On 3/17/14, 6:40 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 3/17/2014 5:09 PM, F*O*A*D wrote:
On 3/17/14, 4:28 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 3/17/2014 4:09 PM, Wayne.B wrote:
On Mon, 17 Mar 2014 14:39:10 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

Here we go. Now I just need to find a one acre barge with grass
that I
can tow for the horses.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfyzrmjaFZ4

===

It looks like New England to Florida is about 4,000 gallons each way.
Let's hope the price of diesel doesn't get too much higher.



I hear you.

I was a little surprised at the fuel burn of the 52' Beneteau.

With two 600hp Cummins diesels it burns 27 GPH at 14 knots and 60 GPH
at 24.7 knots.

The 52' Navigator I had with two, 375 hp Volvo diesels burned 25-26 GPH
at 19 knots. It topped out at about the same (24 knots with a clean
hull) as the Beneteau but I don't remember what the burn rate was.
One of Navigator's claims to fame is a very fuel efficient hull, but
still that's quite a difference in hp.

The Beneteau must be a much heavier boat.


The 52' Beneteau has been replaced by a 50-footer with IPS drives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO9wBpzIkjw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3HFIgkxo-E


Really nice boats that take advantage of modern design developments.


I don't know much about the "Pod" drives. I recall when Volvo made a
big deal about them when they introduced their version but you don't
really hear much about them anymore.

From what I understand, the biggest advantage was being able to move
the engines back further towards the stern, freeing up more cabin space.
There are claims to better fuel economy and easier maneuvering in close
spaces. The negatives are complexity, expensive to repair and, in the
event of hitting something, the risk of tearing a big hole in the bottom
of the boat. That can happen with props and rudders also, but if a
rudder shaft starts leaking it's easier to deal with, I think.

Being a Luddite, I like conventional props and rudders. Once you learn
how to use them, maneuvering isn't a big deal, especially with twins.


I'm not a fan of pod drives for the reasons you mention. One of the
"discovery" type channels had a show on the replacement and repair of
one of the pod drives on a huge commercial ship, and the complexity of
it compared to replacing a conventional shaft or prop was just incredible.

Also, the waters in Chesapeake Bay are very thin even way offshore in
many places. Thin enough so that I found myself in a mud bank more than
once with my smaller outboard boats, and the prop churning up muck, and
I was at least a half mile offshore. Now, an inboard is going to draw
more water and be harder to dislodge, but a pod drive? That's got to be
a serious challenge.