Aqua-Star Watch this Space

[andyball]

[ QUOTE ]
Using a 4KW unit - yes you could boil a kettle - but just think of the drain on the batteries if you used it without the engines running.


[/ QUOTE ]


it's no problem - I do it all the time on Black Spot ( ok, no genny ) the AH lost from using a kettle is pretty trifling really & recovered even with my very modest single alternator & no fancy charging system for it.

 

[Gludy]

I have had a 3kw inverter and it has been a real asset.

It operated the demisting fan heater, the 1 kw kettle, the ahir dryer etc all underway without the need to run the 20kw gene.
This was in addition to running the four fridges/freezers on board.

You have to have aninvwerter to run fridges/freezers so why not add a bit of capacity and do the other things.

Modern aircon untis switch on in dehumidiy mode say every 4 hopurs and suck out the moisture from all over the boat dumping the water overbaord - just make sure the aircon can do that.


Also if you are going to have a sat tV make sure you buy Sky Plus units so that you can also record programmes. All the standard sat nav systen can take 4 feeds down to give you two sets of Sky plus.

 

[glenndraper]

Hi All - keep them coming I'm up to about 2.4m now /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
seriously though these are good ideas especially the fitted dehumidifier - we have a portable and it works very well indeed in the winter mths in the Med but it would be better to be fitted and I hadn't thought of that!
I'm not really up on electrics but from your suggestions I guess an inverter might be a good idea - What size though???
Paul, our reverse air is not to bad as far as noise is concerned so I'm happy with that for the heating side of things - good idea about sky plus except once we move any further east into the Med we will loose it.
Keep it up Guys /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[andyball]

a nicely designed inverter set-up can actually allow a reduction in genny size & useage. Victron, and maybe others, do ones which will sense loading & chime in to silently augment shorepower or genny capacity. so say you may have a measly 16Amp shore connection, but the inverter(s) will switch on as needed to give you more. Same with the generator. It's possible to downsize the gen to match constant loading like aircon + a bit, and let the inverters pick up the occasional loads like kettle,cooking etc.

some inverters double as beefy chargers, so's you can re-charge batterys very quickly once genny or mains power is available. agm batterys can take very high charge rates, but cost a bit more.


when motoring along, usual big alternators on big engines will replenish batterys as inverters are used.





this pdf is a bit old now (2004) but covers the ideas nicely. another one here lots more at http://www.victronenergy.com/


Mastervolt are popular too, and make a single-unit inverter up to 15KVA in 24V . http://www.mastervolt.com/en/13/systems.html mentions the "Mcalc" system calculator, which may be useful.


Hopefully, aquastar know this all inside-out; but check before accepting something that may not fit your usage.

 

[andyball]

double-glazed screens are ace - shouldn't be all that expensive, since I got them here on a cheapy boat. Huge improvement re misting up.

 

[glenndraper]

Thanks for that Andy /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[andyball]

If you are having any mains outlets by an outside bar/sink - spec the ones that are still splashproof when a plug is inserted. Gludy's boat had nice wproof ones, that err weren't when used.

 

[tico]

Consider the treadplate in engine room.... would not recommend shiny aluminium treadplate. It's lethal at sea with some diesel down, reminiscent of Torville&Dean.
Marvin might recall!

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Yes thats a good point. The aircon in my saloon is pretty noisy but it's fine in other parts of the boat. I'm convinced it's to do with the design of the vent rather than the fan itself. It's important to have a quiet aircon system in the Med as on some hot nights, peeps do leave the aircon on all night

 

[Hurricane]

Thanks Andy

My post on inverters was a bit like "throwing down the gauntlet"
I've only had bad experience with inverters.
It seems that things have moved along and there are many benefits.
Thanks for the links - lots of reading now!!

Mike

 

[andyball]

Hi Mike

if you need any advice - drop in anytime at Northney, on the way to Sparkes. Make a cup of inverter tea too. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif


come to that, drop in, advice or not.

 

[MapisM]

Back to basics

It is very common when purchasing a new boat to prepare a "wish list" of gadgets, thus I understand your request and the suggestions in the following posts.
Common as it is, it remains a mistake.
The definition of the structural specs should be the starting point, rather than the inverter or the sky box.
And in turn, this can even restrict the choice of the boat and of the builder.
If a boat is built from ground up according to CE-B specs, it would be very difficult even to have it built to CE-A, and almost impossible to higher/more strict regulations.
Personally, I wouldn't even consider a boat of that type/size below CE-A specs, even if I'd use it on a lake - though in that case it would be just a reselling value consideration, obviously.
On the other hand, if the boat should also be used for serious oceanic passages, then I'd want its specs shifted to a totally different league: steel double hull with integrated fuel tank plus separated daily tank, self righting capability, and so on.
So, what are the basic specs you want your boat to be built to?

