Building a new Drivetrain for my DIY Pedalboat + other Improvements

A few years after initially building my aluminum pedalboat catamaran I decided it's time for some long needed improvements and also to talk about the project a bit more in general. Enjoy!
First video on this project: • Building a Bike Boat C...
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I liked the video the moment you said you're opposed to using a car for everything. That's the spirit, nice going mate

[@Speedgaming802]

You need a passenger seat

[@ScottHammet]

The craftsmanship never fails to be impressive. Thank you for taking the time to film and share.

[@XSAILOR65]

I would rather say " The craftsmanship never disappoint". What you say is the total opposite?

[@ScottHammet]

@@XSAILOR65 Good catch. Fixed.

[@whatacnut]

I hate to sound cliché, but there‘s no match for German Technology/Craftsmanship... 🙂 here‘s the proof.

[@timothyurbanik6298]

This project is the perfect candidate for an oval chain ring. It gives you more mechanical advantage when your legs are in the position of least mechanical advantage, definitely check one out!!!

[@nils4214]

I think I actually saw you once with your Pedalboat when I was still living in Hamburg, awesome to find your video here on youtube.

[@MarcsYoutube]

What an amazing build! I feel like the tops of the open pontoons could be easily closed off with some lightweight, cut-to-size tarps, if somebody would want to make the boat more splash resistant, and mitigate the danger of filling the floaters up and sinking.

[@PhilVandelay]

Yeah this has been on the "list" for a long time, I might add this at some point but also have never really felt the need for it. So far I haven't come close to any situation where there's a concerning amount of water in the hulls (you'd need a LOT to really affect buoyancy enough to become an issue). I also bring a bilge-pump for emergencies but have never needed it. The only water that usally gets in the hulls comes from small leaks, some of which I haven't been able to locate to this day 😅

[@_aullik]

@@PhilVandelay I think the inflatable bags should be more than enough. You could try filling the pontoons with water in the next summer and check if it stays afloat. Obviously near shore. Worst case you get a bit wet.

[@user-zu8hh7tf3v]

I always look forward to your videos. I really like the upgrades of previous builds. Attention to detail is unbelievable. Cargo bikes, patoon boat, machinery upgrades, love them all. The belt sander is #1. Keep up the great work, and thanks for sharing!

[@marcellucassen8033]

Amazing, under water bearings can be made with pvc tubes small and large with solid pvc pins as rollers, they can handle water as they don't rust.

[@rolfnilsen6385]

I used to race the Tornado catamaran both here on the north sea and going to regattas farther south. Your catamaran is a nice craft for your use and conditions. Love seeing your ingenuity and builds.

[@keithfulkerson]

Robert Murray Smith has recently made some interesting videos about fans and propellers. One of the weirdest things was adding little nubs to the leading edge, like a whale fin. It actually seemed to make a difference.

[@theorangebaron1595]

Some great upgrades to an already nice boat. I enjoy following your thought process as you manufacture solutions for all of the problems with the past iteration.

[@dariushmilani6760]

One thing for sure Phil, your projects never disappoint. Great job👍👍

[@charliemcmonagle]

Nice one! Thank you for showing some of Hamburg too. Looks like a lovely place. There is a company based there i have always been interested in working for. Might be worth a visit! For the belt drive tensioner you can use a smooth idler and pull the belt in rather than pushing it out like you have it now. This can really improve the belt wrap around the pulley making slipping less likely. Also might help with the packaging around your steering cables. Atb

[@PhilVandelay]

Yeah I actually tried that, unfortunately the current belt is too long for that (rubs on other parts if you push it inside) so I'd have to get a shorter belt or make the distance between the axles slightly longer. The list of possible improvements for this thing is virtually endless

[@charliemcmonagle]

@@PhilVandelay fair enough. At some point its better to have fun using it.

[@meforelpresidente]

um den Riemen zu spannen, könntest du eventuell auch einfach ein großes Riemenrad zwischen den beiden Riementrums laufen lassen, bei den Fixie-Fahrern geht das zumindest mit Kette Nachtrag: es heißt ghost ring

[@SEThatered]

Man. This looks super professional. I would never guessed it was done by one person. You're amazing!

[@ChrisKTMKurtz]

OUTSTANDING in every way. Great job and thank you for taking the time to share it.

[@iteerrex8166]

I never saw the original design and build. Great boat and mods 👍. Good looking city as well. Hopefully everything else about it is as nice as it’s physical beauty.

