My First Solar Powered Boat Project

[SolarCanoe]

Motor Mount & Steering

I found a nice 8 inch aluminum alloy pulley at a local hardware store. It is meant to be used on a furnace blower. It is very light and I was able to drill out the hub to 1 1/8" with my hole saw. The set screw hole remained intact and I could use a bolt to lock the pulley to the motor shaft. The added leverage of the larger pulley and the use of the bicycle cables made it much easier to turn the motor even with it lifted.

IMG_0414_small.jpg IMG_0415_small.jpg

In the finished product I will replace the tee above the pulley with an elbow. Once I know how long the shaft needs to be I will cut it down and the top end of the shaft will fit in the open end of the elbow. I want to run the wires through the motor mount to keep it as tidy as possible.

In the past I built a peddling canoe with a rudder. The steering rope ran all the way around the the inside of the canoe just bellow the gunwales. Anyone in the canoe could steer. I plan to do something similar with these trolling motor driven canoes. The bicycle cables will allow me to get the lines from the motor(s) in line with the gunwales without using a complicates system of pulleys. In fact I can't imagine any way to keep the steering functional while being able to raise and lower the motor.

One of the primary objectives of this project, above and beyond the implementation of electric motors and solar power, is that the canoe will still be able to be paddled and go into shallow water. With those basic objectives in mind, the motor(s) must be easily raised, canopy and pontoon supports cannot interfere with paddling, and the pontoons on the larger canoe will be retractable so that we can explore narrow waterways.

Now I will have to pack it in for a while and finish some flooring projects I have been putting off for almost 2 years. In a few weeks it will be warm enough to get outside and get back to work on these canoe projects. In the meantime I will do some shopping and get the parts ordered I will need so they will arrive in time for the construction to begin.

[SolarCanoe]

I tried some bicycle brake cables today. They definitely work better than the rope in the polypropylene tubing. However there still seems to be a lot of friction in the motor mount so I will try to reduce that or try a larger diameter pulley.

[inetdog]

I lubricated the motor shaft and put some plastic washers under the top clamp. It turns much easier now. If I stretch the plastic tube out straight I can turn the motor quite easily by pulling on the ropes. If I let the plastic tube curl then I can't pull hard enough to turn the motor. So the problem seems to be the rope in the nylon tubing that does not work as well as I had hoped. Back to the drawing board . . .

I think that your basic problem is that the plastic of tube can deform under local pressure from the rope as well as the friction between the rope and the tubing wall.
Metal tubing (as in the coiled sheath of the bicycle cable) will avoid both problems.
Finding a lubricant that would not damage either rope or tubing and would stay in place could be a large problem. Especially if the rope extends far beyond the tubing at either end and is exposed to weather.
Automobile choke, clutch or throttle cable are other sources, but probably more expensive unless you get them at a scrapyard.

[dudevato]

hey SolarCanoe .........

I can't post any pics here at this time. I was told it might be because I haven't made enough posts. Send me an email address that I can send you some pics of my 'under construction canoe' I have some good working steering linkage that is simple, low cost and ought to be maintenance free. Those are 3 important things I try to keep plenty of in my life solarson1@yahoo.com Gary Boehm

[SolarCanoe]

If you look on eBay you will find all kinds of bicycle cable components, including inner cable and outer housing by the foot. Some are stainless steel and have a Teflon coating for both cable and housing.

I also noticed that headsets are 1 1/8" and therefore the stack spacers are 1 1/8" inner diameter. The trolling motor shaft is 1 1/8" diameter. Therefore there may be bicycle stem and headset components that would serve our purposes. For example you could use a stem and handle bars on the top of the motor shaft to attach the steering cable to.

It looks like the world of bicycle components may offer some interesting possibilities and solutions.

[TomCat58]

[QUOTE=SolarCanoe;
I just had a look around for bicycle cable and it looks very promising. The cable, housing, and mounting hardware are easy to come by and may work much better than rope.[/QUOTE]

Yes I am looking also. I just have to figure out the best hardware to attach on the motor end and the steering end. The price is pretty cheap for a cable. One for left turns and one for right turns might do the trick

http://www.amazon.com/XLC-Brake-Cable-Housing-Universal/dp/B000C128MK/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1394347984&sr=8-4&keywords=bicycle+brake+cables

[SolarCanoe]

Minor Update

I lubricated the motor shaft and put some plastic washers under the top clamp. It turns much easier now. If I stretch the plastic tube out straight I can turn the motor quite easily by pulling on the ropes. If I let the plastic tube curl then I can't pull hard enough to turn the motor. So the problem seems to be the rope in the nylon tubing that does not work as well as I had hoped. Back to the drawing board . . .

