IanD
-
Posts
18,269 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
142
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Gallery
Blogs
Store
Posts posted by IanD
-
-
51 minutes ago, wakey_wake said:
I'm puzzled, what are those channels cut from outside inwards, into the cabin top / waterline / deep into the baseplate?
They're where longitudinal stringers are fitted, the same depth as the cross-beams with similar slots but on the inside -- these fit together, and are then welded. The hull plates then go on the outside of this criss-cross structure.
-
1 hour ago, DHutch said:
Looks tidy.
But this is very disappointing.
Obviously other panels from other manufacturers may well perform very differently.
Indeed they may -- or may not... 😞
Given the way that the failures on mine progressed -- first winter all fine, second winter 5/13 delaminated at the edges and 8 perfectly fine, second winter 11/13 completely delaminated but 2 still perfectly fine -- it seems there's no way to predict which panels are going to fail. Some other boats with the same panels have had the same problem, some haven't. The fact that the manufacturer will only warrant replacements (or now, new panels?) for 12 months gives me no confidence that they know what went wrong, or that it won't happen again.
To his credit, Ricky has offered to replace them with rigid panels under the Finesse boat guarantee, but if they're replaced with the same semi-flexible panels instead and then they fail after 12 months replacing them a second time with rigids would be at my (considerable!) expense, since I would have knowingly accepted the risk of doing this. Given this I'm just not willing to enter the flexible panel lottery for a second time, and risk a re-occurrence... 😉
Other people may well make a different decision, for example I know some people are still having them fitted to new-build boats after having been warned of the problem, presumably thinking they won't get any bad panels -- which is of course perfectly possible, given that plenty of boats haven't had this problem.
Well, yet... 😉
-
1
-
-
1 hour ago, shaun15124 said:
That’s a valid point — it’s a 45ft, and the feedback was that it felt a bit narrower than normal to be fair
so the width is
Thanks Shaun -- that's about 150mm/6" narrower than normal below the gunwales (my boat is 1850mm/6'1" here), which explains why it looks (and is!) narrow... 😉
-
Hi Shaun -- I've asked this before, but having seen the photos of the finished result it does look significantly narrower than a steel-hulled narrowboat internally -- for example looking at the far end worktops, one is narrow and the door looks narrower than usual too.
What's the internal width below and above the gunwales?
-
1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:
But a lot better than ""Domestos kills 99% of all household germs."
Or probably the tap water that most people are not worried about.... 😉
-
1
-
-
2 hours ago, blackrose said:
I don't have a Victron multiplus, just a Victron smart solar MPPT.
So is that using the relay connections G below?
Why are others buying additional relays if they can do it this way with their MPPT?
Because that relay connection is only capable of switching low currents and low voltages, not high-current 230Vac to drive an immersion heater.
So you use that relay to control the coil of an external relay which is capable of doing this.
-
14 minutes ago, PeterF said:
With all the talk of hybrid systems where the LA and Lithium batteries are directly connected together and the BMS is used to regulate the lithium battery charging from the alternator via over voltage protection, apparently Fogstar no longer support this type of hybrid installation.
This type of charging control is exactly what is reported to have occurred on the ABC dayboat, routine charging from a source with a higher absorption voltage than required by the BMS which was routinely going into over voltage protection. I know that the Facebook group recommends reducing the over voltage setting in the BMS.
Regarding DIY installs, having gone the complete Victron route (NG batteries, BMS, Cerbo, Wakespeed) at least the configuration side is seamless, the BMS runs the show per Victron requirements, no user settings, just connecting all the control cables. This leaves wiring, fusing ( Class T installed) and crimping etc.
Exactly what the root cause of the ABC dayboat fire was has not been disclosed, assuming it is actually known -- ABC have been asked again by the IWA/CA LBG but have not replied. Plenty of supposed causes are floating about from both sides, including a faulty battery, faulty BMS firmware, wrong system setup (the "15S vs 16S" suggestion) -- what is pretty certain is that this wasn't a "hybrid" setup with parallel LA/LFP, nor one with an alternator causing overvoltage (no engine!).
100%-Victron is indeed the safest/easiest way -- the system pretty much sets itself up, the user can't b*gger it up by changing critical settings, and all the firmware Including BMS) can be remotely monitored and updated to fix bugs. However it's also the most expensive way of building such a system, which is why so many canal boaters shy away from it... 😉
-
6 minutes ago, blackrose said:
Is this still the best way to install a solar dump to a mains immersion heater? I've also watched a few YouTube videos of people doing the same thing with a voltage controlled relay and variable power controller.
