Powerboat Circumnavigation Possible ?

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by cat man do

Plenty of room here for a large solar array.



Compucraft: Power Boats | Boats Online for Sale | Epoxy Over Strip Plank Cedar | Queensland (Qld) - Mackay

Built one of Col's designs, a 36foot ally motorboat, nice lines went well he gets both the Aesthetic and mechanical balance right.

'Hard Yards' looks a Queenslande'r through and through .... Nice boat.

[seamaster]

I've been reading few blogs for passage-making lately... the last 15 years. The reason is that I'm finishing the preparation to depart from Vancouver on my power vessel down south to San Diego then Mexico then the Marquesas islands then keep going west. Departure date end of August, beginning of September weather permitting.
No time limit - actually limited by budget. Low budget. Very low budget. Power boat. Sounds crazy so far?
Purchasing Northavn wasn't even an option. Too expensive. Then I found my boat. Bought it in 2004. It's been joy working on it and using it. I have touched every system. I know all intricacies - I think , or do I?
For example:

1. Bought new spare starter for the main engine
2. Installing on demand hydraulic piston pump on my main engine and 35gal hydraulic tank.
3. Bought diesel engine from old Mazda truck (Perkins engine) about 60-65HP. I did full rebuild and marinazed it (the spell checker doesn't know that word . It is coupled to a large on-demand hydraulic piston pump that will feed hydraulic motor coupled via #120 chain to the main shaft and hopefully will able to get about 5 to 6 knots in calm seas in case my main engine fails.
4. Both pumps will feed the same hydraulic system. The system will have the following sections:
   • Get home proportionally controlled forward and reverse runs from main (if transmission fails) or aux engine
   • Bow-thruster proportionally controlled (could run from either main or aux engine)
   • Active fin stabilization system (could run from either main or aux engine)
   • hydraulically driven 200Amp alternator with 3 stage external alternator (could run from either main or aux engine)
   • hydraulically driven Bauer dive compressor (could run from either main or aux engine)
   • proportional hydraulic steering control controlled by the autopilot with manual isolated 2 station steering and electrical pump to transfer to if my hydraulic system fails
5. I installed new 140A alternator for the main engine and have a 200A hydraulically driven one mentioned above as a backup of my 5KW Northern Light GenSet
6. Battery bank of 10 pairs of 220Amp/h golf cards for total of 2200Amp/hrs or usable 1100Amp/hrs
7. I just recently dissembled and cleaned the heat exchanger on the main engine - should be good for another 5 years
8. Some one gave me a 16,000btu marine air-conditioner (no one uses those here and they take valuable space) that I installed. I hope to be able to run it on Solar bank that I will describe below.
9. Installed 300gal/day 110vAC water maker that I bought from this forum. Great deal, it was new in 2006 with few hours of use. Can run it on my Genset or on the 3kW inverter.
10. Bought 6 person Plastimo Transocean life raft new in 2002 vacuum packed in 2008. I will service again in August before I go.
11. In 2012 i did major haul-out and removed rudder, propeller shaft, cutlas bearing etc. etc. BIG BUCKS. I don't want to think about it right now. All done.
12. Replaced my 5 blade prop with 4 blade larger diameter more DAR and kept the old one as spare. Great improvement at the first test, but no enough conclusive data to publish yet
13. I'm installing SSB, modem, antenna, grounding plate etc.
14. I will be building new aluminum Radar tower for all antennae etc. etc.
15. I found and purchased 1kWatt search light. The reflector diameter is 1 foot. It runs on 110v and it will cast 1 to 2 miles beam. Impressive! and cheap...relatively.
16. I need to figure out what bottom paint works well in the worm waters?
17. Should I make my fridge and freezer water cooled? now they run on 12V Danfoss BF-35 low power compressors. I have 2 fridges -bar fridge, 12cf fridge and 4cf freezer. All aircooled with forced ventilation of the compressor department.
18. I will be buying 4 X 300watt solar panels and 80A Outback solar panel MPPT smart-charge regulator. Nope just changed my mind - it will be rather be the Midnite Solar MPPT controller. It has better specs and features. I'm sucker for features. I will mount the solar panels on an aluminum A-frame over the back deck for minimal obstruction and crating comforting shadow below. I should be able to pump in the batteries about 60 amp continuously on the sunny day (maybe good enough to occasionally run the Air conditioner :0). If not, it will save me from running the generator every day. My boat is power hungry. My daily consumption is about 300Amp/hrs. but that's when kids are on board and running inverter etc. With so much solar power I will be laughing I hope.
19. I will install flopper-stopper pols for stabilization at anchor. Active fins should do the rest.
20. Need to convert my third big (500gal FRP integral) water tank to fuel, which gives me 500 extra US gallons of diesel. Thinking of buying a 200 gallons fuel bladder and start the crossing with it tided down in the cockpit. When I leave from Cabo to the Marquesas I'm hoping to have 1700 gal of fuel on board. @6.5-7.0 knts I should be able to get 2.5 miles/gal for total of about 4000 nm. Now (coastal) I cruise with 7.7-8.5knts and consume around 2 mpg according to my Floscan 9000
21. I need to sell my car to fuel up :0(
22. I need to sell my motorcycle to fuel up again :0(
23. I would hope that much fuel will get me close to Australia or New Zealand at least. Then we go from there.
24. Researched Proctor modem + SSB radio vs. satellite phone for emails and I was inclined to go the sat phone route for email and weather. It cost good money, but found a screaming deal on Icom 710SSB (my other one is good for voice only) and Pactor modem, so I'm going with the airmail.
25. I will have all kinds of tools on board including welding equipment (stainless and aluminum) etc. etc.
26. Yes I think its possible. "and if you seen the Canadian beer Kokanee commercial I will repeat the words of the ranger: "dare to dream Arnold, dare to dream!"
    
