Years ago the debate about the most effective rudder for steering was settled, and the cantilevered spade configuration was the winner. But what about hitting debris, running aground, and catching nets you might be thinking.
Growing up navigating by sextant and lead line taught us to appreciate modern electronics. We love radar, GPS, SONAR, and AIS. We are attached to free wifi, and data via cell service. What we don’t like is a hodge podge of antennae strewn here and there. So the farm – as in antenna farm – is on the design priority list during the concept phase, to make sure there is an orderly way to install them all.
A primary design consideration is always what you can see from various places on board. As yachts get larger the sight lines diminish, and you begin to rely on secondary input: usually crew members wearing headsets, calling distance off the dock or to another vessel, to the con. We’d rather see and judge for ourselves. Hence a rigorous study early, the results of which guide the ensuing design.
There are several different criteria we are looking to fulfill:
Among the very first things we look at in designing a yacht is dinghy storage, launching, and retrieval. This design aspect is as fundamental to successful cruising as anything else aboard. We have had a simple and reliable system since the first FPB first launched seven years ago, modified only recently by the advent of deck winches that power out as well as in. With booms easily controlled by permanent guys, locked off with rope clutches if required, and the dink stowed at deck level, the process is easy enough to get into and out of the water that we usually stow it aboard each evening.
As simple as this is, we still consider this to be potentially the most dangerous job on board.
With the Wicked FPB we have refined the dinghy process to make it significantly easier and more controlled.
We used to envy the folks who cruised with shallow draft for the benefits it conferred. There is the obvious, extending your cruising opportunities to areas like the Bahamas (above), but there other significant advantages as well.
We have a problem gentle reader, and we need your help. The marvelous space we so prosaically call “Pilot Deck” is worthy of a descriptor more in keeping with the view of the world from this unique space.
The new Wicked FPB sports some hot angles, not the least of which is the glazing system surrounding the great room. There are numerous advantages to these outwardly angled windows.
Throughout history, the most successful seagoing vessels have shared common attributes. Take, for example, the greatest warriors and travelers of their time, the fiercesome Vikings. When they sallied forth from their northland fjords, they employed high speed, extremely maneuverable, shallow draft designs to help them expand and conquer their world.
If you are a regular visitor to SetSail.com, you know we like fine rear ends. Flat buttock lines in particular arouse our instincts. With most yacht designs, there is a conflict here between comfort and performance (and this varies with different speeds, or more correctly speed-length ratios). Typically, you pick a speed regime and sea state and live with the results.
But if you stretch the waterline, keeping other design aspects constant, good things begin to happen.
We took the afternoon off, went for a drive, had a gelato, and enjoyed being outside in the harsh winter for which Arizona is known. We’re down to rechecking basic assumptions (again), finalizing deck geometry, and fine tuning the hull shape. This can be a dangerous time in the design cycle.
We are somewhat surprised by the amount of comment induced by the post on the solar array, so we thought we’d update you to the present (things are moving quickly).
When you start to consider powerboat (stinkpot) systems, virtually every decision revolves around air conditioning. Air conditioning holds you hostage. High heat loads from large windows and poor-to-nonexistent shading, coupled with a lack of ventilation, force you to fit large compressors, which means a big genset. Since you cannot do without the genset, you need a second, both of which are too big to just run air conditioning at night, so a small night generator is needed. All other systems decisions flow from this conundrum.
But what if you had good ventilation, even when there was no breeze, and then coupled this with minimized heat loads?
Most of the folks we know in the marine “business” (an oxymoron for sure) play the game for love, or because they simply have no choice, they are pulled to it. The hours are long, the outcome often uncertain, and the risks higher than many economic endeavors.
For years we’ve been wrestling with a way to improve on the FPB 83, Wind Horse. We’ve done smaller, as in the FPB 64: a very efficient, attractively priced, well-mannered yacht. And we’ve worked up a larger version in the guise of the FPB 115, about which we can get excited. But to improve on the Wind Horse combination of comfort, sea-kindliness, heavy weather ability, trans-ocean average speed, systems efficiency, and ease of handling for a couple has yet to happen.
It starts as a hazy vision one sleepless night, an outline, and there is a compulsion to see where it leads, even if it is not on the master plan. When the beast strikes, you have to feed it – there is no other option. Days are long, nights are short, computers whirr overtime and the design spiral fits seamlessly together. Gigabytes criss-cross the internet. Hydrostatics, structure, layout, motion, systems, ventilation, aesthetics – meld wickedly, as if this were meant to be.
