House boat for Kariba

Discussion in 'Boatbuilding' started by decadamsinzim, Jan 13, 2013.

  1. decadamsinzim
    Joined: Jan 2013
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    Location: Zimbabwe

    decadamsinzim Junior Member

    Greetings All,

    I intend to build myself a house boat over the next two years.
    I own a workshop and manufacturing company so am no stranger to aluminium and steel fabrication. I worked for a fishery on Lake Kariba when I was much younger so have a good understanding on what works and what doesn't. It's a big Dam, 140 miles long and 20 miles wide.
    Plenty of fetch for big waves. Nothing like I've seen on the ocean but big enough to send improperly designed and driven watercraft to their doom.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Kariba

    I have a basic working knowledge of hull / pontoon design and quite a lot of experience on water, I regularly use a 16' monohull on inland waters and an 18' cat on the Indian Ocean.

    I need help with the more specific aspects of the design, working out what power engines I need to attain a certain cruising speed. Working out the drag of each hull at various displacements. Best ratio of beam to length.
    Best positioning of heavy equipment and tanks for weight distribution. Propellor size and pitch, optimum engine and prop rpm, I could go on for pages I guess.

    I would really appreciate any pointers on websites or books I could read / download so this project works off the drawing board.

    I'm in Zimbabwe, Africa and we're pretty far from anywhere civilised. It's not that easy for me to just order things from Amazon unless they are e-books and the like.

    Thanks in advance

    Dave
     
  2. michael pierzga
    Joined: Dec 2008
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    Location: spain

    michael pierzga Senior Member

  3. decadamsinzim
    Joined: Jan 2013
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    Location: Zimbabwe

    decadamsinzim Junior Member

    Thanks for the feedback but what I intend to build is more along these lines.

    [​IMG]

    One of the issues with boats for Kariba is the heat. It frequently gets up to the mid 40's (Centigrade) and even at 3am the temp can still be in the mid 30's so European and American designs tend to be too closed in and therefore hot. In the interests of peace and quiet, we choose not to run generators and aircon units. So, the cooler the design, the better.

    Dave
     

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  4. michael pierzga
    Joined: Dec 2008
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    michael pierzga Senior Member

    Looks like a barge underneath ? and not for navigation.

    You should propose a length and width.

    Self contained? as in water tanks, waste tanks, fuel tanks ? These are important considerations for overall load..displacement.

    and Steel is a good material for barges.
     
  5. yipster
    Joined: Oct 2002
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    Location: netherlands

    yipster designer

    As all zimbabwans problably allready have I recall my Ernst Hamminway's house tour in key west fl. were I first learned that a big hatch in the roof improves circulation and cooling, on a cat or pontoon beter than a barge I asume. Forget 'bout an old dutch flatbottom tjalk. If stil hot pictured houseboats (that come in all sorts) often feature a waterslide. Stil have sketches and some figgers on a bigger multifloor cat. Airco, icemaker and more however are not at the beginning of the design spiral as Michael allready hinted. Get your requirements stated. When on pc i'll look that lake up, the boatshed link, sounds interesting!
     
  6. Tad
    Joined: Mar 2002
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    Location: Flattop Islands

    Tad Boat Designer

    The first step is to write out your requirements (the SOR or statement of requirements), how big, how fast, operating seastate, range, number of passengers, length of stay, budget, construction materials and methods, etc.....everything you can think of.

    Pontoons are a lot easier to build, deal with, and propel, than a barge, but they are weight sensitive. So you need to be realistic about structural and passenger loads. For instance we had a charter houseboat on a lake here that was loaded with 60 kids for a party, all went to the upper deck and were suddenly swimming. Only one drowned because they barely got away from the dock.
     
  7. Submarine Tom

    Submarine Tom Previous Member

    I remember that Tad. I believe they were in the head.

    The captain was charged, eventually.
     
  8. yipster
    Joined: Oct 2002
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    Location: netherlands

    yipster designer

    last night i was watching a re-run of the bbc topgear prog that showed an east african bird born with bald legs pieing on his legs and a car. the bird pies over his own legs all day becouse its to warm for naked legs. really!? not that the bridge better be a loo but the idea stretches, a solarcell pumping deep water hose to the upper deck radiating cool water down..

    not a pontoonboat but good powercat article from malcolm tennant on cats. looking round this forum is full of good stuff. this party cat i sketched up for a canadian guy few years back, rough cost, weight displacement, power and consumption, stability, even ( with some help ) scantling nr but plan chanced into prefabricated wall pannels on pontoons witch makes sense too but cant find these papers or links quickly now

    old ladybird motorsailer fantasy in my gallery i gave an open salonroof with transparant bathtub in it that can be hoisted as crowsnest. just thoughts, havent looked for building plans for pictured houseboat
     
  9. myark
    Joined: Oct 2012
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    myark Senior Member

    A alternative that has a draft to float in a couple of inches of water with a upmarket caravan on top that is well insulated from the heat with an all-round deck area is a Myark fold up trailer barge.
    The advantages is you can take the caravan off if a storm did arrive or travel to a shallow inland shelter and when you are not uses this house boat you can fold it up and legally transport barge on road.
    Because its ankle deep water it will float in means can be parked on a beach shore.
    With a couple of 4 stroke 15 hp out boards if one has problem you have a spare and good on gas.
    Alterative plumbing for sewage and water storage can be built into the hull.

    http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/page/3/ppuser/49990
     

    Attached Files:


  10. decadamsinzim
    Joined: Jan 2013
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    Location: Zimbabwe

    decadamsinzim Junior Member

    Yeah, it can get hot here. We find beer helps. Drink enough beer and you end up doing the same as the bird :)

    Dave
     
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