Is this crew quarters, lazarette, engine room, or workshop? For us it might be considered all or some of the preceding. Right now it is going to be the workshop we always dreamed of having, with spares and supplies neatly organized below the floorboards, and a scattering of critical items like carbon fiber oars, water skis, and related cruising gear.

The workbench is two meters +/over seven feet long. It will have a sink, big vice, drill press, arbor press, belt sander/sanding disk tool, and lots of room.

There is a long storage shelf below for tool bags and supplies.

And the coolest stainless tool chest we have ever seen. It, and the adjacent trash compactor, are raised above the sole to preserve access for cleaning the bilge and to the large inventory which will be stored below the sole.

Storage is also available under the first portion of the aft deck, up to the collision bulkhead that separates the boarding platform.

Port rudder steering gear is now installed.

The quadrant is designed to allow 45 degrees of travel off center for slow speed maneuverability.

If the rudder stops ever come into play for real, the loads will be huge.

The actual steering loads at sea are light, even in heavy going, and the steering cylinder is large compared to the work it has to do.

Now a few fuel system details. There is a large day tank with a deep sump.

The genset filter left and day tank polishing set right.

Transfer and fuel polishing pumps.

Fuel pump selector switches and manual controls.

Starboard engine fuel filters.

Finally, the fuel supply and return manifold.

More tomorrow.

Modern yachts are amazingly complex, with numerous interrelated and conflicting requirements.

What makes this game so interesting is the enormous intellectual challenge that exists to get the details right. New and better ways of doing things are often hidden behind a mantra of habit, and in order to wring the most from the design, you need to be able to continuously probe the possible combinations and then be ready to switch course if a better idea presents itself.

Today was one of those days.

We typically fit FPBs with two sets of props, in case one gets dinged. These have to live somewhere, preferably low and easy to access; historically always in the forepeak. The FPB has a pair of 33”/825 mm five bladed props which will eventually require storing. The nibral bronze wheels weigh about 50kg/110 pounds. With all previous FPBs the spare props have lived in the forepeak. But these are of a size where it would be nice to have them closer to the propeller shafts.

After a number of discussions, it was found that an ideal place for storage existed on the swim step, just a few meters from where they would eventually end up if needed, in the swim step locker on the port side aft, where they can live happily together on a single spindle laying horizontally. When these move aft they leave a large bay available below the sole level in the forepeak. Which brings us to the lead photograph.

The forepeak is home to a pair of Head Hunter Mac 5 fresh water pressure pumps, a salt water wash down pump, a pair of air conditioning salt water pumps and a bilge pump. They need a place to live. At the same time the depth of canoe body below the sole offers a substantial amount of accessible storage volume which we want to protect.

Then there is the large foredeck hatch that will inevitably be left open when it should be dogged, leading to a wetting of the forepeak.

With the props aft it looked like there were some better options for placing these pumps, which is what is above. They are low in the boat so they have less lift requirement, are easily protected from water leaking in from the hatch above, and have little impact on storage.

Back in the engine room there has been a refinement in the engine raw water plumbing. We are back to the original design with the strainer and valves well above the load waterline. The old valve, which is in lower left in the photo, is mounted at a point which would have the valve below the waterline. The revised position of bits are now mocked up with the valve pointing skyward. This raises the raw water plumbing and the large Hayward strainer to where they are above the waterline, which allows the valve to be serviced with the boat floating.

It’s late, and tomorrow is another very full day. We will try and get off another post before flying back to the States.

With a project as massive and complex as the FPB 78, there are times when we ask ourselves why we are still doing this. After all, we could have been cruising on Wind Horse these past three years.

What drives us forward is the elusive goal of the perfect yacht, a definition of which is obviously unique in the eye of the beholder. Being anal about detail, and perfectionist by nature, the goal we are chasing is often associated with large doses of frustration – ours and often those whom we are pushing.

There comes a point in each project when we know if we are going to be totally pleased, or something less. Having just spent 60 hours over four days in intensive detail work with the crew at Circa, we can say without reservation that taking three years off from cruising has been worth it. In every respect the FPB 78 is turning out better than we had hoped.

That smile on the face of Circa’s lead engineer, Ian Tibbey, says a great deal about where we are. The engine room, workshop, and engineering in general is the best we have ever had. There are hundreds of small details Ian and his crew have developed for us that are advances in how things are typically done.

Take for example the grey and black water tank plumbing. These have direct overboard discharge when holding is not required. Simple and effective.

Engine panels are located over the engine room aft watertight door, handy for maintenance, out of the way, and easily read.

The main panel breaker wiring is now underway. The electrical system is also full of small but important changes. From the N2K monitoring system, to a new approach to electrical panels that simplifies replacement and/or tuning of circuit breakers, we are very pleased with the progress in this vital area.

