Hi Mark,
Beautiful work! I've been toying with the idea of converting an old pontoon boat to a "shanty boat" for some time. Something like yours but a little more enclosed. I think it would be great fun for live-aboard river and lake cruising.
My current project is an Albin 25 trawler. I've been running it on a set of eight 6V golf car batteries and a 48V Mars DC brush motor driving the single screw. I've gathered a lot of performance data over the first year's use, and I think it is going to make a great "RE" cruiser. Here's a short clip of her at "flank speed" of about 6 knots where she draws about 100 amps.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tejb3CWNP4&feature=related
She has a hard-top big enough for a 1KW solar array, which I hope to get installed this winter. Most likely I'll use 4 commercial sized panels, something like this:
http://www.wholesalesolar.com/products.folder/module-folder/sharp/sharpNU-U240F1.html
There are more efficient panels on the market, and I will weigh all the options before buying, but I'm tossing these out as an example.
I'm not a solar expert, but this looks like it could be a good setup for what you're trying to do. It should deliver around 4 to 5 kilowatt-hours per day on average, assuming mostly summer months in North America. http://www.nrel.gov/solar/ has a lot of good info on predicting solar output. Tilting towards the sun helps, but not as much as you might think, especially during summer months when you're likely to be using the boat. Mine will be mounted flat.
Here is one of the charge controllers I'm looking at:
http://www.wholesalesolar.com/products.folder/controller-folder/OutbackFlexMax60.html
Again, it's just an example of what might work for you. I'll probably use this one:
http://www.wholesalesolar.com/products.folder/inverter-folder/outbackfx3048T.html
I like it because it is a sealed unit and has a built in inverter so I can run 110V appliances. Since this is to be a long-term live-aboard cruiser I want some on-board comforts. I'll probably have a small AC/Heat Pump for climate control, and a microwave for example. Maybe even some kind of refrigeration. When I'm not under way it would be a shame to waste all that "free" solar power.
I'm skeptical of VA wind turbines. They sound good in theory, but I assume there is a reason why the vast majority of wind turbines these days have horizontal axis rotors. Seems like they would be awkward to set up and take down, and would create a lot of windage when they are up. Imagine having to scramble to get it secured in the middle of the night as a thunderstorm approaches... I think a smallish, deployable horizontal-axis one might work better. Perhaps something like this:
http://www.wholesalesolar.com/products.folder/wind-folder/airx48.html
It (or they) could be mounted on hinged masts to make raising and lowering easy, leaving the turbine hanging off the bow or stern when down. Even so, they will be somewhat cumbersome for the amount of power available. They again, they can work at night when your solar panels are sleeping, and every amp-hour helps when you have miles to cover.
My boat will also have a small, deployabe sail rig as backup propulsion. Don't know how well that would work on your setup. Strategic use of your side curtains might be helpful in this regard under certain conditions.
Anyhow, there's my $.03 worth. Good luck with your project. Sounds like a lot of fun!
Jim McMillan
--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, "Eric" <ewdysar@...> wrote:
>
> Given the 96 square feet of canopy, you could fit 16 of the solar panels suggested by James. They would have a rated capacity of 1.4kW, weigh 480 pounds without mounts (and all that weight will be up high) and cost just a litle over $3000 (without tax and shipping).
>
> An array like the one on the Loon (0.75kW) mentioned by James may be more reasonable. But they are operating the Loon as a plug in hybrid "Their eight-seat pontoon boat called The Loon is solar-electric. On overcast days, eight 6-volt batteries kept them clipping along all day at 5 knots (6 mph). At night, The Loon was plugged into standard electrical outlets at local marinas to recharge its batteries." That means that they're getting no more than 20-25% of their energy from solar in regular usage.
>
> Actually that sound like a reasonable expectation for this type of boat. The real deciding factor will be how much power that you actually use when under way and your desired speeds and range.
