Plans to build a 40 feet plywood BARGE or PUNT.

Its possable now after i talked to a Boat Builder the size will be 8' X 30' with sides 32 "... I think i will use this boat for my own pleasure fishing.. Also i do 10 passengers and shopping,, ice in styrofaom boxes to a small island thats 10 klm each way trip..

 

You don't need a boat builder, you need a set of plans that the boat builder can work from. Again, if carrying passengers, there are many considerations that need to be addressed.

As far as capacity, you have to assume at some point the boat will be loaded with people, standing shoulder to shoulder, of course in rough seas with a contrary wind and current, plus an undersized, well worn out engine too, that tends to conk out at the height of the storm, from the leaking and contaminated fuel delivery system.

 

Google Phillippines ferry disaster and you'll get lots of hits. They made the Top Ten of worse ferry disasters in history. I don't think the OP has much concern about safety or regulations.

 

.... on one side, with their luggage. THAT will be a scary moment !

 

Hi Garthbishop,
It seems that you're being read your fortune as an operator of a ferry service on "smooth water seas" as not caring in regards to passenger safety etc.
I doubt that's the case & the Philippines is known as a maritime nation & has a regulatory authority(MARINA? http://www.marina.gov.ph/ ), do they manage small vessel construction/stability/equipment levels etc also? Would be a good starting point. That you've enquired at this forum shows a duty of care in itself but need to meet your local rules as managing the build & use of your vessel.

Jeff.

 

I do plan to carry Life Jackets,,, Built-in Boyancy,,, Proper seating arrangements.. Maybe the boat will be built with a slight "V " in the Hull design running flat in the rear half.. Engine will be car diesel (push rod valves) 2 to 2.7 liters..

 

Well, garthbishop, you obviously don't care about safety and regulations in the Philippines since you made no effort whatsoever to stop the one ferry captain from sailing into a typhoon and the other from colliding with a tanker full of gasoline. Shame on you.

Ha Ha! That's almost too stupid to be funny, but I'm just kidding!

There are regulations there, if you contacted the Coast Guard, they could direct you to the correct people.

I'm sure there are rules and regulations there. Whether they are followed or enforced, I don't know, but if they aren't, shame on you as it is all your fault! Ha!Ha! Just kidding again!

No, they are there and you can follow them even if nobody else does. If there are no regulations, there are in other countries, such as the US, and you could use those rules to build a safe vessel.

People are saying you have to build the boat assuming it will be packed with people all running around with scissors and their hair on fire while drinking gasoline. I don't think that's so, but it should be built with a safety factor above what you plan to haul around. Any boat can be overloaded no matter how much safety is designed in, it's up to the owner and captain to see the limits aren't exceeded and the boat is handled correctly.

If, in the Philippines safety is unregulated or regulations are not enforced, it's unreasonable to expect business people to build to safety standards of first world countries. You can say they should, but shouda wouda couda, they couldn't compete if they did. Here in the US, if EPA regs or safety regs weren't enforced, the US would be the same kind of shitholes that exist elsewhere, as people would gravitate to competitiveness. As it is, prices are low for a lot of things here in the States precisely because there are no regulations elsewhere and we take advantage of that.

Off hand, I'd say 8' is too narrow for being very versatile as a ferry, but since there are over 7,000 islands there, you'd have a better idea about that as there must be 1,000's of small ferries doing just about anything there is to be done. If you narrowed the available cargo space to 5' wide, that might make the 8' width feasible. I arranged two of my kitchen chairs in a 5' width and that seemed to leave plenty of aisle space for people to get by. 3' from the back of one seat to the back of another was also plenty roomy and I'm about 6'-250 lbs.

So a 5' by 18' space would seat 10 people comfortably. So then you'd have another 12' for the operator and light cargo.

Say people are 200 lbs, that's 2,200 lbs. Say another 100 lbs apiece in cargo for a total of 3,2000 lbs. On a hull 8' X 25' that would be about 3" of displacement.

I don't know how that would all add up to regulations, but it doesn't sound too bad or like an imminent disaster. Especially if it was a foot or two wider.

 

The Philippines has a very thorough set of requirements for Commercial Ferry Operations

"Philippine Merchant Marine Rules and Regulations"

"Domestic Trade – any operation of vessel within Philippine waters."

eg.
http://coastguard.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=50&Itemid=56


heres a sample of the checklist required for

"DEPARTURE INSPECTION CHECKLIST For MOTOR BANCA/ BOAT carrying Passengers and /or Cargoes"

including

"Certificate of Vessel Registry is valid"

"Coastwise/ Bay & River License is valid"

"Certificate of Compliance is valid"

6.Passenger / Cargo Ship Safety Certificate is valid

7.Minimum Safe Manning Certificate is valid

10.Passenger Insurance Cover is valid"
http://coastguard.gov.ph/images/phi...C07-12/6.FormD3MBCA_Passenger_and_Cargoes.pdf




"Knocking together" a roughly OK plywood boat for carrying commercial passengers is no more legal there than other developed countries.

 

Maybe so, but how well enforced are these regulations. I'd suspect larger merchant craft to be reasonably well covered, but a small operation, maybe on one of the out islands . . . I just see a huge potential for a future set of headlines, we've all seen too many times previously in recent years. Considering the cost of a set of plans, compared to the over all cost of a project like this, it just doesn't seem reasonable to take any other path.

 

SamSam,,,, i plan to visit ,,, http://www.andy-smith-boatworks.com/ this week and ask them about building my craft...

 

Well, they look to be plenty competent enough to build a fine boat. They should know what regulations are to be followed and responsible enough to be aware of the liabilities of building unsafe boats. It will be interesting to see how far $10,000 will go in making the boat. Good luck and keep posting the progress.

 

WHAT craft ? They are boatbuilders, with a variety of plans they build to.

The closest one might be

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Glass-Bottom-Boat-in-Alona/390856741002202

but as Sam Sam said, have you done the work of contacting the marine authorities to see if it will qualify for commercial operations, and have you found a company that will insure it ?

 

Garthbishop,

It seams you've found a boat building business that's accustomed to meeting the needs of small vessel operators in the landscape of business of the Philippines, I'm sure after your meeting that you'll be more in the picture.
I've worked with Filipino Engineers & Welder/fabricators & found their craftsmanship & ethic exemplary. I also did my apprenticeship under the tutelage of Maltese & Greek Shipwrights, one of the lessons learned was that an Island Tradesman be judged by the quality of work & a boat not returning would reflect badly, in the main people care in the way their work is used.

"Untimely" loss of life is tragic in any community, seems that the Philippines might figure highly in the "Ferry disaster" being an Island nation that's maybe to be expected?, I wonder the cause being overloading & navigational error, extreme weather? An interesting comparison might be made between road & maritime fatalities between the countries represented by posters to this thread on a per capita basis.... & adjusted for participation.

Jeff

 

Yes,,, i had a good talk with Government Marina Office here today... They do an INSPECTION of Pump Baots, Bancas,, Bankas,, any vessel that applies for Registration.. They say there are MANY OPERATORS UNREGISTERED,,, but its lack of the WATER PATROL POLICE doing their job..

 

And the decision of the vessels owner/operator,..
having the correct inspections & carrying the correct equipment & holding valid qualifications are an investment in goodwill that should enhance the operators business.

Jeff.