In case you missed Sarah’s Broadway debut at 54 Below last week, we thought a few photos were in order.
The house was packed, and Sarah was rocking.
She doesn’t do a lot of shows, but when she does, Sarah does not hold back.
We’ll let the photos speak for themselves.
And the reaction of the staid New Yorkers who have seen it all.
We are torn between a love for the tropics and the adrenaline that comes as you venture closer to the poles.
FPB 64-6 Grey Wolf is now in Tahiti, soon to depart for the Tuamotus and Marquesas. FPB 64-5 Tiger, 64-7 Buffalo Nickel, and FPB 64-8 Atlantis are getting ready to resume (or in the case of Atlantis begin) their tropical cruising, while FPB 64-1 Avatar, FPB 64-2 Sarah Sarah, FPB 64-3 Iron Lady are preparing to head for high latitudes (FPB 83-1 Wind Horse, 64-4 Osprey, and 64-9 Orca are all currently cruising the mid-latitudes). Of the ten FPBs listed, eight will have major distances to run to their cruising goals.
Which is the best destination? Read on.
Entering a new pass in the tropics, watching the coral flash by in crystal clear water, all the while feeling that gentle tropical breeze dressing your minimally clad body, is a great pleasure. Sitting at anchor in your private section of a tropical lagoon isn’t too bad either.
And the beaches, in particular those of the fine grain variety, are worthy of a row ashore.
Then there is the morning snorkel, and another in the afternoon.
We can attest to the fact that cruising life in the tropics has its rewards.
But the high latitudes also have a strong pull.
For this type of beauty you have to get closer to the poles.
Of course there are challenges, and you need a stronger hull and detailed preparation.
You can amaze friends with fresh ice that fizzes in their drinks.
One of the big attractions is wildlife.
In many of the high latitude anchorages you don’t need a super telephoto lens.
Which is better?
There is a lot to be said for this view, even on a damp, chilly day.
And when the sun does come out…
On the other hand, we like this too. Maybe the answer is both.
Which do you prefer, and why?
The southern part of the Indian Ocean is one of the few places we have found where the trades blow as advertised… and then some. Here Intermezzo is departing Christmas Island for Cocos Keeling at the start of a long haul across this boisterous bit of ocean.
This photo was taken by Jimmy Schmidt on the 70-foot motor sailor WinSon, after which we did a horizon job on them (what else would you expect).
A typical shot on a relatively calm morning.
After a bouncy, wet, and fast reach, we arrived at first light several days later. We awaited the sun’s ascent for usable light to guide us through the unbuoyed pass, expecting to have an isolated anchorage.
We were astounded to find a veritable fleet on hand.
The weather patterns tend to bring yachts together in passaging season, and the beach fronting the anchorage off Direction Island was busy with social gatherings.
A few days later the first group moved on, and we and WinSon had the bay to ourselves.
One of our all time favorite photos. Linda is reading to Elyse and Sarah, a daily occurrence to which we all looked forward.
Next stop for us was tiny Rodrigues Island. The hand hewn coral entrance seemed barely wide enough for our 12-foot beam. The entire village turned out to handle our lines.
Here is a shot of Intermezzo rafted alongside a barge in the Rodrigues harbor.
As was the case in many of the places we visited, there was soon a special friend who decided he would look after us. Ah Kee Long took us on a tour of his island, showed us a wonderful cave, and introduced us to a local tailor with a foot operated sewing machine, who helped with repairs to our working jib as we prepared for the next leg to Mauritius.
The rest of this voyage across the Indian ocean will need to await the discovery of another box of slides.
We’ll close with this photo of WinSon, the motor sailor we mentioned earlier. This was taken in the Marquesas just after we first met.
With the design and engineering cycle for the FPB 78 Series nearing completion – it has been two years and over 16,000 man hours since we started this process -
bandwidth is now available to bring you up to date.
There are numerous refinements which we will discuss in a series of posts, starting here with a brief overview of the exterior.
The forward mast has evolved into an A-frame, which has numerous advantages:
The aft antennae collection has evolved as well.
