Date added: 2021-07-29
Floating platform where you can have a BBQ party. Another successful work of our students
Students of Gdańsk University of Technology (two from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Ship Technology and two from the Faculty of Civil Engineering), Warsaw School of Economics and Sopot University of Applied Sciences.
The vessel's port of origin is Iława, a city located on the shore of Jeziorak lake - says Wojciech Podwalski, a student of mechanics and machine construction at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Ship Technology - The name of the lake was used in the name of the project and the vessel. The platform is moored at Kaper Tavern in the center of the city.
Even for unexperienced users
The vessel is powered by 10 KM Honda outboard engine connected with the driving wheel and gearbox by means of steering rods. Such a solution means that the vessel is easy to steer, even for an unexperienced user. The vessel's maximum velocity is approximately 8 km/h which in connection with its dimensions and engine power allows legal sailing without a yachtsman certificate.
A safe relax on the waves
– We started from designing the frame and floats - says Wojciech Podwalski - we selected a simple and tested solution applied in building floating decks, that is using barrels for foodstuff products. These barrels have 10mm thick walls made of plastic, which means that they retain their shape, resist mechanical impacts and ensure the appropriate displacement.
Platform's deck is 7 m × 2,8 m and the roof frame is nearly 2 meters high in the lowest place. There is also a dedicated zone measuring 2,5 m × 2,8 m which house a gas-powered BBQ and three deckchairs. Additionally, the platform features a table, eight chairs, a fridge (over 40l volume), lighter socket and 6 USB ports to charge electronic devices. There is also remote-controlled LED lighting system.
As far as safety is concerned, there are 12 life vests for grown-ups and 4 for children, a fire extinguisher, first-aid kit, a lifebuoy with a throw line and main gas and electricy switches.
Like a catamaran?
The vessel floats by using sixteen 200l barrels which translate into load displacement equal to 3200 kg. The barrels are fixed in two rows, 7 barrels on each boardside, while two additional barrels are placed in the stern, which is the most heavily loaded. The mass of the fully equipped platform is 1000 kg and its maximum draught 0,4 m.
A solid design
The frame of the platform was designed in two parts - steel (load bearing) and wooden which is attached to the steel part in order to allow fitting of the deck.
To construct the frame, the students bought more than 350 kg of S235JRH grade steel. The frame is a coherent welded element designed in such a way as to prevent penetration by water which can act as an additional ballast or cause corrosion. The structure of the frame also features welded skids which protect the floats if the platform strands. The stern features a welded base for regulated transom mount for the engine. Whole frame has been coated with two coatings of anti-corrosion primer and two coatings of paint which eliminated the need for galvanizing.
Wooden frame was fixed onto a similar steel structure. It was made of natural wood and joined by means of special screws. Whole deck is coated with a special hydrophobic solution.
On the wooden frame the builders fixed grooved planks, specially ordered from a sawmill. The planks are fixed with a few milimeters gaps between them to facilitate cleaning and drying of the deck, prevent slipping even if the deck is wet, or to prevent falling objects - such as phones - into te water. Deck planks have also been covered with a hydrophobic solution.
Ecological solution
Electrical system on the vessel is powered by 450 W photovoltaic panel mounted on a special support frame on the stern part of the roof. Apart from that - to start the engine and store the energy - the platform features a 100 Ah battery, charged directly from the solar power. The platform is also equipped with the so called port plug allowing charging the battery with AC from a socket, during a stay in a marina. In case of power shortage, the engine can be started manually using a pull starter.
At the beginning of June 2021 the vessel passed a technical inspection and was registered as a commercial motorboat. It can be legally rented since it is a tangible asset belonging to KowalskieMeble Karol Kowalski company. The work on the project lasted approximately 3,5 months and it was fully financed from the students' means.
Additional information about "YEAHziorak" vessel can be found on the website and in social media - Instagram and Facebook.
Students participating in the project:
– Bartosz Burzyński, GUT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Ship Technology, Mechatronics
– Wojciech Podwalski, GUT, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Ship Technology, Mechanics and Machine Construction
– Karol Kowalski, GUT, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Construction
– Piotr Jastrzębski, GUT, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Geodesy and Cartography
– Paulina Krzeczkowska, Warsaw School of Economics, Management
– Maciej Bajer, Sopot University, Faculty of Architecture, Architecture and City Planning
