
7. SEA TRIALS!
7a. Start at the dock. Or in the pool. Just make
sure your first tests are somewhere where the
stakes are low and failure can be easily remedied
(Figures
Q
and
R
).
7b. Gain confidence with longer tests. One of our
first big voyages was a trip up the Petaluma River
on a calm, tide-friendly day. It turns out that the
drag and power calculations we did with ChatGPT
were about right, and after 7 hours of driving on
a sunny day, we ended up with more power in the
batteries than when we started!
ADVENTURES AFLOAT
We continue to refine the design by progressively
pushing the limits of the boat, but the most
important experience has been ...