Tuesday 25 June 2013

Another Mirage Drive Boat

There were two boats powered by Hobie Mirage turtle-flapper drives on the HBBR Raid this year, but unfortunately Paul Smithson could only bring his boat as far as Mapledurham before turning back to the wonderful world of work.
A few years ago boatbuilder-turned-furniture-designer Paul made an interesting waggling rudder to power his boat, but this had the disadvantage that you couldn't steer the boat at the same time.
Now he has returned to the 'human-powered outboard' idea by hanging a Mirage drive out the back. The drive is mounted where the rudder would normally be and linked by ropes to pedals in the cockpit. No big hole in the hull, then.
Steering is by a push-pull rod. It works very well.
The workmanship is amazing, and all in wood though it looks exactly as though he had made metal castings. 
The hull is John Welsford's Walkabout design, with an extra strake to increase the freeboard and no decks.

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