Some years ago we installed a 1000 watt 230 VAC Aqua Signal flood light on the forward mast. It proved useful on occasion for checking sea-state at night, and maybe once or twice a year looking over anchorages in the dark. When Todd Rickard and Mark Fritzer visited IBEX last fall they ran into a company selling high intensity LED spots and floods called Rigid Industries. They were impressed, so we decided to give a set of these a test on the new forward mast on Wind Horse. That’s Chris Martin of Martin Engineering doing the install.
A new year is upon us and we are in catch up mode. We are a month behind in posting FPB 64 photos from the production line, so we shall endeavor to bring you up to date in one huge post.
We’ve been through the drive line and are about to reassemble things, have checked the tanks, and the rest of the systems, with very little wear and tear to show for our 5700 hours and 57,000 miles +/- of travel. As we’ve done a series of posts scattered here and there on this subject, perhaps a recap is in order. We’ll then give you a brief rundown on changes we are making and why.
But first, a few thoughts on maintenance, frustration, and costs of ownership. Read the rest »
Corey McMahon and cohorts have been working on “the list” and this afternoon’s feature was an inspection of the diesel tanks. After 5700 hours of engine time over 6.5 years, and more than 40,000 US gallons (170,000 L) of diesel, sourced all over the world, we were more than a little curious as to what we would find.
The prop shafts have been removed (they slide past the rudders) and we’ve given them a close look. The cutlass bearings are both still within tolerance, with the starboard bearing showing no wear. The port bearing has on the order of 1/8″ (3mm) of slop, not much really.
However, we are replacing both since the shafts are now out. The shafts show almost no cutlass bearing where.
Corey (left) and Casey (right), from the Triton Marine crew, head down and tails up, taking the drive lines apart on Wind Horse. After 5700 hours we want to have a detailed look at the various elements to see how they are wearing.
Over the last 30 years we’ve been involved in many aluminum and fiberglass yacht construction projects. Our experience has been that properly built, aluminum holds a substatial edge overall in maintenance issues. “But what about corrosion, and the horror stories that are rumored?” you might be thinking.
To anwser that we offer the photos above and below. Those are sacrificial zincs, formerly attached to the hull of Wind Horse as sacrificial anodes, so that any corrosion comes off their mass rather than the hull.
The passage from the tropical South Pacific island nation of Fiji, south to New Zealand, is one of the more difficult you will find. There is a high risk of heavy weather, sometimes extreme, that every year catches a few yachts. Obviously it is best to avoid this form of unpleasantness. The key is boat speed, understanding weather, and patience. But even the professionals occasionally get caught so it is advisable to be prepared.
This was the case last week with FPB 64-1 Avatar. During her passage to New Zealand she had two days of force eight gales on the nose, gusting force nine (35 to 40 knots gusting 49). As much as we’d have preferred for Avatar and crew to have an easier trip, these conditions generated exceptionally valuable data, as we shall shortly see
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Predicting performance under power is relatively simple if you have a hull form that fits standard models (the definition of standard here covers a gamut of fishing trawlers to high speed destroyer hulls). In the olden days you would look up David Taylor model test data for something similar and then go to work with your slide rule. More recently, this process has become quicker, with the ubitquitous computer filling in for the retired slide rule. But if you pick the wrong model data, or miss something in your hull characteristics, the resulting calcs can be off, sometimes by a lot.
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Launching and retrieval of a large dinghy is probably the riskiest endeavor on any yacht. Pete Rossin, of Iron Lady (FPB64-3), has written up the system he uses, the link for which is at the end of this article. Before checking his blog, here are some things for owners of all types of vessels to consider in the dinghy handling process.
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We fit damage control (crash ) pumps to all our yachts. These are plumbed with a single line throughout, and Ts with valves in each watertight section. Although the pumps are self priming, the slightest leak, especially to the forepeak, and they won’t draw. So a periodic test is a good idea.
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Denied the capacity to fiddle with rig and sails, we have filled this void by experimenting with props. Our three bladed test being concluded after 8000+ miles of usage, we are back to the fours.
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There are two interesting points about this photo of the inboard end of the FPB64 prop shaft.
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We have just received a shipment of high definition DVDs filled with action footage of the first three FPB 64s during sea trials in less than ideal conditions. There are hundreds of photos as well. If you have wondered what these yachts are like offshore, watch this video and its more than 75 minutes of action. Available for just $12.95 + S/H by clicking here. Or, you can enjoy the fun by viewing online at SetSail.com
Better yet, order Sea Trials and Off The Beaten Path (with 115 minutes of cruising aboard the FPB prototype, Wind Horse) together and get free shipping in the continental USA. Details are here. 
