Starting with a crazy dream...

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by Oneday Sailor, Apr 18, 2009.

  1. JohnTT
    Joined: Feb 2009
    Posts: 11
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    Location: Atlantic

    JohnTT Junior Member

    Refrigeration will actually be one of your smaller challenges. 6-7" of insulation and a modern compressor can make the ice cream too hard to spoon. Most people use battery driven systems with a quiet and energy efficient danfoss compressor. Often with a combination of electricity sources - solar, engine driven alternator and maybe a little Honda gasoline driven generator for in harbor.

    While I'm in the "go for it" group, I don't see in your post that your dream is to design a new kind of boat. Your dream seems to be to cruise the world. If so, the quickest, cheapest, and safest way to do that is to buy a high quality older blue-water fiberglass boat in need of work and spend 3-5 years fixing it up. This is a reasonable goal for one man with occasional help from a friend. Building a boat from scratch alone is usually a decades undertaking.

    There are many boats that would fit your needs. If I could mention one that I know, it's the Shannon 28. Very easy to single hand. Many have gone around the world (some several times). Built like tanks. Plenty of room for a good fridge,etc. Easy to refit (you can get the tanks and engines out without a chainsaw). The builder's still in business for advice.

    Sorry for the thread drift. There are any number of great old boats out there that deserve a good owner who will fix them up and take them farther than a marina slip.

    John
     
  2. Oneday Sailor
    Joined: Apr 2009
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    Location: Louisiana

    Oneday Sailor Junior Member

    Thanks for the fridge info, I am hoping the next several years will have some more advances in piezoelectric technology that will actually allow this to happen without a compressor.
    The idea of building the boat is fairly new compared to the idea of just retiring to live on a boat and travel the world, but doesn't it sound romantic. Probably to much work in the end but it sure would make the ride a LOT more meaningful.
    As far as boat design goes, well there are plenty of good proven designs out there that I can use, and since I am not an engineer in that field, I'll just choose one of them.
     
  3. JULIA DREAM
    Joined: Apr 2009
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    Location: milky way

    JULIA DREAM New Member

    Do NOT be detered by the nay sayers round these parts! One 130 watt solar panel keeps my fridge going full time (get Danfoss compressor). Feel free to use galvanized wire etc. THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX! "well, if everyone is using stainless it must be the best" No, people are L A Z Y and with a little dressing no and then galvanized wire holds up as long and is WAYYYY cheaper! This is just one example of how one CAN go cruising cheap. 30 ft is not to small as many folks went round in boats this size. I persoanly am building a 32 ft open deck cat. Speed is safety!...and, my cat cannot sink!...well, if a wale broaches on her...(below waterline filled with mpty milk jugs and foam (just foam to expensinve) Many ways to go cheap.... GO! Two boats going round good hope got hit in storm...44 foot steel cutter went over and man abandoned wereas 28ft kept going. Size doen not matter as much as some would have you think! Look up the Satorie...boat was in movie perfect storm and it really existed...was found washed up on beach tottally intact. Just because some are aflicted with I gotta buy it all before I go; dont ketch this disease! CHeers! Read Twenty small sailboats to take you anywhere if you do not want to build your own...Cat is faster so you have better weather windows and can move around storms etc better. GO!
     
  4. Fanie
    Joined: Oct 2007
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    Location: Colonial "Sick Africa"

    Fanie Fanie

    He he Oneday, after Julia's post I wouldn't DARE to buy a boat :D

    Well, better get cracking...
     
  5. capt vimes
    Joined: Apr 2009
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    Location: Austria

    capt vimes Senior Member

    jonTT and julia mentionend some ideas to come by your refrigeration issue..

    solarpanels are good but need sun - direct sunlight.
    clouds, the shadows of the rigg, sails are dimming their output consiberably down to 10% and less. they do not work at nights....
    it is a very good option to get most of your power-requirements on a sunny day.

    back it up with windgenerators... if its cloudy and the panels are almost useless - it is most of the times windy...
    they give you 0 power when running downwinds though and who is anchoring in a windy bay? :p

    an altogheter differnet approach:
    diesel-electric-propulsion.
    the diesel is working at a very efficient rate and thus diesel-consumption is reduced. this generator gives you a much better power output than a generator driven by your main-propulsion-engine would ever give you.
    the frige is running on batteries - the batteries are loaded regularly by the generator without your attendance. modern electronics do that for you.
    maintenance:
    less wear on the diesel engine because it runs with optimized load and revs, thus less maintenance.
    electric motors - no mainteneance at all for decades!
    the automated and thus optimized charging of the batteries prolong their lifespan by a not to be neglected margin as well.

    this togehter with alternativ, renewable sources and you could have icecream all day long with just a little bit of fuel.
     

  6. Landlubber
    Joined: Jun 2007
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    Location: Brisbane

    Landlubber Senior Member

    Hey OneDay,

    Well before you get all over excited and rush off building, certainly spend at least a year at a local sialing club, they are always looking for crew, so be honest with them, tell them your story and I am sure someone will take you on.

    This way you can at least get some experience, learn from the fellas, and even decide how you feel about it then.

    Hopefully you will still like the idea, but PLEASE, don't start building or restoring anything untill you have had your ears wet.

    Be prepared, it is adictive, and the best thing that you will ever do.
     
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