It’s Friday, March Madness is upon us, and it is obvious that the FPB 78-1 has sole, and lots of it. This first photo is from the aft end of the galley looking forward.

We’ve walked forward to the forward end of the galley, about where the breakfast counter extends.

The Arizona Wildcats (color red) won their Sweet Sixteen round of the mens basketball tournament last night, and since a reference to help interpret the camera lens distortion magically appeared, we offer this view from where the middle of the table will live.

And now without our model, from about even with the forward edge of the settee.

Turning around now and looking from the inside helm aft.

You are several steps further aft here.

And at the forward end of  the galley looking aft.

The view you will have when snuggled up in the corner of the settee (and why we need that 65” 4K TV).

Finally, sitting in your comfortable favorite _________ (fill in the blank) with a good book, soft music, and a wonderful view outside.

Did we mention to bring your dancing shoes?

Having previously entertained you with photos of the great room sole, we thought its support and isolation would be of interest, along with a few other tidbits.

 The timber strips to which the sole is attached have noise/vibration isolation material between it and the aluminum structure.

Here we are looking up from the lower deck at the framing, its insulation and a layer of constrained layer dampening material below the great room sole.

The engine room bulkhead looking aft from the head compartment. The penetrations and access port will eventually be sealed.

Close up of the access port for inspection and maintenance under the shower module (left side of photo). The slotted opening on the side of the photo is for wiring and plumbing.

Looking outboard and behind the shower molding. There will be an access hatch through the shower molding back.

Hanging locker, vanity, and storage locker that goes between guest cabins.

Mullion covers. Eventually these will be wrapped with fabric.

Hallway locker .

This locker is removable to provide access below

Switching now to a line boring machine, essentially a portable lathe. The welded thruster tunnel is being evened up for a close tolerance fit to the thruster prop.

A look at the line borer at work from the opposite side.

One of the oversized NAIAD stabilizer fin actuators. These are now both installed and ready to have their hydraulic system connected.

After exhausting analysis and layout – both on the computer in 3D, as well as inside the engine room in real life, the systems are starting to go in. This is a mock up of the starboard main engine exhaust line.

Looking down here at the steering platform, with the rudder shaft upper bearing shown (off white), the tiller which is machined from a solid block of aluminum, and the hydraulic cylinder partially shown to the left.

Two hydraulic pumps for the port side system are shown above, with the steering cylinder roughly in place. Note how the steering platform is integrated into the hull and swim step platform structure.

A small but important system, the vacuum generators for the aft stateroom heads. These are installed so the check valves are serviceable without removal of the pump. The outlet feeds to the blackwater tank which mounts directly below.

Ever wonder how an internal structural member is welded? The port side can be welded from the starboard side before the starboard hull plating is attached. But the starboard side is welded through slots cut into that topside plate. Those horizontal grind marks are the weld areas.

The anchor sprit is designed to provide two additional functions beyond support for the anchor chain. First, it will act as a walkway (albeit tight) so that we have a relatively easy method of rigging bow springs and anchor snubbers through the fairlead. Second, this is in effect a dive plane, with a positive angle of attack relative to the shape of the shear (hull to deck intersection) and in the unlikely event of driving the bow into an exceptionally steep wave, may provide a bit of lift.

This is the hatch into the forepeak.

And a view of the interior side of the forepeak hatch.

We will close with this shot of the next bay over where FPB 78-2 is getting her great room roof dropped into place. FPB 64-11 is next in line, and then to the right is FPB 78-3.

We’ve been chasing the holy grail of the perfect cruising vehicle for 40 years. The Deerfoot, Sundeer and Beowulf series of sailing yachts got us close. The FPB series brings our bow right up to the chalice.

Our goals have stayed the same: safe, comfortable, long-distance cruising, achieved with maximum efficiency and minimum drama. This is what the FPB paradigm is all about; the right mix of sea-going capability, comfort, and a lovely ambiance, working together to pull those cruising dreams into the reality you deserve.

Although we don’t build a lot of boats, those that we do build tend to go places.

Of the 50 some sailing yachts we’ve launched, there are mileage records for 37 of them, and the average is over 54,000 nautical miles per boat. In the FPB world, our owners are just starting to explore, but in the short time these FPBs have been cruising:

• FPB 83-1 Wind Horse covered 60,000 NM in her first seven years.
• FPB 64-1 Avatar has cruised over 27,000 NM in 3.5 years.
• FPB 64-2  Sarah Sarah has accumulated 1950 hours on her engine in three years – over 16,000 NM.
• FPB 64-3 Iron Lady (pictured below anchored in Fatu Hiva, Marquesas Islands) has 18,000 NM under the keel in her first 2.5 years of part time cruising.
• FPB 64-5 Tiger has cruised over 10,000 miles in her first two years.
• FPB 64-6 Grey Wolf has made quick work of the 12,000+ NM between New Zealand and the Azores, taking just 12 weeks for this part of their cruise back to the UK. The longest leg, Nuka Hiva to Panama, 4100 NM, was done at an average speed of 9.5 knots. She arrived with sufficient fuel aboard for another 1200 NM.

There are as many opinions about the proper mix for a successful ocean crossing motor yacht as there are designers, builders and owners. How the thousands of decisions that are a part of yacht design and construction are made depends on the experience base of the decision makers. If they have lived with their yachts, cruised with them off the beaten path, their approach is apt to be different than if they’ve spent their time at marinas, or boat shows.

Here are the key points for which we strive:

• Speed, because it is the single most important factor in reducing weather risks, thereby improving passaging comfort and, ultimately, safety. Plus, going fast is fun.
• Heavy weather capability, which allows us greater flexibility in deciding when and where to go. And peace of mind while we’re out there.
• Structural safety factors to deal not only with the sea, but also occasional operator error – read, grounding – so we can continue to cruise while taking the occasional bump in stride.
• Efficient but simple systems that let us operate far from outside assistance, with the comfort and ambiance that keeps all members of the crew content, without being generator-dependent.
• Interiors designed for comfort at sea and in port, designed to fully immerse us in the surrounding beauty.
• Fuel capacity for a full season or more of cruising so we can maintain our high average speeds and have the option of refueling when and where convenient.

We know from many hundreds of thousands of miles of accumulated experience that these are the essential ingredients for making ocean passages as pleasurable as the destinations at the end of each trip. The type of destinations our owners choose, and the miles they cover to get there, will give you a sense of what is possible once the ocean crossing experience becomes something to be anticipated with pleasure, rather than just a means to an end.

In short, the entire paradigm of the cruising lifestyle changes.

Appearances can be deceiving. FPBs do not fit the stereotypical yacht look. Most observers think they are naval or patrol vessels. And when you first take in the FPB’s rugged, military-like, unpainted aluminum image, the last thing you expect is a luxurious interior.

This is a carefully cultivated misconception. Our owners would rather keep a low profile, so as not to attract the wrong type of attention, and to fit in better in the more attractive, remote cruising grounds around the world. Our owners enjoy the gasp of surprise that typically follows a guest’s first glimpse of the FPB interior.

Whatever your plans, we think the best source of data are people who are actually out there cruising, living with their yachts day in and day out. They know what works and what doesn’t in the real world.

If you see one of the FPBs, dinghy by, say hello, and ask the folks aboard what it is really like to cruise with their yachts. They will be able to put this into perspective for you, as they are all experienced, can tell you what it was that convinced them to join the FPB family in the first place, and how their cruising experience has changed as a result.

In case you don’t have an FPB anchored nearby, we’ve included below some brief comments from several of our owners, as well as a couple of hard-nosed magazine editors. We’ll start with Bill Parlatore, the individual many credit with the start and nurturing of the ocean cruising powerboat industry.

