It is that time of year again. There is chaos in the parking lots, everybody seems to be fighting a cold, several major airports are snarled, and we are looking forward to seeing the family…..
You are standing on a rigid coaming of the FPB 70-1’s Matrix deck, looking toward the bow. Inside and out, she is coming together. Read the rest »
You are looking at step one of the new and improved SetSail. This upgrade includes a much faster website connection. Read the rest »
FPB 78-3 launched, and Steve Parsons is well into Builders sea trials… Read the rest »
Howdy SetSailors,
SetSail is in the midst of re-vamping and switching servers, so as to speed up performance and generally anchor firmly in the harbor of modern-day internet technology. While this is happening, there is a delay on new content. The transition should be complete next week, with faster load times and lots of new posts.
For some reason this summer, numerous friends asked us if we’d visit Washington, DC with Cochise. Go 170 miles out of our way to see a city that epitomizes waste and inefficiency? Then we thought, why not. We have lots of friends in the area, it would give us a chance to visit some of the buildings that were constructed with our concrete forming equipment (a very long time ago), and we could catch a few museums. And if we were really lucky, maybe the leaves would turn and we could finally snap a photo that has eluded us over many years. To see how this all turned out (and there is even a free lunch!), read on.
The recent storm that did so much damage along the east coast of the U.S. made for an interesting evening at anchor aboard FPB 78-1 Cochise. With sustained gusts above 75 knots/88mph… Read the rest »
We are supposed to be in downtown Annapolis, on the dock for a few days, doing chores and having a few technicians visit. But then we were uncomfortable after a phone dialogue with the marina dock master – he was a shade too casual about handling our lines in a very tight space with a building breeze – and we decided to anchor.
We are beginning to get into the cruising mindset, at least as far as this concept applies to the two of us. This typically means sitting more and moving less. But Cochise makes this hard.
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 »
September 22: Red sky at night, sailor’s delight…That is probably as accurate a forecast tool right now as the supercomputers crunching away. Between Jose and Maria, the present risk factors are high.
We have been critical of the Simrad radar and chart plotting systems. But there is good news as well. The AP 70/80 autopilots are excellent, easy to program and very smart. But that was expected. Read the rest »
We are at the top of Cape Breton Island. Plan is–or was–to head to Newfoundland at first light. However, hurricane Jose is giving us second thoughts.
Having barely completed sea trials a year ago in New Zealand, FPB 78-1 Cochise has just surpassed the 14,000NM mark.
From the glorious J-class sloops, we move on to the even more compelling fishing schooners, such as Columbia (above). This Sterling Burgess design (he is the creator of Ranger, the fastest of the Js) represents a combination of speed, beauty, and purpose matched in our minds only by Donald McKay’s extreme clippers.
It is blowing a steady 20, gusting higher. There is a sea state commensurate with the breeze, and the boats within the Newport anchorage are tugging at their moorings. The yachts offshore, following the J class racers, are plunging through the waves trying to keep up on the wind. And on the race committee boat…
A spectacle for sure, watching these Js being handled like dinghies is a real treat.
Extensive N2K data systems, like we use in the FPBs, are costly, and take a substantial programming effort on our part. Yes, they provide a lot of information (and you need to guard against info overload), but is the cost and complexity worth it?
We have recently been sent some final interior renderings for the FPB 70s. As owners of FPB 64-7 who are awaiting 70-1, we can offer a few comparisons between the two designs. Read the rest »
FPB 97-1 Iceberg running before a stiff breeze during sea trials.
The post that follows this introduction is a chapter excerpted from the FPB 70 and 78 Owner’s Manual. Everyone who goes to sea thinks and/or worries (or should) about heavy weather, and how their vessel will handle different conditions. It doesn’t matter whether you’re on a 25,000 ton container ship, a moderate-sized sailing yacht, or one of our FPBs. We think it is better to discuss these issues openly, rather than ignore them and hope you never get caught. Read the rest »
The July 2017 issue of Boat International magazine features a nine page article on FPB 78-1 Cochise… Read the rest »
FPB 78-2 Matrix deck helmThe current America’s Cup spectacle has us entranced: unbelievable speed, maneuverability, and difficult sailing, the likes of which has never been seen before. The design and engineering required to achieve this level of performance is nothing short of astonishing.