Solar Dump Arrangement (1) (1) (1).pdf 1.34 MB · 0 downloads
Or would it be easier if I installed a Cerbo?
I have 910w of panels, Victron 150/60 MPPT and a 2000w standalone PSW inverter, 1kW mains immersion with fused switch, 560ah of LiFePo4 batteries and a Victron BMV battery monitor.
On sunny days I switch on the immersion heater and I could use the immersion timer, but it would be nice to have a proper solar dump load.
If you have a Victron Multiplus or Quattro you can connect the immersion to the (switched) AC2 output, and use an assistant to turn this on and off -- a Cerbo isn't needed. However the capabilities of these assistants are pretty crude (e.g. turn on at 53.9V (just below float voltage) and off at 53V (about 95% SoC), a Cerbo running Node Red gives you a lot more flexibility.
-
1 hour ago, nicknorman said:
I don't think the ABC fire has disproven this. There are plenty of cases of people being injured by exploding LA batteries venting hydrogen and oxygen, with some added sprayed hot sulphuric acid as a bonus. Although the ABC boat was a total loss, no-one was injured and had the boat been occupied I think its reasonable to suggest that the occupants would have realised something was badly amiss when the battery started to vent. There could be a safety case for requiring the batteries to be in some sort of compartment vented to outside, so any venting gas is dispersed, but beyond that the primary safety benefit of LiFePO4 is that the batteries don't self-ignite or explode even with extreme abuse, unlike LA. It's worth remembering that flammable gas doesn't burn unless there is oxygen. This is why a Li battery doesn't explode - there is no oxygen inside. Whereas a LA battery can be full of gaseous oxygen and gaseous hydrogen and guess what happens internally when a slight spark etc sets that off inside the battery case.
I agree that the big benefit of LFP compared to other Li-ion batteries is they don't have the severe self-ignition/explosive LITHIUM BATTERY FIRE!!! problem so beloved of YouTubers, this is acknowledged in the ISO standard (rate of temperature rise is less than 1% in comparison).
However they do have a gas emission problem if faulty or grossly overcharged, as unfortunately happened on the ABC boat. The gasses emitted from the subsequent LFP electrolyte decomposition are explosive but are also pretty toxic if breathed in, and are emitted *way* more rapidly than those from LA batteries -- I don't know if the figure was in the course notes (I'll check) but IIRC the rate (in liters/minute) was around 100x greater than for overcharged LA batteries.
(if you want to argue about this, I suggest you get in touch with the guy who ran the BM LFP course, I provided details elsewhere)
If these gases can escape freely to the outside world via ventilation -- which may require gas detection and fans to get enough throughput! -- then this isn't such a problem. If this doesn't happen and they build up in a confined space then the result can be seen on the ABC boat.
If they get into the living space and people breathe them in then there are other nasty consequences, which is why putting them inside living areas is likely to be banned unless they're in a sealed box vented to the outside world -- the venting is necessary, a gastight box turns the battery box into a potential bomb... 😞
And yes I know that this should never happen with a properly designed system, but it has now happened once... 😞
I'm not personally the slightest bit worried about the safety of my boat and I'm sure you're not either, but it's not people like us that the insurers and BSS have to worry about, it's the bodgers and "I can just put a drop-in LFP anywhere, they're completely safe!!!" YouTubers -- and I can pretty much guarantee that the ABC boat fire *will* be used to justify new LFP regulations and insurance requirements, even though these may seem unnecessary to the likes of you and me... 😞
-
1
-
-
32 minutes ago, nicknorman said:
Yes it might get interesting. But just on the point of installer insurance I think this could be a rabbit hole. Who checks that a boat builder actually has current liability insurance? Who checks that a manufacturer of electronic bits has product liability insurance? And even if they did at the time, what happens if the company has gone bust between installation and it all blowing up? And for the insurer of the boat, it would be a long and difficult job to prove that the installer or the manufacturer was liable, and then sue them to recover the money. I suspect they wouldn't bother and just cough up.
I don't have any professional qualifications at spannering and soldering and crimping things, other than my aircraft maintenance licence, but I do have an honours degree in electrical and electronic engineering from a "proper" university and have worked as an electronic design engineer for a few years. Perhaps if I wave my degree certificate at them they will let me off? (just joking by the way!)
