projects:runabout
1961 Spanamerica Runabout
runabout projects in various stages of design and completion:
Sanding/striping the red paint, applying new paint and the various mahogany accents and front deck veneer
Determining how to floor the boat I'm leaning toward bamboo for it's resilience to the elements, it's price and it's appearance.
Working on a design for an automatic cover. option A: cloth on a sliding track with in-track rope or cable to actuate it. Option B: large u-shaped bar attached amidships on the gunwale (i.e. on the sides) that rotates 180 degrees so that when it is flipped forward, the u-shape wraps around the front of the boat and when it is flipped back the u-shape comes around the back bench seat just in front of the motor. I guess this option B would be akin to a convertible roof of a car. ANY and all ideas are welcome here. i still have problems and logistics to resolve with either option.
working on design of a rain sensor in the form of two non-corrosive, conductive metal strips running an 1/8in apart on the front deck that, then bridged with a rain drops, would signal (via arduino) the auto cover to close.
Unordered List Itema piezo disc mounted underneath the front deck to analog inputs on an arduino to sense sharp knocks (from knuckles) on the fiberglass deck. 3 knocks within ~400ms of each other might signal the cover to close. 2-3-2 combo might unlock the ignition button. its a way of being able to give somebody the keys over the phone.
Unordered List ItemATV-sized winch wound with nylon strap under the rear deck to tilt the motor because, apparently they didn't have power tilting outboards in the early sixties
finalize design of wood seats & build 'em
the usual old 2 stroke engine tune up.
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projects/runabout.txt · Last modified: 2012/03/27 20:10 by jbuck