We finally launched our first vessel, SailOne Curiosity!
After more than six months of building the hull, sails and electronics, it was incredible to watch it simply float, even without going anywhere.
Getting it there wasn't easy. The boat weighs over 40 kg in total, so one person can hardly lift it.
The test
The test took place in the Sado estuary in Portugal. Unfortunately there was almost no wind that day, but sailing wasn't the goal anyway. We wanted to see if the boat stays afloat, if the rudder and sail can turn in the water, and if it stays upright without leaning forward, backward, to port or to starboard.
Curiosity floating in the Sado estuary
The boat stayed upright on all axes, so the test was a success. The keel worked perfectly as a counterweight. It was almost impossible to tilt the boat by hand in the water.
The leak
However, after about 10 minutes the boat started leaking. The water was rising fast and we had to rescue it.
Bringing Curiosity back to shore
The most interesting part is that the rudder joint, the part I was most suspicious about, was completely dry. I think that's a huge win.
We are now examining the boat. Our assumption is that the leak came from the joint between the keel arm and the hull. To save time we didn't put a layer of fiberglass over it, and the filler with glass fiber alone didn't hold, so water got in. The big question now is how much water got trapped inside the keel and how it will affect the 3D printed structure inside.
Next steps
We plan to fix the keel joint soon and hope to run more tests in the following week.
Thank you for following the project!
Get Involved
Whether you offer technical advice, sponsorship, or just want to ask a question, please don't hesitate to get in touch. Project updates are publicly available at sailone.org.