VentureJet Ocean Dynamics Shearwater - Page 2

Rogue Wave · 04 October 2007, 09:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by swancvs

Hi Rogue,

Regards revving hard there, she probably is, bear in mind that she had a full payload of crew and pax and I think Tim just wanted to do things quicker for the video (as you do.) I also know that on that day she was in desparate need of a visit to fresh air to defoul her of japanese weed! Trouble is the weed hits your performance hard, yet if she's out of the water then she isn't earning money so timing is everything. I think on that day Tim reckoned she was down by about 7 knots! They took her out of the water that night.

It's no big deal, I thought long and hard about putting a Yanmar in our boat instead of the new CAT. The reason I went for the Cat in the end was that it got it's power at lower revs so therefore didn't need a gearbox. I'm still only about 80% sure we made the right call.

Did the Japanese weed come with the Japanese engine or is it native to Wales

swancvs · 04 October 2007, 09:34

:-)

The weed has only turned up in recent years, some kind of import that no-one asked for. It's a serious problem requiring removal mid season otherwise your sleek hull starts to resemble a sponge. Not the easiest profile to push through the water.

codprawn · 04 October 2007, 12:51

I was talking to a bloke the other day who is a CAT engineer - he used to work on Shauns boats and said he really loved those engines.

As to more videos - YES PLEASE!!!

The rougher the better - I have seen a clip from extreme ribbbing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk6Ngh2bXt8

I assume it's your boat anyway??? How about replicating those shots if you can? Also any video of launching and beaching in heavy surf could be very interesting.

swancvs · 04 October 2007, 13:34

That's Ocean Raven, a forerunner of Shearwater. Raven and Shearwater look very similar unless you see them side by side (sorry I get a bit anoraky when it comes to ribworkers.) Shearwater didn't exist when that film was shot, she came from next generation Shaun designed, with much input from Tim and Beth. You don't skipper those boats for over 50 years (collectively) and not learn one or two things about how you would want your personal boat to be built.

She is quite a unique boat, even in the Ribworker world. I didn't pitch in on the freeboard post elsewhere here but I was on the boat when the MCA coded her. It was hysterical we were supposed to create a worst case scenario which would cause rear flooding. Anyway suffice to say with full payload, max reverse the water only came up 1.5metres of the footway! (to a depth of a full 6"!) She had almost the same amount of freeboard as when she was measured with the load even and at rest.

The way the deck has been placed on Shearwater means that very little water comes up when you stop. Unless you want to soak the passengers, I suppose you could reverse into a breaking wave (why?) then it would get wet, but then unless your transom is 8 foot tall, any boat is going to be wet. Of course our deck is autodraining, in seconds. Shearwater has excellent deckheight to avoid unecessary wet feet. I'll try to remember to take some footage/stills of this as well if I remember.

The footage won't be too extreme this boat trip is a Happy Birthday trip for my mum, so it won't be a hell bound white knuckle ride! However it would be cool to talk Tim into launching her on a BIG day just to get that kind of footage for the site. I will see what I can do. Don't hold your breath, it will take some time for all those conditions to be in place.

I don't know why they went for a Yanmar over Caterpillar, perhaps Tim will shed light on this if he ever logs in! For all I know it might have been a right price/weight/power package thing. The boat currently runs on bio diesel as well in an effort to be more green, so perhaps that was an issue (do caterpillar support bio diesel?)

One thing I know for sure is the hydraulic bucket control they have is SOOOOOOOOOOOO cool. That's how they do the instant stop. No messing about, instant stop in it's own boat length from full speed. That's impressive. It also creates a wicked bow splash which the tourists love. One other feature of this performance advantage means they can power up to caves/beaches at speed and then stop really quickly with no bow wave travelling forward into the cave to disturb the residents which is perfect for the nature they are travelling to visit. You should see the seals they are so used to Shaun's boats they come up to visit the boat! Not the other way around, after 30 years the seals know them well. There's a great shot on the website where a seal has popped it's head up right on the deckstep at the back of the boat. The lack of prop of course means the seals can move as they please with no risk to themselves.

It would be difficult to shoot the heavy surf scenes you refer to unless God is kind in the next 48 hours and arranges a decent swell!