I just had a look around for bicycle cable and it looks very promising. The cable, housing, and mounting hardware are easy to come by and may work much better than rope.

[SolarCanoe]

Welcome dudevato

Thanks for sharing your ideas. I'd love to see some photos and get some details on your past and present projects. Whenever I get discouraged or just need a little boost I look at youtube videos or images of electric solar boats and canoes. By all means start a thread or just post to this thread if you like. If you do start a new thread please post a link here and I will link your thread in the opening post of this thread.

You made a good point about the motor being rigid and hitting a rock or other underwater object. I have been thinking about a way to make the motor kick up instead of breaking something. I will have to do some more thinking and prototyping before I commit any fine wood or expensive hardware to a final design.

I did a little research into why many fishing boats have the trolling motor bow mounted. It turns out that it is easier to control the boat in windy conditions if the motor is bow mounted. For that reason I will probably mount a single motor on the bow of the 14 ft canoe. That is why I am trying to design a motor mount that is remotely steerable and retractable. I am still debating whether to mount one motor on the bow and one on the stern of the larger canoe. This would be the most maneuverable but represents the more complicated setup. This arrangement also allows for one motor to be retracted and run on just one motor to conserve energy. The alternative would be to mount both motors just ahead of the rear seat. This arrangement would mean I could use the standard motor mounting hardware. Steering would be accomplished by controlling the speed of each motor, like steering a skid turner. The only down side I can see is that I would have to use both motors at all times.

I feel I must mention that I am aware that there has been very little talk about solar panels and there are a lot of details to sort out before the solar panels become the center of the discussion. I hope that won't be an issue with the moderators because when I get to the solar panels and charge controller I will probably need some input from the experts here.

[dudevato]

'just read through all the posts, Really glad I found this site

I posted a short 'intro' about myself in the New Member's Area. There are some serious builders here.

Towards the end of the 9 pages of posts the topic of steering linkage came up. I thought a cheap, easy way to go would be to make your own out of plywood. Choose your dia and cut a circle of that dimension, then cut 2 more an inch or 2 larger. Sand and seal all 3 Very Pretty, then glue/screw them together with the smaller one in between the others.

It was mentioned using 2 trolling motors a while ago. Here is a U Tube video made by a guy that rigged up a wireless, hand held steering setup. Too elaborate for my tastes, but 50 seconds into the film you can see how using 2 motors spin this thing pretty much On A Dime.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viX6kC9C0Yc

Solar Canoe, that is a well built motor mount. What comes to mind is if you were to hit a submerged rock, etc. can your motor swing up without anything getting damaged? I was thinking of kind of cable linkage (I've seen motorcycle handlebar cable available by the foot, both male and female. Under forward motion the motor would stay in the proper position but with the cable pulled, hence releasing the factory lock, the motor would be able to swing up and over the rock or sand.

Releasing the cable would let the factory lock 'lock' into position and let you run your motor in reverse without it raising out of the water.

A few thought on your 'canopy idea' First off it's Great, I found out many times sitting in the sun Sucks, 'almost as much as paddling lol. I've got a 'canopy under construction on a canoe I'm building and made it with it in mind that 'the lower the better' in regards to the center of gravity. I made mine to let me sit straight up at the back of the canoe on the gunnel, and hence in the seating/cargo area.

The canopy runs from the very back of the canoe to some 2 feet short of the front. This will let me/my passengers stand up to stretch their legs and make boarding easy when 'beached'

I'm even now looking forward to reading more and seeing updates etc. on this thread.

I'll start a thread and see if I can add pics of my solar projects.

A 16 foot canoe, 2 outriggers, 1 motor and 520 watts

A Thrown Together 8' kayak, 1 outrigger, 1 motor and 130 watts

My current Keeper Project: a 16 foot canoe with 1 outrigger, 2 motors and 780 watts.

