Courtesy of SYDI

The Boat

Particulars

  • LOA (Length Overall): 28' 0"

  • LWL (Length on Waterline): 26' 5/16"

  • B (Beam/Breadth): 5' 0"

  • D (Draft/Depth): 1' 0"

  • D (Draft/Depth) Including Keel: 2' 6"

  • Displacement: 2,590 Lbs

  • Carbon Fiber Construction with a Foam Core

As you can see, it's a fairly large boat.  Since I was responsible for pulling this thing through the water, the main concern I had was the overall weight and total above waterline surface area. Adding in all my food, water, and supplies, the boat ended up weighing close to 3,500 lbs upon departure and closer to 2,500 lbs upon landing in Australia.  

It's was designed to carry enough food for 350 days, to keep me protected from the elements, and to withstand solid water knockdowns or even a full pitchpole. I ended up taking about 300 days worth of food, which presented some challenged towards the end of the journey considering it took 336 days to complete.  The biggest change we made throughout the design process was adding a hardtop over the rowing station. For a full explanation as to why we made this decision, see this blog post.  The forward cabin is my main living area and the aft cabin is primarily storage.  

Finalized Drawings

After roughly 5 iterations of the preliminary drawings, we reached the finalized plans.  Below you'll see the 3D model.   You'll notice the forward cabin has a large wraparound window looking ahead and two side windows.  The windows were primarily used during poor weather conditions when it was no longer feasible to row.  When that was the case, I was able to sit in the forward cabin and look outside without exiting the cabin. The large 3-panel aft facing window served two functions.  It allowed for a clear view of the ocean behind me while rowing, and the center window opens, allowing me to stand vertically through the hardtop, which was extremely beneficial.

Below you'll find the exterior profile of the boat.  Here you can see where the solar panels live and the location of a few major components.  The top of the boat is almost entirely covered in solar panels which charge 3 deep cycle marine batteries within the boat.  They'll provide approximately nearly 600 watts of power under ideal lighting conditions.  For night operations and poor weather, we initially planned to add a wind generator to assist the solar panels.  However, due to cost, complexity, and the threat of being ripped off during a roll-over, we decided to forego the wind generator. In the end, that ended up being a great decision since the solar panels alone provided ample power.

Below is the internal profile of the boat.  Here you can see some of the inner workings of the boat.  In the forward cabin underneath my sleeping area you'll find the reverse osmosis desalination pump for drinking water.  In the aft cabin you can see the location of the internal batteries.  Directly underneath the rowing seat are three water tanks, two fresh water and one salt water ballast tank.  You'll also notice three footwells, one in each cabin, and one in the center of the boat directly behind the water tanks.  The forward footwell allows me to stand vertically within the main cabin using the bubble top for a 360 degree view.

For a detailed description of the design considerations, see the design page.  

The Equipment

The following is most of the equipment I took on the journey. It includes equipment integrated into the boat itself and various hand-held devices. 

 

WATER REQUIREMENTS

  • Spectra Ventura 150 Deluxe Watermaker

  • Spare Spectra Feed Pump

  • Spectra Pre-Filters

  • Spectra Off Shore Repair Kit

  • Spectra Salinity Test Meter

  • Katadyn Survivor 35

  • Katadyn Survivor 06

  • Whale Gusher 10 Manual Bilge Pump

  • Whale MK6 Manual Galley Pump

Energy

  • Firefly Oasis G31 Battery 110 Ah (3)

  • Genasun GV-10-Pb Charge Controller (4)

  • Genasun GVB-8-12Pb Charge Controller (3)

  • Genasun GV-4 Charge Controller

  • Solbian SP50Q 50W Solar Panel

  • Solbian SP112Q 112W Solar Panel

  • Solbian SP112L 112W Solar Panel (2)

  • Solbian SP75 75 Solar Panel

  • Solbian SP100 Solar Panel

  • Solara 12W Solar Panel (2)

  • Victron BMV-700 Battery Monitor Gauge (3)

  • 12V DC Waterproof Circuit Breaker Panel (2)

  • 12V USB Charger Socket (2)

  • 12V DC Dash Socket (2)

  • Four Position Battery Selector Switch (2)

