Five of us had a crack at sailing one landyacht up the Tanami Track a couple of weeks ago. We made 369 klms after six days with occasional moderate but mainly light winds. The hammering from road corrugations, due to the fuel road trains, created metal fatigue in the central 60 ml light wall gal pipe, resulting in the pipe tearing and sagging. Repairs with welded metal sleeves and a star picket only delayed the inevitable. The end came when we sheared our 5/8" high tensile steering bolt for the second time. With the frame twisted 15 degrees, we called it quits.
Looks great fun , but I think some type of supersion to reduce the vibration reaching the frame is the go for this one
The rear end has pivot arms with eight wraps of 1/2" shock cord around each arm. In the video the rear end is working fine. There are two tappet type springs on the front steering bolt (top and bottom), which was not sufficient.
Get yourself somequad bike wheels/tyres. Due to relatively light weight of landyacht they will run on really low air pressure and will soak up a lot of that vibration. I put a set on my Promo and cand sail on an area that was deliberately ripped up by a grader, sand dunes and prickle bush areas. At low pressures they act as suspension.
Good effort Salty. I drove up that track many tears ago and the corries were about 3 foot long and just as deep, (felt like it anyway). If a cattle truck came along we cleared off up the sides of the road because they wouldn't budge an inch. Looks like your tyres were fairly hard, good idea of TP1's with the use of the low pressure balloon tyres. The backside of the poor pilot will never be the same.
thanks for the comments and suggestions, we may do a rebuild, if the bug bites again. The round trip, including a look at Kakadu was over 11,000 klms and 26 days. The pilots sat on a wheelbarrow inner tube, an hour holding the mainsheet was long enough. We had a vehicle in front and behind the landyacht with radio contact to spot the road trains, we cleared the road as well.
That track is appalling,
Last time I took a load of acid to the Granites minesite, our truck was hammered so much by the corrugations and holes that we lost almost all light bulbs,
the aircon unit on the cab fell apart, the tray started shaking loose and we lost our D.G. placards.
It didn't matter what speed , or what bit of the road you drove on, driving back with an empty truck was even worse as the suspension had no weight on it.
You did well to get as far as you did!
stephen
Congrats on having a go and getting over 350 km. That track may warrant another go someday with a new yacht design I feel 
BB, Max is as fit as ever. He missed out on the trip due to family matters two days before we left. Not sure about Kingston yet. Don't think we will do Tanami again, the distances and time away create a bit of grief domestically. If we did another track it might be Strzelecki. Thanks for the comments sn and lachlan
Select to expand quoteSaltylips said..
If we did another track it might be Strzelecki.
We lost a fuel tank on the Strzelecki......corrugations fatigued the straps holding the tank, tank rolled out and tore its cap off and most drained out before my co-driver even knew the tank was missing.
The crossover lines and fuel taps between the left and right tanks were torn out by the ridges between the wheel tracks, they were so deep the front and rear axles were grading the track.
Between the tank that fell off, and the torn out lines we lost close to 450 litres of diesel.
Wasn't the smoothest of trips - but there were a few sweet bits of track that were a relief though.
It might pay to ring ahead to Innaminka for a track condition report.
Be aware - fuel is [was?] only available at certain hours, and they only took cash or personal cards - not company cards [which can hurt!]
stephen
P.S.,
The last 2 hours heading north on bitumen, before hanging a right onto the Strez, were the worst I have ever seen for kangaroos, co-pilot cleaned up something like 40 or so before I had a snooze, and I had to read him the riot act regarding trying to dodge them. [not a smart thing to try in a truck]
stephen, what tracks or roads would you suggest are possible for land yachting in an area including SA, NT and QLD without crossing into WA?
I am a little out of date now, had to stop driving trucks due to medical problems,
But- if you can find out who maintains the Strez. track - or any other track it would help you out.
There were several maintenance crews grading the track last time I did that run.
We just happened to get there before they had done much.
The work crews, the local shire council or even the regional police [Innaminka possibly has a police station?] would be the best ones to comment on track condition - and if you can jag a time when it has recently been done you should be sweet.
Another way, would be to ring the big trucking companies - as they have rigs on the tracks all the time.
stephen
Het Salty Lips, what's the problem about crossing into WA?? It's really nice over here and the people are top class.
What about a trip along the service road following the overland train line between Kalgoorlie and Pt Augusta. The bit I have travelled is dirt but in good nick and you might even get a wave from the passengers. Doubt if you would ever see Mr Plod out there unless he was chasing a Roo or two.....wok
thanks for the advice on the Strez and service road from Kalgoorlie, ideas for our planning discussions. Wok its only the distance from the central coast NSW to the WA border that causes grief. So far away... the fuel bills become an issue, when taking two vehicles with trailers on a landyacht treck. We'll work something out...
Select to expand quoteSaltylips said..
the fuel bills become an issue, when taking two vehicles with trailers on a landyacht treck.
Put together a short promotional video of your previous trips and send copies to big companies P.R. Departments, outlining your aims and needs for an outback W.A. trek.
Twiggy Forrest, Gina, and the assorted mining concerns?
In case you didn't know - W.A. is littered with mine sites, and the PRIVATE roads linking many of them would be AWESOME! for a landyacht.
Hit them for possible sponsorship, access to roads, to make use of their mine site accommodation and workshops for repairs and maintenance to your landyachts and support vehicles.
As a side note, a tank of diesel at each mine site would be nothing to these companies - and all mine sites have spare accommodation of some type.
It wouldn't surprise me to find mine sites with landyachting as a sporting activity soon after you visit [my first Lefroy mini was built at Wodgina mine site]
Sponsorship from Australian geographic? Take lots of pic's and have their logo on your sail [heck - sell sail space to Twiggy and Gina, they can have a side each]
Similar help from a big trucking company [Lindsay Fox?] - possibly to get your vehicles and gear dropped off at the start point, picked up at the finish?
Even the W.A. Tourism Commission would get interested with something like this - and probably smooth the way with big companies, local and state government departments.
The Department of Sport and Recreation in W.A. is another one to hit - as you are promoting the sport of land-sailing [an eco-friendly sport that anyone can take part in]
When you send your promotional videos to the companies and govt. mobs, include some decent sized pics of your landyachts, but photo shop the targeted companies colour schemes and logo onto them.
Around November 13[ish] the Seniors Recreation Council hold a big expo at Burswood Park.
I call it the "Old farts field day" as 90% of those attending are probably grey nomads killing time between trips.
I have a spot booked to promote land sailing, on behalf of the assorted W.A. clubs - I can soon make space for you if the time suits you.
all stuff for you to think about.........
stephen