I'm glad I found this site and will probably have trouble sleeping tonight. later

[TomCat58]

Solarcanoe Quote: I used a clothes line pulley. The linear actuators are meant to be used outside to position solar panels so I think they will tolerate the splashing they will be exposed to in the canoe.

Thanks for the info. I don't mind turning my seat side ways to throttle and steer but sometimes it would be nice to have a alternative steering system with easy access while facing forward to make simple steering corrections. I like your thoughts on bicycle cables I just need to workout a few details in my head of how its all going to be put together.

Sense we are both building custom projects there are a lot of things that require a "MacGyver" attitude. I will watch how your steering controls come along and hopefully learn from you and avoid some trial and errors of my own

Yes if the actuator is designed for a solar panel its got to be able to handle some nasty weather conditions. I look forward to your progress and posts.

Tommy

[SolarCanoe]

I used a clothesline pulley. I removed the mounting hardware and using a hole saw I drilled out the center to 1 1/8". The pulley is made of nylon and is easy to machine. The pulley is attached to the shaft using a simple wood collar. I just used a 3" hole saw to cut out the collar from a piece of 3/4" poplar. Then I used a 1 1/8" hole saw to cut the center hole. The pulley is screwed to the top of the collar and two screws go through the sides to grab the shaft. I am having trouble finding a larger pulley that would be easy to work with so I may make the pulley out of wood.

The linear actuators are meant to be used outside to position solar panels so I think they will tolerate the splashing they will be exposed to in the canoe. I also plan to cover the canoe with a canopy that will reduce exposure to rain as well as the sun.

[TomCat58]

[QUOTE=SolarCanoe;101246]
(The steering mechanism sort of works. There is a lot of friction preventing the motor from turning smoothly. The rope I used is too stretchy also. I could try lubricating the motor shaft and I was also considering waxing the rope so that it will slide easier inside the plastic tubing. I also thing the pulley may be too small (5" dia). I think something closer to 10" diameter would ease the steering force required)

Interesting. Can you share where you came up with the pulley as it looks to fit the shaft on the Minn Kota real nicely.... The actuator looks cool but I am sticking with electronics that are sealed in a case or waterproof. No matter what I do things get wet. Like a wake from a power boat speedy by to close or a down pour.

Glad to see your back at your project and please keep sharing.

Tommy

[SolarCanoe]

Motor Mount

As I mention before the motor lift seems to work well. It is a bit slow so I ordered a 15mm/s linear actuator to replace the 10mm/s linear actuator. There is a trade off between speed and force so I settled on 15mm/s and 200 lb force. Since the linear actuator is acting on a leaver about 6-7" from the pivot point and the motor could be 24" or more from the pivot, it will only be about 50lb at the motor.

The steering mechanism sort of works. There is a lot of friction preventing the motor from turning smoothly. The rope I used is too stretchy also. I could try lubricating the motor shaft and I was also considering waxing the rope so that it will slide easier inside the plastic tubing. I also thing the pulley may be too small (5" dia). I think something closer to 10" diameter would ease the steering force required. I have considered the usual arms with rope attached but I want to get a full 180 degree turning of the motor so a pulley will be better at keeping the rope length constant. I am also wondering if I should try bicycle brake/shifting type cables instead of the rope in plastic tubing. I think I saw some rope online that is used for kite flying that is supposed to have minimal stretch, maybe that will work better.

IMG_0410_small.jpg IMG_0411_small.jpg

[TomCat58]

Sounds like you two are coming out of hibernation? Welcome back!

Living up north by Canada I do seem to go into a type of hibernation. Not like a bear does but I do sleep more and everything slows down and its a bit of a cave mentality. LOL No worries because at least I am not in Alaska with very little light and really cold. I don't think I could handle that extreme weather and would go nuts with the lack of light plus cabin fever. !

It won't be long and we will be complaining about how hot it is hahahahahahaha ... such is life


Tommy
PS I am making a two Rocket stoves from some old propane tanks that were made illegal to refill. It will be a combination rocket stove for cooking with the second tank that attaches to the top of one stove making it a garage wood stove heater. Am I getting a bit of a survival attitude ????? Maybe a little bit. But you can blame it on the wonderful news on tv these days. It does not hurt to have a backup boat that's also a backup solar generator and a wood stove source of heat available !!!!

Well this might be off topic so I will stop there.......

[russ]

Sounds like you two are coming out of hibernation? Welcome back!