The Future Of Electric Boating On The Broads???

[AndyTBoater]

 

Should I pitch this to BA and EA as an idea for more environmentally friendly boating? 

Sort of more seriously can anyone explain how these work? 

I was chatting about this with JA today. Electric boats need a circuit to run.

The positive and negative can't come from the same overhead wire supply or it would just short out.

So where did they pick up the negative/ return/ earth from?

It has been suggested that it just returns through the water but even by 1955 standards this sounds like a less than ideal solution.

The boats were there until at least the early 70`s and possibly very early 80`s. 

[Cheesey69]

Can only be salty water. 
the water circuit enough in a hot marina. 
just a guess

[AndyTBoater]

Nope. Definitely fresh water. 

[unclemike]

how about a metal floor and  a spring loaded bar trailing underneath?

[Smoggy]

Stick a metal grid on the riverbed and we'll all just tow a mid weight around on a chain, some do anyway.

[AndyTBoater]

20 minutes ago, unclemike said:

how about a metal floor and  a spring loaded bar trailing underneath?

Was (and still is) a painted concrete floor. 

The trailing bar over a mesh floor could work. 

[unclemike]

15 minutes ago, AndyTBoater said:

The trailing bar over a mesh floor could work. 

chicken wire across the concrete

[Wussername]

Remember it well. Where I learnt to drive a boat when I was about ten years old.

I then became a trial run driver on a boat yard.

[Vaughan]

What are we all talking about?  Water conducts electricity - very well in fact!  What you might call a "common earth".

It wouldn't do your anodes any good though . . . .

[grendel]

dirty water conducts electricity, basically you need impurities in the water to make it conductive, of course naturally water contains the impurities necessary or it to be conductive.

I would imagine the earth rods to connect to the water would require regular replacement, as connected one way they will erode into the water, and connected the other they would gather impurities to the rods.

Interesting problem.

[AndyTBoater]

News update. 

I have been told today that there was a thin (about 1 inch wide) copper strip that ran around the whole pond and where required across the bottom to connect the islands to the main strip. 

I may be closer to the answer now. But always open to new information. 

[FairTmiddlin]

Think you will find there was a copper strip suspended just on the waterline, You can see screwed on brackets at regular intervals if you zoom in.

Edited to say

That is on the boats.

[dredger]

Is that Kensington Gardens?

[AndyTBoater]

3 hours ago, dredger said:

Is that Kensington Gardens?

Yep. Around 1955ish apparently. 

[dredger]

There were a number of metal plates spaced around the outside of the pond that acted as cathodes. There was something in the water to make it conduct the electricity, it had a hazy/white cloudy look. If I remember correctly those little boats steered from the front rather than with a rudder at the back. I remember seeing the boats out of the water in winter but can't remember what was underneath them.

[CeePee1952]

I've just read somewhere on t'internet that S W Mobbs who designed the lake/boats used a tram like traction motor in each boat which got its DC power from that overhead grid system.

Chris