312. This narrowboat is totally unlike any other!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2023
- I was kindly invited aboard NB Tranquility to see its one-of-a-kind (on the canals) electric propulsion system as well as the many other technical features of this intriguing boat.
Pod drive designer
www.advancedmarineinnovation.com
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I have no idea whats just happened. Three weeks ago i was looking at videos of rebuilding tractor Perkins 3 cylinder engines, now im here, 312 videos completed and booking our first narrowboat holiday. Im a professional mariner, I’ve driven some of the biggest and strangest ships in the world, these look so much more fun and I’ve learned so much from all this videos. David, you and I have totally identical mindsets and personalities. Every thought i had when watching the videos was answered in the next sentence. Thank you for doing what you do and thank you for doing it so honestly, you really are a master of your craft.
Ah that’s absolutely splendid!! I hope you have a fabulous holiday 😀😀😀
A few people seemed a bit lost by this video. As an electrician, I loved it more than the usual boat videos. Great stuff. Very entertaining and informational.
Thanks 👍
But that wire management in that cabinet. I know you know which one I'm speaking of 😂
@@goosenotmaverick1156 agree Sean just needed to prove a comsept and is now in the process of cable management and a big tidy up 👍
I haven't watched your videos in a while ( you know, that thing called life happened). You're such a delight! I feel no remorse or guilt for indulging, or rather binge-watching, your videos on my Sunday afternoon. Your filming quality is top notch and your content is always interesting. You work so hard. Thank you for your engaging content David.
Binge away!!! 🤣
Wow. What an ingenious idea. Pod drive!!! I bet it was so different to helm being so used to a standard shaft and rudder. Thank you so much for bringing this to us all David.
Yes it was!
i was 0% sold until i heard the words stern and gland and realised it was the best thing ever
Thanks David. Hopefully future of narrowboat propulsion.
Now just replace the generator with a hydrogen fuel cell and you are fossil fuel free!
@@karelseemonsterfuel cells being made are stoll pretty big. Storing hydrogen is not easy.
As an electrical engineer I’ve been wondering for some time now why someone hadn’t built a narrowboat with a pod drive. A pod drive with bow thruster could steer incredibly well.
You are always under power to steer, like a jet-ski, outdrive, or outboard. You have no rudder, so no passive steering
@@alanmacification really helpful comment, thanks.
Would going fully battery solve this? Instant power on-demand unlike the generator which has to be on all the time.
Battery costs especially for the heavier LFP ones (who cares about the weight in a boat) have come down a lot recently and will continue to do so.
Exactly right! A bow thruster would make it possible to move the entire boat laterally sideways and make turns simple.
@@joeeddoreI’m not an engineer, but I think the answer to your question is “no”. In a regular narrowboat, the thrust from the prop is set in a fixed direction, while the rudder is used for steering. In this video, however, it looks like the builder replaced both parts with a steerable pod. As a result, once you cut the power to the pod, you also lose your ability to steer as there’s no rudder to create the necessary drag. On the other hand, I think it’s a cool idea and don’t think the lack of a rudder really matters, especially since this boat also has a bow thruster.
You are very brave to admit to being an engineer.
As an engineer who has played with batteries, solar panels, electronics and radio engineering for decades, and has 3 "Raspberry Pies" at home, I thoroughly love this canal boat! That's a fortune in AmpHours under that bed! 😊
Yeah we like it and as mentioned before it's not for everyone but for Sean it's home where he can evolve his skills as a software developer as well
Thanks
Arthur
@@helicopter12345678 and thank YOU -- both of you -- for agreeing to do the video! It's a very fascinating idea.
24kWhs- not big by vehicle standards...
There's a secret 3rd RPI acting as the victron hub 😅 - Sean Borg
Being now one of The Ancient Ones, a lot of the supplementary electronics seem mysterious to me, but the basic drive idea is as impressive as it is rational. I am sure this won't be the only pod-driven canal boat for very long.
