New 10M RIB

[Adam Younger]

My company, K4+ Ltd, has just designed this new double stepped hulled RIB for a new Greek company.

Just got back from testing the development boat myself - and very pleased with performance. Running twin 250hp outboards (but mounted low) she ran 62knots with 4 crew and ballast and would have gone quicker if we had propellers with more pitch. What really pleased me was running on one engine (with the other trimmed out of the water) she still ran 49.5 knots!

The boat, Technohull 999, is now being prepared for production and interior moulds are being worked on for a March launch.

[slimtim]

Nice looking boat Adam,

Are you testing her out of Lymington? Does she use the same clever tapered steps as the K4+ 6.5m? She certainly looks like she flys!

Tim

[Adam Younger]

No - testing was just outside Athens! A great trip and one of the 'perks of the trade'.

Steps are similar to the KR6.5 in concept. Again trying to produce a boat that is more efficient but at teh same time handles well and has good low speed characteristics.
Adam

[Jackwabbit]

Interesting figures 62knots with two 250hp outboards & 49.5knots with only one running and the other out of the water, Hmmm what do you think the top speed would have been if you took one engine off completely making the whole thing about 200-250kg lighter?

[Nick Hearne]

Originally Posted by Adam Younger

My company, K4+ Ltd, has just designed this new double stepped hulled RIB for a new Greek company. .

I thought Manos only bought his boats in South Africa!
Nick

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Jackwabbit

Interesting figures 62knots with two 250hp outboards & 49.5knots with only one running and the other out of the water, Hmmm what do you think the top speed would have been if you took one engine off completely making the whole thing about 200-250kg lighter?

Good point - not only that but with the thrust more central and the leg set up properly naybe even closer???

This is one of the reasons why I have gone for just 1 engine on my boat - 2x engines = 2x fuel costs and thats about all.

[Adam Younger]

Originally Posted by Jackwabbit

Interesting figures 62knots with two 250hp outboards & 49.5knots with only one running and the other out of the water, Hmmm what do you think the top speed would have been if you took one engine off completely making the whole thing about 200-250kg lighter?

One of the areas I'm working on at the moment is different engine packages including inboard options and looking into speeds / weights etc. Certainly the 49.5 knots was better than I expected at this stage on one engine, it also handled really well and felt quite responsive.

Quite correct that there will be improvements with the weight saving and with the single engine actually on the centreline. Also we were way out on props as it was still proped for the twin set-up and as such would only rev to just over 5000rpm. I think that the single engine set-up could also benefit from maybe a touch of set-back and a 4 blade prop for initial acceleration as she is a big boat. Anyway it could be a good option for the boat with a small auxillary engine (essential in Greece) and to this end I believe the builders are looking at offering teh boat with a single Verado Mercury and have had an enquiry already about fitting a single 300X Promax Mercury.

[Manos]

Congrats Adam Nice looking boat.

Let me have a guess about the area just outside of Athens. May be Eleysina on the way to Korinthos? It looks like it from the photo and may be the company owner is called POLATOS by any chance who makes boats such as the APACHE?

Great looking boat hope it sells in Greece. The competition on this size of boats with stepped hulls as you probaly know is quite hard out there with GREAT WHITE, Xtream Boats HUMMERHULL, the newish VICTOR and the long established but lucking in finish quality MOSTRO.

[bogib]

Great looking boat Adam. Look forward to read more about her in the future.

Bogi

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Adam Younger

One of the areas I'm working on at the moment is different engine packages including inboard options and looking into speeds / weights etc. Certainly the 49.5 knots was better than I expected at this stage on one engine, it also handled really well and felt quite responsive.

Quite correct that there will be improvements with the weight saving and with the single engine actually on the centreline. Also we were way out on props as it was still proped for the twin set-up and as such would only rev to just over 5000rpm. I think that the single engine set-up could also benefit from maybe a touch of set-back and a 4 blade prop for initial acceleration as she is a big boat. Anyway it could be a good option for the boat with a small auxillary engine (essential in Greece) and to this end I believe the builders are looking at offering teh boat with a single Verado Mercury and have had an enquiry already about fitting a single 300X Promax Mercury.

Be interesting to see some more performance data when you have it - what's she like in turns? I have read that stepped hulls need to be treated with a bit of respect - is that the case?

[Adam Younger]

Originally Posted by codprawn

Be interesting to see some more performance data when you have it - what's she like in turns? I have read that stepped hulls need to be treated with a bit of respect - is that the case?

It certainly can be a problem with stepped hulls --- and is certainly an area where I feel a lot of builders / designers tend to build boats just with racing features in mind. I certainly have created different details for the steps on non-racing hulls and I think they have worked very well. The Technohull turned very well on the test I carried out and to be honest did not feal too different from a conventional hull.

All in all a very interesting area - where too many people either adapt hulls without really knowing what they are doing or copy others!

Adam

[The Jackeens]

Congratulations Adam.

Great looking boat...and professionally presented/explained

Us

[slimtim]

Just had a look at the website for the company. Looks great, especially the CAD drawings and stuff.

Tim

[Manos]

Where did you look Tim? Have you got the link? I've tried but no luck

[Matt]

Do you mean Adam's site : http://www.k4plus.com
or technohull : http://www.technohull.gr
or if you can't read greek but want to see the boats:
http://www.technohull.gr/Modela.htm

[Manos]

If any one wants the translation of all the Greek pages, I've done it
By the way they look great and must be fast boats. Never saw any of them in Greece though i.e. the 7.5.
The 10mtrs is a narrow boat and my best man has photos of the boats from Dimiris' yard as and when it was made. The same yard made his boat (he desingns and builts his own as a hobby) and aparfently there is a Greek magazine also involved in all this (probably FOUSKOTO). Aparently Technohull is a very serious and honest compan and they come highly recomended.

SMALL WORLD

[slimtim]

Sorry Manos missed your post. Yeah got it from the links page on k4plus.com. Would love an english translation...although my housemate is greek so I might ask him!

Tim

[Manos]

Tim best to ask you house mate then. That's easier.

[Adam Younger]

As an up-date on the Technohull - the builders have just fitted a single 225 Evinrude to the 999 and achieved a speed of 52 knots - all very pleased.

Picture of a 999 with internal mouldings.

I believe the next boat ordered is with a single Yanmar installation - which should be a good combination.

Adam

[Brambles]

Nice one Adam, superb looking craft

PS: Love the Greek to English translation on their site: "whose designer is Adam Younger, known for his notorious British cruisers and racing boats".

Good luck.

Cheers.

Ian