Entry #8

TRILOBYTE 16

drawings - stats - boat - budget - explanation - bio

Drawings:

Stats:

Statistics:		Comments:
Length:	15 ft 6 in	Sheet Dimensions make for Super-quick Build Time
Beam Hull:	4 ft ½ in
Extreme:	4 ft 8 in
Draft Board Up:	3 to 6 in
Board Down:	to 3 ft	Heeled with Board Extended
Displacement @ 3" WL:	650 lbs	Same Beam Displacements in a knockdown
Displacement @ 6" WL:	1400 lbs
Weight Empty:	425 lbs
Cabin Length:	7 ft 10 in
Width:	4 ft	Sleeps Two, Side by Side
Headroom:	3 ft 4½ in	Under Deck, More in Gangway
Waterline: Upright (6" Draft):	12 ft
Heeled (6" Draft):	14 ft	Develops ‘V’-Bottom
Hull Speed Upright:	4 Knots	1.112 (Theoretical)
Heeled:	4.5 Knots	1.214 (Theoretical)
Rowing Speed Steady:	3+ Knots	One or Two Persons, Calm Water
Sprint:	4+ Knots	Two Persons Only
Sail Area:	84 sq ft	Reportedly 40% More Efficient Than Jib-Headed Sails

Boat:

Trilobyte is an expedition cruiser for two. Design priority was to expedite the building process, making possible ‘build on location’ adventures.

Layout is ‘instant’ (direct on ply panels, no jig). Major components are rectangular simple fractions of ply sheets, minimizing measurement and cutting, and generating a ‘self-rectifying’ geometry. ‘Physical landmarks’ take the place of much layout. The barge hull has no plan view curvature (constant beam bow to stern) and the planking is laid outboard of full width panels, eliminating all longitudinal and edge cuts. The flat barge mid-body profile, eliminates mid-body layout and cutting. Three of the five thwartships members are standardized for ‘mass production’ and the other two stress similarity.

We constructed and rigged her in three days of spring break, with time left over for sea-trials. This summer’s trip, from Ft. Benton, MT to New Orleans, LA, will put her to the test!

Modified crab claw rig rotates around three axises. To tack, roll it over the top or around the front of the short mast. No reefing; rolling toward horizontal directs force upward, converting heeling moment to lift. When fully horizontal (neutral), it’s a bimini (collecting and shedding rain aft). Backward sailing is easy! All ‘remote control’ via running lines from shelter! After about 25 knots in bimini mode it gets loud, but is easy to strike. ‘Clears away’ in 5 minutes, tops.

The large (4' x 8' x 3'4½+"), Birdwatcher style cabin affords protection from the elements while sailing, rowing or drifting. We could mount a motor, but hate the damn things. Self-rescueing provides security when going gets rough on the big lakes. Finding camping sites both practical and permissible is unnecessary, as is each night’s chore of pitching camp after a day’s rowing. Her flat cabin sole (vs. sharpie rocker) makes a level sleeping platform. Large windows, sitting headroom and the ‘Lenihan’ charcoal cabin heater make waiting out foul weather enjoyable. In warm weather, half the overhead and companionways open up under the biminied sail. The canted fore and aft decks give easy access to increased stowage, and allow the inboard tiller vertical swing-room for a standing helmsperson. Her high ends lift transoms clear of waves.

Substantial displacement provides carrying capacity for tools, toys and a month’s provisions. This allows us to linger or hunker down in style, making optional the paying of higher ‘small town’ prices and reducing commuting time and energy. Our 5+ gallon water supply is supplemented between towns with rain water backed up by filtration.

Cooking is done onboard (vents open) using chafing gel for fuel or ashore on open or ‘pocketed’ fires (folding pocket stove). The main meal of the day usually involves some combination of rice, beans and lentils, brought to a near boil and then slow-cooked in our wide-mouth vacuum bottle. Results are spiced up with what we carry, catch or find (a smorgasbord of wild foods are in season!). Snacks are dried fruits, tortilla creations, left-overs, chocolates and so on. Treats from Ma and Pa ‘donut holes’ and ‘greasy spoons’ along the way, though we’ll be saving for Cajun country.

