This is a blog discribing Campania Distrists High's latest crazy idea!! We hope you enjoy, we will keep you posted!!
The MAD-HATTEN PROJECT!!
Our initial concept for this design was to create a hybrid, tandem, pedal powered, schooner rigged landyacht, which is suitable for road use. As our planning has progressed we have changed from our initial concept to one more suitable for use in a paddock. At this stage we have dispensed with the pedals but retrained the tandem seating arrangement. We have dumped our original concept because we have suitable paddocks to sail in, and we wanted a yacht we can train people on. (If this concept works we can easily add the pedals and the fourth wheel at a later date) We have chosen the "schooner rigged yacht" because we don't have a single sail big enough to power two people. We understand that this won't be as efficient at high speeds but it will be powerful for reaching and running downwind. We have started off with concept drawings and initial plans of this yacht, then we have built models which we will show you.
We would like people to offer their advice and constructive criticism on ways we can improve the concept before we actually start the construction. 
This is our original concept.
The rear person is the pilot and the fore person is like the passenger or learner. The pilot has more control in steering because the steering bar is longer therefore he has more leverage over the fore person!!
This is our first concept and design!!
It is stable, tracks well and is very fast. It would work well with full road kit such as tandem pedals and brakes. We wonder what the authorities would make of this....overtaking cars![}:)][}:)][}:)]
This is the pedal powered version as you can see its has got 4 wheels, The fourth wheel at the back is the wheel that powers the pedals and when you fly the wheel the fourth wheel is off the ground creating less drag.
in the sailing test on the courts it was a bit of a flop. The front end flexed too much. With adequate structural redesign it may perform well.
This is our latest design. As you can see we have shifted the mainsail behind the pilot and the rear wheels. We are a bit concerned about creating too much weather helm. In our scale model sailing test it did track reasonably straight. Unfortunately our courts are surrounded by buildings and trees and consequently the dirty air made for unreliable results. On a later video clip you will see that this thing really takes off. We will live in interesting times!
The reason we adopted this concept was to provide for a much shorter wheel base and therefore stronger frame.
I think that the rear sheeting position will be very weak and will need some serious bracing. In line with your idea of pedal powering it as per your model might i suggest replacing the single unit with a tiangle based from behind the rear wheels braced from where the rear seat and mast support join. This would become a much stronger sheeting point and would be clear for your driven wheel. Just a thought
i am amazingly impressed by the progress so far. you may find that you will need to move the rear seating reaward ( or the rear axle forward)to act as a counterweight for the front persons weight being so far forward.
about 15-18kgs of weight over the front wheel, with the people in the yacht is a good weight to be able to manage, more will make the steering too heavy. . Our big 3 seater has the same wieght as a class 5 and if you dont have 2 passengers you have to add a drum of water to stop it getting too light
Thanks for the help guys!
We are considering moving the main mast forward of the rear seat.(aka LLM) We want to get it back far enough to stop back winding caused by the foresail being too close.....perhaps behind the pilot's knees? This may prove to be too uncomfortable though. We would also like to get the seat behind the axle....sliding.....for tandem use and slide it forward for solo sailing. We may have to make the steering linkage adjustable as well.
I've been reading an 1981 copy of Wooden Boat mag.( Bolger heaven landyacht!) They have an article on the history of ice sailing...very interesting! Someone produced a tandem one in the 1930's but it was not very successful...hummm perhaps due to weight distribution problems. It was not ketch or schooner rigged though, just a boring old efficient cat sloop rig.
The troops demonstrated the need for a more powerful rig on the oval again today....fluky wind and slow wet grass!!!!!
These are all too typical conditions here at this time of the year. Still, it was good for the next crop of learners........landing on soft grass beats hard stuff.
Great to see a bit of pedal power coming into things, its a bugger being at the total mercy of the wind!
Here's a couple of pictures I've had on the computer for a while, may even have seen them on here first, been hiding them from the wife, "more money?" seems to be the catchphrase used a lot around my house. She doesn't realise the addictiveness. I've given up bike and car upgrades for the cause!!
Anyway I hope these give you some inspiration, keep up the good work.
