How much ballast for a 45 - 50 dutch barge style narrowboat

[jack2]

Hi,

After much discussion and soul serching, I have ordered a Dutch barge style narrow boat from HT fabrications.

They are making it to my own specs.

The shell will be about 8 tons (10 .6.4) with a Lister SR3 about (1/2 ton all in) plus floors etc.

How much ballast will I need?

[nb Innisfree]

Hi,

After much discussion and soul serching, I have ordered a Dutch barge style narrow boat from HT fabrications.

They are making it to my own specs.

The shell will be about 8 tons (10 .6.4) with a Lister SR3 about (1/2 ton all in) plus floors etc.

How much ballast will I need?

 

What draught will it draw?

[Steamerpoint]

Hi,

After much discussion and soul serching, I have ordered a Dutch barge style narrow boat from HT fabrications.

They are making it to my own specs.

The shell will be about 8 tons (10 .6.4) with a Lister SR3 about (1/2 ton all in) plus floors etc.

How much ballast will I need?

Seriously Jeallous here!

I rang them a few months ago and asked for a quote to build me a sailaway. I understand that they built Strawberry Fields being shown at the Crick show earlier this year. Linky

Not sure why, but this type of boat really apeals to me, but at £95k for the finished product is too much for me at the moment!

 

Good luck with it.

Edited August 2, 2009 by Steamerpoint

[colin stone]

Hi,

After much discussion and soul serching, I have ordered a Dutch barge style narrow boat from HT fabrications.

They are making it to my own specs.

The shell will be about 8 tons (10 .6.4) with a Lister SR3 about (1/2 ton all in) plus floors etc.

How much ballast will I need?

 

Length x Beam x reqd draft - all in metres x 0.8 (block coefficient - designer/builder may be able to advise on a more accurate figure - the more like a box the hull is, this figure approaches 1) should give you the displacement of the hull in m3. In fresh water m3 = tons as fresh water has SG of 1.0. (In salt water with SG of 1.025, so m3 x 1.025 to get hull weight required)

Eg 18m x 2.1m x 0.6m x 0.8 = 18.144m3 = 18.144 tons weight.

 

Work out weight of everything - shell, water tanks, fuel tanks, waste tanks - decide with tanks if you want correct draft at empty, half full or full tanks. Add in weight of fitting out - machinery, external woodwork, all internal wood work, furniture, galley equipment, bathroom kit, domestic bits and bobs. Finally add in personal possessions, food and beer stores, wine cellar etc etc etc.

 

Once you have a total weight for all that, the difference with the first figure of 18.144 tons is the amount of ballast required. Over the years boat weight will creep up, so either have access to adjust ballast - recommended anyway - or put in a little less - 0.5 ton - to allow for this.

[ChrisPy]

Length x Beam x reqd draft - all in metres x 0.8 (block coefficient - designer/builder may be able to advise on a more accurate figure - the more like a box the hull is, this figure approaches 1) should give you the displacement of the hull in m3. In fresh water m3 = tons as fresh water has SG of 1.0. (In salt water with SG of 1.025, so m3 x 1.025 to get hull weight required)

Eg 18m x 2.1m x 0.6m x 0.8 = 18.144m3 = 18.144 tons weight.

 

Work out weight of everything - shell, water tanks, fuel tanks, waste tanks - decide with tanks if you want correct draft at empty, half full or full tanks. Add in weight of fitting out - machinery, external woodwork, all internal wood work, furniture, galley equipment, bathroom kit, domestic bits and bobs. Finally add in personal possessions, food and beer stores, wine cellar etc etc etc.

 

Once you have a total weight for all that, the difference with the first figure of 18.144 tons is the amount of ballast required. Over the years boat weight will creep up, so either have access to adjust ballast - recommended anyway - or put in a little less - 0.5 ton - to allow for this.

and keep some locations where the floor can easily be lifted to make adjustments after the boat is completed - see a separate thread.

[nb Innisfree]

Innisfree is a 60' nb, 22" draught and weighs approx 18+ tons with all tanks full. 2.25 tons of ballast aranged at a ratio of 66% at the front and 33% at the back to give a level trim when front water tank is full. Hope this will serve you as a rough guide

[jack2]

Seriously Jeallous here!

I rang them a few months ago and asked for a quote to build me a sailaway. I understand that they built Strawberry Fields being shown at the Crick show earlier this year. Linky

Not sure why, but this type of boat really apeals to me, but at £95k for the finished product is too much for me at the moment!

 

Good luck with it.

Hi, They seem to be a nice company to work with.They have been super so far! There is no way I could pay £90000+ for a boat , my outside target is £30000. (present boat was £200000.)

Thanks for all the other answers and help, I should be able to get a good guess for ballast from these.

[Steamerpoint]

Hi, They seem to be a nice company to work with.They have been super so far! There is no way I could pay £90000+ for a boat , my outside target is £30000. (present boat was £200000.)

Thanks for all the other answers and help, I should be able to get a good guess for ballast from these.

How do you plan to drive the prop from the Lister? Will you be running a prop shaft from the engine under the wheel-house straight through the back cabin and out the back or will you be using a hydraulic drive and running hydraulic pipes round the sides/ floor of the back cabin?

 

Otherton Boats used the hydraulic drive method and because they were putting the power through a hydraulic pump, they were also able to power a hydraulic bow thruster. These I understand and much more reliable than the electric variety.

Edited August 3, 2009 by Steamerpoint

[jack2]

How do you plan to drive the prop from the Lister? Will you be running a prop shaft from the engine under the wheel-house straight through the back cabin and out the back or will you be using a hydraulic drive and running hydraulic pipes round the sides/ floor of the back cabin?

 

Otherton Boats used the hydraulic drive method and because they were putting the power through a hydraulic pump, they were also able to power a hydraulic bow thruster. These I understand and much more reliable than the electric variety.

 

It won't be like a traditional dutch barge, but a combi between a dutch barge and a cruiser stern narrowboat!

Basically Licorice Fields without the rear cabin! Therefore a "normal" narrowboat engine system.

Will post pictures when it arrives in September.

I am now getting quite excited about it!!!!!

[Steamerpoint]

It won't be like a traditional dutch barge, but a combi between a dutch barge and a cruiser stern narrowboat!

Basically Licorice Fields without the rear cabin! Therefore a "normal" narrowboat engine system.

Will post pictures when it arrives in September.

I am now getting quite excited about it!!!!!

Okay, great.

Sounds different, can't wait.

 

Chris.