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For some reason this summer, numerous friends asked us if we’d visit Washington, DC with Cochise. Go 170 miles out of our way to see a city that epitomizes waste and inefficiency? Then we thought, why not. We have lots of friends in the area, it would give us a chance to visit some of the buildings that were constructed with our concrete forming equipment (a very long time ago), and we could catch a few museums. And if we were really lucky, maybe the leaves would turn and we could finally snap a photo that has eluded us over many years. To see how this all turned out (and there is even a free lunch!), read on.

To begin with, no matter how jaded a traveler your are, Mount Vernon in the early morning sun is just lovely.

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That we are sitting at anchor just off George and Martha’s home is an indication of how cool this river can be.

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Above, Sharon Casey (far right) with her very accomplished daughter, Winter, visiting us in Chester. We first met one evening in 1982 as we rafted our then new Intermezzo II alongside Sharon’s boat in Fort Lauderdale. We have been close friends ever since.

When they suggested we drive to DC to see them we said, “No way, too much traffic.”

“Then bring the boat.” Sharon rejoined.

“Hmm,” was our response.

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The recently endangered bald eagle is everywhere.

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And when you see them flapping their powerful wings as they glide to their next meal it is an undeniable thrill.

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Just as long as it’s not you on the menu.

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We park Cochise inside the National Harbor, just south of DC. It is surrounded by lots of shops and businesses, bustling and busy.

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Politics aside, this is the people’s White House, and whether you agree or disagree with the occupants at any given time, it is best to keep in mind who the real owners are. And this being a lovely fall day, we consent to a visit to the People’s house.

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Especially when it includes lunch in the Navy Mess, a rare treat for which your faithful correspondent donned a tie–for the first time in some 40 years.

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Forty plus years ago, when we had real jobs rather than pretend (as in playing with boats), we were heavily involved with concrete building construction. The Hirschhorn Museum was at one point possibly the most difficult concrete forming job ever. It was formed with our equipment, as were many other buildings in this area. If we look a little tired above it is because we are. It had been a very full day at this point, with more coming.

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One of our photo goals this year was to capture fall leaves, hopefully reflected in a glassy sea surface.

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On to the next adventure…

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Having barely completed sea trials a year ago in New Zealand, FPB 78-1 Cochise has just surpassed the 14,000NM mark.

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We are just beginning to learn how to use the new cruising options she brings to us. We have never been known for schedules or rigidity in choosing where to go, we prefer to let weather and serendipity be key determinants. So far this summer has brought us the pleasure of watching the first world J-class championship, followed by a week in Gloucester soaking up the atmosphere and making new friends. Plan C (versions A and B having already become defunct) was to head to Maine from here. But the promise of a S to SW fresh breeze and a bit of surfing put us on a course for Nova Scotia. We were not disappointed. The breeze was in the 12-20 knot range, seas 5-12 feet, conditions similar to what we will find on a “normal” trade wind passage. Averaging 10.75 knots, we burned 8.4 US gallons per hour or .78 gallons per nautical mile.

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We have sailed together as a couple now for the better part of five decades. It seems like yesterday that we thought nothing of pushing ourselves and our boat – 300 NM/day was the norm. One of our main goals in starting the FPB 78 project – it is safe to say we are at a point in our lives where we want to wind down a bit – was to have the ability to continue cruising as we mature, if not by ourselves, then at least accompanied by good friends. Towards that end we are presently a crew of four aboard Cochise. The two of us are accompanied by circumnavigators Michael and Nancy Morrell, longtime friends from Tucson, Arizona. This allows us a much easier watch system, as well as companionship. Right now, as Michael and Nancy get used to Cochise, Michael, Nancy, and Linda stand watches of three hours on six hours off, while Steve is a “floater”, always near the watch, where he is instantly available and can lend a hand when required. Those of you who have cruised with three or fours hours on/off will recognize the luxury of sleep that those extra hours between watches bring. Even the “dog watch”, those hard-to-stay-alert hours between late evening and sunrise, is now relatively easy on the crew. Keeping watch and writing up the log for three extremely comfortable hours is no hardship. All of this has added to our ability to change our minds when the wind and the whim dictate.

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Currently Cochise sits in the Bras, D’or lakes of Canada’s Cape Breton region.

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Negotiating St Peter’s locks is easy, but there is certainly no room to spare!

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Food has always been a big part of our cruising routine, and now, with three talented chefs aboard, culinary standards have reached new heights. Take Sunday’s brunch: blueberry pancakes, with bacon and eggs, are much yummier than this poor attempt at food photography would indicate. Nancy and Steve find they have something in common in the way they like their pancakes–quickly toasted in a hot pan with a gooey interior.

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This late in the year we have the anchorages to ourselves. Today is Sunday and we do a couple of chores aboard, then explore the coastline, settle into a new anchorage and watch a couple of movies – it is Sunday after all.

