BoatBanter.com - View Single Post - The ultimate saildrive- Retractable Voidth-Schneider

On Sun, 9 Nov 2003 18:50:24 -0500 (EST), (Ron
Thornton) wrote:

Jim Woodward's comment on hydraulic bow thrusters resurrected a thought
I had a long time ago and never followed up on. If you are going to pump
a fluid, why not pump seawater to nozzles in the hull for thrust.

Regards, Ron

This is a jet versus prop question.
A jet can do well at low speed if
1) It can move a column of water as wide as a prop diameter.
2) it can move that column of water as slow as a prop does.

This highlights the prospect of 20 inch tunnels of slow moving sea
water as thrusters.
Or...you could use three half inch pipes of hydraulic fluid to a
motor/prop combination.....

Brian Whatcott Altus OK