Hello from lurker

wuen · Post by **wuen** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 5:36 pm

I have been reading this pages for months if not longer. I've already manage to meet Bob in person and had very pleasant and enlightening conversation with him.
Now I would like to introduce myself to you.I'm retired and unsuccessful graphic designer and fine art photographer planing to spend the rest of my life on a Houseboat.
I have 30F 1975 Trojan as a starting point. I am going to make drastic changes to the interior. Two big Crusader 350 XL engines (already on e-bay and craigslist) will be replaced by two electric motors plus small outboard.
I can imagine a horror on some of your faces, but with some help of yours I hope this project is possible. There will be many questions from me in the near future and I beg your patience. English is my second language there fore I would like to extend my call for your patience even further.

Regards,
Wojtek

LSP · Post by **LSP** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 6:47 pm

Welcome to the forum Wojtek .... looks like you've been a member for quite sometime.

Bob Giaier · Post by **Bob Giaier** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 8:09 pm

Electric Motors? wild idea. Do you have any idea what range you might get out of electric motors? Also, I hope you provide photos and information on what your doing. This sounds interesting.

vabeach1234 · Post by **vabeach1234** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 8:16 pm

Welcome.

This sounds like a pretty interesting project. Please keep us up to date.

Have you considered using a generator instead of an outboard to provide voltage to the electric motors when you voltage drops on your battery bank? This would elminate a separate propulsion system, i.e. the outboard.

Check out. http://www.dsehybrid.com

Ken

MTP · Post by **MTP** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 8:34 pm

Are you for real.......why not buy a pontoon boat and try that out first.....good luck if you are serious

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 8:51 pm

If you plan on living on a house boat why put all that money in to a F30 ?

if you really going to power a boat with elctric motors ( or small out board ) you should really get a displacement hull . the F30 is a poor choice for this type of project IMO

But good luck with what ever you do

ready123 · Post by **ready123** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 9:44 pm

I would have gone the route of a single diesel engined Trawler...
Pretty cheap way of getting about when time is no concern.

Peter · Post by **Peter** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:06 pm

gasp...um...er...welcome...

wuen · Post by **wuen** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 2:33 pm

Thanks to all, for your advice, concern, welcomes and gasps.
I owe you some more explanation.
I intend (after exploring American North East canals) To ship this boat to Europe-5000 Km of canals in France alone.
Before I got this boat I had made some, even more curious and inexpensive designs. A 20 or 40 foot cargo container floating on two or three pontoons made of welded end to end 55 gallon drums($7.00 each), in sections that fit the container for shipment.
Another one: a cargo container sealed at the bottom with 4 mm plate (a Narrow boat version) with mounted on bow and aft also in sections fitting inside.
This 30 F Trojan has offer two in very good condition engines which will provide material money for at least one year of work. The idea is to keep me busy until hopefully some money comes my way.
There is 5 Km (3 Miles) speed restriction on canals and about 12 Km on rivers, and many places to moor and get power and slowness is the thing for me.
I'll stop here for now, thanks for your attention.
W.

ready123 · Post by **ready123** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 3:44 pm

wuen wrote:I owe you some more explanation.
I intend (after exploring American North East canals) To ship this boat to Europe-5000 Km of canals in France alone.

Now that is a plan.... some things to think about.
This Summer we met a couple on a converted Maine shrimp boat hull who have been doing exactly that for 18 yrs.... started in their mid forties.

What they planned was to buy a canal boat, in Holland in fact, and use it for the year then sell it. Of course they had so much fun they spent 9 Summers on the European canals before they sold the boat.
They would come back to their boat in Florida each winter.
How little money they spent per year was amazing untill they started to explain how to save $$!
Moving from US to Europe was $30/day food and transport included (for two) by using a cabin on the cruise lines that move from the Med to the Caribbean at start/end of cruising seasons. They planned their departures to match the cruise lines changes.

Their boat, named Shoe Box, because it looks like one, was really interesting. Flat top roof, double walled for insulation, piped to collect rain water into tanks in the hull. It was also trailerable so they would move it to the Great Lakes for the Summer and then truck it back to Florida/Bahamas for the Winter.
Now they are planning to RV around North America to see all the sights they did not get to by water.....

Moving a boat ends up being quite costly... my plan is to have one in Great Lakes and one in Florida to cover both seasons.

wuen · Post by **wuen** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:13 pm

ready123,
I am going to build simple trailer, two or three tension axles and 20' galvanize tubs. Two persons will be able take it to pieces I hope, in half a day. Once in Europe winters in the south summer in the north.
W.