The Nespresso coffee machine hisses in the background as Linda makes a change-of-watch latte. The faint glow under the eastern clouds heralds another beautiful morning at sea. [Read the rest »]

We’ve worked with many interior designers over the years, but Denise is the first who truly understands what the FPB concept is all about. We think her work for us aboard FPB 78-1 Cochise speaks for itself…
[Read the rest »]

This is the story of everyday folks, who dreamed of distant horizons and made it happen. If you look at our FPB 64 owners, they are a normal group of yachties who started without ocean crossing experience, who have turned themselves into true voyagers. How did they do it? Why did they do it? What is it that makes it possible for them to accomplish what other people only dream about? Why are they out there doing it while most yacht owners sit in a marina? [Read the rest »]

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:

[Read the rest »]

Our approach to yacht design (as well as investing) is captured by Nassim Taleb’s black swan theory of economics. [Read the rest »]

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. [Read the rest »]

When you head offshore your safety depends on stability, both upright and ultimate (the heel angle at which you don’t recover from a knockdown). Given today’s software and computing power, calculating stability is a relatively straightforward exercise. This is required for commercial vessels, larger yachts, and generally for any flag state/class certification such as MCA, RINA, ABS, etc. We would not go offshore without this data, and we don’t think you should either.

[Read the rest »]

Those of you familiar with our work will know that we consider being able to maintain comparatively fast cruising speeds the most important factor in safe, comfortable ocean crossing. Get this right and you enjoy making passages. Get it wrong and you will prefer sitting at the dock reading about the folks who are really out there cruising. [Read the rest »]

Our design goal has always been to cross oceans in maximum comfort and safety [Read the rest »]

We’ve been trying to describe what it is like to have the majority of our day to day experience aboard in an area with 360-degree views. [Read the rest »]

A new video in which we reveal the secrets behind all those ocean-crossing miles… [Read the rest »]

The Next Generation of FPBs is here, cruising even farther, faster, more comfortably and efficiently than their predecessors. With the first two FPB 78s rapidly racking up sea miles, read on to find out how, in a world full of empty claims, FPBs do what they are supposed to do.

[Read the rest »]

There’s a new kid on the block, a smaller sibling to the FPB 97 and 78, and like most younger family members, this one is as tough as nails.  [Read the rest »]

Slicing through the barriers of what can and cannot be done with a large yacht, the Wicked FPB 97 redefines the cruising paradigm.

[Read the rest »]

When we wrote this introduction six years ago, during the depths of a marine industry depression, we had no idea that the summer of 2016 would have 11 FPB 64s in the water cruising. For all the latest FPB 64 updates, click here. [Read the rest »]

“…One of the coolest boats I have had the pleasure to spend time on.”
-Bill Parlatore, Passagemaker Magazine

Let us take you on a tour of the FPB prototype, Wind Horse.

[Read the rest »]

A Conversation with Steve Dashew

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“When you start attracting the attention of the professionals in a country like New Zealand, you know you’re onto something.”

Some boats are built to answer a question.

Others end up creating an entirely new category.

In our latest podcast episode, Sue Grant sits down with renowned yacht designer, sailor and author Steve Dashew to discuss FPB 83 WIND HORSE, the yacht that would ultimately become the foundation of the FPB fleet and help reshape thinking around offshore powerboat design.

The story begins long before WIND HORSE entered the water.

By the early 2000s, Steve and Linda Dashew had already spent decades designing, building and operating some of the most capable offshore sailing yachts afloat. Their final sailing yacht, BEOWULF, was a highly advanced 78-foot water-ballasted ketch capable of remarkable offshore performance.

Yet a significant rig failure forced them to step back and reassess.

As Steve explains during the podcast, they realised that if they embarked on another major sailing yacht project, they would be well into their sixties before the boat was completed. At that point, they began to consider an alternative.

“If we sold BEOWULF, we’d be in our early 60s by the time we got a new boat in the water.”

The answer was not another sailing yacht.

It was a powerboat.

Challenging Conventional Thinking

The idea was far from universally accepted.

In fact, Steve recalls that many experienced voices within the industry believed the concept simply wouldn’t work.

“Everybody said we were nuts.”

The challenge was straightforward in theory but incredibly difficult in practice.

Could a powerboat be designed specifically for long-range offshore passagemaking? Could it be efficient? Could it be comfortable? And perhaps most importantly, could it cope with heavy weather?

For Steve, this final question became the defining test.

“We knew that the bottom line was how comfortable they would be at sea and how they’d handle heavy weather.”

