Frequently Asked Questions

Fast Rescue Boats are required on every ship. They act as both the every day boat and of course the rescue boat, allowing the life boat to remain untouched for when needed. Experimental dates back to before the fall of the Berlin wall and was retired and donated to the St. Croix Yacht Club, on the island of St. Croix, USVI. Having been a night too late to get a free dinghy I was after I asked "what about that orange boat I always see." At that moment the F.R.B. Experimental was born with a dream to develop a hybrid powered small rescue craft research vessel. 

Fast Rescue Boats/Craft have very specific requirements. This boat will build off those to develop a hybrid power system capable of the same requirements but allowing additional advantages in performance over being ecologically friendlier. Imaging and navigational system will also be attached to the Experimental as a test bed. 

Typically a FRB/FRC will be powered by about 40-90 horsepower. This is a result of the requirement to able to travel a prescribed distance with a number of people at a certain speed under certain conditions. Inspired by Edison Motors development of a generator/battery hybrid logging truck I realized this offered many advantages in a rescue boat. 

The generator will always run at optimum efficiency charging batteries. Liquid fuel allow more dense storage of energy than the batteries but the batteries will provide much more energy faster. The system is much more modular allowing weight to be better distributed. Electric motors not only provide significantly more torque at all rpm (better for towing) but can offer double the peak HP for the weight and the same cruising HP.  This requires splitting that work into two motors, gaining maneuverability options.

Not only is charging using a shore connection a significant fuel savings for the short missions these boats normally do no fuel may be needed. But we wont stop there. standby vessels have a lot of time waiting. While at anchor or port regenerative energy can be capture from the props into the battery. a solar system will also feed the battery but due to the size of the vessel will likely only contribute to standby electronics. 

Since the entire system is controlled by fly-by-wire a central computer will be able to interface all the systems on the boat. Ultimately capable of being given a last known location and activated. The electronics surveillance and navigation package will direct the boat under it's own systems safely out of port, rapidly transit the safest charted waters to the search point, begin a grid, acquire possible targets, verify the target with the human crew, visually designate that target lock for all craft, bring the rescue crew to within distance to deploy custom rescue systems. 

The F.R.B. Experimental will have an expanded mission beyond typical fast rescue boat which has a narrow rescue mission, mostly used for day-to-day jobs. The goal is to equip and develop systems that enhance the littoral rescue missions. The Experimental will be developed to have flexible test beds capable accommodating many types of systems. The communications package allow high speed data transfer to a land based station but also a robust limited messaging system for all conditions. Mechanically and electrically stabilized and gimbaled mounts will be tested and developed. Machine learning integrating LIDAR, RADAR, stereoscopic imaging, forward-looking infrared and other technologies. I have the equipment already, just need to make it work. 

Isn't every project when you start? What I was after was a old, ratty, free dinghy. A project to spend time with my children on. That boat was gone when I arrived and the fast rescue boat was sitting in her place. That night I went home with the same goal of spending time with my children on a project but a much larger dream. I stayed up nights dreaming of the possibilities. Possibilities born not just from the dream and the boat I now had but technologies I already own and have played with for years ready for a cause. This project pushes me beyond most of my knowledge and skills which simply means a chance to grow them. I can build anything. 

Hi, I am Brian. Some of you have seen my hosting MythBusters on the Discovery Channel (yes saying that is an obligation.) Others likely know my from TikTok where I log this project along with my daily life on the Caribbean island of St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands. I grew on there talking about my experience finding my partner dead, inviting people into my world and life. They encouraged me to continue sharing and TikTok fell in love with my view of the island I live on and I continue to share it. And yes, that means I want to build an advanced experimental rescue boat on a remote island with limited services. 

"A jack of all trades is a master of none but often times better than a master of one." -William Shakespeare

In my life I have worked as or collected the following skills/licenses/certificates:

B.S. Biology, minor Criminal Justice

Teaching Certificate

Pilot

Rescue Diver

Radio Operator

MythBuster

TV Host

Forensics Researcher

Multiple scientific papers and book publications

Paramedic Instructor/Board Examiner

Drone construction and operation

Extended lateral and High-Temp High-Pressure well Drilling Engineer

College Lab coordinator/instructor with published lab manual authorship

.................

The broad experience and knowledge I have allows my the ability to approach problems from physical construction and engineering to programing and electrical engineering. My approach is usually to throw myself through a series of advanced problems failing my way to a basic understanding to build from. Frustrating, but great entertainment I am told. So welcome!