RATIONALE
Admittedly, our chosen "target group" (small motor vessels) is not one of the major contributors to global environmental pollution and, perhaps for this reason, has not received much attention. This being said, the impact of this relatively small segment of oil comsumers on the environment is so disproportionally high and there is so much room for improvement, that, perhaps, closer attention is merited.
As an example, let us compare the average "family car" (considered the main "villain" by many environmentalists), to the average "family boat" - in the U.S.
Family car: Midsized mini van
Purchase price: $20,000.00 U.S.
Accommodates: 6 persons
Engine: 100 h.p. (75 k.w.)
Cruise speed: 55 m.p.h. (88 k.p.h.)
Top speed: 90 m.p.h. (144 k.p.h.)
Gas Mileage: 20 m.p.g. (8.4 k.p.l.)
Family boat: 30 ft cuddy cabin express cruiser
Purchase price: upwards of $150,000.00 U.S.
Accommodates: 6 persons
Engines: (2) 250 h.p. (188 k.w.)
Cruise speed: 30 m.p.h. (48 k.p.h.)
Top speed: 45 m.p.h (72 k.p.h.)
Gas Mileage: 1 m.p.g. (0.42 k.p.l.)
Assuming that, in comparing similar items, the purchase price directly correlates to the environmental impact associated with their manufacture, it is clear that the overall enviromental impact of the family boat is much higher than that of the family car.
Admittedly, the numbers are far fewer and the use made of the family boat is considerably less, than of the family car. Nonetheless, one would think that this huge disparity would have long since raised a few questions - particularly in environmental circles. The silence, however, can best be described as deafening.
The designer is in the position of having, only recently, been reaquainted or (in some cases) introduced for the first time, to the many benefits, derived from the huge advances made in design and technology, in regard to such items as shoes and ships and sealing wax - frying pans, coffee makers, refrigerators, phones, televisions, fax machines, microwaves, air conditioners, automobiles, and, wonder of wonders, computers.
In contrast, the apparent absence, over the last fifty years ,of any advances in basic small motor vessel design, sticks out like a sore thumb. Consequently, while the designer, with his limited resources (in every sense of the word), would not dream of attempting to improve on the design of any of the items previously listed, he has no reservtions regarding his ability to improve on the performance levels demonsrated by most small motor vessels today.
It should be stressed, from the start, that in quantifying any such improvement, a common denominator must be established. The only rational comman denominator, in regard to boats, as in regard to any product, is cost - or: "how much bang for the buck?" For whatever reason, however, in regard to boats, there has been a movement over the same fifty year time period to make length the comman denominator. The designer suspects that this is not coincidental.
In fact this growing tendency to provide the customer with the most boat for the length, rather than the most boat for the money, is, the designer believes, one of the root cause of the current malaise in motor boat design - and the resulting paucity of long, slim, fuel efficient, seakindly vessels.
In regard to reducing environmental impact, it would be nice to think that everyone utilizing small motor vessels (be it for pleasure or for commercial purposes) could be persuaded to revert to sail power - or even slow full displacement "trawler type" vessels. Given the time constraints of modern societies, however, this is simply not going to happen. The only alternative is the development and utilization of fast, low cost, fuel efficient, motor vessels, that create less impact on the enviroment.
There is no question that the engine manufacturers have been doing their part by reducing emissions and increasing fuel efficiency. Their efforts however, limited as they are, by the extraordinary ineffeciency of the vessels which they are asked to propel, can be likened to "trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon". The responsibility for the present situation, while lying, to some extent, wih the designers, builders, and marketing personel, lies mainly in the hands of the end users - The customer is always right!!
CAUTION - DEEP END
All information, directly related to this venture, has been included on the 2 HOME
page. Those seeking further, in depth, information on a particular aspect of
this project are invited to click on any of the following links.
2007
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