I took my boat out again yesterday and lost about 10 % of my speed compared to my last trip. So how can this be progress? I’d hoped that by raising the paddlewheel, which propels the boat forwards, I could reduce inefficiency caused by drag of the paddles in the water, whilst still retaining sufficient drive. The 2 cm higher paddlewheel did seem to cause a little less splashing, allowed me to turn the pedals a little quicker but lost me speed. I can analyse my progress in detail with the app. Strava, set in Canoe mode. Strava have neglected to include a Pedal Powered Catamaran category, so far. So slowing down represents progress because I now know which direction I’m going in.
I’ve added a new chain retention device which moves up and down with the paddlewheel, to make any future adjustments easier, rather than having to weld it in a different position each time. There’s no manual for this. Everything has to be worked out from first principals. Next time I hope to be able to cruise at the kind of speed I’ll be happy with. I also now have enough clearance to move my paddles out by 1 cm each, increasing the diameter by 2 cm. This is something to test in the final tweeking of the boat. I’ll then be happy to paint the metalwork which redevelopment has added. After this I still have to try to add sail power, which I’m very much looking forwards to. I managed a short on board video, just to prove that it can move!
Mountainbiker 