Speed?

[duluthboats]

Well I think it’s time for the 2nd poll on speed. The group seems to have dwindled; I’m sure, because Option 1 isn’t the boat many had in mind. With each poll there is less response, and I’m at a loss to change that. We need to choose a speed range then concentrate on making it workable. Are there any requests concerning the poll?
Gary

[Polarity]

...Seems to me that the decision has already been made.

Lots of us liked the challenge of making it go fast and still be seaworthy but I think maybe the target was set a little too high to balance the other requirements.

So I would suggest that we say this boat is going to be :

Speedy

1. Max speed 25 - 28 knots
2.Max Cruise 20 - 22
3. able to maintain planing down to 12 knots and economical to operate throughout its speed range

Later we could give consideration to the GTi Expre$$ version.

Lets not include the trailer, and truck in the 50 K (US$) as they could be borrowed as needed and may well be owned already.

Unless there is major objections to the above we know: how much, how long, how fast, what usage (not cast in stone but..), how she will be built and that she has trailerable restrictions..... (phew!) can I suggest we move on to what to make it out of , and possible some other construction issues...

I think possible either a mono or a cat could be made to fit so that could be left open....

Speak now (a few days..) or forever hold your peace....

Paul (...back and bossy again)

[Polarity]

http://boatdesign.net/forums/showthr...=&threadid=456

Bags of room, almost the right length, up the cruise a little, hide the outboards, well ... inboard. Fiberglass "planked" hull, aluminium or ply cabins, mast for a riding sail... Hell of a sketch 8!

Paul

[Willallison]

Me thinks you may be right Gary. Unfortunately, I guess that each of us has a particular boat - or type of boat - in mind and so as the boat moves farther away from their (our) own objectives people lose their motivation to be involved. The reality is of course that unless we each design our own boat, anything we come up with must be a compromise and an amalgamation of ideas. Like you, I'm at a loss for any suggestions as to how to keep the multitude involved..........

So, I guess we can do little but press on and hope that as O-1 takes shape more people will become interested and join in the fun - On with the poll!

[Jeff]

Does everyone here already subscribe to Professional Boatbuilder?

I discovered the most recent issue contains a fantastic article by Steve D’Antonio “An Unusual Repower” (on pp. 82 – 94 on the June/July 2002 Issue) which is both interesting in its own right and also relevant to the project at hand.

Steve D’Antonio writes about Zimmerman Marine’s conversion of a 40’ cruiser, initially designed by Craig Walters, from an electric powered displacement hull to diesel powered semi-planing hull. At first as I scanned the photos, the shear difficulty and expense of this struck me, as Steve writes it did him when first approached. Then when reading the article, the second thing which struck me was that as an electric “glideboat” with a displacement hull, the boat was not a failure. It was a nice, quiet, efficient 6 knot cruiser. But Craig Watlers found there simply wasn’t a market for it, and thus the decision to “recycle” the boat into a semi-planing 21 knot cruiser.

It’s a good read and an interesting project to look at; a bit sad to see the initial concept had to be recycled because there was no demand for it in the present-day, but at the same time the end product came out unbelievably well too. Like Gary and Will, I have been a little disappointed that not many new people seem to be joining our project as it progresses. But as I read the article this morning I couldn’t help but think that there is value in what has been built up to this point in the discussion: all the thinking about what needs the project should fulfill and which are not realistic and the trade-offs involved – and in reassessing if it is feasible, sellable, buildable, maintainable and operable on a realistic budget as we continue to focus in. These reality checks and compromises and the complexities which are built in with each decision will result in a project which has value and a place in the real world.

[Jeff]

Origial electric-powered displacement hull:

[Jeff]

Conversion in Progress:

[Jeff]

The "same" boat as a diesel powered semi-planing hull:

[Jeff]

And if anyone reading this is looking for a magazine to subscribe to who doesn't already have a subscription to Professional Boatbuilder, I would highly recommend it.

For a subscription form, see their web site at http://www.proboat.com

[tom28571]

I read this article with a lot of interest too. I think that this boat both before and after the conversion makes a very nice cruiser. There are some real limitations to electric power though. I suspect that, between the lines, these limitations may well have driven the modification even without the difficulty of selling the boat.

The final result is a beautiful cruiser that should be a peasure to own. Too rich for me but I can admire it anyway.

[Portager]

I agree that the at each decision point we digress from each members ideal boat and the group/interest gets smaller. OTOH there is not shortage of lurkers. I think to maximize participation, we need to keep the design in the main stream of interest and expand its applications. Another thing that might help increase interest is to incorporate some unique feature or aspect such as a broadly applicable construction technique or design features to reduce cost, maxi-trailerable, ... Low cost is always a big seller. I think this is one area where the trailerable boats benefit since they reduce the cost of ownership.

My personal vote on speed would be to have a semi-displacement design with high/low power options. The low power option would operate at displacement speed (i.e. 6 to 9 knots) and the high power option would provide the ability to plain and cruise at 16 to 24 knots. I think this approach allows the design to meet more needs and maximizes interest

That's my 2¢.

Cheers;
Mike Schooley

[duluthboats]

I'll go with Paul on this one. Let's do the econo version then go for the GTi.
Gary

[Willallison]

Hey - it's all fun to me! I'll go with whatever the group decides......then I'll go back to being my usual opinionated self
Time to put some options up for the vote then - or do we just accept Pauls suggestion (basically the "speedy" option as opposed to the "very speedy" option from our lost poll) ?
Though If we are to consider a GTi version after, then we should take this into consideration from the start....

[Nomad]

I'm with will..................(***wispers***but the faster the better)

[Peter_T]

The photo of the existing boat framed for an external hull in a double skin construction by conversion. A good survival way to add protection from bottom and side collision or leakage. Are you intended to seal the void with foam.

One question remains. Can the boat support the extra shell weight. The new boat should take a deeper draft viewing as a bottom extension.

Peter