WO2009033235A1

WO2009033235A1 - Vessel with removable accommodation

Info

Publication number: WO2009033235A1
Application number: PCT/AU2008/001368
Authority: WO
Inventors: Barrie Colin Webster
Original assignee: Barrie Colin Webster
Priority date: 2007-09-14
Filing date: 2008-09-15
Publication date: 2009-03-19
Also published as: NZ584617A; AU2008299595A1; AU2008299595B2

Abstract

There is provided a vessel in the form of a catamaran hull (10) and deck (13) assembly supporting an aft deckhouse (14) and flying bridge (36). A pair of spaced guiding tracks (22) is recessed into the deck (13) and each extends from the bow end (11) of the deck (13) toward the deckhouse (14). The tracks (22) include a ramped portion (29) extending up to the bulwark (30) at the bow (11) of each hull. Respective loading ramps (26) selectively deployable from the loading end (11) adjacent each ramped portion (29). A loading winch (31) has a cable extendable to engage a caravan trailer and operable to draw the caravan up the ramps (26) and onto the load deck (13) with the caravan wheels captured in the guiding tracks (22).

Description

VESSEL WITH REMOVABLE ACCOMMODATION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a vessel with removable accommodation. This invention has particular but not exclusive application to a vessel selectively mounting a trailer or caravan and used in the manner of a houseboat, and for illustrative purposes reference will be made to such application. However, it is to be understood that this invention could be used in other applications, such as a vessel capable of bearing an accommodation unit generally.

PRIOR ART

Unless explicitly indicated to the contrary, none of the following prior art constitutes common general knowledge in the art. It is commonly recognized that there is increasing pressure on seaside caravan parks and camping grounds as the land which they occupy becomes so valuable that local authorities and private owners are obliged to develop the sites. This has resulted in a chronic and deteriorating shortage of sites for low cost holiday accommodation. At the same time the relative cost of caravans and like towed accommodation units has reduced to the point where demand for sites is increasing steadily.

Houseboats and other displacement-cruiser bareboats represent an alternative to a caravan holiday. However, the size of the hire boat fleet relative to the peaks and troughs of demand means that these vessels are chartered at a significant premium over caravan site rental. DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

As used herein the word "comprising" and its parts is to be taken as nonexclusive, unless context indicates clearly to the contrary.

This invention in one aspect resides broadly in a vessel with removable accommodation including: a hull having a load deck; a pair of spaced guiding tracks extending from a loading end of said hull and engageable by supporting elements of an accommodation unit; loading ramp means selectively deployable from said loading end; a loading winch having a cable extendable to said accommodation unit and operable to draw said accommodation unit up the ramps and onto the load deck with the supporting elements captured in the guiding tracks; and a deckhouse located on said load deck remote from said loading end.

The hull may be a monohull such as a punt hull or a multihull such as a catamaran. The hull may be of any material usually used, including but not limited to timber, plywood, fibre reinforced resin such as FRP, epoxy-glass and vinyl ester composites, foam, balsa or strip plank-cored laminates, aluminium, steel or ferrocement.

The hull may be powered by an outboard motor or motors. In the alternative the vessel may be powered by diesel or other inboard plant. Punt hulls may be powered by a single engine. Catamaran hulls lend themselves to twin engine installations with skeg-protected propellers. Nonetheless a single outboard or pod mounted inboard motor may be used. The hull or hulls may include plant such as gensets, tankage for fuel, water and waste and dry and wet stowage. There are preferably provided quick-release and other convenient connections for services such as power, water and drainage between the hull services and the accommodation unit.

The deck may be continuous over the hull or hulls or may be discontinuous. For example the deck may extend over catamaran hulls or pontoons which are connected by undecked beams.

The hull and deck may be configured with bulwarks or stanchions and lifelines. The hull and deck assembly may be selected to be of trailerable beam so that it can be low-loaded without permit and/or pilot. In narrow trailerable embodiments there may be provided deployable side decks having the bulwarks or stanchions and lifelines.

