From a motoring perspective a sailing monohull is a pig. It is designed to sail and carries 9000lb of added weight simply to make it safe when sails are aloft - all that dead weight, extra wetted surface and massive structure to carry the loads. It does not surprise me it requires 10HP to do 5kts.
That is why a solar boat needs to start with a clean slate. Just list the things you need, want and would like to have. Then come up with a weight estimate. Combine that with a target speed and you can come up with a basic hull design. If target speed is around 8kts the best hull configuration will be a stabilised monohull. If the target speed is 5kts then it could be a monohull or catamaran.
The big difference with a conventional motor boat is that you can harvest energy as you go. There is no need to store fuel with its tremendous weight. That is a huge weight saving on a long range motor boat. Forces all come down to tiny numbers and that saves on structure so less weight there. Compared to wind, the sun is reasonably steady and, for most, is more desirable to seek out than wind. You do not see many glossy photos of people cruising in the southern ocean where wind is constant and sun not quite as ubiquitous as more desirable places to cruise.
On 09/01/2016, at 11:58 PM, taladorwood@yahoo.com.au [harryproa] <harryproa@yahoogroups.com.au> wrote:
It is a 46' monohull that weighs 25000 lbs empty, the keel is 9000 lbs alone. God only knows how much weight I have added.
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Posted by: Rick Willoughby <rickwill@bigpond.net.au>
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