[@ottisthedog3544]

i have always wanted build something like this but incorporate a 10 speed derailleur system (from the rear wheel) to see if you could build up to a faster speed. love the rotary table! over here in the US people dont even know what those are and will give them away cause they have no clue how to use them.

[@barthanes1]

Thanks for the update on your awesome machine. I thought of a possible improvement. You could hinge the beams on the seat support, so that they fold back against the frame and pin in place. This way the boat is only 3 pieces instead of 5.

[@matthewmoilanen787]

You are so inventive Phil! This project and several others that you've done are really cool and a testament to the ability to use pedal power equipment. Nice work as always!!

[@sbrunner69]

What a fun project! Must be very rewarding in the end...

[@nedinator3000]

You are a master designer, machinist and Gerryrigger! I am impressed!

[@user-iz9rx9ly7e]

Stunning....interesting build, well-explained (in flawless English) with perfect video to support the explanation. I hope you get a million views again. You deserve it.

[@strykerjones8842]

Different colored hex head bolts to mount the flange bearing block in place, unbelievable! 😂 Excellent build, a design and project to be proud of.

[@PhilVandelay]

That actually bothered me too but they really were the last 2 screws I could find with the right length

[@maxdona2452]

Wow ! I've been thinking for a while about a prop drive pedal boat design to DIY, and this is everything I dreamed of ! I would love to see plans if you ever decide to make them !

[@PeterMaleh]

I am not into welding or metalwork in general. I love how this guy thinks, he solves problems and meticulously builds his parts.

[@SomeRandomOldGuy]

Very fun to watch. You are an amazing craftsman. Thanks for making this into a video,

[@douglasrohman6191]

I’m really digging the peddle drive.

[@solarguy6043]

Another great and informative episode. I too have been working on various drivetrains for my pedal powered kayak (with 2 outriggers for fantastic stability). My latest version replaces the chain ring on a bicycle drive with a sprocket for a toothed belt. The right angle gearbox is from a Milwaukee right angle drill adapter. Light, but appears to be more than adequate for strength. You can also get much higher gear ratios with a toothed belt and sprockets than with bicycle sprockets and chain. And of course it is far quieter than the chain drive it replaced. Your design looks elegant and very robust. My first hull used 6 mm plywood. All up weight was 80 pounds. My newest prototype will be all 12mm extruded polystyrene (pink foamboard insulation) with epoxy fiberglass inside and out. Stronger, lighter and more rigid than the plywood hull. Not in the water yet, but my goal is to have the all up weight at 50 pounds or less.

[@PhilVandelay]

yeah having a drive belt in front too sounds good, due to the resonance from the frame the current drive is a bit noisy. Some people also use the gear head from an old angle grinder for the gearbox, should work fine as well. I happened to find the one I'm using on eBay, it's originally part of some kind of electric window shutter system. Love all the different solutions people come up with for these boats

[@solarguy6043]

I run a long hollow drive shaft from the front and don't have any mechanism in the back. The shaft has a bearing just before it goes under water. The hollow shaft is flexible enough it can flex/bounce over rocks rather than break. What I lose in efficiency because the prop/shaft are not parallel to the water I more than gain back because I have half the number of bearings/bushings and the frontal area from the drive shaft (drag losses) are less than the frontal area of a belt/drive/rudder assembly. Everything is a compromise and they are all fun. Can't wait for the next episode @@PhilVandelay

[@davidyeager8869]

I’m with solar guy here, with that length of driveshaft the “Thai long tail” seems the best setup, plus it’s simple to make it pivot up for beaching or defouling.

[@Halfwheelhell]

Very cool project! as always excellent design and superior craftmanship.

[@bikeforever2016]

Great upgrades to a fabulous project. Thanks for sharing. I'd be interested in plans for it.

[@RUNCNC]

Great build! Thanx for sharing!

[@dalestephan]

New follower here. Wow, just wow. Your project video back so many fond memories of my days as a machinist. Thanks for sharing and thanks for the excellent narration. Oh too, I appreciate your including the disassembling step that exploded. You kept it real.

[@johntenhave1]

Great work, beautifully executed.

[@shedactivist]

Great project. Instead of using air bags I think I would simply enclose the ends with a solid water-tight hatch. That way you could use the space for storage for picnic, coats, some rope etc.

