe nuclear power plant?[:-bulb]
This is going to fit into a boat weighing 22lbs?[:-dunce]
I’ve got the answer to all these problems and it will get your boat all the way at about the same time as it takes any one of the 60 footers, down under we call it a tow-rope.[}:)]
I’ve learned, That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
(what am I doing here?)lol
Hey, booster, you pulling our legs or is this serious, we were talking about this not so long ago. I practically designed a boat for this kinda thing!
Luff 'em & leave 'em.
My dear friends lorsail, lingley et al!
Koala obiously havn’t heard about solar panels. Moreover, the tender boats system can provide change of batteries. Perhaps the time is running out for the present Volvo Ocen Race. The planning will take some time, as well as the funding/sponsors. I don’t think I am pulling someones leg.
Regards,
Booster
The “shark attack” picture is probably the one that Euan Sarginson took when he sailed an A Class “Highlander” across Cook Strait. Terrific shot, will be on display at the Museum of Yachting in Newport.
Many long distance runs were made in the free-sail era, including at least two to Catalina Island. There was a discussion at the time of the 1939 World’s Fair at Treasure Island of attempting to sail an A Class boat across the Pacific but it was not done.
Power requirements should be negligible if a good self-tacking vane is used for the bulk of the steering and motors cut in just to tack or make general course correction by adjusting the vane. This would enable it to navigate like a sailboat should, which is to set course relative to the wind and not act like a powerboat and steer straight for the waypoint.
My guess is that if you ran the numbers a simple aeromotor setup could keep the batteries up with minimal aerodynamic drag. I’m skeptical of solar just because I don’t think the area’s there (unless maybe you use a wing sail and put the cells on that).
Cheers,
Earl
How quickly did the subject change ! It went from an actual cross Pacific challenge to be sailed in June of this year to a r/c version of the Volvo race.
It seems that not many have looked at the AMYRC link Doug included in his first post.There are quite specific rules to follow that mean some of the suggestions made are not allowed/feasible.Eg, no human assistance once the craft is launched–rules out battery changes.Has to have an Argus satellite Tracking system.This is an interesting one, can be submerged some or all of the time [:-snorkel]and can fly up to 50% of the time.[:-angel]
Have a look at the site,[:-bigeyes] there are some great photo’s, you guys into multihulls would be interested in the cocacola class trimaran and also the one which sails fastest directly into the wind.
There are also some interesting comments about the use of solar panels/night time/battery recycling etc.[:-star]
Regards,
Ross [:-disguise]
I’ve learned, That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
(what am I doing here?)lol
PS. Another thought, how many of you prefer to sail in salt water rahther than fresh, and why?
When you consider that these boats are going to be at sea for maybe 6 months (or forever ) then you might expect to find problems with electrolysis,salt corrosion,caked on salt affecting sails,weight of boat,pulleys,winches,coating solar panels and reducing their efficiency etc etc.
My dear friends lorsail et al!
We need some support from you here lorsail. Do you have any vision about the subject? Regarding the about 10kg restriction Koala mentioned as somewhat of an Achilles heel of the project. I am working in the car-industry with strength and fatigue analysis. As you probably know the cars are designed with deformations zones that absorb energy during a crash/accident. If the rc is provided with similar crush-zones the 10kg restriction can be avoided. Primarely the bow can be designed with such zones. The zone does not need to provide structural integrity/stiffness to the rc. Naturally it must be designed according to wave-loads and silimilar… Lets say that primarely the region in front of the for-stay (or in case of multi hulls each “bow”) must be designed with such zone(s). The tender boat sytem can provide new loose-bows in case of accident/collision. Thus, some kind of “bajonett” bow should be developed. An extended version to the bumpers of cars which is relatively easily to mount/dismount.
Regards,
Booster
the volvo ocean 60’s are fitted with a device called sacrificial bows, made out of “soft” materials and designed to deform or as mr. booster has said, absorb the energy, instead of caving in.this part can be easily built up after. a fine example was when team seb hit the gunwhale of the illbruck challenge during the last volvo ocean race. illbruck challenge had to carry out repairs at sea while team seb had to continue sailing but with reduced performance.repairs where carried out upon reaching port of the leg in time for the next leg
My dear friends lorsail, Morales et al!
Very good Morales. However, I don’t think Illbruck was to happy about the accident. I think the sacrificial bow of SEB was a pilot study! We shall not forget the sacrificial stern in case of shark attacs. As an alternative to electrods and chemicals a “bajonett” stern can be provided by the tender boat system. The bajonett stern can be filled with something that disturbs the shark’s digestion (but not kill the shark). If the sharks show some kind of intellegence they will soon learn to avoid our rc’s. Lorsail, I need your support here!
Regards,
Booster
the bow was designed as a protection against growlers,whales, sunfish, 40 foot containers etc. floating beneath the surface