spaffmonkey
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It was built by sea otter who only built about 300 boats before going bust due to aluminium prices making them to expensive to build.
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It was built by sea otter who only built about 300 boats before going bust due to aluminium prices making them to expensive to build.
normspanners
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Not in the cut no BUT in rivers as some boats do spend time (also some rivers are used to interconnect canals) you can sometimes have to fight flow, so that is why we went hydrostatic because to do electrically was a bit of a tall order, we did think forklift type battery bank then it would be a hybrid of sorts Totally silent for most of the time!
but because of the river scenario, we decide on hydrostatic then the engine would be at the front rubber mounted the drive is a tiny hyd motor easy to hide and then the engine be at 1000 ish most of the time to suit genny, which was going to be driven by a step up belt to 1700 ish then variable flux magnet drive to keep the genny at steady 1500, engine would be at constant rpm and 60 ft away from the people, washing machine run and battery charging done when engine was running when cruising etc and the heating from the engine when / if running otherwise an double wood burner auger for cooking. As said water circulation by compressed air driven pump totally reusable energy as it would take ten minutes of run time to charge the tanks with air that would then run the central heating all night and the batteries could also be charging. It is all about trying to get the engine to multi task and run for as short a time as poss. That is why we went large old style 4 cyl with HUGE FLYWHEEL masses of torque at 1000. at that speed it uses hardly any fuel and is quiet.
t.
He fancies ply with concrete ballast. I would go steel. He rejected ferro cement as too much work to build the armature and not best suited to flat panels. The comments about Windboats are correct, they built many ferro hulls and there are planty of really big barges left over from the wars still about. I think that some of the Mulbery(sp) Harbour elements were ferro.
The boats that were the outer ring for the Mulberry harbour's were in fact ferro, the story goes that the Navy were very miffed that the actually floating pontoons were designed by the Army, so they made sure they contributed to it hence the outer protection, I believe there is at least one on the beach, it was shown many times when they were celebrating D Day anniversary couple of years ago.
He fancies ply with concrete ballast. I would go steel. He rejected ferro cement as too much work to build the armature and not best suited to flat panels. The comments about Windboats are correct, they built many ferro hulls and there are planty of really big barges left over from the wars still about. I think that some of the Mulbery(sp) Harbour elements were ferro.
The boats that were the outer ring for the Mulberry harbour's were in fact ferro, the story goes that the Navy were very miffed that the actually floating pontoons were designed by the Army, so they made sure they contributed to it hence the outer protection, I believe there is at least one on the beach, it was shown many times when they were celebrating D Day anniversary couple of years ago.
Yes we are on the lee, surprised you mention the Belgium Police were being tough I had assumed it was French ports that were causing issues, have heard about several narrow boats that have been taken over on lorries or actually sailed over, arrived in port and the tanks have been found to have red diesel (because over here they can) and they have been fined, with bills to remove all trace.
Done a quick google and yes its Belgium never to old to learn, and it was as above but in Belgium ports.
What length of boat? trouble with Sea Otter was they tried to go to big, they did a boat that with trailer and boat went to 4ton, at the time you could drive that on the car licence as long as the tow vehicle had hydrolic brakes (?) but not over run type. But off course change in the Driving licence must have stopped that. They made a nice ali wide beam, but they were very expensive, but a very clever idea, ballast tanks that filled up once in the water etc.
spaffmonkey
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Mine is one of the 26ft trailerable one's . Very well designed in some ways but not in others.
maz0
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Any of you got any advice for someone who's dying to try this? I've heard of people hiring them for the weekend, but surely there has to be some training or handling experience first? I wouldn't feel comfortable just jumping in one and accidentally battering ramming some poor bloke.
Wendelspanswick
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It's not too difficult once you've bounced off the bank a few times...
Tiller left and the boat turns right when going forward.
You need momentum to turn.
There is a delay between the control input and the action.
If it all goes pear shaped open another bottle of beer!
addjunkie
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There are also no brakes, so you need to learn an element of timing. And when to put motor astern to actually stop.
You will also quickly learn depending on engine fitment which way the stern slowly moves due to propellor rotational direction. Its called prop wash, and the experiened boat drivers learn to use it.
There are also a few tricks to learn regarding getting in and out of tight parking spots, using ropes called springs.
Note....any boat driver who says they have never made a pigs ear of mooring / manouvering is lieing!
Watching mooring adventures can be a great spectator sport on the canals, norfolk boards, or any other busy boating spot, best Ive ever seen was greek island, where some chap from Germany used every swear word in both English and German as he took out the anchor lines of 6 yachts, all lying stern too, totally reliant on the anchor to keep them of the quay wall. ( thing intertwined sphagetti with a big hook on the end)
KemppiFrog
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Absolutely! I have been sailing since I could walk and it a great spectator sport, especialy when rented ones are involved
. The first time it gets a groan, the second a sympathetic smile, after that, people are selling tickets to watch
. I can remember a few ones that I got wrong..... but luckily no damage and not many watchers.Talking of Greece, was topping up with ouzo and talking to the Sunsail rep (we had rented one of their Benateau 46s) when he looked seawards and remarked 'Oh, another one' One of their flotilla boats was heading for the quay at a great rate with the girl on the fordeck with a mooring line. The bloke at the helm shoves it in reverse far too late to slow down and they hit the stonework quite hard. She did a forward summersalt onto the quay, but was Ok apart from the odd scrape. Both were quite pizzed. I had a look at the bow and there was not a lot of damage and quite clearly, they weren't the first.
slim_boy_fat
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Drains
Yeah, nah.
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I used to drive a couple of open Cheverton boats and others on the Firth of Forth. The best bit was coming into the middle pier at Granton at a rate of knots, turning sharp to starboard at the last minute and throwing the gearbox into reverse, sliding the boat sideways to a perfect gentle kiss on the stonework.
slim_boy_fat
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addjunkie
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On a good day! On a bad day it may be very expensive
Drains
Yeah, nah.
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Fenders are for when you get it wrong, but having passengers meant there was little room for error!
Actually, coming to the pier like that was the right way - it's all in the speed and the timing, and of course very wind dependent. With an onshore wind you could leave a space and come to a stop and the wind blows the boat in, but with an offshore wind, do that and you get blown further away. You need to kiss the pier so someone can safely jump ashore with a line. Boats don't like half measures - you have to make a decision and go for it, but you also need to know what you're doing. I did a lot of practice.
Morrisman
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Not exactly concrete though guys. Ferro cement. It is more like render applied onto wire lathe from both sides .........by plasterers
When I worked in a sailing boat yard in Singapore we had a round world sailor come in to do maintenance etc. His 50 foot sailing yacht was cement. He had sailed from South Africa across to Asia, down to Oz, NZ, and back up to Hong Kong, then down to Singapore. No problems with the hull.
500e
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Watching Punting on the Cam can be quite entertaining, pole in mud, top of pole on bridge to mention a couple, Sunday afternoons sport, I wont mention the time I was the connection between our Dufor & the mooring boy, forgot the quick link & line 
there I was holding ring, feet wrapped around stanchion & on my own what do I do 34 footer 6 Knot ebb
Everything was going well till then.
there I was holding ring, feet wrapped around stanchion & on my own what do I do 34 footer 6 Knot ebb Everything was going well till then. 