Our ‘head’ is an ’I. P. Freeley’. A one gallon plastic bucket with snap-on lid handles gastric emergencies, but we take our ‘constitutionals’ ashore, accompanied by a shovel.

The downside of our ‘big boat’ approach is portaging. Full-sized pickups handle Trilobyte, but it’s not easy getting her bulk up there. We’ll use our break-down, hand dolly system. We assemble the dolly, lever up the bow or stern and slip it into place near the center of gravity. Secure with a trucker’s hitch. We can roll along with good control and at a reasonable clip on moderate grades. Our ‘endless’ come-along, with anchor line ‘snatched’ in, gives us 300' of pull against handy holdfasts (our anchor, if need be). For ‘in-river’ portaging, four 1 x 12 x 8' planks serve as skids, increase our tires’ footprint or double up as levers.

NOAA and USGS data report 3224 statute river miles from Ft. Benton to New Orleans. We have 90 days. Write off one day out of six to R&R, exploring, no-go weather, portaging and locking, dodging traffic and obstructions, grounding, etc.. That means 75 days underway with a round average of 45 miles made good per day. Let’s say we put in 12 hours per day, with 9 of those rowing in shifts at 3 knots (we row at 4 knots, together, and sail at 4.5 knots in a fair, brisk wind, so hope that surpluses offset set-backs from moderate headwinds). Thus we only need an average current lift of 1.5 knots to meet our goal. Many report doubling their average downstream of Sioux City, so we’ll bet on that. That lets us luxuriate in mere 32 mile per day averages ‘til we hit the channel, and 64 thereafter.

Can’t wait ‘til school’s out!

Budget:

Boat:	-	Source:
Construction (Subtotal $750):	-
Glues	$ 50	Local Hardware
Fasteners	$ 25	Jamestown Distributers
AC Plywood (8 sheets)	-
1/4" x 4 @ $31/sheet	$ 125	Local Hardware
1/2" x 3 @ $33/sheet	$ 100	Local Hardware
3/4" x 1 @ $45/sheet	$ 45	Local Hardware
Framing	$ 100	Local Hardware
Acrylic	$ 75	Local Hardware
Paint	$ 30	Local Hardware
Hardware	$ 50	Local Hardware
Expendables (gloves, sand paper,etc.)	$ 50	Local Hardware
	-
Outfit (Subtotal $795):	-
Rig	-
House Wrap Sail	$ 50	Local Hardware
Spars	$ –-	Local Scrub Wood
Hardware	$ 35	West Marine
Line	$ 15	Local Hardware
Anchor Gear	-
Anchors (Two 10lbs)	$ 35	West Marine
300' of ½” Nylon	$ 120	Northern Tool
4'x8' Carpet	$ 50	Local Hardware
4'x8'x5/8" Close Cell Foam	$ 35	Local Hardware
Fabric Cover	$ 75	Sailrite
Windscreen	$ 50	Sailrite
Hail Shelter	-
1/4" Ply x 1	$ 30	Local Hardware
6' Piano Hinge	$ 20	Local Hardware
No-see-um Netting	$ 25	Outdoor Headquarters
Life Jackets (x 8)	$ 60	West Marine
Fire Extinguisher	$ 20	Local Hardware
1 Gallon Bucket / Sponge	$ 5	Local Hardware
Water Cannister	$ 10	Local Hardware
Collapsable 2.5 gal Water Cannister	$ 15	Local Hardware
Water Filter	$ 55	Campmor
Cabin Heater (‘Lenihan’ Homemade)	$ 25	Local Hardware
Signal/Anchor Light (All-Round LED)	$ 20	West Marine
Solar Battery Charger	$ 20	Real Goods
NiMH Batteries (8xAA)	$ 25	Real Goods
Navigation (Subtotal $155):	-
MT Topo Atlas	$ 15	Local Bookstore
Charts	-
Select USGS Printouts of Impounded Lakes	$ 5	www.topozone.com
US Army CoE Mississippi	$ 25	www.mvr.usace.army
GPS	$ 100	Local Hardware
Weather Radio	$ 10	Local Hardware
Portage Gear (Subtotal $150):	-
Dolly	-
10" Tires	$ 25	Northern Tool
Fittings	$ 25	Loc. HW and Dump
Rope Come-Along	$ 50	Local Hardware
4 - 1x12x8' Cedar Planks	$ 50	Local Hardware
Crew (Subtotal $2840):	-
Fuel	-
Charcoal	$ 10	Local Hardware
Case of Chafing Gel (72 hours)	$ 75	Local Hardware
Chafing ‘Stove’	$ 5	Local Hardware
Food ($15/day)	$1350	Current Budget + 50%
Entertainment	$1350	Current Budget + 50%
Clothing (No-see-um Jackets)	$ 50	Local Vendor
Emergency ($100):	-
Prepay Cell Phone	$ 50	AT&T
1st Aid Kit	$ 50	Local Vendors
Subtotal:	$4790
Emergency Fund (Surpluses Collect Here)	$ 210	$5000 - Subtotal
The cell phone is our emergency communication line... good for the entire trip.
Total:	$5000
	-
Weight (Figures inflated for conservative result):	-
Boat	425 lbs
Rig	50 lbs
Boat Gear	100 lbs
Crew	325 lbs
Personal Gear (25lbs/person)	50 lbs
Food (1 month@2lbs/person/day)	120 lbs	Probably half that
Water	75 lbs	Max
Books (Navigation, Reading, Drawing Supplies)	25 lbs
Musical Instruments	15 lbs
Total:	1175lbs	225lbs shy of max DWL

