tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post7187818103748893059..comments2024-02-27T11:15:46.473-06:00Comments on Quidnon: A Safe Space for SurvivorsDmitry Orlovhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00381674543530177679noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-517124186078971082018-06-05T12:06:55.761-06:002018-06-05T12:06:55.761-06:00FYI only.
I just ran across this NC mill.., it mig...FYI only.<br />I just ran across this NC mill.., it might be an option for those in other countries or anyone making their own plywood parts. http://www.maslowcnc.com/surferDavehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06159621787709976384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-6415321185569052912017-01-03T07:59:28.349-06:002017-01-03T07:59:28.349-06:00The way to build a scale model is to start with a ...The way to build a scale model is to start with a kit milled out on an NC mill. It costs a few hundred dollars in materials, machine time and labor.Dmitry Orlovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00381674543530177679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-82110737790616046142017-01-03T03:31:58.070-06:002017-01-03T03:31:58.070-06:00Can you make available dimensions and drawings suf...Can you make available dimensions and drawings sufficient to make a scale model? <br /><br />I would like to make a scale model and try it out for myself.jirihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06492321265912069618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-86735733236167271352016-11-14T08:28:25.661-06:002016-11-14T08:28:25.661-06:00QUIDNON's deck is hailstone-proof because it&#...QUIDNON's deck is hailstone-proof because it's surfaced with aluminum diamond plate backed with fiberglass backed with 1.5" (40mm) of plywood. Solar panels would need to be turned so that they are at a right angle and take the hailstones on the hard aluminum frame rather than the glass. The rest of what's on the deck is relatively hailstone-proof. That's about as far in this direction as one can reasonably go. What do you do to protect against 100mm hailstones flying at you at 150 km/h? Nothing much!Dmitry Orlovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00381674543530177679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-19810756590082230802016-11-13T18:42:30.779-06:002016-11-13T18:42:30.779-06:00I live in Adelaide, South Australia. Historically,...I live in Adelaide, South Australia. Historically, we've had a warm to hot Mediterranean climate on the coastal plains. Our coast has two large and shallow gulfs which makes for mostly pleasant sailing. Last Friday, we had a thunderstorm event come charging in and drop 40mm diameter hailstones for around 40 minutes. Skylights, solar panels, car bodywork suffered terribly. Adelaide just isn't prepared for large hailstones. This has traditionally been an East cost phenomenon, unheard of down here. But it got me thinking, how might you hailproof Quidnon? We found a plastic bucket that had a golfball sized hole through both sides. What might such a storm do to your sails, solar panels etc?Nathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04362914354034845508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-57721731238103424972016-11-13T12:31:32.112-06:002016-11-13T12:31:32.112-06:00To find out about copper sheets on boat bottoms, s...To find out about copper sheets on boat bottoms, see http://www.triloboats.com/<br /><br />That's where I get information on it validated by plentiful experience. I've improved the process somewhat in terms of mounting technique, but haven't tested it out yet.Dmitry Orlovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00381674543530177679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-23609576938861981652016-11-13T11:35:47.852-06:002016-11-13T11:35:47.852-06:00I hear you Moon. I also have some experience with...I hear you Moon. I also have some experience with sheet copper and the powdered copper coating. I used a version of the powdered copper coating that was mixed with clear latex and used to make fake copper awnings and gutters for houses. These had to be sanded to allow for the formation of the "patina." It worked great but it didn't have near the insults that my boat's bottom receives. I have used the preformed copper (or copper plated steel) roofing panels and covered a small tool shed's roof with copper sheeting. Both required significant overlaps, and weren't getting the insults, or water pressurized by depth. How do you plan to deal with the seams? If you overlap the sheets, what will be the added drag? How thick are the sheets and how much will they cost? How about repairs? I like the design criteria of being able to go into shallow waters and to be able to easily ground the boat out of the water. How will the copper sheets fair in such usage? I have seen old wooden boats with copper sheeting on the waterline, but I have no experience with a bottom coating. On land, going around rapids or distance traveling (like a wagon), I sure would like some wheels (like a wagon). Maybe actual wagons could be made to carry the boats... I just had a vision of the boat with the full Junk rigging up, bouncing down a country lane. LOL!!!Generalyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07813716906360017516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-80256970532627679482016-11-02T14:35:11.863-06:002016-11-02T14:35:11.863-06:00Forming