There is a hinged central “mast” which carries the main open array radar and the sat com/tv antennae.
Maintenance on this gear will be simplified when you can work on it from deck level.
The boom design has been solidified and rigging details worked through. The booms now project outboard 9.4 meters/30.4 feet from center, giving enormous roll resistance at anchor. In addition, the booms are long enough to be used for light hoisting over the transom – think someone in the water.
Storage of the roll control plates (used at anchor) is built into the structure at the forward end of the swim platform.
The flopper stopper storage system is more apparent in this view from the starboard quarter.
In this view you get a closeup view of the port side stored flopper stopper, as well as the mid-topside starboard rub rail, which also acts as a handhold from the dinghy. When you are moving frequently between anchorages, the roll control halyards can be left connected, making setting and retrieval a five minute job.
Practicalities aside, we like the way the FPB 78 looks now – a lot. Of course we could be biased.
A final note on antennae: the wire between radar and forward masts measures over 17m. This is long enough after insertion of insulators at each end to act as a very efficient full wave length 16m SSB antenna. The forward mast carries two VHF and an AIS whip antenna. This reduces the aft clutter and offers better separation between them.
When you design a yacht to deal with heavy weather, the process is made difficult by a lack of real world experience in truly dangerous conditions. But occasionally events transpire from which you can learn something. One of those is depicted above in the photo sent in by Peter Watson, the owner of FPB 64-6 Grey Wolf.
Markers are laid down that can be dissected and, when understood, move the design process a bit further along. One of those events transpired recently as FPB 64-6 Grey Wolf, Peter Watson Master, was approaching the Azores in the Eastern Atlantic. Grey Wolf found herself in an unforecast strong gale.
Before we get into this situation in detail, let’s spend a minute discussing heavy weather tactics in general. It is not unusual to want to run off with a storm, particularly if you are going the same way, or you have a storm center from which you are trying to move away. This is often the only course open when maneuvering away from a tropical storm system.
In both power and sail steering, characteristics are going to determine how long you can run, and when you have to stop, turn around, and jog (under power) or heave to (under sail) heading into the wind and waves. Steering control itself is a function of rudder size relative to the load, hull balance, bow shape and if or when the bow begins to lock in. The deeper the forefoot is immersed, the more difficult will be the job of the rudder.
As long as control is maintained, faster is usually safer and more comfortable. Boat speed reduces overtaking wave impact, lets fewer waves catch you, and provides more lift for rudder(s) to generate steering force.
When the hull is being designed, if you are concerned with this subject, there is an inevitable conflict between upwind comfort and downwind control. The most comfortable upwind shape is narrow and deep. The best steering bow is wider and less immersed.
There are no computer programs to make the decision, tank testing is of marginal value, in the end you go on gut, your own experience, and the reports of others.
In our own case there are several seminal downwind passages that have helped us formulate our ideas on this subject. One was an extreme northeaster blowing against the Gulf Stream with extreme breaking seas aboard the 62-foot cutter Intemezzo II. Another was a 50+ knot compression gale in the south Pacific aboard the 78-foot ketch Beowulf. The FPB 83 Wind Horse experienced just one real gale, that caught us between Greenland and Ireland, other than the 35-40 knots of wind on our first passage to Fiji from New Zealand, and this we went looking for.
With the FPB 64s, we have had glimpses of how the design tradeoffs have worked downwind, but nothing we’d consider a real test, until now.
What we are looking for is if and/or when the yacht runs out of steering control. With Wind Horse we never came close to running out of rudder. With the FPB 64 Peter Watson and Grey Wolf have moved the marker another notch.
You are looking at a remarkable number, sent to us from Grey Wolf after they were secure alongside in Horta. This is the maximum speed attained on the GPS when they were surfing off ahead of their force 8/9 gale. Twenty-two knots represents a speed length ratio of 2.7. Most “experts”will tell you that this number is impossible on non-planing hulls, and the round bilged FPB 64 is certainly not a planing hull!
