60 ft catamaran for solar venture

Discussion in 'Fiberglass and Composite Boat Building' started by ian.armstrong, Aug 16, 2013.

  1. El_Guero

    El_Guero Previous Member

    OK, it sounded like the boat was dropping off power stations with batteries. Letting them charge, and going back to pick them up.

    The purpose of electric drive was not as a profit center, but as a 'we believe in green as much as you do, so buy from us.'

    For his market, it sounds doable. I do not think it would work outside of Hawaii and parts of the west coast, but if it works without more Obama dollars thrown at it, I am ok with his dream.

    But, if this is another Obamanator scheme to milk the American taxpayer out of money, I am against it.

    wayne
     
  2. nimblemotors
    Joined: Jun 2009
    Posts: 244
    Likes: 3, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 4
    Location: Sacramento

    nimblemotors Senior Member

    A catamaran is not the best solution for a load carrying ocean boat. Look at oil tankers and container ships. You will not build a boat in 2 months.
    Lease an existing boat and reduce your risk.
     
  3. ian.armstrong
    Joined: Aug 2013
    Posts: 4
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: Maui, Hawaii

    ian.armstrong New Member

    Update!

    And here is the update:

    -We are still on for 60 feet, and we have decided to keep it a catamaran because our oceanic buoys will be picked up and dropped off between the hulls of the ship.
    -Its not just me working on this vessel, its me and 15 other people.
    -Still going for fiberglass construction after a ton of research.
    -I plan on using 1/4' marine plywood with a layer of US Composites' 6oz fiberglass cloth on each side for each bulkhead. I plan on there being a total of 8 bulkheads for each hull.
    -I will be using the egg-crate method for inserting the stringers. Once the stringers are inserted, I will be covering with a layer of fiberglass for additional stability.
    -1/8' marine plywood will make the first coating, providing firm hull shape.
    -the second and third external layers will be US Composites' 18 oz e-glass.
    -With the stringers being an inch by an inch, I plan on the hull being almost an inch and a half thick. Inside between the stringers bonded to the marine plywood will be 3 layers of US Composites' 10oz e-glass. Followed by a layer of foam, then three more layers of US Composites' 10oz e-glass.

    Structural:
    -I plan on making the width of the hulls no wider than 7ft for either hull.
    -the vessel will use outboard motors. Our goal is not speed. It is efficiency. Because of this, we are debating on attaching between three to seven 30HP Aquawatt electric motors to a rack and simply lowering it into the water between the hulls. (link to motors)
    -The vessel will have at least an 80mm clearance for the water between the hulls and the bottom of the main cabin areas.
    -Energy is my company's main concentration. Hardcore energy. We not only do solar and wind, but have multiple patents for tidal and mendocino solar motors as well. Our vessel will have the capability of raising and lowering small wind turbines for wind power as well as increasing and deploying a massive network of solar panels from the sides of the ship. Panels will be able to be hooked to the deck railings all along the ship and be removed at will. The main place for storage will be in the hulls.

    Reasons for Construction
    -Reason for doing external buoys for solar energy collection is the price of deploying something in the ocean: almost nothing. The cost of the same configuration on land would be more than tenfold. On Maui we directly compete with the local power company as a "power provider". We undercut their $/KWH in every field, because to date we are in the black for company finances. Our equipment has already paid its self off.
    -Our company is paying for the construction of this vessel, no grants or government funding. We are a private company with over a hundred customers, selling over 10,500 KWH of electricity a day. The average household uses 38.35KWH a day according to the US Department of Energy.
    -With the majority of the planet covered in water, until a better method of electrical generation is devised our company prefers oceanic solar deployment.
    -I'm not here to argue about electrical generation methodology. Im here for input on boat construction methods lol.

    1) Will the hull be strong enough with the current proposed plans? Thoughts?
    2) Is there anyplace y'all generally go to for fiberglass aside from US Composites?

    Thanks Yall! :cool:
     
  4. groper
    Joined: Jun 2011
    Posts: 2,483
    Likes: 144, Points: 73, Legacy Rep: 693
    Location: australia

    groper Senior Member

    Fiberglass and plywood construction/engineering is very well understood these days - what you are proposing - structurally - is quite unusual. Its impossible to for anyone with any education in these matters, to make an informed comment which might actually be of use to you, without alot more detail pertaining to the design considertions... All you will get, is a bunch of guesses from random people. This is because thats all they are, without the required information to make calculated opinions.

    Questions;

    How did you come up with this structural arrangement? what design constraints have you based it upon?

    Have you done a detailed weight analysis?

    Will it be anything like this;
    [​IMG]
     

  5. kcraig4148@aol.
    Joined: Nov 2013
    Posts: 1
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: Daytona Beach

    kcraig4148@aol. New Member

    Venture cat

    Hey I was recently in miami florida, a 60 foot un molested cat hull with the steps on rear flat deck on top ,has a canopy un installed and sounds like what you need .It has no motors but they could be installed a t a minimum cost it was on south river road at a boat yard right by the airport. Think they were asking $42,000 with everything cheaper in miami right across street Byrd Diving could do the work they are awesome and dependable
    Call me if you need more info Kevin 386-566-2163
     
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