How do wooden instruments and humidity get along?

Given the proper care, just fine, but if they get soaked, it's the same on a boat as in a flooded basement or a leaky attic, not too well, but acoustical will fare far better than electric, not to mention, no drain on the power supply and accoustical just seems to sound so much better out on the salt.

Troy

RTGs (radioisotope thermal electric generators) seem a bit exotic and government-ish. They use a very radioactive fuel source, e.g., Plutonium, which normal people can't obtain. If the presence of RTGs becomes known, the boat becomes a target for eco-activists and is probably banned from several countries, e.g., New Zealand. Terrorists who believe that "Plutonium is the most dangerous substance on Earth" might target the boat to obtain the fuel. Maybe this becomes a new plot complication!

And RTGs don't really produce much power. Current state of the art is 290 watts (about 1/3 horsepower). For less money, and a lot less hassle, go solar.

IIRC, the Soviet Union developed some small fission reactors for spacecraft. Now that would be exotic!

73, de N4PYB

Howdy Neighbor! Thanks for the ideas. I already have a way around the "problems", and yes, it does add to the plot. Also, not everything on the boat is exactly "legal". It is fun getting to be a bad guy for a change, if only in fictional writing.

73

If you like the line thrower, look at the Mossberg version. A simple barrel swap (done in less than a minute with my 590) gets you a 12 guage shotgun. Read here: http://63.149.92.163/manuals/LineLauncher.pdf

Probably a useful thing on any long term excursion, and really really handy as a plot device <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

For this, -I would think things along the lines of Ocean Currents / Temperatures, Global Warming, and El Nino / La Nina.

Also, -for Musical Diversion and Entertainment, -a Harmonica or Flute comes to mind! [color:"black"] [/color] [email]KI6IW[/email]

I must Admit that I'm Far More of an Aviator than a Sailor! Aviation is among my First Loves!, -Seamanship and Sailing is an Interesting "Side Matter".

But as I understand it, -even Well Keeled Seacraft sometimes get capsized. Though Well Keeled is Far, Far Better!, -than No Keeled.

So I'm looking at a Craft that is pretty much the same below the Waterline as above. Or rather the other way around, -"Above as Below". (We can't have open decking below! <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />) And "Seamlessly Sealed round the middle".

My earlier speaking loosely of things such as an Egg Shape, -is probably a Wrong Suggestion to throw out. But I did mention that I was speaking loosely so.

Again, -my idea is for something akin to two saucers welded together, -Sealed and pretty much the same on Top, as on Bottom. Specifically "Saucer Shaped",though, -may be in the same league as "Egg Shaped", -I may come to Concede and Grant! [color:"black"] [/color] [email]wildcard163[/email]

What year is this set in???
There are some very useful things 'right around the pike', depending one just when this is set...

A Browning 50Cal. on a pintle mount, would be very useful, especially with a larger than normal percentage of tracer rounds, or even some REAL incendiary rounds...

I have read about the sonic gun in 'MAKE' magazine, and it is a nice option, but it is bulky and could probably be defeated by just staying out of range and pelting the boat with bullets, until the crew are either dead or too afraid to go above-decks, or the weapon is destroyed(it is NOT a small target, or something flammable on the boat goes up...

I would suggest a round bottom motor-sailor, with a stabilizer system, like one of the larger Haterois... The round bottom, because you do NOT want to be in a small 'V' bottom boat in heavy seas, the stabilizer, because you do not want to be sea-sick all the time because of the same round bottom design, and the motor-sailor for the obvious reason that you do not want to use all your fuel in the first week...

If price is NO option, there is always those luxury submersibles that that one company sales..
Ahhh, here they are... U.S. Submarines

For musical instruments, try getting a catalog from Lark in the Morning.
Their catalog will give you so many ides that you will be amazed... I will bet(unless you have a music background) that most of the stuff in their catalog, you will have never heard of!!!

Thanks for the info. I will do some of the suggested research this weekend. The story is set in present day, but cutting edge technology is just fine. So is technology that has been proven by hundreds of years of use.