Grey Wolf was working her way through an under-forecast gale at 37 degrees 42.2 N 32 degrees 31.8 W. Waves were 3.5 -4m, fast moving, with long, mature faces. Wind speed was in the 28 to 40+ knot range, barometer 1015, and the engine turning 1775 RPM. The autopilot was in aggressive mode with minimum dead band/sea state and increased rudder gain.
Peter Watson reports that they were in total control and at no time felt like they were close to the edge.
At some point the FPB 64 is going to run out of control and need to stop, turn around, and jog into the seas. But that point has been pushed back.
We’ve been dragging around 40 pound backpacks of full frame Canon professional camera gear since the ark. It was the way we knew to get the results. Now there is a better answer.
Linda took the lead photo using a full frame processor Sony 7A mirrorless camera, on auto, using the 28-70mm plastic kit lens. Astonishing when you look at the photo on a large monitor. And the majority of the 50 photos from which this sunset was chosen look as good.
Same camera and lens at 100% crop, hand held, in less than perfect light.
In this photo using consecutive 20 second exposures until we got lucky and caught a lightning flash.
This little Sony Alpha 7 weighs 1/6th of a Canon 1DX body, takes 1/4 of the space, and for static subjects does as well or better, at less than a quarter of the price.
With airlines getting fussier about the size and weight of carry on gear – often limiting us to 7kg/15 pounds on overseas flights, we started this research expecting to have to trade off some of the quality we were used to with our Canon pro cameras for convenience. We did not expect to come out ahead of the game. After two weeks of testing we can say with 100% certainty that the Sony 7A, 24mp camera, easily outperforms the Canon 5Dlll.
But wait, there’s more.
Sony also makes the 7R, which has 50% more pixels, but is slower on focusing. Both bodies will work with third party full frame lenses from Canon, Nikon, Leica, etc. using the appropriate adaptor. This photo is the 7R body, with a Metabones lll adaptor, and the Canon 600 F4 telephoto with a Mark lll 1.4 teleconverter. In other words, the equivalent of 840mm. The higher pixel count equates to a longer lens if the quality allows tight cropping which cranks that 840mm another 40+ percent. Look carefully at the bottom center of the tree. Notice the tiny bird?
This is a 100% crop of that little guy. We would normally never crop in this close, but it shows what the processor is capable of doing. Keep in mind you are looking at a highly compressed JPG. The native image, on a high def monitor, looks far better, and this is the equivalent of a 1200mm lens.
The Los Angeles neighborhood red tail hawk was having dinner in the dark. ISO (film speed) is set to 5000. The lens is a Canon 70-200 F2.8 ll, at F3.5, 1/20th of a second, hand held and manually focused.
Back to the 7A (24mb) here with a Canon 14mm prime lens, the glass we typically use for boat interiors. You are looking out into an end of day sunlit back yard, about five F stops brighter than the interior. This is shot 7/10ths of a stop underexposed, and then balanced in Lightroom (30 seconds of work). Neither the Canon 1DX or 5Dlll would do as well.
Switching to with the Canon 24-105, hand held on the Sony 7A, at a 100% crop.
Another heavily backlit and wide dynamic range image photo. This was the Sony 7A and Canon 24-104 lens.
Now we get serious. What happens when you pair the new Sony body with a Carl Zeiss lens specifically designed for it, in particular the 55mm F 1.8 lens which DXoMark rated as the sharpest lens they have ever tested?
On a Thunderbolt display the depth and definition of this hand held mid day sun photo is unlike anything this writer has ever seen before.
Since we are constrained to the Internet, compression, and a variety of different viewer monitors this 100% crop of a 7000 pixel wide photo will have to do. If you have any doubts about the resolution powers of the Carl Zeiss 55mm on the Sony 7R look at the pollen dust on the leaves of this barrel cactus bloom. And incidentally, the auto focus with this lens on the Sony 7R is almost instantaneous.
Switching lenses now, here mating the Sony 7R to a Canon 600mm F4 prime combined with a Canon doubler (2Xlll) via a Matabones lll adaptor. Focus is manual. We have have been shooting moons for a long time and this is by far the sharpest photo ever.