sheet copper onto a simple, single dimensi...Forming sheet copper onto a simple, single dimensional, curved surface will not be any more difficult than doing the same thing for the layers of plywood. I would guess that it would be a great deal easier, since real copper is very malleable, much more so than plywood; and we would be attaching the copper to an existing solid form, that hull created with numerous simple curves of plywood sheeting. I've worked with many types of sheet metal in the past, and I can say with confidence that curving it across a single dimension is actually quite easy to do, but a compound curvature requires an enormous amount of controlled force.MoonShadowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07026735575577934205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-43204707106864885672016-10-31T08:07:12.825-06:002016-10-31T08:07:12.825-06:00Hello Everybody!!!
I love this blog! For some rea...Hello Everybody!!!<br />I love this blog! For some reason my Gmail name isn't showing up, but my name is Fred Rowe, I am a 58 yo single retired Chemical Engineer and I live aboard a 1977 Morgan 49 (an el-cheapo version of the Morgan 51) in Fort Myers Beach in Florida. The boat needed (needs) a good bit of work. I am attempting to loosely follow the lifestyle of Ken Neumeyer and his great book, Sailing the Farm: A Survival Guide to Homesteading on the Ocean published back in 12/1/81. I really think he would have formed a sea steading "movement," but soon after he published the book, he hit some boat jacks in a boatyard and had major head trauma when the boat fell on his car. After being taking care of by his loving family, he recently passed away. I have some "Living Foodist" tendencies, so I really like his ideas! Genius!!! I love your stuff Dmitry Orlof and hope one day to build (or buy) one of these “Houseboats with sails”! My friends already call me a “sailing heretic” but I seem to have get along with everyone anyway as a crew member, maybe its because of my other nickname “MacGyver.”<br />Anyway, I will be soon putting the old girl on the hard and I also am looking at the epoxy and copper powder system. I first learned about it from the Sailing Uma YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfoKBL37BuA<br />Do you have any comments on this video? Or comments on the comments (1,575 at the time of this post)? My biggest question is: How will this stand up on the bottom of my keel after a few groundings?Generalyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07813716906360017516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-34993702154555862732016-10-29T13:47:19.442-06:002016-10-29T13:47:19.442-06:00Forming the copper to the curved bottom will be di...Forming the copper to the curved bottom will be difficult. I considered it for my own boat and opted for powdered copper mixed into epoxy. It is usually activated by sanding, but an anecdote I ran across indicated the commercial version works better if it is followed with steel wool (stainless).. I plan to do mine with bronze wool to totally avoid stains. It increases the copper exposure from 30% to 50%. The separate pieces of copper do not suffer from electrolysis and the coating can be 'renewed' by sanding after 10 years or so. Put on 4 coats and you will be good for life. I did. I got the powder from a place in NH. Much cheaper and the same stuff as the expensive commercial coating. Once and done.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14618492845912260148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-20487708826188288482016-10-28T07:40:27.638-06:002016-10-28T07:40:27.638-06:00Many commercial (and many now converted to live-ab...Many commercial (and many now converted to live-aboard) barges in Europe have used the condensation to the bilge technique for over 100 years.<br /><br />Quite effective.<br /><br />And weird to consider most of the bilge water being pumped overboard in winter went through your lungs at one point in the recent previous few days...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11484056791740442134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-19960239422748917582016-10-25T21:34:40.103-06:002016-10-25T21:34:40.103-06:00I'm not recommending a DC compressor based ref...I'm not recommending a DC compressor based refrigerator on a boat, just pointing out that using small scale solar photovoltics to run an absorption cycle fridge is, usually, a bad idea. The operative range aside, the modern freon compressor is more than twice as energy efficient as the absorption cycle is capable of, which permits a much smaller photovoltic array as well. The tracking problem on a boat is also no small issue. I like the idea of a *small* 3-way RV style fridge on Quidnon, myself, but most 3-way fridges are designed to run on 12 volt DC resistive heat for limited periods of time, and at a reduced heat pumping capacity. Said another way, they don't work as well on DC as they do on 120 volts AC or propane, and that is by design. DC operation is only intended as a temporary operative state between stops, at which point either propane or 120 AC is used for the majority of the vacation. The only potential problem that I can see with using a 3-way fridge is that such products are not designed to operate at more than 30 degrees from plumb for any extended period of time. In most any single-hulled boat, this could not work without a self-leveling mounting; but