Appliances
With the our commitment to Zero fossil fuel sailing we have been having to review and update our initial Solar plan. Designing our Solar Arch has been part of that. The traditional "passive" approach to solar is not going to work for us. By that I mean the
Electric
Progress on the Electric motor frame is very visible now. We have both end plates finished enough to fit them (loosely) to the motor and put the propeller extension shaft in. As the pulley on the propeller extension shaft extends below the frame I tipped the whole thing on it&
Electric
So on holiday this week but still at home. Very much trying not to take risks or push boundaries of the rules. So today Jane has finished another Saloon backrest: We have also been making more motor progress. Working on 2 frame back plates, I finished drilling the end stop
Electric
I'm really pleased with where we have reached today. I took the plunge and started the other panels for the motor frame. Both the front and back panels are made up of 2x 3mm panels as I couldn't find 6mm sheet stainless steel. Turns out that
Electric
The front panel is coming along nicely. We have been able to check the positioning of the lower pulley and start the preparation for fitting the shaft that will connect to the propeller. Here is the front panel resting on top of the motor. All the bolts fit in the
Electric
We have got to use the new Dremel, it turns out that Jane manages to cut about 10x as much as me with each cutting disc. This is the first of two identical front panels. It needs 5 slots cutting in it (4 for motor bolts, 1 for the motor
Motor
Just got a new toy to help with the electric motor frame. A cordless Dremmel to cut and smooth the slots needed in the stainless steel. More cutting blades on order. Seems a popular "essential" tool according to a number of sites.
Motor
After a very slow start trying to drill through 5mm thick Stainless Steel I'm making better progress now. Still taking it very slowly to try to avoid mistakes. In these images you can see one of two Stainless steel sheets used for the front of the motor. I
Dinghy
I've been quiet on here during the COVID-19 pandemic so far. More urgent priorities and has seemed inappropriate when so many have been dying, ill or struggling in other ways. However, some countries are now starting to move beyond lockdowns and it now seems more appropriate to focus
Electric
So we came to the boat late last night to spend time off with plenty of Social Distance. Didn't come within 50 metres of anyone last night (apart from those in other cars). Today we spoke to Richard working on the boat next to us in a howling
Environmental
One of the most visible conflicts when aiming for Sustainability in almost any area, is between it and Speed. The obvious starting place is speed in terms of moving fast, where the sustainability cost is clear and huge. Speed never comes free. All forms of transport require significantly more energy
Electric
So we have the main components for the reduction gears for our electric motor. Note that in the picture the items are laid out on their side, in reality the electric motor will be above the reduction box shaft. On the left is a sheet of paper representing the electric