[@andreferranti]

Great work 👏🏻 well done!

[@cwiqa]

I really enjoy Your's projects, bikes, bike rack, now this boat... Nice, smart designes, nice craftsmenship, nice videos. Really good work, thumbs up, thank You.

[@user-denizfrolov.33]

На мой взгляд потрясающая идея ,превосходное воплощение!! Всё очень тонко изящно и подробно ! Отличное видео !!!

[@MR619Can]

awesome as always Phil!

[@keithk2926]

Excellent build and a beautiful job on Modifying the prop assembly 👍cheers from California

[@brighambaker3381]

Fantastic project!

[@spinyuk]

Amazing machine work :) Towing the whole thing with your bike is also brilliant :)

[@ThalassTKynn]

This is amazing!

[@martialme84]

"Tinkerin' in me shed" the German way: By the damn book! XD

[@bake162]

Excellent, nicely done!

[@Drpapo1]

Simple but efficient and well put together. I love it. Great video 👍 I wish I had a garage 😢

[@lumotroph]

So so good. Inspiring us over here 😊 greetings from Johannesburg

[@davidgutting4317]

I’m impressed, especially the bicycle attachment. If you want to provide some anti sinking qualities for your aluminum boat a little expanding foam int the tips under the caps of the pontoons would be enough to keep it at water level if swamped.

[@PhilVandelay]

Yeah I actually considered just closing and sealing the tips completely as they're not really needed for storage. Then again, it would make it difficult to locate and fix leaks if there are any. Adding foam sounds like an interesting solution!

[@Mike-oz4cv]

I think he said the boat weighs 66kg? You’d have to displace an equal amount of water. That’s more than just a little bit of foam.

[@davidgutting4317]

@@Mike-oz4cv uh, the foam is there to keep the boat at water level, not float it? A gallon of air can float about 4 kg. 16kg would float the entire boat but the goal of the foam is to keep it from sinking. That’s why you find a little foam block up front on life boats and water wings for children aren’t the size of the children.

[@Mike-oz4cv]

@@davidgutting4317 Aluminium has a density of 2,710kg/m³, steel has around 8000kg/m³. Humans are close to water (1000kg/m³). The boat (if you put holes in it) probably displaces about 20l of water, so you have to displace another 46l of water to make it float.

[@davidgutting4317]

@@Mike-oz4cv well, the boats I’ve built, disagree with the formula in your head

[@revanslacey]

Amazing man. what a great thing

[@DanieHattingh]

You have no idea how much time you've saved me with "about 20 to 1, which turned out to be a good guess". Thank you so much!

[@PhilVandelay]

Haha I figured someone might find that useful. Keep in mind this relates to the prop size though

[@supercliff5634]

Cool video. Thanks for the update. I followed the entire build. Next time you upgrade consider making the rudder fold up process tool less as well. It could free swing with some latches maybe.

[@dowgization]

Incorporate a flywheel to the pedal/sprocket and you will increase rotating mass at the prop. Will make consistent power with less power input

[@diepufpaffs3003]

Geiles Projekt! Erstaunlich, das es mit der Luftschraube läuft. Handwerklich ziemlich cool 🎉

[@ashleyward427]

Awesome Build. 😁

[@NVArt001]

Very nice work.

[@Vorgto]

So much you can do to continue this.

[@LandyVlad_Rides]

Very impressive mate.

[@mbainrot]

Plans would be magnificent! Question thou, what are the hulls made out of? are they Aluminium too or stainless?

[@PhilVandelay]

Aluminium like the rest, I think it would be pretty heavy if it was stainless

[@DavidD6969]

Great job

[@jorgeconcheyro]

just thinking. An "A" structure between the pontoons would make it foldable, and maybe easier to set and unset... Amazing construction mate!!!!

[@RobertLopez66]

Great video and great engineering. Regarding the rotating drive shaft bracket- I would suggest using socket head shoulder screws.

[@rangerover1993]

Top Build!

[@charcoal386]

Beautiful engineering

[@iblong9505]

You should take a look at the Hobie Mirage kayak drivetrain: it uses a pedal system with penguin-like flippers for excellent propulsion

[@Really2950]

Awesome tools

[@RCake]

Beautiful improvements - I love it when an already great thing is made even greater, yet simpler and with even cleaner design 🤩🤩 Was "Ente" still open when you made your trial? Greetings from Barmbek!