A final photo, this time a 100% crop of the bottom of the previous. What is most impressive to us is that these moon photos were taken a few hours after sundown, partially hidden by a thin veil of clouds, hence the coloring, on a warm summer evening. Clear, cold, winter nights are ideal for this type of photography, so hopefully the results will improve with time.
So what won’t these bodies do? Compared to the 1DX they don’t come close in focusing speed, tracking, or frames per second for a moving target. And the electronic viewfinder is not as clear as composing through the viewfinder via a mirror. For everything else, they are going to revolutionize the high end camera market.
While inexpensive by Canon/Nikon pro gear standards, a Sony 7A with the 28-70 kit lens will set you back about US$1700, the 7R US$2000 for body only, several times what a mirrorless consumer camera will cost. The Zeiss 55mm F 1.8 lens is about US$900. For this investment you get in return vastly superior capabilities in difficult shooting conditions, not to mention the every day benefits. If you are not into serious photography and controlling the camera yourself the auto functions produce stunning results. And the gear is compact and lightweight. We can carry a full backpack of cameras including the laptop computer and keep the airline ramp personal happy.
We cannot wait to put them to work in the FPB world!
Hurricane Bertha has gotten a little press so far, but her evolution to extra-tropical structure indicates big things may be in store for the UK and parts of Europe.
Hurricanes are compact, rarely more than 40 miles across where their strong winds reside, and slow moving. As a result they are easy to dodge. When these leave the tropics and form extra-tropical lows, they move faster and cover ocean wide areas. Dodging is impossible, and the seas have a chance to grow. In short, the tropical structure becomes far more dangerous to vessels as it fades from the headlines.
The key to evaluating the likelihood of this occurring is in the 500mb weather charts. Three days ago they were indicating a possible trip across the Atlantic for Bertha. The 24 hour forecast above shows the same. Check out http://www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/shtml/A_brief.shtml for the complete N. Atlantic run of surface and 500mb data. This will be an interesting weather event. And for those who are afloat in Bertha’s extra-tropical path, keep a storm anchorage handy and extra ground tackle ready to go.
Todd and I have just returned stateside after a trek east to England, where we celebrated FPB 64 Grey Wolf‘s demi-circumnavigation with press, pubs, and parties.
Lymington, the site of Berthon UK and Grey Wolf’s celebration, is a lovely old Georgian sea port, with a long history of ship building; at dusk the church bells ring and locals and tourists alike retire to the comfort of a pub for a beer, or perhaps a spot of curry. (Todd and I opted for both.)
In the morning, folks are hard at work at Berthon–Sue Grant and the Berthon brokerage crew are the European representatives for FPB. They house an impressive yard to boot, working on everything from military hovercraft (in the foreground), to restoring 100 year-old classic yachts, and all manner of boats in between. The Berthon company has been based in Lymington since the 1850s–they’re clearly doing something right.
Speaking of old… Your reporter managed to drag Todd away from discussing wire diameter with Grey Wolf owner Peter Watson long enough for a photo op in front of Stonehenge. Another typical work day for the FPB crew.
But the main reason for our visit was to talk about Peter Watson and crew’s 12,000 NM trip from New Zealand in just three months, and spend a little time discussing our design history and the FPB paradigm. Here some 60-odd members of press and interested parties listen to Todd discuss four main parameters that dictate our designs: safety, speed, efficiency and comfort. (Note Circa Marine managing partner Bruce Farrand in the left of the photo–he flew in from Whangarei for the festivities.)
The best part about show and tell is getting to show. All hands aboard here. Sue Grant is leading the charge.
And three of the four Berthon apprentices who each crewed one leg of Grey Wolf‘s journey enjoy a reunion with their floating home.
While owner/skipper Peter Watson keeps a keen (photographer’s) eye on the activities.
Then it’s off to the shipyard house for a wonderful dinner, replete with lobsters caught that day off the nearby Isle of Wight.
