crossing the atlantic....pedal boat???

[justinclay]

bored at work and youtubing i came across a man who has built a boat to cross the ocean via pedal power. Extremely intrigued i started googling and i came across Nauticrafts pedal boats in which one older gentleman pedaled their escapade model 60 miles in 14 hours. Right around 4 miles per hour......im impressed. It was the english channel he crossed.

 

[portager]

Interesting boats, but not my idea of a passagemaker. I think a pedal powered sailing dinghy would be interesting, especially in areas with fickle winds.

I like the Hobie Cat mirage series Hobie Cat Company : Manufacturer of Kayaks, Sailboats, and Catamarans : Hobie Cat Company their fin power looks very efficient.

 

[justinclay]

def not a passagemaker, and im not portraying it to be. Just saying for a pedal boat its def a nice pleasurecraft ya know?

 

[justinclay]

I dont like the fin set-up. I prefer a propeller.

 

[portager]

The propeller drive is more efficient than fins (if the propeller is large enough in diameter) but the main advantage of the Hobie is they have an inflatable Kayak with fin drive. I haven't found any other pedal powered inflatable yet. Another advantage is you can deflect the fins to either side for minimum draft.

The Native Watercraft Mariner 12.5 Propel Angler Mariner 12.5 Propel Angler looks nice, but it is going to be harder to stow. I'd really like an inflatable.

 

[justinclay]

ive been looking for smaller watercraft for the ol lady my daughtsr and i to monkey around in. Inflatables make me nervous i guess. Is the material pretty tough? Obviously ramming into something is never good but say, skidding on a creek bed or rubbing.a rock sticking up.from the bottom....ect that kinda thing. Able to take it?

 

[justinclay]

that mariner propel aint a bad damn setup tho. I like that.

 

[portager]

The inflatables make of hypalon (don't know what Hobie uses) tend to be very durable. They will hold up to quite a bit of abuse and they are very stable and sea worthy. Most tenders now days are inflatable for these reasons plus they are their own fender.

However, if you plan to do much fishing. Fish spines have been known to puncture inflatables from time to time. This isn't disastrous because most inflatable boats have multiple compartments, the air takes a long time to escape and you can add air faster than it leaks. But patching inflatables is an additional effort. If weight were the same and I'm going fishing I'd choose the rigid hull. So maybe the Mariner Propel Angler? Hmm ...