Today we towed K2 around the bay to test new logger updates. We hoped also to try our new 50 sqm high-aspect-ratio kite, but the wind was too low. Damon’s father-in-law joined us on the Protector. Joe and Vincent also tried out brand-new drysuits, and Gabe’s father visited the shop.
from Jamie: For the first time on K2, we are now recording the kitearm angle and the rudder pitch angle. We are particularly interested in relating the rudder pitch to the boat speed, since this is an important manual adjustment that could be automated in the future. Currently, the helmsman must adjust the pitch of the rudder to keep the boat level as the boat speed changes. An example […more]
Yesterday we took the Kitefoiler out to test it with a kite and three T-foils again. Additionally, we tested the newest hands-free radio prototype from Paul Larkin, who visited from InduComm to show us the system. The system fits inside one ear of a crew member and picks up voice through his or her jawbone, a setup which is meant to reduce wind noise. We taped the radios themselves to the outside of each person’s drysuit. There are one captain’s headset and several crew headsets. The radio has both push-to-talk and open-mic options. For our test, Paul wore the captain’s headset on the Protector, and Don, Joe, and Richard wore the crew headsets on the Kitefoiler. Paul attached a directional […more]
We went out for a brief tow test today to check adjustments to side foils and to compare performance of original T-foil rudder to newly fabricated larger T-foil rudder.
The attached plot compares the speeds and loads with each rudder T-foil. The speeds are not identical in each case, and other factors such as the tow angle and acceleration may have varied between runs. However, there is some indication that the “new” foil requires a larger towing force at 20-21 knots.
We tested the Kitefoiler today with the new rudder. Using the kite-launching mast, Don, Joe, and Richard successfully launched and transitioned to sailing for the first time and on the first try! Thereafter, they sailed the boat to test the foils. Both Joe and Richard sailed with Don, but the wind was such that foiling was only possible with two crew members at a time. The foils worked but adjusted unevenly, causing the boat to jump a bit as it sailed. The foils tested were one original J-foil (starboard), and one new, modified from old quadfoiler, more steeply angled J-foil (port). We will test again shortly after further foil adjustment.
