Integral ballast/battery

[sailingdog]

The nuclear reactor aboard is only a problem if they realize you have it... Most ports don't check for nuclear radiation, and if it is properly shielded, this isn't that much of an issue anyway.

[tdw]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Personally, I'm in favor of a small air cooled pebble-bed nuclear reactor rather than batteries... you never have to worry about recharging or running out of power...

Bushell Bombya !!

[davidpm]

I just put in one of those invisible fence deals for a dog. It required making a waterproof underground connection in the wire. The way the kit was setup is they gave you a standard wire nut. Then you took the connection with the wire nut and poked it into a small tube with a cap. The tube was filled with a gel like substance. The idea seems to be if the connection is submerged in a waterproof gel the connection would be safe.

So how about a standard battery, the sealed type, in a waterproof container, and just fill it with something. No water can get in just make sure the battery is submerged in the protective goop.

Of course the battery needs to be able to vent if overcharged. Apparently some batteries can have a remote venting tube connected.

http://www.1st-optima-batteries.com/marine_battery.asp

“Model D31M: The D31M is Optima's most powerful marine battery. Like all Optima batteries, it offers exceptionally high CCA for its size and boasts 75 amp hours of current storage for long deep-cycling run times. The D31M marine battery will not off-gas in normal operation, but for complete safety in enclosed spaces the D31M's overpressure vent will accept a remote venting tube. If you have room for the D31M, it represents the best performance/cost value on the market. It's a stellar performer in virtually any marine battery application, and its Spiralcell AGM construction makes it tough as nails. See specs & delivered price in table below.”

Gel connectors in industrial use.
http://tdworld.com/mag/power_reliable_secondary_ug/

[Sailormann]

I'd consider a diesel-electric boat.

...a lot of submarines use this propulsion system...

[Valiente]

If it was good enough for a U-boat in 1917, it's probably safe to put it in a cutter today. But diesel has to get a tad more expensive before I would consider retrofitting. Were I building more or less from scratch, like Nigel Calder is with his Malo (I guess the articles are paying for it), I would certainly do it.

[hertfordnc]

I think a boat built around this concept could work very well. Electric propulsion (which opens up a bunch great possibilities) and maybe a smalll gas or diesel genset to replenish the power? It's like electric cars. Most of us drive 25 miles or less to work and we could easily use an EV for all our daily commuting and have a larger vehicle for family trips. Likewise many people could make due with shorter motoring requirements and charging at the dock. I think the leaking & venting issues could easily be handled, especially if the boat was built around the concept.

[svindigo]

Look at the new Lagoon hybrid. If I recall correctly this is what they are doing. There are a couple of cats out there working the diesel/electric propulsion issue and have commercialized their solutions.

Ike

[bobmcgov]

Would work great for multihulls -- ability to supply reversible thrust at each outrigger. You could spin the thing around like a skidsteer.

It really is amazing how much energy is in a decent-sized battery. I can run a 1200 sqft house & 60 hr/wk woodworking biz for over four weeks on my batts with no charging inputs at all. Big table saw, sanders, planer, the whole deal. The challenge again, especially for cruisers, is how to keep those things adequately charged.

[hellosailor]

Making it practical is easy. First, you find out how big a hole you can make between each keel bolt. Then you dig out deep square holes (like for a 4x4 fencepost) down into the keel.

Next you order up 4x4 AGM batteries, two or three feet long, whatever depth your keel accomodates.

Dig out the holes, drop in the batteries, you're in business. Wiring up the cables is a trivial exercise.

Now for the bad news--a battery will weigh maybe 1/2 the amount that the lead removed weighed. So you're also going to have to place tungsten or spent uranium sabots down in the bottom of the holes, to compensate for the loss of mass above them. Or, put an external shoe on the keel.

If you could design and spec the entire keel from scratch...piece of cake.

[Alden68]

I'm sailing the lagoon 420 hybrid in BVI for a week in Feb. Ill write in with comments after the painkillers wear off

Could be the future of boating - fantastic idea!