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“Mama Mia” is followed by dinner…

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…a delicious pasta recipe courtesy of Karen Neri in Newport, and then we are entertained by “A Murder of Crows” followed by the Talking Heads concert film “Stop Making Sense”. Remember, we are cruising now.

We are very late in the season to be heading this way. Every yacht we meet is heading south, towards warm weather. Cochise allows us a wider ranges of destination options. In this part of the world things are relatively close together. The longest “passage” can be completed within a day and one or two nights at sea.

On the other hand, while we love cruising with ice, where the ice comes in the form of bergs, we do not like it when it accumulates on deck.

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Last night we met up with longtime cruising friends and high latitude experts John and Phyllis Harries. They have been our go-to gurus for many years. And although we talk or text often, it has been way too long since we shared an anchorage. After a preliminary catchup we got down to business and picked up some pointers from John and Phillis on how to use the two months or so between now and when we want to have Cochise stored for the winter.

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Above, John (right) and Phyllis (middle), give Michael anchorage pointers, while Nancy and Linda (unseen in this photo) take notes.

We are cruising now in a part of the world that demands caution, preparation, and the ability to deal with sub-optimal weather. We always want to have a “bolt hole” programmed in, somewhere that gives us good protection when the inevitable equinoctial gales begin to blow. Given the active hurricane season, it is prudent to assume that when the tropical storms transition to extratropical structure and head our way, the blows will be noteworthy.

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Presently there is a cut off upper level low sitting over us, and the light and scenery are flat, almost unattractive. We will watch the weather closely. We are not anxious to discover what happens when tropical moisture mixes with that cut off low. Cochise is keeping us warm and dry. We are comfortable beyond reason. When we realize that a month has passed since the Morrells joined us, and we are still enjoying each other’s company, we know that Cochise is working as intended.

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If we grow tired of the weather, and desire something a bit warmer, we need only wait for a northeast breeze, and then surf towards the Gulf Stream.

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We have been critical of the Simrad radar and chart plotting systems. But there is good news as well. The AP 70/80 autopilots are excellent, easy to program and very smart. But that was expected. 

Where we have really been pleasantly surprised is with their Forward Looking Sonar. At less than USD $1000 it actually works well in good sonar conditions. It has limited range but gives a good warning tool. So far we have seen targets at ranges up to 200/250 feet.

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September 22: Red sky at night, sailor’s delight…That is probably as accurate a forecast tool right now as the supercomputers crunching away. Between Jose and Maria, the present risk factors are high.

Cochise and crew are in prevent mode, keeping close to hurricane holes. The various model runs are all over the place, the 500mb shows no sign of steering currents, and nobody really knows what is going to happen.

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Jose looks cut off, and Maria appears ready to pick up the cudgel. But anybody who says they know whats going on with the WX right now is either fibbing or ignorant.

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0230 last night and the sky had cleared for the first time in ages. These are real stars! When we are in doubt on the weather, or want a second opinion, we call Risk Shema (www.weatherguy.com). Rick  is the best. Rick’s read, go this afternoon, get the 450 miles behind us while it is easy. And keep a weather eye on those hurricane holes.

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Time to start the engines and get underway.

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We are beginning to get into the cruising mindset, at least as far as this concept applies to the two of us. This typically means sitting more and moving less. But Cochise makes this hard.

We enjoy being at sea and working the boat as a team. We are generally as comfortable at sea as at anchor, and with the exception of on-passage sleep challenges, the thrills of feeling the boat move, seeing a horizon clear around us, and experiencing the clean air and brilliant night skies are a powerful lure. Still, there are benefits to being in port as well. Catching up with old friends, making new, learning about new areas, all have their appeal. An example of this is above. Cochise is moored in front of Laurane and Bill Parlatore’s home off Whitehall Creek on the Chesapeake Bay.

We have been here ten days, catching up with the Parlatores (founders of Passagemaker magazine), seeing old friends, and meeting new folks. This is the longest we have been in one location since St. Kathryn’s docks in London in 2009.

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This is a great spot for photographers.

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Wildlife abounds.

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There are eagles…

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…osprey, and…

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…numerous herons.

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The sunrises and sunsets do not compare with what we experience offshore. Still, they are not bad. We are going to hang out in the area for a few more weeks. These are lots of chores to get checked off, new folks to meet, and we have several articles to finish up.

We will report on various technical issues when we write next week.

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We are supposed to be in downtown Annapolis, on the dock for a few days, doing chores and having a few technicians visit. But then we were uncomfortable after a phone dialogue with the marina dock master – he was a shade too casual about handling our lines in a very tight space with a building breeze – and we decided to anchor.