Bill Parlatore, founder and editor of Passagemaker Magazine, helped push us into exploring what became the FPB concept. Bill flew down to Auckland, New Zealand, during sea trials on the FPB prototype Wind Horse, to see her in action. You can read his very detailed article, which appeared in the December 2005 issue of Passagemaker Magazine. In the meantime, here are a few excerpts from his extensive comments.

…Having a boat that can deal with whatever might happen—no matter what—provides a mental comfort level that defines their view of happy sailing. Think about that. Knowing without reservation that a boat can take care of itself while still providing comfort and safety in truly abysmal conditions is at the core of the Dashews’ philosophy of minimal worry…

At 9.3 knots, I measured just 55dBA, the quietest recording I have ever measured underway. This has a lot to do with moving the engine room to the aft 18 feet of the boat, separated from the living spaces by a 2-inch thick, Armaflex-insulated bulkhead…

I can’t recall another time where a crew (including the on-watch helmsperson) could enjoy a dinner together—in the saloon rather than seated around a cramped pilothouse. Instead of carrying plates, flatware, drinks, napkins, and all the food dishes up a set of steps to the helm area to eat together around the typically small, fixed table behind the helm, crew can spread out around a large dining table in the saloon. Instead of balancing plates on knees on a settee or watch berth, this is real seating at a dining table—a feature that has much to recommend it. And, of course, the best part is that at sea, this central living area doesn’t change attitude or have much motion.

After a night on the hook in Bon Accord Harbour, we ran up to Barrier Island to look for some nasty sea conditions. I witnessed first hand how well the boat handles up-swell at various speeds. With no serious penalty in speed, the boat just danced over or through the waves, never showing any tendency to stop in her tracks, as so many other boats do. In seas where most traditional trawlers would reduce speed to 6 knots or less, we found absolutely no reason to do so. Even at full throttle and 12-plus knots, the boat didn’t seem affected by the up-swell challenge—giving up maybe two thirds of a knot.

John and Sandy Henrichs are former trawler and sportfish owners, who cruised in more areas than most folks dream about, before joining the FPB family. In his former life, John was a chief pilot for a major air carrier. The Henrichs have been cruising now for two years aboard FPB 64-5 Tiger. We will start first with a few of John’s comments:

I wish I could put into words the feeling of running the boat, gliding along the face of the larger swells so effortlessly without any feeling of the acceleration in speed. The max speed on the GPS ended up at 13 knots, but you would never know it sitting in the boat. I just couldn’t get enough as we kept looking for the larger swells off in the distance, hoping they would catch us and let us experience more of the surfing from a totally different perspective than we have ever experienced. Our boat feels like it is so slippery, and once the large swells move towards the boat off it goes, straight as an arrow sliding along the face of the swell, just like a surfer finding the perfect wave. Before Tiger, Sandy HATED going to sea. Now we both look at a 500 mile nautical passage like crossing the street. The boat doesn’t tire you out.

Sandy Henrichs:

Efficiency, low maintenance, clean lines, practical applications (counter tops) are most important to me. With this boat I have it all. The cabinets are a beautiful design and extremely easy to maintain. I love being able to open cabinet doors and leave the entire galley cabinetry wide open–easy to get and use what I need. The location of the washer and dryer is just too perfect…This boat is a perfect two person boat for handling and maintenance. No fiberglass to polish, blast it with a pressure washer and you are back in business! Not having to think and worry about finding a crew every time you move the boat is a dream. But if you want crew help, you have a place for them to sleep. The 360 degree vision in the main salon area is a conversation piece. Impresses everybody.

Mike and Liza Dicks were experienced cruising and racing sailors with thousands of miles of passaging under their belts when they started out voyaging aboard FPB 64-6 Grey Wolf. After out of season passages from New Zealand to New Caledonia and back, some of which took place in less than benign conditions, Mike offered the following comments about the difference between being at sea aboard the FPB and a sailboat:

Now for a few thoughts on the trip from an ex-sailor’s perspective. The journey of 900NM would normally have been planned at six knots in our old yacht, thus making it a six day affair and needing a larger weather window to make this passage in winter into New Zealand. On that boat, we had a fuel range of around 600NM, so the planning is that much more difficult, as you are looking for wind but not too much and of course in the best direction. The forecast we left in would not have been doable, as winds were generally light and we would have taken much longer than six days, even with motoring, and the risk of encountering nasty weather would have risen substantially as we approached New Zealand. Having said that, of course there are many yachts making the same journey every year from the tropics, but generally arriving late spring when weather is beginning to improve and frontal systems may be a little less frequent. Knowing that with our powerful engine and easily driven hull we could make this passage in four days took a lot of pressure off the weather. However, we still needed to speed up to beat the large eight+ meter swells coming north up the Tasman towards us, and avoid the two 40+kt gales that occurred either side of our arrival into Opua.

The window for arrival was not large.

Weather on passage itself was benign, seas less than 2.5m and light winds but lots of rain and cold, grey skies. Our old yacht had a sprayhood and bimini, but we would have been sitting out in the wet and cold everyday. Nights are longer than days at this latitude and time of year, so we remarked on several occasions how miserable it would have been sitting in the cockpit. On the other hand watches, especially at night on our FPB, are generally very comfortable affairs. A warm cozy ambiance, comfortable helm chair or settee and with the benefit of large displays showing radar, with guard alarm set, Flir camera showing outside as if it were broad daylight and engine camera cycling. Frequent weather downloads from the VSAT or pactor 4 modem through the HF and good WX fax downloads directly onto the Furuno going on quietly in the background all help to make the passage go smoothly. With three on board we ran three hours on, six hours off watches, and made an engine room inspection at each handover. The aft deck floodlight made a visual inspection of the seas, which were mostly following, easy to do at night from behind the closed main door. The pleasure in Grey Wolf is that there is virtually no rolling with the active stabilizers, but it is noisier than moving along at night under sail. For one we are moving quicker through the water at 10+kts for much of the time, and the engine revs vary (as they do on a sailboat) when accelerating and then slowing on following waves, making sleep sometimes not as easy as on a sailboat under sail.

On an FPB versus a sailboat it is very easy to become more detached from the surrounding environment and somehow have less awareness of the wind and waves if one is not out in the open and as close to the water. Being on the fly bridge, higher up though has proved to provide a perfect vantage point to see wildlife such as dolphins, whales, sharks etc. There are still tasks to perform on a power driven vessel just as on a yacht, moving the boom lines a few inches everyday to prevent chafe and making deck checks etc, but not having the constant trimming of sails, especially when squalls and showers come through, reduces the stress and workload levels enormously.

Valerie and Stan Creighton were cruising in Central America aboard their trawler when they first became aware of the FPB program. After visiting new Zealand and taking an FPB ride in a blow, they joined the family. When they made their first long ocean passage from New Zealand to Fiji aboard FPB64-7 Buffalo Nickel, they had with them friends who were also former trawler owners. Val gives us a heads up on their friends’ reaction to ocean crossing, FPB style:

… Our friends, yes they were impressed. They loved the way the boat handled the seas. From what he knew after following your blog, he expected the ride to be superior. What struck him most on the passage was the speed. I don’t need to tell you, there’s a bit of a myth going on about running speed in the trawler market. Our 53′ waterline trawler was billed as having a cruising speed of 10 knots… and a range of 2500 miles. This is typical hype and of course ludicrous. Ten knots is closer to maximum speed; one can easily cruise at 8-8.5 knots if fuel efficiency is not a big priority, and that is comfortable and good for engine loading. But the 2500+ NM range applies only at speeds of 5.75-6.5 knots, still leaving zero fuel reserve on a Pacific crossing. So in a Pacific crossing, for example, you are going very slowly, making for a longer passage, with heavy fuel bladders on your deck. And at those speeds, stabilizers don’t work very well so you get to roll more. Add to that the fact you are being too stingy with your fuel to run your generator: on most (but not all) of these boats, air conditioning and/or laundry are generator dependent. Hot, dirty, sweaty, nauseated… let’s see, have I forgotten anything? Oh yeah, also swearing a blue streak because weather you had no ability to avoid is turning to s—t. So for him to see and experience “BN” plugging along at 10 knots, being pretty fuel efficient and able to gallivant all over, avoiding unpleasant conditions, really hit home. We all know the speed/range thing is misrepresented by all these trawler names, so it was just surprising for them to realize that we really and truly were going to do our passage at nearly 10 knots and still have plenty of fuel for our season and return passage.

