Container boat

THis is what Fanie is working on. The alas are hinged or pivoted, but not as above.
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/multihulls/boxy-fisher-catamaran-26429-4.html
The man is a genius!

 

He stole my idea!! I shouldn't have been talking in my dreams.
That's not bad. I still want something that would be standard shipping size.

 

Fanie went to great pains to document his build. There is a lot to be learned on that thread.

 

I agree

 

Ok Hoyt - out with it - what are you after I don't have any money...

I currently have two ideas for a folding cat - one I've made a simple model of and it may become a commercial item, have to go see a boat builder about it soon.

I've made so many changes on my own cat since I started I cannot even remember what it is I'm going to do.

Just kiddin. All trailable so will fit in a container. Hey, how about waterproof containers interconnected by beams to make up a multihull

I think there can be a lot of merit in exporting prefab boats assembled by customers, almost like kit boats, hook in here and bolt there type of thing. Give the buyer a sense of accomplishment once assembled.

What type of boat's have you in mind Gonzo, we're just assuming multihuls... ?

 

Something "Transformer' like

eg

 

Shipping Containers

At first I thought gonzo wanted to make a boat out of an old box. But if he wants a boat that ships like a box, then you should see your options.


http://www.evergreen-marine.com/tei1/jsp/TEI1_Containers.jsp

From Evergreen Marine we have a large array of options for your boat.

Please consider the fuel tank container and the 40' Flat Rack Container with Collapsible End.

If that collapsible end folded the other way it would remind me of a Higgins Boat.

 

Wow, conversion is really catching on, good to think outside the box, in this case with the boxes, several. Actually the idea seemed a little strange at first but looking at Watsons drawings i can see great potential for such a craft, deck cargo containers become their own delivery craft and once on site can be anchored or disassembled to become temp. hospitals, housing, offices, working platforms. A good commercial idea, if not already patened might be a good idea to do so.

 

Watson's idea is good. With outboards, that's a boat.

 

pros and cons

One advantage of containers is that they are designed to be bolted together, so if you plan your ship, or any structure down to 8ft by 20ft and 8ft by 40 pieces you can ship it.

Modren Marvels had a recent story about containers and the Mammoet crane that can be broken down to shipping container sizes.

Challenges: One the 40 ft container needs about 4000 kg of steel so it isn't crushed by the other boxes.

Two: The connection points at the corners of the box interfere with the smooth lines of a boat.

I like the idea of a catamaran such as Sea Shadow, which is boxy. Bolt two 40 ft long containers together to get a 16 x 40 base. Have a 36 ft long slice from each side either slide diagonally into the water, or fold over into the water. The bulky bracing stays out of the water.

Sorry I don't have any means of drawing my idea.

 

A standard 40' steel container is 3700Kg. http://www.srinternational.com/standard_containers.htm
However, since it doesn't need to be loaded as much, the bottom and sides can be lighter. I think it may be possible to build something along the lines of Watson's design at under 6 tons. Not too bad for a 50' cat.

 

http://www.containeryachts.com/

This is nice...

What is the inside measurements (metric) on a seacontainer exacly???

 

very good idea especially for transatlantic transport

 

2.33 x 2.69 metres

http://www.foreign-trade.com/reference/ocean.cfm

dont forget, you can tip the boat over slightly to get a bit more room inside

 

Getting away from the catamaran concept for a second, what if the container was hinged on the long axis down the centerline of the floor and opened 90 degrees into a barge type boat? One end could be a little "pointy" to give you a barge type bow with a removeable framework to support the corners for the mandantory container attachments.

This would give you a barge 40 ft long and about 17ft wide

Steve