Eco Powerboat (can there be such a thing)

[Chris]

Saw mention of this up on another site. I can't figure out whether the boat has been built yet from the website however it looks like a beast !

Linley Swan GP - The world

[Channel Ribs]

Made from natural resins and bamboo, nice.

[Paul Cannell]

2400hp

[Alan Priddy]

Yes www.circumnavigationrecord.com 95% recyclable aluminium using 50% less fuel than conventonal boats. I am always "wary" of Eco things. The owners of the projects never add to their figures the planning and building carbon costs to get to the stage that their product is Eco friendly. Alan P

[Cookee]

Originally Posted by Channel Ribs

Made from natural resins and bamboo, nice.

I think you'll find some of those products will be used in the building of the boat - they are also Carbon Positive - in other words they are paying a fiver more than Carbon Neutral!

Not built yet but they are aiming for Cowes Monte Carlo in 2013.

[TomLinley]

Originally Posted by Alan Priddy

Yes www.circumnavigationrecord.com 95% recyclable aluminium using 50% less fuel than conventonal boats. I am always "wary" of Eco things. The owners of the projects never add to their figures the planning and building carbon costs to get to the stage that their product is Eco friendly. Alan P

Hi Alan, Hope your well and exciting to see your project moving forward!

We offset our complete carbon footprint, both in the production of the boat and the complete running of the team (trucks, unit, support cars, mould production etc etc) We use a offsetting firm and they calculate our footprint, we then offset 50% more than we use.

We are working with a leading university and a Formula 1 facility to produce as much as we can in an eco and green way. A large proportion of the boat will be built out of Porscher Greenlite, a natural fibre composite. We are also using eco based poxy resins where we can too. The F1 facility is also working on new exhaust systems etc to help collect carbon and lower the CO2 out of the engine. We also are using Saltron in the fuel to clean the diesel, I believe you used the product before? They claim it will help run the engines better, resulting in lowering fuel consumption and emmissions, whether that happens in the real world with this boat is yet to be seen.

The boat will run 4x480hp Cummins Diesels that are being modified by a world leading F1 engine builder, they will be uprated with better cooling and ECU's to run 600hp each, the boat will run on Arneson drives and use twin rudder steering. If all goes to plan she will be a great marathon boat indeed.

We hope to start production of the plugs/moulds in the next month or so. I an ideal world, I would like to be on the water sometime next summer so we can test next winter and get time in the boat, ready for Monaco. She is designed purely for big ocean marathon endurance events.

If all goes to plan, there should be exciting times ahead. I will be holding an opening day once she is built where all can view her. I would like her to be at RIBEX next year, but we shall see.

Kind Regards

Tom

[Alan Priddy]

Hi Tom.
I am well thanks. Yours is an interesting concept it's very radical. I have a little difficulty accepting that running 4 x 600 engines flat out relates to an Eco theme but best of luck anyway. Alan P

[TomLinley]

I understand where you come from on this. However I want to run a 50ft hull in the Cowes-Monaco race, to do this with any speed you need to be in class A or B, so rather than running big V8 petrols or 3 larger 8.3 Cummins I have chosen to run 5.9s and be as green and eco as we can at this level of the sport, by all means I am not saying we are as green as I would like to think, but we like to think we lead the way in the classes we will race in, having a balance between performance and eco concerns. The boat is designed completely from scratch to take the four engines and is a bespoke build, therefore the engine room accommodates this. This will help with reliablity also, as over the 2400miles we want to run with as many break downs as possible. running on 3 engines we should still be able to maintain a good average speed to at least finish that leg.

Best of luck with your project, cant to see it once she is complete. Once we have built our boat, it would be my pleasure for you to take the wheel!

Best Regards

Tom

[Polwart]

Originally Posted by TomLinley

This will help with reliablity also, as over the 2400miles we want to run with as many break downs as possible. running on 3 engines we should still be able to maintain a good average speed to at least finish that leg.

Tom, I'm not sure if there is a typo in there or not?

Obviously with 4 engines you are 4x as likely to develop a fault in one of them as with a single. I guess what you are saying is that you are planning that "in" so you can still run on 3. You are still statistically just as likely to loose 2 engines on one leg as a twin set up is to loose one of its engines.

I'm impressed by your confidence: running engines way beyond their normal limits tuned by F1 guys who normally only run engines for a couple of hours (and still blow them up). On a quite variable fuel source. In my limited understanding of these races is it not usually the most reliable boat that wins rather than the one with the most power?

Of course in measuring the most "eco" boat you probably want to consider its "whole life cost (environmentally)". Any boat made from resin (regardless of the resin's original source) is essentially a disposal nightmare. I guess IF she proves to be a winning boat it might have a reasonably life - but if she proves to be average, she might not. She's hardly likely to find a "leisure" use once she retires. If you're a tree hugger thats a lot of waste for a couple of races.

Any eco folk want to buy a boat made completely from recycled carrier bags Comes with oars if you don't want to use the 2 smoke on the back...

[doggypaddle]

Will a 6BT hold together for any length of time at that power output?
The 480 is already the HO version of the 24V B series, and only recomended by cummins for "non commercial use" with max power limited to 1 hour in 8
and for use in boats doing less than 500 hours per year. I read this as its going to blow up just a question of when!
Theres only so much abuse even a 6bt will take. I suppose with plenty of well cold seawater cooled air and synthetic oil it stands a chance, but theres only so much heat a piston can take before it melts, and only so much pressure an oil film can take before it breaks down.
Has the 24V cummins been dyno'd at 600HP continuous and survived??

just curious, theyre a fantastic engine and if anything can take it they will.
I would like one in a pac 22 my mate already put a 6bt 12v 210 in his landrover
I LIKE THE ECO BIT 30 GPH PER ENGINE FANTASTIC!!!