Stan Creighton, discussing Buffalo Nickel’s diversion tactics to avoid a potentially dangerous low on their passage to Fiji, says:

We diverted northwest instead, to stay on the ‘correct’ side of the low. This put the wind and seas more behind us, so although we had winds in the high 30′s, and big seas, they were manageable. We were able to do this because we have a boat that moves fast enough to employ such tactics when needed. Several slower sailboats got caught out southeast of this low, and had the same 18 foot seas and 40 knots of wind right on their noses. They sounded truly exhausted when we heard them on the SSB radio net at the end of the day.

From Valerie Creighton:

The storage space on the FPB is deceptive, because we’ve got window space all around where I used to have above counter lockers, high lockers mounted on the bulkhead. So I thought, oh I’m going to be missing all that, and it actually turns out that you not only get all the great windows and the view, but I have at least as much storage space. It’s just very well designed. I didn’t have to sacrifice anything. And I love the induction cooktop. So the galley’s worked out really well, plus the great room is wonderful. It makes entertaining very convivial, because everything is right there in the same room. It goes perfectly with our style, you never feel isolated in the galley.

Pete and Deb Rossin have now cruised extensively in the South Pacific, circumnavigated New Zealand, been south to the Stewart Islands, across the Pacific from New Zealand to Tahiti, and then worked their way to the Marquesas Islands, and from there, via the Line Islands, to Hawaii. Pete is an engineer and very detail oriented. Pete shares the Rossin family background and a few FPB comments below:

Deb and I have known each other for 50 years (much as I hate to say that since it dates us). We have been boating for virtually all of that time, starting with a 16-foot Thompson lapstrake runabout with a tired 40 HP Johnson outboard. Over the years, we have worked our way up the food chain. There was a 19-foot Flying Scott daysailor, another 18-foot runabout with a 150 HP Yami. From there, Deb’s parents got a place in Florida and we bought a 22-foot Grady White cuddy, and blasted up and down the west coast of Florida. A friend of ours had a 48-foot Viking, and after a few trips to the Bahamas with them, we were bitten by the bug for something bigger and more capable.

Our next move up was a 20-foot Blackwatch sportfish with twin Cummin’s diesels. Sporting a C Raymond Hunt hull, it was a very capable and fast offshore boat, great for a couple of guys for a weekend, but short on amenities for a family (read, Debby).  So the Blackwatch went to the big boatyard in the sky as a trade-in. Its replacement was a 36-foot Egg Harbor, which upped the game with aircon, a real stateroom, a head with stall shower, a legitimate galley, and a couch that turned into a foldout double in the salon. Nice boat for the Florida and the Bahamas but really didn’t satisfy our growing desire to go further. With the fuel burn on the Egg, we learned the old adage that you can go fast or you can go far, but you can’t go far fast. So we made the leap up and decided to slow down with a pretty, customized Nordhavn 50. We owned the Nordhavn for 10 years, and found it to be a capable near shore cruiser with lots of space and comfort features. We also learned, however, for a variety of reasons that it wasn’t the boat to take us to far destinations – at least as far as we were concerned.

I had been following the exploits of Steve and Linda for years aboard their sailing vessels, but sail was just not our thing. We were intrigued by Wind Horse, but at that time, there were no other Wind Horses to be had. Then we learned about the 64 program, and I was off to England for a ride on Wind Horse on a typically nasty day off the Needles on the Solent. I was hooked, and it wasn’t long after that I signed on the dotted line for FPB64-3. Time passed, the Nordhavn was sold, and we took delivery of Iron Lady in Whangarei, New Zealand in February of 2011.

Since then, we have crossed oceans and gone places that most people can only dream of, with Iron Lady as our magic carpet. Year one was New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji.  Year two was a complete circumnavigation of both the North and South Islands of new Zealand. In 2013, we departed New Zealand for the 2300 nautical mile passage to French Polynesia, where we spent three months exploring the Societies, Tuamotus and Marquesas before heading north across the equator to the Line Islands, Palmyra and Hawaii, where Iron Lady rests comfortably waiting for next spring and our departure to Kodiak, Alaska. We intend to spend the summer exploring Prince William Sound before heading to Vancouver.

In all, some 18,000 nautical miles have passed beneath Iron Lady’s keel in three years of part time cruising in some of the more legendary waters of the world, including the Southern Ocean, the Tasman, Foveaux Straight and the long ocean passages from New Zealand to French Polynesia and Hawaii. The more we cruise, the more we are in awe of her capabilities – and that cannot be said about many of those who claim the same capability.

Bill and Sue Henry, who own FPB 64-2, Sarah Sarah, are also experienced sailors and powerboat owners. Bill brought Sarah Sarah from New Zealand to the USA Pacific Northwest shortly after completing sea-trials, a 6000 nautical mile cruise, without incident. They since put another 8000+ NM under their keel. Of course cruising mileage is never exact. Bill puts it this way:

The Maretron indicates 13,268NM, but if the input is from the “speed through water” paddle wheel, (which often is interrupted by debris) this is not accurate. If we use the engine hour meter (1953 hours) and if our average cruising speed is 9.5kt, then we’ve traveled over 18,500NM. Take your pick. We’ve enjoyed every NM!

That is Bill above conning Sarah Sarah.

Sue Henry comments on the comfort level in adverse weather:

I’m amazed at how quiet this boat is inside. Even when all hell breaks loose outside, it’s like you’ve closed yourself into a vault when you go inside. Matter of fact, one time we had a friend with us, and we were coming back home just enjoying the ride, but it was really windy. We were just chatting away, and I went outside to do something and came back in and said, “You’ve gotta come out here!” Because the contrast between being inside the boat and what was really happening outside with the wind and the waves and all the the racket, it was really surprising. She was amazed, she was like, “Whoa.”

With this boat, it’s not that we would just go out willy nilly when the weather is really crummy, but I don’t get as concerned when they’re talking about–maybe it’s going to blow a gale or whatever…It’s like, well okay, if it starts to kick up we’re going to be fine.

Sue continues with a few comments about the interior experience:

…[Sarah Sarah] is also easier to heat, better insulation, more efficient heating systems. We used to not want to go north during winter for cruising; now we don’t hesitate to go somewhere, say British Columbia for New Year’s, even though we know it’ll be freezing, because it’s so cozy and spacious inside. There are bigger windows, a better view, a better sense of space inside so we don’t feel trapped in bad weather. The open interior is much nicer than expected, such a great contrast between the exterior. Now it makes our old Grand Banks interior seem busy and clunky, and most other boats too.

Carol and Mike Parker were longtime sailors when they started exploring with FPB 64-1 Avatar. In the three and a half years years since launching, Avatar has covered 27,000 NM, as the Parkers search for the ultimate scuba diving and photographic destinations. Carol in particular enjoys the functional exterior:

The fact that it has a big aluminum heavy duty hull is a great confidence builder. We don’t have the fear of smashing the fiberglass into the dock type of thing. I’m all for that aluminum hull. We just tell anybody who’s coming alongside, well we’re not worried about you but you might worry about us.

