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Let The Plating Begin
It is that time when the real fun begins, the execution of which separates men from boys, and where the wheeling is now in earnest. We speak of plating time. Now that the hull framing in nearly...
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LA Story – A Silver Lining To Every Cloud
Having grown weary with and needing a break from a long and arduous design cycle, a meeting of the executive committee was called and a weekend away to clear cobwebs was deemed prudent. In olden days...
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Hi Ho Hi Ho – Back Down South We Go – Posted By Sarah
Greetings from Los Angeles International Airport! Todd Rickard and I are ducking back under the equator to Whangarei in New Zealand. We have a hot date with FPB 64-7, Buffalo Nickel, and her proud...
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Buffalo Nickels Everywhere – Posted By Sarah
Todd and I landed in Whangarei yesterday morning – where we were greeted by FPB 64-7 Buffalo Nickel‘s proud new owners, Stan and Valerie Creighton. Valerie even has Buffalo Nickel earrings; the gray...
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If It’s Thursday, It Must Be Time To Dock – Posted By Sarah
Yesterday Todd took Buffalo Nickel‘s owners over to Marsden Cove for some close quarter maneuvering drills. The day was a success. We headed out in the morning for Marsden, a small marina about 45...
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The Sun Sets On This Trip – Posted By Sarah
After a very busy week in Whangarei, Todd and I were treated to a home-cooked meal and a walk on the beach yesterday evening. Kelly Archer and his wife Joss have a lovely “batch” (beach house) in...
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Seeing The Light
We’ve been working with 3D supremo Ryan Wynott now for an intense year and a half, yet we’ve never met. So with a demanding schedule and tasks at hand requiring the closest collaboration, Ryan left...
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FPB 97 – Plating Progress
Circa is at the stage where visual progress will accelerate, and it will become easier to get a sense of scale for the Wicked FPB 97. Bottom plating is in place and topside plating has begun. That...
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Salon Seating – Longevity, Aesthetics, and Comfort
You are looking at the original great room seating upholstery on Wind Horse at the end of 2011–that is six years after launching with more than 50,000 miles of intensive use. Aside from a little...
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Super Deal On Favorite Photo Filters
For those interested in photography and who use Lightroom, Photoshop, or Aperture, our favorite filter set is on sale. You can buy the complete NIK collection for just US $149.00. We paid four times...
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The Dinghy Conundrum – What Is The Correct Mix Of Factors?
We have recently been asked our ideas for the ideal mix of design factors for a larger FPB dinghy. This got us to thinking about our own experiences, and what we would want in this category of gear,...
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FPB 64-7 Video: First Day Aboard-Close Quarters Maneuvering
Come on board with Stan and Valerie Creighton as they get acquainted with FPB 64-7 Buffalo Nickel during their first day of close quarters maneuvering. You can also see the video in its full HD...
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A Long Interlude – Back On The Bay – Updated
The Deerfoot 74, Interlude, is back on San Francisco Bay. Katie and Kurt Braun have seen 55,495 miles slip quietly under their keel since acquiring Interlude in Fort Lauderdale in April of 2000. They...
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Plating Models – How We Used to Do It
We’ve been gradually reorganizing our offices, and in the process trying to figure out what to do with out hull models. This plating model was in hand yesterday, and we got to thinking it might be of...
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The Dinghy Conundrum Part Two
A couple of weeks ago, we invited suggestions for an ultimate rugged cruising dinghy. We appreciate all of you who took time to shoot us your ideas, of which there were many. What you see here and...
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Stanley Dashew: 1916-2013 – Posted by Sarah
Two weeks ago, at the tender age of 96, my grandfather sailed off into the sunset and on to his next great adventure. One can only assume the sails were trimmed perfectly. Daddy’s Daddy–as my sister...
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FPB 97-1 Plated Up
FPB 97-1 is well along now, with the main framing and plating of the hull almost complete. We spend some of our weight budget on extra heavy topside and bottom plates because these gives higher...
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2013 Hurricane Season Forecasts
The Northern Hemisphere summer is nearly here, and with it the hurricane season. With the FPB fleet getting ready to depart New Zealand for points North, and one of the boats thinking about winding up...
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Cruising Season of Renewal
It is the season of renewal, for those afloat and others afflicted with landed status. In the South Pacific there are two FPB 64s about to depart for points north and a third already heading west,...
View ArticleFPB 64-3 On Passage New Zealand to Papeete: Post 3
FPB 64-3, Iron Lady, has now passed the mystical “halfway point” on her voyage to Papeete. She is entrained between two high pressure systems, in a convergence zone, with heavy downpours, lightning,...
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