The time to study what’s happening in Bermuda in detail is the result of this correspondent’s photography accident (night sky shooting on a dark dock), which resulted in a shattered kneecap and a forced hiatus from summer cruising… Read the rest »
The FPB 78 Dream Machine page is recently updated, and features multiple detailed interior and exterior photos of both FPB 78-1 and 78-2. Read the rest »
Proud owners of FPB 70-1, Stan and Val Creighton, have kindly agreed to periodically share their thoughts with us during the FPB 70 build process. Read on to find out what it’s like to be expecting… 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.
The June issue of Motorboat & Yachting features FPB owner Peter Watson sharing his reasoning behind “Why FPB”… Read the rest »
Berthon now has a fortnightly update on their website for all things FPB construction… Read the rest »
We spend a lot of time focusing on the importance of “where” when it comes to cruising. But we often forget to recognize perhaps the most important aspect of why we cruise — “who”. Read the rest »
Spring is here and with it the promise of things to be discovered, adventures to be enjoyed, and new lands to visit. Read the rest »
FPB 78-1 Cochise is currently headed up to North Carolina for some boat projects. A few days ago, Steve and Linda sent in the following video… Read the rest »
We’ve just received some video of FPB 78-2 running through her paces during sea trials down in New Zealand. The owners and Circa team members aboard were lucky enough to find some light weather to enjoy: 35-45 knots of breeze and 16-18 ft (5-5.5m) waves on the bow… Read the rest »
We normally avoid tourist destinations, dislike docks, and prefer the quiet of isolated anchorages.
FPB 78-1 Cochise presents us with a conundrum to which there is no easy answer.
You are looking at the current champion in the ongoing best yachting flashlight contest.
We have finally installed sun-blocking window film on FPB 78-1 Cochise, and the results are excellent.
James and Jennifer Hamilton, who have circumnavigated in their Nordhavn 52 Dirona, recently took a ride aboard Cochise and wrote a fascinating report for their blog. Read the rest »
FPB 78-1 Cochise has been anchored to the dock in Fort Lauderdale the past five days; we have yet to connect the shore power cord, the genset has not been used, and the batteries remain full.
Returning from Biscayne Bay, Florida a few days ago we were reminded that in this age of electronic navigation, command, control, and monitoring, you still need to maintain a traditional situational awareness.
The sink full of marine weeds is a classic example of why this approach is still beneficial. Read the rest »
You are looking at a pair of 18.5” Samsung Galaxy tablets, which we think are real game changers on the electronic front.
We’ve been doing a local mini-cruise, occasioned by Spring break for our Granddaughter Emma and her friend from college Julia Stevens. It brought back just how much fun it is messing about in boats.
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 »
John and Deb Rogers, who own Deerfoot 2-62 Moonshadow, recently published a video of their day aboard FPB 78-1 Cochise when they were in Fiji…
Great aerial drone footage of FPB 97 and FPB 64 anchored together in New Zealand.
*Since we posted this article, we have had several comments from readers. Of particular interest was an email from blogger Peter Hayden (MVTanglewood.com). Scroll down to read Peter’s comments on his Simrad experience. We are curious to know your thoughts if you use Simrad, in particular their radar…Please comment and let us know.*
We’ve now had 11,000 nautical miles of concentrated experience with the Simrad Marine electronics suite aboard FPB 78-1 Cochise, and the time has come for an evaluation.
Berthon has just announced the appointment of Jeff Merrill as Ambassador for the FPB Brand on the West Coast of the USA with immediate effect. Read the rest »
FPB 78-2 has emerged from the berthing shed at Circa.
We’ve now had 11,000 nautical miles of concentrated experience with the Simrad Marine electronics suite aboard FPB 78-1 Cochise, and the time has come for an evaluation.
There is a double feature now live in print and online at Soundings Magazine… Read the rest »
This just in from Circa Marine in Whangarei–Stan Creighton, who with wife Valerie has laid claim to FPB 70-1, is down in New Zealand for various projects and to check on build progress. Read the rest »
Soundings Magazine has an extensive feature on FPB in their March 2017 issue. They’ve also put together a nice video on the FPB designs for their website… Read the rest »
The following video shows FPB 97 Iceberg running off before a gale off the coast in New Zealand.
The following is a sampling of FPB 97’s sea trialling.
The FPB 70 brings together the very best of everything we’ve learned in the last 40 years, not the least of which is a very sophisticated bow shape – perhaps the most difficult plating job ever.