When we started this project, we asked Circa to abandon their standard interior construction techniques for something a lot lighter. This changeover has been hard on them and ourselves.

Their effort has paid off. The lighter construction, and the weight it saves up high, will pay performance and comfort benefits, and be a source of hidden pleasure.

More visible pleasure will come from an exquisite furniture finish.

The AKL to LAX flight has been called so we will sign off for now. More in a few days.

As Steve & Linda begin to simplify their lives in preparation for going cruising again, they are eliminating the online store. With this in mind, we are offering a special package just for SetSailors.

While supplies last, you can have all four of Linda and Steve Dashew’s acclaimed books for just $59.95 (normally $300) including shipping. Together they combine 3,118 pages, densely packed with over 4,000 photos and illustrations, covering more than 3,800 topics. These are the same books that have sold thousands of copies at $69.95 to $89.95 each: hard bound, Smythe sewn, with reference book quality Roxite covers. This is the last chance to acquire these reference books in printed form. When they are gone they will not be reprinted. This special offer is only available online, and is limited to stock on hand. USA orders only. Visit our shop.

You are looking at a sea-change in the way we do raw water for the engines.

In the past we have always employed a large through hull or partial sea-chest with a manifold below the waterline. All the engine room raw water consumers fed off this manifold. With a yacht design that will surf as easily as the FPB 78, the boundary layer aft combined with a negative pressure area means a manifold system will occasionally entrain air. The new system makes it much easier for the consumers to clear any air that gets ingested. But wait, it gets better. The valve is now well above the load waterline, so when it requires service it can be removed without hauling the boat. Furthermore, the forward section of the bilge is wide open and easy to clean.

Anybody have an idea why the smaller valve is there?

That small valve is a drain from the aqua lift, so that when the boat is left for a few days humidity is reduced in the exhaust line.

Moving forward now and looking at the raw water system in the forepeak. There are a pair of air con condensing coil cooling pumps, handling five compressors. There is also a washdown pump (top left), a bilge pump (not shown),

and a pair of HeadHunter fresh water pressure pumps.

The trick is to install this stuff so the pumps can easily cope with their work load, while keeping the gear accessible and not ruining too much storage space.

Here is a large grey water tank, probably a total waste of space and displacement, while adding a layer of complexity to the plumbing system. But rules require grey as well as black water, so here we are.

Two of the eventual five air con compressors in this area. The compressors are isolated from their bases with isolation mounts, and then the framework is isolated from the structure tied to the hull.

Lead electrician Deon Ogden is smiling because he has lots of room in which to install the electrical system. The bulkheads of the port systems room will eventually be covered with NAIAD black boxes, along with a host of Maretron N2K components.

Starboard side inverters are now installed along with the auto transformer, as well as junction box for AC system high power switches and terminals (grey NMEA box).

The main panel at the aft end of the great room is coming along quickly.

With wiring and plumbing runs now mostly complete, the prefabricated furniture modules will drop in short order.

The hull side lockers along the hallway to starboard of the owner’s suite have been patiently waiting their turn to shine. Once their doors are mounted and shelves installed, the first FPB 78 will rapidly start to look like a finished yacht..

We will close with a photo of something we try really hard to avoid, but occasionally need to do. That is to rip out some perfectly good work in favor of something better. It is also a tale about how designs evolve. We are looking here at the inner transom, at the forward end of the swim step. It was originally designed at a steep angle: “coal chute” fashion for those of you old enough to recall this era. This approach allowed full headroom when entering the boat from the swim step, but cost deck space and crew cabin/lazarette volume. In the shower a couple of weeks ago there was a Eureka moment, and we realized this simply had to change to vertical. The advantages of deck space above and volume inside were such that it was worth the cost and disruption factor.

This also demonstrates one of the reasons we love unpainted aluminum. It is so easy to make changes…

Although FPB 78-1 looks far from finished, she is coming along very quickly. It won’t be until early next year when her protective furniture covers are removed and she is revealed in all her glory. But we can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Iceberg has just tried out her new propellers, this time without “interceptor” strips, and she has pushed her smooth water maximum speed to 15.0672 knots, 

the average of GPS readings in two directions (taken every second).

Although speed at wide open throttle is meaningless in a cruising context (aside from bragging rights), accurate performance data is essential for fine tuning the computer models we use to predict the impact of propeller changes on FPB 97-1, as well as other FPBs.

The FPBs are so lean on drag, and efficient with their propulsion packages, that there is little modeling data which relates. So we need to pick up data points in the real world when we can, and we appreciate the opportunity provided by the owner of FPB 97-1 to add to the database.

This is timely because we are about to release the propeller order for the first set of FPB 78 props. In terms of our historical data base, the FPB 83 Wind Horse and the FPB 97 are very close. The FPB 64 sits at the other end of the hydrostatic world (in FPB terms), while the FPB 78 is a little closer to the FPB 83/97. With this latest data set now in hand we are comfortable with the numbers for the FPB 78 propellers.

