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On November 9, 2022, we sent an introductory email to a number of authorities and companies to indicate that as a company specialized in electrical (propulsion) systems for pleasure craft, we also want to make a difference locally. This includes sponsoring events such as the Sailing Parade or scouting , but also stimulating local tourism or supporting local education.
A day after sending this email, we were approached by 3 students from ISW Technasium Hoogeland from Naaldwijk. They were working on an assignment for two local companies: Advier and BoereGoed .
“For this assignment, we intend to design and build an autonomous boat that can sail from Westland to Delft. We have chosen to do this on a scale. We would like an expert supervisor for this assignment. Expert supervisors are people who have knowledge about a specific subject and can provide advice and tips about it. We would like to know more about which drive would best suit our project. Could you help us in this area?”
How much fun! Of course we wanted to help with that. Not just because it is innovative and local. It is a direct investment in the next generation and wouldn't it be cool if that could also lead to a truly potential product.
We immediately invited Thomas, Kylian and Lyse to our office and asked them what the intention was, what the timelines looked like and what the current status was. That was an 'interesting' conversation. As befits good young people, the ambition was too high, the timeline too short and the status a bit behind the planning that still had to be made ;-). In short, they could indeed use some help.
The scale model they wanted to make was too small for our engines, but we were able to provide input on the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of engines such as inboard engines , outboard engines and pods . We briefly considered a Vaquita as an engine, but with the intended scale that would have resulted in a submarine.
There was also quite a bit of knowledge to be transferred regarding shipbuilding technology regarding materials and construction. I took some examples of types of wood from the workshop and it turned out that these were exactly the types used in the final model.
On January 26, I was a guest at the presentation of the end result. A video demonstrated that the model could indeed sail autonomously, but could also be controlled remotely with drone technology. Westland-Delft was not made, I wouldn't call the prototype ready for production yet, but it was certainly fun. It was especially nice to be present, to experience the enthusiasm and to be able to gently ask critical questions.
If such a project is started again, we would be happy to participate and by getting involved a little earlier we could contribute even more.
