BIG OIL A Solar-Powered Electric/Sailing Dinghy by Flora Van Heteren Anchored in the lagoon in St. Martin, we were surprised to see this unusual dinghy cruising fast and without sound, although there was no wind. An interview with the sailor was the result of my investigation. Rob van de Calseyde on Linda is a pioneer. His interest in renewable energy has kept his thoughts occupied for many years, and in 1993 he made an electric/ sailing dinghy that served him for one and a half years, till Hurricane Luis destroyed it. He decided to build another dinghy that doesn’t need fossil fuels, but is stable, quick and economical — back to electric/sailing again. It also had to be safe and dry.
part of the bottom of an RIB, which he found dumped on the little island in the lagoon. He was given some damaged sheets of four-millimetre plywood that would have been thrown away. Now he could start to put it all together. The raft that is moored alongside Linda was the workshop where Big Oil was born. The construction has been done with alternative energy, keeping the carbon footprint of the project low. The mothership, Linda, has three wind generators and two solar panels to charge her 24 golf-cart batteries, which operated all the power tools needed. The sail is a recycled battenless windsurfer sail that is rolled up on the reinforced rotating windsurf mast for reefing and furling, which takes about five seconds to do with the pull of a string. The mast is flexible, and adds to safety. In strong gusts it bends, and spills some of the wind. The engine is a recycled golf-cart starter motor, which replaces the powerhead of an old eight-horsepower Johnson long shaft outboard. That unit functions as a ruddershaft as well. The AGM battery (dumped but still good), chosen because it is leakproof, is charged by a solar panel. (A lithium battery could also be used, but because of the price remains a “wet dream” for now.)
from sailing to motor sailing.” The pull of a string can either reef or roll up the sail, and in just a few seconds one is motoring. It means that you don’t have to do a lot of tacking. When something is in your way, or when the wind direction is less favourable, you can motorsail, or motor only. “It is very dry transport,” says Rob. “Now I only put my phone in a ziplock bag when it rains.” It is perfect in the big lagoon in St. Maarten/St. Martin, and would
A dry, stable and fuel-efficient harbor runabout, Big Oil sports a solar panel and electric engine-cum-rudder (at left), plus a windsurfer sail (above) on a rotating step (inset)
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Rob likes the concept of electric motor/sailing. “The best of both worlds. It is quiet, relaxed, and cheap to run, and it gives a lot of room to ‘cheat’. The simple click of a switch can change the mode of operation
NOVEMBER 2010
Rob was sure of what he wanted, and after a while the parts he needed started to “roll in”. Somebody gave him the remnants of a pedalo: two PVC floats, heavy but stable. For the bottom between the floats he used
be great for exploring the south coast of Grenada, the Tobago Cays, and many other areas in the Caribbean. Rob still has his other, heavy dinghy with 15-horsepower outboard to run for heavy transport and backup. “I used to pay out 40 or 50 dollars per month for fuel, but now only ten or 20. That includes the fuel for the emergency generator for Linda.” This is only the beginning. He hopes to inspire other people with Big Oil, and will improve and make changes where he sees it necessary. The treasures one needs to build a dinghy of this kind are: • two floats (scavenged, or built from plywood, fiberglass, etcetera) • the bottom of on old RIB or other hard-bottomed inflatable dinghy, preferably with bow locker • plywood to build the seats, battery box, rudder and three little discs epoxied on mast as reefing/furling drum • windsurfer mast and sail • fiberglass/epoxy to reinforce mast and do other little jobs • AGM, gel or lithium battery • solar panel, and thin wood strips to laminate S-frame for it • electric trolling motor, or a modified outboard engine like Rob used “But, why this name?” I asked. Rob’s humor may not be for everybody, but he answered, “Just imagine a four-letter word beginning with the letter F in front of the name Big Oil!” For more information contact Rob at rob_linda_2000@yahoo.com or visit www.evalbum.com/preview.php?vid=3475.