Hey Skids
You've found out about our nasty little project!!
If you look on one of CDHS's other blogs you will see that we are also into HPV's. Our trikes are very similar in design to the second of your pics. We have long dreamed of rigging one.
Hopefully we will post some video footage of Friday's training session.....when we figure out how to edit out the total disasters.
This blog seems to have had a heap of hits......wonder if people have miss-Googled Manhatten project and come up with us or there are that many land yachties out there in cyber world? The troops are chuffed but.
tass, you seemed to have done well, all of you.
I cannot see your point of finish for such projects,
just on and on.....what a way to goooooooooo.
The crew seem quite intelligent.....for tasweejans!! 
Hey, dont be spoiling our fun by editing out the disasters!, thats usually the best bits, as long as nobody gets hurt ( well really hurt, a bit of pain is often required to verify the authenticity of the footage)
I punched recumbrent bike into google and that second picture shot up and thats when the grey matter began working overtime, but that's a project for another time, I've got too many yachts and other things on the go at the moment!
Oh gees Gismo and Skidmark........you've really done it now!!!!!
That 2nd pic of your's Skids is interesting.....but perhaps somewhat underrigged and me thinks it would suffer heaps from way too much weather helm. That mast needs to be much more further forward.
Those Yanks in the Pterosail are more on the mark!!! We just got hold of a sail bag containing 2 tip top condition 470 style radial cut jibs from our local tip shop.(I asked," how much?", she said "$10". I pulled a sad faceor 3 and said what they were for and how our little school is so pov.....she gave them both to us for $5"
We were wondering how to rig them on something
NOW WE KNOW
I've got a stack of bamboo in the shed...so tripod masts it is.
We have seen some pics of that mad Scot......somewhere......wonder where he is or if he was taken by a croc. or squashed by a drop bear.(they are seriously dangeroous here in Australialand)
This is what we will rig up. Will make training for our racing much more funner!This is Camikazi....it got seriously trashed in our last race....so we have to rebuild it anyway(Rolled 6 times
)
If you do a search on youtube there is many videos on the Pterosail....
Having watched the pterosail video, i can see all sorts of design problems and patchups, the whike is certainly more on the money.
if you plan on 2 seats , 2 pedallers,and 2 masts, why not consider articulating the whole shebangto get your steering
So if it takes 46 days to sail a pterosail across the USA how long would it take to sail across Oz?
N>S or S>N or W>E or E>W ..... What would be the best winds and what time of year
Does anyone know of any students that like researching the weather bureau and learning Australian geography
We are working on how long it will take to sail around Australia rather than across it. We will give you average winds, best time of the year to sail ect. Get back too you soon.
THE MAD-HATTEN PROJECT UPDATE!!!
THE MAD-HATTEN PROJECT UPDATE!!! 
THE MAD-HATTEN PROJECT UPDATE!!!
Last Friday we (Izac, BodieCDHS, JOEinTAS and tassiefubar) rigged up the land-yachts at the school's oval (Campania, TAS).
I can't complain because it was a great day for learners (soft, wet grass) but it definitely wasn't a day for speed as the wind was gusty and turbulent, and the long wet grass slow the landyachts heaps (20-35kms).
But when I was on the cricket pitch (dry and very hard) in the middle of the oval , I went about 8 kms when there was hardly any wind.
During the day, I took some videos of our learners on the oval.
And it was great to see them on 2 wheels already!!!
In the next few days, we WILL upload some videos on are learners.
And i think you might be impressed as they have had only a few hours every fortnight!! 
Thank-You for reading and will get those videos uploaded shortly!!!
One of my jobs in the MAD-HATTEN project is too make a land yachting manual for people who are inerterested in starting land yachting.
Has anyone got any tips or points they would like to make.
Also if you have any information i should include please post!!
Your help will be appreciated!!!! [}:)][}:)][}:)]
THANKS!!!!!
We are also wanting to include a thoruogh training manual with step-by-step instructions..... Thanks
If you need to come up with an instruction manual have a look at this site and its various sections its possibly a good start for you....
adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/urban-sports/land-sailing.htm
