| Many years ago I was visiting a friend at his lake | | | | Many years ago I was visiting a friend at his lake |
| front house. He had a large, very heavy rowboat | | | | front house. He had a large, very heavy rowboat |
| with no rudder (of course) but it had a trolling | | | | with no rudder (of course) but it had a trolling |
| motor with a six-inch propeller. You could hurt | | | | motor with a six-inch propeller. You could hurt |
| yourself rowing that boat and the trolling motor | | | | yourself rowing that boat and the trolling motor |
| strained to even get it to move. He told me the | | | | strained to even get it to move. He told me the |
| boat with oars and trolling motor weighed 1,800 | | | | boat with oars and trolling motor weighed 1,800 |
| pounds. It was wide and wallowed around in the | | | | pounds. It was wide and wallowed around in the |
| water. The rowboat had come with the house | | | | water. The rowboat had come with the house |
| and since my friend seldom had time to go fishing | | | | and since my friend seldom had time to go fishing |
| he had delayed buying another boat. He was going | | | | he had delayed buying another boat. He was going |
| to be retiring in the next year and we were | | | | to be retiring in the next year and we were |
| cleaning the house and sheds of the old owner's | | | | cleaning the house and sheds of the old owner's |
| things. I found a dozen new 6-inch, 12-volt, caged, | | | | things. I found a dozen new 6-inch, 12-volt, caged, |
| dual speed, truck cooling fans. | | | | dual speed, truck cooling fans. They had |
| They had stationary or oscillating switches and 2 | | | | stationary or oscillating switches and 2 big 5-amp |
| big 5-amp solar panels. I asked my friend what | | | | solar panels. I asked my friend what would |
| would happen if we mounted the solar panels on | | | | happen if we mounted the solar panels on a |
| a 4-foot x 8-foot sheet of plywood and mounted | | | | 4-foot x 8-foot sheet of plywood and mounted 4 |
| 4 of the fans to the plywood. The 2 outside fans | | | | of the fans to the plywood. |
| and plywood would hang over the sides of the | | | | The 2 outside fans and plywood would hang over |
| rowboat. There were a couple of 12-volt | | | | the sides of the rowboat. There were a couple of |
| automobile batteries sitting in the shed. We could | | | | 12-volt automobile batteries sitting in the shed. We |
| set the batteries under the plywood; connect the | | | | could set the batteries under the plywood; |
| solar panels and fans to the batteries. My friend | | | | connect the solar panels and fans to the batteries. |
| gave me a sideways, wide-eyed, panicked look. | | | | My friend gave me a sideways, wide-eyed, |
| But being an intelligent man, he shuddered, gave | | | | panicked look. But being an intelligent man, he |
| in, and said. "Anything you want to try is fine with | | | | shuddered, gave in, and said. "Anything you want |
| me." It took several hours but we got everything | | | | to try is fine with me." It took several hours but |
| mounted on the boat. I tied the plywood to the | | | | we got everything mounted on the boat. I tied |
| middle and the front seat two seats with rope, | | | | the plywood to the middle and the front seat two |
| telling my friend. "I do not want the fans to act | | | | seats with rope, telling my friend. "I do not want |
| like helicopters and take off with the panels and | | | | the fans to act like helicopters and take off with |
| plywood." My acquaintance gasped, sputtered, and | | | | the panels and plywood." |
| finally howled with laughter. The trolling motor | | | | My acquaintance gasped, sputtered, and finally |
| acted as the rudder for the boat, if the motor | | | | howled with laughter. The trolling motor acted as |
| was running. | | | | the rudder for the boat, if the motor was running. |
| I did not think the six-inch propeller, with the | | | | I did not think the six-inch propeller, with the |
| motor off, would make a very good rudder. So I | | | | motor off, would make a very good rudder. So I |
| tied and taped a small nylon bag around the | | | | tied and taped a small nylon bag around the |
| propeller. My acquaintance stopped laughing and | | | | propeller. My acquaintance stopped laughing and |
| started to look nervous. "Careful, we have to | | | | started to look nervous. "Careful, we have to |
| take that off to get back here." I glared at this | | | | take that off to get back here." I glared at this |
| near stranger and muttered about...lack of | | | | near stranger and muttered about...lack of |
| faith...none of my experiments have actually | | | | faith...none of my experiments have actually |
| failed...true some turned out differently than I | | | | failed...true some turned out differently than I |
| thought they would. I was not in a real good | | | | thought they would. I was not in a real good |
| mood when I used an oar to push us away from | | | | mood when I used an oar to push us away from |
| the dock. The oar got stuck and I almost fell into | | | | the dock. The oar got stuck and I almost fell into |
| the water. The stranger sitting beside me was | | | | the water. The stranger sitting beside me was |
| howling with laughter again. But when I reminded | | | | howling with laughter again. But when I reminded |
| him we now had only one oar he stopped laughing | | | | him we now had only one oar he stopped laughing |
| and started to look like he was going to cry. We | | | | and started to look like he was going to cry. We |
| were moving a tiny amount from my push. I | | | | were moving a tiny amount from my push. I |
| reached forward and flipped the four fan switches | | | | reached forward and flipped the four fan switches |
| to low speed. We were moving! Well, at least we | | | | to low speed. We were moving! Well, at least we |
| were not slowing down. For a few minutes my | | | | were not slowing down. For a few minutes my |
| friend and I watched the water moving past us. | | | | friend and I watched the water moving past us. |