With bellies full of good food and wine, the topic of conversation turns to new horizons: Where Grey Wolf will be headed next, where the other FPBs and their owners are cruising, and the impending splash of the Wicked 97.
I’d like to send a hearty and heartfelt thanks to the folks at Berthon and in the town of Lymington, and to Peter Watson and Grey Wolf, for welcoming a couple of Yanks so graciously. And for only once telling us that we have no idea how to make a decent cup of tea anywhere in America.
Now it’s back to work, and to figure out that tea…
With the day-to-day pressure on the FPB 78 Series winding down we’ve had time to do some more camera testing. The goal is maximum quality for minimum hassle, with a high degree of portability.
We loaded up the four wheel drive Honda Pilot and meandered north. Although we had our Canon pro DSLR camera bodies just in case, the idea was to see if we could get the job done with the Sony Alpha 7A and 7R bodies. The lead photo is handheld, shooting from inside the car (raining outside), with the Sony/Zeiss 55mm F1.8 prime and a circular polarizer.
We find the camera controls simple to customize, and once set up a pleasure to use. The addition of RRS L-brackets makes the small camera body easy to maneuver if you have large hands.
Linda has been shooting the 7A with the kit 24-70mm lens, mainly handheld. Steve is a tripod aficionado with remote release. The electronic view finder and/or back LCD screen are not as functional in bright light as a SLR looking though the lens. Precise placement of the center of focus and composition were impossible, even with a shading umbrella.
On the other hand the large files of the 7R, 36 megapixels, gives you a lot of leeway to crop later.
This is a 100% crop from the center of the preceding photo, using the 7R body and 55mm lens. We are looking at ground cover that is a long way off.
One of the knocks on the 7R is its noisy and vibration inducing shutter. This moon is taken with the 7R body on our Canon 600mm F4 with a doubler, so 1200mm.
A 100% crop. The key is a sturdy tripod, and a bit of extra ballast hanging from the center. We were at 8500 feet above sea level in cloudless weather.
Although auto focus works with the Canon 600 F4, and other Canon lenses, it it not fast enough for moving targets. For this we need to keep the 1DX body handy, with the 200-400 X1.4 zoom.
Another weakness of the 7R is long exposure, high ISO shots. This anchorage on Lake Powell is by the light of a setting almost-full moon. Even after processing there is a fair amount of noise. Above is from the 7R, ISO 3200, 55mm Zeiss at 1/3 second and F1.8.
Same scene, but here with the Canon 5D3, 70-200 F2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 2.5 seconds at F2.8. Note that lower ISO and longer exposures with the 7R seemed noisier. The Canon body in this regard was clearly superior.
We both felt the Sony Alpha Series were superior to our Canon gear for landscapes.
Here is a tough one. This is a 100% crop, 1100 pixels in width out of 7400, of a sunset at Angel Point on the North rim of the Grand Canyon, looking west. At this crop factor the 7R is showing a bit of noise. In this case we have not yet run the noise filter which will smooth things out.
Driving south, we stopped to experiment with wildflowers. There was a bit of breeze and we could not catch a totally sharp rendition as the subject matter kept dancing. The above was taken with the 7R, 55mm F 1.8 Zeiss lens, at 1/25 of a second, F11, ISO 100.
For comparison the Canon 1DX, 200/400 X1.4 at 560mm, ISO 1/1000, F9, ISO 800. And these flowers were really moving in the breeze. No surprise here, as the 1DX body is known for its ability to lock on and track moving targets.
The shutter delay on the 7R does not lend itself to lightning photography, unless the shutter is left open in the evening. The shot above is a Canon 5D3, Canon 24-105 lens, ISO 200, F11, five seconds, triggered by a Steppingstone IV Lightning Trigger.
A daylight strike like this needs the faster reaction of the Canons. Same gear as above, ISO 50, polarizer, F22, 1/10 second.
Back to low light. This was shot with the 7R, 55mm Zeiss, ISO 2000, F 1.8 for 5 seconds. It has been run through a noise filter. None of this is visible to the naked eye.
This is a 100% crop of the sky to give you an idea of the sky noise. Not too bad considering.
