Design My Own

[yankee]

I decided to design and build a paddlewheel boat from scratch.  My interest lies more in the engineering than in the modeling.  What I came up with I will call an "inland waterways freighter".  I crossed a Mississippi river boat, with an ocean steamer, with a lake cruiser.  I wanted a relatively shallow draft, stability, and speed.  My question is. does it look like it will work?

length: 36 inches
hull width (not counting the paddlewheels): 8 inches
displacement: 8-10 pounds
paddle wheels: 6.5 inches diameter x 2 inches wide
max wheel speed: 60 revolutions/minute
paddle force: 2 ounces (based on motor torque)
power: two electric motors with attached gear boxes
final drive: belt
speed control: electronic, with reverse (2, with independent control)
run time: 1 hour per charge
rudder: none

I have attached a dimensioned drawing and the motor specifications.  The scale of the "model" would be 0.25 inches = one foot.

Your comments are welcome, either as a post or in the form of an e-mail to hwiebkin@epix.net

[Eddy Matthews]

I like the idea of designing your own paddler Yankee, but I can see a number of problems.....

Your three criteria, shallow draught, stability, and speed - Don't really go together. That's the reason for so many different types of paddler around the world, to suit various requirements. You can't really have one design that fullfills all of them.

Shallow draught will be less stable than a deeper draught hull (in general).

If you look at the sleek (fast) paddlers, they would normally be less than half of the beam you are proposing, extra hull width equals increased drag, so less speed.

Craft that operate on rivers or lakes can generally get away with a relatively shallow draught, as they don't normally have to cope with rough water. Ocean going vessels require a much larger draught to handle the various sea states and still remain stable.

The paddlewheels on a typical sidewheeler would be much smaller in diameter, therefore requiring less power to drive them (saving fuel). They are also less problematic when running in heavy seas when one wheel can be clear of the water at times, causing immense stress on the drive system. There are exceptions to that, such as the Australian paddlers that use relatively large paddlewheels, but they are small river craft primarily designed for carrying cargo at slow speed.

So unfortunately, a lot of negative comments.....

I have wondered about applying some modern technology to a paddler, but even then you couldn't design a vessel that would fulfill all of your requirements. But how about some of the following - Not all in one vessel, just some ideas to consider?

A bulbous bow, A hard chine planing hull, Composite materials to reduce hull and machinery weight, Active stability control systems, Wave piercing hull etc etc...

Regards
Eddy

[yankee]

Thanks for the input.  I see your point.  Too many trade-offs will produce a "Jack of all trades, master of none" situation.  (I don't know if that phrase is English or American.)

I have made some strong, light, hulls by using plywood ribs with balsa sheeting and covering the balsa with fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin.  If you make a deep "V" hull and power the boat with the flat battery packs that are used in radio controlled cars you can achieve a very low center of gravity.  By placing the motors low and keeping the paddle wheels light one should be able to make a stable vessel with a narrow beam.  Perhaps I will take that approach because the lake where I sail can get rough at times.

Your comments about modern technology got me thinking about other options too.  I have to make some decisions.  We'll see what I come up with.

[derekwarner_decoy]

Hi PD's........yankee..     I must agree with the previous comments from Eddy.....however working  from a proven plan will certainly provide the potential to end up with a finished & functional vessel 

Working from a home designed unproven plan could be great .....but also provide lots of  & self ....into the future

Oh BTW........."jack of all trades, master of none"...is universal as the Old Testament references this   .......regards Derek

[yankee]

Your posted photos and comments have given me a better understanding of what your group does.  I have therefore decided to model an American vessel.  Mystic Seaport in Connecticut has a collection of old ship plans.  I will start there.  My goal is to choose a ship that has never been made into an RC model.  That should not be too difficult.  Americans don't do much modeling.  They need noise and destruction to keep them happy, like nitro powered monster trucks.  They also have no patience.  They want instant gratification, pull it out of the box and start playing.  When you mention paddle wheel boats they think of the Mississippi River steamers.  The coastal freighters that also existed are all but forgotten.

Thanks for your input.  I will report back on what I learn.  If you know of someone over here who has gone this route already please let me know.

[kno3]

Hello Yankee,

I really like your idea of building a paddle steamer from scratch, so I'm sorry to hear you've given up on it.
It is more difficult than modeling an existing vessel, but on the other hand it is also very rewarding to see it taking shape.

