When R&D Starts With: “Where on Earth Do We Put This?”

 

Designing a GPS Mount for the RS Toura

When R&D Starts With: “Where on Earth Do We Put This?”

Research and development does not always begin with a dramatic invention, a revolutionary product, or a white-coated scientist shouting “Eureka!” across the laboratory.

Sometimes it begins with a much smaller, more practical question:

Where do you put the GPS on an RS Toura so that it can be read, filmed, used safely, and not end up sinking gently into the River Thames?

That may not sound like world-changing innovation, but in many ways it is exactly what real R&D looks like. A problem appears. The available equipment does not quite do what you need. You measure, sketch, test, modify and improve. Eventually, with a bit of design work and probably a few failed prototypes, you end up with something useful.

At Philip M Russell Ltd, this kind of practical problem-solving happens all the time. One day it might be designing science equipment for the laboratory. Another day it might be adapting camera gear for filming lessons. This time, it is about creating a GPS mount for the RS Toura.

The Problem: A GPS Is Useful — Until It Has Nowhere Sensible to Go

A GPS unit on a sailing dinghy can be extremely useful. It can record speed, track, distance, course made good and sometimes reveal uncomfortable truths about how much time we spend sailing sideways rather than forwards.

For learning to sail, that data can be very valuable. It can help answer questions such as:

How fast were we actually going?

Did we sail the course efficiently?

How much speed did we lose during a tack?

Were we pointing as high as we thought?

Did the boat slow down because of poor sail trim, bad steering, stream, or simply because the River Thames was being the River Thames?

The challenge is not whether the GPS is useful. The challenge is where to put it.

In a dinghy, everything gets wet, everything moves, and anything not properly attached will eventually attempt to escape. A GPS placed loosely in the boat is likely to disappear under a thwart, slide into the bilge, be sat on, kicked, splashed or launched into the water at the first exciting moment.

So the job is simple in theory:

Design a removable GPS mount for the RS Toura that is visible, secure, safe and does not damage the boat.

Simple in theory, of course, is where most R&D projects begin.

Why the Transom?

The transom seemed like a promising place to start. It is at the back of the boat, relatively clear, and potentially visible from the helm. It also offers a useful filming angle if the GPS data is to be captured on camera during sailing.

For a training boat such as the RS Toura, this matters. The aim is not just to collect data after the event, but to make it useful while sailing and when reviewing video footage later.

A GPS mounted on the transom could allow us to:

See speed and track while sailing.

Film the GPS display as part of a sailing training video.

Keep the unit away from ropes and crew movement.

Remove the mount when the boat is not in use.

Avoid drilling holes in the hull or permanently modifying the boat.

That last point is important. Boats are not laboratory benches. You cannot simply screw things into them because it seems convenient at the time. A good design should respect the boat, avoid damage, and be reversible wherever possible.

Step One: Measuring the RS Toura

The first proper stage was measurement.

This is where practical design starts. Not with a 3D printer. Not with CAD software. Not even with a brilliant idea. It starts with a tape measure, calipers, notebook, pencil, and a careful look at the actual object.

The questions included:

How thick is the transom edge?

Are there existing fittings that could be used?

Is the surface flat or curved?

Where are the ropes, tiller and rudder fittings?

Would a bracket interfere with the helm or crew?

Could the GPS be knocked during launching, recovery or mooring?

Would the mount stay clear of the rudder and tiller movement?

There is always a danger when designing something that you imagine the boat as a neat geometric shape. Real boats are rarely that cooperative. They have curves, fittings, awkward corners and existing hardware exactly where you would like to place your new invention.

So the first job was to understand the shape of the problem properly.

Step Two: Sketching Bracket Ideas

Once the measurements were taken, the next stage was sketching.

Sketching is still one of the most useful parts of the design process. It is quick, cheap and forgiving. You can draw a terrible idea in thirty seconds, realise why it will not work, and move on without wasting material.

Several possible designs suggest themselves.

One idea is a clamp-style bracket that grips the transom without drilling. This has the advantage of being removable, but it must not mark the boat or come loose under vibration.

Another idea is a saddle-style mount that hooks over part of the transom. This could spread the load and be simple to fit, but it would need to be secure enough not to bounce off.

A third option is a bracket fixed to an existing fitting, avoiding new holes entirely. This is often the best engineering approach if suitable fittings already exist, but it depends on their position and strength.

Then there is the GPS holder itself. The unit must be held firmly, but still be removable. It must not be trapped so tightly that it cannot be taken out, but it must not be so loose that it flies out during a lively tack or gybe.

The sketching stage produced the usual design truth:

The first idea is rarely the final answer.

Step Three: Thinking About Vibration, Spray and the Real World

A mount that works perfectly on a workbench is not necessarily a mount that works on a sailing dinghy.

On the water, the GPS mount will have to deal with:

Vibration from movement through waves and chop.

Spray and rain.

Occasional impacts.

Ropes brushing past it.

The boat being launched and recovered.

People climbing in and out.

The general chaos of real sailing.

There is also the question of readability. A GPS screen that is technically visible may still be useless if it is at the wrong angle, reflecting the sky, or too far away to read while sailing.

The display must be readable from the helm, but it must not encourage the helm to stare at the GPS instead of watching the sails, the water, other boats and the riverbank. This is an important safety point. The GPS is a useful aid, not the skipper.

The mount also needs to keep the GPS high enough to be seen, but not so high that it becomes vulnerable or intrusive.