[@kenny5174]

very impressive!

[@matthewlewis9356]

Beautiful build it's good to use bike parts well done 👍

[@yetzt]

you can use a larger chainring for better speed with the tiny propeller. dutch bike bits make chainrtings up to 80t for recumbents and velomobiles. i use a 70t one on my flevo bike. (youtube ate my first comment)

[@bikeforever2016]

And shorter cranks up the gear ratio as well.

[@joell439]

👍👍😎👍👍 very nice upgrades!

[@VanskyAlleria]

Thanks, nice update. Just curious about two things. Would it help/be an advantage to have a shaft going down that tube to drive the propeller rather than a belt? Second, seeing as it seems like you have power available, would a duel propeller setup give you more speed/efficiency? :D

[@alanhilder1883]

Depending on the strain on the legs, playing with the pedal chain sprocket, bigger means more speed but more pressure on the legs ( gearing up anywhere in the system ), smaller means more pedal spin. Really get tricky, a chain derailleur, Just you on the boat, high gear, zoom around that lake. A passenger or two, it's been a long day, low gear just to get back home, even if it isn't that fast. ;-)

[@one_under_all]

very nice project. same way Hamburg is nice

[@jamesread11]

Nice upgrades, can you not hinge the two rails that the hulls attach to so they fold up towards the seat then you could just fold them down and lock rather than hand screwing components

[@PhilVandelay]

That's on my list of potential future improvements, yes

[@kevinwelsh7490]

I live in a forestry region and everything I make is wood. I own a hand drill, jigsaw, and a miter box. I would be interesting if you could design something I could make with those tools. Who do you imagine would actually DIY a metal boat besides you? I saw your previous catamaran video and I thought the whole point of it was ASMR

[@bazookamoose7224]

Dude I feel so bad about dumping the bucket of water at 25:40. I saw it coming the whole time😂

[@licencetoswill]

the engineering is really good. There might be some minor effciency loss from vorticity around the belt right in front of the prop, but not much.

[@eufenico]

Artist!

[@MrPascaldg]

great job, impressive, and you could still increase speed considerably if you would put the weight more to the front making the boat more balanced/horizontal in the water reducing drag. Tip from someone who used to do competitive sailing ;).

[@lumotroph]

Love it 😊

[@Wintergatan_2]

Super cool

[@poldiderbus3330]

Wow, you seem to have a well-equipped workshop! This is my first time here - nice work! I think it might make sense to fill the gap between the two propeller shaft bushings with grease, or fit a grease nipple to the block straight away. That might keep the amount of water that collects there, and the corrosion from the combination of stainless steel and the aluminium, somewhat in check. But perhaps this will also only really be a thing with seawater.

[@PhilVandelay]

Yeah I actually considered just drilling a hole in the bottom so water can't stay in the center but eventually forgot. I did grease the shaft so we'll see... The thing about this boat is that it was never intended to actually stay in the water after use, so parts aren't permanently submerged (that was the only reason ball bearings worked for a while for example). But still, the residual water in there might cause some corrosion, I'll find out when I unpack it next year

[@SteelJM1]

Maybe you could try to sneak up on one of those Riverbusses and use a magnetic grappler to catch a free ride

[@user-ou9fk3yt8x]

An impressive build. I noticed the prop blades, as built, are not protected from ground contact. All propeller outboards have a skeg extending below the diameter of the spinning prop to help protect the blades from contact damage.

[@PhilVandelay]

Yeah that makes sense for a motor powered prop, but with this one you'll just feel the drive jam as soon as the prop hits anything, so you're not likely to spin it into pieces like a motor would

[@sven-erikviira1872]

I happen to have proa with similar layout to your boat. Couple of things I thougt you might find useful/interesting. First - floatation bags probably need better support than a single strap. Once the hull is filled with water the floatation bags do some literal heavy lifting and they do wanna escape through every crack and slit possible. Water is probably colder than air and if the air in floaty bag gets colder the volume decreases and bag might lose its firmness and start to move more. I know you said that you will probably use your boat in fair weather and sinking is unlikely but it will feel silly to see the floaty bag float away, after some bigger boat has bumped into you... Secondly - about beam attachments to hulls. Again not real concern with your boat but traditional Pacific proas (tied together with rope) allow some flex to beam/hull joints. A too stiff joint will eventually brake in waves when a little loose joint will allow two hulls move somewhat separately (important in bigger waves). ...just my two cents.

