What bugs you in your boat?

jpine93 · Newbie Joined: 05 Mar 2010 Posts: 23 City: Bay Area

Whats up everyone. I'm currently taking a class in which we have to invent and design a new mechanical product. It can be literally anything we want, and since I love boats and being on the water, I thought it would be cool to find a problem we all experience on boats and try to make something that will fix it.

So, what bugs you on your boat? Is there something that could be invented that would help fix that? Examples would be the invention of pop out cleats and folding wakeboard towers.[i]

Anyone have any problems they'd like to see get fixed?

flixmaster · Site Owner Joined: 30 Oct 2003 Posts: 7488

I would like a surf rack that would hang under any bimini. Kind of like the car surf racks. I don't like putting 700 wake surf boards in racks that cause dings on the boards. Needs to be super adjustable to fit all different size boat tops. You design it and I will get them built. We will sell millions of them....well maybe not millions.

or I am the only person here with this problem?

jpine93 · Newbie Joined: 05 Mar 2010 Posts: 23 City: Bay Area

Are you suggesting a rack that would hang down from the tower or how exactly would it hang? I'm confused as to where you want to place it. Could be a cool idea though, I feel you on the dinging up all the boards.

flixmaster · Site Owner Joined: 30 Oct 2003 Posts: 7488

Would hang down from under the tower and keep the boards snug against the top of the bimini.

Wakebrad · Ladies Man Joined: 11 Dec 2003 Posts: 12257 City: Dallas

flixmaster, couldn't you just do that with some elastic band and some velcro? It's a good idea.. I would assume the bimini could support a couple surf boards.

pet575 · Posted: Apr 27, 2012 8:17 am Post subject:

How about some type of rope winder that mounts to the tower and is powered that allows the rope to dry and go in/out without knotting, tangling, etc.?

flixmaster · Site Owner Joined: 30 Oct 2003 Posts: 7488

I could... but I just have not had the time to design it.. I have talked to a few companies that make car mounts and I could get them produced.. Just have not designed them yet..

Ropewinder and skireel all did the winder thing. never really took off..

slidin_out · Soul Rider Joined: 05 Mar 2010 Posts: 353 City: Pearl

mute button for drunk people would be nice

NKCrider · Posted: Apr 30, 2012 5:22 am Post subject:

an ever lasting battery Shocked

hop to it, and ill buy 2

logan · Posted: Apr 30, 2012 8:08 am Post subject:

remote ballast control that attaches to the handle.

slidin_out · Soul Rider Joined: 05 Mar 2010 Posts: 353 City: Pearl

self leveling ballast would be pure gold, annoying as heck having to move people around

LFADAM · Posted: Apr 30, 2012 12:29 pm Post subject:

slidin_out, great one. I've always thought of the idea of a level/tilt gauge in the instrument cluster to show if you were balanced or not (or how hard you were leaning while surfing).

mseller · Outlaw Joined: 05 May 2010 Posts: 220 City: Charleston

JRW160 · Soul Rider Joined: 03 Aug 2006 Posts: 367 City: Huntsville

Someone made a gauge like that. I can't find it right now, but it was $200 or $300 iirc.

edit: here it is
http://www.wakegauge.com/

Baltfrog · Addict Joined: 24 Jan 2012 Posts: 555 City: Baltimore

Its not exactly scientific but they make level apps for cellphones. Could pretty much accomplish something very similar for zero dollars.

slidin_out · Soul Rider Joined: 05 Mar 2010 Posts: 353 City: Pearl

So that thing only tells you if your boat isn't sitting correctly any more? No automatic ballast adjustment or anything? Seems kind of pointless and doesn't really do anything.

Wakeboarder3780 · Posted: May 24, 2012 10:03 am Post subject:

Faster and smaller pumps for ballast systems. My biggest annoyance on the boat is waiting for ballast. I can't convince the boat companies that I love to do gravity fed so lets see some faster pumps.

