Designing & Building Hammerhead

[twistedtree]

We do use the system, as pleasure boats. Passively, however. If a big barge shows these signs, we are obliged to follow their preference. Do they want to pass another ship starboard/starboard, then - as a pleasure craft - you do as they want. It is the bigger barges that use it as a way to navigate smaller rivers that meander and where they need to pass one another. From their perspective, what we do - as pleasure boaters - is quite irrelevant. For us it is very relevant. We are obliged to follow their choices, and if you don't, you may find yourself cut off in the middle of the corner. With a 3 million kilo ship pushing you aground, that's not fun, nor safe.

Regards, Edwin.

Thanks. With two commercial ships approaching each other, which one's flag takes precedence? I would guess the one traveling down stream?


I have had no need to try it, but was interested to see that blue flag operation is part of Class A AIS. Guessing again, I image the blue flag status becomes part of the AIS data that you send and receive. I would think that would be a good argument for Class A even on a pleasure boat.

 

[dannc]

...

After the Biesbos lock came the Biesbos proper: a wild area of meandering water and trees. Remaining wild lands and wet lands from the early 15th century St-Elisabeth Flood that killed maybe 100,000 people.

....

Very interesting. Made me go look some of this up and look at maps. I had read about the St-Elisabeith Flood but apparently there were TWO of them just 17 years apart. That I did not know. Amazing that the impacts of floods 600ish years ago still exist today.

Later,
Dan

 

[Salty Pelican]

Moonshine travels the Netherlands ...

Hi Dan,

The impact goes even further. Many survivors of those floods emigrated to Transylvania, in former Hungary/Romania. they made up a big part of the "German" settlement over there, influencing language, culture and architecture. It is probably the reason why Dutch (Netherlands) dialects can still be heard east of Berlin even today.

Hi Tanglewood,

I would say downstream has more trouble to slow down so has the advantage, but the way in which it works in practice is that one barge calls the other and proposes a starboard/starboard sail by. So far, I have always heard the other party agree. So in a way I think it is the party that asks that has the problem (or foresees it) and is given the right to make the call?

I hope that makes sense.

Regards, Edwin.

 

[twistedtree]

Hi Tanglewood,

I would say downstream has more trouble to slow down so has the advantage, but the way in which it works in practice is that one barge calls the other and proposes a starboard/starboard sail by. So far, I have always heard the other party agree. So in a way I think it is the party that asks that has the problem (or foresees it) and is given the right to make the call?

I hope that makes sense.

Regards, Edwin.

Yes, it makes sense, just like arranging a pass over VHF. I just figured there was a default rule of some sort, just like in passing where you go port to port unless otherwise agreed. And there are some situations in the US interior rivers where the boat running with the current has precedence over one running against the current. So if two approaching boats indicate different passing with their blue signs, which one yields to the other's choice? It's not important, I'm just curious how it works.

 

[Salty Pelican]

From my training - as a pleasure craft captain allowed to operate boats up until 25 meters:
1. Between equal vessels, downstream has the right of way;
2. If a professional barge meets a pleasure craft it always has right of way.

So you - as a pleasure craft - don't get to call anything. But when they do, you listen and obey.

Regards, Edwin.

 

[Hippocampus]

Curious. Aren’t you required to get a certificate of competency even if inland regardless of size?

 

[Salty Pelican]

Rules on boating in the Netherlands.

No, not in the Netherlands. If your boat is under 15 meters (49 feet) and does not go faster than 20 km/h (11 knots), you are free to sail it around from ... I think the age of 16 onwards. Think this comes from the fact that we grow up with boats, basically. On a population of 16 million there are over 550,000 boats.

We, the mss. and me, decided to get our paperwork anyhow. It's good to speak the "language", and understand the signs. So we have permits that allows us to sail boats up to 25 meters, at any speed, inland and coastal. Even though formally "Moonshine" could be sailed without any.

Regards, Edwin.

 

[Salty Pelican]

Stint 3: "Moonshine" travels the Netherlands

Today we sailed "Moonshine" from Tilburg to the harbor of Son, still following the Wilhelmina Channel. Lots of bridges, barges, and some locks. Mss. did most of the driving today. Tomorrow we hope to be able to sail to 's-Hertogenbosch, where we have reservations at a Michelin start restaurant. But ... there's a new bridge that's fixed and too low for us. There is a way around, but that'll add another two hours to already a challenging trip, as we find that the smaller the waterways, the more tiring the steering is.

Here are pictures of "Moonshine" parked in the harbor, and of a barge passing us.

Regards, Edwin.