Also, the boat is fantastic for diving, snorkeling, with the stern extensions. Makes it so easy to jump in, climb out, have elbow room, put your flippers on and stuff. And for us, it’s absolutely an incredible way to scuba dive. A lot of times we dive out of the dinghy, but if we have the right scenario we’ll dive right off the boat. And you can just use the stair step to have someone help balance the tank, and you walk three steps and jump in the water and there you go.

Carol captured the stunning photo of a mother whale and her calf after sliding off the swim step and into the water for an underwater visit in Tonga.

Peter Watson is a Channel Island (United Kingdom) resident, and as such has messing about in boats in his blood. He has a love of the high latitudes, an affliction we share with him. As an electrical engineer, with a Royal Navy background, like our other clients he is detail oriented. Peter comments from New Zealand where he is getting ready to depart for the UK via Panama.

I started looking for a power boat five years ago; I knew what I wanted but thought it did not exist. Necessary features included: range to cross oceans, stability for comfort and safety, and the ability to be confident in taking the boat anywhere in any weather. Some of my most enjoyable boating has been done in the Arctic, in countries like Norway, Iceland and Greenland, where these factors can make a life or death difference. A naval architect friend suggested that I look at the FPB series (until then I had been looking at well known trawler brands but was not impressed by the comments that had come back from owners about range and stability in bad weather).

I started to talk with Sue Grant at Berthon (the UK agents) and Todd Rickard about the boats, along with current owners. I loved their honesty about what the boats could and couldn’t do. After these discussions went on for a couple of months, I decided to fly down to New Zealand to look at one. I was delighted, and what’s more the yard was so good I ended up buying a 64 as an interim to taking delivery of FPB 78-2. Although I have just had my FPB 64 since last fall, and have not yet put many miles on her, I have had the pleasure of going to sea in force eight conditions (strong gale), which felt like sea state two 0r three. Our upcoming passage back to the UK via Panama- 13,000 nautical miles – should get our mileage totals up where they belong.

The Dashew team and the yard, along with Berthon, have been great to work with, and the thing that is so unusual is the honesty and openness about everything. You feel in the end that you have joined a family.

The British press have a reputation for aggressively critiquing yachting products. When the leading British motor yachting magazine, Motor Boat & Yachting, asked to review the FPB prototype Wind Horse while she was in the UK, we were advised to politely decline the opportunity. However, we thought it would be interesting and educational to get their perspective on our design. You can read the resulting article by clicking here. A couple of comments from the review are included below.

…a hugely impressive sight to boot. Moored amongst the glittering GRP at Berthon’s Lymington Marina on a sunny but very windy day, Wind Horse looked like it had come from a different planet. The 83ft-long (25m) wave-piercer weighs in at 41 tonnes, and could easily be mistaken for the spawn of the Royal Navy with its unpainted battleship grey, all-aluminum body. But that day, in those conditions, it was the only boat that I would have wanted to climb aboard to face the English Channel.

Steve suggests that we head ten or 20 miles out into it to find the biggest waves we can in order to show off Wind Horse’s talents. In fact, the area around the Needles Channel and Hurst Spit is rough enough, with the tide being funnelled into the Solent in the blow. We find plenty of big waves. Our photo boat – a Windy 42 Bora (and a very good sea boat) – is tossed around like a bath toy, but Wind Horse just brushes through the crests with laughable ease. In fact, there was more pitching fore and aft than I would have imagined, but in terms of rolls, which is far more uncomfortable for those on board, the boat was reassuringly composed.

“The sea really isn’t big enough,” Steve complains. “She works best in much bigger waves. This wavelength is far too short for her.” And so begins the hunt for the worst the sea has to offer. I have never been on a boat before where you stand in the wheelhouse directing the skipper to the place where you can see the most white horses and the biggest breakers, but this is clearly no ordinary boat.

In a typical motor boat and in these conditions you would be white-knuckled, clutching a handhold and making sure you didn’t bite your tongue off. On Wind Horse, however, things are so stable that Linda can brandish a chunky bread knife and calmly cuts the freshly prepared sandwiches in half.

Sue Henry took this lovely anchored photo of Sarah Sarah from her kayak. That’s Bill on the foredeck, studying his owner’s manual.

There are three series of FPBs currently in production: FPB 64, FPB 78, and FPB 97. All three models feature a similar approach to structure, systems, ocean-crossing ability, range, speed and interior comfort. Here are the basic specifications these FPBs (the specs are, of course, subject to change without notice):

FPB 64 (hull #10 delivers fourth quarter 2014):

• LOD 64.95′ / 19.85m
• LWL 63.6′ / 19.4m
• Note: Swimstep extension adds 3.25′ / 1m to these dimensions
• Beam Deck 17.04′ / 5.22m
• Extreme Beam (edge of rub rails) 17.72′ / 5.42m
• Draft at half load (75,000 lbs/34 tons) Canoe Body 3.25′ / 1m
• Draft at half load (75,000 lbs/34 tons) Prop Skeg 4.5′ / 1.37m
• Full displacement 90,000 lbs /40,800 kg
• Air Draft (top of masts-excluding whips) 25.75′ / 7.85m
• Fuel Capacity 3400 US Gallons / 12,800L
• Fresh Water Capacity 1800 US Gallons /6800 L
• Minimum Range of Positive Stability 130-degrees (half fuel in one tank, full fresh water tanks)
• Cruising Speed 9.25-10.0-knots
• Top Speed 10.5 knots
• Approximate Range 9.0 knots – 6400 NM
• 9.5 knots – 5500 NM
• Note: speeds/ranges are for smooth water, 75,000 pound displacement, clean bottom

FPB 78 (hull #1 delivers fourth quarter 2015, hull #2 delivers second quarter 2016, hull #3 delivers first quarter 2017):

• LOD 79.63’ (24.27m)
• LWL 77’ (23.48m)
• Beam Deck 20’ (6.1m)
• Extreme Beam (edge of rub rails) 20.8’ (6.35m)
• Draft-half load Canoe Body 4.5’ (1.4m)
• Draft-half load Prop Skeg 4.75’ (1.475m)
• Air Draft (top of masts-excluding antennas) 22.3’ (6.8m)
• Displacement Full Load (3600 US gallons liquids) 121,000 lbs / 55 tons
• Fuel Capacity 4850 US Gallons (18350 L)
• Fresh Water Capacity 1950 US Gallons (7380 L)
• Minimum Range of Positive Stability 140-degrees(half fuel in one tank, full fresh water tanks)
• Cruising Speed 10.75 knots
• Top Speed 12.35 knots
• Approximate Range 10 knots – 7100 NM 10.75 knots – 5550 NM (Note: speeds/ranges are smooth water/clean bottom)

FPB 97 (delivers fourth quarter 2014):

• LOD 98.75’ / 30.1m
• LWL 94’ / 28.8m
• Beam Deck 20.4’ / 6.25m
• Extreme Beam (edge of rub rails) 20.88213’ / 6.53m
• Draft half load 5’ / 1.5m
• Air Draft (top of masts-excluding whips) 31’ / 9.5m
• Fuel Capacity 5000 US Gallons / 18,900L
• Fresh Water Capacity 2000 US Gallons / 7500 L
• Minimum Range of Positive Stability 130 degrees (half fuel pressed into minimum tanks, full fresh water tanks)
• Cruising Speed 11.7 knots
• Top Speed 13.5 knots (Half Load)
• Approximate Range 5000 NM @ 11.5 knots
• Note: speeds/ranges are for smooth water, half load displacement, clean bottom

We don’t build a lot of boats. Just a few each year. We don’t want to be the biggest, just the best. If you’d like to find out more, talk to one of our owners – you will find them out cruising. Or, get in touch with Todd Rickard: ToddR@SetSail.com

If you want to read more of what the international press has to say about the FPB concept, click here to read 39 articles.