Our Simrad nav system has been having a brain fade and a new central processing unit is waiting on shore. We arranged to have it delivered to a nearby dock, and now launch the dinghy to pick it up. Cochise is sitting calmly, but the dinghy is not nearly as composed in what is much larger chop from the RIB’s perspective. In the 30 minutes it takes to make our rendezvous and return, the breeze and sea have picked up and the sky has taken on a look that holds a clear message. The Annapolis anchorage is wide open to the south and southeast, and we’d best be finding a protected location.

The breeze is up to 30 knots now in the gusts, and the waves in the three foot range. There are just the two of us aboard, and you would think bringing the 16’ RIB alongside and getting it secured on deck might be difficult. This is precisely why we have been so obsessed with getting the handling system just right over the past year.

Linda is standing forward at the corner of Cochise’s house, holding the end of the dinghy painter leash. This has a Wichard snap shackle at the end which can be operated with one hand. Linda handing it to me saves a few precious seconds compared to the usual method of grabbing it from dinghy level, giving me time to connect the leash to the dinghy’s painter before the dinghy bow blows off. While I drift aft along Cochise’s topsides Linda makes her way aft.

She is on the swim step now, ready to take the stern line as the RIB settles back in line with the lifting halyard.  I toss her the stern line and she drops the loop in the end over the forward gate stanchion. With the dinghy now alongside, I hook up the lifting bridle to the halyard snap shackle  – it is always attached – and using the stern line pull the dink close and cross over to Cochise’s swim step. Keep in mind the wind and sea state. So far everything has gone smoothly.

As I climb the stairs to the main deck Linda is already tightening the lifting halyard, raising the dinghy enough to keep it just out of the waves. The precisely measured bow and stern lines control the dink as it lifts, limiting its ability to swing.

Hoisting automatically stops at a pre-determined height, sufficient to clear the lifelines, after which the boom control traveler is hauled in, moving the dinghy inboard.

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A traveler track control system is positioned so the boom will stop slightly inboard where we want the dinghy to end up.

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As the dinghy is lowered, both bow and stern are in contact with vertical pipes as a result of the boom position. Against the aluminum pipes it cannot rotate, and drops docilely onto the waiting supports. Two preset tackles hold the dinghy in place.

Time from coming alongside to getting underway: five minutes.

The sun is setting as we move a few miles to the protection of Whitehall Creek. It has a tight, twisting, shallow entry. We arrive in the dark. But we have been in before and have a track to follow. We find a protected spot between markers seven and eight…

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…with room to swing 360 degrees, and we settle down for the night. It blows 55 knots, with intermittent rain squalls.

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Sunrise is exquisite, calm, with a hint of fog on the water’s surface.

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There are lovely homes surrounding us.

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And leaves are beginning to change color.

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Noisy honking of departing water fowl sends a clear message – fall is on the way.

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The weather remains calm, warm during the day, and clear at night.

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There are all manner of creatures to watch and photograph.

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From majestic bald eagles…

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…to high flying vultures.

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And too many ducks and geese to count.

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We are visited by friends from a bygone era, back when we cruised together so our respective progeny could entertain themselves while we earnestly discussed the important topics of those days: wind vanes, refrigeration, and the next radio schedule. Can it really be true that those same young children now have children of their own, who are in college?

It has now been four days. The Simrad CPU is installed (a one hour job that took us all day – but that is another story), the engine room has been checked, and we have even done a few projects. But mostly we have been sitting, watching, enjoying. We have not yet bothered to launch a dinghy.

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The surroundings are lovely to be sure, but there could be something interesting down the bay…

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The recent storm that did so much damage along the east coast of the U.S. made for an interesting evening at anchor aboard FPB 78-1 Cochise. With sustained gusts above 75 knots/88mph…

…the question of windage vs stability at anchor has been answered. Check out the video below. But first, let us set the scene for you…

We have spent the weekend in Chester, MD, watching the “down rigging festival” from Cochise. Sunday afternoon, our guests have departed, and the anchorage is now clear of visiting yachts. A couple of boat lengths away, five very traditional sailing craft sit rafted at the dock.

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The weather doesn’t feel right. We check NOAA on VHF. No big deal. Maybe a gale – small boats watch out – nothing for us to give a second thought. Still, we are both uneasy. We have two hours till dark. We are worried about possible flooding on the river, damage from other craft, and who knows what else.

The one thing above others that gets us moving is the ease with which the dink comes aboard. Have we heard this story before?

Linda gets the engines started and the electronics fired up while I get the dink secured on the aft deck. In less than ten minutes we are headed down river, looking for a more protected anchorage.

Now a word on windage and possible lifting forces associated with the various house and roof structures on the FPB 78.

When Cochise is at anchor she has neither the dynamic stability nor the restoring force of the stabilizer fins that come with speed. While we have not been worried about safety, we have wondered about comfort in a real blow at anchor.

