Paddlewheel raceboat

[Edward Matthews]

Hi guys,

I've been concentrating on scale models of fast tacing and record
breaking boats for the last few months... Just finishing a 1:12 scale
model of John Cobbs "Crusader", and I've made a start on a 1:8 scale
model of Ken Warbys boat "Spirit of Australia".

Whilst reading the book "Power Boat" by Kevin Desmond (ISBN 0-517-
56821-7) I came across a patent by William Henry Fauber in 1908 for a
stepped hydroplane powered by a central paddlewheel!

Does anyone know if this boat was ever built? Or anything similar?

It would certainly make for a totally unique model, and I could then
combine my two passions for fast scale models and paddlers into A
fast model paddler!

Any information would be welcomed...

All the best for christmas to everyone and heave a great new year...

Regards
Eddy

[Edward Matthews]

Fast tacing? That should have read "fast racing"!!

That's what happens when you have a 600Kbps modem and 0.5bps fingers!

Regards
Eddy

[wsnowdon]

Hi eddie and everyone else! sorry for my long silence. I havnt got
any details of the craft you request, but some remeniscences of a
diesel powered hydroplane which my brother and I built about forty
years ago . In the late fifties early sixties MAP published 2
books- THE MODEL MAKERS MANUAL and THE MODEL MAKERS ANNUAL. In one of
them there was a plan for a stepped hydroplane, powered by a.5cc
diesel. It consisted of a broad beamed turtle backed hydro with the
hull divided at the rear of the step. The diesel was mounted to one
side of the hull at 90 degrees to the direction of travel with
theshaft end in the slot of the divided rear hull. A large turned
wooden flywhheel was fitted in the slot with two quarter inch square
paddle blades opposite each other on the flywheel, slotted to take
the started cord.(No mamby pamby electric starters in those days). We
scaled it up to take a 1.5 diesel. Performance was phenominal! the
down side was launching a paddle wheel doing 8000 rpm produced a
massive wall of water with the poor misguided launcher in the middle
of it! not nice on a winters morning! It was far faster than the
screw driven hydros, most of which got drowned in the 4 foot high
wash! If I can get hold of a copy of the plan I will post it. Best
wishes to everyone, Walter.

[Edward Matthews]

Thanks for that Walter.... I know you've told me about this one
before. I'd certainly be interested in seeing the plans if you can
dig them out, but I'm really trying to find out if any paddle powered
raceboats were ever built?

Surely in the early part of the 20th century it must have been tried?
Those early raceboat pioneers seem to have tried everything else, so
why not a paddle wheel?

Can you (or anyone else) shed any light on this? PJ, you got any
ideas?

Regards, and a happy christmas to one and all...

Eddy

[freedem]

The magizine " heartland boating " a few years ago ran a story
about a fellow who in the 1980s developed a racing
paddlewheeler. I do not have the issue at hand but wish I did.
he spoke of the trouble they had keeping the paddleshaft from
turning itself into a pretzel . they raced aginst the triditional
displacement paddlewheelers along the ohio river till they were
baned and were developing their own racing class.
jeffery

[wsnowdon]

Eddie, theres a site which may just have part of your quest-
www.lesliefield.com Unfortunately the site is down for 24 hours but
LOOKSMART quotes from it- ...the accompanying diagram gives a general
outline of a new form of hydroplane invented by mr. Fauber..... hope
it turns up trumps. Walter

[Dallinson]

Hi there paddle ducks.
On a less than serious note I would suggest combining the two recent
subjects on the site. We should build a centre paddle driven boat that would
simply swamp the screw boat with its huge rooster tail!! (Provided the tow
rope wasn't too long). Seriously though, the centre paddle boat sounds like
something that could in fact really GO!! The paddle would really be a pelton
wheel acting in reverse, and could thus have the blades similarly shaped for
max efficiency.
Eddy, please let us know how you get on with this one.
The hydroplane site was very interesting.
All the best and have a really happy Xmas.
Best regards
David

[Derek Warner]

on December 24, 2002 @ just before SANTA time, David Allinson wrote
>We should build a centre paddle driven boat that would
>simply swamp the screw boat with its huge rooster tail
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"PS Bunyip - twin hulled - single centre located paddle in each hull -100' x 121' x 5' 7"
built in Mannum in 1858 [that is beautiful down town Australia] - even the name would
be suitable if it 'swamped' the screw driven vessel

best regards for the coming season - Derek