Containerable Motorsailers

Container Yachts, LLC, in Middletown, Rhode Island, USA, is building a 39 ft. Robert Perry designed pilothouse motorsailer that can be shipped in a standard high cube container. The prototype boat "InBox" is schedule to be launched in August on the west coast of the US. The series production boats are being built in Croatia with the first boats to be delivered in early 2007.

More info on this new approach to worldwide hopping with your own boat, at:
www.containeryachts.com

I want you to note displacement and other data stated at their web pages are in lightship condition.

Your opinions, ladies and gents.

 

This is a very interesting boat and a very interesting concept, but after looking at the boat data I have my doubts:

From the boat’s web page:

“What are the pros and cons of the 7.5 ft beam?
In a properly designed boat, there are no cons. Narrow boats are fast (think Six-Meters and Eight-Meters). Other pros are efficient sailing and motoring, plus a secure below decks in a seaway. Dennis Conner’s new pride and joy is his restored classic Q-Boat Cotton Blossom II. Her LOA is 49 ft; her beam is 9.4 ft. Both boats have an identical length-to-beam ratio of 5.2.”

Yes, but I bet they don’t have the same D/L neither the same B/D.

Fact is that it is a light boat (5,6T) and that they don’t tell you the ballast. But this one can not be substantial, given the boat’s weight.
This boat has very little form stability and relies, almost exclusively, in a low center of gravity, given by ballast.
Therefore, it looks to me that the draft of the boat (1,7M) is insufficient to provide a really good overall stability without substantial ballast. This seems to be confirmed by its small rig and small sail area (51m2) (a modern boat with this weight carries about 65 m2).

I would like to take a look at its stability curve.

But one thing is certain, it is a very interesting and unusual boat… and that container possibility, has put me dreaming.

 

Here you have her main parameters. Take them with care, as displacement is in lightship condition

LOA = 11,9 m
Lwl = 11,6 m
Bmax = 2,6 m
Bwl = 2.05 m
HD = 0,32 m (body draught)
Draught = 1,68 m
Disp = 5600 kg
Ballast = 2266 kg
Sail area = 51 m2
Power = 40 HP


D/L = 100.07 (Very, very light. Even at loaded condition shouldn't go higher than 135)
SA/D = 16.43 (wait to know LCD)
6*HP/D = 19.42 (idem)
HSPD = 8.27 Kn
CSF = 1.48 (nice. very in the safety zone)
MCR = 28.44 (somewhat low for size. Uncomfortable?)
AVS = 121.44 º (good)

 

Where do you found these data?

Ballast = 2266 kg
AVS = 121,44 º

That means that the boat without ballast, but with rig and sails weight only 3334kg. That's very light for a 39ft, even a narrow one.

 

Ballast was kindly provided by Will Rogers, President of Container Yachts. AVS calculated. Prototype lightship disp of 12500 lbs will be around 13000 lbs for production boats. I'm wainting to know full load data, the ones we really need to compare the boat.

At FAQ's pages they provide also:
SA/D = 17.5
AVS = 147º
I think these values have to be double checked.

More info
Tankage:
Fuel 75 gal.
Water 75 gal
Holding 25 gal

Electrical:
Batteries (4 ea) AGM Group 31
Eng. Mtd. Alter. 60 amp
Inverter 2000 Watt Xantrex
Battery Meter Xantrex MS2000

Steering Hydraulic

 

containerable sail boat

similar containerable solution from Thailand:
Built using quality materials this boat is designed to fit inside a 40' shipping container, not quite "in a suitcase" but wherever your work takes you the Dubloon can travel as well allowing you continuous sailing in your own boat.
PRINCIPAL DIMENSIONS:
Length Overall: 36 feet 1 in [11 m].

Length Waterline: 26.24 feet [8 m].
Beam: 7 feet 8 in [2.35 m].
Draft: 4.9 feet or 5.8 feet [1.5 m or 1.78 m].
Displacement: 12,965 lbs [5,881 Kgs].
Lead Ballast : 2,721 Kgs. 49%
Hull Surface Area: 35.79 sq.m
Deck Surface Area: 22.95 sq.m
Engine: 1 x 24HP Yanmar sail drive (or 24 HP Mitsubishi)
Fuel: 80 litres (21 gals US)
Fresh water: 200 litres (53 gals US)
Gross Tonnage: 12 GRT. Net Tonnage: 11 NTR.

