Shipping Container "Shantyboat"?

[alexlebrit]

Well, I'm building a house from four shipping containers, although admittedly they're sat on dry land (well unless the river floods) and they're fine for living in. Also you can cut out large amounts of steel and the things are still more solid than a house.

Whilst I don't think anyone has mentioned boats, Ken you might want to check out the forum at FabPrefab for ideas.

Oh just noticed THIS THREAD there, it's not you is it?

[ted655]

Thanks for the link. Here is where I got some of MY education as to possibilitys.
http://www.architectureandhygiene.com/main.html
The trick is to design a safe, simple hull, in which common folks can do the things that are possible with the box.
Unusual ideas take time to get respect.

[CaptainTweak]

i agree, it can be done

[ted655]

=" Oh just noticed THIS THREAD there, it's not you is it?"===============
I'm Ted, but I didn't post the thread. More on this subject in "Projects & proposals", Under "anyone want to help?".

[buyold49]

For what it's worth (probably not a whole helluva lot!) Since all the hurricanes over the last couple of years (I'm in Florida, USA) I see an abundance of fiberglass swimming pools that have "popped" out of the ground since the storms. Although I would have no way to proceed, the thought of using one as watercraft has occured to me.

[jrags0951]

How about using two 40 foot containers as pontoons? Then just weld 3 or 4 of the 20 foot versions across and end up with a very large catamaran! With a 40 X 20 footprint, it should be very stable and you would have tons of living room. I would want to mount a "bow" of some type rather than push a flat nose through the water though.
Jim Ragsdale/Orlando,FL

[jrags0951]

How about building a ferrocement hull (cheap and can be done by you) and then mount the container on top. You wouldn't have steel sitting in the water. The hulls would be smooth and more boatlike and you could still use the container as the boathouse part.

[Poida]

Now we had a bloke ranting about building a submarine to tour around the world in, why didn't anyone think of sea containers then. The primary object of a submarine is to sink. Don't use pipes down the side as pontoons, stick 'em end to end and use 'em as a periscope.

[ted655]

=========="How about building a ferrocement hull (cheap and can be done by you) and then mount the container on top. You wouldn't have steel sitting in the water. The hulls would be smooth and more boatlike and you could still use the container as the boathouse part."========================================


From the research I've done and from talking to a couple of men who have built "succesful" saolboats of ferro, I understand there are several little "things" that determine wether a hull is successful or just a pile of wire & cement.
I've had it stressed to me that a successful hull requires skilled, experienced plasters. Is fairly involved as far as design/shape is conxerned (ferro is best suited to the narrow, deep hull shape of draft sailboat hulls.) Stress points and sheer forces are more prevelent in wide, shallow draft hulls. The "plug" is expensive & labor/time intensive. Strict & careful curing (needs indoor humidity control) and quality, correctly mixed materials. Since the goal is a hull that can be built by ameture, first time builders and from materials that are generally found in every region, with minimum shelter. Ferro is probably beyond the scope of "everyone"
You are right, in that it is cheap and easy and durable at face value but .... not for everybody.

[djwkd]

how much,exactly would this shipping container costt,and in total how much would the project cost,how long overall will this take and how much free time do you have?i manage to get wood either cheap,or free because i get offcuts,wich arent really very 'offcutted'....

[alexlebrit]

Secondhand about $500 for the container

[ted655]

All good questions. Few (at present) answers. Here are some guess's.
A container here, USA, between $500 to $2000. This depends on where you are and condition of container.
Because "WE" haven't designed rge hull as yet, the cost is estimated around $3000 to $6000. Again depending on the availability & type of material.
How long? Again, based on a 8hr day and ample help,ready tools, average metal working skills, maybe 2 months. OR... 2 years of sporatic weekends.

By my design as it stands now, after talking to local fabricators, here is what I envision.
A 52'L X 11'W X 3.5'D scow hull. Sides angled out from Ibeam frame at a 35 degree rise, then a 1.5 verticle band around all flared sides for a hull depth of 42".
14,000lb concrete ballast (3 1/2 yards)
1,890 cu.ft. X 63 (average combined weight of waters =118,070 disp.
3,305lb per inch draft weight = 12" to 18" draft with around 2' freeboard (depending on fuel, water, holdind & fitouts.
6' front & rear decks. 1.5' side decks. All decks are welded onto sides of shipping container (as was the bottom welded to the Ibeam frame when set onto hull)

Well that's what I have so far.

[globaldude]

Hi Ted, Ken- [ are you still there? ],
I like the idea also and a few thoughts are ;
Ted I think , if I read your post right, you poured your "hull " then sat the container onto the beams, bolted & welded it to same, then welded your decks to the sides !? . Something like that !?.

I was thinking to "build" upside down by welding beams/channels to the chosen bottom, bending them for & aft to form at least a punt shape.
then box in the sides/walkways & bow well & aft deck . A "reo" frame welded to both the container & beams/channels would be the "skeleton" over which we pour the concrete.
The bottom, now the top of the form work, would have a mild curvature, formed by hand useing a good slump, and floated to a smooth finish.
The whole thing is now rolled over. Whalahh , smooth waterproof bum , balast, decks - with raised sides - pull out boxing or leave in to give a timber finish .
I'm afraid I'd get even cheaper regards to propultion .
"Find" a free car [ well we have lots of those here , usually too rusty for safety cert ] still in good mechanical condition. Preferably automatic as it will sort out it's own gear ratio and has a transmition cooler running through the radiator .
Either [ front wheel drives are good for this ] cut off the whole body from the firewall back and mid mount, extend the drive shafts out either side [ with a couple of brgs at the sides] and afix paddle wheels .
The disc brakes can be plumbed separately so you can brake the inside paddle and power the outside one for corners. "Click" it into reverse, brake the outside paddle, and a reverse burst on the inside should nearly see it rotate in it's own leangth.
I'd already thought of a house boat [ hadn't thought to use a container though !!] with a complete VW van on the roof as a "pilot house" , the craft paddeled & steered as above, thought the icing on the cake would be the anchor dropping when I pulled on the hand brake & raised when let off [ brake lever hits micro sw- powers up the pick ]

Yeah all good fun , but who among us can/will find the time to do it eh !??.

[ted655]

Great. You're getting imto it. Your method would work for some builders. This is 2 threads. The other (main) thread is over in "Projects & proposels" under "Who wants to help". On that thread I laid out some criteria. One was the design had to be easily built with a minimum of handling & equipment. Upside construction might be beyond most backyard builders. Certainly nothing wrong with the method though.
I'm after a method that allows for as much as possible, the average person to build. I realize "some" expert help/skill/equipment" will be necessary. To keep costs low, that need should be kept to a minimum. Anyhoo, the objectives of this project go beyond just building it.
Those interested can pursue it on the other thread. Thanks.

[winters]

Take a look at these:




These kind of vessels can be bought for under $ 5000,-
They are rocksolid, stable, made from steel, and perfect for shallow waters and heavy loads.

You could build something like this with it: