Will $5/gallon gas change the next boat you buy?

[sdowney717]

People should be thicker skinned and not get riled so easily, I know I have learned that lesson.

How about a new concept in engines, a thorium laser powered engine.
Thorium is in plentiful supply enough for thousands of years and even easily mined from dredged muck from oceans.
The thorium laser heats water which then works as a standard steam engine.
And only 8 grams can take you 300,000 miles.

Laser Heating

http://www.txchnologist.com/2011/the...r-nuclear-cars

Thorium lasers: The thoroughly plausible idea for nuclear cars.
The LPS power plant, for all its whiz-bang properties, isn’t a complete departure from traditional power generation: the thorium is lased and the resulting heat flashes a fluid and creates pressurized steam inside a closed-loop system. The steam then drives a turbine that turns an electric generator.

A 250-kilowatt unit (equivalent to about 335 horsepower) weighing about 500 pounds would be small and light enough to put under the hood of a car, Stevens claims. And because a gram of thorium has the equivalent potential energy content of 7,500 gallons of gasoline, LPS calculates that using just 8 grams of thorium in the unit could power an average car for 5,000 hours, or about 300,000 miles of normal driving.

Easy mining of thorium. It is all over the earth.

http://www.ensec.org/index.php?optio...ent&Itemid=342

But would the government allow us to build it?

[Zootalaws]

Could the government stop you? It's a free country, isn't it?

Get off the conspiracy theories.

I don't pay $5 for a gallon of gas, or even close to it, so the question is moot.

At US$0.25/L I just traded up to a 4L six from a 2L diesel and am real happy with that. Now to find me a big boat motor to ruin the environment with.

[sdowney717]

"It's a free country, isn't it?"

No it is not the wild wild west anymore. Lots of people spy on and report each other (NIMBY folk) and the government control eco nazis write onerous green laws to keep anything useful from happening.

LFTR uses liquid fuel, a radioactive molten salt
Lots of benefits instead of solid fuel rods.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_...horium_reactor

Someday when the stone aged greens are gone or dead and or after the next world war. Back in the 80's I had a roommate at university who considered the caveman lifestyle to be preferred. One day I came in the room and he was chipping rocks on the floor to make spear points. He has by now probably reverted to dust or lives out in the woods in a cave hunting rodents.

[Zootalaws]

I would hazard a guess that your roommate had untreated psychological issues.

[Frosty]

Moot Zoot? Moot? what the hell does moot mean.


Muscle cars should be taxed. and all that American cubic inch rubbish.

I rented a car from Heathrow 2 weeks ago, a VW polo, brand new with 19 miles on the clock and it did over 60MPG.

It also had a self seek radio and 5 beverage holders.

PS it had 3 cylinders, I dint believe my friend till In pulled the bonnet .

Just because you can afford it does not mean you can waste it.

Bathing in Champagne is similar wastage and it is sticky round the middle bits if you don't wash with water afterwards.

[Zootalaws]

Says the man who just boasted he can burn a ton of diesel in a day...


Glass houses and stones come to mind...

I'd like to see your VW Polo manage the roads in Borneo - It may last out the warranty.

[Zootalaws]

Originally Posted by Frosty

Moot Zoot? Moot? what the hell does moot mean.

moot [moot]  
adjective
1. open to discussion or debate; debatable; doubtful: a moot point.
2. of little or no practical value or meaning; purely academic.
3. Chiefly Law . not actual; theoretical; hypothetical.

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by Zootalaws

Says the man who just boasted he can burn a ton of diesel in a day...

Ha ha thats why I dont take it out much and by the way thats a 24 hour day.

40 per hour ( the most economical 22 kts 44 foot 14 ton boat you will find) at 24 hours is 960 liters ,--- is that a ton.

[Zootalaws]

Most days are 24 hours, in my experience

1055L to a metric tonne of diesel. So you are saving!

But, my jibe still stands about glass houses and stones. I use about B$15 worth of gas a week - around 40L. If I was to run a power boat, I would guess my maximum size of engine to be around 40-65HP which would use, at moderate throttle, about a 5L/Hr.