One of the tools we use to compare yachts under power is called the Froude number. This is a dimensionless ratio that takes into account a number of design factors. If the Froude numbers are close between designs, even though there may be major differences in size, you can have some confidence that the prediction formulae will produce consistent results with other yachts having similar ratios.

Coming around now to the props we are about to order from ZF: these will be specified so that if we find an efficiency band at the top end which we have not seen before, the props will have sufficient area and pitch to take advantage. We are being teased by data outside the Froude range. The sea trial props are specified to allow us to get into a Froude range higher than where we have been before, if it is possible. The odds of finding a new range of efficiency are not great, but if we don’ t try we won’t know the answer.

You are probably wondering what we are expecting. We are not going to divulge answers to that question anytime soon. Rather than speculate, we’ll let the FPB 78 speak for itself. However, we will tell you that at a Froude number that equals that of the FPB 97, we are only using half of the M 4 rated power from the John Deere 6068 AFM 75s.

Now a few words on the Veem props with interceptor strips about which we have written in the past. As sea trial propellers, the easily changed pitch that comes with the interceptor strips saves time and hassle. But these props are less efficient, noisier, and more prone to vibration than conventional propellers. Where the FPB 97 previously had a bit of vibration and noise with the interceptor equipped propellers, she is now vibration free and almost silent with her new props. We think the best approach is to use conventional props once the sea trial data has been accumulated.

With the very last of the FPB shop drawings nearing completion, we will bring you up to date in a number of areas over the next week. Let’s start with the Matrix deck.

This is both a working area for watch keeping and close maneuvering, and a prime entertaining area. There is a combination of fixed and removable furniture for maximum flexibility. We are looking here from the starboard forward corner aft.

The Brown Jordan furniture shown amidships can be arranged in different ways. It is shown here in a seagoing mode, where it is secured to eyebolts in the deck. To starboard is a raised seat/watch bunk/storage box.

There is plenty of real estate for electronics, and chart table/storage area, to starboard. The stainless “trombone slides” are shown in their sea-going position. They slide forward, out of the way, in port. The second control box in the port corner is on a tether and is used for docking when you want to see alongside.

In the aft starboard corner is a small bar with fridge and sink. There is also a head for use by the watch at sea. We will post more art and details in the next few days.

In the fall of 2008, having visited Greenland and Ireland, we were looking for a place to store FPB 83 Wind Horse for the winter. Several of our cruising friends recommended that we talk to Berthon in Lymington, UK, and we ended up leaving her in their very capable care.

We were more than a little impressed with the facilities, the efficiency that the yard displayed on some projects they did for us, and the overall tenor of the operation. During this time we met and became friends with Sue Grant, the managing director of Berthon International, the brokerage arm of the company. We knew of Sue by reputation, as she had handled the resale of a number of our sailing designs.

We should digress for a moment and tell you that we have never had anyone represent us for new boat sales, preferring to have a direct relationship with our clients. But in the process of getting to know Sue and her team, we decided to vary from our 30+ year policy, and worked out an arrangement whereby Berthon represented the FPBs in Europe. This has turned out well for ourselves and the FPB family.

Berthon has offices in the US, UK, and south of France. They are known as cruising yacht specialists, sell around 200 yachts each year, and have been one of the major sponsors of the ARC cross Atlantic cruising rally since its inception. In other words, they understand what it takes to cruise long term successfully.

Which brings us to to the subject of what is normally the biggest cost associated with owning a new yacht: its value when the time comes to move on.

Sue Grant will bring you up to date on the current state of the international yacht brokerage market, and where FPBs stand in relation thereto. Berthon has managed the resale of the three FPBs that have come to market since the program started:

“Since 2008/09 the face of the international brokerage market has shifted enormously. Massive economic problems and changes have inevitably affected the sale and purchase of something that is discretionary spending (although many yachtsmen would put a yacht on the essential list of life purchases).

The number of buyers has fallen, as the number of those who need to sell has grown, and this has in the past few years led to a downward spiral in price. The problem has been exacerbated by currency fluctuation and the fact that many yacht owners have stopped using and maintaining their yachts.

Since the beginning of 2014, the market has stabilised somewhat, and the volume of brokerage yachts selling has increased. The market now is much smaller than before, but it has reset. There has been a definite increase in buyer confidence (which is what the brokerage market needs) in the US, UK, and Northern Europe specifically. Yacht buyers from these areas have also taken advantage of currency shift to buy well.

The general rule of thumb is that a new yacht will sell used for around 50% of her build cost. However, with one FPB 83 and 2 FPB 64s sold, we are starting to see a unique brokerage pattern emerge that is different from anything else on the market.