I have built (it's almost finished now) an almost freelance steam-tug (with propeller, no paddles). I say almost, because I started building the wooden hull from plans of a kit and decided, after having begun the hull, to make a ship after my own ideas. So the just slightly different fron the plans (bow and stern a bit sharper), but completely freelance from deck up.
You can see pictures of the building process here:
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_7166206/anchors_7166206/mpage_1/key_/anchor/tm.htm

Whatever you decide, have fun building it!

[mjt60a]

that steam tug looks superb! I also would be interested to see a freelance paddler, been tempted to try one myself but have too many other projects on the go!
Here are a couple I've seen though...

[yankee]

I just ordered a book to learn more about paddle steamers, "The Story of the Paddle Steamer" by Bernard Dumpleton.

I also contacted The Museum of America and the Sea in Mystic Connecticut.  They have an archive of old ship drawings.  I can do research in their archives and purchase copies from them.  They provided the names of 15 side wheelers for which they have at least partial plans and listed some additional resources.

That should keep me busy for a while.

[Dinosaursoupman]

Hello Yankee,

The Great Lakes Historical Society has a number of plans available. I believe you should have access to the link through the "Websites" page. The San Francisco Maritime Museum has a tremendous wealth of plans. Unfortunately it is currently closed for renovation, re-opening some time in 2009. You may want to research the Columbia River's maritime heritage as it was a major "hiway" to the interior of the Pacific Northwest. The Puget Sound area is another likely candidate for researching as well as the Alaskan', British Columbian', and Yukon Territory's inland waterways.

You might try taking a look at the Historical Collection of The Great Lakes at Bowling Green University, Ohio. They feature building stats and a picture of many of the vessels that were built and /or plied the waters of the Great Lakes. By cross-referencing the vessles here with the plans available through the Great Lakes Historical Society, you might just come up with a unique vessel to model.

I've just checked and both these websites can be found through the "websites" link on page 2.

Derek,

Oh BTW........."jack of all trades, master of none"...is universal as the Old Testament references this

Does the Quran reference this too?

Randy

[Dinosaursoupman]

Hello Yankee once again,

Though sitting right in front of me, I forgot to mention the Historic American Merchant Marine Survey (HAMMS) of the mid 1930's available through the Smithsonian Institute. For around $20 you can order a catalog that lists the vessels that were measured and drawn in this great undertaking during the Great Depression.

I have the hull lines of the Chicago of 1874 which was a sidewheel passenger excursion boat. I also have the plans for a unique vessel called the Hiawatha that sailed the bayous of northern Florida (not the Hudson River walking beam powered excursion boat of the same name). This Hiawatha had a center line mounted paddlewheel that was recessed into the stern of the boat. Talk about ugly. I know nobody has or ever would want to build a model of this. So she's a perfect candidate for me!  Construction is well underway and I hope to post some pictures in the near future.

Randy

[yankee]

Thanks for the information.  It should give me a variety of vessels to pick from.

I visited the San Francisco Maratime Museum about 6 years ago but had other things on my mind at that time.  Mystic seems to be a good source here on the east coast.

I also sent an e-mail to the Webb Institute (http://www.webb-institute.edu/about_webb/williamwebb.php).  Their founder designed many of the side wheel clipper ships that were used for transport between the east and west coast before the transcontinental railroad was completed.  Since they position themselves as a center of learning for naval architecture I suggested an academic exercise.  "If a paddle wheel ship were designed today, applying all the advances in design and materials, how much better would it be than their founder's original designs?"  I don't really expect an answer, but you never know.

[derekwarner_decoy]

Hi PD's....well Randy asked if the Qur'an/Koran had a reference  ..well Google certainly did find a reference as below .....&........interestlingly it also lists brewers/jack-all-trades 

More on Jack of all Trades is Master of None from Infoplease: ... The Bible (King James version); The Koran (translation by J. M. Rodwell) ...
www.infoplease.com/dictionary/brewers/jack-all-trades-master-none.html - 26k -

I don't make the stories up Dinosaursoupman........  ..........Derek

[Dinosaursoupman]

Me thinkst the brewers have gotten the better of Derek!

Randy