Bright, Fast, and Every System Rebuilt: It's Time to Enjoy
My Turbine Boat
My boat handles well and has
gobs of power. What a blast to drive!!
I'm happy to report: this Offshore Racing Cat actually does
what is was designed to do.
I
really enjoy making high speed runs through Deception
Pass and Cornet
Bay adjacent to the north end of Whidbey Island
in northern Puget Sound, Washington State. The track
of my initial testing is plotted on the right.
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We're still playing
with the trim and getting used to how the boat reacts in various
conditions. After over 3 1/2 years of work on the boat itself
(and a year to construct my boathouse)
it's finally done.
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During
the 'off season', I inspected for abnormalities and worked
through all my preventive maintenance tasks.
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Now that the weather has improved, we're out running with
my new 5-blade Hering offshore surface piercing prop.
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Here's
a quick tour of my turbine powered boat
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Equipped
for towing, my Expedition handles this load very well
(left).
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My
navigator tried to get a good shot of the rooster tail while running (right). Unfortunately it's the same color
as the water and doesn't show up very well (go figure).
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Pre-launch
checks underway alongside beautiful Cornet Bay.
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The
Deception Pass bridge is the backdrop for our runs through
the San Juans.
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Another
relaxing afternoon speeding through the San Juan Islands
of north Puget Sound.
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I
can't stop thinking about my next boat ride.
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The
finish is Awl Grip II 'Sun Yellow' 2-part polyurethane
sealed with Akzo Nobel aircraft clearcoat.
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The
intake scoops bring in lots of undisturbed air. They're
positioned on the forward deck to help reduce engine
noise.
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I
like it bright, so they can see me coming. The brighter, the
better.
I
fabricated a custom bracket to hold the bow secure during
transport.
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Nonskid
and grab handles allow safe egress.
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8,000
Lb. straps secure the hull to the trailer during transport.
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The
forward scoops bring in air for the gas turbine and
for cooling the engine compartment.
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Air
horns are tucked away inside the scoops.
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To
ensure an adequate air supply to the gas turbine, the scoops
were sliced down the sides, expanded 3", and carefully
glassed in using epoxy resin and kevlar cloth.
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My
triple axle trailer (built by South Florida Trailers)
features a strong, light aluminum frame and nylon rollers
for smooth loading of my gas turbine powered Cobra Terminator
Cat. A center walkway allows easy access to the front
bow eye during recovery.
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I
bought my vinyl registration numbers online from Sign
Specialist.
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They
were easy to apply, fully comply with the state 'block
letter' requirement, and I really like the look.
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A
General Electric 1350 hp T58-GE-8F Gas Turbine Now Powers
this Cobra Terminator
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My
T-58 gas turbine engine was overhauled by the Marines
at Cherry Point then declared surplus when the Navy
phased out their SH-2F Seasprite Helicopters.
Now it's perfectly happy handling an easy load of pushing
my offshore race boat around the islands in north Puget
Sound for pleasure cruising.
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The
intake screen prevents Foreign Object Damage (FOD) from
being ingested by the helicopter engine.
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The
Gas turbine is completely covered by a fully insulated,
Kevlar reinforced foam-core composite engine cover.
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The
T58-GE-8F gas turbine engine features movable stator
blades.
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The
first stage compressor blades are visible down the intake.
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It's
hard to believe this 300 LB turbo-shaft engine puts
out over 1,350 shp.
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The
turbine engine compartment is fully lined with Second
Skin acoustic insulation products (a layer of Damplifier
Pro, then OverKill, topped with Motor Mat) to contain
the exhaust heat and reduce the helicopter engine noise.
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Electric
Thrusters Allow Silent Maneuvering
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The
thruster mounting brackets use the existing K-Plane
mounting pins.
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An
8-way joystick allows accurate control of each thruster.
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I
run an Arneson ASD-8 Surface Drive on my Cobra Terminator
offshore Cat.
The Arneson ASD8 is the only drive rated to safely handle
the power of my Gas Turbine engine.