Explanation:

Unless noted, all prices are for new goods, checked with ‘source’ and rounded up. We find we can handily beat catalog prices, so no S&H charges have been budgeted. ‘Local’ is Sitka, Alaska, so one can do better most places. Savings flow into ‘emergency fund’ until we reach N’Awlins, then roll-over to ‘entertainment’.

The ‘hail shelter’ is for the rare summer window-smashers. Eight life jackets for guests and toward positive buoyancy.

The rope come-along is ‘endless’ and has been modified to a ‘snatch’ style. The anchor rode is oversized to match the come-along’s gypsy. Planks are levers and skids for in-river slogging.

Our food and entertainment allotments are 150% of our ‘at-home’ budget. Food covers staples (coffee and tea, dried rice, lentils and beans, potatoes and fruits, eggs and cheese, cabbage, onions and garlic, tortillas, olive oil, brown sugar, condiments and spices and peanut butter). Entertainment covers beer, wine (boxed), meats and chocolate, along with eating out (Ma ‘n Pa joints, bakeries and cafes). Surplus will stay in entertainment for the fleshpots of N’Awlins. We’ll carry a month’s staples to avoid any local price spikes.

Perishables will be stored in a cooler with bags of morning water as coolant.

Water management consists of a 5 gallon water canister and collapsable back-up, which we’ll supply from potable sources along the route. The 1.25 lpm water filter fills in blanks, and should handily last the trip.

The cabin heater is a home-built ‘Lenihan’ charcoal heater, and a 10-lb bag should last the trip. Cooking will be done on ‘chafing gel’ (jellified alchohol). Thermos cooking limits fuel expenditure to bringing dried ingredients to near boil. We foresee plenty of beach fires or picnics around our ‘pocket woodstove’ (permitted where ‘open fires’ aren’t... these things are great).

Bio:

We (Dave Zeiger, Anke Wagner and Scuppers the dog) live aboard our 31'x8'x13" engineless, junk-rigged, three-masted cat schooner, off-centerboard 'advanced sharpie', Luna (whew!). We like to think she possesses a certain, rough beauty. We're at large among the archipelagoes of SE Alaska. In the long run, we hope to achieve about a 90% subsistant lifestyle. We while away our days drawing (boats from me, plants and animals from Anke), making music (amateurishly) and exploring realms of the senses. In port, we love to 'hang' with our friends. We're hoping to retire soon from the occasional odd job.