I will try an answer your questions.
Yes, the
concept is to stay, in port etc and wait for a weather window, for motoring or sailing downwind.
I now have 2X 90 hp outboards, I can motor on one
outboard at 9 knots. With two motors I have seen 12 knots but I am still running in the motors and I need to change the props for a finer
pitch (to increase the rev's)
To get this speed with
low power (fast displacement/non planeing) It is necessary to have a very fine angle of entry at the bow which continues back to the stern, the hull shape is triangular which is not stable as a
monohull and outriggers must be added, even for motoring.
A typical bermudian sailing rig with
sails would have cost a minimum of $25,000 my Oceanic lateen rig cost $3,000. It handles like a controllable
spinnaker downwind and is very efficient because the majority of the sail area is high up where the stronger wind is.
The use of the sail is to reduce fuel costs wherever possible in suitable weather conditions.
I chose outboards instead of diesels because of the reduced weight and significant reduction in
purchase cost.
Yes I will use more fuel (I have 1,000litres of fuel
storage and a motoring range of 500 miles)
Also the outboards leave no fuel smell in the
cabin area and the props can be lifted clear of the water. I have a
draft of 30 cm or 1 ft and can be safely beached.
I have only just fitted the sail and the new motors and I am still running in the motors and playing with the sail I will give more details and photo's before long.
We plan to
cruise from
Brisbane to Cairns leaving Cairns afer the cyclone season en
route to Darwin/Indonesia/Malaysia/Phillipines and
Thailand sailing and motoring all the way.
I plan to slide it into a 40ft container in
Singapore to ship to the Mediternean. It will take about a day to dismantle and two days to put it back together. The outriggers unbolt and go underneath the main hull.
Another alternative that I have just heard about is to use the RORO ships, they are more expensive than a container but less dismantling is necessary.
Let me add one more thing.
I love cruising but to
cruise with a
women as company you have to make it comfortable.
I do not particularly wish to sail around the world (a minimum of 3 years) I want to pick certain areas that I like and stay as long as possible. Our first choice is S/E
asia. Then we want to cruise the Mediterean and then the
East coast of the
USA.
I have designed this boat specifically with that in mind.
Weather forecasting is better (buoy weather)
Don't have a schedule, and be able to do 200- 300 miles a day if necessary.
By the way, electric propulsion with
solar panels just doesn't work. Do the figures. The number of
panels needed and the battery
storage required just don't work.
Maybe a designated
diesel running a generator/electric motor will, but why bother with all the extra cost.