Dronin' On - Ask Richard Jenkins About The SailDrone

[MR.CLEAN]

Just last week we gave you the news about SailDrone's historic unmanned voyage from 'frisco to Hawaii. With their safety-orange drone safely tied down, we're getting project designer and leader Richard Jenkins on the line for another great SA Innerview.

Whether you're a tech freak, a RC sailboat lover, or just a lover of all things dronish, get your questions in about this potentially revolutionary little sailboat here, and Mr. Clean will make sure the good ones get asked in our video Skype chat. Deadline for questions: Friday at 1300 GMT. Saildrone photo.

 

[Dorado]

Did y'all know that Richard has sailed faster than anyone else on this planet in the history of history ???

No kidding.

 

[ozchrisb]

He's the worlds fastest, fatest, drunkest man. Just ask him!

 

[StayPlassy]

Has there been any consideration on using these as a oceanic research platform?

 

[sleddog]

Richard,

Congrats on completion of first Zero Handed Transpac!. A navigational question. Given that SD1 averaged 5.4 knots through the water, and 130 miles/day for the first five days, is there an obvious explanation why it then only averaged 2.3 knots and 55 miles/day for the remaining 29 days? I'm guessing maybe it snagged some plastic or netting, but have no idea what the underwater configuration looks like. Comments appreciated.

~sleddog

 

[Liquid]

Richard,

Congrats on completion of first Zero Handed Transpac!. A navigational question. Given that SD1 averaged 5.4 knots through the water, and 130 miles/day for the first five days, is there an obvious explanation why it then only averaged 2.3 knots and 55 miles/day for the remaining 29 days? I'm guessing maybe it snagged some plastic or netting, but have no idea what the underwater configuration looks like. Comments appreciated.

~sleddog

I read that they left the bay in a gale and it survived.

 

[couchsurfer]

.

...is it true this project was funded by the Columbian drug cartels?!? :mellow:

 

[Simples]

1) Was the boat carrying any spare load during the trip (it has a 100kg capacity ?) and roughly how much is the boat slowed when carrying the extra load compared to not carrying it.

2) What are the biggest areas of improvement for future saildrone's?

 

[Bruce T. Shark]

Gosh..okay..me first! What's it rate?

Seriously though is a cool platform, my question is while you can assume the "big ocean, little boat" theory for not getting hit, at what limit does stability go away? wind speeds, wave height etc..awesome that you launched it in a gale!.

 

[sfigone]

Does the drone transmit it's location on AIS?

Does it use an AIS receiver to try to avoid collisions?

Does it have any other sensors to detect other traffic?

Does NASA want a version for the methane lakes of Titan?

 

[Doug Lord]

Congratulations on a tremendous achievment!

 

[furs]

Hiya, a question about the control systems and power - whats the brains of the machine, and how it is powered?

Cheers and well done!

 

[MR.CLEAN]

IIRC he even wrote a story for us back when Greenbird hit her big number.

 

[Liquid]

I think I read it was self righting. How does that work with a wingsail on a tri fully inverted?

 

[MFMG]

Is there any system to help avoid collision with other vessels? I doubt that SailDrone could do any damage to another vessel, but it could easily be destroyed by a freighter. Is the little guy just light enough and strong enough that it won't get shredded by some giant ship that doesn't see it?

 

[Estevo]

1. Why Tri? 2. Mobile ballast? 3.Regenerative sailing? Any programming need for evasive manuvers? (storms, ships, sharks....)

 

[Bruno]

Good job on your mission to date, good luck in the future. As noted above, your vessel/robot really slowed at the end of its voyage, problems?

 

[nroose]

I think I read it was self righting. How does that work with a wingsail on a tri fully inverted?

1. Why Tri? 2. Mobile ballast? 3.Regenerative sailing? Any programming need for evasive manuvers? (storms, ships, sharks....)

The Saildrone's hydrodynamic design is a hybrid, combining the best features of mono- and multi-hulls. The result is a fully self-righting platform, that also benefits from high righting moments for speed and wave piercing capabilities to reduce pitching and energy absorption from waves.

I'm guessing that the 6 ft keel is heavy enough and the 20 foot wing is buoyant enough that it is not stable either upside down or on it's side, which is what I think they mean by "fully self-righting".

 

[nroose]

As for the speed, it looks to me like they not only had a lot of wind at the beginning, but they had to do a lot more tacking from about 40% of the way on. It is not exactly the height of the season for sailing to HI, and the route is pretty straight, which I gather would be very slow in the middle of a typical Pac Cup.