I did have a look at the cell manufacturer's datasheet (CALB) but when I got to the page with an "exploded diagram" I got too scared to read any further.
I agree 100% with what you say, but unfortunately that's not how insurers seem to work, they want to take the easy way out -- and in some cases (see ABYC in the USA) that already means requiring that the system is professionally installed, in some cases they simply refuse to cover DIY installations, in other cases they put non-LFP-appropriate restrictions in place.
Before the ABC fire the general belief -- including from me! -- was that LFP batteries are very safe, maybe safer than LA batteries, and that they simply didn't have the fire risks of other lithium-ion chemistries and this was the focus of safety assessments.
What has changed is that a lot of the risk discussions are now about gas emissions if there's a fault or gross overcharging, which of course shouldn't ever happen in a properly designed/built system but nevertheless did in this isolated/unique case -- and these gases are not only explosive but also very nasty if inhaled in a confined space.
All the proposals for LFP install regulations/rules -- like for gas installations -- use words like "professional" or "competence", without acknowledging the fact that there's no actual definition of what this means... 😞
You're in the same position as me regarding background -- but I can play a trump card, I've got an official certificate that shows I attended the BM LFP course, and was told that such could be used to help demonstrate "competence"... 😉
-
1
-
-
44 minutes ago, nicknorman said:
It will be interesting to see if there is a definition of “manufacturer”. I designed and built my own alternator controller and BMS. I therefore consider myself to be the manufacturer. Naturally I complied with my requirements when installing the system!
DIY LFP installations like yours -- however well executed, even better than some "professional" ones! -- are undoubtedly going to be a difficult discussion point in the future as far as regulations/insurance are concerned... 😉
The big questions are -- who is responsible for the quality of the system design/construction (what counts as "competent"?), who certifies it (BSS?), and who carries the can (is covered by insurance?) if something goes wrong like the ABC dayboat fire/explosion.
It's essentially the same issue as onboard gas installations, except the industry is well familiar with those having been dealing with them for 50+ years but is still catching up with new technology like LFP -- and to be honest, they've been complacent and asleep on the job, and this event came as a rude awakening... 😞
Any installer/boatbuilder would presumably (how?) be deemed "competent" but unlike you will also have professional liability insurance, in case they do something wrong/negligent which results in a boat loss -- and the boat insurer can then recover costs from their insurer. The boat insurer can't do this with a DIY installer so are taking on an unquantifiable risk with no risk transfer, which insurers are very reluctant to do for obvious reasons... 😞
"Competence" is another big issue -- of course I've no doubt you are, the question is how do you demonstrate it to your insurer? Have you been on any industry-certified LFP training courses like the British Marine one? Do you have any professional qualifications as an electrician/electrical installer?
Please don't get me wrong, I'm not in any way having a go at you here, I suspect that your DIY LFP installation is as safe as any good professionally installed one like mine -- and also probably better than some poorer ones, since your boat hasn't exploded. But DIY LFP installs are not an easy problem to deal with, and unlike DIY gas installs it can be difficult/impossible to spot something dangerous especially if it's hidden in configuration/software... 😞
37 minutes ago, nicknorman said:I will probably need to write an “installation manual” to please the BSS examiner!
That’s ok, I haven’t got any LA in the system (apart from engine starter). Although I don’t recall getting any “instructions” with the cells.
Not even on the cell manufacturer's website? 😉
P.S. If you thought that it was OK to connect LA and LFP in parallel, I expect that would instantly disqualify you as "competent"... 🙂
-
1
-
-
5 minutes ago, nicknorman said:
It will be interesting to see if there is a definition of “manufacturer”. I designed and built my own alternator controller and BMS. I therefore consider myself to be the manufacturer. Naturally I complied with my requirements when installing the system!
Except that LFP batteries/cells/BMS -- even the ones you used! -- invariably have "Must not be connected in parallel with batteries of other chemistries" in the instructions... 😉
-
1
-
-
18 hours ago, davidg said:
Not just boats, e-bikes, e-cigarettes etc, having problems while charging. One of the new dual mode tram/trains for the south Wales valleys has been reported as suffering a “superficial thermal runaway” (which somehow reminds me of “unscheduled rapid disassembly”😁).
Doubt it’s a dodgy knock-off charger in use.
Entire fleet grounded pending investigation, fortunately they are only out on driver training at the moment.