| "Faster! We are moving faster!" He screamed into | | | | "Faster! We are moving faster!" He screamed into |
| my ear. | | | | my ear. It took about four minutes for the boat |
| It took about four minutes for the boat to get up | | | | to get up to full low fan speed. We went around |
| to full low fan speed. We went around and up and | | | | and up and down the lake several times. To the |
| down the lake several times. To the best of our | | | | best of our calculations we were doing almost 6 |
| calculations we were doing almost 6 miles an hour. | | | | miles an hour. We went back to the house and |
| We went back to the house and hooked up a | | | | hooked up a battery charger to the batteries. |
| battery charger to the batteries. The next | | | | The next morning we repeated the experiment |
| morning we repeated the experiment one more | | | | one more time, and then when we were up to |
| time, and then when we were up to full low fan | | | | full low fan speed we switched to high speed on |
| speed we switched to high speed on all four fans. | | | | all four fans. We calculated we were doing 13 |
| We calculated we were doing 13 miles per hour! | | | | miles per hour! Even with the solar panels the |
| Even with the solar panels the batteries were | | | | batteries were drained in two hours. We used the |
| drained in two hours. We used the oars the last | | | | oars the last 30-foot, to make it back to my |
| 30-foot, to make it back to my friend's dock. We | | | | friend's dock. We drove into town and my friend |
| drove into town and my friend purchased the | | | | purchased the fiberglass fishing boat, it even had |
| fiberglass fishing boat, it even had a little cabin, | | | | a little cabin, and motor of his dreams. That boat, |
| and motor of his dreams. That boat, motor, all of | | | | motor, all of our stuff and we only weighed 1,400 |
| our stuff and we only weighed 1,400 pounds total. | | | | pounds total. It was slightly longer, a lot narrower |
| It was slightly longer, a lot narrower and rode | | | | and rode higher in the water than the rowboat. |
| higher in the water than the rowboat. The next | | | | The next morning we padded the new boat to |
| morning we padded the new boat to protect it's | | | | protect it's surface from scratches from the |
| surface from scratches from the plywood. Then | | | | plywood. Then we were off! When we finally |
| we were off! When we finally reached full low fan | | | | reached full low fan speed we calculated we were |
| speed we calculated we were traveling almost 11 | | | | traveling almost 11 miles an hour. Finally my friend |
| miles an hour. Finally my friend flipped the fan | | | | flipped the fan switches to high speed. |
| switches to high speed. To the best of our | | | | To the best of our calculations, with no other |
| calculations, with no other boats on the water to | | | | boats on the water to cause turbulence, we |
| cause turbulence, we reached and maintained 34 | | | | reached and maintained 34 miles per hour. I made |
| miles per hour. | | | | nylon bags with drawstrings and my friend |
| I made nylon bags with drawstrings and my | | | | covered each fan and its motor every time he |
| friend covered each fan and its motor every time | | | | docked his boat. For almost twenty years he |
| he docked his boat. For almost twenty years he | | | | used that boat and those same four fans for |
| used that boat and those same four fans for | | | | fishing, all over America. When he died his son |
| fishing, all over America. When he died his son | | | | inherited the lake house, rowboat and the fishing |
| inherited the lake house, rowboat and the fishing | | | | boat with fans. The son told me his father had |
| boat with fans. The son told me his father had | | | | never used the boat motor, just the fans to |
| never used the boat motor, just the fans to | | | | move the boat around. Now we have energy |
| move the boat around. Now we have energy | | | | efficient 12-volt fans, a lot larger than 6-inches |
| efficient 12-volt fans, a lot larger than 6-inches | | | | and many are waterproof. Now we have |
| and many are waterproof. Now we have | | | | photo-volic solar paint. The roof and sides of a |
| photo-volic solar paint. The roof and sides of a | | | | boat could be painted with that and also paint the |
| boat could be painted with that and also paint the | | | | inside of the cabin and motor area. A light or lights |
| inside of the cabin and motor area. A light or lights | | | | could power the paint for night running. Can you |
| could power the paint for night running. Can you | | | | imagine a cruise ship with the fans in rows down |
| imagine a cruise ship with the fans in rows down | | | | each side of the ship? |
| each side of the ship? With nice cages the fans | | | | With nice cages the fans would look well against |
| would look well against the air streamed sides of | | | | the air streamed sides of the ship. Using the paint |
| the ship. Using the paint to supply the power for | | | | to supply the power for the fans and other |
| the fans and other needs, once the ship was | | | | needs, once the ship was moving, how much fuel |
| moving, how much fuel could the companies | | | | could the companies save? Would it be possible to |
| save? Would it be possible to save 60% of the | | | | save 60% of the fuel expenses? Defiantly! 80%? |
| fuel expenses? Defiantly! 80%? Possible, very | | | | Possible, very possible. What about tankers and |
| possible. What about tankers and other merchant | | | | other merchant ship, could they save fuel |
| ship, could they save fuel expenses? Yes and this | | | | expenses? Yes and this will work for all boats and |
| will work for all boats and ships, civilian and | | | | ships, civilian and military. I give any patent rights |
| military. I give any patent rights to all people. Look | | | | to all people. Look for the article Air, Airplane. |
| for the article Air, Airplane. | | | | |