It's such a nerdy boat, and I love it. I've thought that a hybrid drive would make a lot of sense; never thought of using a pod to house the motor. If I was in a position to build a narrowboat, this is the kind of drive I'd love to install. Brilliant video, as always
Thank you as the owners we also feel it works well
@@helicopter12345678do you have any further information on where I would be able to buy the pod unit as I've been on the website and there's no information regarding this.
Thanks, Nick
@@yorkienick_og web search "buy 40hp podmotor" (or whatever size you want) there's lots to choose from.
Don't be fooled - it's not a boat, it's an engineering project disguised as one...
This has to become the new standard. Fab mini doc David, really loving the channel, even after all these years, its never dropped a beat.
Thank you!
I lost you about 10 minutes in, but a fascinating vlog, David. You did a mountain of research on this and the tech-savvy boat owners among your audience will be thrilled to bits.
John, Ontario, Canada
I bet he could build the famous 'flux capacitor' if he needed one.
An amazing, informative video 👍👍.
Love to see the narrow boat hit 88 mph………..😂😂
Fantastic! This guy has fixed a problem that never existed using nothing more than stacks of cash.😂
That's like saying, what's the point of an automobile, horses work just fine.
Thos boat was no more expensive to build then a traditional Narrow boat layout but with all the benefits of no leaks easier to maintain and improved handling and power....whats not to like 😊
And future owners better have an electrical engineering degree to maintain it themselves otherwise digging through all those wires is going to be expensive.
@@patrickkenney1080 Most of those electrics are the 'hobby stuff'... the traction eletrics were self-contained, given they're powered solely from the generator directly to the pod-motor... beyond that, if you've got any form of electricity on your boat, you're going to have a mass (mess? :p) of wiring to look after an maintain, whether that's inverts for 12v or 240v.
Fascinating! I appreciate all the work that goes into your videos and they never disappoint. On a more personal note, I want to thank you for your video that gave your reasons for moving into a house. It made an big impression on me and was a significant factor in me selling my home of 19 years (4 stories up with no elevator) and buying one that I’ll be able to get older in much more comfortably (it has an elevator!). I’m a few years younger than you but your point about mortgages made a lot of sense. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know how you helped me and how much I appreciate it. Thank you.
Thank you, I'm glad it was useful. The logistics of older age need a lot of pre-planning!
@@CruisingTheCut Yes! I was blissfully cruising along not thinking about it but seeing you just a few years older make such a big change woke me up. It will only get harder as I get older so do it now. I’m so thankful you shared your reasons and I’m so glad I listened!
I agree.
As much as I love of houses, Victorian, Queen Anne, American Gothic, I knew there would come a time when none of those would be practical. When I bought a ranch I was greeted with , and so forth from my friends. Now almost 30 years on more and more of them have come to realize that they can’t deal with what they have and are having to downsize.
Better late than never, I say.
Meanwhile, I’m established in my neighborhood and am comfortable in a house that is just the way I like it.
I’ve loved your videos for years. You’ve put me onto some of my favorite TH-cam channels also.
So many thanks, for many reasons.👏👏👏
Thank you @Rowanhard, that's so good to hear 😊
It is just incredible how fast electric narrow boats have expanded. It does not seem very long ago when you looked at your first electric boat and questioned the viability and future of them. The technology is progressing at an incredible rate.
One thing to bear in mind is this boat has been in the water since ~2007 built in 2005 - Sean Borg
@@seanborg9340 I was surprised by the AGM batteries, which tracks with the build date. New builds would have lithium.
@@gildardo ...which would give me unending nightmares by virtue of sleeping on the top of the lot, wondering which second one of them might short out internally and thoroughly burn the entire thing down from bow to stern in a practically in-extinguishable inferno.
But surely weight isn't an issue but cost probably is.
@AttilaAsztalos If any short occurred, it would be immediately caught by a fuse blowing and no fire would result. Plus if lithium were to be used it would be the LiFEPO4 type which are a very, very safe chemistry.
