maybe there could be a separate "race" from Darwin to Adelaide for land yachts and or blokarts and mini's, might attract a few followers perhaps, maybe even some sponsorship for some competitors. worth a thought
Wok to answer your question.... Would it be 'legal' to road sail in Australia...... Hell NO!!!!, these days you can get a warning for having non-rated D shackles on your tow bar (even if they are hanging there AND your not towing anything). So I've just made a personal guess that sailing down a road would be out as well.
In USA it seems a little easier, but that's there we are here.
This is a pic I found in 1980.
Since then it regularly crossed my mind also, it seems that many countries around the it is quite doable with various sort of yachts.
Could you do a special race / trip on the road possibly. At the same time as the solar race? Those solar cars hoot along at 100km/h +
Thanks Gizmo, looks like I shall have to revert to plan "A". That is, pick a full moonlit night when the strong southerly is blowing 24hrs a day such as from Aug onward. The road terminates at Denham, 130km in from the main northern highway and it rarely has a vehicle from early evening to early morning other than a late tourist arrival with caravan in tow. Mr Pod will be tucked up in bed for sure. No water, food or shelter the whole way so a light tent is necessary in case I have to bush camp for the return journey next night. Any trouble is overcome in daylight when I can thumb a lift home.
I had reason to be 40km down that road last night and the wind direction was strong and perfect but my mini is back in Busselton. I'm back again in late Aug so watch this space!!! Another shorter trip is to travel across to Monkey Mia where the Dolphins draw the tourists, that is 25k each way. That trip would be definitely unused by vehicles at night. Trouble with night flights is the inability to capture much by camera but full moonlight and flashlight may be enough. I had mentioned the venture to the new US Dirt Boats mag and they are urging me to go....Wok
Good one Chook, I bought some red and some white units. Hope the batteries don't cost the world. You can send some of your rain up to Denham if you like, it's as dry as as as as. Need to soak the ground to get my fenceposts in...Wok
a thought occurred to me about getting permission to "sail on the roads" what about holding "an event" like the solar cars but maybe not on such a grand scale but also promote a charity and raise awareness of some medical disorder or some such like cancer in men or something,, that way both land sailing and men's health benefit ?? just a thought....
Good thinking BB. The solar car event is such a major one I wasn't surprised they were luke warm about joining. A purely landyacht event such as you suggested would surely raise some interest. I think it would have to be done with official blessings and that makes it a little complicated...W
there is more than one way to skin a cat ,, so to speak,, get the right people and the right cause and you'd be surprised how easy it all becomes
one of interest ...if it works..German Auto Factory
Germans have a positive trade balance, in spite of paying workers some of the highest wages in the world. It is truly incredible.
^^^^ interesting video, BUT what has the building of prestigious cars in an ultra modern state of the art factory got to do with Cross-Country land sailing in Australia or anywhere else in the world?
I just can't think of ANY correlation between the two.
Sheeeeit. Hope l haven't created a monster with this post.
Good to see you still have an interest in this topic Joe, l thought you would keep track on it.
Anyway, l hope it gets enough blokes thinking about it to get some sort of cross country event cranked up.
It could be bigger than Ben Hur.
Even raise some loot for the flyin doc, that would get some permits for a run up somewhere like the Birdsville track real quick.
It could even work in with the races, what a hoot that would be.
well i dont know if i have done some of you blokes a favour, or,
just let you have a free swing at me, but i have broard shoulders, etc.
thanks to a friend i /he managed to repair my crashed web site, walkaboutjoe.com
on this site you will be able to read all about the cross australia run in a landyacht by jeanphillip,
both his version and my australian interprutation. so if you heve never done things like this. dont bag it , read it
and with an open mind form some opinion. Much of my lifes interests are at this site, so when you become as free
as me, we may together have enlightened interaction, in other words dont hide behind your avitar, be totally honest.
edit, seems to be some problem, my friend will looksee, and maybe work his magic.......
Select to expand quotegibberjoe said...
well i dont know if i have done some of you blokes a favour, or,
just let you have a free swing at me, but i have broard shoulders, etc.
thanks to a friend i /he managed to repair my crashed web site, walkaboutjoe.com
on this site you will be able to read all about the cross australia run in a landyacht by jeanphillip,
both his version and my australian interprutation. so if you heve never done things like this. dont bag it , read it
and with an open mind form some opinion. Much of my lifes interests are at this site, so when you become as free
as me, we may together have enlightened interaction, in other words dont hide behind your avitar, be totally honest.
edit, seems to be some problem, my friend will loo
ksee, and maybe work his magic.......