One of the things that has long been overdue onboard Wind Horse is a glare shield for the three navigation monitors. Working with Greg Kelchner in Fort Lauderdale we fashioned a variety of mock ups from thin plywood.
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We have dragged these two oversized strainers around for the past 50,000 miles. Other than an end of season cleaning only once have they needed to be emptied – until today.
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When we were working on the design of Wind Horse Steve Davis suggested a flying bridge enclosure. At the time we could not see the need, thinking we’d simply move to the great room if conditions warranted more protection. Six years and 50,000 miles later we understand the wisdom of his suggestion.
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Vic Kuzmovich, NAIAD’s stabilizer guru, was out with us aboard Wind Horse today doing slow speed stabilization tests as a model for the FPB 112. There is a video link at the bottom of this blog so you can see the results for yourself.
Read the rest »
The FPB 64 awning support frame was engineered to simplify the installation of enclosure panels, and the fourth boat, Osprey, is the first to make use of this facility.
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Being cold and wet in much of the Northern Hemisphere, with long nights the norm, we thought some light reading material might be in order.
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Mike and Carol Parker, the owners of the FPB 64 Avatar, are avid divers. We asked Mike for some details on how they handle getting three sets of dive gear into the dinghy, and Mike was kind enough to take a few photos and send some comments.
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Within the next few days FPB 64 #3 will be ready to start sea trials. As she is being fitted with a swim step extension we are all awaiting the real world results from this small, but potentially potent addition.
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With Wind Horse at rest we have been able to get an accurate measure of the fuel left aboard. To do this we have moved all remaining fuel to the forward central tank, and then measured its height with our calibrated Tank Tender. The fuel data for the passage from Las Palmas in the Canary Islands to Fort Lauderdale looks like this:
Read the rest »
The combination of a large rudder, powerful autopilots, and 40+ degree rudder deflection makes possible maneuvering in extremely tight quarters with an unusual degree of ease. These same characteristics pay dividends offshore in extreme weather. They also help with comfort.
Read the rest » 
Good control in tight quarters is a key ingredient to a successful cruising design (sailor power). If you can achieve this without a thruster, then there is a good chance the boat will behave itself at sea as well. If a thruster is a necessity. then the odds are steering offshore is going to be marginal.
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A key ingredient to successful ownership of a modern cruising yacht is a detailed Owner’s Manual, and we thought a few samples from the FPB manual might be of interest.
While there are dozens of equipment manuals aboard, the Owners Manual presents the information in a different manner.
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Having completed her 7000 mile shakedown from New Zealand Sarah Sarah is starting to undergo the finishing touches of her owners. Todd Rickard shot these photos over the past few days in Seattle. It will be interesting to compare them in a few months to what she looks like finished.
For a yacht that completed a fall passage from Hawaii, 10 days ago (not to mention having left New Zealand just two months ago) we think she looks pretty good.
Read the rest » 
We are fitting the Maretron NMEA 2000 system on the FPB 64s. Data display and alarm sequence is extremely flexible. The only drawback we have seen so far is a lack of averaging capability – only raw sensor data is displayed. With speed, heading, and many other items this is not acceptable and we have made this known to Maretron (who tell us they are working on their codes now.
Read the rest »
Todd Rickard has recently returned from a visit to Circa in New Zealand where he was working with clients and checking details with the builders. He brought back a few photos of different details on FPB 64s number three and four. We will start with the swim step extension on the fourth boat, shown above. This boat is being built under survey, to Australian New South Wales rules. As such, there are numerous details required by the authorities, so the boat can be chartered. One of these is four rather than three lifelines.
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Long time correspondent Alan Leslie was kind enough to send us a few photos yesterday from the capital of the island nation Vanuatu, Vila. This is one of two Sundeer 64 cutters. For a mature lady she is looking very good to our eye.
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One of the things we love about unpainted aluminum is the ability to get at the grime with a high pressure power washer. It is amazing how fast one these devices will remove dirt, bird poop, and other unpleasantness.
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The FPB 64s are fitted with emergency tillers, the main purpose of which is to lock the rudder on center when hove to behind a parachute anchor. The two inch schedule 40 steel pip (galvanized) slips over a projection on the tiller to which the hydraulic cylinders attach.
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The second FPB 64, Sarah Sarah, is bound for the Pacific Northwest. As it is late summer in the Northern Hemisphere, there is pressure to get the sea trials wrapped up, and be off to the north. So, we have not been able to get the time required onboard for a complete set of photos. However, we do have some interesting details to share and over the next week we’ll do a series of posts.