Well done for yet again finding something new to show us! Thanks again David and guests.
Pods have been around for a long time now. I wondered why narrow boats didn't have them but thinking, most narrow boats were kind of traditional in their own way. Thanks for this insight.
because pods can be welded into the rudder they'll be great for converting butties to powered.
Cost? Surely a traditional installation is pretty cheap because it's so basic. Just the inverters alone would pay for a basic diesel and shaft set-up. And the design work. The talk about a stern gland fear is pretty old school, there are nitrile ceramic seals and a maintained gland is no issue.
I love engineers. They always come up with smart ideas.
Not always , some have come up with disasters
Quite a unique Narrowboat. Definitely ahead of its time. Perhaps now its design will be accepted on a wider scale. Thanks for sharing. Be well and stay safe.
You couldn't get much uniquer...
@@JohnSmith-pl2bk Comes with the definition of the word 'unique' really.
Though going fully electric (no generator, more, better, and bigger batteries and solar pannels instead) might make it even more unusual.
Thanks David, fantastic how you always continually come up with these amazing stories. What a wonderful clever son and a must be proud (and also clever) dad. The designer also, what a lovely man. Someone here said they love engineers. They come across just so ordinary but are, on the quiet, absolute geniuses. Love ‘em. Thanks again.
Father and son both brilliant and having loads of fun. What a wonderful thing to share.
Thanks for your comment 🙂 it really is my son's boat actually and he lives onboard and cruises in the summer I just help out and enjoy the boat with him but must admit we had some great times ..
Thanks
Arthur
All the tech in that boat is way over my head but holy moly that’s a spectacular boat.
This is a great system. A slightly different electrical design could make this system a hybrid so that the diesel generator would not have to be run all the time. Thanks for a very interesting video, David!
it already is a hybrid, the motive power doesn't turn the propeller
@@alanhat5252well, in the sense that it uses the generator's engine to produce electricity for the motor to use (via the VFD), yeah. Kind of like a diesel-electric train in that sense. This has the capability to charge (not present in this video) batteries that could also provide power to the VFDs for the motor with minimal development work though, then they can get on and off moorings with barely a whisper. That's the "dream"
@@williamstrachan In the current setup they seem to be using an off the shelf industrial VFD which takes AC in and puts AC out and an off the shelf generator which presumablly regulates itself to produce a consistent voltage/frequency. If they wanted to add batteries for traction, then they would likely need to split up the AC-DC conversion from the DC-AC conversion, and then add a control system to manage the generator and battery. Certainly feasible, but takes the project complexity to the next level.
I originally wanted to build a NB with a pod drive, but couldn't find a vendor. Now, thanks to you David, I've found it. BTW, yours was one of the first NB vlogs I started following years ago. And when you swallowed the anchor and moved back ashore, I was afraid I wouldn't have a straight review about the goings on along the "Cut". Thanks for staying with us. Always the straight dope about canals. Thank you, thank you, thank you....!
Much appreciated, cheers
Much more to my way of thinking; the huge battery for domestic and a SILENT generator to maintain propulsion. I must admit I had always thought of engine replaced by traction motor, driving through a stern gland when you and I had discussed electric boats before. I know this isn't a true electric boat, but it jolly could be and I just love the azipod and the advantages over the horrid weed hatch.
I really like your 'new' format (it must more than a year now?) and this has been one of your best. They are all good David, so I'm sure you are not worried. Keep up the good work.
The only canal boat capable of doing doughnuts - Wow!
Hahaha! Too funny!!
mmmmm. Donuts.
Enjoyed the video. There are a few companies out there that have developed electric steering pods. It would make more sense to go a bit further outside the box and use a traditional wheel, The issues with torque would be eliminated.