in Quidnon, it would be quite the blow to get her to heel to 30 degrees and keep her there for more than a few minutes, so long as the skipper wasn't in a coma (or overboard). I might still choose a 2-way electric compressor fridge for my own Quidnon, simply because I know how to work on compressor units; or add a self-leveling mounting for the 3-way, because the closer to level, the more energy efficient an aborbtion unit tends to be.MoonShadowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07026735575577934205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-21353339662321100362016-10-25T12:00:00.977-06:002016-10-25T12:00:00.977-06:00I'm very leery of adding the additional layers...I'm very leery of adding the additional layers of complexity, to gain how much efficiency? Indeed, a PV-direct fridge like a Sun Frost is very simple compared to the converter scheme you mention, which is mechanically more complex than an absorption unit. Complexity is usually our enemy when it comes to self-sufficiency.GHunghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00136462392295328093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-45051721674112926432016-10-22T18:49:22.987-06:002016-10-22T18:49:22.987-06:00Excellent. Reusing decommissioned anchor chain as ...Excellent. Reusing decommissioned anchor chain as ballast should be relatively inexpensive. Thanks, Dmitry.MoonShadowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07026735575577934205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-83456167148156649142016-10-22T15:30:22.649-06:002016-10-22T15:30:22.649-06:00I worked it out. It's going to be a fixed lock...I worked it out. It's going to be a fixed locker under the cabin sole accessed through a small hatch and filled to capacity with scrap anchor chain, which can be fed in and pulled out again hand-over-hand, no hoist needed.Dmitry Orlovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00381674543530177679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-28360040881618308972016-10-20T12:21:50.077-06:002016-10-20T12:21:50.077-06:00This makes me think of using some of those large p...This makes me think of using some of those large plastic storage containers (the kind that everyone stores winter clothes in) as a mold, with a rebar lifting eye embedded into the concrete. Add a set of those 'magic slider' furniture moving pads on the bottom of each storage container before pouring in the concrete, just to make it easier to slide the individual ballasts across flat surfaces. Removing these certainly doesn't sound like fun, but at least I know that the option would exist.MoonShadowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07026735575577934205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-18807538174184053762016-10-20T02:52:51.279-06:002016-10-20T02:52:51.279-06:00This part of the design still needs to be defined,...This part of the design still needs to be defined, but I would prefer the solid ballast to be poured in sections, each under 1 ton, so that it can be slid sideways and lifted out through the companionway using a hoist if needed. This is necessary to provide access to the bottom for repairs. It wouldn't be an easy operation, and I doubt that anybody would do it just to provide a bit of cargo space. Since this would affect stability, it would be a bad idea in any case.Dmitry Orlovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00381674543530177679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-257224776649726002016-10-19T23:41:22.688-06:002016-10-19T23:41:22.688-06:00"Since the refrigeration system is resistive ..."Since the refrigeration system is resistive rather than mechanical, it can utilise whatever output the panel can produce." <br />This is only true within the design range of the absorption cooling unit. A modern DC compressor actually has more useful operative range than an absorption fridge, being able to push the compressor at a variable speed between 11 and 28 volts input. We will begin seeing these units in normal retail fridges soon, I'm guessing in about 3 years. I have it on *very* good authority that GE Appliances is currently working on a "world voltage" refrigerator that can be powered on any AC voltage or hertz used anywhere, because it actually uses a power converter to drive just such a variable speed DC compressor. The additional power electronics required to drive one of these directly off of a PV panel is trivial, and might even be an official option.MoonShadowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07026735575577934205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-24350248766756283202016-10-19T23:30:59.499-06:002016-10-19T23:30:59.499-06:00Will this ballast be a solid slab of concrete, or ...Will this ballast be a solid slab of concrete, or could it be something removable? Say, for example, I used bags of sand with a floor access; so that, should I have the opprotunity, I could remove the sandbags and place another dense cargo in it's place. Such as bricks. Not something I expect that would happen on any regular basis, but if the opportunity arose to transport something heavy and with a trade value, I'd rather carry that around. Or would this cause other problems?MoonShadowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07026735575577934205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-46523101245642129632016-10-18T08:44:22.169-06:002016-10-18T08:44:22.169-06:00These charge controllers