Great article Rick. I remember we made contact a few years ago when I was working on my own solar/rowing camp cruiser. Mine was easier, with more off the shelf parts recently available. The Walkabout was already set up as a camp aboard row cruiser. The motor is a modified EP Carry electric outboard, already engineered for high efficiency. The solar is a single 170 W panel on a folding frame over the aft deck, providing enough energy for 50 miles on a summer day. The LiPO battery and electricals all fit in a briefcase size box removable for transport.
Rick, Thank you for sharing pictures of your cruiser. It looks well thought out and executed! The pictures clearly show interesting details of your build. Hope to see your solar/rowing cruiser story in a future edition of SCA .
Is the whrrrrinng noise (from the video) your EP Carry? I've got a CLC Expedition Wherry I hardly use which I'd luv to convert to a solar powered launch. Thanks for the photos and video!
Rick's excellent adventure. I liked the way you overcame the 4-foot crack by working in the parking lot. Your engineering skills are daunting. Good example for the rest of us.
Great article Rick. I remember we made contact a few years ago when I was working on my own solar/rowing camp cruiser. Mine was easier, with more off the shelf parts recently available. The Walkabout was already set up as a camp aboard row cruiser. The motor is a modified EP Carry electric outboard, already engineered for high efficiency. The solar is a single 170 W panel on a folding frame over the aft deck, providing enough energy for 50 miles on a summer day. The LiPO battery and electricals all fit in a briefcase size box removable for transport.
A couple of Flick photos:
With tent up: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ricks_boats/52268558760/in/album-72157654556257852/lightbox/
Electrical box: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ricks_boats/51793545962/in/album-72157712319683791/lightbox/
And a video, on Tomales Bay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxj7ybdpKE4
Rick, Thank you for sharing pictures of your cruiser. It looks well thought out and executed! The pictures clearly show interesting details of your build. Hope to see your solar/rowing cruiser story in a future edition of SCA .
Is the whrrrrinng noise (from the video) your EP Carry? I've got a CLC Expedition Wherry I hardly use which I'd luv to convert to a solar powered launch. Thanks for the photos and video!
Yes. There are a lot of great features to the EP Carry but it is not silent.
Really interesting article excellently written. Motivation and hope for our future on the water.
Rick's excellent adventure. I liked the way you overcame the 4-foot crack by working in the parking lot. Your engineering skills are daunting. Good example for the rest of us.
Cool and very innovative. I personally am more prone to rely on wind power than solar but we are both "going green"