There are hundreds of posts detailing the FPB concept, including design, construction and cruising with FPBs on the SetSail site, some of the more popular of which are listed below.

Our Own Time Machine

A Different Perspective

360-Degree Views

FPB: Cruising Speed, Range Under Power, And The Real World

FPB 64 Vs. Reef – Are the Factors of Safety Sufficient?

Heavy Weather Issues

Evaluating Capsize and Stability Risks for Yachts

The Black Swan Theory of Cruising

Weathering the Storm

For more information, contact Todd Rickard at ToddR@setsail.com.

Three of the owners quoted above have websites. You will find links to them below.

• FPB 64 Avatar
• FPB 64 Iron Lady
• FPB 64 Buffalo Nickel

While awaiting the splash of our new FPB, we have acquired an enhanced photographic tool: a Toyota 4-Runner. To get a head start on the learning curve of what this beast is capable of and what we should avoid, we turned to off-road aficionados Mary and Scott Flanders. The Flanders are compulsive photographers, who circumnavigated aboard their Nordhavn 46, Egret.

We spent a few days in Moab, Utah with the Flanders, working our way up the ladder of difficulty. We learned about “airing down” our tires for better traction and a softer ride over less than optimal road surfaces, how to maneuver over and around various types of terrain, and a host of other useful tips.

Occasionally we’d stop and enjoy a meal.

The purpose of this exercise is to get ourselves into position for better photography. Taking the road less traveled can offer multiple rewards, such as the tonic provided by the photo above after four hard hours driving.

We look at the 4-Runner and its over-sized tires, four wheel drive, low gear ratios, and disconnectable sway bar the same as if we were on a boat. We’ve got the ability to wander in search of a perfect photo, with the capability to get ourselves out of situations that could trap a less well endowed vehicle.

The rewards so far have been substantial. Like this healthy looking coyote in Death Valley.

Flowers are not something we would associate with Death Valley, the lowest place in the Northern Hemisphere as well as the warmest and driest (less than two inches/50mm of rainfall per year). But the spring holds promise.

And while our previous SUV could take us to some of these places, it was never with the peace of mind that comes with the 4-Runner. This in turn tempts us to be more adventurous. Rather like a well designed and properly fitted out yacht gives its owners the ability to look past the mundane and towards the fulfillment that comes when you find your dream.

The Flanders are one of only a few cruisers who have circumnavigated on a motor yacht. That they did so leaving the five Southern Capes in their wake is remarkable given their craft of choice. Scott and Mary have a website, which is chock full of interesting stories and practical advice. Check it out at nordhavn.com/egret.

With the publishing of the first batch of performance data from FPB 97-1 it is time to declare a winner in the prediction contest.

The contest posed the questions as follows:

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.

• What do you predict for max continuous cruise speed, defined as 80% of available power?
• Next, what is your prognosis for wide open throttle?
• Finally, what do you project the engine load %, fuel burn, and RPM, to be at 11.5 knots?

And the answers:

• Cruise at 80% of available power in light trim – 13.8 knots
• Wide open throttle – 14.55/14.7 knots (no perfect testing conditions)
• Engine load at 11.5 knots is 29.5%, 1830 RPM

And the winner is …Antonio Carvalho. Antonio estimated 13.5 knots at 80%, 14.9 knots at full throttle, and 1600 RPM on the 11.5% cruise speed at 33% loading. We are hoping to get some good underway photos in the next few weeks, after which we will see about sending along the winner’s prize.

Thanks to all who wrote in, and for the continued interest as we learn more about the Wicked FPB’s capabilities.

Occasionally we hear from some of our Sundeer and Deerfoot owners. They let us know about cruising plans, meeting up with other Dashew designs, and racking up those ocean miles. Russ and Gwen Hobbs, who own Sundeer 60 A Train (pictured above anchored next to Sundeer 64 Touche M’Dear) recently wrote in to give us the scoop.

Just to share, Gwen and I are anchored in Islington Bay on Rangitoto Island in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand. Along with several other boats we weathered a gusting to 50 plus knots blow last night and most of today, with rain and poor viz. Some dragged but A-TRAIN and her original 50 kg Bruce took it in stride as usual and we were “good as, eh!” as they say down here. To make things more interesting, just a boat length ahead of us lies Kailani, formerly Astra, a Deerfoot 62 headed for New Caledonia on the next window, sporting a new suit of sails and looking great despite being dragged down on by an unattended boat yesterday…We were hauled out last month at the same time as Eagles Wings, a Sundeer 56 in Whangarei, and cruised with Touche M’Dear, a Sundeer 64 and her lovely family crew, just a week before that. Two weeks earlier we were on Wakaroa, the famous Deerfoot 76, in the Bay of Islands with her new and excited owners. Then we got to visit Atlantis, an FPB, at the Whangarei Town Basin. All in all we have seen and met more Dashew boats and their crews here than anywhere. What a cool season it has been for us, and what cool folks we have met along the way who are sharing the same dreams we are. A-TRAIN, after some lavishing and heavy spa treatment here in NZ, will be Fiji bound in the next month or so and we are looking forward to it.

Above, A Train gets the good spa treatment before heading out to sea.

If you’re out there on a Dashew design, don’t forget to drop us a line and let us know about the cruising life! Fair winds…

We have just returned from New Zealand and there is lots to share about the FPB world. We’ll start with Todd Rickard using an iPhone app for photography during additional trials aboard FPB 97-1.

The capabilities of the iPhone 6 are amazing, as is the realism of the drone (a Jet Ranger) which Todd is controlling. There is even a photographer modeled in the doorway that is painted to resemble Ivor Wilkins.

This drone model carries a substantial camera payload, and on this day, with 30+ knots of breeze it was working hard in the ground effect turbulence. As we are just off the plane this will have to suffice until next week. But we promise lots more interesting photos and data in a few days. Stay tuned.

We learned a long time ago that the key to happy cruising is a smooth ride uphill. Careful weather routing and a good turn of speed reduces your exposure, but those inevitable rough upwind passages are what people remember when it’s time to cast off the docklines. This is why we’ve spent the past 40 years working on the wave piercing bow, which is particularly effective when heading into wind and wave.

There are numerous posts on the subject of wave piercing on SetSail (listed at the end of this article), but for now we want to show you photos taken over the past four decades. This first series is of FPB 97-1 in 30 to 34 knots of true wind speed, making 12.5 knots into a three to occasional five foot chop.

With a 107-foot waterline and a fine entry you would expect a clean slice through the wave.

At the other end of the historical record is Beowulf VI, a 38-foot cat that in 1975 had what may have been the first wave piercing hulls. Going to weather she would slice her leeward hull so cleanly through the seas that you would not feel any motion or deceleration, until the main crossbeam was impacted.

Uphill is even less fun with a monohull sailboat; however fine entries, balanced lines with heel, and moderate beam sterns, like those of the Sundeer 64 above, make the endeavor far more comfortable and efficient.

Here is the FPB 83 prototype Wind Horse going uphill ten years ago in similar conditions to the most recent FPB 97 photos. Notice how she splits the wave.

The size of FPB 97 Iceberg diminishes the appearance of the waves. In scale she is knifing through in the same fashion as Wind Horse.

Now an FPB 64. Smaller yachts typically have a more difficult time piercing the waves. But the FPB 64, as you can see in the photo above and below, gets the job done.

Here are a few links on wave piercing and weather discussion :

http://www.setsail.com/heavy-weather-issues/

http://www.setsail.com/wave-piercing-and-axe-bows/

http://www.setsail.com/pitching-in-headseas/

http://www.setsail.com/wave-piercing-design-in-action/#more-5783

A fresh breeze, smooth 12.5 to 13 knots, perfect light, and world class photographer Ivor Wilkins. Not much more you could ask for.