The hull and deck may be adapted to load over the stem or after end. In the alternative to loading from the after end, a stern house and forward ramps may be used. This will permit easier beach deployment and retrieval by beaching the bow with the stern and propellers in deeper water. In this embodiment the catamaran hull is preferred. This configuration also allows the use of outboard motors that are able to be spaced in an optimal way for navigation despite the track of the vehicle. The accommodation unit may be a wheeled trailer or caravan. The wheeled trailer or caravan may be of the road-registrable type. Alternatively, the accommodation unit may be a site office or the like, mounted on parallel beans forming the support elements. The accommodation unit may be self-propelled or may be towable. The accommodation unit may be a compound rig of a prime mover and a trailer. The rig for example may comprise a caravan towed by a four-wheel drive motor vehicle.

The guiding tracks serve the dual purpose of guiding the accommodation unit during the loading and unloading process and locating and securing the accommodation against at least roll displacement under way. The guiding tracks may be integral with the deck or assembled or bonded to it. A steel guiding track may be welded top the upper surface of a steel deck or bolted to a non-steel deck. The guiding tracks may be recessed into the deck. Preferably the guiding tracks are self draining. Where the guiding tracks are recessed, the hull is preferably a catamaran hull and tracks drain to the space between the hulls. The guiding tracks may extend through the loading end of the hull form. Alternatively the guiding tracks may have ramped ends to extend the guiding tracks up to the top of the bulwark at the loading end.

Where a trailer or caravan forms the accommodation unit, a jockey wheel track may be provided. This may be located at the ramp end of the load deck along the centreline where the trailer or caravan is winched on rear-end first. Where the accommodation unit is wheeled, the guiding tracks may be associated with selectively operable locating means adapted to prevent fore-and-aft movement of the accommodation unit. Alternatively, the guides may be associated with attachment points for dog or load chains or the like. Embodiments may be adapted especially for campervan or Winnebago accommodation units. Typically guide tracks for vehicular use will be in the region of 150mm deep and about 270 mm wide

The ramps may be idle and/or removable for stowage or may be electrically and/or hydraulically powered deployable ramps to extend, retract and support the vessel against boarding loads. Deployable bracing jacks may be provided to support the loading end of the vessel during loading and unloading via the ramps.

The winch may be an electric or hydraulic winch. The winch drum may be horizontal or vertical. The drive for the winch may be located above or below the deck, especially for a vertical winch. The winch drum may be located behind the deckhouse, where the cable may be led below the deckhouse sole through a tunnel and along the deck between the tracks. By this means a 2:1 pull using a snatch block may get maximum scope. Otherwise the winch may be associated with the deck-to-deckhouse wall structure. The winch may be self powered or may be powered by the vessel plant or main engine.

The deckhouse may include additional accommodation, a steering station, and amenities such as a shower, toilet and the like.

A flying bridge may provide a deck watch and/or an optional second steering station for the vessel. An extended deck including the flying bridge and forming overhead cover for the accommodation unit may also be provided. This increases the usable deck area as well as providing some reduction in heating of the accommodation unit by the sun high overhead.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that this invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a starboard rear view from above of a vessel in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the vessel of FIG. 1 ; and

FIG. 3 is a detail plan view of the main deck of the vessel of Fig. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT In the figures, there is provided a vessel including a hull 10 having a bow 11 and a stern 12 and supporting a load deck 13. A deckhouse 14 is located on the load deck at the aft end.

The hull is powered by twin diesel inboard plant (omitted for clarity) and includes a genset, tankage for fuel, water and waste and dry and wet stowage. Quick- release connections 15 for power, water and drainage services are provided on the bulkhead 16 defining the deckhouse aft wall.

The deck 13 is continuous over the hull 10 and has bulwarks 17, stanchions 20 and rails 21 to provide for safety. A pair of spaced guiding tracks 22 is recessed into the load deck 13. The guiding tracks 22 serve the dual purpose of guiding a caravan during loading and unloading processes and locating and securing the caravan against roll displacement under way. The guiding tracks 22 are self draining through drains 23 to the gunwales and drains 24 to the tunnel between the cat hulls. Selectively operable locating tabs 25 are hinged to the bottom of the guides and are deployable to prevent fore-and-aft movement of the caravan unit.