There are 2 important factors which set FPBs apart:

1. They have no competition. There is no close alternative brand equivalent. If you are looking for an FPB and understand the concept, nothing else will be on your radar.
2. The level of support offered by Circa and Dashew Offshore means that you buy not just the yacht, but you enter into a family. There are a number of other brands that offer after-sales service, but not at the level and not with the commitment offered by the whole FPB team.

While there can be no guarantees that this trend will continue, the on-going exploits of the FPB family, the press that the FPB brand has received, and the low rate of new FPB production, bode well for the future.”

Sue handled the resale of Wind Horse, Grey Wolf (shown above), and Iron Lady (shown below).

The universe of circumnavigators is a small world. It’s not unusual to meet somebody in an anchorage or a far-off port, spend a few days together, form a strong bond borne of common interests, meet up again years later, and pick up right where you left off.

Such was the case with circumnavigator Pam Wall when we brought Wind Horse to Florida from Europe via the West Indies in 2010. Pam was then the outfitting manager for West Marine, and in charge of their mega yacht service division. At the time we thought that she would be perfect for the FPB team, but she was otherwise occupied.

There is a huge difference between how you look at things after you’ve lived full time aboard a yacht, cruising, crossing oceans, and experiencing all the challenges and celebrations– both technical and emotional– associated therewith. The choices that you make in equipment and cruising grounds after you’ve lived the cruising life, as opposed to dipping in and out occasionally, are very different. As both a circumnavigator and someone who has built boats in her own back yard, as well as catering to the needs of professional mega yacht crews, Pam has a unique perspective on what works. (Example shown below, with the understanding that crossing the equator the first time is a very big deal for all creatures great and small.)

A few months ago, mutual friends, also circumnavigators, mentioned that Pam was now spending her full time as a cruising consultant, giving seminars and teaching others how to achieve the dream.

Our interest greatly piqued, we reached out again to Pam, and after some dialogue, we are excited to announce that she has joined the FPB family.

Pam will be helping our FPB owners with general support along with Circa, including personal outfitting, service requirements, and ordering of spares and replacements.

Above, Pam at the helm of one of the very first of Don Aronow’s muscle boats in the 1960s.

To give you an idea of the breadth of Pam’s experience a few excerpts from her cv are below. Be sure to also check out her web site at pamwall.com for more details and interesting posts.

• Raced on the Great Lakes in the 1960s
• Yacht broker in Fort Lauderdale
• Sailed to and around Europe on 30-ft sloop for two years
• Circumnavigated with husband and two small children 1985-1991
• 1997-1998 sailed two children to Europe for school, then back to Florida
• 2006-7 back and forth to Europe again
• 1991-2013 worked for West Marine as Outfitting and cruising consultant and seminar speaker at myriad venues and boat shows

We are excited for this new chapter and look forward to working with Pam.

The aft end of the FPB 78 has gone through a design evolution, a benefit of the 3D design process and working with two very experienced owners.

We’ll do a post on that process at a later time. For now, let us bring you up to date first with FPB 78-1, and then with how FPB 78-2 and 78-3 are being done. We now carry a 16-foot AB RIB, and a second, smaller dink. Shown above is a 14’ wherry.

There is room for a ten or 11’ RIB, if one prefers two inflatables.

The cassettes on the swim platform store the large flopper stoppers. This makes them much easier to set and retrieve. The flammable stores locker is to starboard and can carry 14 twenty-liter containers. The large port side locker is where we will put dock lines, hoses, shore power cord, deflated fenders, garbage, and other items that need to be handy. The stern anchor/kedge stores between the stairs and flopper stopper, where it is out of the way but easy to deploy.

The aft deck winch, a powered Lewmar 65, will be used for docking, kedging, and dinghy handling on the port side. A small but important detail is that the line coming out of the self-tailer will flake on the swim platform where it is out of the way.

The engine room air intake provides a base onto which a variety of creations can be attached. The first three FPB 78s have this as a barbecue area, with adjacent work surface, sink, and storage underneath.

The port dinghy will be stored high, with space below for those all-important water tools, like paddle boards, kayaks, etc.
 

Those support arms rotate out of the way when the dinghy is launched, opening up the deck area. They also rotate outboard, providing a storage location for the dinghy that is usable when local cruising.

They are usable for lifting the dinghy or kayak out of the water.

FPB 78-2 and 78-3 have a different swim platform layout. They are trading the access to the aft interior of FPB 78-1 for more storage volume aft. The area from the flammable stores locker across the boat is all storage. The interior walls are designed so they can easily add or change shelves, racks, etc. with a simple bolt-on system. Access to these lockers is via sliding doors.

Let’s take a closer look now at the aft end of the house. There are storage lockers port and starboard. The starboard locker serves as a conduit for plumbing and wiring to and from the interior, engine room, and Matrix deck. There is a Lewmar reel halyard winch for hoisting the big dinghy. Space is left for hanging coats, boots and the storage of gear. The BBQ cabinet has been unbolted here and the top of the engine room air intake converted to a seat.