I'd like to get some shots of them showing what the boat can do on a BIG day at Whitesands or Newgale when no-one is about so they can really power in and show what it can handle. I remember Atlantic Eagle coming in to Whitesands some days when the surf was truly huge, those boats can really handle conditions, of course the water then just runs out the back as planned. Awesome. I'll try to oblidge but on this occasion I think they will be more glamour shots than extreme.

Cheers.

codprawn · 04 October 2007, 13:55

Don't worry we will wait!!!

Simon B · 04 October 2007, 16:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

Simon

the Pac 22 isn't a great Jet boat! Your'e far better off looking for an old commercial jet boat if you really want one. The Mermaid and Pepe (vospower) drive combination is flawed and not particularly responsive.

far better off looking for a Hamilton, Twin disk or Castoldi jet (probably in that order!)

Jets need a fair bit of low end power to get em working propery

Nice vids by the way, I noticed the engine was revving quite hard when going back on the plane what revs did you hit?

OK Guru Pac 22 off shopping list!

I wonder if Adam Younger does a flat-pack that I could weld up at home?

Alex Brown · 04 October 2007, 20:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by swancvs

Now for the curious, I really do need requests for footage. What sort of shots do boat enthusiasts want to look at? We're going to do some more filming on Sunday hopefully so if I can I'd like to oblidge.

Are you operating on Saturday afternoon?

I have a couple of friends down from away and we might venture across St Brides Bay in the Whitesands general direction....

The weather looks a bit settled this weekend, currently millpond with only a metre swell, so only ~30mins from Milford by water.

-Alex

swancvs · 05 October 2007, 20:48

Hi Alex,

Tim has a trip booked for 1300-1500 so Shearwater will be around Ramsey then and I'm sure you would be more than welcome to say hello. However, I know it's stating the obvious but she will be working with fare paying passengers so it may not be convienient to stop and chat. However, if Tim is nowhere near seals and in open water, I'm sure he'd love to have a play in your wake and vice versa.

I won't be there but I wish you good hunting.

Alex Brown · 05 October 2007, 21:32

No worries, we'll probably head up now on Sunday - the friends I have down only have a couple of hours tomorrow afternoon, which is just enough for us to get out to Skomer and see the seals, but it's pushing it really for a circular of Ramsey as well.

Currently planning a visit up North on Sunday instead, as it stands, it looks like we'll leave Neyland late morning and head up, probably anchor at Whitesands around lunchtime for some grub, then have a mosey around before heading out to the Bishops lighthouse, and then back to Milford for around 1600hrs.

I know it's difficult with fare paying passengers on board, it's not really worth the risk to play about for the camera either.

If you're about when we're up on Sunday, we'll no doubt catch up at some point!!

-Alex

swancvs · 05 October 2007, 22:39

Look forward to it. We'll be on the water around Ramsey around 1200-1400 so I look forward to seeing you. Plenty of photo opportunities I'm sure.

swancvs · 25 July 2008, 00:29

Long time no post,

New video uploaded, worth a look methinks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJcCEOSPBZA

codprawn · 25 July 2008, 11:40

Brilliant boats BUT not in it's right element. These boats are incredible in the rough - it's what they were built for. Never mind "fun in the sun" - how about a F10 or the Bitches in full spate???

I have seen some excellent shots of them full of water with passengers hanging on for grim death.......

Still nice to see a video of it all the same!!!

swancvs · 28 July 2008, 23:17

Indeed Codprawn, so do I however, that was from another lifetime! When the world wasn't quite so insurance/H&S conscious. One day I'll get some footage of Beth and Tim having a play on the Bitches without passengers and then they can let rip. In the meantime I have to behave!

That'll be the difference between fun/private and safe/business then?...

I do however have some cracking video of Shaun White playing about, now that would be cool. One day.

codprawn · 29 July 2008, 02:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by swancvs

Indeed Codprawn, so do I however, that was from another lifetime! When the world wasn't quite so insurance/H&S conscious. One day I'll get some footage of Beth and Tim having a play on the Bitches without passengers and then they can let rip. In the meantime I have to behave!

That'll be the difference between fun/private and safe/business then?...

I do however have some cracking video of Shaun White playing about, now that would be cool. One day.

YES PLEASE!!!