Hi Folks,
I wonder if anyone can offer some advice/guidance. Some of you may have seen my website which includes a big barge some 46" by 17". This barge is pulled along by my little wyeforce.
I have always wanted to motorize the barge and im very reluctant to start chopping bits out of it etc..
I today have been measuring up my barge and re-making CAD drawings of it so that the parts can be water jetted in the future. I have made a slight modification to the stern in which the proposed location of the twin 60mm props will go. A pair of rudders will also be installed.
This is the current towed barge, stern showing and the large fixed rudders which continue along the bottom to the bow would be removed (they were put there to make sure the barge tows straight).
Where the stern starts to slope up from the bottom (on picture above), this is the proposed new layout of the barge.
This shows the new stern more clearly - and drawn as near as damn it, actual size.
Now my question would be - Is there going to be sufficient space for water to enter the rear of the prop so that it can be propelled forward with enough force to move this 40KG (when ballasted) model with relative ease?
The second question would be - if i obviously removed the large fixed rudders at the stern and left on the runners underneath the bottom, would this cause any great issues in regard to turning when underway?
Or would a more sloped stern and use of steerable korts be a better solution?
I would also be installing a bow thruster either way.
Dan