Recent Graduates Present at SNAME Conference
A paper entitled The Design of a Wooden, Solar-Electric Launch for the Carmans River Maritime Center was presented by three 2011 Webb Institute graduates (Hampton Dixon, Andrew Lachtman, and Lidia Mouravieff) at this year’s Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) Annual Meeting. This paper was adapted from their 2011 Webb Institute senior thesis.
Abstract: In an age of advanced composite construction, America’s rich tradition of wooden boatbuilding is slowly fading into the past. During the winter of 2010, the Carmans River Maritime Center (CRMC), a non-profit museum and workshop for wooden boatbuilding located in Brookhaven, New York, partnered with Webb Institute to design a solar-electric wooden launch for ecological tours of the Carmans River and surrounding environments. This project aimed to meet the CRMC’s design needs. Given the mission of the vessel, emphasis was placed on utilizing eco-friendly technologies, including photovoltaic panels and all-electric propulsion. Through research and a strong client-designer relationship, the team recommended solutions for synthesizing modern technology with traditional aesthetics. The final design is a 24-ft, six-passenger launch powered by a 4.0-kW electric outboard motor with a design speed of 5 knots.
