Cheap vs Reliable?

Peter;

Can we name a couple of demands that should apply to our ocean going vessels?

I like the idea of working with recycled materials; not only is it cheap, it also is a great way to battle pollution. So I definitely think we should try to use old PET bottles, tires and so on.

But since it's ocean going It should be reliable, too. The waves will not be 100t per square meter since the vessel will not be very heavy, but still it's going to have to be strong. If you want to take it out there were it can get so ugly, I want something that can take a beating for sure.

Is it possible to combine all the factors? I worked on earlier drawings to see if I could combine cost efficiency, product efficiency, reliability of the structure, use of recycled materials and user friendliness on open sea.


It needs to float. By using PET bottles you're using not only a very strong container, you use a lot of them. When a couple of them loose their buoyancy it will hardly have any effect. that's a good thing. Using recycled materials will keep the costs down and the environment happy.

It needs to be strong and stable. Seas get rough. Waves are beating the structure up, salt water is very aggressive, it has no shelter from the high winds. By using a cylinder shaped box for the plants it will be able to withstand the impacts of waves. Using plastic or glass fibre the box will remain light which will make it easier to keep the structure up straight and out of the water. The sand in which the plants grow will make the top heavy. For stability, a weight under the buoy will have to make sure the point of gravity stays low. I needs a lid that will increase the strength of the structure during bad weather.

It needs work efficiently. A massive construction for just three plants seems like a waste of... well, just about everything. So less is more when it comes to the use of materials. I can imagine big, flat dishes that float on pallets of PET bottles.

It needs to be user friendly. Gardening is a lot of work so you will have to be able to reach the plants as well. By surrounding every cylinder by a little ridge you can stand on, you'll be able to work in the gardens. When multiple cylinders are hooked together in a flexible way, the stability and accessibility will increase.

It needs to be plant friendly. Plants will not grow in any situation. Making them happy is actually more important then anything else. A super strong construction in which the plants all die, is no use. So the plants need to be above sea level so they will not drown, they need to be protected against high winds, high waves, burning sun, parasites etc. I see this as the biggest challenge actually.