Electrically
controlled by the driver.
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(left)
thrusters shown stowed
and all the way down (right).
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These
thrusters work real slick.
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I've
been getting help with my rigging from Peter Casini (the builder
and designer himself). Initial testing showed a net gain of
2+ mph with the K-Planes removed, so now they sit in the drawer.
My
New Hering Surface Piercing Propeller
I
had Hering
Propellers machine me a new 16.5 x 24, 5-blade CNC cleaver
prop to fit the 26-spline Mercury shaft on my Arneson ASD-8
Surface Drive.
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Cut with 16° rake, it is designed to provide plenty of bow
lift.
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When you're running a 'tunnel hull', bow lift is
essential for attaining high speeds.
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I shopped
all over for my prop and finally chose Hering for several
reasons:
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Lots
of the 'other guys' make very specific prop size/pitch
recommendations, but nobody will stand behind that with
any sort of a return/exchange policy. Oh sure, if it's
not quite right they're glad to sell you another.
Herings'
Right
Pitch Management program allows a one time exchange
within two weeks of delivery if it's not quite right
(visit the Hering web site for all the details).
Plus,
Hering stands behind its quality and workmanship with
a one-year limited warranty.
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I've
discussed props with several offshore race teams and have
yet to hear of anyone throwing a blade from a Hering prop.
I realize that's likely happened, but folks have specifically
warned me to shy away from several 'other brands' because
of that.
I always hear good things about Hering props.
Turbine
Boat Equipment Layout
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All
hardware is designed for heavy running.
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An
old warbird indicator displays trim data (right).
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The
alternator & power steering pump are shaft driven
by serpentine belt.
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All
tanks and brackets are powder coated. Power steering
fluid (left) and Arneson Surface Drive gear lube (right).
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Trim
pumps are nestled above the alternator.
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Fuel
strainers and fuel pumps are completely independent
for each tank (left).
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I fabricated a
custom manifold for my main fuel solenoid, fuel flow and fuel pressure transmitters (right).
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I designed a Fuel Transfer system so I can balance the tanks.
By using foot pedal switches (so both hands stay on the wheel)
I can pump fuel from the left tank to the right or from right
to left while underway.
I
used Aeroquip stainless braided hoses and Summit Racing hose
ends for plumbing my fluid systems.
Aircraft
grade stainless braided hoses are used throughout.
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Gearbox
lube tank & cooler (above).
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Power
hinges open the engine cover (left).
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The
hot section is wrapped with high-temperature 'heat wrap'
then covered with sheet metal to keep temperatures down
inside the engine compartment (left).
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The
'burp tank' (right) collects residual fuel from the
gas turbine engine to keep the bilge spotless. A float
switch tells a pump when to empty it back into the fuel
tank.
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A
custom fabricated drive shaft (above center) transmits power
from the T58 turbine gearbox to the Arneson Surface Drive.
Cockpit
Arrangement
The
folks at Finishline
Coatings treated my exhaust collar (center below) with
Cermachrome high temperature ceramic coating so it would stand
up to the harsh salt water spray and 1400°F exhaust gasses.
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The gas turbine is longer than the V-8 it replaced.
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The
custom fabricated, composite turboshaft engine cover
sits between the rear seats.
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Cooling
air exits around the exhaust.
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All
passengers sit forward of the gas turbine 'plane of
rotation'.
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Comfortable
seating for four.
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Analog
aircraft instruments provide clear readings.
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Garmin
GPS keeps us on course.
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I
selected engine instruments from UMA
Instruments to match the Mil-Spec percent RPM and EGT
indicators I already had.
Leather
Corbeau
TRS racing seats keep the crew comfortable.
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A
shaft brake gives a 'neutral' while starting the gas
turbine (right).
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The
throttle & horn switch are on the floor so I can
keep both hands on the wheel.
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I hope you enjoy my web site
and the story of my Turbine Powered Boat Project.
It's been a long journey: a year to build the boathouse
and another 3+ years to finish the turbine
boat project.
You can contact me with your questions or comments.
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