Steel Barge again

[continentshift]

Another question for the audience...could an experienced skipper potentially motor a 20m cat steel barge with 2 Caterpillar 3144 Diesels from Airlie Beach, QLD to Iluka, NSW on a low swell??? And how much does anyone think would such exercise have to cost? Does anyone even KNOW such person??? Cheers, Monika

[masalai]

Get it surveyed first... then put an ad in The Coastal Passage http://www.thecoastalpassage.com.au/

[Matt.D]

looks a little top heavy even for a light swell... whats the beam?

[continentshift]

Beam 5m, draft 1m. Thanks for all the good advice, I think I'll let it go altogether, too hard basket. Monika

[Matt.D]

Hi Monika, r u looking for a brage or a houseboat? what sort of money r u looking at spending what was the attraction to this one? I might be able to build u something u like.
duncan4370@hotmail.com

[Meanz Beanz]

Yeah... good idea.

Personally I'd want sea trials before I committed to taking that anywhere, at the very least a conversation with the designer and an owner of a sister ship. Not that I do deliveries anymore but you'd have to spend a bit on that to get it ready thats if it is a capable design.

Given the photo I'd truck it if you really had to...

[safewalrus]

Better to use an inexperienced skipper - he wouldn't know when he's about to croak!

[Landlubber]

true wally, and there is no shortage of them on the east coast too.

[Meanz Beanz]

Insurance... get insurance :p :D

[MikeJohns]

This is outside of a marine surveyors expertise. They check the condition not the design.

You need a marine engineer/naval architect to assess this structure. From the look of it it is a lake boat. If the exposed cross members under the bridge deck are all that tie the hulls together then it doesn't look suitable for any passage at sea as it will wrack in a seaway.

The deceased builder must have some plans, weights and moments, calculations ?

[Landlubber]

The worst thing that you can do is put a boat into the water......live in it on the land

[safewalrus]

Guess you can see why the builder is deceased! probably tried using it! Be OK in the right place mind..................................Alice 'springs' to mind!