We’ll start with the owner becoming familiar with his new cruising machine. Note the back up manual wheel. The wheel is removable, but at this point the plan is to leave it in place (there are two auto pilot systems as well which are the primary steering systems).
Read the rest »The best way to check fuel consumption is by filling the tank. Ideally this is done before and after a passage so just the underway hours are used in the calculations. When you are in coastal mode, as we have been, some interpolation is going to be required. As we have just topped off with diesel in Gibraltar we thought you might be interested in the figures.
Read the rest »Realizing that the cost of operating a yacht like the FPB 83 Wind Horse is probably of interest we thought we’d recap the various links to articles on this subject with a few comments thrown in.
Read the rest »The water injection elbows on the exhausts of Wind Horse’s engines and genset are fitted with temperature sensing bands supplied by AquaAlarm. If these exceed a preset temperature they close a circuit which triggers an alarm. In theory, this is an early warning of salt water flow failure. We are also fitted with sensors on the water flow itself upstream of the engines. None of these devices has ever given us a warning signal.
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It is now officially warm, we are using our awnings, and even running the air conditioning on occasion. All of which brings to mind the subject of air con capacity. If you are going to have a air conditioning, and it is very nice in some situations, it needs to be looked at in an overall systems context. Typically the major power consumer aboard, if designed without thought for overall efficiency, the penalties can be substantial. The industry norm is to maximize capacity, for the worst possible situation, and then run the air on a low duty cycle. This forces you into big generators because of starting and running loads, which are loafing (bad) when the air is not running.
We think there is a better way.
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We’re told open roadsteads, with bouncy sea-states, are not unusual from here on out. For most yachts it can get down right uncomfortable when the wind is at right angles to the chop. Wind Horse is very stable with ocean swells coming into the anchorage. They barely move her. But the short period chop from ferries and dinghies are another story. Which is one of the reasons for her big booms.
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We have just spent three days at anchor. For at least eight hours a day the portable computer and the desk top Imac with its second monitor and three exteral hard drives have been in use. There are two freezers going, a big fridge, and we are cooking electrically. We also don’t overly concern ourselves with power consumption for lights.
The amp hour meter says 930 amps or 310 amps per day average (at 24 volts), and the battery capacity is listed as 50%. If we were to sit another day we’d probably run the genset tonight to do a little battery charging. But as we are moving 38 miles, the engines will do a pretty good job of charging while we are under way.
We continue to be impressed with our Panasonic NN-CF778S combination oven. Capable of using microwave, convection, and broiling to the same dish, automatically if desired, it is also working well in a straight baking (convection) mode, as attested to by the photo above from last night.
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The crew of Wind Horse are starting to read the manual on the Panasonic combination oven. This little oven does some amazingly efficient things.
Read the rest »Wind Horse had been closed up for the better part of eight months when we stepped through her entry door last week. Dorade vents and hatches had been sealed, and no outside air had circulated inside. Yet she smelled fresh, most would say new (and this after five years of cruising). How is this possible?
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We’ve wrestled for years with the issue of a back up propulsion system, and have covered this in detail in previous blogs. Simply put, the odds are if you lose power the odds are it will be due to fuel problems or damage to the drive line, both of which put get home engines out as well.
So we have concentrated on a system which could, under the right conditions, get us across an ocean without using fuel or a prop.
Read the rest »In the last few days the question of heavy weather has come up a couple of times. Would we rather get caught in a Sundeer 64 or an FPB 64 in a really bad blow? Lets put this in the context of a passage across Drake Channel, between Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica which we were just discussing.
By those who voyage this is considered the worst stretch of water on planet earth. So which boat would we prefer in an ultimate storm?
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We’ve been working on the get home rig for the FPB 64. Carol Parker sent us the photo you see above of a rough prototype sail, cut from PVC tarp material.
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We used to think that having more than one VHF radio was a waste of space, weight, and money. But our thinking has changed.
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Thirty-three years ago when we started working on the perfect cruising yacht design we quickly realized that we needed a way to get back aboard if we fell over. The design configurations we were considering were simply too high to pull ourselves up from the water. In an effort to solve this dilemma the swim/boarding/rescue platform was born which has graced the transom of all our yachts.
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The drawer stack in the galley performs a number of valuable functions.
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We’ve previously shown you the engine room as it came together during construction. Here is an overall look after completion, now being “lived in”, with tools, manuals, and supplies on hand.
This is what you see from the engine room door.
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