The video that follows is at night so you don’t get a sense of the motion. Essentially it was a non-issue. Yes we sailed a bit at anchor, and there was a bit of heeling in the major gusts, but not anywhere near what we would have felt with one of our sailboats in a similar situation.

Enjoy the video.

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For some reason this summer, numerous friends asked us if we’d visit Washington, DC with Cochise. Go 170 miles out of our way to see a city that epitomizes waste and inefficiency? Then we thought, why not. We have lots of friends in the area, it would give us a chance to visit some of the buildings that were constructed with our concrete forming equipment (a very long time ago), and we could catch a few museums. And if we were really lucky, maybe the leaves would turn and we could finally snap a photo that has eluded us over many years. To see how this all turned out (and there is even a free lunch!), read on.

To begin with, no matter how jaded a traveler your are, Mount Vernon in the early morning sun is just lovely.

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That we are sitting at anchor just off George and Martha’s home is an indication of how cool this river can be.

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Above, Sharon Casey (far right) with her very accomplished daughter, Winter, visiting us in Chester. We first met one evening in 1982 as we rafted our then new Intermezzo II alongside Sharon’s boat in Fort Lauderdale. We have been close friends ever since.

When they suggested we drive to DC to see them we said, “No way, too much traffic.”

“Then bring the boat.” Sharon rejoined.

“Hmm,” was our response.

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The recently endangered bald eagle is everywhere.

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And when you see them flapping their powerful wings as they glide to their next meal it is an undeniable thrill.

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Just as long as it’s not you on the menu.

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We park Cochise inside the National Harbor, just south of DC. It is surrounded by lots of shops and businesses, bustling and busy.

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Politics aside, this is the people’s White House, and whether you agree or disagree with the occupants at any given time, it is best to keep in mind who the real owners are. And this being a lovely fall day, we consent to a visit to the People’s house.

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Especially when it includes lunch in the Navy Mess, a rare treat for which your faithful correspondent donned a tie–for the first time in some 40 years.

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Forty plus years ago, when we had real jobs rather than pretend (as in playing with boats), we were heavily involved with concrete building construction. The Hirschhorn Museum was at one point possibly the most difficult concrete forming job ever. It was formed with our equipment, as were many other buildings in this area. If we look a little tired above it is because we are. It had been a very full day at this point, with more coming.

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One of our photo goals this year was to capture fall leaves, hopefully reflected in a glassy sea surface.

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On to the next adventure…

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You are looking at step one of the new and improved SetSail. This upgrade includes a much faster website connection.In this post we’ve thrown up a series of relatively high res photos. We would appreciate some feedback with comments on loading speed and visual quality.

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You are standing on a rigid coaming of the FPB 70-1’s Matrix deck, looking toward the bow. Inside and out, she is coming together. 

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Standing forward now, looking aft, note the notch in the coaming for access forward. With the solar panels roof-mounted, this area is now open.

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The great room above and below. Note the open area below the seating. This looks into the basement. The basement is laid out so that the L-shaped settee to port and long settee to starboard provide headroom in the basement. The framework is in place for interior finishes.

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The 70 has a similar Dorade vent system to that which is working so well on the 78s. You can see the ceiling diffusers at the top outside corners of the photo.

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Standing in the galley now, looking forward. The fridge-freezer box is similar in size to the FPB 64. In addition, you could easily put in a couple of eight cubic foot/cubic meter sized conventional freezer chests in the basement area.

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The aft port corner of the basement showing the damage control pump and related manifold. This gives you a sense of the headroom to the underside of the deck above.

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Owners’ suite looking aft. The door on the starboard side of the boat is one of two forward entrances into the basement. It leads to a large closet area. Turn right as you step through the door and you have two large bulkheads on which are mounted most of the electrical/electronics hardware. Batteries go under the bunk.

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Standing in the forward head looking to starboard from where the shower/tub unit will go. The toilet goes opposite.

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The engine room will have slightly more open space than the 78s, in scale, due mainly to the black/gray water tanks being moved aft and under the swim step.

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Looking to port from the starboard side of the engine room.

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Looking aft into the “Executive Lounge” (workshop/lazarette/crew quarters).

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Swim platform looking forward. The hatch on the port side is for flammable stores.

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It is that time of year again. There is chaos in the parking lots, everybody seems to be fighting a cold, several major airports are snarled, and we are looking forward to seeing the family…..

and then getting Cochise back afloat and going cruising.

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But first another download speed test. By internet standards these files are quite large, so the same question as before… how is the download speed? We are particularly interested in how this all works when you don’t have a really fast connection.

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Speaking of fast connections, we should mention that FPB 97-1 Iceberg just went trans-Atlantic in nine days and four hours, for the 2786 nm voyage an average speed of 12.66 knots.

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Meanwhile FPB 78-3 Iron Lady II, is back at the marina in Whangarei finishing up her punch list, with Pete Rossin due aboard right after the first of the year. Current cruising plans are not yet finalized. Is it Tasmania in the west, or Tierra del Fuego to the east?

