Double Rowing Shell Conversion to Single Barge for Training Purposes

• Raven Brown
• David Feigel
• Marcello Gonzalez
• Vanya Navratil
• Sebastian Wesolowski

The Chicago Training Center (CTC) would like to use a training barge to teach students how to row using a sweep rowing technique. The purpose of this project is to convert two Vespoli “fours” (four man boats) into a single training barge using attachments between the two boats. The attachments need to be manufactured using off-the-shelf components with minimal modifications. The attachments need to have sufficient adjustability to account for dimensional inaccuracy of the boat hulls and manufacturing defects associated with DIY manufacturing. Additionally, a platform and steering mechanism is required to allow an instructor to correct student form. Our attachments maximized the usability of the off-the-shelf components with only minor changes to adapt them for our project. We created attachments that are easy to manufacture, have a wide range of adjustability, and are strong enough to withstand the loads seen during rowing.

See supporting documentation in the team’s Box drive.