    See you out there.
    http://www.seawitch.ca

(see www.seawitch.ca)

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by seamaster

I've been reading few blogs for passage-making lately... the last 15 years. The reason is that I'm finishing the preparation to depart from Vancouver on my power vessel down south to San Diego then Mexico then the Marquesas islands then keep going west. Departure date end of August, beginning of September weather permitting.
No time limit - actually limited by budget. Low budget. Very low budget. Power boat. Sounds crazy so far?
Purchasing Northavn wasn't even an option. Too expensive. Then I found my boat. Bought it in 2004. It's been joy working on it and using it. I have touched every system. I know all intricacies - I think , or do I?
For example:

1. Bought new spare starter for the main engine
2. Installing on demand hydraulic piston pump on my main engine and 35gal hydraulic tank.
3. Bought diesel engine from old Mazda truck (Perkins engine) about 60-65HP. I did full rebuild and marinazed it (the spell checker doesn't know that word . It is coupled to a large on-demand hydraulic piston pump that will feed hydraulic motor coupled via #120 chain to the main shaft and hopefully will able to get about 5 to 6 knots in calm seas in case my main engine fails.
4. Both pumps will feed the same hydraulic system. The system will have the following sections:
   • Get home proportionally controlled forward and reverse runs from main (if transmission fails) or aux engine
   • Bow-thruster proportionally controlled (could run from either main or aux engine)
   • Active fin stabilization system (could run from either main or aux engine)
   • hydraulically driven 200Amp alternator with 3 stage external alternator (could run from either main or aux engine)
   • hydraulically driven Bauer dive compressor (could run from either main or aux engine)
   • proportional hydraulic steering control controlled by the autopilot with manual isolated 2 station steering and electrical pump to transfer to if my hydraulic system fails
5. I installed new 140A alternator for the main engine and have a 200A hydraulically driven one mentioned above as a backup of my 5KW Northern Light GenSet
6. Battery bank of 10 pairs of 220Amp/h golf cards for total of 2200Amp/hrs or usable 1100Amp/hrs
7. I just recently dissembled and cleaned the heat exchanger on the main engine - should be good for another 5 years
8. Some one gave me a 16,000btu marine air-conditioner (no one uses those here and they take valuable space) that I installed. I hope to be able to run it on Solar bank that I will describe below.
9. Installed 300gal/day 110vAC water maker that I bought from this forum. Great deal, it was new in 2006 with few hours of use. Can run it on my Genset or on the 3kW inverter.
10. Bought 6 person Plastimo Transocean life raft new in 2002 vacuum packed in 2008. I will service again in August before I go.
11. In 2012 i did major haul-out and removed rudder, propeller shaft, cutlas bearing etc. etc. BIG BUCKS. I don't want to think about it right now. All done.
12. Replaced my 5 blade prop with 4 blade larger diameter more DAR and kept the old one as spare. Great improvement at the first test, but no enough conclusive data to publish yet
13. I'm installing SSB, modem, antenna, grounding plate etc.
14. I will be building new aluminum Radar tower for all antennae etc. etc.
15. I found and purchased 1kWatt search light. The reflector diameter is 1 foot. It runs on 110v and it will cast 1 to 2 miles beam. Impressive! and cheap...relatively.
16. I need to figure out what bottom paint works well in the worm waters?
17. Should I make my fridge and freezer water cooled? now they run on 12V Danfoss BF-35 low power compressors. I have 2 fridges -bar fridge, 12cf fridge and 4cf freezer. All aircooled with forced ventilation of the compressor department.
18. I will be buying 4 X 300watt solar panels and 80A Outback solar panel MPPT smart-charge regulator. Nope just changed my mind - it will be rather be the Midnite Solar MPPT controller. It has better specs and features. I'm sucker for features. I will mount the solar panels on an aluminum A-frame over the back deck for minimal obstruction and crating comforting shadow below. I should be able to pump in the batteries about 60 amp continuously on the sunny day (maybe good enough to occasionally run the Air conditioner :0). If not, it will save me from running the generator every day. My boat is power hungry. My daily consumption is about 300Amp/hrs. but that's when kids are on board and running inverter etc. With so much solar power I will be laughing I hope.
19. I will install flopper-stopper pols for stabilization at anchor. Active fins should do the rest.
20. Need to convert my third big (500gal FRP integral) water tank to fuel, which gives me 500 extra US gallons of diesel. Thinking of buying a 200 gallons fuel bladder and start the crossing with it tided down in the cockpit. When I leave from Cabo to the Marquesas I'm hoping to have 1700 gal of fuel on board. @6.5-7.0 knts I should be able to get 2.5 miles/gal for total of about 4000 nm. Now (coastal) I cruise with 7.7-8.5knts and consume around 2 mpg according to my Floscan 9000
21. I need to sell my car to fuel up :0(
22. I need to sell my motorcycle to fuel up again :0(
23. I would hope that much fuel will get me close to Australia or New Zealand at least. Then we go from there.
24. Researched Proctor modem + SSB radio vs. satellite phone for emails and I was inclined to go the sat phone route for email and weather. It cost good money, but found a screaming deal on Icom 710SSB (my other one is good for voice only) and Pactor modem, so I'm going with the airmail.
25. I will have all kinds of tools on board including welding equipment (stainless and aluminum) etc. etc.
26. Yes I think its possible. "and if you seen the Canadian beer Kokanee commercial I will repeat the words of the ranger: "dare to dream Arnold, dare to dream!"