But just to be clear, there are now frequent and serious fires caused by "lithium-ion" batteries (meaning, not LFP) in all sorts of portable appliances, including e-scooters and e-bikes and laptops and power banks and tools and e-cigarettes and phones, and these are burning down several houses per week and unfortunately killing people.
These "unstoppable" fires are what are leading to all the rules (e.g. from insurers) about not charging unattended and having "lithium-grade" fire extinguishers, and perhaps having steel/fireproof battery boxes.
The situation with LFP is rather different; the problem here is not the "unstoppable fires" (because they don't self-generate oxygen like the other chemistries) but the poisonous/inflammable gases which they can emit in large volumes when grossly overcharged. AFAIK the ABC dayboat fire/explosion is the only recorded case of this happening on a boat with LFP batteries, even though there have been thousands of them out there for many years (largely on lumpy water boats).
This isolated event has woken up both the insurance industries and organisations like BSS who were basically not taking much notice of LFP on boats because they hadn't seem any problems previously -- because they're both reactive not proactive, and often don't really understand new technology***... 😞
You can view this as unfortunate for all the boaters with LFP on board who have safe installations and have never had any problems and may be affected in future (e.g. insurance refusal, requirement to take unnecessary precautions on board) -- or you can view it as a fortunate wake-up event for the (asleep!) industry which was lucky not to kill someone, and so rules are needed to stop this happening again even if it's extremely unlikely, especially in a properly designed/protected system... 😉
*** and are often failing to distinguish between the two problems (fire and gassing), their risks and the required solutions... 😞
-
3
-
-
20 hours ago, nicknorman said:
The low rpm issue was just about having a large alternator connected to a relatively short stroke modern engine - at low engine rpm the maximum available torque is quite low. This was not a problem introduced by an alternator controller, it was a feature of how Beta set up the pulley ratios, although made worse by Li batteries which can take the alternator's maximum current for long periods. But both the Zeus and the Wakespeed have a setting that causes the maximum field current to be reduced at low rpm to avoid the problem. I would have thought that a Gardner would not suffer from this problem so much, since it has a lot of torque at low rpm, and it was not about the absolute rpm anyway, it was about how much torque as a proportion of the maximum, is available near idle rpm.
Most diesels -- Gardners and Beta included -- have a similar shaped torque curve when scaled to maximum torque/power/rpm. Taking the Beta 43 as an example maximum torque at idle (900rpm) is just under 110nm (10kW output), similar to at maximum (2800rpm, 32kW) -- in between it peaks at just under 130nm at 1800rpm (25kW).
Assuming the engine power is the same and the alternator pulleys are chosen to keep the same alternator rpm, the load on the engine will be similar as a fraction of maximum power in both cases -- the fact that the Gardner may have twice the torque at half the rpm (same power) in all three cases (idle/max torque/max power) will make no difference, assuming the alternator crank pulley diameter is doubled compared to the Beta.
The key in both cases is to have the correct pulley ratio, and to pull back the field current at idle speeds -- partly to protect the alternator (they tend to fry if asked to put out a lot of current into LFP batteries for several hours at low speed, the cooling fan turns too slowly), but also in some cases the engine -- Beta have a big red notice in their manual (and engine bay?) saying something like "Do not charge for extended periods/heavy loads below 1200rpm". There's plenty of low-speed torque available in theory, but in reality using it may cause engine damage.
-
2
-
-
36 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:
From what i've read on the Book of Face, the boat that did the lifting reported it to CRT and to the Shropshire Union Canal Users group (it's private and i'm not a member so can't confirm) before they left the lock.
That's as much stickybeaking as i can be bothered to do on a bank holiday
I assume they got their bow/fender caught under a gate crossbeam and lifted it out of the cup as the boat rose in the lock?
-
37 minutes ago, Steve Bassplayer said:
Here’s an interesting view on the subject of specialised LFA fire extinguishers. My thoughts were, do I really want to risk uncovering the batteries and attempt to use a fire extinguisher, or get myself and anyone else out of the boat?
https://youtu.be/aWfvnijhkFY?si=jumbxH_ytGAnxKbk
It’s easy to see why insurers are getting twitchy about these kind of batteries. Seems there have been quite a few deaths involving e-bikes (London Fire Gov).
https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/safety/lithium-batteries/
Regarding any comparison with Lead Acid batteries, it is very difficult to find any studies regarding deaths involving LA batteries. One study claimed 14 deaths over 40 years worldwide. I suspect that there hasn’t been much interest in collating incidents involving LA batteries in the past. I did note that many of these incidents often involved other unfortunate circumstances as I expect to be the case for many LFA related incidents.