The faster the better.
The smaller the better (easier to fit installation wise).
The smaller amperage draw the better.

Go to. Create. Sell.

ediotism · Outlaw Joined: 14 Sep 2011 Posts: 124

Wakeboarder3780, i guess there're certain limits in regards to how much water you can feed in/out of the ballasts given a certain amount of power, pump designs are pretty efficient as they are (i think). however, splitting one big ballast into two separate ones that come to the same volume would mean more pumps working in parrallel, hence faster filling up (more drawing more power) etc.

i personally would like to see an exhaust pipe extension that keeps it under water at all times, so that any carbon monoxide produced is directly dissolved in the water instead of hanging around the rear sundeck. sometimes my friends get mild headaches from breathing some in after spending 4-5 hours sitting at the rear (when there's lots of turning around to pick up fallen riders etc). some of my friends that drive the boat idle the boat way too much when they should be switched off because of people in the water at the rear etc.

how would things be if we have an even high anchor point for the handle/towline? assuming that the boat is powerful and heavy enough not to tilt backwards Laughing

Wakeboarder3780 · Posted: May 25, 2012 4:24 am Post subject:

There are limits to everything in life. What is also true is almost everything can be made better. Are you trying to say we've reached the limit of throughput pumps can reach? I'm doubtful of that.

I'm not saying it has to be faster AND smaller AND have less amperage draw. That would be insane. I'm just saying what things a pump designer should look at. Above all else throughput takes precedence.

ediotism · Outlaw Joined: 14 Sep 2011 Posts: 124

^^ i totally agree with you regarding power needed v.s. pump output, and i do agree that pumps can definitely be made better (i.e. even more efficient). i'm only subjectively guessing that current pumps on the market are probably quite efficient as they are and is (probably) at quite a high point on the law of diminishing curve. it would probably be easier to adjust the ballast arrangement to take advantage of parrallelism at this point, i guess.

either way, i'm not very familiar with pumps etc and so i'm just throwing ideas out there Embarassed

skye120 · Criminal Joined: 12 Aug 2010 Posts: 74 City: Knoxville

A wireless radio connector.... You know when you have like 7 boats tied up in a cove and eveyone has 6 different songs playin or the one boat in the middle blarring the radio. Some type of device that can wirelessly connect all the radios together and everyone can turn it as loud or as low as they want..... **** IF you make this and get rich please remeber me i swear im fun to party with hahahahah

TnR6Rida · Posted: Jun 06, 2012 7:15 pm Post subject:

skye120, Wetsounds makes something like this I think.

Baltfrog · Addict Joined: 24 Jan 2012 Posts: 555 City: Baltimore

I know something like this is being developed in a non boat application as well, but could easily be used.

chawk610 · Addict Joined: 06 Jul 2010 Posts: 668 City: Fort Worth

Ejector seat for annoying guests???

dcell1230 · Newbie Joined: 29 Jan 2012 Posts: 7

Back to Bimini and board for a second.
How about a Bimini top that has padded sleeves that have velcro clousers to conform to the boots that will keep them in place nice and secure,safe and out of the way. You could put about 4 boards in individual sleeves

mdesanc13 · Newbie Joined: 11 Jun 2012 Posts: 12 City: Rochester

FunkyBunch · Outlaw Joined: 01 Aug 2011 Posts: 206 City: The Colony

When no one wants to board in good water. That's what we waited for dang it.

slidin_out · Soul Rider Joined: 05 Mar 2010 Posts: 353 City: Pearl

brichter14 · Addict Joined: 27 Apr 2008 Posts: 705

Blew my head gasket. For the third time in three years.

mseller · Outlaw Joined: 05 May 2010 Posts: 220 City: Charleston

slidin_out · Soul Rider Joined: 05 Mar 2010 Posts: 353 City: Pearl

atolman · Posted: Jun 20, 2012 12:30 pm Post subject: