Expeditionyacht.org

December 2008 update

Our general arrangement plans (December 08 version) can be seen in PDF format and AutoCAD.  A more detailed drawing of the stateroom deck made by our interior designer is also available in PDF.   A construction drawing (current situation) is also available.  This is our line plan of the front and side and we also have our  shell expansion plan (showing thickness of hull plating) available in PDF-format and AutoCAD. 

To see the vessel in 3D, click here or on the first image below to check to see a manipulable model of the vessel. Yes, it takes a few seconds to load, depending on the speed of your connection it is really very illustrative!

• Drag with the left mouse button to move it; use the right mouse button to zoom in or out
• Press the right mouse button and use the arrows on your keyboard to move the model inside the window

If you see a warning about installing some unknown piece of software, that’s normal: go ahead, it IS safe to install.

At any case, if you have trouble with the above link, here are a few screen shots.

We’ll update these files as we go. Comments are always welcome at thorwald @ expeditionyacht . org.

Last week I attended the Seatrade Cruise convention in Miami Beach.  While this convention primarily focuses on the cruiseship industry (quite a different dresscode than the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show !!) it has a lot of interesting product we can also apply on yachts.

To name a few, think low maintainance furniture, products to give glass new life, high-tech glass coatings that keep heat and UV out, waste incinerators, waste water treatment, coating and flooring systems including a really awesome incredibly good teak replacement from Bolith.  Also great info on sound isoloation and vibration damping.  Danish manufacturer Sika had a lot of interesting products on display.  And then there were lots of manufactures of bedding, fabrics, wall covering materials and items for interior design.  And if you want to impress your guests with a nice scent on your yacht, check out Microfresh.  Very innovative product.  Did I mention security and access systems?  Some very innovative systems out there that can also be used on yachts.

There are really a lot of beautiful materials out there that are safe (meet IMO guidelines) and easy to apply.  George Fisher piping systems was also present.  Awesome products that can replace most steel applications. 

We also had ample opportunity to talk with the folks at Lloyds Register and get all remaining questions answered. Pictured above is a garbage & waste oil incinerator from Teamtec in Norway.  Instead of carrying your waste along (and using valuable freezer space), paying fees to ’shore based facilities’ (who then dump it God knows where) this compact burns everything and is IMO-approved.  Another practical AND green solution. 

All in all a very worthwhile event.

Imagine saving 30-50% in fuel cost when crossing the Atlantic or Pacific or while cruising in the Caribbean! Skysails from Germany has the solution to achieve that.

m.v. Beaufort, an 800 ton expedition yacht conversion shown in the picture above – I actually saw it in Cartagena last December - is partly powered by a huge kite developed by the German company Skysails.     We can’t imagine a greener way to power our ship and this system is available now and in use at even bigger ships such as this  132 m (425 ft.) cargo ship.

The system can be operated from the bridge.  Launch & control is achieved with a push of a button.  During launch, a telescopic mast lifts the towing kite, which is reefed like an accordion from its storage department.  At sufficient height the kite then unfurls to its full size and can be lauched.  A winch releases the towing rope  until operating altitude has been reached.   The recovery process is performed in reverse order.

The system is designed for operation in windforces of 3 to 8 Beaufort.  The system can be recovered, but not launched, at windforces below Beaufort 3. 

Estimated cost for our particular vessel?  I’ll let you know soon.  Meanwhile, check out the very informative website of Skysails and the solutions they offer for yachts.

To learn more about how we plan to make this a ‘green’ ship see this blog’s  environment section.   Watch the video below and also check this one. 

Just received a book I ordered from Hempel, the Danish coating manufacturer (# 3 in the world I think).  Almost 500 pages on corrosion projection serves as the “inspector’s book of reference”.  It’s the translation to English of a Norwegian training guide for certified coating inspectors.  The Norwegians with their maritime history and many oil exploration platforms in the North Sea know a thing or two about corrosion protection .The book covers corrosion itself, protection measures, surface preparation and equipment, pre-treatment, application, paint coating materials but also covers topics like coating failures, thermal spraying, passive fire protection and inspection methods and equipments.  Cathodic protection, both with sacrificial anodes as well as impressed current is also covered in depth. 

To learn more about this form of corrosion protection, check out the informative Cathelco website.  And if you want to know everything there is to know corrosion protection of your ship and about coatings, get ‘the Frisio’ book from Hempel.

Of course, there are also independent coating consulting companies that can provide independent advice and job supervision and inspection.  I found these two companies in the Yacht Report that between the two of them have probably been involved with 50% of all mega yacht paint jobs:

• Conmar Coating Services which has some very good information publications on their website
• Marten Yacht Painting Advice Inspection

North Sea trawlers are great for conversions to true expedition yachts.  With the current fuel prices and regulations, many fishermen in Northern Europe are throwing in  the towel and offering their vessels for sale at very good prices.  Great ships like the one on this site can be bought for well under 1 million USD.  I have good contacts in this community and if you’re interested in being part of a conversion project, drop me a line at thorwald at expeditionyacht dot org.

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