The recommended action for a lithium battery fire of any size -- like an installed battery on a boat -- is "get out as quickly as possible and call the fire brigade".
They may help/work on small appliance fires, but in this situation any handheld "lithium-specific" fire extinguisher will be about as much use as a chocolate fireguard... 😞
Not just my opinion, straight from the horses' mouth... 🙂
2 hours ago, blackrose said:So it doesn't sound like they're classifying it as a Major Craft Conversion to me?
As I suggested earlier, I think this is as much about people getting their knickers in a twist and then prompting their insurers to do the same.
Nothing about people getting their knickers in a twist, this is all about trying to keep boaters informed about what is happening that may well have an impact on them in the near future, and steer things in the right direction -- for example there's a BSS advice leaflet being prepared now which I've just reviewed to try and correct some errors, and I'm likely to end up representing the IWA on the BSS Lithium Battery Safety group for the same reason.
If you want to stick your head in the sand and hope that the ISO standards are not going to drive what BSS and insurers do, I'm afraid you're going to get a nasty surprise at some point... 😉
-
1
-
-
2 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:
If you have a shiny boat.
- Check all fake rivets are present. Replace as necessary.
- Boat club burgee flying?
- Inventory gin, tonic and lemon stocks. Renew and replace as required. Is it time for a G&T? Yes it is!
- Inspect your leather windlass holder for splitting, or abrasion. Rub in neatsfoot oil.
- Check your red neckerchief colour against "Friends of President" guidelines. Replace if too pink, or faded.
- Polish all brasswork.
- After polishing (see above), give your klaxon a test sounding.
- Ensure all mooring ropes are neatly curled.
- Inspect all fenders. Replace any with any signs of contact with a boat, or structure.
- Make sure your "Registered at ******" signwriting is clearly visible.
- Check the boat's location. Is it on the cut? If so, return to the posh marina as soon as possible and do not stray again.
If you have a non shiny "shed" boat.
- Inspect hull for signs of blacking and remove.
- Check your pirate flag is present and flying.
- Inventory White Lightning and weed stocks and renew as required. Is it time for a drink and a spliff? Yes it is!
- Ensure your blue tarp is firmly tied down across your log pile.
- Check any paintwork present for lack of rust breaking through.
- Check the saplings growing in your fenders. Prune to ensure abundant growth in the summer ahead.
- Check the boat's location. Is it within 100 yards of a water point? If not, rectify as soon as possible and do not stray again.
- Check for presence of cobwebs on your Rosie and Jim dolls.
- Ensure dead batteries are present on the stern deck.
- Check that neither the boat name, or index number are visible on either side.
- Measure the level of oily water in the bilge. Is it less than six inches? If so, loosen the stern gland nuts to rectify.
Gin, tonic and LEMON?!?!?
LIME, as any fule kno... 😉
-
1
-
40 minutes ago, Ronaldo47 said:
Taken literally, this would mean that if solar panels were used to charge lithium batteries, the solar panels would have to be disconnected whenever the boat was left unattended.
In fact, taken literally, it is not the boat that must not be left unattended, but the batteries, implying that someone has to be present to keep an eye on the batteries all the time they are being charged. If the crew are busy working a lock, and the steerer is concentrating on steering and throttle, is anyone actually attending the batteries?
Already pointed out. It makes no sense... 😞
-
1 hour ago, Col_T said:
I don’t have LFPs so am not up to speed with all the tech, but . . . .
I think I understood that an inbuilt BMS can / will / could be configured from an app over Bluetooth, and can report metrics back to the app, again over Bluetooth, once the battery and BMS installation is complete. Presumably, that is when the battery would be put into its steel box.
Some aspects of monitoring the battery (charge / discharge over a given time-period) can be achieved via shunt-based monitoring, so is it really a problem that one cannot access the BMS via Bluetooth as and when an owner feels curious enough??
Yes, because the standards require that the BMS warns the steerer about disconnections (before they happen!) and fault conditions, so it must be capable of talking to the outside world.
42 minutes ago, David Mack said:Is there some sort of bluetooth wired relay system which could have one bluetooth module inside the battery box to communicate with the battery(ies), a connecting wire to run through a suitable gland in the box, and then another bluetooth module to communicate wirelessly with the app?
