John Glaves wrote: >> Re: onboard AC power [was: .. bore glazing ..] >> >> Posted by: "Neil Arlidge" >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] neilarlidge >> >> ...well I would still have another Travelpower...and for that matter >> a Beta >> 43. If I was doing another narrowboat, I would also have another >> semi-trad, >> with very silmilar rear cockpit design to Earnest (now much copied). >> >> And now for something compleatly different...shaft couplings.. >> I would want a trust bearing next time, but would not have a >> Pythondrive or >> Aquadrive, but would go for the new Centraflex one, with thrust >> bearing/CVJ/rubberdoughnut. >> -- >> Neil Arlidge - NB Earnest - Shannon Reg 7410 >> Read about the TNC Irish travels at: >> http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/Tour_07/index.html >> >> > > Thanks Neil. We were a few boats behind yours at R&D, and copied your > semi-trad stern after seeing it. We are very happy with it, and the > Beta 43 with Travelpower. A great combination. > > Cheers, > > Ann and John Glaves > nb Rhapsody
Hi Ann/John and George, Others have gone into wonderful solutions, concerning 48v alternators / battery bank / large inverters / large battery banks etc...but will all this gear fit in a narrowboat and leave room for all the other "goodies"???...there has to be some compromise. A Travelpower gives pure sine wave 230v AC at any engine revs (well it does on Earnest, I only have to raise the tickover slightly to get full power). It is (or was) a low cost option. It does not take up much space. It has built in redundancy (If both my 12v alternators fail, I can continue to charge all my batteries using the Travelpower and Victon Multi Plus). Mine has proved indestructable (only one set of alternator brushes need so far). As for the engine, well we (and more importantly James Griffin - Ocean Princess) have trusted our lives in Beta Kubota power. I will never forget our greatest moment, 15 hours solid, nearly flat out from the Blackwater to Brentford. At the time Earnest was built Ray Denton assigned one fabricator to a boat. Earnest was built by Lee Wolosuik* (still part of the reformed X R&D team). Lee was one of the younger fabricators and had just returned back to R&D after a spell elsewhere. He was very keen to do exactly what I wanted and the result was we experimented with the standard R&D bow shape with more uplift, so it did not "nose dive" in waves and the whole layout and way the rear cockpit was designed. The things we decided on were: a) That the outer side panel should *not* have anything welded onto it from the inside (creates buckling and nasty lines), so there was an inner skin, to which all the lockers, etc were welded to. b) I wanted a short rear deck and outer doors, that must be pretty waterproof and in the style of a proper trad ie you steer *within* the outer doors. c) The (already well designed) weed hatch and the engine compartment must be easy to get at ( somwthing difficult in a semi-trad) d) The rear "pedestals" between the rear outer doors are at the correct? (I lot of "purists" will be horrified to see the standard sit down way most poeple end up steering Earnest - see piccy link of Ardnacrusha Head Race below), with the steerer facing froward or sideways...In fact the new "Lough Ree" method of stering is to sit down inside the cockpit and steer with hand out above shoulder (not as unconfortable as it looks) Lee Wolosuik* I would like to go back to Lee to build a barge....but do not know if it will now ever happen :-( *Lough Ree* If going south we have to cross this large lake...a 3 hour blat. Sometimes we use autopilot! http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/T07_Imag/10_04_07/Dsc04243.jpg Things that were wrong with Earnest: The ridiculous spindley side mounted equipment rack that fouled the use of the centre rope (which we use a LOT) When I said I wanted a detchable one, central and behind the centre rope roofeye, Ray laughed and said we now had a mushroom vent in the way!...the result was I fabricated one myself, so the centrally monted plank just clears the mushroom, but does not foul the use of the centre rope. Stern posts...all very traditional, but useless if down in a deep lock, as the rope drops off! I got Lee to weld some "T" stud arms on at the top. I also find it is much easier and secure to tie back to a "T" stud. Under proped (17x12) Ray got us an 18x13, (slightly overproped at the time) which is still in service (though now slightly smaller and much self-fettled!). Crap steering...well for the kind of antics we have done. Earnest now has an extra 1" leading and 3" trailing on the rudder and a slightly longer tiller. OK, so it is now heavy, but Earnest follows a line without much effort, goes backwards rather well, steers pretty well out of gear and because of the "leverage" you can get from steering within the doors is *very* manovereable. We also experimented with top and bottom cavitation plates, but just kept the top ones (there really do work and hold the wash down, especially usefull when rather "going for it". Last year we distressed the local experts by going up the Abbey River / Tailrace of the Ardnacrusha Dam (to get to the Ardnacrusha Lock) with three of the four turbines running and without getting the full help of an incoming tide. This picture looks fairly genteel, but things can be deceptive, Earnest is nearly going flat out, against a 5ish knot flow: http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/T07_Imag/10_07_07/Img_1231.jpg Another thing is that the Slipper stern comes into its own here. I can only surmise on the aquadynamics, but suggest it is beacuse that "clean" water is being drawn from under the boat. The downside is that in minimum depth, with blanket weed. The weed will be drawn off the bottom, even though the floaty stuff does right past! By design, (or good fortune!) the relative air draught/draught/length (and width!)/tidal capabilities, Earnest has done..well what Earnest has done. Although, now rather out of date, there are still some good ideas for George to pick over here: http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/earnest/index.html -- Neil Arlidge - NB Earnest - Shannon Reg 7410 Read about the TNC Irish travels at: http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/Tour_07/index.html