Now thats funny ! You almost had me until I got to the part about running a 16000btu air conditioner from a 300 watt solar panel

[BillAU]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

[/LIST] Now thats funny ! You almost had me until I got to the part about running a 16000btu air conditioner from a 300 watt solar panel

Read it again Poker, seamaster says...I will be buying 4 X 300watt solar panels That makes 1200Watts of solar panels, not 300 Watts and lets not forget his Battery bank of 10 pairs of 220Amp/h golf cards for total of 2200Amp/hrs or usable 1100Amp/hrs
He also has a genny back-up... Now you're cooking (solar) Seamaster

Bill
Australia

[seamaster]

yes the plan is for 4 times 300Watt. Unfortunately i checked today and the deal that they had on these is no longer. Now there is a deal on 250W and if the my new choice of MPPT controller will handle 1500W i might fit 6 of these. The AC is 110V @1.1kw therefore I was hoping to break even or with little power consumption during the hot sunny days. Of course that is with 60-70% duty cycle on the AC. Well I'm not sure if its going to work either but if i don't try it I will never know... question that bother me is if my 3kW inverter will have enough juice to start the compressor. I need to plumb the cooling water for the AC and I can experiment. the worst case scenario 5kW generator should be able to handle that in emergencies. Now that is funny. Help we need AC to cruise!
Ok i stand corrected - one doesn't need that stuff to go cruising with power boat. I'm just enjoying the preparation and any type of challenge. All the work I do myself. Sometimes I ask for advice. Sometimes I hear the advice and yet I do what I think is right. Then it's my decision - no one to blame but me.

[deckofficer]

Most inverters can double their rating for a 5 second surge. I've used a 4000 watt 48 volt inverter that has these specs....

30 minute 4800 watts
5 minutes 5400
30 seconds 6000
5 seconds 8000

[seamaster]

Deckofficer,

You are absolutely correct. I forgot about momentary ratings. Good hint. Thank you.
And


Just for fun i will attach few pictures of my aux engine project











And the finished product:

[reefhunter]

Originally Posted by EricGrab

Is an under 50 foot powerboat circumnavigation possible? Yes. Cost ~$300k cash, good credit. Time 2 years.

