Best Outboards for Displacement Craft?

Thanks, Phil.

I took it as maybe you thought it was a day charter boat that gets loaded up with 50 people.

Since it's term charters, I'll be sure to keep her well above her waterline. Many sister ships do fairly well. The designer put a pretty huge max displacement on this boat for her weight. She is designed to carry a lot for a cat, but I keep my cats on diets, usually!

 

I'd also suggest twin 30hp's high thrust as a minimum.

As a charter boat you've always got strict deadlines and you may need to motor into big seas and 30 knots of wind to get your guests home. Anything less than twin 30's won't do it.

I think you should assume your boat in charter trim weighs 8T as a minimum

Although solar panels can easily power the freezer and all boat equipment, I'd really like to know how you plan to heat water for showers. LPG water heaters aren't allowed on boats (naked flame and CO risks) and outboards don't have heat exchangers. Its always been a problem on my boats (although on non-coded boats I have cheated in the past and fitted a propane waterheater)

On my last cruising boat (outboard powered 34ft Romany) we had a solar shower. That worked well for us, as we were prepared to have showers when the water was hot rather than when we wanted them. I doubt if charterers will accept that solution.

Richard Woods of Woods Designs

www.sailingcatamarans.com

 

Thanks for popping in, Richard.

Your contributions are always appreciated.

I do everything as efficiently as I can on boats (and RVs). A Honda EU2000 (or 3000) generator will produce plenty of hot water only when needed, with minimal waste and at minimal cost.

The wife and I are content with sun showers, just as you are.

I had an LPG hot water heater on my old Catalac (Rick saw this boat) and only used it once. I turned it on and found my CO detector to be screaming. The thing seemed quite deadly to me, so I took it out of service entirely.

 

Isn't this an air cooled generator?? So I'm slightly confused as to how it makes hot water without using an electric on demand shower. Or maybe that's what you plan to use. Still not sure your charterers will want to wait until you start the generator before they can have hot water. And does a boat pressurised system work with such a shower?

BTW I chose a Yamaha generator over the Honda as it was slightly quieter and lighter

Richard Woods of Woods Designs

www.sailingcatamarans.com

 

We do it differently in the States...

We have pressurized hot water tanks here. I see many boats from Europe have on demand hot water. We use pressurized tanks that are insulated and kept warm. You can run a generator once a day to make hot water for the day. Takes less than an hour of run time to make the day's hot water. The bigger the tank, the more showers you can get out of it. You already have the water aboard in one tank. It weighs no more to move it into the hot water tank for the day.

In all honesty, no need to worry about the systems. They'll not only work, but they'll be very efficient, like the RV I built a while back. I know systems inside and out, despite the fact that I've never built a hull before this one. I always ask questions about things I don't know on forums, so you see me asking a lot about building hulls and gathering opinions about things like the outboards in this thread. You won't find me asking questions about plumbing, electrical, navigation, sailing, fixing diesels or outboards, building, purging and charging refrigerators and air conditioners, etc... All my systems are designed to be away from the dock for a month or more, since I just came back ashore to build this boat after about 10 years living at anchor. I've had my own boats breaking down for well over 20 years now. Unfortunately, this is quite a bit of experience in systems as well!

I have a Honda EU2000 right now mounted under the RV I built to live in while I build the boat. It powers my air conditioner, mostly. It's quiet as a mouse and exceptional on gasoline (petrol). It will run at full load all day long for $8 in gasoline. It never fails to start. Having used it for hundreds of hours, I am quite happy with it and will use one on my catamaran. They are wonderful generators and will do a great job of heating water. Oh, and yes... it is air cooled.

 

Have you considered these?

http://www.rinnai.us/tankless-water-heater/

 

Tankless water heaters usually require 30-50A of 220V , great when ashore hooked up to a coal fire , but far beyond a Honda 2000.

FF

 

Exactly. Even the one Hoyt links to - a propane unit - consumes too much power. Plus, Fred already knows my preference for not hauling propane tanks. I will use a fuel I have 50+ gallons of, that is available dockside. Please post from experience, folks. I've been living off grid for 10 years. I need things that work away from docks.

 

It would be great if the water cooling the outboard could transfer the heat to a water tank.

 

That can work.

Unfortunately, I will need hot water when I'm not motoring, so I'm just going to keep it KISS and design to that need.

 

If you insulate the wt well enough how long do you think you could keep engine warmed water warm enough to be of use later?

 

Hoyt, you don't motor every day.

There isn't a problem that needs a solution here.

 

As the lady once said,"Neverrr mind!"

 

What about a black holding tank topside to preheat with solar heat.

 

Now you guys are just screwing with me. Ha ha ha