For landscapes, subjects that give you time to compose, and where there is a high dynamic range we think the Sony A7 and A7R hard to beat and certainly equal to the best of our pro SLR bodies. Throw in size, convenience, and cost and the equation improves. Deduct wildlife and sport photography and the Sony A7 series looks even better.
Steve has an interesting article on extreme weather tactics in the most recent edition of UK-based Berthon’s Lifestyle Magazine. They were kind enough to allow us to embed a pdf of the article here for SetSailors to peruse.
We will shortly begin a wicked set of sea trials with FPB 97-1. Along with the usual wringing out of the boat before handover, one of the objectives is to gather a data set with which to refine our velocity prediction algorithms.
Predicting performance is notoriously difficult. In our case it’s harder than most, as there is no historical data to use other than our own. Various code packages are mixed with tank, real world, and large scale model test sets to conjure projections.
Propeller efficiency, wake fraction, buttock shapes and flow diversion, engine power curves, trim, even water depth, salinity, and temperature are involved, not to mention fore and aft prismatic, block, and volumetric center numbers. A wicked brew for sure, and to get close requires a healthy dose of skepticism and gut feel. That said, we have to make predictions in order to specify the initial set of props.
What we expect is a closely guarded secret. Nobody has the magic numbers outside of a couple of folks with “need to know”. But we thought you might enjoy speculating. Here are the ingredients:
Astute observers will note missing data such as prop size and pitch, vessel displacement, and a host of other characteristics. You didn’t want this too easy, did you?
FPB 97-1 has a set of new-to-us Veem (Australia) propellers. The decision to give these propellers a whirl (pun intended) with the FPB 97 is based on the theoretical advantages offered by easily changed “Interceptor” strips on the propeller blade trailing edges. By varying the thickness of these strips, the pitch characteristics can be easily altered. We have been told a diver can quickly change the strips, which would be a huge benefit to all concerned during the sea trial process. And Veem claims some impressive efficiency numbers.
So here is the contest: Initial trials will be done in light trim, with 10 metric tons of fuel and water aboard. They will be in deep water (salt), and in smooth conditions.
The winner gets the accolades of SetSailors everywhere, and a cool (yet to be taken) most wicked photograph of FPB 97-1.
Before we all get carried away with the “science” of performance prediction, a cautionary tale: There is a large heaping of BS associated with all things yachting, and none more so than the propeller end of the business. If you stick with the tried and true, the projected outcome has a higher chance of being in the ballpark with the estimates. Use something new and you might get a breakthrough or the opposite. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. When we started the FPB project many years ago with Wind Horse, we took a chance on some very expensive, theoretically highly efficient props from Henleys in New Zealand. We gave Henleys our drag and power train data and they suggested a set of five bladed wheels. The performance of the FPB prototype, while impressive, left something on the table. Henleys, saying their props were perfect, were uninterested in looking further. When Wind Horse found herself back in the States we replaced the Henleys with a set of Michigan wheels costing a third of the originals, and picked up the missing performance in the process.
The Henleys props are now a sculpture on top of our mailbox, the subject of some discourse in the neighborhood. And for us, a reminder every time we drive in or out, to take everything one hears in this business with a grain of salt.
Send us your prognosis, and may the best estimator win!
It is a perfect day for the first sea trial with FPB 97-1.
Iceberg is traveling at 12.15 knots, a speed length ratio of 1.175 and judging by the bow wave, there is just a hint of pressure release, she is the most slippery of all FPBs.
Notice the stern wave, or lack thereof.
What there is begins aft of the transom.
During the first day of trials we are pleased to report that FPB 97-1 is hitting her numbers. We are not yet ready to divulge these, but by early next week it will be known just how wicked is the FPB 97.
You are looking at what drives the FPB team, what our client (and we) have been waiting to see after 2.5 years of intense effort. A lovely clean flow release off the stern with minimal magnitude indicating a highly efficient cruising machine (this at 13.1 knots GPS averaged in two directions). A wicked wake indeed.
