Living Spaces:
Our new FPB 78 integrates many of the interior features of the Wicked FPB 97 in a more compact package.
Entry is under an overhanging deck, which will keep us and our guests dry in sub-optimal weather (rain). There are options for sitting while we remove shoes, and an outside locker for jackets, shoes, and foul weather gear all of which you can see in the rendering below (left side).
The plan of our great room view will help to orient you with the renderings that follow.
The great room has much in common with the FPB 97.
The galley is particularly enticing, with more fridge/freezer capacity, and storage areas than we have previously had the pleasure of using. We know from our land base experience that the breakfast bar will get lots of use, both for meals and when lending a hand in the food production cycle.
We are still working on the aesthetics, and these are very rough renderings, but they will give you a feel for where we are headed. Throughout these posts there are variations on styling and color, all of which are part of the creative process. This gives us a chance to try ideas out on the computer.
There are four stacks of drawers (approximately 14 total) in the galley dedicated to Linda’s tools, with countertop lockers plus the forward half of the pantry locker across the way for supplies (the aft section contains the washer and dryer). Note the extraction fan in the aft bulkhead. This will be used for both galley odors and general ventilation (more on this later).
We love the open feel.
The inside helm will double as a ship’s office. The notch in the desk holds our bodies in place in rough weather and allows us to get close to the window for the very best visibility in less than optimal conditions.
The view from the notch is shown above.
Part of the design process is figuring out how systems integrate with structure and interior, making allowances now for what will happen a year or more in the future. Electronic black boxes, of which there will be more than a few, will find ample space outboard of the furniture in this area. We have allowed a one-foot/300mm of gap between the panel under the desk and the coaming, and this runs along ten feet/three meters of length.
Okay, time for a look below.
The first thing you will notice when heading below is that main DC and AC electrical panels are conveniently located along the stairwell side (sliding doors and a handrail are not yet shown). When we need to check the panel we can do so from a couple of steps down, with the breakers at eye level rather than bending over as has been the case in the past. We can now also have indicator LEDs and task lighting without worrying abut ruining night vision for whomever is on watch. At the bottom of the stairs, turn to port on the landing, and we are ready to head to our stateroom.
The accommodation deck is significantly larger than that of Wind Horse, which means much nicer accommodations for our guests, and halfway decent digs for us as well.
You can begin to sense what has us excited about the owners suite by studying these renderings.
The final finish, wood, and fabric choices may echo these finishes or be something different. At this point we have seen enough to know that the ambiance of this suite will be extraordinary.
There are two offices: one for Steve, shown here, and another for Linda by the door. The island cabinet in the middle of the area contains office and personal drawers, and helps to reduce open floor space at sea. It may also work as a massage table if we lay a mattress on it.
Looking straight ahead now, the entire width of the hull forward of the bulkhead is storage.
There are two hanging lockers, moderately sized to port and much larger to starboard, the door into which has a full sized mirror on its back side. The area in the middle is planned as a series of shelves, pull-out wire baskets with possibly a few drawers.
The vanity is shown here. The head, just aft, has additional storage.
The cabin sole is open, and underscores the spaciousness of the suite, even with a king-sized bunk set down in the middle. But this is too large an area at sea, so we will add a removable staple rail.
This is the view when sitting in the starboard corner, reading a book.
And now from the opposite corner. The hullside locker is accessed through its hinged top and will be used to store extra pillows, blankets, and comforters.
Finally, the view forward from the center of the bunk.
Guest cabins are separated from our area by the hallway. The bulkhead at the head of our bed is structural, and will end up being about four inches/100mm thick. This will allow for a substantial layer of sound insulation. The combination of the open space and thick bulkhead will insure aural privacy (something a number of our friends have stressed).
The guest cabins have queen-sized berths, a large hanging locker, and plenty of drawer space.
Each cabin has its own en-suite head and shower.
Our starboard guest cabin has an upper single as well.
In the next post, we’ll take you up to the Matrix Deck.
*Note: This is the third post in this series about the FPB 78. You can access the posts in order by clicking on the dropdown menu from the “FPB 78″ button on the top menu bar.