>
> Eric
>
> --- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, James Sizemore <james@> wrote:
> >
> > Depending on your speed and the efficiency and configuration of the solar panels you use I think you will be pleasantly surprised on how much cursing you can get done on just the solar cells. What is the square foot or dimensions of the roof space you are planning on using for solar panels?
> >
> > Some similar successful projects:
> > Watch the movie the solar shuttles are quite impressive boats: http://www.solarshuttle.org/
> >
> > But in the land of affordable, the Loon pontoon did a multi day trip on solar with a boat very similar to yours: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/12/the_loon_solar-.php
> >
> > Some inexpensive but still highly efficient panels you might want to look into:
> > http://www.sunelec.com/sun-solar-panel-90-watts-1750-vmp-p-1701.html
> >
> > Have fun and do keep us posted.
> >
> >
> >
> > On Sep 30, 2011, at 8:39 PM, lochadio wrote:
> >
> > > Hello
> > >
> > > I'm Mark, the new guy from up in North Scituate, Rhode Island.
> > >
> > > To quickly cover the personal background stuff:
> > > I studied Fine Art in college, (sculpture and photography). I never made a dime off it but it's managed to stay a big part of my life.
> > > I've been a carpenter for close to 40 years, doing mostly finish work now.
> > > I have some experience in electronics at the component level. I'm okay with "point-to-points" but I'd be in trouble if I had to read a schematic.
> > > Divorced, no kids, 1 dog and like everybody else in the construction trades ...unemployed.
> > >
> > > I'd been thinking about building a houseboat for a few years now, one that would run without fossil fuels and be essentially "off-the-grid".
> > > I hope to spend time touring the inland waterways in the US someday.
> > > I wanted to start on a prototype and did some drawings but I didn't have the space to start fabricating hulls.
> > >
> > > The original idea is here:
> > >
> > > http://solarboat.blogspot.com/
> > >
> > > There's a link to some drawings at the top of the right hand column, you should skip the text unless you've got insomnia issues.
> > >
> > > I grew up around boats, both power and sail, but this being "The Ocean State" I never had any experience with pontoon barges as they really aren't well suited for salt water.
> > > I got a close look at one for the first time a year ago and it got the wheels turning.
> > >
> > > I found a 20 foot 1989 Manitou Fish Hawk on Craigslist. The motor was blown and the furniture was toast but the pontoons and the trailer were in great shape and the price was right. I stripped it down to the trusses, replaced the deck with mahogany, added an 8' x 12' canopy for a PV array and wells large enough to hold 8 deep cycle RV/marine batteries. The plan is to turn it into a touring boat and a camper. There will be roll-down canvas panels around the canopy and the benches will turn into bunks.
> > >
> > > I haven't figured out how to transfer the files from my Flickr account to here yet, so for now...
> > > These are some shots of the early construction stages:
> > >
> > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/68066846@N04/sets/72157627783354944/
> > >
> > > This is it with some of the wiring installed:
> > >
> > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/68066846@N04/sets/72157627790086652/
> > >
> > > The construction is going well over all There's only a couple of days work left before I can get it wet.
> > > I did put in the water once to check the buoyancy and balance but I haven't run it under power yet.
> > >
> > > I need to get started on the charging systems now. With 96 square feet of canopy, I've got room for a fair size PV array. but I don't see it providing enough power. I had planned on adding vertical axis wind turbines, but all the designs I came up with ate up too much deck space.
> > > I may try and put them on outriggers if I can find a way to keep them from getting wrecked dock-side or crushed going thru locks.
> > >
> > > I've been looking into getting some power regeneration from the motors. Technically all I'd need to do would be to anchor in a strong current but I'd need a different set of props to get any real power generation and swapping out the props every night and then back in the morning sounds like a chore.
> > >
> > > Feel free to hit me up with questions, suggestions or pointers. I've got a LOT of free time these days.
> > >
> > > Looking forward to hearing from you.
> > >
> > > Mark
> > >
> > >
> >
>
