The design of this 12 m prototype is based on the "blazer"... a flat bottom sailing fishing boat built in 1885 to sail in extremely rough seas off the Dutch coast. I adapted the design so that the ship can be completely turned over and come back up again. The topsides are about 1 inch thick(2.4 cm) and the bottom is about 6 inches thick. It it has to be very strong on the bottom for beaching in rough seas. It must come down a wave fully loaded with 20 tons cargo , smash on sand or small stones , and not split open like a watermelon. Everything about the design is made so that it can withstand rough treatment with little upkeep. The holes in it are for ropes to be put through so that everything can be tied on... including the lee boards on each side, the mast and rigging,the bowsprit, and the rudder. There are no bolts or screws. The interior also has holes for ropes to be tied. .. so that it is rather like a spider web inside... nets can be hung for sleeping in, and cargo can be tied down. This facilitates easy cleaning , because cargo is often messy. If fresh produce is taken, cockroaches must be easily cleaned when the interior is washed.
I've had a lot of trouble in its construction, saturating with cement the 12 layers of wire mesh used for reinforcement. The wire mesh is expensive. I found a solution by replacing the wire mesh with small polyester strands which can be mixed in with the cement. Also I find it's possible to add bubbles to the cement so that the cement can actually be lighter than water. This will mean that the ship will float when being damaged with a hole and is extremely well insulated. On the planned larger 24 meter ships, the hull thickness could be over 1 meter thick, thus giving fantastic insolation for refrigerated cargo. The ships can also take cargo such as live fish swimming in the hold. There should be no need for paint. The growth on the bottom could be washed by hand.
I've had a lot of trouble in its construction, saturating with cement the 12 layers of wire mesh used for reinforcement. The wire mesh is expensive. I found a solution by replacing the wire mesh with small polyester strands which can be mixed in with the cement. Also I find it's possible to add bubbles to the cement so that the cement can actually be lighter than water. This will mean that the ship will float when being damaged with a hole and is extremely well insulated. On the planned larger 24 meter ships, the hull thickness could be over 1 meter thick, thus giving fantastic insolation for refrigerated cargo. The ships can also take cargo such as live fish swimming in the hold. There should be no need for paint. The growth on the bottom could be washed by hand.
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