The PedalBeast

I first found the boat when looking for ocean row boats that I could convert into a pedal boat .When I saw the Tasman Rower I knew it was the boat for me. I liked the sleek design and how different it looked from any other pedal boat. It also looked easy to convert into what I wanted; a fully-enclosed pedal compartment. I contacted Lomocean as the boat was on their website and told them of my plans to convert it into a pedal boat.

I received a reply from Craig and he told me that he thought it would make a great pedal boat. He also said he thought that a pedal boat could be more efficient and quicker than a row boat to cross an ocean. Pedal propulsion was something he was super interested in, and I knew he’d be a great partner to work with.

In January 2019 I went to NZ to meet Danny, the owner and part-builder of the boat, and Craig, the designer. We went and looked at the boat, spend some time crawling in and out of it, asking lots of questions about the building and innovative ideas. I decided to purchase the boat.

After discussion with Craig about customizing the boat, he sent me a render of the boat with the center compartment enclosed with hatches on the sides and top. The hatches are manufactured and supplied by Cule Designs.

The boat was taken to Bruce of Big World Composites to start the build out.

Bruce worked on the carbon fiber for the side covers and built the spare rudder.

The 4 windows on each side all open in different directions so I can create a breeze in any wind direction.

I will have a recumbent seat to maximize comfort, keeping me inside the boat protected from the weather. This will be my primary pedaling location. However, I will also have the option to put in a regular seat post and pedal with my head and shoulders out of the boat. This will be great for coming in and out of harbors and also for a change of scenery when the seas are calm.

The boat has 2 large diameter, carbon fiber, propellers. They sit halfway in the water. The props turn counter clockwise.

There are 2 cabins on the boat. The front will be for storage the rear will be for sleeping and communication.
The rear cabin has a berth/bed that helps lock me in place so I can relax without the need to brace themselves when conditions are unfavourable. Along with sleeping and day to day food preparation the rear cabin also has navigation and communication electronics.

The back hatch is a small size so you can lock your hips in and lean out while at sea.

The front canyard/daggerboard this can be lifted or lowered to help the boat track in a straight line.

Lomocean has created a wave piercing ‘dolphin’ bow to minimise pitch in head seas. Details of the underwater appendages, which will control the angle of drift in varying sea and wind conditions, remain top secret.

The boat will have a flywheel connected to the cranks. The flywheel is weighted and will help with a smooth pedal rotation. There are no gears on the drive train its designed around a cadence of 95 RPM which will produce 200 watts.

Solar panels and the communication mast will be on the top of the boat.

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