North Liberty Man Ground Sails Across Country

By Katie Stinson

Pterosail Trike Systems, L.C. Vice President of Engineering, Public Relations, and Trials John MacTaggart of North Liberty stands outside of the small office of the business Monday, March 26, 2007 behind his home in North Liberty. The Pterosail trike can be human powered by peddling or by using a small sail that uses a new method of capturing wind energy to charge batteries that power an electric motor to assist the rider.

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By Becky Ogann

Story Created: Jul 8, 2010 at 5:08 PM CST

Story Updated: Jul 9, 2010 at 8:00 AM CST

DUNCAN, Arizona – John MacTaggart said the best part of sailing across the country is meeting the variety of people.

Sporting his Pterosail, a recumbent trike equipped with a patented sailing system MacTaggart is sailing from coast to coast—on the ground.

The North Liberty resident said he spent Thursday in the small town of Duncan, Arizona. There he stopped and asked a local volunteer police officer for a lunch-stop recommendation. Not only did MacTaggart end up with a fabulous dining experience, but he also had lunch time companionship. He dined with a whole fleet of volunteer officers and the small town’s mayor.

“They all thought it was really great, and they were really into it,” the 30-year-old said. “We all took some pictures, and then had lunch. The mayor talked to me about some of the issues in Duncan, it was just really cool.”

Duncan, AZ was just one small stop on MacTaggart’s journey; he plans to sail from San Diego, CA to St. Augustine Fla., a total 3,092 mile trek.

MacTaggart said his coast to coast journey was something he wanted to do to for his thirtieth birthday, but as a January baby the weather forced him to postpone his endeavor.

But now, he said the timing was perfect because his assistant, media coordinator and travel companion, Jennifer Brown, 28, of Cedar Rapids had the summer off.

“She had the summer off, I had some free time why not sail across the country,” he said.

MacTaggart said his typical day on the road starts out early. He said Brown will later pass him on the road in the support vehicle sometime during the day, providing him with necessities like water, food, or ice. Brown then drives on to the next destination and finds the hotel room for the night and MacTaggart meets her there.

His North Liberty business, Pterosail Trike Systems, L.C., launched in 2006, stemming from an idea MacTaggart’s father had while riding a trike on a windy day in rural Iowa.

Though, a few short years after starting the company, MacTaggart was called to Afghanistan for service in July 2008 and stayed until June 2009 postponing some of his Pterosail plans.

Back and ready for action, MacTaggart said his company modified their Pterosail and started building their own full-model trikes instead of purchasing from outside companies. His journey is a debut of the full-product with their own trike design. Pterosails’s used to be sold as kits, he noted.

The Pterosail operates with a patented jib-based sail that is placed forward of the rider and low to the ground. The automatic sheet management system features a continuously recoiling line. To accelerate and use the wind the rider applies tension to the line while steering with the other hand. If the operator wants to slow down or stop he releases the line.

“If you want to use it hold it,” he said. “If you don’t let go of it, it’s that easy.”

The Pterosail is also equipped with a solar panel that powers MacTaggart’s iPhone so he can access GPS, a map and social networking sites. It also provides him with protection from the sun since it’s installed directly above him about a foot and a half.

The name of his cycling contraption came from the ancient pterodactyl, the flying dinosaur. The pronunciation is the same as “terra-sail,” meaning sailing over the land.

MacTaggart sailed off on his voyage June 28 and hopes to return by the end of August, making his trip a six to eight week adventure, cross country.

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