ELECTRONICS

  • In-Line Ventilation Fans (1 Per Cabin)

  • Panasonic ToughPad and 12V Charger

  • iPod Touch (2)

  • Nikon 1 AW 1 Camera & 12V Charger

  • GoPro Cameras (2)

  • Bluetooth Waterproof Speaker

  • Rechargeable Batteries & USB Battery Charger

  • Waterproof Cases for Electronics

  • Waterproof Headphones

  • LED Cabin Lighting

COMMUNICATION

  • Iridium GO! WiFi Hotspot and Satellite Phone

  • Iridium External Antenna w/Antenna Cable and Mounting Bracket

  • Iridium GO! Spare Battery

  • Handheld VHF Radio (2)

  • Garmin AIS 600 Transceiver

  • Plastimo Tubular Radar Reflector (Passive)

  • InReach Explorer Global Satellite Communicator

NAVIGATION

  • Ritchie Navigator BN-202 Compass (Bulkhead Mount)

  • Garmin GHP Reactor Autopilot w/GHC 20 Display

  • Octopus Type RS Autopilot Drive

  • Garmin GHC Autopilot Remote Control

  • Garmin GPSMAP 7407

  • WSO100 Intermediate System w/DST110 & DSM150

  • Garmin Oregon 600 Portable GPS

  • Hella Marine Tri-Color Anchor/Navigation Light

  • Davis Instruments Mark 25 Sextant

  • Wide Angle Side View Mirrors

  • Lensatic Hand Compass

GALLEY

  • Nalgene Bottles

  • Cooking Pot and Canteen Cup

  • Thermos

  • Utensils

  • Jetboil Camp Stove plus Spare

  • Jetboil Hanging Kit

  • Soto Pocket Torch (Plus Disposable Lighters)

  • Jetboil Fuel (230 Gram Canisters - 12 Total)

SAFETY

  • Orion Costal Alert/Locate Emergency Marine Signal Kit

  • USCG Certified Inflatable Life Vest

  • Harness and Safety Tether

  • Portable Fire Extinguisher (2)

  • ISPLR 1-Person Life Raft

  • Marine Medical Kit (With Prescription Medication)

  • ACR Global Fix PRO GPS EPIRB - CAT II

  • Carbon Fiber Repair Kit (Underwater)

  • Fiorentino 12' Sea Anchor and Shark Storm Drogue

  • 2 x Mooring Lines

  • 2 x Lead Lines

  • 200' & 50' Line for Sea Anchor/Drogue

  • 220' & 60' Trip Line for Sea Anchor/Drogue

CLOTHING

  • Sunglasses

  • Waterproof Hat

  • Baseball Caps

  • Beanie

  • Gloves

  • Long Sleeve Drywick Microfiber Shirts

  • ExOfficio Boxers

  • Fleece Pants and Jacket

  • Shoes (Two sets of sandals)

  • Synthetic Sheet & Fleece Blanket

  • Microfiber Pillow

GENERAL TOOLS

  • Headlamps

  • Fishing Gear

  • Benchmade Barrage Knife

  • Leatherman Charge Multi-Tool

  • Duct Tape - 2 Pack

  • Cable Ties

  • 550 Mil-Spec Paracord

  • Assorted Tools and Spare Hardware

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

  • Divers Mask

  • Sewing Kit

  • Buckets

  • Waterproof Dry Sacks

  • Toiletries

  • Pack Towels

  • Natural Soap

  • Trash Bags

  • Scraper for Barnacles

  • Sea-Dog Flag Pole

  • Q-Flag

  • Australia Courtesy Flag

  • U.S.A. Flag

Various Boat Components

  • Lewmar Size 70 Medium Profile Hatch (Forward Cabin)

  • Lewmar Size 60 Medium Profile Hatch (Aft Cabin)

  • Lewmar Flush 60 3G Hatch (Cockpit Hatch)

  • Acrylic Dome (15" Dome / 7.5" High / 1/4" Tinted Acrylic)

  • Sawyer 10' 10" Oars (6), and One Pair of Break Down Oars

  • Gig Harbor Boat Works Sliding Seat

 

The Build

Click here for details on the construction of the boat.