CATAMARAN MODEL 1/20th

Solar Navigator underwent a re-design after build estimates were received for the SWATH vessel.  It was decided the project total cost would put off potential sponsors, if the SWATH design went ahead to production.  

Traditional timber construction + polystyrene to carve pod

Consequently, traditional multi-hulls came under the spotlight as a possible solution.  The cost of constructing a catamaran is roughly half of the equivalent SWATH vessel.  

The next question was could a catamaran offer a level of performance to allow a full size Solar Navigator to cross blue water.  The only way to find out was to build a model and see.

Details of underside - crew rear pod - shaped

We were pleasantly surprised with the performance of the catamaran featured on this page.  The wooden hulls shown here were replaced with fiberglass.  Although rather heavy, when fitted with the correct propeller and drive, and even on only 6 watts of solar energy, she performed sufficiently to prove the theory.

A new lightweight aluminium spaceframe is going into the next catamaran development model.  An active Tracking system is to be incorporated to ensure maximum energy collection from the solar panels.

Polystyrene was added to plywood legs for shaping

It is hoped that a number of design revisions will push up the performance quite spectacularly, as a further inducement to associates and potential sponsors to invest in our project. 

Hulls and superstructure primed

Healthier alternative tastes for adventure capitalists

Solar Red | Solar Crush + | Solar Cola | Solar Citrus + | Solar +

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