Alt fuels and Cost ( BIO or HPR diesel/ ethanol mixes)

[Socal_Cecil]

So I can't quote but someone mentioned until HPR fuel is cheaper they won't try it. IN California Dino diesel is now $7 a gallon and HPR is $6.69. Not enough to switch due to price on its own but getting there. I found a big EU supplier that has a great PDF with more info including a study with webasco heaters.

https://www.neste.com/sites/neste.co...l_handbook.pdf

It's a pdf download.

[KnotYet]

Does that mean their HVO is similar to or the same as HPR?
I'd use HPR in the TDI but there aren't that many stations near me.

[Socal_Cecil]

Originally Posted by KnotYet

Does that mean their HVO is similar to or the same as HPR?
I'd use HPR in the TDI but there aren't that many stations near me.

HVO is just the branding near me. Not sure if it's just 1 brands version or national. All the big oil refineries seem to be starting at least pilot programs in the US. SOme are going all in by investing in smaller dedicated companies, likely so they can walk away without taking a big financial hit if something goes wrong.

I have read one forum thread that says because it doesn't have the aromatics NBR seals that have previously swollen due to exposure to regular diesel may return to their previous sizes. Same goes for the Poly tanks( not sure if it's all poly or just cross linked/ non cross linked. So far no one has actually noted any fuel leaks though.

[bountyhunter44]

Hello Cecil and others.


I'd like to discuss what others may be planning if/when fuel goes through the roof even more. We are biding our time down here in Puerto Vallarta. A long range trawler such as a 42 Kadey Krogen is on our list to purchase, but now we are kind of on standby mode. Our plan is to use Puerto Vallarta as our home base but do some cruising down to Panama, into the Caribb and back so fuel economy is definitely a factor for us.


Currently, I'm back to looking at motorsailers and catamarans where there may be a potential for solar-EV re-power down the road.

It seems that it may be possible in the near future to re-power single engine trawlers with some solar and a an electric motor. What are your thoughts on this?

I've been on the cutting edge (at least in my own mind) of staying atop research going on in the world with respect to:


1. Kite Sails: As they have been studied and applied on sailboats, trawlers, tankers.


2. Electric: Re-Power on trawlers and sailboats. Both solar and hybrid.

3. Companies rolling out their new electric boats such as SunReef, Silent Yachts, Trondheim (trawler), Azura Marine, Alva, and others.


4. Solar Sail Fabric: Dream or reality?



Cheers,

Mark

[bountyhunter44]

Puerto Vallarta Area Fuel Prices as of today, 6-16-2022:


Marina Vallarta:

$27.48 (pesos per liter) $5.38 (US) per gallon. Bulk discount for 1000+ gallons $26.76 (pesos per liter) $5.24 (US) per gallon.



Marina Riviera Nayarit at La Cruz de Huancaxtle:
$28.29 (pesos per liter) $5.54 (US) per gallon.

[Socal_Cecil]

I love the idea of unrestricted range so have looked into many if the same things. The kite sail is a great option but I think I lack the front deck space and would have to seriously reinforce things if I did find a spot.

The electric drive is a great mature technology now but the batteries are still a fortune. In order to use it to extend range I would need to generate and wind generators top off at 1kw of effective generation and with 3 solar panels down each side and 6 on the roof I only reach 4kw. It would have a hard time keeping up with 25kw of propulsion which is what I would need for my cruising speed.

I do like the idea of the pod drives since they can also self generate. I can use them for propulsion all day and anchor at night and let them generate to refill the batteries. How much I could generate like that is a question though. It would make me a lot more maneuverable which is a plus and I would still have the old lehman for backup propulsion and generation as needed. Not an efficient generator even with double high output alternators but I'd have to keep it down there as ballast anyways.

I haven't looked at solar sail but I have looked at solar cells. They have the sunpower individual cells available all over. They should be flexible enough I could mount them over a lot of the horizontalish surfaces. I would need to research the various resins to embed them in to provide UV protection without blocking the wave energies used to generate power though.

Whatever I decide to play with will have to wait until I get the boring systems fully reliable though.

Originally Posted by bountyhunter44

Hello Cecil and others.


I'd like to discuss what others may be planning if/when fuel goes through the roof even more. We are biding our time down here in Puerto Vallarta. A long range trawler such as a 42 Kadey Krogen is on our list to purchase, but now we are kind of on standby mode. Our plan is to use Puerto Vallarta as our home base but do some cruising down to Panama, into the Caribb and back so fuel economy is definitely a factor for us.


Currently, I'm back to looking at motorsailers and catamarans where there may be a potential for solar-EV re-power down the road.

It seems that it may be possible in the near future to re-power single engine trawlers with some solar and a an electric motor. What are your thoughts on this?

I've been on the cutting edge (at least in my own mind) of staying atop research going on in the world with respect to:


1. Kite Sails: As they have been studied and applied on sailboats, trawlers, tankers.


2. Electric: Re-Power on trawlers and sailboats. Both solar and hybrid.

3. Companies rolling out their new electric boats such as SunReef, Silent Yachts, Trondheim (trawler), Azura Marine, Alva, and others.


4. Solar Sail Fabric: Dream or reality?



Cheers,

Mark

[bountyhunter44]

Good Article:


https://www.briangwilliams.us/methan...n-engines.html