Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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kayak fins

linear paddles
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The idea is to propel a kayak with 'flippers' or paddles on the sides. The paddles are driven by foot-pedals. The foot pedals are powered by feet, which are powered by muscles, which are powered by food.. you get the idea.

The paddles would move back & forth along the length of the boat. On the 'power' stroke', the paddle would flip away from the boat (normal to the hull roughly) for maximum grip on the water. On the return stroke the paddle would fold down and move edge-on through the water.

There would be guide-grooves, say half-way between the chines and the gunwales. A single loop of cable would wrap all the way around in this groove and over pulleys at stem and stern.

Foot-pedal mechanism would move the cable back-and- forth at some gear-up ratio to the motion of the pedals - roughly 10:1

afinehowdoyoudo, Sep 09 2010

Mirage Drive for Kayaks http://www.hobiecat...atures/miragedrive/
One example of existing kayak pedal drives [Custardguts, Sep 09 2010]

[link]






       Are you suggesting this as an improvement on existing kayak pedal drive systems, or were you not aware there were kayak pedal systems available? I'm not saying baked, but definitely on the shelf in a slightly different flavour.   

       Either way, see link.
Custardguts, Sep 09 2010
  

       Once again, I should have googled more. I guess [marked-for-deletion]
afinehowdoyoudo, Sep 09 2010
  

       No, just turn it into a pedal-powered escavator-typre tracked drive for amphibious kayaks.
Custardguts, Sep 09 2010
  

       The suggested mechanism gives a motion ratio of 1:1, so the paddles move exactly the same distance as your feet. The advantage of paddles, discovered thousands of years ago, is that the bit in the water moves further than the rower's hands, giving a 'gearing up' effect. It is the same principal which makes bicycles more effecient than velocipedes.
Twizz, Sep 09 2010
  

       The fins would not be on the bottom, but half-way up the sides (between chines & gunnels) to handle shallow water.   

       The mechanism I had in mind was not a direct link between pedals and paddle-cable, but a system where the pedals work cables that wind over a small pulley, and the final drive cable wraps over a big pulley, which is attached to the small pulley. Yes, I know - a shining example of elegant design.   

       That Hobie Cat system is pretty slick - thanks!
afinehowdoyoudo, Sep 10 2010
  
      
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