« Random indoor pics | Main | White Rock Lake -- Trimaran boat testing »
July 01, 2007
Trimaran pool test #1
First watercraft -- catamaran -- fell apart and sank in the pool.
After redesign to a trimaran, I finally got a craft that floated well and was stable enough for me to paddle around the pool for an hour.
Here's a short video of my paddling session in the HOA's pool:
I fixed some leaks. I tried to further reduce weight (from 26 lbs) and also tried to move the outriggers further back to give me room to paddle, but that didn't work. I took the modified version to White Rock Lake (the perimeter roads of which were infested with bicyclists, making driving around them a real pain. arggh!). The outriggers weren't sturdy enough, which I could tell as soon as I tried sitting on the craft in the boat-launch area, so I didn't bother trying to paddle anywhere and simply packed up and went home. I dunno what's in the water, but it certainly made me smell funny afterwards. I think I've fixed the outriggers, but I'll have to try it in the pool first before taking it to the lake again.
I think I've got the weight down to a mere 20 lbs. When I'm done (need to add some kind of a seat), it'll probably weigh 25 or 26 lbs again, but maybe this time those few extra pounds will be worth it.
Posted by will at July 1, 2007 11:54 PM