Jeff wrote:
wrote:
Popeye: Sweetpea is calling for you. Go back to where trolls
and cartoon characters belong......
So what's wrong with my idea of building a trailerable bluewater
sailboat with diesel/water ballast ?

I just called MacGregor and found out the followings:

1. With a 50 hp engine and two 12-gallon fuel tanks the range is
about 150 miles.

2. With a 10 hp engine and two 12-gallon fuel tanks the range is
400-500 miles (at 5.5 to 6 knots)

So with a 10 hp engine and 170 gallons of fuel the range would be
over 3,000 miles.

The fuel economy is close to 20 mpg (better than many SUV's).

At 5.5 knots it would take about two weeks to cross the Atlantic
(if the weather is good :-)

So what the fuel economy if there's a headwind or even moderate seas?
What's the economy with an extra 3000 pounds of fuel and supplies?

I can call MacGregor again but don't know if they will be able to
answer these questions.

As mentioned earlier, the fuel replaces the water (or lead) ballast
in a conventional sailboat so it won't make the boat too heavy.

Also if I have a couple of watermakers and I'm good at fishing
I won't have to carry too much supplies.

If I want to build one myself it will have to be stronger and heavier
but I can make the ballast tank a little larger to hold more fuel.

How much do you think it will cost to build a 27-foot prototype
with 3 bedrooms ?