Long Duration Voyages for Small Unmanned Boats

As a teenager I watched the Voyager spacecraft send photos of the outer planets back to Earth.
I've always liked the idea of sending machines off to places where we can't go. 
I can't launch a spacecraft, but I can send model boats into our oceans on long duration voyages.
There are quite a few projects attempting to cross oceans with autonomous boats, but one of the most professional examples that provides me with inspiration is saildrone. The Saildrone company is based near San Francisco and produces well designed, well made sailing drones that are 19 feet in length.


saildrone - State of the art ocean going drone


This blog is intended to follow the path I'll take as a hobbyist in the development of sailing drones and perhaps other types of ocean going drones.

Voyager 1 is the first trial in what is expected to be a series of models designed to cross oceans. 

As of May 2016, its about 200 nautical miles east of Sydney, and has travelled 800km from the launch point in 2 weeks.
The voyage of Voyager 1 is plotted here http://ww2.acaciacs.com.au/voyager1.



Voyager 1 - Sea trials on Port Phillip

The Voyage of Voyager 1 - click on live map 

 The details of Voyager 1 will be covered in other posts to follow.