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 :-)

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?

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 ?

On Sat, 12 Nov 2005 04:11:05 GMT, wrote:


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

Why don't you just put an Airstream on pontoons, and a telephone pole
for a mast, and hang an outboard on the back?

Now I KNOW you're a troll.

R.

don't forget the extra weight of the fuel which will slightly degrade
fuel economy and adversely influence performance.
don't forget to add ten to 30 percent fuel reserve.
bring and EPIRB and a SATPHONE.
you will also need drinking water and food, which also adds hundreds of
pounds.

who was the japanese guy who crossed in a kayak without any power?
another guy crossed in a twelve foot boat and a ten hp outboard motor?

a man has to have a dream ...

editor
http://www.marineenginedigest.com

ed wrote:

don't forget the extra weight of the fuel which will slightly degrade
fuel economy and adversely influence performance.
don't forget to add ten to 30 percent fuel reserve.
bring and EPIRB and a SATPHONE.
you will also need drinking water and food, which also adds hundreds of
pounds.

who was the japanese guy who crossed in a kayak without any power?
another guy crossed in a twelve foot boat and a ten hp outboard motor?

a man has to have a dream ...

The thing to do is have adequate backup systems.

For example if he has the right emergency beacon thingies, maybe two
types, one for backup, and a quality floatation/life raft with attached
survival supplies, and regularly transmits his position and itinerary
during the trip, he might have some hardship and lose his boat and gear,
but he'll live, even if he is a troll.

--
Stephen

-------

For any proposition there is always some sufficiently narrow
interpretation of its terms, such that it turns out true, and
some sufficiently wide interpretation such that it turns out
false...concept stretching will refute *any* statement, and will
leave no true statement whatsoever.
-- Imre Lakatos

rhys wrote:
On Sat, 12 Nov 2005 04:11:05 GMT, wrote:

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

Why don't you just put an Airstream on pontoons, and a telephone
pole for a mast, and hang an outboard on the back?

Now I KNOW you're a troll.

I was just kidding. Actually my design has 2 walk-in staterooms
forward plus a king-sized rear berth which isn't really a bedroom.

wrote:

rhys wrote:

On Sat, 12 Nov 2005 04:11:05 GMT, wrote:


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

Why don't you just put an Airstream on pontoons, and a telephone
pole for a mast, and hang an outboard on the back?

Now I KNOW you're a troll.


I was just kidding. Actually my design has 2 walk-in staterooms
forward plus a king-sized rear berth which isn't really a bedroom.

There are plenty of built boats or ways of building boats such that as
long as you keep yourself away from shallows in heavy seas nothing the
ocean can do to you, tumble you upside down, throw you underwater or
anything else (you're lashed to your bunk below), can keep you from
bobbing back up right side up safe and sound.

I don't know if it can be done with a water and um fuel ballast boat or
not though, probably.

--
Stephen

-------

For any proposition there is always some sufficiently narrow
interpretation of its terms, such that it turns out true, and
some sufficiently wide interpretation such that it turns out
false...concept stretching will refute *any* statement, and will
leave no true statement whatsoever.
-- Imre Lakatos

"Bryan" wrote in message
...
Hey, people sail small boats across the ocean all the time. If that is
what you want to do, well by all means have at it. Don't forget to wear
your hair shirt to add to your comfort and joy while aboard.
Snip

The difference it that this guy is talking about taking a MacGregor 26. Its
not about the length. Smaller baots can do it. Its about seaworthyness.

DP

"d parker" wrote:
"Bryan" wrote:
Hey, people sail small boats across the ocean all the time.
If that is what you want to do, well by all means have at it.
Don't forget to wear your hair shirt to add to your comfort
and joy while aboard.
Snip

The difference it that this guy is talking about taking
a MacGregor 26. Its not about the length. Smaller boats
can do it. Its about seaworthiness.

Just saw the movie "The Perfect Storm" on TV again today.
So now I'm thinking about how to build a 27-foot trailerable
sailboat with 2 forward staterooms (plus aft king-sized berth)
and a diesel/water ballast that can handle this kind of storm.

I still think it's possible to do.