Imagine being a part of the team that creates THE Harrier Jump Jet! Then in your personal time, you create a houseboat on the weekends, IN ADDITION to engineering submersibles.. far out. That's one smart and BUSY engineer! Nice to see in motion and not loud at all.
Great little project. Nice to see the father and son working on and enjoying the narrowboat together.
Brilliant design and engineering. Inspiring.
Narrowboat design appears to be limited only by one's imagination. Once again a very interesting and informative vlog!
Not forgetting the size of your wallet.
The three dimensions of the possibility space are the width of the canal the depth of your pockets and the length of your dreams.
@@AlRoderick arguably the length of the locks and bridge/tunnel clearance also matter, if less so.
@@laurencefraser (& draught)
Absolutely amazing. So clever. Very fortunate young man having a boat like this. Wish him well and success.
Hi thanks I think he knows how lucky he is with this boat and for Sean it's right up his street, we are not saying this boat is for everyone 😊
Regards
Arthur
I love the way this boat is powered, etc. If I ever bought a narrow boat I’d want it to be like this one. I think the tiller stiffness issue could be overcome like power steering on cars overcame the hard to turn issue with standard steering.
Being able to get to and also pull the engine easily is brilliant all by itself.
Nice to see David Gilmour and son cruising the cut - you didn't fool me - in a modern interpretation of an old tradition. This is the type of narrowboat I would like to own.
As usual,fascinating David. It’s staggering the amount of effort people put in on these NB……thanks for showing us this.
That is beautiful engineering! I was amazed at just how small the engine pod is, too. I do wonder if it was steered by a wheel instead of the tiller, would the learning curve for adapting to its steering be less demanding? I hope canal boat designers/builders adopt this idea for new boats. Historical boats should stay historical so that we don't lose that aspect, but new-builds can be free to move with the times and new technology. --Dan
Because one could include reduction gearing and reduce the diameter of the steering wheel.
I imagine that this could be adapted to work with a helm wheel type layout, with a motor that turns the pod instead of a tiller. This way you could operate the boat remotely if you wanted. Very cool stuff!
What a great episode! What a great idea for the canals. And I'm so impressed you keep finding such wonderful topics to present to us.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I love this design! It could also be modified to have more batteries, more solar, and a smaller generator as backup, and it could be a good solar electric boat!
The pod drive looks like the future.
Excellent and very informative video, as always.
I am glad to see that some Narrowboaters are not afraid to do something different. So many want everything old school.
One improvement would be a hydraulic or electric assist on the tiller to make it easier to turn.
It seems an excellent idea but probably needs refining before it is a commercial proposal. Thanks for a fascinating report. C
Love the hammock and flying chair idea....
Me too, as they are low-tech, not like the rest.
It's great to see modern and diverse thinking applied to narrowboats.
Those pod-drives and bow thrusters just make sense.
Great idea! 😊
David would adore having this boat
Amazing, well done for finding yet another unique NB.
Many thanks!
@@CruisingTheCut No thanks needed, thoroughly entertaining.
Love it! Just remember, technology is awesome…until the moment it stops working. Not everyone is a mechanical engineer capable of making repairs on a complex system.
Well me and my son uave never owned a narrow boat before...its simple design has jelped so far 😊
This is why you cultivate people with skills you will need and put money aside to hire them. Most people no longer worry about changing their spark plugs or doing their own oil changes. Most wouldn't know what to do with a choke either or even shift a gear.
I was totally engrossed from beginning to end David. A+
Y'alls canal boating looks peaceful, since I was raised on the Ohio River here in Louisville, Kentucky and the propulsion system is modern, nice 😊
Electric drive and river boating of all types are a perfect combination. And love the pod/well concept here. That is superb development.
This is a lesson on how to make a simple, relaxed lifestyle complicated.
Aircraft engineers and technicians are the most diligent and creative people of all. A good friend of mine comes from a lineage of aircraft servicemen (3rd gen), and he is the only person i ever let touch my cars and motorcycles. Even the authorised service techs admitted his work is superior to theirs, better than factory. His wiring skills are second to none, his harnesses being made with aircraft grade redundancy, so if he installs something in your cars/bike, that will be the last thing to fail.
