Drive On Boat

[SHAKEY JAKEY]

Polite Request Too Pick Your Brains, I Know Nothing About Ships.
Can Someone Tell Me, Is There A Boat, Sea-worthy, Will Open Up And Swallow A Forty Foot Container And Still Be Able Too Go Too Sea ?

[marshmat]

What size range? Single 40-foot container like a motorhome or something? How big a boat? What sea conditions? How long a voyage?

Details needed.... (and please type in grammatically correct English, it really helps... caps bad)

[SHAKEY JAKEY]

Thanks Marshmat, for the lesson.
Forty foot, carrying forty ton, (similar too a motor home), able to go deep sea and be as small and cheap as pos.

[marshmat]

I'm not aware of any production craft that fit this description, although some other members here may have seen some. I've seen some concepts and I've done a few sketches myself but it's not a common design. The problem is often that the CG is too high on a roll-on craft that small, or the weight of the drive-on part is too high a fraction of the total weight for the hull to be stable without it.

[SHAKEY JAKEY]

The centre of gravity will be in force at sea while loaded. The boat will be in- operable once berthed, D-Day landing craft carried tanks across the channel, as I understand it, that was in fine weather. Are there any of these craft still in circulation and how ship shape would they be if a roof was put on top ?

[SHAKEY JAKEY]

Landing craft must be sea worthy and have approximately forty by ten foot of space. Can any body help me do a Sherlock Holmes and find one.

\--/HAPPINESS.

[mackid068]

Custom build guys. D-Day was not fine weather, guys. it was put off and they decidded to go through with it anyway.

[marshmat]

Probably going to have to go custom.

Landing craft like those in WW2 have not been built for a while. You wouldn't be able to find a used one; the few that remain are museum pieces.

There are aluminum and steel workboats from dozens of companies that could conceivably be adapted to what you're thinking of; whatever you do, though, it's going to be custom.

[FAST FRED]

Find a Copy of "Boats and Hartbors ",

you will find many size and styles , surpluss from the US Navy for sale.

Nicest is the all GRP ones as they have the least maint.

AN off the shelf solution!!

FAST FRED

[mackid068]

Navy surplus stuff is nice to look at but, I think it will generally need a little makeover. Still, i've only seen, not landing craft per se, but ship to shore tenders for large vessels. Custom aluminum for the landing craft may be best

[mackid068]

http://www.calequipment.com/detailpages/LCM8.html seems to have something nice. I still say custom, but search google (commercial landing craft).

[ABoatGuy]

http://www.boatquest.com/Commercial/...at_search.aspx

[marshmat]

Hmm... all interesting designs, for sure. Most of the photos at those links look like the kind of thing you'd use for inshore work and lakes, though... too blocky and barge-like for ocean-going vessels, at least if you want a comfortable ride (probably safe though, a lot are military types...). Shakey, from your earlier posts I gather you want something that can handle open-ocean passage-making? Something with a reasonably efficient hull that's stable in ocean swells?

A stock cargo-landing craft could probably be adapted to your use; however, if you want to go offshore, I'd still say find a commercial hull you like and customize it. You might find a used Coast Guard or Navy craft that could be refitted to suit, but keep in mind that conventional landing craft usually have flat, square bottoms that don't do too well in ocean weather.

[mackid068]

Big and uncomfortable can be safe, very true. Even if you are losing your lunch, you can still be safe. What about getting a custom multihull and setting it up with capablility to hold 40 tons (make it long, wide and out of steel, I would think)

[webbwash]

Then again you might try and locate an LCM 8 -- which is bigger than the LCM 6.

These are available yet in many a scrapeyard and with a bunch of $$ or whatever could be made serviceable.

How far do you want to go with it and rebuilding -- would new be better and purpose built, or how about a real sea-going boat for long distances.