Gravy Boat, Custom Albin 25

It's past time I showed some of my customizing efforts with my 2nd Albin 25, the carcass, named 'GRAVY'.
It's the free donor boat, that I stripped of usable parts to restore 'INTREPIDOS', my first Albin 25.
Can't restore both.

I bought 'INNTREPIDOS' afloat and I needed a trailer. Found an "Albin 25" trailer advertised, phoned and inquired why was the owner positive it was an "Albin 25" trailer.

To my ecstatic delight, the owner was selling the trailer with a FREE Albin 25 on the trailer! It WAS indeed an Albin 25 trailer!

And I got a free donor boat for parts!

Pictures of first sighting of 'GRAVY' on tireless trailer


and of 'INTREPIDOS' hauled out.



'INTREPIDOS' came with factory sail rig.

 

Every now and then we stumble upon a GOOD DEAL. Lucky you................................

 

I've been customizing everything I can imagine on 'GRAVY'.

She now has a 25 ft waterline on a 25 foot boat, without looking like a box.




That bow nose is solid fiberglass, laminated together out of FRP pieces cut from hulks headed for the landfill.

In order for the bow to pull completely up to the winch stanchion on the trailer, I had to make the end of the nose removable.
It's made from a busted fender salvaged from the garbage, cut down to the un-split part, filled with two-part foam, and held in it's socket by a fiberglass pin.

Maybe, I'll get a bit better fuel economy and a smidgen more top speed with the longer waterline.
But my REASON for the nose, is the ability to run aground on mud flats, rather than anchor. And not worry about puncturing the hull.
That's what tugs do, and I skippered a lot of deepsea tugs.

When it's time to go, just back off the mud. Nothing to pick up, or wash off.

 

The bow was NOT the first project I did, nor even the second. I mention it first because I wanted to explain intentional groundings. For a reason, you'll soon SEE!

Actually, first, I removed and glassed up all the underwater through hull fittings, nine altogether. She was a potential sieve!

Then, I started on propulsion. Diesel-electric.
I bought a running takeout 10 hp Volvo (made by Albin Motors for Volvo) out of an Albin Vega.
No tranny. The Vega used a controllable pitch prop, not included in the sale.
Not a problem, as I didn't want the prop.
Tugs can deliberately park on the mud, because they're confident of enough power to back OFF the mud.
Would 10 hp be a confidence feature on my Albin, when parking on the mud? Nope! Not with a single screw, no.

Diesel-electric allows running multiple electric motors off one generator. Twin screws isn't impractical for a one generator diesel-electric boat.
Still, not a lot of power, but as long as the stern isn't aground, if you can make her wiggle?
Get her stern moving, even if only side to side, you can work yourself off the ground.

So, twin screws, 360 degree AZIMUTHING drives, with 5 bladed props and BIG reductions in the gears! That's the plan. And I made it!

Here is picture of a slot I cut in one side of the transom. a matching slot was cut on starboard half of transom.




Then I rolled up some cloth/mat epoxy tubes jellyroll fashion, around some waxpapered Minnkota carbon fiber trolling motor shafts.

You'll see them in the thumbnail below. Just click on it. Not very interesting. Just some 3 inch diameter tubes with 1 and 1/4 inch inside diameter.
They fit the carbon fiber shafts smoothly, snugly, without binding.

The rectangular box cast on to the end of one tube, is for the Minnkota autopilot that fits the Minnkota shaft.

 

The tubes were glassed into the slots in the transom, so the tops of the tubes were inside, and the bottoms of the tubes outside. I left plenty of fiberglass below the slot, for the tube to shove against, when the prop is pushing.

Azimuthing drives don't use a reverse. They just rotate the propeller and it's boss to face forward, and the astern propulsion is as strong as ahead propulsion. The props turn in the most efficient direction of rotation always.
They can also be swiveled to thrust broadside or any angle in the 360 degree circle.
The two units are steerable independent of each other.

I built a 6 inch wide step across the base of the stern, aft of the tubes for rigidity when backing, or side thrusting.

I built a solid glass verticle rib on the centerline of transom, tied into the step across bottom.

I hung a LARGE rudder on this verticle rib, with 4 large pintles of 4 different lengths.

Then I painted the transom to resemble a mahogany transom.

Just click on thumbnail

 

In case you can't tell where the drive tube is installed, here is a picture of the transom, labeled.

And a picture of one of the drives installed.

Yep! That's a lower unit off a Brittish Seagull Silver Century!

4 to 1 reduction, and an eleven inch 5 bladed prop.
I have one each side of the transom.

The electric motors go inside, but are not yet installed.

I'm still working on the aft cabin interior, and don't want paint and resin spattered on the motors.