Not AFAIK...
-
25 minutes ago, David Mack said:
https://www.facebook.com/blacklionconsallforge/ suggests they are doing food again.
That's good news -- last time I looked they were only doing burgers and stuff from a barbecue, looks like they're back to the full kitchen now 🙂
-
1
-
-
2 minutes ago, midnight cowboy said:
Keepgoing to the Black Lion at Consall Forge if the River Churnet level allows (it was in full flood in February when we were there)
Used to be a fantastic beer/food pub before the fire a few years ago closed their kitchen... 😞
Anyone know what they're like today?
-
26 minutes ago, GUMPY said:
If you do need a new mattress these people are good.
https://www.made2measuremattress.co.uk/
I've used them a few times on different boats.
I used them too for a made-to measure double mattress (one side tapered towards foot to match cabin side), happy with the result (Hybrid Memory 1000 -- expensive but *very* comfortable).
Similar quality to Edwardian Bedding but significantly cheaper... 😉
-
2 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:
As the RCD decision was published in 2022, it would hardly be likely to quote a 2025 ISO.
The ISO 2025 issue you pasted says the same as the 2022 RCD decision, ie follow ISO 9094 and the manufacturers installation instructions
<sigh> that's because I didn't paste the other 50 pages... 😉
There were a lot of significant changes put into ISO23265-2025 and more are still in progress, along with changes to the other regulations like ISO9094 -- again, as I already said above. In my view, anything more than a year or so old (i.e. before the ABC dayboat fire) should be regarded as obsolete. That also applies to manufacturer's installation instructions, for the same reason -- they haven't caught up with the (still-evolving...) standards, or the fact that LFPs can go BOOM... 🙂
Please stop quoting from sources which either don't/won't apply to the UK canals or date from before this, you're only confusing the issue.
P.S. Here's the source of the slides:
Next one May 12th, half-day online, £330 inc. VAT 🙂
-
1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:
It looks pretty much as if the ISO 23625 2025 is simply following on from the 2021 version and ISO 9094, as quoted by the RCD in a question regarding Lithium batteries in 2022
Ie : Install following the manufacturers instructions
Except that is out of date (2021 release of ISO23265, not 2025 the current one), and focuses only on fire (not really a hazard for LFP). The emphasis now has shifted significantly to gassing (following the ABC dayboat explosion?) for which LFP are no better than the other chemistries, and this is where all the box/venting/isolation rules are coming from.
You might want to read up on current rules appropriate to the UK, as opposed to quoting from non-UK sources and outdated documents -- especially since all this is changing rapidly, as noted in the slides above.
If you really want to be able to speak with some authority on this might I suggest you attend the next BM course, it's only a few hundred quid? 🙂
(the IWA paid for me to attend to evaluate it and report back on its accuracy/suitability for installers/boatbuilders)
1 hour ago, David Mack said:Another thought: If I have to put my LFPs in a steel box how is the Bluetooth connection between the BMS and my phone app going to work? Plenty of 'drop in' LFP batteries don't have any provision for a wired connection.
I can't see how imposing a 'safety' measure which prevents me managing my batteries is a very good idea.
It isn't, you'd have to have a wired connection.
Don't shoot the messenger, I also think the fireproof steel*** box idea is a stupid idea for inland waterways boats, but it's already being mooted by some yachting associations (Aus/NZ IIRC?), and unless there's some pushback against "one-size-fits-all" it might end up applying to canal boats too... 😞
(though we are pushing back against any suggestion like this, it looks like the LFP sealing/venting rules will apply -- as they should since this is why the ABC boat blew up, and it was pure luck that nobody died).
*** though it's also being suggested that other non-metallic materials with fire-resistant lining might also meet any standards, especially for shorter periods of fire resistance.
HDPE canal boat
in General Boating
Posted
Not really -- it's just like a normal steel hull which has crossways stringers welded to it, but this also has lengthways ones. The difference is that these are all deeper because HDPE is less stiff than steel, and maybe also more closely spaced for the same reason. I also believe the assembly is in a different order, with steel the sequence is baseplate/hull sides/frames, with HDPE the frame (stringers in both directions slotted together and welded) is assembled first, then this is welded to the baseplate and then the hull sides are welded on. I assume this works because everything is precision laser-cut so all the frames fit together exactly, this wouldn't really work with steel.
When the inner lining is added you get spaces between this and the hull, just like with a steel hull.