 

[dannc]

Hi Dan,

The impact goes even further. Many survivors of those floods emigrated to Transylvania, in former Hungary/Romania. they made up a big part of the "German" settlement over there, influencing language, culture and architecture. It is probably the reason why Dutch (Netherlands) dialects can still be heard east of Berlin even today.

What an interesting place to move too after the floods.

I saw, but did not watch yet, a YouTube video about a native German speaker visiting the Pennsylvania and talking to the Amish who speak Pennsylvanian Dutch. But Pennsylvanian Dutch, are/were not Dutch, but German. Part of my family is from the Pennsylvanian Dutch area, but are Germans who arrived after the Amish, so are not considered Pennsylvanian Dutch. At least as I understand it.

One part of the Pennsylvanian family is German without a doubt. My great grandfather looked EXACTLY like Sgt. Schultz in the Hogan's Heroes TV show. The other part of the family we thought were French but turned out to be German too. We just do not know much about that branch of family history much less WHY they left Germany in the first place.

Later,
Dan

 

[Salty Pelican]

Thanks for sharing, Dan.

We are currently in Veghel. We'll be off to a Greek restaurant tonight, that comes highly recommended.

Tomorrow either Den Bosch or Heusden.

Speak soon!

Edwin & Veronika.

 

[KnotYet]

What an interesting place to move too after the floods.

I saw, but did not watch yet, a YouTube video about a native German speaker visiting the Pennsylvania and talking to the Amish who speak Pennsylvanian Dutch. But Pennsylvanian Dutch, are/were not Dutch, but German. Part of my family is from the Pennsylvanian Dutch area, but are Germans who arrived after the Amish, so are not considered Pennsylvanian Dutch. At least as I understand it.

One part of the Pennsylvanian family is German without a doubt. My great grandfather looked EXACTLY like Sgt. Schultz in the Hogan's Heroes TV show. The other part of the family we thought were French but turned out to be German too. We just do not know much about that branch of family history much less WHY they left Germany in the first place.

Later,
Dan

A brief note about John Banner, the actor who played Sgt. Schultz:
He was an Austrian Jew who avoided capture by the Nazis by emigrating to the US.
Coincidentally, Werner Klemperer who played Col. Klink, Schultz' CO, was
a German Jew who also escaped the Nazis by emigrating to the US.

 

[Salty Pelican]

Stint 4: Moonshine sails the Netherlands

Lovely day on the water. Warm temperatures. And even the water was quite tolerable. How I know? I had to dive in, after my sun glasses fell into the water ...

Veghel is a pretty town. Greek food was really good!

Regards, Edwin.

 

[dannc]

A brief note about John Banner, the actor who played Sgt. Schultz:
He was an Austrian Jew who avoided capture by the Nazis by emigrating to the US.
Coincidentally, Werner Klemperer who played Col. Klink, Schultz' CO, was
a German Jew who also escaped the Nazis by emigrating to the US.

Yep, and Robert Clary, aka, "Frenchie" aka Corp. LeBeau, was Jewish and survived the concentration camps by entertaining the SS guards. He was the only one of his 14 family members to survive.

As an aside, when I was in college I was in the library and looking for a book. As I wandered the shelves, a book caught my eye as I walked past. I don't know WHY the book caught my eye but it did. It was the diary of a German soldier and the part I read he was invading Russia, but I think he was really in the Ukraine, because he was talking about the beauty of the sun flower fields that went on and on and on. He would talk about the pretty sun flower's but then mention the other things he saw and did. It was an amazing contrast.

I often think of that diary. Is it still there? WHO was the soldier who wrote the diary? What happened to him? How in the heck did that diary get into the library?

Later,
Dan

 

[Salty Pelican]

Stint 4: Moonshine sails the Netherlands

Today we sailed from Veghel to Heusden. Little medieval town on the Maas river. First part of the trip was on the Zuid-Willemskanaal. Second part on the Maas. We liked the Maas much better. More room, meandering waterways. Here are some pictures ...

Regards, Edwin & Veronika.

 

[Salty Pelican]

After a day at home and at the office, dealing with the sale of "Salty Pelican", my distillation business, and of course the new ocean-crossing ship that we are designing, we are about to depart for another week of boating with "Moonshine".

We'll sail towards the province of Zeeland. Where sweet and salt water meet. Oysters, anchoring, taking the boat to sea, and some sight-seeing. Dinteloord or Bruinisse will be the first stop-over.

To be continued!

Regards, Edwin.

 

[Salty Pelican]

Oyster capital of Europe?

The Oosterschelde is a sea branche or "arm" in the Netherlands. It is approximately 5 to 8 Nm wide and 25 to 30 Nm deep. No sweet water rivers feed it. The water that comes in is salt. It comes in ... it goes out. Tide is like 3 meters (10 feet). Waters run 40 meters (130 feet) deep ... and shallower. Lots of sand banks. Makes it the ideal oyster and mussel breeding ground of our country and maybe Europe.