A pair of loading ramps 26 are shown in their stowed position in the respective guides. The loading ramps are engageable with attachment points 27 on the bow bulwark 30. The guides are ramped at 29 to meet the top of the bulwark 30 and thus provide a continuous track for loading and unloading the unit.

A loading winch 31 has a cable extendable along the deck and beyond to engage the caravan and operable to draw the caravan up the ramps and onto the load deck 13 with its wheels captured in the guiding tracks 22. The ramps are removable for stowage. Deployable bracing jacks (not shown) are provided to support the loading end of the vessel during loading and unloading via the ramps.

The winch 31 is an electric winch with a horizontal drum and having an integral drive located above the deck with the drum. The winch 31 is associated with the deck-to-bulkhead 28 structure to brace the winch mount against the load. The winch is powered by a main engine alternator and batteries. The deckhouse includes a shower 34 and a head 35.

A flying bridge 36 provides a deck watch and a steering station for the vessel, and includes an extended deck 37 forming overhead cover for the caravan. The overhead deck 37 is supported on struts 40 extending from the hull sides at deck level. The flying bridge includes a steering station (omitted for clarity) and supports a masthead light 41 on a fixed bimini 43 and solar panels 42.

It will of course be realised that while the above has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. A vessel for carrying removable accommodation including: a hull having a load deck; a pair of spaced guiding tracks extending from a loading end of said hull and engageable by supporting elements of an accommodation unit; loading ramp means selectively deployable from said loading end; a loading winch having a cable extendable to said accommodation unit and operable to draw said accommodation unit up the ramps and onto the load deck with the supporting elements captured in the guiding tracks; and a deckhouse located on said load deck remote from said loading end.

2. A vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the hull is a catamaran.

3. A vessel according to claim 2, wherein the hull is powered by twin engine installations with skeg-protected propellers.

4. A vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the hull includes services selected from gensets, tankage for fuel, water and waste and dry and wet stowage.

5. A vessel according to claim 1 , wherein there are provided connections between the hull services and the accommodation unit.

6. A vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the hull and deck are configured with bulwarks or stanchions and lifelines.

7. A vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the hull and deck assembly is selected to be of trailerable beam.

8. A vessel according to claim 7, wherein there is provided deployable side decks having bulwarks or stanchions and lifelines.

9. A vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the loading end is at the stem of the hull.

10. A vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the loading end is at the bow of a catamaran hull.

11. A vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the accommodation unit is a wheeled trailer or caravan.

12. A vessel according to claim 11 , wherein a jockey wheel track is provided.

13. A vessel according to claim 11 , wherein the guiding tracks are associated with selectively operable locating means adapted to prevent fore-and-aft movement of the accommodation unit.

14. A vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the guiding tracks are recessed into the deck.

15. A vessel according to claim 12, wherein the hull is a catamaran hull and the guiding tracks are self draining to the space between the hulls.

16. A vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the ramps are electrically and/or hydraulically powered deployable ramps to extend, retract and support the vessel against boarding loads.

17. A vessel according to claim 1 , wherein deployable bracing jacks are provided to support the loading end of the vessel during loading and unloading via the ramps.

18. A vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the winch is selected from electric or hydraulic winches.

19. A vessel according to claim 18, wherein the winch drum is located behind the deckhouse, and wherein the cable is led below the deckhouse sole through a tunnel and along the deck between the tracks.

20. A vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the deckhouse includes one or more of additional accommodation, a steering station, and amenities such as a shower, toilet and the like.

21. A vessel according to claim 1 , including a flying bridge is provided over said deckhouse.

22. A vessel according to claim 21 , including an extended deck including the flying bridge and forming overhead cover for the accommodation unit.

23. A vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the guiding tracks have ramped ends to extend the guiding tracks up to the top of the bulwark at the loading end.