also have a separate prog...These charge controllers also have a separate programmable generator auto-start relay.GHunghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00136462392295328093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-72762918547276764112016-10-18T08:42:31.593-06:002016-10-18T08:42:31.593-06:00Regarding control, many solar charge controllers h...Regarding control, many solar charge controllers have programmable relays to control loads or lighting at whatever voltage setpoints you choose. I use Outback charge controllers, and utilise the relays to control all sorts of things in our off-grid home; turn things off at lower battery voltages, and especially to dump surplus PV output when voltage rises (batteries fully charged). Surplus PV output goes to heat water, run an AC/dehumidifier, pump water; all automated with voltage setpoints.GHunghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00136462392295328093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-48206162383437868632016-10-18T08:23:43.072-06:002016-10-18T08:23:43.072-06:00An RV type fridge that runs off of propane or AC c...An RV type fridge that runs off of propane or AC can be super-insulated and run off of a dedicated PV panel with a micro-inverter. Since the refrigeration system is resistive rather than mechanical, it can utilise whatever output the panel can produce. Super-insulation can be supplemented with "cold plates" that add thermal mass to the interior (perforated steel plates replace shelving). Venting the propane option may be problematic but solvable. Maybe something to play with.GHunghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00136462392295328093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-36886819785410218942016-10-17T12:29:29.423-06:002016-10-17T12:29:29.423-06:00Because active heating costs money, but using the ...Because active heating costs money, but using the natural temperature differences between the inside airspace & the hull to dehumidify the air is a well established trick that works well enough 80%+ of the time, or rather all of the time that the water is 70 degrees or less. Quidnon has a double hull, specifically to permit this process to occur in a controlled fashion, while also keeping the interior bulkheads contact dry and insulated from the hull. Since there is an air gap between the inner side of the hull and the inner bulkheads, that air gap limits the conduction of cold from the water into the living space. This might not work well in the tropics, where most pricey boats spend most of their inhabited hours, but Quidnon is designed more for the *rest* of the world. I.E. overwintering while north of latitude 30, or a summer north of 40. Of course, you could still add climate control, continuously powered ventilation or even an electric dehumidifier; but anyone who intends to live aboard this vessel will appreciate the design features that mean that these things are not required to remain comfortable most of the time.MoonShadowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07026735575577934205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-13409170131546075822016-10-16T21:56:13.426-06:002016-10-16T21:56:13.426-06:00Buildings have moved onto 24/7/365 mechanical vent...Buildings have moved onto 24/7/365 mechanical ventilation in bathrooms long ago. Seems like a good idea for a boat too. I really wish I had a range hood, tho I'm not sure how I'd mount something like that. A flue alone seems inadequate, I want a massive fan for both cooking and showering, it's something I'm still planning.<br /><br />I dunno about that idea of letting condensation run into the bilge, why not direct some heat on those windows? You could possibly direct some of th heat from the forced air system onto those windows and eliminate the condensation altogether.James Newlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11494766497014868377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334230772332433270.post-55873113084543755202016-10-16T08:01:46.908-06:002016-10-16T08:01:46.908-06:00In QUIDNON's case, there won't be any dies...In QUIDNON's case, there won't be any diesel heat because there's no diesel on board. The choices are propane, electric and solid fuel (wood, charcoal). Electric is expensive and many marinas don't allow solid fuel, so propane it has to be. Propane can also be used for refrigeration when shore power is not available. There is an active propane locker with room for two 22 lb. cylinders, and cockpit lazarettes can be fitted with propane drains.<br /><br />For getting rid of fumes from cooking and steam from showering, and also to provide flues for propane exhaust, there will be two flues, port and starboard, plugged when underway.<br /><br />The heating system will be forced air, with the air distributed through ducts in the bilge and heating the cabin soles throughout the boat. QUIDNON's wide, flat bilge that rises gradually toward the bow and the stern will provide a perfect heat distribution system.<br /><br />To get rid of excess moisture in the salon and the cabins, there is the continuous row of deadlights all around the sheer strip. These are single-glazed, and the condensation they form will trickle down to the bilge and get pumped out. The big main hatch in the salon will be double-glazed to avoid condensation and dripping.Dmitry Orlovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00381674543530177679noreply@blogger.com