We visited Yerseke today. A small oyster and mussel oriented town on this sea arm. We toured an oyster farm. We had oysters. We visited a very good restaurant and had local fish, lobster, and shrimp as well. What a treat!

The fishing trawlers are not very sea worthy. They need a "horizontal" keel/bottom design, so they can be moored above the mussel and oyster beds. Touch down. Work. Water goes up again. All aboard? Leave.

It is the only city where I have seen automatic sale venues for mussels. Throw in a few bucks, and get your share. Here are some pics.

Regards, Edwin.

 

[dannc]

The MosselAutomaat! That is crazy wonderful!

We used to have more of those type of vending machines but not with mussels!!! I have not seen vending machines with doors in years.

Maybe next year we will get to NL to try the oysters. Best oysters I have had were in County Donegal in Ireland and I could not eat enough of them. Would like to try some NL oysters.

Later,
Dan

 

[Salty Pelican]

Fly over dude. Just fly over!

 

[Salty Pelican]

Hull plates cut files ...

Hull plates cut files ...

 

[Salty Pelican]

The name of our new motor yacht "Moonshine" has been installed!

It's all polished stainless steel. We are very happy with the result.

Regards, Edwin & Veronika.

 

[Salty Pelican]

The things you learn, when you sail each and every day for about three weeks on your new ship! The good? Well, mainly all is good. She sails wonderfully. Stable, comfortable. Pretty decent economics too. At 7 knots she uses about 9 liters per hour. That's 2.38 gallon per hour. Anything faster and consumption goes up pretty steep. She'll do 7.5 knots at a consumption rate of 12 liters per hour and 8 knots at 17 liter per hour.

Still, the list of things that need to be added or improved upon is long. Simply because "Moonshine" was bought, by her original owner, overwhelmingly under-specced.

Here's what we'll have the shipyard do in the winter season:
1. Add a rope cutter to the prop shaft and change the shaft end bearing;
2. Add AIS and radar and autopilot;
3. Make the mast fold and drop electrically (so we can do more inland cruises);
4. Replace the old plotter with two new and bigger ones;
5. New antifauling;
6. Recalibrate electronic tank measurement systems;
7. Add a dockmaster system, so we can remotely park her (huge help in slips and locks);
8. Add airconditioning.

What we already replaced? The shore power extension cord. It was rated for 6 instead of 16 amps. New mattresses. The old ones were hard as stone.

Issues we had in the first three weeks of ownership? A scratch the previous owner hid via a boat name sticker (what a moron). And the showers not draining on (fortunately) the last day of our trips so far.

Investigation learns that the float switch was pretty dirty and therefore sticky. Also, the water pump out station (as the mechanic called it) was undersized. Using one tap and one shower at the same time would overfill the station, pushing water back up in the pipes (and later ... out via the shower drains). Everything is cleaned now, so we are good to go for another few long weekends. As long as we are wary with water drainage. A new pump out station, two sizes bigger and stronger, that should facilitate running all taps and showers simultaneously is on order.

Plans for the coming months? A few more weekends on the water in the Netherlands, while we register her as real estate (important to have all the paperwork, especially owner-oriented, in order to the max before sailing her abroad). Then we'll sail her to DMS head quarters, where she will be equipped with a MagnusMaster anti-role system. That'll be August. In September and October we'll do some more sailing. IJsselmeer, Waddenzee, if the weather permits. After that she'll go to the shipyard to have all of the things mentioned above added.

Regards, Edwin & Veronika.

 

[Salty Pelican]

Installing MagnusMaster Stabilizers!

The boat is out of the water. The foundations for the stabilizing system (that were there from the beginning, as the MM stabs were an option on this type of boat, so it came prepared) was opened op. The "buses" (hope that is the right word) have been placed in position, through the hull, and will be welded further tomorrow.

The control box has also been installed. In the engine room, where the rotors are also situated. The control screen in the cockpit is installed. All the wires have ben put in place. Great progress in just two days!

Here are some pictures:

Regards, Edwin & Veronika.

 

[Salty Pelican]

Installing DMS Holland's Magnus Master Stabilizers!

All right! The work is done and - as we are told - the boat is back in the water again. Speedy job indeed! Here are some pictures of the DMS Holland Magnus Master Stabilization System. Wow, mouth full, but it works great, and that's the goal. Having sailed Salty Pelican to London and back, over the North Sea, even with 5 and 6 Bft winds, we didn't get seasick.