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We have been hard at work in our “retirement”. It turns out there are a whole bunch of things we have put aside over the last eight years, all of which require immediate attention. But hey, if we’ve waited this long a little bit longer won’t be that big a deal. We figure by the time we are back afloat, towards the end of March, we will be pretty well caught up. That leaves us with more time to talk boats with our owners and friends, and maybe shoot a photo or two.

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Listening to tall tales of daring-do on the ocean are one of our favorite pastimes.

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So if you see us at anchor row over and say hello. And don’t forget to give us a note on how these larger files are downloading.

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We will see you out there.

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The FPBs are designed with drying out in mind, and like all aspects of seamanship, we think testing the process in controlled circumstances before we actually need to use it makes sense. The following comments are based on a lifetime of avoiding experience with the subject at hand. But the old saying – it is not if you will run aground but when – is as true today as it was a couple of generations ago when we made our way without long range nav aids and few, if any, charts.

In the photos that follow you will see FPB 78-1 Cochise aground on the Mahurangi river in New Zealand, where she had been parked for a tidal cycle to test the procedures we had in mind for setting kedge and warping off and/or holding ourselves, so we would not drift into further danger.

We were on a rising cycle of ever higher tides four days before a full moon, so we were reasonably certain that the tidal cycle would help to float us off as the tide came in, as long as we were not drifting further aground with the tidal current or wind.

In this particular case, setting a kedge anchor to hold us in place was required in order to control the boat. Our main anchor is so heavy that it must have a big winch to handle it – at 325 pounds/180 kg this is not to be toyed with. So we do the following:

• We look for a place where we are out of the traffic with just a single hook with room to swing. If this is not available, second choice is simply running aground – under control of course – and stick the bottom and fins in the mud. In lighter winds and slack currents, this is often a good means of anchoring the boat.

To use a bow and stern anchor:

• Prepare the stern kedge anchor for launching from the swim platform by hanging it overboard from a halyard at the boom end above.
• With the flukes clear of obstructions, make sure the stern anchor rode, normally stored on a roll in the stern, is ready to go.
• We let out additional chain on the forward anchor, so Cochise drifts back to a position where there is sufficient scope for the stern aluminum Fortress (Danforth type) anchor to get a good set, as we winch the forward chain back in. We usually figure 7-1 scope on the aft anchor to begin. Seven to one is rarely more than a boat length.
• The chain windlass forward is then winched in until the aft anchor is firmly set.

If we find ourselves unintentionally aground, the odds are we need to run the kedge out with the dinghy. In this case hopefully the dinghy will be protected from the sharp edges of the flukes. With a large dinghy and powerful outboard we tow the rode off the reel in reverse, dinghy bow towards the mothership. Our RIB steers better this way and the rode is kept clear of the dinghy running gear. If you are rowing the rode out, or using a small outboard, you may need to flake the rode into the dinghy to avoid the drag of pulling it off of the reel and through the water.

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You can see the anchor fluke sticking out of the mud in the foreground and kedge off the stern – the yellow line – off to the right.

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Linda is wearing a headset (AKA the Wankaphone) so we can communicate easily at a distance. The folded arms and countenance indicate her opinion of this particular test. It is something I have seen before when your correspondent ignored her suggestion not to>>>fill in the blank <<<< and we ended up running out a kedge in earnest.

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We are in soft mud here, and looking down about 14 feet aft of the bow.

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The prop, prop skeg, and rudder are deeply buried. We are not going anywhere for a while!

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The next morning, with the tide filling in, we start the kedge retrieval process. Breaking the Fortress free from a deeply buried position takes a while, and lots of dinghy horsepower. That is a 60HP Yamaha in the photo above. The chain on the end of the rode had been tied short to the bow, so the pull is close to vertical.

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The hardest part of this process is actually bringing the anchor into the dinghy. We have since made a bib to tie over the bow which protects the RIB tubes from the anchor.

In a more protected location, say the side of the Intercoastal Waterway, we will have a lot less scope on the kedge. In this case, rather than retrieve with the dinghy we ease back on the forward chain rode so we can lift onto the stern, using the kedging winch on the aft deck for the hard work.

We should point out that we spent some time this fall parking the boat across from Jarrette Bay where she is now hauled out. The bottom there is much firmer than the Mahurangi River, and as we were hauling out in a few days’ time, we were curious to see if we could do a little damage to the bottom paint.

With the current running at a couple of knots, we set the main anchor at a ten-to-one scope just for room to play with, and then ended up driving the boat hard onto the bank. After a couple of tries we had the technique down where she would stay put. As the tide was falling we were there for six hours until it began to lift us sufficiently that we could drag ourselves off with the big windlass forward.