We should all be lucky enough to have such good friends
It certainly is a well documented and quality build ... thanks 😊
Certainly different with the loss of engine sound while maneuvering, but so versatile for steering. Cool seeing this technology brought to narrowboats. Thanks for the informative video David!
👍
Nothing better than 2 pi's. I love this boat so much. It would definitely be similar to how I would set it up. Unfortunately I am sure it would not be as nicely organized.
Thanks we love the boat buod and quality and simplicity
I love that drive set up. A lot of the tugs around here use azipod's and they are very maneuverable and reliable.
Sounds brilliant! In so many ways.
Excellent bit of kit ideal for us boaters 😊😊
Thank you David for bringing such an interesting idea to our attention. As always, a very well presented video. 👏👏👍🥴
My pleasure!
Not sure if its exactly the same but Narrowboat Hector the little boat owned by armada boats at Rugby has a hydraulic drive prop, and its so quiet at the helm, with the beta marine engine under the bulkhead at the front.
What a brilliant design idea to have a drive pod. Love all the techie gubins too.
Very cool boat--thanks for the tour, David!
I use my boat to simplify my life. I have also been in the boat refit and repair business all my adult life. All I see here is more stuff to go wrong.
And a LOT MORE at that.
Like what
His boat his choice.
Sleeping on the battery pack, I don't think I could. I guess if its gonna go it will be quick.
Why do you imagine some disaster will befall it?!!
@@CruisingTheCut Paranoid I guess, seen some really bad electrical fires with helpless firefighters just having to stand by and let them go. Had a cell phone battery gas up to 4 times size but never had a battery explode on me luckily. Sorry If I am a little doom and gloom.
Cellphone batteries are usually Lithium Ion, different chemistry. I had one bulge up alarmingly in a 'mifi' dongle but luckily it didn't blow up...
Those are lead-acid gel batteries, not lithium-ion. In addition, given the professional-looking installation, I highly suspect the owner installed a high-quality battery charger and battery management system (if the batteries did not come so equipped). Add in the numerous monitoring sensors and I would bet it’s safer than the setup in your car.
All new boats should be made this way.
That is very cleaver. A very modern way to power a boat. Yes, I've seen it on Big Modern Ships, but never seen it scaled down to a narrow boat. It makes sense though. Kudos to the engineer who designed it.
Seems like an all around improvement. You didn't compare the cost of the pod drive vs a conventional setup, is the pod any cheaper? Although I think the peace of mind from the 'top hat' and lack of stern gland is worth a few pounds too.
I'm not sure what the current cost would be as this was installed several years ago.
The cost of this build was not much more than a conversational build and takes no more steel... in fact its just a large round hole in the rear end where normally a weed hatch would be, the rest of the cost is with the pod and drive unit pleas get in touch with Ramsey i am sure he can provide more information
Shouldn't be too long before alot more barges have this fitted, great idea
Not sure that this will be the case. Elegant or brilliant solutions usually have a way of finding considerable resistance from the rest of the world...
@@normg2242 yeah i kond of agree with you on that, we as the owners where also suspicious and ots only after owning and running the boat over the last 2 years jas it become apparent how easy and nice it is to own and run ...thanks
Very proud of themselves. As they should be. What a pair of guys to know.....
No better propulsion in the world than a squirrel cage motor. And this installation is brilliant!
That's what happens with all great ideas, economics rules everything, hopefully the market will come back and the mini-isopods will take off. And those chocks are used on all aircraft from Harriers to Airbus A330s.
Be interesting to know comparative cost. Looks very expensive for what it actually does over a conventional drive. Never really had any problem steering into the bank, stopping or winding and never had a boat sink due to the stern gear.
