Building a DE Cruiser...

[Murky Dregs]

Hey there...

I'm not new to the sea (USN/VFW) but I don't think aircraft carriers count.

I am new to boating (besides all that time in the Bering Sea, Pacific, Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, etc..). My wife and I moved to Maine and we're spitting distance from a few marinas and I love the water.

I sat her down one day and asked, "Honey, what do you think about getting a boat?" and much to my surprise she said, "Sounds like fun let's do it!"

We have commissioned a 29' Coombs Cove Downeaster to be built for our cruising needs.

29', 10'8" in the beam, full keel, will draft 3' 6" fully laden, and a D4 Volvo has been spec'd due to being quiet and more fuel efficient than the Cummins/Yanmar options.

The most significant cruise, and target for the design, is comfortably cruising the Bahamas.

I'm in the process of defining systems and such to meet performance & capacity wants & needs.

The electrical stuff looks to be key considering food-keeping requirements. I am in a deep dive myself on how to properly size the electrical system thingamabobs.

Steering, windlass, thruster.. all hydraulic.

Navigation-wise, definitely want decent adverse weather/nighttime capability, and autopilot. VHF, potentially SSB..

Looks like the galley will be electric. My rationale is I don't want to be dealing with multiple fuels for multiple systems. Diesel for the boat, electric for everything else... am looking at a Portland Pudgy for a dingy, will put a rechargeable outboard on that.

Air conditioning for the trunk, heat option for the house.

Watermaker, and on-demand hot water- freshwater being a precious commodity I figure it makes sense to make sure it's up to temperature before use...basically the option of a hot Navy shower is what's desired figure 3-4 gallon per use versus average at home shower which can be anywhere from 12-17 gallons if my numbers are correct.

Will have a cranking battery, a house array, solar, as well as a generator and I definitely want to properly balance the best charging efficiency versus fuel consumption.

As far as other systems go... I'm leaning heavily toward a composting (desiccating) head, that removes a complex and potentially smelly system.

I'd love if I can size fuel for a comfortable 300 miles at best rpm for the engine. Haven't done that calculus yet though, nevertheless with the absence of a blackwater tank, the presence I figure more fuel could be taken aboard.

To try and maximize space the head will actually be on the centerline in the bow and the trunk will be configured essentially as pipe berths, Vee berths are incredibly space inefficient at a glance, the house will be pushed back and the cockpit will be cozy for four comfy for two. Will post a photo of an example of the layout from an Ellis 28'.

Anyhow, just wanted to say hello and I'll attach some photos... she's currently been laid up and will rest in the mold until the Spring.

(img links not working?)

[Pete7]

Hi and welcome. Sounds a interesting project.

What size is that Volvo you are thinking of installing?

Bit of a long read, but some interesting stuff on electric cooking here:

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ey-267283.html

Pete

[Murky Dregs]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Hi and welcome. Sounds a interesting project.

What size is that Volvo you are thinking of installing?

Bit of a long read, but some interesting stuff on electric cooking here:

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ey-267283.html

Pete

Builder recommended the D4 @270 hp for the build, thanks for the thread!

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Murky Dregs

Builder recommended the D4 @270 hp for the build, thanks for the thread!

Given your requirement for electrically based ammenities, are you planning on marinas with shorepower only ?

[Murky Dregs]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

Given your requirement for electrically based ammenities, are you planning on marinas with shorepower only ?

In short, no. Definitely going to run a generator and use solar as necessary.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Murky Dregs

In short, no. Definitely going to run a generator and use solar as necessary.

A genny and enough solar power for your wants seems a lot for a boat that size. Love to see how thats layed out.

[Murky Dregs]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

A genny and enough solar power for your wants seems a lot for a boat that size. Love to see how thats layed out.

Indeed, LPG is still an option if that's the best-case scenario.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Murky Dregs

Indeed, LPG is still an option if that's the best-case scenario.

That is our current solution. Solar at higher latitudes is great during the summer with long daylight hours, but fails miserably in the winter. A saw 18w from 600w of solar last week during a drab mid afternoon.

If you were willing to forgo the the stuff on the roof you could probably get 600w of solar on there. That should be good for 2.5kWh each day in sunny conditions. I had difficulty finding the right image for a Downeaster 29, so guessed its something like this.

We think we need about 1.6kWh of solar to run the yacht and electric cooking based on a small electric kettle, toaster, induction hob and Remoska. If we have a few days of rain, not an unknown occurrence in the UK then a couple of hours of engine time or plug into shorepower will make up the difference. Since you have a genny, it shouldn't be a problem.

Are you having a full cockpit canopy for the stern? That would be high on my list of extras as it creates another space when its raining.

Pete

[Adelie]

Welcome.

I would suggest updating your profile with your general location and your boat make & model or “Looking” in the "Boat" category. This info shows up under your UserName in every post in the web view. Many questions are boat and/or location dependent and having these tidbits under your UserName saves answering those questions repeatedly. If you need help setting up your profile then click on this link: https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ml#post3308797

I would happily help more if the link above is not enough.