For lots more on anchors and anchoring, download free copies of Practical Seamanship and Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia here.

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Cochise is on the hard at Triton Marine and we periodically check in on the vital signs from the phone, tablet, or desk computer. This ability is just one of the reasons we believe Maretron’s N2K view is a vital cruising tool.

Once the system is set up it is easy to create new pages. For example:

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This page on the DC and AC power system status. The red 28.8 volts indicates excessive voltage, unless we are equalizing the batteries, which is the case here.

For remote viewing, away from the boat, special pages can be created to fit a different sized screen format.

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A key feature in Maretron’s system are the alerts and warnings when something is out of range. While this started out as a tool to warn about major issues such as a fire or bilge alarm, we feel that its highest calling is as an instructional tool. For example you might have three voltage alerts, each at a different voltage, and each with a specific set of instructions.

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This screen helps us with tank volume management.

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And this is what we have up when maneuvering. Wind, course, speed, RPM, and the four depth transducers are all easily programmed.

Once we get back aboard towards the end of March we will discuss the Maretron N2K data system in more detail.

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A new video in which we reveal the secrets behind all those ocean-crossing miles…

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The older you are the more critical it is to design for good night vision. We thought we had this subject nailed down. We were wrong.

Optimizing the nav station for night watches means different things for different people. The best solution is a function of where you will be navigating, the amount of traffic likely to be encountered, and–most important–the eyesight of the watch-standers. A few years ago we would not have even considered this last element, but as the two of us have “matured“ our night vision has degraded. This became very apparent last fall when we were caught at night on the Intracoastal Waterway with no place to tie up, no moon to light our way, with a moderate rain falling. Although we have two radars, several chart plotters and sonar, our eyesight penetrating the dark ahead is the most critical tool in these conditions. The important nature of several small details has now become more apparent.

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This first set of photos represents what we have historically felt was a good layout. The big display on the right is vertical with an overhanging lip to keep light from lighting the headliner. The secondary monitor on the desk to port can be covered in difficult situations. And we are reasonably close to the windows.

The key element in this setup is keeping reflected light off the inside of the windows. We have found that even a single 4″/100 mm instrument face will put enough light onto a window to disrupt our night vision. Having the forward windows angled forward at the top reduces the amount of reflected light reaching them. Window coatings that reduce glare are what we prefer when installing thermal film on windows. A dark headliner will significantly reduce reflection as well. We have found that flat exercise bands (these run about 4″/100 mm wide) make excellent covers for instruments that are throwing too much light. With most of our instruments we can still read the data through the exercise bands. These bands are relatively heavy and stay nicely in place.

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Whether the windows are wet or dry on the outside, or coated with salt or dirt, the closer you stand to the inside surface the less impact the debris on the windows will have on your vision.

Okay: so far we have forward angled windows, a dark headliner, and instruments and/or monitors which are as close to vertical as possible. The next step is lighting up the area forward of the bow. Over the years we have gone from flashlights to powerful 230 V flood lamps, to extreme concentrated LED spot and floodlights.

The FPB 78s are fitted with six 10″ rigid LEDs. Three of these are eight-degree wide spots and three are 35-degree driving lights. These are mounted about 20’/6m off the water. They do a reasonable job showing us what is within a few boat lengths. The photo above is taken from the lower helm. The higher you stand, the better you can see forward with the LEDs. However, once you begin to use them, your night vision is essentially shot. For working in temperate climates, say Maine looking for lobster pots, we aim the three spots about a boat length forward and the driving lights three to four boat lengths ahead. If it is ice we are looking for, the order is reversed, with the spots aimed ahead and the wider beams in close. Ice will show up a long way off with the spots.

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Now let’s switch to the Matrix deck. We would call this desk and instrument layout “conventional”. There is a notch to starboard where we can wedge ourselves in, nose to glass or peering through the open window. A large desk surface on the starboard side provides chart storage and a space to lay charts down. There are two monitors forward, a large TV (55″ on a swing arm to starboard) which can be used with any of the electronics, and an array of controls and instrument faces on the desk just ahead of the center helm chair. The photo above was taken heading into the Bras d’Or lakes in Nova Scotia.

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The forward end of the Matrix deck is arranged for two to con the boat under normal circumstances, but it easily adapts to three if we are piloting somewhere difficult. The two watch-standers here are circumnavigators Dr. Michael and Nancy Morrell. They hold the distinction of having completed the slowest circumnavigation of which we are aware – 16 years.

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Above, Cory McMahon on watch en route from Beaufort, North Carolina towards Long Island Sound. One of Cory’s specialties at his Triton Marine yard is high end sport-fishing navigation packages, and by sport fish standards we have minimal light pollution. In fact, by our usual standards both Matrix and great room helms work well at night. But we have discovered that neither of us sees as well at night as we used to, and the small amount of light pollution that exists with this design is not acceptable at this point in our lives. Since we still prefer to cruise on our own, and don’t want to be dependent on younger crew, we set out to see if we could find a better approach.