I don't think mamy narrow boater have a problem with steering and stern glands but those that do would certainly benefit from this solution and the costs are bery similar to a standard build with less maintenance 😊
@@helicopter12345678 I'd be interested in the posibility of using the pod drive on an all electric boat (no generator, more battery and solar). Not in the sense of acquiring one, you understand, just idol curiosity (I live in a place with no canals and compleately unsuitable rivers. You want to go boating around here you're looking more along the lines of canoes, jet boats, or boats that can actually handle the open ocean.)
Absolutely Fantastic , Its the way to go.
Brilliant idea! Things run so quietly and steering is much improved.
What an amazing narrowboat. Can it hit warp speed?
I believe so, yes
@@CruisingTheCut
Then beam me up!
Remember resistance is futile 🤣
@@helicopter12345678
Watt?
A bit too high tech for my brain!
Wow! Really nice! Thank you to engineers!
I really like how the design eliminates the stern gland entirely and also the amazing access for maintenance.
Hanging chair and hammock ... for easy access to the wires etc. Colored lights, infinite power to computers and lights ... a boy's dream. Do you want to live aboard this spaceship?
I feel this boat is contrary to the philosophy of a canal boat of off grid living. Personally I would rather have a wood burner & oil lamps complete with a diesel engine.
I don't think there is such a thing as "a" philosophy of canal boat living. Surely the basic ethos, if anything, is "each to his/her own" and if that means an electric pod drive then that's their valid choice...
How off grid are you if you're buying wood, oil, and diesel?
Me too.
@@chrisfoxwell4128
Quite so, good point.
You might add buying food, getting rid of human waste, rubbish, recycling and ash from your stove.
And, possibly, watering up.
It is possible to filter canal water with appropriate kit.
Filter kit is not "that" expensive but the replacement filters, UV lamps might be.
Some boaters have attempted to use rain water, directly (!), from various collection systems but you can never know what pollution is in the atmosphere. If we see Saharan dust from time to time then entirely possible there's other "nasties" held in the rain. There again you could pipe that water through the filter system.
This "living off the grid" isn't quite the term to use.
Great find Dave, what an absolutely brilliant innovation.
Genuinely wonderful!
Wow! That sounds fantastic
Wow a narrow-narrow boat
Your videos put me at ease, the sound of the engine putting down a canal thank you for sharing this. I’m glad you found this path and if it makes you happy please keep it up because it spreads happiness across the pond
Thank you very much!
Wow…. Impressive! Thanks for sharing!
Brilliant, a complete cruise ship propulsion system, scaled down to a 50 foot boat.
Your tours of quirky, different boats are the best 👍👍
Brilliant! Very nicely done!
This video was so interesting.
More like this David.
Thanks David! An electrifying video, as always.
Well, if anyone was going to have such advanced technology in a ship, it's no surprise it's the Borg!
Fascinating. Just goes to show you there is always something new around the next bend.
Thank for that very interesting tour David🙏
Glad you enjoyed it
Pretty amazing canal boat.. appreciate you sharing day on the water with us.😎👍😁
An amazing narrow boat! What fun!
Very interesting idea. Pod and bow thruster, excellent
This tech is the future for all the canal boats. All these guys need to do is make the entire wiring set up clear and labeled and make the interior attractive. No more fuel fill ups, no more fuel spills. A nice small solid fuel stove for supplemental heat and ambiance, a cup of tea and a quiet evening. And no fear about sinking because of a leaky gland!
Thank you for sharing!
If [conditions unlikely to be met], then I would want a narrowboat like this one.
By the way, I assume that installing remote control (wireless or by wire) would now be easy. Which would make sense if the boat should be handled by a single person. Like me. ;-)
That steering trick is great. So obvious - with hindsight...
Fantastic. In my Top 3 of the ones you showed. 💯💯
That's fantastic.. I hope alot more of those narrow boats get built like that. I really enjoyed watching this..Thanks David for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it
What a brilliant boat!
WOW thats one impressive boat