Each drive leg is powered by a 2 hp 220 volt 3 phase industrial motor. Continuous run rated.

The diesel belt drives a 5 hp 3 phase 220 volt motor as a rotary converter.

In effect, a 3 phase 220v generator, with diesel horsepower left for a large 12v alternator to charge house batteries.

The props are not driven by batteries, ever.

If the props are turning, the generator provides the juice.

The third picture is the Minnkota shaft, autopilot, seagull lower unit and prop, test assembled into it's tube, prior to glassing the tube into the transom, with 12 layers glass each, inside and out.

 

The large rudder is for sailing, in deep water.

In shallows, the rudder is unshipped, hoisted aboard, and steering by turning the prop drives.

Only one has an autopilot.

Two autopilots might cause an argument.

One prop steering and the other just pushing, should work fine to hold a course.

Haven't got to sea trials yet.

There is LOTS more custom work to show.
Stay tuned!
GRAVY is definitely One of a Kind!

Constructive comments welcome.
The other kind, ehhh!, I got a thick skin.

 

"The diesel belt drives a 5 hp 3 phase 220 volt motor as a rotary converter."

Would like to know more about this setup? Usually a 5 HP generator would have real trouble starting a 2 HP motor, let alone starting one with another already on the line. How are the electrics setup?

 

An electrician friend of mine told me that a good quality 5 hp rotary converter would run two quality 2.5 hp 3 phase motors, with no startup load on motors. Extremely small transmission loss with 3 phase induction motors. Thankyou Mr Tesla for inventing them!

Garner two interesting bits of information from this site:
http://www.northamericaphaseconverters.com/how-to-size-a-rotary-phase-converter/

"Note – You can never over size a phase converter; there are no minimum load requirements."
You start the converter before you switch on the load motors. Until then, the converter is running @ zero load. I call that minimum minimum!

If you notice on this chart, there isn't any actual scale or ratio of converter size to load. They just recommend the next larger size in commonly mfg motor (converters) sizes.




There is very little startup load on my propulsion motors.
At low speeds, like startup, propellers need little power. And mine are working through 4:1 reduction gears, even less startup torque required, which electric motors have an abundance of anyway.

I suspect your 5 hp generator you mention was an ICE generator.
HP is hp in science, but in real life, internal combustion engine makers fudge their hp ratings. It's a hp race with their competition. Electric motors generally produce the rated hp.

As to MY ICE, it's a 10hp marine diesel. Plenty of torque to spin a 5 hp phase converter.

 

NICE - keep up the good work !!!

 

Thanks Manie B

 

I answered the SIZE part of your question.

Now, I'll cover the circuitry.

This explains and demonstrates how simple it is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-bPJ2SZp7o

I do NOT endorse the apparent total lack of safety precautions and the messy wiring in this video. It's less messy than most such videos.
It does demonstrate an unmodified 3phase induction motor can be used as a generator spun by an ICE.

Not shown in film clip, but for safety, I will install magnetic motor start switch, in line with a manual switch, wires T1 and T2. If any leg fails, the magnet shuts off, the switch opens, and it kills the whole circuit, before I get a fire.

The little motor start capacitors are to energize the field on initial startup.

Since the USACE under your logo means Chief Engineer (and in steam), then you already knew this stuff. Just testing this "stupid ole boat driver"?
I always made a special effort to partner with my Chiefs. If the two senior officers aren't getting along, the operation is snake bit.

Besides the obvious treating the Chief with respect, refraining from "would you run up to the bridge" (6 decks above) type impositions, I EARNED their respect, by demonstrating a willingness to get my hands dirty. Accompanying them on inspections, like crawling double bottoms. In return, they taught me a LOT, once they got over the shock of seeing the captain in the engineroom, and understood I wasn't there to encroach on their territory!
I also assigned deck crew to assist in cleaning/painting chores for the Chief, to free up the engineers for the more technical work.
Made good friends, improved harmony in work environment, built a more cohesive team, encouraged communication and TRUST, set a good example, and learned a lot.

 

Hey Yo, you've been busy at the skunk works boat yard. I been so busy with on going projects here i've not been on the forum much so thanks for the heads up. A quick scan of the posts shows you've been hard at work both with body and brain Have to head out to a "function" now but will do a detailed read thru and become hopefully a productive part of it all. However I have to regret my former offer of hands on for a few days has dashed my south ward travel by the dollar value

 

Thanks Viking.
This is the 'information' age. Your offer of hands on was/is appreciated, but ideas and "this a better way" and "are you out of your mind? STOP!" are more valuable.
I need 'BRAINS'!
When you have time, your input always respected and desired. thanks

 

Hauahauahaua.

pogo