West Coast BC cruising platform

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by Magnum Opus, Jul 28, 2017.

  1. Magnum Opus
    Joined: Nov 2015
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    Magnum Opus Junior Member

    I would like to build a boat but I don't know if its possible. I guess it would be like a big floating dock. It is not a dock but using that as a reference to the shape. I want it to sit low in the water and have very little draft. I was thinking about making a frame made out of aluminum or stainless steel. Large rectangle flat deck. I would like everything about this to have a modular concept, to be parts not a complete structure for repair purposes. Attached to the platform would be the hulls or pontoons that can be removed for cleaning or repair while still in the water. I was hoping for something with numerous hulls. Propulsion would be sail and diesel and electric drives, at least 2 of each. Drive systems will also be modular and attach to the platform. Dimensions would be about 30 feet wide by 50 feet long. I am not sure on the size, approximately that, could be longer. Would a craft like this be able to travel in the ocean?
     
  2. Richard Woods
    Joined: Jun 2006
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    Richard Woods Woods Designs

    sounds like the Kon Tiki?
     
  3. Magnum Opus
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    Magnum Opus Junior Member

    Yes! That is what is would be like exactly but a modern refined version. Thank you for showing me that.
     
  4. ondarvr
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    ondarvr Senior Member

    Multiple easily removable hulls wouldn't be hard to do, in fact most of it would fairly easy, it's just the low freeboard ocean going aspect that may create problems.
     
  5. Magnum Opus
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    Magnum Opus Junior Member

    What I am after is a pleasure cruiser that can turn into a working platform. I work as an electromechanical technician, before I was a welder and carpenter. The idea is to have my tools and gear on board and work on the platform. I was thinking about having a dual functioning mast. It would be able to also function as a crane. I would only work on things in fairly calm water, such as pulling one of the hulls on deck. The hull shapes I need to look into. I wish the hulls could be segmented. instead of having a long 50 foot hull it would be let say 15 sections. That way you can just take a section out. I was at the lake the other day looking at the docks. They use these polyethylene rectangular floats. I thought what if you line these up one behind the other and shape the front and the back ones. The shape would be like a long 50 foot hull. Possibly even shape all of them so it would work. Maybe get them made so they have fins that would reach over to the next one. I like this idea because if you hit rocks or ice then it will be able to absorb the impacts and if it does rip open or something then only some sections will be replaced instead of the whole hull.
     
  6. ondarvr
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    ondarvr Senior Member

    Any design is possible, you can make them 1' segments that interlock and slide in and out of place, it just depends on how much money you want to spend doing it.
     
  7. Mr Efficiency
    Joined: Oct 2010
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    Sounds like you need a steel barge. Keep it simple, going off on tangents that only add complications is rarely rewarding.
     
  8. Magnum Opus
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    Magnum Opus Junior Member

    I need some redundancy in this craft. Multiple hulls makes me feel safer in case something ever happens. That way I can still float around somewhere and make repairs instead of pulling this thing out of the water which would be a nightmare.
     
  9. Magnum Opus
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    Magnum Opus Junior Member

    What would it cost approximately to get engineered plans for a deck that can hold up to traveling in the ocean?
     
  10. ondarvr
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    ondarvr Senior Member

    What's your budget, or at least a range, as it sounds like a very pricy project. An industrial barge could probably be found for a comparatively low price and do about 90% of what you want.
     
  11. Magnum Opus
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    Magnum Opus Junior Member

    200,000 for materials. I can do everything myself. I just need the plans for the deck. Not sure what to do about the hulls yet. A barge is way to big. They sit really high off the water. I don't want to carry anything to big. It's just for small things, at most one of the hulls. I want the area more to walk around on or for my dogs to run around. If I want to work on something then the space is there.
     
  12. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    Barges are as big/small as you want them to be. They don't need to be any lower to, or higher off the water, than practical considerations dictate.
     
  13. JSL
    Joined: Nov 2012
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    JSL Senior Member

    You have had some good advice.
    What you describe -(a barge cobbled together with bits and pieces) could be a management & maintenance nightmare. It sounds somewhat like a boathouse (boat storage shed) and they are not 'seaworthy' nor required to be. Your first 'rough' weather you could spend weeks retrieving all the bits & pieces. If you want a modular 'ship', check out the Bailey Bridge pontoons of WW2 but even they might have trouble in Georgia Strait if 'choppy'.
    Some years ago I had a client in a similar situation - he needed a barge for inland and coastal work to carry his debris retrieval equipment. Poking around he found a scrap yard with some slightly damaged steel hatch covers from a bulk carrier. From what I recall they were about 60' x 20' x 3' so he took 4 of them and made up 2 pontoons. Worked great!
     

  14. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    Putting $ 200k of materials, and vast amounts of labour into something that would have very limited saleability ( you always have to consider that aspect), sounds like bad business to me. People don't want orphan boats, by and large.
     
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