The Search for Heavy Weather

Many yacht owners spend considerable effort avoiding difficult conditions.

WIND HORSE was different.

While no sensible skipper actively seeks danger, Steve understood that the only way to properly evaluate the concept was to expose the yacht to challenging offshore conditions and see how she behaved.

As he explains during the conversation, design calculations and computer modelling can only take you so far.

“You really don’t know until you get the boat in the water in a confused sea state.”

That opportunity arrived during early offshore passages from New Zealand.

One particular experience remains especially memorable.

Steve describes encountering multiple crossing wave systems – conditions that often prove more uncomfortable than a single large swell.

“The seas from one direction aren’t what get you in trouble or make you uncomfortable. It’s when you get a crossing sea state, or sometimes two or three seas crossing.”

What happened next fundamentally changed his view of offshore cruising.

A Different Kind of Offshore Experience

For decades, Steve had sailed large offshore yachts.

Heavy weather meant sail changes, reefing decisions, watch systems and constant attention.

Aboard WIND HORSE, he encountered something entirely different.

“It was the most astonishing feeling when we went through that first squall, and we realised, there’s nothing to do.”

The statement sounds almost simple, but its significance is profound.

Removing the complexity of sail handling fundamentally altered the experience of offshore passagemaking. The crew remained focused, alert and engaged, but much of the physical and mental workload associated with traditional offshore sailing simply disappeared.

Looking back, Steve admits:

“I had never realised up to that point how stressful it was the way we sailed BEOWULF.”

Learning from Experience

One recurring theme throughout the conversation is the importance of practical experience.

Despite advances in modelling software, CFD analysis and modern naval architecture, Steve repeatedly returns to the idea that offshore conditions remain the ultimate proving ground.

Theoretical performance matters.

Real-world performance matters more.

“The final decisions are always made by feel.”

It is a philosophy that extends beyond hull design and into every aspect of yacht ownership.

The discussion touches on reliability, maintenance and accessibility, with Steve arguing that many problems are prevented simply by being able to inspect systems properly.

“If you have good access, then you can check things.”

The Birth of the FPB Fleet

Perhaps the most surprising part of the story is that WIND HORSE was never intended to launch a production fleet.

Steve believed the project would be the final boat he built.

“When we built WIND HORSE, we thought that was the last boat.”

The market had other ideas.

Interest arrived almost immediately.

“A few weeks later, we had deposit checks for four boats.”

From that point, the FPB story began in earnest.

What started as a personal experiment became a fleet of offshore cruising yachts that would influence yacht designers, builders and owners around the world.

Listen to the Full Episode

This conversation with Steve Dashew offers a fascinating insight into the thinking behind FPB 83 WIND HORSE, the realities of heavy weather offshore, and the lessons learned from decades of passagemaking.

For anyone interested in offshore cruising, yacht design, seamanship or the origins of the FPB fleet, it is an episode not to be missed.

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Hello Setsailors,

A brief heads up regarding FB 78-1 Cochise:

Cochise is headed towards Europe under new ownership. Although she was not for sale, when Sue Grant at Berthon International introduced us to her new owners it was obvious Cochise would be in good hands and used in a manner that takes advantage of her design.

Cochise treated us amazingly well, keeping us safe and comfortable over many thousands of miles. We wish her new owners the very best with their dream machine.

Join Steve Dashew aboard FPB 78-1 Cochise and find out how the Dashews solved one of the major weaknesses of modern integrated navigation systems.

[Read the rest »]

Linda and Steve Dashew’s four books now available as a free PDF download.

[Read the rest »]

… beautifully filmed, powerful video follows the journey of two FPB 78s as they cruise the remote and challenging Lemaire channel of Antarctica. [Read the rest »]

Join Linda and Steve Dashew aboard the FPB 78 – 1 Cochise on a 7500 mile/12,070 kilometer record setting voyage, [Read the rest »]

Although we have never been hit with lightning, it is one of the few things about which we worry when at sea, in particular with modern yachts. Hence this new vide0. [Read the rest »]

This is the third video in Steve Dashew’s series on his search for the perfect cruising yacht. [Read the rest »]

Having grown up in Southern California, with a sailing and surfing background, riding the waves  a natural part of being in or on the water. Our sailing and FPB designs have reflected this from the beginning. Recently we were surprised to learn that some of our owners are afraid of what is actually. one of the best things you can do with our yachts. [Read the rest »]

For a link to the video which show and tells it all [Read the rest »]