A huge effort by the owner and his team, Circa, and Dashew Offshore: and the payoff is right here, slicing through the seas like a knife through butter, two 300 HP diesels purring.

Designing, coordinating, and building yachts is a difficult business. It takes dedication, long hours, attention to detail, often with a dose of frustration mixed in. Most of the folks involved do it because they have no choice, it’s in their blood.

Now a word about the photographer. Ivor Wilkins has been shooting our yachts for the past 20 years. He is the consummate technician, artist, and a wonderful human being. If you are in New Zealand and want the best on this planet, give Ivor a call.

We’ll close with our favorite for the day. Where do you want to go?

We have been limited in sharing details of the FPB 97-1. In this post we will give you a quick overview of a few of the more interesting design and construction aspects.

The photos speak for themselves, so the copy will be short.

There are two parallel Simrad EVO navigation systems. The FPB 97 is typically conned from the Matrix deck (shown above).

FPB 97-1 has her Matrix deck fitted out in a combination of aluminum, paint, and bare teak.

The stairway leading to the main deck has a simple but effective closures system.

The next series of photos is of an idea the owner suggested, which was then engineered by Circa.

This is a life boat-like, hydraulically operated set of dinghy davits.

Launching and retrieval can be single-handed when required.

When the davits are outboard the deck is clear.

Now a few aft deck items.

Control lines for boom angle, at-anchor flopper stoppers, and boom halyards.

We have switched our foremast lights to LED and they are both bright and small in cross section.

The engine room looking from the aft starboard corner forward and to port,

 A somewhat distorted panoramic view of the engine room.

DC alternator rectifiers, controls, and voltage controllers are on the bulkhead. Fuel filters on the starboard day tank along with fuel polishing manifold valves are outboard.

Coming back to the dock after a long day of testing.

We’ve been chasing the holy grail of the perfect cruising yacht for 40 years. The Deerfoot, Sundeer and Beowulf series are considered the premiere sailing yachts on which to circumnavigate. The FPB fleet is judged by the most experienced owners and journalists to be the best ocean-crossing motor yachts today. To find out why, read on:

Our goal has always been the same: safe, comfortable, long-distance voyaging, achieved with maximum reliability and efficiency. The FPB paradigm is the ultimate mix of sea-going capability, comfort, systems engineered for long periods of time cruising off the grid, and a lovely ambiance,

resulting in a package that minimizes maintenance and crew requirements.

Although we don’t build a lot of boats, those that we do build tend to go places, like Magelena Anchorage, Svalvard,  just 640 miles from the North pole.

Of the 50 some sailing yachts we’ve launched, there are mileage records for 37 of them, and the average is over 54,000 nautical miles per boat.

The three yachts in the photo above, anchored in Graciosa Bay, Canary Islands, have seen 300,000 nautical miles of cruising pleasure in their wakes.

In the FPB world, our owners are just starting to explore, but in the short time these FPBs have been cruising:

• FPB 83-1 Wind Horse covered 60,000 NM in her first seven years.
• FPB 64-1 Avatar has cruised over 36,000 NM in five years.
• FPB 64-2  Sarah Sarah has accumulated 1950 hours on her engine in her first three years – over 16,000 NM.
• FPB 64-3 Iron Lady (pictured below anchored in Fatu Hiva, Marquesas Islands) has 24,000 NM under the keel in her first four years of part time cruising.
• FPB 64-5 Tiger has cruised 15,000 miles in her first three years.
• FPB 64-6 Grey Wolf has made quick work of the 12,000+ NM between New Zealand and the Azores, taking just 102 days for this part of their cruise back to the UK. The longest leg, Nuka Hiva to Panama, 4100 NM, was done at an average speed of 9.5 knots. She arrived with sufficient fuel aboard for another 1200 NM.
• FPB 64-7 Buffalo Nickel has managed over 6,000 NM in just two seasons of part time cruising.

The space provided for systems, ship’s equipment, bulk storage, and dinghies, together with large forepeaks and

aft engine rooms, is a key ingredient to successful, long term voyaging. This is part of what makes remote anchorages like Hanavavea Baie on Fatu Hiva in the  Marquesas Islands so easily accessable.

Here is the design philosophy that forms the foundation for the FPB paradigm:

• High average cruising speed, because it is the single most important factor in reducing weather risks, thereby improving passaging comfort and, ultimately, safety. Plus, going fast is fun.
• Heavy weather capability, which allows us greater flexibility in deciding when and where to go. And peace of mind while we’re out there.
• Structural safety factors to deal not only with the sea, but to reduce the need to visit a boatyard in case of operator error – read, grounding – so we can continue to cruise while taking the occasional bump in stride.
• Efficient but simple systems that let us operate far from outside assistance, with the comfort and ambiance that keeps all members of the crew content, without being generator-dependent.
• Interiors designed for comfort at sea and in port, immersing us fully in the surrounding beauty.
• Fuel capacity for a full season or more of cruising, so we can maintain our high average speeds and have the option of refueling when and where convenient.
• A low profile exterior that conceals a luxurious interior, allowing owners to blend in more easily in remote areas.

Over two million miles of accumulated cruising from a relatively small fleet of yachts shows that when you get this formula right, the horizon beckons.

Appearances can be deceiving. FPBs do not fit the stereotypical yacht look. Most observers think they are naval or patrol vessels. And when you first take in the FPB’s rugged, military-like, unpainted aluminum image, the last thing you expect is a luxurious interior.

This is a carefully cultivated misconception. Our owners would rather keep a low profile, so as not to attract the wrong type of attention, and to fit in better in the more remote cruising grounds around the world,

 like the Lau group in Fiji (above) or Illulisat Harbor on Greenland’s Disco Bay  below).

Our owners enjoy the gasp of surprise that typically follows a guest’s first glimpse of the FPB interior.

Whatever your plans, we think the best source of data are people who are actually out there cruising, living with their yachts day in and day out. They know what works and what doesn’t in the real world.

If you see one of the FPBs, dinghy by, say hello, and ask the folks aboard what it is really like to cruise with their yachts. They will be able to put this into perspective for you, as they are all experienced, can tell you what it was that convinced them to join the FPB family in the first place, and how their cruising experience has changed as a result.

For a much more detailed post on the FPB paradigm including interviews with current FPB owners, click here.

We are starting to think about personal gear, art, tools, and spares for FPB 78-1. High on this list is camera gear. We thought you might enjoy seeing the results of a recent test.

With the exception of the animal photos, everything that follows was shot with a SonyA7ii, or A7r full frame mirrorless cameras using Sony/Zeiss lenses. The first picture is 1400 hours on Lake Powell, using a Sony 7R 36MP body with the Sony 16/34mm F4 lens. The images suffer here from compression and full size are, for the most part, pleasing to our somewhat critical eye.

The first shot was just after local noon (sun time) and far from optimum lighting.

Above is Kolub Canyon, Northern Zion National Park at sunset. In this case we were shooting the A7ii body with a Sony Zeiss 70/200 F4 lens.

The next photos – above and below – are at White Pocket in Northern Arizona (at the end of a rough two hour drive down a soft and bumpy dirt road).

The dynamic range of both are a stop or more greater than what our pro Canon DSLRs can deliver.

A late afternoon shot of Aspens at a lake in the Zion Park area.

This night shot was taken using a Canon 24mm F1.4 lens and Metabones IV adapter on the Sony A7r body. ISO is 800, F1.8 for four seconds.

The Virgin River Canyon in Zion Park is no place to hang out with rain clouds about, which moved in shortly after taking this photo.

The two photos above are both shot with the 24MP Sony A7ii. Using the 16/35 F4 top, and 70/200 F4 next.