The port side locker has the fridge and freezer compressors inside, a pair of Delta T 11” (1400 CFM) extraction fans which pull from the great room, as well as more storage space. Note the clear plastic enclosure panel. This will be deployed when we want to control the environment of the Matrix deck.

The structure at the aft end of the starboard mast is part of the engine room ventilation system. The inlet pipe is above the 70 degree heel flood line. The top is designed as a tray, handy for all sorts of things.

The bank of rope clutches are for the boom control lines, flopper stopper halyard, and extra halyard. The Lewmar #50 winch will help with boom movement and be handy with dock line adjustment.

We’ve got sole in the engine room, and it is ever so cool and functional.

Consider:

• Good visibility of bilges and everything they contain.
• Lightweight, easily removed when necessary for inspection and cleaning.
• Allows lights from overhead to illuminate the bilge area (there are also a series of below-the-sole high intensity LED lights).
• No degradation over time.
• We will have a padded panel on which to kneel or sit, and a tray for tools and parts when working.

Belt guards are not yet installed.

A couple of photos now of the bridge area on the Matrix deck. This is a mock-up, made from cut files that will be used for manufacturing. In this first photo you can get a feel for the size and storage capacity of the corner desk/chart table.

Along with lots of real estate for electronics, there is considerable volume below the hinged nav desk lids and in the lockers below.

The hardest thing to get right on a small yacht are the stairways. We are on mock-up number four for the tricky part at the bottom of the stairs.

The electrical locker and communications desk area are coming along. This looks tidy and relatively simple, with good access for service, something for which we always strive. But the wiring shown here is a small part of the systems complexity.

Another part is where the cable runs emanating from the electrical locker are attached. Shown above are thruster and windlass controls. Also in the area are the power solenoids for the windlass and deck winch.

Just forward of electrical gear mentioned previously is a sewage holding tank. Situated above are three air conditioning compressors and their controllers. These remotely mounted compressors will be connected to the four 12,000 BTU evaporators in the great room. Notice how our once almost-empty forepeak/annex area is starting to fill up.

There is a point we are trying to make. Every time a system is added to the relatively small volume of a yacht, there is less volume for the rest of what needs to be installed and used. It’s hard to visualize the extent of the infrastructure required for each system. But the cumulative impact of the normally unseen bits is enormous. At the end of the day less is always better than more, and simple more desirable than complex.

Looking up at the insulation of the underside to the Matrix deck roof extension, also known as the porch roof. The black insulation is not for temperature but to reduce noise bounce.

Looking here at the inside of a cored door. This saves weight, is quieter, and is more stable with climate change.

We have mentioned the “wet” locker that is adjacent to the main entry door. While a great place for jackets, shoes, and wet weather gear, its highest use in life is as a transition area for wiring and plumbing between decks. It will soon have its outer walls festooned with examples of this. At the bottom is the Lewmar reel winch for hosting the large dinghy. Note the perforated flat bar running up the walls. This is for adjustable shelves and/or storage racks.

Here’s a closer look at the dinghy halyard winch.

Why is Jeremy smiling? Maybe it is the thought of watching the 65” 4K TV, that has projected upward out if its cabinet in the great room after a day of exploring in (pick one): Hanavave Bay on Fatu Hiva in the Marquesas Islands, Prince William Sound in Alaska, Cocos Keeling Island in the Indian Ocean, or Disco Bay in central Greenland.

Following are a series of helicopter and then dinghy level renders of FPB 78-1.

The details shown are pretty close to how the boat will look when she is finally launched.

There will be two dinghies aboard FPB 78-1. The starboard side RIB is 16’ with a 14′ sliding-seat rowing dinghy to port.

For more information on the FPB series, contact Sue Grant: Sue.Grant@Berthon.Co.UK.

We discovered long ago that a key part to agreeable yacht ownership is systems efficiency and access. The FPB 78 takes us closer to perfection in this regard than ever before.

Consider the now complete port side systems room, above and in the next few photos.

In one easily accessible spot we have the damage control pump and its valves to the six pickups, the hydronic heating system manifold, fuel tank selection manifold, accommodation area bilge pumps and their selector valves, and the gray water plumbing discharge for the galley sink. On the bulkheads are various black boxes for stabilizers and the N2K ship’s data system. When this is tidied up and labeled, it will be the envy of yacht owners everywhere.

Below the floorboards forward in the forepeak we have another dense plumbing area. Once again, easily accessible with several key features. These begin with a substantially oversized CPVC strainer for the air conditioning raw water system. The two  large Headhunter pressure fresh water pumps on the hullside are each connected directly to a water tank. There are no suction side valves to leak, and a minimum of fittings. Rather than switch valves to change tanks, just turn on one or the other of the pumps. All fresh water pumps eventually develop priming problems. This direct and simple approach will reduce those occurrences on the FBB 78s.

