Car Carrying Box Boat?

[captainKJ]

This one will b perfect for the canals

[hellosailor]

I wonder what the official towing capacity of an Amphicar is. It should be simple enough to make an Airstream float.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Bash, you just don't know how to dress up and party!

Allow me simply to point out that, in many languages, a "bash" is a party.

[ShadowGyrlBrice]

FAMILY YACHT FROM A LANDING CRAFT

This is kind of similar to what I had in mind. My thought was to install a tabernacled mast so that I could use wind power when possible to conserve fuel, but still take down the mast while on rivers, etc. I'm not so concerned about living space, as I plan to offload the car whenever I plan to stay more than a day or two. Then I can use the space for other purposes. When I'm underway I figure I'll be too busy to worry about not having that extra room.

[Sailmonkey]

I'd be hesitant to sail a landing craft.....much less cross the atlantic in one. Not saying it couldn't be done but..................

[Wavewacker]

Hey Gryl, you and I have similar ideas, but I need to haul a motorcycle, not a car.

When I introduced my ideas about 6 months ago, I got basically the same response....LOL

You have a big problem. A boat suitable to cross an ocean will not likely be a shaol draft suitable for rivers or beachable. Two different worlds.

The Higgins will be rather expensive to cruise in, IMO, and depending on what living standards you expect, you could have room for a bear bones cruiser, closely akin to camping or shatyboat standards.

There are several shatyboats that might be built a little longer and hold a Mini or better yet the micro mercedes thingy. But I'm not an engineer or designer.

I wanted my dual sport 650 Transalp on board. Cruisers that stay in the mainstream cruising world are accustom to renting cars, taking a taxi or hauling a folding bycycle. They usually don't get out in the remote inland rivers where you are stranded with no Avis signs around....

Catamarans are usually light crafts, especially if they are sailed, but a catamaran barge might be a solution. In my case, I have determined that I need at least 14' length for living space and that's small with an 8' beam. Using the hulls in a large cat could provide more living space, like the head and galley, maybe the berth as well, but I'm stuck on a queen sized bunk for at least two. (LOL)

Anyway, that's my thing, to address yours, we need some more info for your statement of requirements, mainly the budget.

Unless you're in mega bucks, I'd suggest you pick ocean capable or river crusing as your primary needs. To be safe off shore you need a good heavy keel for a monohull or wide beam for a multihull, both can be a problem on rivers. So, I'd suggest you pick one.

How long are you staying aboard? Liveaboard or a few weeks at most? All weather cruisng, needing heat and airconditioning or cruise for better weather?

What's the cruising budget, can you go with a pair of detriot diesels or does the budget dictate you use a small outboard and sail when you can. Must it sail? And where, besides off shore in the Atlantic, are you doing any rivers in the states and if so where? Getting into remote areas means having a greater cruising range, at least 400 miles on the lower Mississippi for example.

I'd suggest you learn to ride a motorcycle if you really need transportation in remote areas. But really in Europe, all ya need is a bicycle or moped type as all the major rivers and canals have sufficient areas to get out and you're close to something. Not like that in the states, getting 100 miles away in a national forrest....

[David_Old_Jersey]

The Landing Craft will need a crane (for the car) as unlikely to guarantee always being able to disembark the vehicle from the bow.....probably better off getting a campervan onboard - for the additional accomadation . or buy / build something like this when you arrive:-




and tow a sailing boat .

And the big plus is that as the boat has more than one hull, should be no problem crossing the Coral Sea during Cyclone season - so a jaunt accross the Atlantic during nice weather should be no problem . Some may call you an idiot if you tried that - but what do they know........

Or buy a car when you arrive in Europe - Just may have to cycle (moped?) back to it every few days.

Over the years have got a bit spoilt with Boat and land transport when visiting France, albeit no long stays for a longggg time ......but IMO not being tied to the coast really opens places up. as well as making shopping trips easier - and cheaper (not too many dock front Hypermarkets - Le Walmarts? ).

[Wavewacker]

David, I think that model features a head that doubles as a through hull fishing well, doesn't it? The modular hull design seems much safer than relying on a monohull. Is it just me, or does tha cabin design remind anyone of something else? Can't place it.....

[ShadowGyrlBrice]

My budget is pretty minimal. I'll have to use commonly available materials and, most likely, build this boat myself. That's why I have been looking at things like the Bolger Advanced Sharpies, and in particular at the AS39 which has already proven itself as an ocean crosser, but with its retracting leeboards and a draft of just over a foot is also great in shallow waters.

I would be looking at a motorcycle solution as well, saver for how I make my living. I'm a photographer and so I regularly find myself needing to move all kinds of lighting gear and other accessories of the art. Sometimes that load is pretty light, but the paying gigs usually mean I have at least one full duffel bag on top of my camera and its additional items. I probably wouldn't be able to move all that on a bike.

So I got to wondering if there is a good way to basically combine the two designs. I think it might be worth developing a little more, perhaps in some 3D renderings or a scale model.

[nwdiver]

You could buy any 3 foot draft centerboard boat and a folding bike with a trailer, you can pull two or three cases of gear and with 4 light stands and batteries easily. You do need the shallow draft for the cannels in Europe, but I think the shallowest is 1.5m so 3 foot would easily handle it. For far off gigs rent a car, in town use taxis, or buy a car when you get to Paris.

Good luck.

[captainKJ]

landing craft is not suitable for ocean crossing. I was in 6 foot seas in a 50 foot landing craft, that was one bouncy ride.

[ShadowGyrlBrice]

Originally Posted by captainKJ

landing craft is not suitable for ocean crossing. I was in 6 foot seas in a 50 foot landing craft, that was one bouncy ride.

Now that is much more useful as input. So a boat like this would almost certainly have to be shipped then.

[captainKJ]

to much money to ship about,,,,, 1000.00 per foot or more on Dock express

canal boats

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...g_id=1935&url=


as for building one from scratch,,, figure 4 years and twice the money that you think it will cost.

[ShadowGyrlBrice]

True, building is a long and expensive process for the end result, but it does carry one advantage that is completely non-negotiable in my case.

I can afford a pile of plywood and beams every month. I cannot get financing to buy a boat.

[ShadowGyrlBrice]

Hence the appeal of the Bolger designs.