In other words, the design is not simply about holding an object. It is about fitting into the whole sailing system.

Step Four: 3D Printing the First Prototype

This is where modern workshop technology becomes very useful.

A few years ago, making a custom bracket would probably have involved cutting, drilling and bending bits of metal or plastic by hand. That is still a perfectly valid approach, but 3D printing allows rapid prototyping in a very flexible way.

The first 3D printed prototype does not need to be perfect. In fact, it almost certainly will not be. Its purpose is to answer questions.

Does it fit the transom?

Does it hold the GPS securely?

Is the angle right?

Is it too bulky?

Is it strong enough?

Is it easy to attach and remove?

Does it look as if it belongs on a boat, or does it look like something escaped from a badly organised toolbox?

The great advantage of 3D printing is that a prototype can be changed quickly. If the bracket is too tight, the design can be adjusted. If the GPS angle is wrong, the mount can be tilted. If a corner is likely to snag a rope, it can be rounded. If the design is too weak, it can be reinforced.

This is practical R&D at its best: design, print, test, modify, repeat.

Step Five: Testing It From the Helm

The most important test is not whether the mount looks good on the bench. It is whether it works when someone is actually sailing the boat.

That means putting the prototype on the RS Toura and checking it from the helm position.

Can the display be read without leaning awkwardly?

Can it be seen by a camera?

Is it still visible when the helm changes sides?

Does it interfere with the mainsheet, tiller extension or crew movement?

Could it catch clothing or buoyancy aids?

Would it become a hazard during a capsize or recovery?

Would it stay in place if the boat is moving quickly, bouncing, or being handled on the slipway?

This is where a design often changes significantly. A mount may be technically successful but practically annoying. It may hold the GPS beautifully but be in exactly the wrong place. It may be readable on one tack but useless on the other. It may be safe in calm conditions but vulnerable during a messy landing.

The boat has the final vote.

Step Six: Safety Before Cleverness

One of the most important design rules is that cleverness must never defeat safety.

A GPS mount should not create sharp edges. It should not obstruct the helm. It should not interfere with the rudder. It should not trap ropes. It should not make it harder to recover from a capsize. It should not encourage anyone to look down at a screen when they should be looking at the water.

It also needs to be secure. A GPS falling into the boat is irritating. A GPS falling into the river is expensive. A GPS falling into a moving part of the boat could become dangerous.

For that reason, the final design may need a secondary safety line or tether. Even if the mount holds the unit firmly, a small backup cord could prevent disaster if something unexpected happens.

In sailing, “unexpected” is not really unexpected. It is more of a scheduled event that has not yet announced its arrival.

The Wider Lesson: Small Problems Are Often Excellent R&D Projects

This GPS mount may sound like a small project, but it contains many of the same stages as a much larger engineering design problem.

There is a real need.

There are constraints.

There are measurements.

There are sketches.

There are prototypes.

There is testing.

There are failures and improvements.

There is a final product that must work in the real world.

That is why projects like this are so useful educationally. They show students and clients that design is not magic. It is a process. You do not need to begin with the perfect answer. You need to begin with a problem worth solving.

At Philip M Russell Ltd, this practical approach links directly with our science teaching, workshop projects, video production and sailing work. The same thinking used to design a GPS mount can be used to design laboratory apparatus, camera brackets, microphone holders, teaching demonstrations or boat restoration parts.

The object changes. The method remains the same.

What the Final Design Needs to Achieve

The finished GPS mount for the RS Toura should ideally be:

Secure enough to hold the GPS during normal sailing.

Removable without damaging the boat.

Readable from the helm.

Visible to a camera for training videos.

Resistant to spray and vibration.

Smooth-edged and safe.

Clear of ropes, rudder, tiller and crew movement.

Easy to fit before sailing and remove afterwards.

Strong enough for repeated use.

Simple enough that it can be improved, repaired or reprinted if needed.

That is quite a demanding list for what first appeared to be a small bracket.

But that is the point. Good design often hides its complexity. The best solutions look obvious only after someone has done the thinking.

Personal Reflection: From Laboratory Bench to River Thames

One of the things I enjoy about running Philip M Russell Ltd is that the work does not sit neatly in separate boxes.

Teaching science leads to building better equipment. Building equipment leads to workshop skills. Workshop skills lead to better video production. Video production leads to sailing films. Sailing films lead to questions about where to put the camera, microphone, GPS or sensor.

Before long, a sailing dinghy on the River Thames becomes part classroom, part laboratory and part film set.

That may sound slightly excessive, but it is also tremendous fun.

The RS Toura is not just a boat. It is a platform for learning. Every sail produces questions. Every question can become a small investigation. Every small investigation can become a design project.

And sometimes that design project is simply finding a better place to put the GPS.

Conclusion: Innovation Often Begins With an Annoyance

The GPS mount project is a reminder that R&D does not always begin with a grand plan. Sometimes it begins with a mild irritation.

The GPS is useful, but it has nowhere sensible to go.

That is enough.

From that small problem comes measuring, sketching, prototyping, testing and improving. The result may be a modest bracket on the back of a dinghy, but the process behind it is real engineering.

It is practical, creative, testable and useful.

And with a bit of luck, the finished mount will allow us to read the GPS, film the data, improve our sailing, and avoid donating yet another piece of technology to the River Thames.

Which, in my opinion, counts as a successful research and development project.