 

A very nice boat, indeed, Luigi! I love it!
May you post Bwl, body draught and sail area? I'd appreciate that, thanks in advance.

Also:
Why dont' you post more info on your Lobster Boat at thread: http://boatdesign.net/forums/showthread.php?t=11670 ?
I would like very much to discuss it there.

All the best.

 

To be precise (because may be I started a misunderstanding with my post!) this is not our boat, we do not build this boat, it is a boatbuilder from Thailand; I do not know their actual financial situation and if they are still open, as this project take a lot of time in the past to become reality.
So I do not have more specs.
Anyway You can try: http://www.concordiayacht.com/

I will post some info about our Lobster for sure.

 

I've written designer Andy Pitt for more info on Doubloon 36. Let's wait...

 

I heard that they are momentarily closed, I employed some staff from them...but...
Too many big uncompleted projects. But the 36 ft it is available (around 5 million Thai Baht, for what I know)

 

This is a GRAND concept, most folks are coastal sailors , and not many boats are constructed for the rigors of an ocean passage.

BOXES are really CHEAP to move from place to place , compared with deck cargo and the special handeling that requires.

Would seem a Box Boat could easily meet all the Euro Canal size restraints for a fun cruising season or two , then be moved on to the next "adventure", at little cost.

Although special light weight boat construction would no be a shipping advantage ,
in a Box you pay for the volume , not weight .

FAST FRED

 

Yes guys, But You have to consider this as well: cheap to ship a container from US or Europe to Asia/Oceania, expensive to ship from Asia/Oceania to other western countries. Quite three time cost!!

 

Tad Design

Would this design by Tad be consider as containerable?

 

More accurate data for Far Harbour 39

Will Rogers of Container Yachts kindly sent to me more data about this boat.
As web 'gremlims' made me post an incorrect number for Motion Comfort Factor (MCR), and also with this new and more accurate data, here you have my calculated parameters again:

D/L = 101,25
SA/D = 16,48
6*HP/D = 19,2
HSPD = 8,27 Kn
CSF = 1,3 (Even nicer than before)
MCR = 33,88 (Now it looks nicer)
AVS = 136,7º (Also nicer)

6*HP/D = 19,2 means 3.2 HP per ton. Somewhat high, it should be better something like 2.5, for better fuel efficiency, in my opinion, so the engine having 32 HP instead of 40. But I do not know the meaning of this 40 HP. Continuous, Intermittent....? If real usable power is something like 85% of those 40 HP, then top propulsion power is something like 34 HP, nicer than the 40. Anyhow, due to the lightness of the boat, power needings are very low compared to heavier motorsailers (We'd go up to almost 100 HP for a 350 heavyweighter, to get the same HP/D ratio), so the difference between 32 and 40 is not so relevant.

Here data from Will (Imperial units). Comentaries inside () are mine:

Main 362
Jib 220
Sail Area (RSAT) 582
Displacement, 1/2 stores 12500 (Bob Perry ratifies this as 1/2 load displacement)
Ballast 5000
Ballast Ratio 40%
LOA 38.9
LWL 38.0
Beam 7.4
Draft 5.5
Body Draught Ft. 1.54

Calculations
SLR-Knots 1.30 8.0
SLR-Knots 1.35 8.3
SLR-Knots 1.40 8.6
Prismatic Coefficient 0.65 (good for SLR of 1.4+)

Sq Ft
Lateral Plane-Keel 15.8
Lateral Plane-Rudder 5.6
Lateral Plane-Hull 42.4
Lateral Plane-Total 64.4
Lateral Plane/RSAT 11.1%

Wetted Surface-sq. ft 245
SA/Wetted Surface 2.2
SA/Displacement (RSAT) 17
Disp/Length 102 (Very light, indeed)
Water Plane-sq ft 210
Heave Index-Lbs/ft2 60
Righting Moment-One Deg. 720
Righting Moment-Thirty Deg. 15650
Immersion-lbs/inch 1120
Center of Buoyancy 55.9%

 

I don't think so. If I remember well this boat is over 65' length and beam is higher than the 8 feet rquired.