By abandoning what we had been doing out of habit, and challenging all basic assumptions, we quickly found that the situation could be vastly improved if we took a different approach. We tested different layouts, varied lighting settings, contrast, instrument angles, tried non-reflective overhead panels, and eventually came to the conclusion that the old layout had to go. It simply was not going to get the job done. We gave Corey the go ahead, and within a day his crew at Triton Marine had the Circa-built furniture removed. From here we proceeded to mock up and fine-tune various permutations, all based on a nav package that was mounted at coaming height.

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The chaotic layout above was actually used to move the boat around Beaufort for a week, in daylight and dark, cruising in open areas and maneuvering in very tight spaces. We gradually refined positioning and design details.

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Here’s a 3D schematic of where we are going with the new helm design. Virtually everything that a watch-stander needs is within reach when seated, including interior and exterior lighting controls, three separate nav system controls, one for each screen (the 55″ TV which will be used for the radar is to port and not shown here). The framework that holds the two 28″ monitors shown above also supports the various controls, instruments, etc. All of this is on a single hinge line, so when night vision is critical the panel will be nearly vertical to eliminate reflection up and then forward. During the day, or twilight hours, the entire panel can be rotated closer to horizontal if desired. The much lower position improves sight lines from both the helm position and further aft. With the helm chair at normal seated height we have better vision than with the extended helm chair previously installed. And as a bonus, the Matrix deck usable deck area has grown substantially, opening up a series of intriguing layout options.

We will do a post with the new helm station a few weeks hence, once it is installed.

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There has been a lot of hype about the new Sony A7RIII body. Some folks are going so far as to say the tech leap is on a par with the Canon pro line upgrade ten years ago, which introduced their L-series lenses and the 1DX/5DII bodies (which we experienced). You can easily judge for yourself with one example, this first photo.

Looks pretty ordinary, obviously a daytime photo with the night sky inserted. Except that it is not. This is a single shot, taken in moonlight, with the light somewhat attenuated by thin cloud.

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Noise? Detail? Above is an 1100 pixel crop from the 7952 pixel wide RAW file with a few seconds of processing in Lightroom.

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Same as previous but with sharpening and noise filters off.

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Another example, this looking east 45 minutes after sunset.

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This next series are looking west into the afterglow, 20 minutes after sunset. Check the backlit terrain. The only light is reflected from the darkening sky above.

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Here is a crop of the shot as it came out of the camera. Quite dark.

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And then with 2.5 stops of of brightening.

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A rising moon gave us sufficient light to bring out the inner backlit rock face to the right. To the naked eye this entire area is dark with the right side absolutely black.

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And a 100% crop of the preceding. If this image survives the web compression you will see individual grains of sand.

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Here we are looking straight up. There is almost no reflected moonlight.

We are just learning how to put these capabilities to work, so camera settings are all over the place. Typically ISO 3200, F4.0, eight to fifteen seconds exposure time in the dark. With good moonlight, as in the lead photo, we are shooting ISO 1600, F4.0 at six seconds.

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A couple of days ago the moon and Saturn were close just before sunrise. The 1100mm crop above was taken with the same body, using our old Canon 600 F4  Mark II prim and the the Mark III doubler. A Sigma MC 11 adaptor enables autofocus. The image is sharp enough that what you see here has been blown up 250% in Photoshop.

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And a small section of cholla cactus which has been blown up 300% to show how sharp this gear can get in good light.

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Is Sony running rings around the competition? Same gear as the cropped moon phot. This time magnified 400% in Photoshop. It takes amazing sensor capability to do Saturn, a relatively faint body, and turn moonlit scenes into daylight.

“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.”
~ William A. Foster

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This is a difficult post for Linda and me to write. But events in the past few weeks together with the urging of many of our friends and clients (often one and the same) have forced the issue, starting with the William Foster quote above sent to us by one of our owners.

The two of us have spent over 50 years together, cruising more than 250,000 miles under sail and power. We have been designing and building boats for others for more than 40 years. During that time we have learned that there is no “perfect boat,” rather there are a series of tradeoffs that can be incorporated into the design to change the outcome. With the passage of years and ever-changing designs, we have sought the Holy Grail of cruising, the perfect blend of tradeoffs that optimize comfort and safety at sea together with life at anchor. This goal will likely never be fully met. The closest we have come is with our FPB series. We are consistently driven by the goal that every boat represents subtle but continuous improvement. We’ve succeeded because of our business model, modern communications, and something that is lacking throughout the marine industry: a love for the sea and thousands of hours evaluating, experimenting, and designing in the real world.