Compare today’s wake to yesterday’s at 12 knots. This one is obviously further aft, and starting to flatten out. Yet the FPB 97 is moving at a speed length ratio of only 1.27, i.e what is considered displacement speed. This is an indicator of an interesting future when we are allowed to go to wide open throttle on the engines. In case you are new to the scene, this 110-foot yacht is being propelled by a pair of 235HP John Deere 6068 SFM 50s.
Where we go from here with Iceberg‘s sea trials has to remain confidential for the time being, until we have fully digested and vetted the next range of data. Yachting is so full of illusory claims that we want absolute clarity and proof when we let the world at large know just how wicked this FPB 97 really is. (For those of you who have entered our performance estimate contest, it will be a little while yet before we can announce a winner.)
Sea trials include testing systems at length, and the power for this is mainly being supplied by the solar array, a total of 20 of these high output panels. This array is capable of delivering over 6000 watts of power, and is doing such a good job that the batteries are staying topped up without difficulty.
The passive vent system, large inlets in the forward side of the Matrix deck coaming and under the great room roof overhang, are doing their job of keeping the interior cool.
Speaking of icebergs, it will be a while before the first FPB 97 gets to visit big ice, so we transported her to Greenland’s Disco Bay. If you would like to enjoy Greenland’s charms click here for a short video taken aboard the FPB prototype Wind Horse a few years back.
We should add that all of this is being closely monitored by FPB 78 owners. The FPB 78 is the next step in hydrostatic logic and systems.
For a review of the FPB design concept click here.
A complete recap of all FPB 97 posts is here.
Here is a very short video of FPB 97-1 on her third day of sea trials. The breeze varied from 12 to 24 knots, and the sea from 2 to 4 feet/.6-1.2 meters. The engines are still restricted as to output, but this will give you a sense of what will be possible when we are able to go to wide open throttle.
Thanks to the generosity of our family of FPB owners who, once again, freely provided many of the featured pictures, we are happy to offer you this 13-month (January-January) wall calendar.
The calendars are priced at USD $10.99, which covers the printer’s costs of production. (Shipping and any applicable tax is additional.)
You can preview the entire calendar, and place your order, here. And from all of us at FPB, here’s to a happy and healthy 2015!
Waiting is never easy, and when it is for the next big thing in your life – in our case what we think is our ultimate cruising machine – it is even harder.
From a design and scheduling standpoint the march of time conflicts with the goal of getting every detail right. This is impossible of course, but we are closer now than ever. Is it worth the six to nine months required to attain this goal that are now gone forever from our cruising lives? The more we mature, the shorter the time left, the more difficult the wait.
The days end used to be unremarked save for glorious colors, often the case at sea, and in our beloved Southwestern US. But at some point the unending supply of sunsets becomes finite.
The portion of life where you can do what you want ebbs with time.
The longer you wait the harder it is to sit back and just enjoy being. The older you are the more anchors there are holding you back.
Rather than driving yourself to distraction reaching for the unobtainable, leave a bit on the table and get on with it (in other words do as we say not as we do).
The time to smell the flowers is now.
Taking off appears hard until you’ve done it.
But once free, routine decisions that seemed impossible become as easy as flapping your wings. The more delay the more reasons to delay further. Children, then grandchildren, aging family, physical limitations, the desire for more “comfort” that comes with age, combine to force us to need more to to reach our goal. It is so much easier when the bloom of youth is still present.
We can tell you with absolute certainty that it is better to go sooner rather than later. Instead of reaching for the moon, go with what you can afford today.
Routine is a jail for dreams. It is ugly, creeps up and ensnares the unwary. It has had us in its grip these past few years and we know better.
Now that we’ve stopped the incessant search for perfection, and gotten on with building, we might just escape one more time, if we are quick about it.
