Hi all, I open a subject on kiteboats here. I would define a kiteboat by a boat with 100% kite propulsion. it might also generate energy at the same time.
I am currently president of an association trying to gather enthusiasts on this subject kiteboat.org. We have an open facebook group if you want to join.
I am also working for Syroco, which was developing a very special flying kiteboat, but the project is now stopped.
I am currently looking at ideas (markets ?) to reuse the massless ship concept as a drone or going to bigger size, but with some sensible steps !
There are lots of YouTubers that document their process of developing their thing, and then selling that thing.
I’d develop an RC version and document that on YouTube. You could share the control software, stl files, and a bill of materials. After the bugs have been ironed out and you’ve listened to feedback, you could consider selling the files for a price that makes sense, maybe looking at similar drone or rc airplane projects.
The YouTube route gives you lots of opportunity for exposure to possible buyers or contributors and then the ability to direct them to your Discord, to grow your community there.
I think the DIY RC market is a good one to start in, as there your customers have the willingness to spend some money and time on interesting things, are willing and able to tinker, and are understanding of shortcomings, if communicated transparently.
I think Discord is kind of the default gathering place for things like this now, not Facebook. Facebook maybe is for an older audience and for boats intended for carrying people.
Or maybe https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/index.php is best? Just go where there is already an active community, that’s better than the uphill, and less likely to succeed, battle of trying to start your own community from scratch.
I’m also not really seeing the point of doing this in French.
The problem with building on the project is that in its nature, sailing as fast as possible gets you stuck in the «fun/interesting» categories due to «useful» technology would need to operate 24/7 in order to get the price down, and an engine is a natural choice.
Maybe you could expand on the qualities this technology could deliver. I could kick off by saying some:
high speed sailing
environmentally friendly
accessing high altitude winds
combines traction pull and electricity generation
Maybe also some negatives
High Tech along with the difficulty of being offshore
no place to sit for humans
dependent on large depth
dependent on large airspace
how to deal with subsea getting stuck in debris or floating plants etc
Looking at such lists would make it easier to identify where this could be used.
I have thought about a sailboat for recreational use that would have an electric motor for the last kilometer towards shore, then recharge itself at sea and also have a virtual anchor function. There could be a market for travellers who want grid independence and are environmentally concious. Adding the kite and foil would also largely address the «time» problem of traditional sailboats. These vessels could go faster. We are also addressing the availability of chargers on EV [electric vessels]. Also perhaps cost of batteries.
This is at best a niche market though that sailboats already serve quite well.
The other direction of course is something energy oriented. Energy drones chasing winds could be interesting to look at, along with energy storage/use. I am also thinking about towing and in transit charging of other vessels. This is not new, though the subsea kite design is maybe an advantage to existing ideas.
I would also like to point to a possible market for fast sailboats sailing eg from Europe mainland to Canary Islands. The aim would be replacing air traffic. Im not sure how realistic this is though, with variability of winds and the debris issue. I think first forget the subsea kite and have a sound vessel that also doubles as a life raft.
If you look for a 100% for fun dinghy kind of project, i think the possibilities are quite large. I think price would be very important. It would have to have some unique value propositions compared to straight sailing, kitesurf, windsurf or wingfoil. I guess imagination is the biggest obstacle here
Also it goes without saying that finishing the Syroco project would have been a big asset while the opposite is a little maybe of the opposite?
As popular as windsurfing and kitesurfing are, I don’t see why a good product for small recreational boats could not find a market. It would have to be fun and easy to use, not so complicated that you get mired in the pesky details.
What a fantastic set of resources you have developed Baptiste.
Making the work as neat, accessible and open as you have will pay off.
also
The Syroco team taking on such an audacious challenge was really impressive.
Augmented with a lot of smart data it may yet happen.
If you’ve got a good active lift kite solution… Windswept wants one.
or
Maybe just throw a kite turbine in the water behind your boat for bucket loads of power