While we are on plumbing, take a look inside a galley locker where the water-maker output selection manifold resides. Here are three choices: the drinking water tank, forward one, and forward two hull tanks. There is an overflow circuit into the galley sink in the event that all three valves are closed.

The next series of photos are around the bottom of the stairs, coming from the great room to the accommodation deck. But we start with a photo of the stabilizer fin actuator mechanism, since we need easy access to this in the event of a problem. The two lugs at the top, with the red arrows, are locking bolts, used to hold the fin in center. If something goes wrong with the hydraulics or controls we need to be able to quickly get a socket wrench onto these. The black round device in the center is the most key maintenance point. This sends the computer a signal on fin position. They wear over time and occasionally need replacement.

There is always a tradeoff with stairs on a small yacht, between ideal ergonomics and the space this subtracts from other requirements. What you are looking at here is the fifth version, which we will call Brendan II. This is a fine tuning of Brendan I (Steve I,II, and III having proved inferior).

The view from the owner’s suite looking up above.

In normal usage, most of the versions would have worked. But our concern is using the stairs when we have been awakened by an alarm from a deep sleep and are rushing up to the great room. The stairs and the handles on either side need to herd the user toward the middle, wider part of the steps. We think Brendan II does a good job of this.

We also want quick access to the stabilizer compartment for securing the locking bolts or relaxing the position sensor. This will be accomplished in a couple of minutes with the removal of six bolts.

We will close with couple of shots of the outboard sides of the engines. The norm is for these to be difficult to reach. The port side, above, is looking aft. The genset is under the white cover. The fuel transfer/polishing pumps are at your feet, and the polishing system filters are aft (towards the top right in the photo). If we want to clean or inspect under the engine we remove just two sole panel bolts and lift the panel out of the way.

Starboard side looking forward above. The raw water filter is bottom left in the photo, with the fuel filters for the starboard engine forward on the tank face. Black and grey water tanks are outboard.

Playing engine room is going to be so much fun…

The new Sony A7R2 42 MP camera body is truly a breakthrough. There is nothing remotely close to its capabilities of which we are aware.

The lead photo of the eclipse last week was shot using a Canon 400 F2.8 lens with a Metabones 3 adaptor.

Like shooting in the dark? This is ISO 52,000. And no, the ISO number, 52 with three zeroes, is not a misprint.

The dynamic range of the full frame, 42MP processor is several stops better than any of our Canon gear.

Add the ability to use other manufacturers’ lenses, and the 7R2 is a game changer indeed.

The shaft of light above is coming from the moon.

Between extremely sharp focusing, the file size, and elimination of a processor filter, we are finding it routine to crop tightly and then double image size.

The rest of the industry must feel like they’ve been struck by lightning.

We are in the process of selling our Canon pro bodies and most of our L-series glass.

There are many wonderful things about the cruising lifestyle. But the one we love the most is

making new friends. We are in Denerau, Fiji, visiting with Jim and Cheryl Schmidt, who we first met in Tahuata in the Marquesas Islands in 1977.

Jim and Cheryl were sailing Win’Son, a 70’ S and S motorsailer and we were aboard Intermezzo, our 50-foot ketch. Jim took the photo above the following year while we were sailing in Melanesia.

We formed a quick and lasting friendship, based on a common set of interests, which we have found the norm when cruising. (Jim and Cheryl above with Elyse and Sarah, Auckland, New Zealand in 1977.)

The photo above, a beach scene at Cocos Keeling Island in the SE Indian Ocean, was shot from Win’Son’s deck. We had a young crew member aboard, helping out after Steve had a bout of malaria, and we were ready for him to find another boat. The Schmidts were looking for someone to help stand watches crossing the Indian Ocean, and a trade was arranged. Jim still gives us grief over this.

Jim and Cheryl became our first clients in 1980 when they ordered the Deerfoot 73 Wakaroa, shown above reaching not far from where we are staying in Fiji. They kept her for 34 years, just parting ways last year.
 

Which brings us to the present. When Cheryl sent us word she was having a 70th birthday party for Jim we decided that friendship demanded we attend. (The birthday boy above showing the benefits of a lifelong interest in keeping fit.)

And above, trying to keep up with Cheryl.

We would like to report the results of an exercise plank contest held the following morning between JP–Jim and Cheryl’s black belt holding older son–the father, and your humble correspondent. However prudence requires that we state only that the younger generation could not maintain a plank comparable to the older generation.

One cannot visit Denerau without a few local photos. We will start with this shot of the marina. That’s Mirabella V reaching for the sky with her tallest mast in the world.

This couple out for an early morning paddle put things in perspective. It would be interesting to know who enjoys their time on the water more, the paddlers or the owners of the big sloop.