The days left to the bouquet that is the cruising life are never numerous enough. It is time for us to get going before the bloom fades… forever
Summer is kicking into high gear down in Whangarei, New Zealand, and FPB 97-1′s solar panels are humming along (though a seagull does create a little shadow). Todd, Mark Fritzer and I have flown down to do some work with the Circa Team and catch up on our “flat white” addictions…
Monday morning finds us climbing all over Iceberg. She is getting closer to owner handover, which results in lots of folks working on refinements, both aesthetic and systems-related. In the shot above, Todd Rickard and Kelly Archer are discussing loads on the Maxwell windlass.
The sightlines from the Matrix Deck wings are long and clear,
and the view aft from the foredeck really starts to give me an understanding of FPB 97-1′s length.
Tomorrow we’ll be going out with Dick McGrew from Naiad to work on optimizing the stabilizers. I’m looking forward to getting off the dock with the Wicked one…
Tuesday morning finds us wending our way out to open water on Iceberg. A battery of tests are in store: everything from engine load and fuel burn, to optimizing stabilizer settings, checking roll periods, loading alternators, and pretty much anything you can think of in between.
It’s a beautiful, clear summer day.
Once out in open water, Iceberg‘s skipper tends the throttles, and the whole FPB team scurries about to measure and collect data. True wind speed is 20 knots, and a long one meter swell is running.
At high speeds, both bow and stern wakes are fine.
And the ride is plenty smooth for making mid-afternoon tea.
Much more detailed reports are in store when the powers that be start analyzing data…
When you enter the shop floor and stand looking up at 78-1′s enormous bow, you really start to get a sense for the size and scope of the newest FPB model. It’s hard not to have a big smile on your face. (Pictured above left to right are: Ryan Wynott, Sarah Dashew, Todd Rickard and Mark Fritzer.)
The second half of the FPB team’s week in Whangarei finds us focused indoors. Mark and Todd are working through systems choices as the build process speeds along.
Peter Watson, owner of FPB 64 Grey Wolf and FPB 78-2, has flown in from the UK for a site visit. Lots of decisions being made and lots of coffee being drunk in the boardroom.
Sue Grant from Berthon’s UK, our European FPB rep, has also flown in for the team visit. She’s discussing a Circa dinghy with Todd above.
Kelly Archer discusses head panels on FPB 78-1 with Todd and Mark. They’re standing in the aft guest quarters.
In 78-1′s great room, looking aft. The large boxes are shower modules soon to be slipped into the deck below.
And the view of 78-2′s plating progress from 78-1′s Matrix deck. Immediately below is the framing for FPB 64-11
Out in the chippy shop, lots of furniture is underway for the 78s.
At the end of a long day, everyone is ready for a cold drink…
And a bite to eat. Ryan is ready for some killer prawns!
Then it’s off to bed and up at dawn for another adventure-packed day…
We are into flashlights, and those available today are simply amazing in what they can do using LED technology. This post is about three of the best we have found.
Here is a comparison illumination of a sahuaro cactus 90 meters/300 feet away from our office window. These are three separate photos of the same scene spliced together. The center photo illuminated by a Marinebeam flashlight, which we first read about on Ben Ellison’s Panbo website, is by far the most illuminating light we have ever held. The Marinebeam has a lens which concentrates the light, and the result is nothing short of astonishing. At US $129 we think it is a bargain, and will have one for sure when we next go cruising.
The left photo is lit with an 1100 lumen Lifeguard flashlight acquired from Amazon, the previous champion (now available rated 1500 lumens) for about US $70. We used to think this was bright.
The right side is a Duracell light with an adjustable lens, rated at 1000 lumens. It is a touch weaker at this distance. However, when you adjust the lens from spot to wide angle it does a wonderful job in close.
These photos are meant to show relative strength. The actual lighting of the area looked a little stronger to the naked eye.
To put this into context this is a wider angle photo in daylight. The sahuaro in the preceding photo is in the middle, top of the photo, with a black arrow pointing downward. A long way off.
A daylight shot at the same focal length above.
What is your best entrant in the ultimate flashlight contest?
For the photographers out in SetSail land, the nighttime shots were with a Canon 70-200 F 2.8 lens, a 1DX body, Iso 1600, F2.8 at 1/13th of a second, tripod mounted.
