Focus

So, I was walking with a co-worker tonight and she asked about races and so on.
I mentioned the 340, and then had to explain what I was doing.

I had to wonder if everyone understands.  So, I am writing this in the hope that it clarifies my purpose.  If you have it already, then I guess you should skip this and check out Community Channel on Youtube.

She asked, "So what makes your boat different?"

That is tough.
There are pedal-powered boats out there.  You could buy one right now.  But mine is different, and it is different for a reason.  In a word, I would say my boat is different because of regulation.  Sanctioned races in boating are very much like sanctioned races in cycling: there are classes which govern what equipment can be used.  As a result, many areas where efficiency could be improved or innovations could be found, are discarded to maintain purity.

I don't want to get into a debate over the merits of this.  I agree with both sides of the argument, but it must be conceded that innovation suffers when industry is driven by the regulations set by official race governance.  Look into Obree or the history of recumbent bicycles for proof.  Nascar is a perfect example.  And what it all means is that the previous attempts at making a better design have been stifled through lack of funds or misdirection.  The entities which could develop a better, faster machine were not going to waste resources on an endeavor which would not yield official titles.

The 340 is different.  It's open and makes no distinction beyond the basic method: it has to be human powered and you will be classed by propulsion (solo, tandem, team, sex, and pedal).  The overall winner is still the overall winner.  And, at the end of the day, this is the longest non-stop river race in the world.

Let's be clear: there is no sense of national fame for the winner.  Most people don't know this race exists.  I, however, am not compelled by sales of models of my boat.  I am not in the business of selling boats.  I am in the business of solving problems.  And I think that the lack of innovation in pedal powered water craft is a problem.

Now, I am not the smartest guy on the planet.  I have my moments, and I am smarter than average, but I didn't invent anything for this boat.  Everything I am doing has already been used.  The innovation is that the technology has not been applied this way.  That is what makes the whole thing new.  Innovation is not the process of invention, but rather the application of what is known in a way which is new.  My boat design is a conglomeration of bicycles, air craft, old automobiles, racing hulls, and basic mechanisms which Newton refined.

What I hope for is not so much a patent as the creative application and combination of what is already there.  If my theories are correct- and I haven't done the math- and my body is properly conditioned, I will get my proof.  Not so much a prototype as a proof of concept.  Victory will mean an advancement in what is possible, and a validation of everyone who tinkers over problems which will net no profit.  And that, to me, is of infinite value.

Clear?

I'm still here

It's been a little while, but I have been working.

As I write this, the clock reads 97:12:30:57...... 56.....55.... you get the idea.  The deadline approaches and I still don't have a boat.  But, I do have materials and some drawings and some tools.  Most importantly, I have a month with no races to eat up my time.

Here are some of the preliminary drawings (some of you think I haven't been working at all).  I am not going to explain them or anything, so don't get excited.

That may not seem like much, but contained within a few lines are all the dimensions of what I am making.  Some of the lines are just place holders, but most of them have meaning.  It's a sort of step in my process.

So, let's say you're building something, or going to, but it's got a bunch of parts and you don't know what they are or where they are going.  Remember this is not a kit you bought online.  This isn't IKEA.  This is a thing that you can see in your head and it may not exist just yet.  So, how do you go about it?

I start with a drawing.  Sketches and so on.  But it will eventually find it's way into a fairly accurate drawing.  I am using Graphite at the moment, but I used to do it by hand.  Sometimes I draw with paper and a knife.  Doesn't really matter.  What you are after are the parts, so you have to start making something.

The process is that you start with your given.  In this case, I knew the drive shaft size and I could guess at a diameter for the whole thing.  I put those down.  Then I started building parts.  As I went, relationships between parts emerged.  Dimensions had to be decided.  The more I did, the less there were to figure out.  And so, tomorrow night, I will be done with this drawing, and I will separate all the parts out.  Then print, and I have a blueprint.   I may have made a mistake in the theory, but the math will hold up and everything will fit.

I'm off to the house now, but I will post images of what I build.