The front panel is coming along nicely. We have been able to check the positioning of the lower pulley and start the preparation for fitting the shaft that will connect to the propeller.
Here is the front panel resting on top of the motor. All the bolts fit in the slots and this video clip shows how the height of the motor will be adjusted so that the belt can be replaced and tensioned.
Here you can see what it looks like with pulleys and belt resting in place.
We hope that the 2nd front panel will be nice and quick to cut the slots in as we know what we are doing 🙂
The back plates are simpler as they don’t need a big oval cutting out for the shaft and surround. The tricky bit is getting the motor bolt holes in the right place as they are orientated at 45 degrees to the front ones (otherwise could drill straight through which would be much simpler).
Then we will need the angled strips to connect the front and rear of the frame so that the belt drive can’t twist anything. After that the remaining challenge will be to correctly position the big cross angled stainless steel which will rest on the engine bearers. They need to be at the right height for the lower shaft to be exactly aligned with the propellor shaft (or there will be lots of vibration and noise and it will all break itself apart).
Sustainable Sailing 