A route going around via Suez and Panama canals is about 29,000nm. At 6 knots average speed a 2 year trip is about 25% time underway. There is opportunity to stop in over 40 countries.

I cannot tell you how many sailors and other folk tell me this plan is crazy, incredulous, or even impossible. Usually because they assume boats like this do not exist. They assume all powerboats consume 45 gallons an hour and have engine reliability of a sailboat. Or that the only way to cruise is for the rest of your life to be happy. It is definitely not bargain basement cruising, but it is also well within the budget of many people who buy cruising boats and dream of traveling the world. It is an alternative that is not for everyone, but I do feel like I need to evangelize a bit that it is possible. My wife and I even started with essentially zero blue water boating experience, but it did take us 4 years to prepare. From my perspective sailing is for short fun day trips, for real passage comfort and safety on the high seas get the motor going.

--
Eric Grab
m/y Kosmos Nordhavn 43-18 Kosmos Travel Log | Kosmos is Greek for world. It is the name of our boat, and the scope of our travel ambitions.
San Diego, CA

Hi Eric - We did this trip going westward 22 yrs ago from Seattle via Hawaii, Darwin, Cape Town, Drake Passage, Galapagos, Baja and home.

We had a 50' Spencer-Rybovich single 350hp Mercedes, carrying 5800 ltrs of fuel, adding crew members at interval stops. Entire trip took 5 years and cost $180,000. Two wind gens - connected to two banks of batteries, steadying sail, Pur watermaker, Walter Keel Coolers and dry stack. No solar

Fuel wasn't a problem in San Cristobal, Galapagos - but it was very dirty and needed multiple fuel filter changes. That's the reason the locals there all use gasoil. Prices were $0.20/ltr then. Today's price is $0.66/ltr. - on the mainland Manta, the price is $0.37/ltr

26,700nm - no locks - no canals. Lots of rough water - esp from South Africa to Drake Passage - high winds even in the Summer. We fished the famed Rio Grande for January sea-run brown trout - our largest on fly was 9.5kg and largest taken that season was 15.5kg

[mako]

GREAT THREAD!! Too bad it's a few years old.

[teveau169]

What kind of external auxiliary fuel tank do any of y'all recommend. You see, I have a twin gas motor boat a 31 Mainship sedan bridge with two 100 gallon tanks. For long distance cruising away from reliable fuel stations I am contemplating acquiring an auxiliary full tank to lash to the bow. An extra 100 gallons seems about right. Have any of y'all ever had any experience with such collapsible tanks?
Thanks for any advise,
Teveau169

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by cat man do

^^^ I can taste a little bit of sick in my mouth after looking at that picture.

Just like the guy looking for a sports car when he saw the first Jeep. The guys who actually used them for thier intended purpose wouldn't trade them for a ferrari.

I think we are still a long way off from a reliable cost effective solar powered boat but if we get there, I expect to see the cruising sailboat market crater as there are a lot of people who confuse less fuel with cheaper per mile.

[seamaster]

Originally Posted by teveau169

What kind of external auxiliary fuel tank do any of y'all recommend. You see, I have a twin gas motor boat a 31 Mainship sedan bridge with two 100 gallon tanks. For long distance cruising away from reliable fuel stations I am contemplating acquiring an auxiliary full tank to lash to the bow. An extra 100 gallons seems about right. Have any of y'all ever had any experience with such collapsible tanks?
Thanks for any advise,
Teveau169

I'm not sure if adding external tanks for gasoline is such great idea. I would not do that if I were you and for obvious reasons. I'm sorry but diesel is much more officiant and safe. If there is any spill with gasoline it's a kaboom! If any spill with diesel, you just lost your fuel.
Ha, I just realized far offshore both cases might be leading to the same result: not reaching the destination

[Semper Paratus]

This is a older thread, but I just watched a Youtube last night about this, 40' Nordhavn around the world trip. Love to do that also someday, but in a little bigger Boat. LOL

[Myc]

I'm looking at a Sea Ray L650 and wondering if it's suitable. It's CE-A rated but my concern is having enough fuel.
Any thoughts? Can it be as safe as a trawler?

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Myc

I'm looking at a Sea Ray L650 and wondering if it's suitable. It's CE-A rated but my concern is having enough fuel.
Any thoughts? Can it be as safe as a trawler?

90GPH and an advertised range of 293 miles !!!
Can barely do the length of Lake Erie.