This handsome fellow is a California condor with a ten foot/three meter wing span. He, and the pronghorn below, were taken with our trusty Canon 1DX and 200/400X1.4 zoom, the tracking and lens QC of which neither Sony nor anyone else can yet match.

We were blessed with a fair amount of clouds, rain, and thunderstorm activity, all the better for testing. We are getting familiar with the Sony gear and for most situations feel this gear is superior to anything Canon or Nikon have at the moment. As we have been discussing cruising camera gear with several owners, we will do a suggested hardware post in the near future.

Some of the hardest details to get right are alternator brackets. It is a question of drive belt, alignment, and structure. And these 7kW DC alternators – which can consume as much as 20 HP – are the most difficult of all.

The heavy steel brackets might look excessive, but they are a necessity if you expect reliable operation over time.

Looking here at the hot water heaters. The upper is electric and heated by the Webasto diesel boiler, and the lower (barely shown) is boiler only. Allowance has been made for R and R of the cal rod of the upper heater.

The lower portion of the heater tank rack. The bilge pump (black, left) is for the lazarette. The grey expansion tank is for the heating system.

There are two of these accumulator tanks as part of the stabilizer system, one for each actuator.

Staying with the tank theme, these are custom roto-molded grey and black water tanks, about eighty gallons each. There are a pair in the engine room and another set in the forepeak (slightly smaller at 65 gallons). They are above the waterline and empty via gravity, or a vacuum fitting on deck if a shore pump out is available.

The start of the auxiliary salt water supply in the engine room. This manifold will feed fridge and air con compressors, water maker, and wash down pumps. Only the latter is self-priming. There is a constant upward slope to help clear air.

Finally, a pair of stabilizer coffer dam lids. There is a small visual inspection port, then a hinged lid for basic maintenance. Should the actuator mechanism need removing, the entire lid unbolts.

Reliable air conditioning, fridge operation, and water maker output depend on a clean flow of salt water. Trapping air in the plumbing, which leads to loss of flow, is a common problem due to suboptimal layout. This is the way it should be done.

The “T” on top of the through hull valve will have a standpipe attached that is plugged at the top. This will be used to clean the inside of the pipe and valve when they become clogged. The Hayward strainer is oversized to allow longer operation in foul environments.

Note the upward slope of the manifold and plumbing to the pumps. This allows air to clear itself. There will be a vent line at the end (high spot) of the manifold to aid in clearing as well.

Raw water feed to the engines has the valve above the waterline. This will allow the valve to be removed for maintenance without hauling out. Each engine and the genset have their own standpipe and strainer.

Looking at the port forward engine room corner. The day tank sump is centered and the balance of the day tank is above the photo. The opening in the bulkhead provides access under the shower seat for building and future maintenance.

Lazarette bilge pump is mounted in the engine room for easier access and to keep the aft bilge clear for storage.

The fuel and heater manifolds are located in the midships plumbing systems closet, along with the damage control pump and its selection manifold are shown above.

There are also a pair of bilge pumps that will be used for tank margins (mainly condensation in cold water), the stabilizer coffer dams, and the depressed tank top area amidships.

The PVC manifold above is for grey and bilge water, the galley sunk, and the previously mentioned bilge pumps. The galley sink has the option of direct discharge as well.

Finally, an early look at what will become the best cruising workshop ever and one of our favorite things on the FPB 78. There is that substantial work bench, a storage shelf under it, a huge toolbox (hidden below the box to the right), and loads of wall space for racks and photos. There is also a large area below the sole and aft for lubricants, filters, spare parts, etc. The workbench will have a vice, drill press, bearing press, grinder, and disc sander. And of course, there will be room for a large screen TV tied into the vessel monitoring and navigation system. There is also an air conditioner.

Having earned our cruising stripes with a sextant and lead line, when we were rarely ever certain of our location underway, we love the accuracy and ease of use of modern electronics. But it’s easy to get lost in the bells and whistles, at the expense of situational awareness.

To begin with, there are so many choices in terms of brands, capabilities, and integration ability. Without on-the-water experience with a given brand it is hard to make the right decision. We are faced with this problem now with the first FPB 78, so we thought we’d bring you into the decision making process.  Let’s start by establishing the ground rules for what we are trying to achieve.

• We want the simplest system that gets the job done.
• Our primary concern is to avoid information overload, and ease of use in a stressful environment.
• Reliability, and the owner’s ability to sort out problems, is a key concern.
• A fallback system is desirable in the event of a nearby lighting strike or some form of voltage spike that takes a toll on the electronics.
• We do not want an electronics package that dominates visually. Rather than desiring a star wars-like bridge, we take pleasure in having the minimum necessary to get the job done.
• Isolated components, rather than everything integrated in a single system, is desirable from a reliability standpoint.
• Components that are plug connected rather than using terminal strips are preferred.
• We are not averse to using non-marine monitors, so long as they dim sufficiently and work in bright conditions (this is less of a problem with the FPB 78 because of the large roof overhangs, which reduce glare).

Now to specific systems, starting with the autopilot(s).

• The FPBs steer so easily that sophisticated learning algorithms are not needed, and in fact typically undesirable. Most “learning” systems filter data and average things out. The averaging slows down response as conditions change, which becomes more important as sea state deteriorates. We would rather set the basics ourselves, and then make changes to deadband and rudder gain as required.
• A compass with a rate sensing gyro, that delivers data at a minimum of 10Hz update rate, is mandatory.
• Followup JOG levers are needed at the two fixed and two roving helms.
• The two fixed helms will have a steering pump direct control lever, with no electronic circuitry, so that we can have immediate override of the pump(s) should anything go wrong with the electronics.
• Easy access to sea state (deadband) and rudder gain controls is essential. Ideally there are control knobs but these seem to be going away. If adjustment is to be menu driven, a minimum of required keystrokes is critical.
• There will be dual autopilots. Each with its own compass and rudder angle indicator.

VHF is solved with a fixed unit that can be operated from either helm. When a second VHF is required this is handled with a portable. The ability to call an AIS target using DSC is desirable.

Long range communications as of this writing for the South Pacific means using Iridium, which has the advantage of being relatively inexpensive, with a small antenna footprint. The slow data speed is fine for e-mails and weather data. We do not want a marine SSB. At a later date consideration might be given to a ham rig.

Radar and a chart plotter, as either independent or integrated items, gets us into the more difficult decision matrix. Let’s start with radar. Having been shipmates with the Furuno IMO class 2117 with Wind Horse we are spoiled. This is still the best radar for difficult targets. But it is heavy, expensive, draws lots of power, and is not user friendly. You need practice and training to take advantage of its capabilities. We have done a sea trial with the new Simrad Halo radar (four foot open array antenna) and the latest version of their little 4G radar. The 4G is a very impressive piece of gear, given its size and price point. It also works well as an anchor watch with its low power consumption. The Halo radar trial we had was unimpressive. The Halo was in its beta software phase, and it will probably get a lot better. But based on our May trial we would be hesitant to have it as a shipmate.

The desirable radar characteristics are:

• Maximum ability to pick out targets in sea and rain clutter inside the two mile range.
• Accurate ARPA/MARPA and AIS.
• Target trails and course projection options that allow us to tailor how these work to the conditions in which we find ourselves.
• Multiple ranges displayed at the same time with individual controls would be nice but are not essential.

Dedicated chart plotter or computer based charting program? Having only used chart programs which run on the PC in the past, we can see both the benefits and problems with this approach. What we are after is:

• Ease of use and reliability.
• Capability of using multiple chart formats.
• Remote control is desirable but not critical.

AIS is considered essential.