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Wind Horse, the FPB prototype shown above, is anchored in Graciosa Bay in the Canary Islands with two of our sailing designs, Moonshadow and Interlude. Between them, these three yachts have accumulated more than 300,000 sea miles and four circumnavigations.

We know that we have disappointed many people by closing the FPB order book and retiring. We would have preferred that the business continue, but could not find a formula with which we felt comfortable lending our name. We have left a void in the market that others will try to fill. We wish them success. But when other designers and builders begin to use “FPB-like” in their sales pitch, the situation changes and we are duty bound to comment. This post is our response.

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None of the design concept material of other companies we have reviewed to date shows an understanding of the difference between aesthetics and function. Said another way, while some boats may try to look like an FPB, they do not incorporate the critical mix of design features that give the FPBs their unique cruising performance paradigm. We have not shared our underlying design concepts with any other group. From a technical perspective this is probably impossible, since the parametric design spiral we use starts with our experience at sea, and every decision we make is colored by that. Thus, they are not “FPB-like” or an evolution of the FPB concept.

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If you are thinking about a new build, let us offer a few words of advice about how to evaluate the yachts you are considering:

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Be clear about what you want to do with the yacht, and the risk profile of the areas in which you may cruise.

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Do a long passage, not just a short sea trial, aboard any type of boat you are seriously considering. Make sure that you experience at least force six but preferably a gale, both up and downwind.

Get to know some of the owners well enough so they will give you honest feedback (very few people will tell you what they really think, if it’s negative).

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Assure yourself of the financial viability of the parties with whom you are dealing, and protect yourself legally to the extent possible. This is not an easy business. One only has to look at the recent demise of the Oyster Yacht company for an example. New buyers often get burned by promises that are not kept.

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Be sure there is sufficient room for spares, consumables, toys, and bos’n’s gear. 

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And when possible, it is always better to buy a good used yacht than to take on the risks, costs, and often frustration of a new build.

This subject is covered in much greater detail in our Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia, Second Edition, pages 1043-1085 (download a free copy of Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia here).

Which brings us to a topic we are reluctant to discuss, yet feel ethically obligated to do so, since our silence could be taken as a sign of acknowledgment.

We’ve been contacted by a number of people in the last few days about a mailing regarding a new design offered by Todd Rickard. While we parted ways with Todd because of a disagreement over the FPB 78 design and specification, we still wish Todd all the best in his new endeavor. We do, however, need to clarify a few things:

1. Todd’s design is in no way a “continuation as well as a true progression” of the FPB Series. This Nigel Irens design represents Todd’s ideas, not ours. It is not remotely close to an FPB.

2. There are claims made about Todd’s involvement with the FPB program. He worked with us during the first 12 boats on marketing and as owner liaison. This spanned the FPB 64s and 97 FPB. To be completely accurate, he was not involved in any of our design aspects.

If you are interested in what we think of as our ultimate voyaging designs in the larger size ranges, take a close look at the FPB 78s and FPB 70s, five of which will soon be cruising, all having been purchased by prior FPB owners. These represent what a lifetime of voyaging, design, and building yachts all over the world has taught us and our owners– for the FPB 78 and 70 are very much a collaboration between us. And while they will no longer be built, they will provide you with a yardstick by which to judge others.

We will see you out there cruising.

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The following article by Linda and Steve Dashew appeared in Voyages, Chronicles of the Cruising Club of America, and puts the FPB 78 into a historical context. We thought you might enjoy giving it a read.

From the CCA:

“Since the Club’s inception there have been two qualifications for membership: a member must be a complete seaman, and he must be a good shipmate.

The Cruising Club of America is made up of accomplished offshore sailors who are dedicated to the sport of yachting, with special emphasis on long distance ocean cruising to remote and interesting areas.

Members who fly the CCA burgee do so with pride and a sense of achievement. Membership is not taken lightly and our burgee is recognized in all corners of the world. Membership in the The Cruising Club of America is by invitation, with new members being proposed by existing members who know them well. The invitation may be extended to sailors who have demonstrated offshore sailing experience in a command position.”

The CCA sponsors the biennial Bermuda Race, and holds seminars at venues across the USA on subjects like Safety at Sea, Cruising, as well as having an informative website at www.cruisingclub.org.

Read the full article in the embedded pdf below, or click here to download the pdf.

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It’s a busy time down at Circa. FPB 70-1 is on the home stretch toward splashing. Systems, interior cabinetry, finishing welds, all happening at a rapid pace now.

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The first two photos above show FPB 70-1 from the foredeck looking aft.

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Swim step ladder in place, entrance to workshop shown to port.

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Galley.

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Looking starboard from galley.

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Great room looking forward.

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Great room looking aft.

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Systems area in the basement.

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Plumbing manifolds port aft corner of the basement, with port aft guest stateroom behind.

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Cabinetry for the office area in the basement.

FPB 70-1 is scheduled to launch mid-year.