Mirabella V carries a Carbon Cub, an offshoot of the venerable Piper, on floats. Great recon tool.

Although small as mega yacht marinas go, there is a fair share of interesting traffic to watch here.

And then there is Tata’s, one of the top three curry houses in our travels (the other two being in Panama City and Port Louis, Mauritious).

A small part of the feast for the multitude assembled for Jim’s celebration.

Along with friendships, we love sunsets and sunrises on the water.

Off to New Zealand tomorrow.

You are looking at a sea-change in the way we do raw water for the engines.

In the past we have always employed a large through hull or partial sea-chest with a manifold below the waterline. All the engine room raw water consumers fed off this manifold. With a yacht design that will surf as easily as the FPB 78, the boundary layer aft combined with a negative pressure area means a manifold system will occasionally entrain air. The new system makes it much easier for the consumers to clear any air that gets ingested. But wait, it gets better. The valve is now well above the load waterline, so when it requires service it can be removed without hauling the boat. Furthermore, the forward section of the bilge is wide open and easy to clean.

Anybody have an idea why the smaller valve is there?

That small valve is a drain from the aqua lift, so that when the boat is left for a few days humidity is reduced in the exhaust line.

Moving forward now and looking at the raw water system in the forepeak. There are a pair of air con condensing coil cooling pumps, handling five compressors. There is also a washdown pump (top left), a bilge pump (not shown),

and a pair of HeadHunter fresh water pressure pumps.

The trick is to install this stuff so the pumps can easily cope with their work load, while keeping the gear accessible and not ruining too much storage space.

Here is a large grey water tank, probably a total waste of space and displacement, while adding a layer of complexity to the plumbing system. But rules require grey as well as black water, so here we are.

Two of the eventual five air con compressors in this area. The compressors are isolated from their bases with isolation mounts, and then the framework is isolated from the structure tied to the hull.

Lead electrician Deon Ogden is smiling because he has lots of room in which to install the electrical system. The bulkheads of the port systems room will eventually be covered with NAIAD black boxes, along with a host of Maretron N2K components.

Starboard side inverters are now installed along with the auto transformer, as well as junction box for AC system high power switches and terminals (grey NMEA box).

The main panel at the aft end of the great room is coming along quickly.

With wiring and plumbing runs now mostly complete, the prefabricated furniture modules will drop in short order.

The hull side lockers along the hallway to starboard of the owner’s suite have been patiently waiting their turn to shine. Once their doors are mounted and shelves installed, the first FPB 78 will rapidly start to look like a finished yacht..

We will close with a photo of something we try really hard to avoid, but occasionally need to do. That is to rip out some perfectly good work in favor of something better. It is also a tale about how designs evolve. We are looking here at the inner transom, at the forward end of the swim step. It was originally designed at a steep angle: “coal chute” fashion for those of you old enough to recall this era. This approach allowed full headroom when entering the boat from the swim step, but cost deck space and crew cabin/lazarette volume. In the shower a couple of weeks ago there was a Eureka moment, and we realized this simply had to change to vertical. The advantages of deck space above and volume inside were such that it was worth the cost and disruption factor.

This also demonstrates one of the reasons we love unpainted aluminum. It is so easy to make changes…

Although FPB 78-1 looks far from finished, she is coming along very quickly. It won’t be until early next year when her protective furniture covers are removed and she is revealed in all her glory. But we can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel.

A quick report from New Zealand, starting with what is at the top of our list for successful cruising.

At the top of our list is systems reliability and ease of maintenance. That includes getting the details right, like engineering for minimal air entrainment in raw water flow at sea, and having mac-unions on each pump installation so the pumps are easily changed.

That also means making sure the inverters and related components are easily accessed, in this case inside of a cabinet off the companionway to the lower deck (they have both natural and forced air ventilation). The cabinet is lined with sound absorbing EPDM rubber to minimize noise.

Electrical reliability is paramount, as is the ability to troubleshoot. Labeling, clear schematics, and access are key.

The FPB 78 uses DIN rail breakers. They cost three times as much as normal circuit breakers, but the ease of changing them makes this a worthwhile investment.

Changing the raw water pump of the main engine is never going to be anyone’s idea of fun. But when you can sit comfortably on the centerline girder, feet on the hull, without touching either of the twin engines (which are probably going to be hot), at least the job can be done with minimum hassle.

The raw water pumps on the Deere 6068AFM75s have the least user friendly install we have ever seen. Yet we were able to remove and replace one – we like to test this sort of thing – in under an hour.

While we are in the engine room, a comment on a fetish of ours. We hate dirty bilges, even if they are out of sight. We also love clean engine rooms, in particular clean engines. The FPB 78 has the best access to the bilge area of the engine room of any yacht we have ever seen. The sump, shown above, can be easily reached, as can the undersides of the engine pan. A few minutes each month with cleaning supplies, and these bilges and engine blocks/pans will remain pristine. This also means they will be continually inspected.

