Pre-Competition Update

We have been hard at work finishing up new additions to the boat. New items include reinforced floor panels, a new driver panel, and a new throttle.

Robbie and David eating some sauteed mushrooms while Austin sands a piece for the motor controller box.

David is laying out the layup materials for a new floor panel.

The floor panel under vacuum.

The plastic for the driver panel being CNC milled by Harrison.

The new throttle Jimmy made.

Vacuum-formed plastic for waterproofing the electronics.

Harrison showing off his finished dashboard.

We have also been testing the sprint lower unit with less than favorable results. When the throttle is turned up above 30% a grinding noise occurs, indicating slippage. Our new testing location is the Monongahela River near the Birmingham Bridge in Southside.

Initial testing of the sprint mount showed that it was shifting out of gear into neutral. A plate was manufactured it to keep the shifting pin from turning but a second test indicated this did not fix the problem and some sort of slippage still exists.

The boat is being put into the water with the Birmingham Bridge in the background.

Initial Testing of the Sprint Mount

After consulting with Outboard Exchange, the seller of the lower unit, they have suggested that the slippage occurs near the propeller attachment and a dirty fix is to epoxy the propeller in place. We are currently investigating this option. Expect more details on this tomorrow.