I wonder how much continuous use I would have to run it to burn through a ton equivalent? Worked it out - 8.8 days of 24-hour continuous use.

I really don't think you are in a position to lecture me on my green credentials...

[eminence front]

Not that I know much, but I just took a 14day trip in my 22' boat with a 5.0L Mercruiser and used 220 gallons of gasoline, at a cost of $985.17 and just shy of 700nm. So I really don't know how I should reply to this post. About 3.19 mpg @ $.71 mile. I thought it was pretty cheap, as the mothership I was with, was putting on $1000 every two days and I spent under 1k round trip.

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by Zootalaws;

I really don't think you are in a position to lecture me on my green credentials...

Please quote my lecture. I commented on what Moot means and posted about an economical car I hired recently.

A post is on the entire world wide web --its not a personal e mail.

[Zootalaws]

Please quote my lecture. I commented on what Moot means and posted about an economical car I hired recently.

You mean this?

Originally Posted by Frosty

Muscle cars should be taxed. and all that American cubic inch rubbish...

Just because you can afford it does not mean you can waste it.

Bathing in Champagne is similar wastage and it is sticky round the middle bits if you don't wash with water afterwards.

Ok - was that not a lecture then? For some reason you do come across as wagging your fingers...

You go on back to your jet-setting, your 40L/hour motoring in your 1.5T fuel-laden boat and I will carry on being concerned about every litre I consume, just as I have always done. I have really good reasons for having a large-engined 4x4 - the roads I travel barely are worthy of the name 'road'. Just yesterday, in fact, my wife and I rescued two buried vehicles - one was up to the axles at both ends, the other came to it's rescue and got similarly buried. An hour later after much digging and a lot of 44 wheel spinning, we were all back on our way - try that with your 60mpg 3-cylinder VW - I'm sure it is appropriate for the M4, not so much for the trans-Borneo 'highway'. No such thing as the AA out here, mate.

Perhaps the next time you think it's your job to point out others waste and how their 'cubic inch rubbish' should be taxed, that you add up your personal fuel footprint and see how you measure up. How large is the engine in that boat of yours? Where is the engine made?

Your trip to London alone consumed more fuel than I have used this year - an hour on your boat uses my weekly fuel consumption. As I said, glass houses and stones...

And yes, it isn't an email, but you were responding to my post, weren't you? You did address me by name, so naturally, I assumed...

[Frosty]

Funny you should mention the M4 as being perfect for the little VW because that exactly where I had it.

By the way if you can find a more economical 44 foot 14 tons boat that does 22 kts at 40 per hour (bit less actually) then a good rant will be tolerated but until then your post will remain confusing as to what you are trying to say.

Oh and yes cubic inch rubbish should be taxed --I firmly believe that.

American push rod engines went out 50 years ago when the Brits were making overhead cams before the war.

[Zootalaws]

your post will remain confusing as to what you are trying to say

You were the one that decided to school me on fuel economics. After boasting about using a ton of fuel a day and flying to Europe.

I don't care how economical you think you are, you are burning 40L an hour but are lecturing me about a pushrod engine.

That's called hypocrisy, my friend.

Possibly it has something to do with the way you 'tell' people things.

I don't really give a toss what you think about pushrod engines. Try doing a cambelt repair in a tin shed in the bush with basic hand tools - if you have parts, that is. I like chain-driven OHV pushrod and cams - 250,000M before it becomes an issue means more to me than your opinion on engineering.

Just forget it - you cant see the hypocritical forest for your blustering trees.

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by Zootalaws;

I don't really give a toss what you think about pushrod engines. Try doing a cambelt repair in a tin shed in the bush with basic hand tools - if you have parts, that is. I like chain-driven OHV pushrod and cams - 250,000M before it becomes an issue means more to me than your opinion on engineering.

If your enjoy chain driven cams with overhead valves then the benefits of a belt driven over head cam will be lost on you unless your a classic car tinkerer.

Engines such as that were from the 60's any push rod engine has serious flaws but then Im sure you will already know that.

My boat for you information has 2 engines so 40 liters per hour is frugal, infact about as frugal as you can get and yes belt driven cam
as most engines have these days.