This has gone over my head joe, just what are you tying to say? I' m not much good at reading between lines???? some thing about hiding behind an avitar??? Working magic with web sites??? Free swings???
If you have something to say say it in a way we all can understand, after all anyone with broard sholders should be able to do some straight talking.
B.B. and Gizmo.
I have been looking at traction kites,(the buy and sell section on this site) as I know stuff all about these gadgets it looks like they go by size, just how big do they make these things? and for example how much weight will a 14 meter kite pull? another question is, I was thinking of building with bamboo and wicker for a test rig do you think it would stand up to it?
I bought four wheels and the stub axles today the fun is about to start.
Just got an email with this attachment with it thought I would share as I got a giggle out of it, nope didn't work
I have pics and a fair bit of detail of the one that long time Land sailor Les Damsell "sailed" from John O Groats to Lands End to raise in excess of 3 Million pounds for Muscular Dystrophy. Perhaps if you were to do a charity thing like that you might be able to have some rules "massaged"? He was also involved in the Nat Geo trip on the Sahara.
Thanks Gizmo and Kiwi.
Anything is appreciated.
But gizmo.... your a bloody ripper, you found just what turns me right on, that square rigger is just the thing, if l could get something like that up and running l could throw away the viagra.
There must be someone out there, old farts or young bucks that would want to get something like that square rigger happening.
Just imagine the fun, just imagine the motley crew of inland pirates and wenches, lots of wenches.... arrrrr! An rum matey, barrels of it (just to keep the wenches warm on those cold nites.)
if you're gunna have anything to do with the kites I'd suggest start off small first, I did,, maybe a 5 meter or something like that just to get the feel of flying them,, traction kites generate a lot of power, I have one here that has lifted me off the ground by, they say a meter, and dumped me back down on my backside, and I'm not a small person by any means,,they can be DANGEROUS if you're not carefull with them when you're first starting out, most power kites are soft that is they have no frame so they fold up into a fairly small space, and they are controlled by at least 2 and mostly 4 lines attached to a handle or bar, they take a bit of practise to get to fly but once you get the hang of it it's fairly easy.. The other kite option i'd look at is what's called a lifting kite, imagine a rectangle shape and that's what most lifting kites look like they generate lots of power that can be used for either lifting and mostly use only 1 very thick line,, lifting kites have been around for 100's of years and were used in early wars to lift observers into the air to "spy" on the enemy...I'd be getting in touch with a kite shop in Hobart or a kite maker over your way and speak to them,, Tassie has some brilliant kite makers, check you're phone book or google kite shops or kite makers in Tassie... A square rigger would be good but don't forget you still have to get it up and over sand dunes and such....
Thanks BB l'll have a look in the phone book, the square rigger would be a great team effort project that l would jump at, and l would still like to do a cross country trick over the big red hills, l've been looking for some photos of my Jeep crossing to post but l think the ex has consigned them to Davey Jones's locker.
But l'll keep looking.
The wheels on the square rigger interested me, with a 4 wheeler and a lifting kite or traction kite with engine back up and solar is still atthe top of the list unless you blokes can change my line of thinking
You could do both, a square rigger and for those qccassions when a bit extra power is needed launch a kite as costner did in water world
The possibility's are endless, I just hope someone else would like to have a crack at a project like this.
Test Pilot 1
I was over your way not long ago and had a look about the old Kinross mine(I think that's wow it's spelled) I crossed a big dry lake and wondered if you have sailed on it?
From all the previous posts it is obvious that there are many obstacles to overcome. But what a great adventure! If you have the time and the money please try and do it, but make sure you let us all know how it goes. You could try buying a second hand 20ft catamaran and putting wheels on it. Do lots of testing. Make sure to check the wind patterns in the areas where you intend to go. You'll need plenty of wind. Not sure but you might be more likely to get wind in the south than in the north of the country. Work out the prevailing direction and choose the best way to go. Perhaps you could do beaches and sail around the headlands.
Select to expand quoteThundaUp said..
The possibility's are endless, I just hope someone else would like to have a crack at a project like this.
sent u an email to the address you gave me not sure if you got it or not BB
Select to expand quoteTest pilot 1 said..
You could do both, a square rigger and for those qccassions when a bit extra power is needed launch a kite as costner did in water world
the kite in water world was a box cody kite they have been around for 100's of years even before hot air balloons , large codys were use to lift observers into the air to observe the enemy , large box codys generate huge lift but they require rigging and a frame to hold everything in shape,, a lifting sled or power wedge is soft and has no frames and once filled with air gives almost the same lifting effect