 

[DougH]

Re: Back to basics

MapisM,

The Aqua Star is CE-A categary and all the basics are built in already.

But from your required specification it looks like you would need an RLNI lifeboat!

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Re: Back to basics

IMHO, the different categories A,B,C and D designated by the CE Recreational Craft Directive are to be taken with a very large pinch of salt as whichever category the boat is certified under is very much dependent on the interpretation of the RCD by the manufacturer and how averse to litigation he is
For example, my Ferretti is CE plated as Cat A and so are a few other Italian boats whereas AFAIK, all Fairlines, Princesses, Sunseekers etc are plated as Cat B. Is a Ferretti a more seaworthy boat than a Fairline or Princess? I don't think so. When I questioned a Ferretti dealer about this, they could'nt explain why there was this difference
What I am saying is that it is all very well agreeing with a manufacturer that a boat is designed to Cat A or whatever but, if I was a buyer, I'd want to make sure that the manufacturer was actually doing this, perhaps by asking him to submit his design calculations and specifications to a naval architect. In my experience, many small manufacturers in many industries have little knowledge of the requirements of CE marking

 

[Gludy]

Re: Back to basics

Sorry that does not make sense to me.

You choose all the things you list when you choose the type of boat. YUnless you are having a boat built to an individual design most of the paramters you mention are outside what can be speced.

A agree with the other post about a large pinch of salt with Category A etc. It does not reallt mean what it implies. The standards are very wide and open to a fiddle or two.

 

[Oen]

Re: Back to basics

...but I think we all know that faced with some rough stuff, it would be much bettter to be in an Aquastar than a Trader, although a Nelson (or to keep Mapis happy, an Arun!) would do that job best.

 

[Gludy]

Re: Back to basics

Yes but they are all A class - its has to be taken with a pinch of salt.

 

[MapisM]

Making sense (or not)...

[ QUOTE ]
Sorry that does not make sense to me...
Unless you are having a boat built to an individual design most of the paramters you mention are outside what can be speced.

[/ QUOTE ]
Well, apparently specifying a sky plus unit makes more sense to you when drawing a boat specs list?... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Believe it or not, any yard building boats like these has actually a certain range of flexibility, and all of them play with that according to one very simple criteria: they recommend the options which grant them the higher margins.
You should never forget that you're possibly buying a dream, but they're always just selling a product.
See, understanding (and negotiating!) the real tech specs requires a specific expertise. Even the longest boating experience, as such, is just not good enough.
Do you know that, costwise, making 'luxurious hand made blah blah...' furniture, can be cheaper for the builder than having just the cabin glasses built to whitstand a bit of green water?
Another example: they are suggesting fin stabs also for anchor stabilization, which is a technical nonsense nowadays.
BUT, it definitely makes a lot of business sense for them, because they surely have higher margins on those, compared to gyro stabs. Btw, I wonder who told you that gyro stabs ..."require major power and major structural design built into the boat from the outset". Maybe somebody who sells fin stabilized boats?
Anyway, if these things do not make sense to you, well, I can happily live with that.
All the best for your new boat specifications anyway.

 

[MapisM]

Re: Back to basics

Fair comment. In fact, I mentioned the CE-A as a minimum - not necessarily sufficient - requirement.
Though the reasons why your Ferretti (and some other similar boats) have the CE-A plate, well, they are not just a matter of interpretation... But I can't expand that further.
Anyway, you can can look at it in this way: regardless of the plate, your boat is surely as safe as the others which you mention when used up to sea conditions as per CE-B specs. And you would be as mad as any Princess or Fairline owner, to cruise with it in a F8+ sea. But for any damage you might have under those conditions, at least your insurance should cover, whilst theirs could raise objections... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Gludy]

Re: Making sense (or not)...

[ QUOTE ]
Well, apparently specifying a sky plus unit makes more sense to you when drawing a boat specs list?...

[/ QUOTE ]

I am not sure what planet you are on but one thing does not compete with another. A spec that includes running an extra cable down from the sat dish to a box costing a little bit more has no effect on the stability of the boat or anything else for that matter.

I am probably choosing a Marlow because of the basic seaworthiness of the boat - its ability to probably survive a hit of a container etc. That does not stop me choosing nice things to go in it nor do those nice things in anyway interfere with the important design aspects of the boat. You can have both.

In this case Glenn has chosen his boat and the thread is about discussing what options can be added ..... thats all. Its not about redesigning the entire hull.

The gyro stablisers require the forces to stabilise the boat to be transmitted through the hull and yes you should make sure the structure of the boat can take those forces.