Sonar and depth are a difficult category. In the depth sounder we need 600’/180m of decent resolution. In the ideal world the sounder has the ability to differentiate between grass, rocks, sand, and mud bottoms. About fish we care not. Sonar is a big help if it works properly. Our previous use of the Furuno CH270 sonar was very rewarding, but this comes with cost, a 150mm/6” hole, and less-than-easy user interface. We’d give up range for simpler operation. We had hopes the Simrad FLS might fill the need, but the trial we had with this was not impressive. We would trade the Furuno CH270 capability for a solid 460’/150m of forward range.

In this same context one of the things we are looking for is the ability to add depth track data to charts on our own, without going through an online service. The dream system would entail surveying in the dinghy, with the position and depth data fed directly to the mothership.

We’d love to hear any and all suggestions from those of you with experience in these areas.

With mechanical systems installation wrapping up, and furniture modules being installed, the time has come to begin wiring on the first of the FPB 78s.

The lead photo is a small portion of the main electrical cabinet adjacent the entry door to the great room.

Above we are looking at some of the wiring which leads inside the coamings to the great room helm. There will be in excess of six kilometers/four miles of wiring when this is finished.

The heavy red and yellow cables, 4/0, are for the bow thruster, windlass, and foredeck kedging winch.

There are a pair of 4/0 cables for positive and a pair for negative. The same holds true for the connections between the engine room alternator rectifier assemblies and the batteries. We are talking some serious amperage here folks, and minimized voltage drop, only accomplished with lots of wire, is highly desirable. Astute observers may wonder why these cables are twisted rather than being run in innate parallel lines. When you have parallel DC current carrying wire, it tends to set up magnetic fields. Big wire, big amperage, big magnetic field, which causes havoc with compasses. But if you twist them, as shown above, the twisted pairs of positive and negative cancel generation of magnetic force.

Outback solar power controllers and a Victron autotransformer are mounted outboard of the stairwell between great room and accommodation deck.

Three 5kW24V in/230VAC out inverter chargers will mount further forward. Note the space between these units and between them and the insulated hull. This is to insure airflow around this gear. Good airflow is required for efficient operation. You can see the dorade vent in the upper left corner of the photo. There is a 700 CFM extraction fan on this vent, should it be necessary to force cool the area.

Same area as the preceding photo, only here with the solar controllers and auto-transformer removed. The gray box will house AC current components, in particular transfer switches.

This wiring is running across the boat, under the great room sole, towards the galley.

A watertight bulkhead penetration. This will eventually be sealed with a special foam.

The area above the aft starboard stateroom shower, which feeds up into the great room electrical cabinet.

Combine these miles of wiring–the air conditioning and heating gear, fresh, gray, salt, sewage (black and grey) fuel and hydraulic plumbing, furniture, insulation, and structure–and you begin to see where this is a complex business. Integrating this into a holistic, and efficient, yacht is like playing three dimensional chess, only more difficult.

The 30 year old Deerfoot II recently had the thickness of her hull plating surveyed, and we thought the results might be of interest.

The process measures thickness on a grid, which you then compare to other nearby measurements looking for variation.

As you can tell from the attached report, she has aged gracefully. In fact, it would be interesting to compare this three decade old alloy hull to the average production sailboat of the same years built in fiberglass.

Bottom line (pun intended): if you are concerned with a metal hull, integrity is easily checked with non destructive testing.

Thanks to Erik Doson, who allowed us to reprint the report.

The August 2015 issue of Soundings magazine has an interview with Linda and Steve and a lovely online slide show.

To watch the slide show, click here.

Last week the engines were dropped onto their beds for the final time, and it now becomes possible to get a sense for how well this layout is going to work.

To begin with, the logic of the use of space in the aft end of the FPB 78 series is a bit different. The higher freeboard, slightly further forward engine placement, together with a deeper canoe body, make available additional volume above the engine room sole (walkways) for placement of equipment that in the past required more length. This reduces engine room length and creates the lazarette space aft, which is going to be one of the coolest features of the FPB 78, in the eyes ofyour humble correspondent.

The lead photo is taken down low to show the space between the engines. Sole height will be about the same as in the accommodation deck forward, and even with the underside of the heat exchangers on the engines.

Still at the forward bulkhead, looking down here into the unobstructed sump area (which means easy to clean).

The camera is in the starboard forward corner looking to port. The opening in the bulkhead center left is into the lazarrette. At the right bottom of the photo you can see a horizontal stiffener running across the bulkhead. The engine room sole is around this level.

Looking over the starboard engine towards the forward starboard corner. The combination of higher topsides, lower engines, and our hull flare creates extra width up high. This allows placement of systems outboard while preserving room between them and the engines for walkways, inspection, and maintenance. The soft patch in the bulkhead is for access outboard of the shower. The opening at the top is one of two additional air vents for either passive intake or for use when fans are over-pressurizing to exhaust hot air.

The remotely controlled fire dampener also allows us to close these vents when in cooler climates andat lower engine power settings.

The camera is just above the sole level (which is at the bottom of the heat exchanger). We are on the port side looking aft. The genset is under the cover near the aft bulkhead. Filters on the engine are just to our left but not shown in the photo. There is room to get at everything on the engine.

A close up of the alternator now installed and ready for wiring. Theraw water  strainer design, aside from having substantial capacity, provides a wet loop start for the raw water pump, which will make life easier for the raw water pump impeller and seals.

We are fitting both aqualift and mufflers for maximum exhaust noise attenuation. The aqualift is mounted high, which allows the muffler to be located just under the deck. The run of the exhaust reduces risk of back flooding when laying at large angles of heel during a grounding (if we forget to close the exhaust valves).

The thrust bearing and Cardan (U) joint are over-sized for the normal operating speed and loads of the FPB 78. These are sized for commercial duty based on the three to one reduction gear and 330HP/2600 rpm engine. Conservative at full engine output, they are extra conservative for the 75HP we expect will be the average thrust required per engine at 11.5 knots for propulsion. To give a sense of scale, the prop shaft is 2.5”/62mm diameter.

The FPB 78 has a pressurized engine room ventilation system, utilizing three Delta T 1400 CFM DC fans at the aft end of the engine room. The fan base is hinged for access to the fire dampener mounted on the opposite side. The cross sectional area of the air vent is sufficient for proper ventilation without fans if the door is left open as it is in the photo.

With the fans in action–shown in the closed position above–we expect they will help to provide a cooler engine room. In addition, they will reduce engine room noise escaping to the outside.

We will close with a small but important detail. The pumps are connected to the plumbing system using sections of flexible hose, with an easily removed mac-union at the end to reduce the hassle of replacing pumps.

There comes a time during the building of the first of a series when it becomes critical to have a look and detailed consultation with the various trades involved in the construction process. That time is now, and although we have a long list of discussions over the next three days, we will try to file a brief report daily.

We have a saying about choosing the right size for an anchor: when the marina experts are laughing you know you must be getting close to the correct size. There is going to be a lot of mirth about this 350 pound Manson Supreme anchor. The huge fluke has obvious holding power. And is stored high enough above the waterline that it will rarely bang. It stores with a positive angle of attack which theoretically has it acting to create bow lift when submerged – something that will doubtfully ever be tested.. 

Big anchors need somewhat larger chain, which means the potential for more mud and bottom debris dropping onto our lovely deck. The round bar topped vertical plate acts as a mud dam close to the chain wheel.

Looking forward from the galley..

Looking aft through the great room windows.

The owners suite looking aft from the area between the head and shower/tub.

Laying in bed looking forward and off to starboard, with the double entry doors open to the starboard side hallway.

The camera is pointed forward from the aft starboard corner of the annex.

Here is the Lewmar reel winch we will be using on the main dink halyard.

A 12”/300mm vent connected to the Dorade boxes under the forward roof overhang.

A more complete look at the pump room layout. Fuel tank selection manifold is to the left in the photo.

The engine room is hard to photograph, but rest assured it has the best access of any boat we have done. Before we leave we will try to get better photos.

More to follow during the next three days of this visit.