How it works? Well, the amount of role is measured and immediately countered by the rotors (see the pictures). Say, the ship starts to roll to starboard. The control box detects the roll that's being initiated, and "tells" the starboard rotor to start rotating backward, so that "slice" is created, lifting the starboard side of the ship upward. At the same time the rotor on the port side rotates forward to generate top-spin that pulls the port side downward. Thus, lift and negative lift are generated and used to counter the roll that would otherwise build up. How effective it is? Up to 90% of roll is countered ...

Will be taking possession of Moonshine after our vacation is finished. Probably two weeks from now. Looking forward to the test-sail!

Regards, Edwin & Veronika.

 

[Hippocampus]

Have you had enough time with it to have a sense what it requires for energy? Drag produced? Impact on range? Maintenance requirements?
Big fan of Magnus effect. Checks a lot of boxes with a mixed use vessel (coastal and blue water). But you’re still pushing a cylinder not foil shaped fin through the water. Hence my concern about drag when deployed. Your hull design suggests you’re not limited to hull speed. What’s the impact on top speed?

 

[Salty Pelican]

"Moonshine" is a displacement yacht. 14m25 in the water and a top speed of 9 knots and a little bit. Rotors won't lower that. But, in use, they'll eat half a knot away, given a certain engine rpm and cruising speed.

Deployment, so when they are moved in their "sticking out"-position, takes 1500 Watt per rotor for maybe 5 to 7 seconds. That's the peak power usage: 3 kW to move 'm to the position where they work. After that about 500 Watts per rotor, so 1 kWh per hour. In more severe conditions, up to 1.5 kWh.

Since it is electric, basically no maintenance.

Regards, Edwin.

 

[Hippocampus]

Thanks. Any impact on fuel burn when deployed and working? Not able to compute what a 1/2k loss translates to. At a fixed speed what’s the increase in burn? Realize this would vary boat to boat and at different speeds in the same boat. Just trying to get a sense of it. 5% in fin burn?greater? Less?

Would think those numbers are good. Not in a position to compare to electric fins like humphrees. Wonder if anyone else would chime in?

 

[Salty Pelican]

Not sure on fuel burn. But will know once we start sailing Moonshine again in a few weeks, Hippo.

Regards, Edwin.

 

[Salty Pelican]

Reviewing Magnus Master Rotor Stabilizer System

We sailed Moonshine home with the Magnus Master Rotor System installed. Did some measurements and came to some conclusions that might be interesting to share. Preliminary, since water levels were low in the rivers we followed. Big draught over here in Europe, so on many parts of the trip we were simply slowed down by ground effected drag. Anyhow, here we go:

1. With the stabilizers not deployed and them facing backwards, I couldn't see any difference in speed, so drag seems to be negligible when not deployed.
2. With the stabilizers fully deployed at their maximum 90 degree angle, Moonshine looses 0.8 km/h (0.45 NM) in speed, given that we sail her at a steady and similar rpm.
3. Not sure how this translates into a percentage of extra fuel consumption, as this number is pretty steady over the speed range, but fuel consumption of course rises sharply as a displacement boat nears its displacement speed. So if one were to compensate for the 0.8 km/h (0.45 Nm), well the higher the original speed, the more fuel would be needed to get back to that original speed. Hope that makes sense.
4. Stabilization works great. Our boat has a very high initial stability co-efficient. It is relatively wide and low. So in general the swings we'd experience without stabs are pretty moderate, but relatively quick (snappy). The system takes care of both the roll and of the snapiness associated with that role.
5. This two rotor system works better, with a more natural feel to it, than the one rotor system on Salty Pelican, the ship we owned before.
6. Settings allow for more or less stabilization. When one chooses less total maximum stabilization, it directly pays off in a lower drag and lower speed deficit. Allows one to tune the system to the circumstances and optimize for speed, given a certain sea state. Upping the total stabilization power takes only a few seconds.
7. The system now comes with a new screen that has better visibility and is slightly bigger and easier to work with.
8. When we upgrade to newer and bigger Raymarine screens, coming winter, we can integrate the management and control of this system to the Raymarine plotter screens.
9. Deploying the system takes a few seconds only, as the rotors swing from their 180 degrees "with the ship" passive angle towards their 90 degrees active angle. Deployment does not create any alternation in course.
10. Installation looks very professional and neat. Test and training session is done by the company with the owners present, which is trust inspiring.
11. All in all and so far we are very happy with this system. I'd recommend it for inland and coastal cruising for sure.

Regards, Edwin.

 

[Salty Pelican]

I have a little video of how the system works, but cannot upload it here. Anyone interested in the system? Please email me your email address and I'll forward it to you ...

Regards, Edwin.

 

[JWellington]

The dutch, Deep Water yachts use the Magnus system.