With the engine room nearly completed, as well as the workshop/lazarette, we can now tune in to how this area is working. Theory and 3D design are history and we can now sample reality. We like this area, a lot!

From the huge tool chest, to the work bench, this is a dream come true for us.

Circa managing director Bruce Farrand is checking out the drill press. Look at the upper right corner of the photo (outboard forward, port side of the boat). How about an air conditioned workshop!

The area under the swim step will be ideal for bulk stores required in this part of the vessel. Twenty liter containers of lube oil, coolant, and hydraulic fluid will live happily back here.

It is time for breakfast, and then 0700 arrival at the Circa. Will try and update you again tomorrow.

We’ve been blessed over the years with the good fortune to work with many great owners and marine professionals, and with the FPB 78 design and build cycle this has continued in a unique manner.

Designing and building yachts is one of the most complex endeavors on the planet. Doing it well is difficult in the extreme. There are so many aspects to be integrated, coordinated, rationalized, that there are bound to be “issues”. The only question is what form they take. For owners, builders, and designers, there is a constant flow of questions and decisions. Once made, execution depends on careful record keeping.

Over the past two years as the FPB 78 has evolved, we have had the pleasure of daily dialogue with two experienced owners, both engineering oriented, with many thousands of FPB miles under their respective keels. Pete Rossin (left above) and Peter Watson (right), have provided a valuable sounding board, while at the same time challenging us with their own ideas. They have assisted us in refining the FPB 78 to take advantage of its full potential, from their perspective of prior FPB ownership. 

Circa has a most excellent cadre of craftspeople – we know of none better – assembled by Circa Managing Director Bruce Farrand (second from left back row). Bruce has an easygoing management style that some might consider soft. His approach belies a finely tuned sense of the correct way of doing things and a razor sharp intellect. Working more closely than ever before with Bruce and his people on the FPB 78, in particular during the past six months, has given us a new appreciation of the Circa Team.

Maryann Sanchez Calustre (front left) is the FPB 78 project manager at Circa. She has the unbelievably complex job of tracking the build of three of these yachts, coordinating between vendors, the shop floor, and owners. Over the past week she has had her hands full with three owners at once, furiously writing in her notebooks, making sure that the plethora of meetings took place on schedule, always with a smile.

Pam Wall, middle, is new to the team, and putting a unique skill set to work on behalf of the FPB 78 project. She has hit the ground running, and right now is helping to rationalize parts acquisition and vendor coordination, a previous area of weakness on our side of the equation.

There are of course many others who have helped the FPB 78 evolve. As time permits over the next few months we will bring them to your attention. For now, homeward bound at 39,000’ over the South Pacific, we just want to shout a big thank you to the folks who have made this project enjoyable and helped us smooth a few edges here and there.

You are looking at as lovely a piece of yachting jewelry as has ever been afloat. The creation of Circa’s 

Larry Brown, this is the inboard end of the new FPB boom control strut. It starts with a pair of Lewmar traveler cars, running on two parallel tracks along the side of the Matrix deck. It provides a two axis articulation for the strut. The base contains a large bearing captured in an o-ring sealed turret. Similar fittings exist on the booms.

The car position on the track is adjusted with a four to one tackle, which in turn adjusts boom position.

Another detail from Larry’s machine shop, the hold down system for the solar panels. 

The chippies (carpenters) produce many gems as well, much of which is hidden.

Take these plenums which connect air conditioning evaporators to the barrel vents.

These are lined with EPDM for noise and condensation control, and even have cleaning ports.

We will close with another example.

Eventually this might be known as a stairway to heaven.

We’ve been gently reminded that new content has been lacking – our feeble excuse is that we have been swamped. As it is Thanksgiving weekend and we have much for which to be thankful, a pause for a brief update on the FPB 78-1, starting with a couple on interior photos.

Until the boat is completed and afloat, it is difficult to get a sense of the interior. We can only photograph isolated bits, which are immediately protected from damage after installation. But these galley shots will at least give you a sense of the finish.

FPB 78-1 has a very modern aesthetic theme. FPB 78-2 and 78-3 have more traditional interiors.

A look aft here from the middle of the salon. In the aft starboard corner that is Pete Rossin, formerly of 64-3 Iron Lady, now awaiting delivery 78-3. Pete is checking out the circuit breaker logic.

Looking forward now at the TV cabinet with its doors closed.

There are two observation modes. Doors open, as shown above, will probably be the most used.

TV raised will be the favored position when there are a bunch of folks watching at anchor.

Two air conditioner evaporators and a heater installed. Note the insulation on the refrigerant lines.

Damage control pump and every day bilge pump plumbing.

Battery container, one of two, in a tank sump. This  will hold six 1500 amp hour cells.

We ‘ll try to keep up a little better in the new year!