There’s always room for
a product that is “better”, but it needs to meet a
need before
it has any hope of becoming established.
And,
to quote the retail people – “Right place, right time,
right price”.
The idea of a Stirling powered
small boat may have merit, but what are the inhibitors that
stand
in the way of adoption?
Many!
First and
foremost - availability – a source of supply.
The
Swedish Stirling submarine demonstrated a capability in the
appropriate forum.
The US navy readily grasped the
opportunity. Stirling submarines were immediately
accepted
and manufacture followed.
Alas, the merits of a
Stirling boat are not so clarion clear.
The pleasure of near
silent boating has already been exploited by the electric boat.
And is there sleight of hand with the carbon footprint of
batteries and charging?
The user of an electric boat does not
see the CO2 emissions of the power station needed
to recharge
the battery - nor the carbon footprint in the manufacture of the
battery.
Or its disposal/recycling.
Out of
sight: out of mind.
The Stirling however, is an “in
your face” burner of fossil fuel!
But getting
back to the availability issue, the possibility of a Stirling boat
is currently reliant
on “pioneer” individual
makers.
Celebrity endorsement could “cross the
threshold” of social interest?
Perhaps that is a
viable approach.
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The second biggest inhibitor
is the lack of a proven, demonstrable craft.
i.e a
Stirling installed in a boat that clearly works well – and
it has to be “pretty”.
Sadly, our society
is very heavily motivated (besotted?) by what it looks like.
Car
manufacturers know this very well.
This requirement of
a demonstrable craft is largely what this book is about.
Being
able to make a Stirling that works is a considerable and rare
skill.
Similarly, the ability to “marry”
the engine with a boat is also a rare talent.
Both are
needed – in the same place – at the same time.
Vs
“the right price”, that could well be “not a
problem”.
A prominent example for me,
is the “concours
d'élégance” factor.
At a major boat
show, there is competition (for a prize) for the best presented
boat.
Even the brass deck cleats and other brass
fittings have to be polished and shining.
When you have
100 plus deck fittings, that’s a lot of polishing.
The
solution – all the deck fittings are gold plated. No polishing needed. Ever!
My
conclusion – the money is there – we just need to
connect with “the will”.
The next step
towards acceptance is a “pretty” well working Stirling
craft?
It's all very do-able. And why not make it pretty as well?
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