[@PhilVandelay]

Good points, I've actually thought about these too and would agree with you on both. Fully inflated I don't see how the bag would pull itself out but if it gets a little deflated it might be possible. I've actually had this idea to close and seal the tips of the hulls completely so the bags aren't needed. As for the beams, yeah they probably wouldn't do well with bigger waves, I think the other direction you could go is to make the frame as stiff as possible instead of making it flex, right now it's kind of inbetween but I don't really see an easy way to do either with this design without overcomplicating things. There's the additional factor that the trampoline nets are stretched between the center and the hulls so the entire construction is under tension and needs to be static to keep it that way. I think if there was some slack in the frame, you wouldn't be able to get consistent tension on the nets so they'd sag. I am very aware of the limitations of this design so I try to stay away from situations where I'd be pushing them.

[@icecreamtruckog3667]

You could change over to a toroidal propeller to get some the efficiency back.

[@nicgurkweitz389]

I know you're not peddling really fast or anything but maybe consider a splash guard to be screwed into the T-Channel where the drive train and belt are?

[@Ultrazaubererger]

If you make the plate that locks the rotation of the drivetrain larger, you only need one screw and have the space to use one of those tool-less knobs.

[@Paulman50]

By not using a rudder you can get rid of a lot of the drag, especially when turning. Simply put a driveshaft yoke near the leg and steer by swiveling the propeller leg. If its in the right place, the leg should swivel and tilt.

[@PhilVandelay]

This was actually my original plan for this build, having the prop assembly rotate. But I figured it gets too complex and takes too long to build, at least for this current round of improvements, so I'm working my way up there in increments. Thanks to everything being quite modular I can always experiment with additional drivetrains in the back but this way I have one that works ready to use. It would definitely be the most elegant solution

[@marktorrizo9560]

nice project..

[@keithburton7516]

Beautiful work and a great design. Enjoyed your video. I want to do similar but wooden hull just for me only and sliding seat rowing to flywheel / prop drive. Then I can use leg and arm power. Keith Burton from Wroxham, Norfolk, UK.

[@marcusplanlos2037]

Cool das du aus Hamburg kommst!!! Wir sind quasi Nachbarn. Ich wohne 10 KM südlich von Hamburg.

[@WorkOff069]

increases the crown radius with a fixed pedal that increases performance 💚💚💛💛💚💚😎

[@zackb-wheal6771]

i need this for fishing

[@Pushyhog]

mountain tamer in new mexico usa has some great parts. Can you have schlumpf drive at crank?

[@2002RM]

Brilliant

[@hurdurdur7rl696]

Hats off for the reasonable choices over all. I think the only thing i would have done differently would have been going with paddlewheel for simplicity instead of the whole disco with the propeller. Did you compare the weight of the metal hulls vs fiberglass when you were doing the initial build? What would the weight difference have been?

[@PhilVandelay]

I went with Aluminum because it's more sturdy, it can dent but is very unlikely to crack in a collision like fiberglass can. But also I'm a metal guy so fiberglass really isn't my domain. As for paddles, a propeller is much more efficient and compact, and I actually like to overengineer things ;)

[@volentimeh]

Fiberglass would have been a lot heavier, for the high $ option CF would probably be lighter but without the robustness of metal at this scale. I have a 5m long DIY trimaran (fiberglass+ plywood) that's not a lot lighter than this cat while being a single person craft (adult + child at best)

[@LeonvanRensburg]

Very elegant design and solutions. Love it! Also great example at 9:07 on when to use a bolt instead of a screw.

[@kevinwelsh7490]

where to source the toothed belt and sprockets? I think I can build the rest from SS bolts and wood.

[@RandomAccountHolder]

I'd use a GPS speedometer for speed next update. I'd also 3D print a shroud for the top end of the drive shaft to prevent all that water spattering.

[@briancavanagh7048]

When I see a project like this I’m always in awe of the skills demonstrated, good job. Now how to go faster? Have you seen the “flying fish hydrofoil” pedal bike?

[@PhilVandelay]

Yeah but I think for a hydrofoil it would have to be as light as possible, this is more of an RV than a racer 😉

[@bravobursado5974]

what about having 2 small instead of one? Will that displace more water without having to add more gear ratio?

[@henzleekeilgalvizo5777]

Try putting a wheel so you can pull it on your own to water