It is a perfect day for the first sea trial with FPB 97-1. Read the rest »
Posted by Steve Dashew (November 24, 2014) | Comments (0)
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Dashew Logs
Steve and Linda write a regular column for SetSailors from wherever they happen to be. Join in as they cruise the world and discuss topics of interest to sailors everywhere. Here you’ll find their articles dating from 1996 to the present.
FPB 97 Performance – What Is Your Guess?
We will shortly begin a wicked set of sea trials with FPB 97-1. Along with the usual wringing out of the boat before handover, one of the objectives is to gather a data set with which to refine our velocity prediction algorithms. Read the rest »
Posted by Steve Dashew (November 22, 2014) | Comments (0)
Extreme Weather Tactics Article In Berthon’s Magazine
Steve has an interesting article on extreme weather tactics in the most recent edition of UK-based Berthon’s Lifestyle Magazine. They were kind enough to allow us to embed a pdf of the article here for SetSailors to peruse. Read the rest »
Posted by admin (October 17, 2014) | Comments (0)
Sony Alpha 7 Camera Series – Further Evaluation
With the day-to-day pressure on the FPB 78 Series winding down we’ve had time to do some more camera testing. The goal is maximum quality for minimum hassle, with a high degree of portability.
Posted by Steve Dashew (September 22, 2014) | Comments (0)
An FPB 64, A Party, And Some Old Stones: Report From England – Posted By Sarah
Todd and I have just returned stateside after a trek east to England, where we celebrated FPB 64 Grey Wolf‘s demi-circumnavigation with press, pubs, and parties. Read the rest »
Posted by Sarah.Dashew (August 25, 2014) | Comments (0)
Hard Core Weather Watchers Alert -Bertha Is Going to Rock
Hurricane Bertha has gotten a little press so far, but her evolution to extra-tropical structure indicates big things may be in store for the UK and parts of Europe.
Posted by Steve Dashew (August 7, 2014) | Comments (0)
Sony Alpha 7 – A Revolution in Camera Gear
We’ve been dragging around 40 pound backpacks of full frame Canon professional camera gear since the ark. It was the way we knew to get the results. Now there is a better answer. Read the rest »
Posted by Steve Dashew (August 3, 2014) | Comments (0)
FPB 78 Exterior Updated July 20 – 2014
With the design and engineering cycle for the FPB 78 Series nearing completion – it has been two years and over 16,000 man hours since we started this process –
Posted by Steve Dashew (July 4, 2014) | Comments (0)
Rockin’ The House
In case you missed Sarah’s Broadway debut at 54 Below last week, we thought a few photos were in order. Read the rest »
Posted by Steve Dashew (June 27, 2014) | Comments (0)
FPB 64-6 Grey Wolf Is At Anchor Havlet Bay, Guernsey, Channel Islands
Having traveled halfway around the world in three months, Peter Watson and crew have brought FPB 64-6 Grey Wolf to anchor in the Channel Islands.
Posted by admin (June 23, 2014) | Comments (0)
FPB 78 Series Construction Update June 20, 2014
The first of the FPB 78 series now has all of its bottom plate in place, a major milestone.
Posted by Steve Dashew (June 20, 2014) | Comments (0)
FPB Systems Log – Maintenance on a Voyage Halfway Around the World
With the FPB 64 Grey Wolf covering an average of a thousand or more nautical miles per week on her voyage home, we have in effect an accelerated maintenance test to observe. Experienced cruisers and marine professionals will be surprised by the data accumulated since her departure from New Zealand the last week of March. Read the rest »
Posted by Steve Dashew (June 12, 2014) | Comments (0)
Sarah’s EP / Shows in New York
Life on the water is such a perfect metaphor for the uncertain adventure of opening ourselves up to what we yearn for…We have to navigate carefully, watch the changing weather patterns, think about where and how we want to go, and then, ultimately, at some point a few will untie themselves and sail off into the great unknown horizon. Read the rest »
Posted by Sarah.Dashew (May 27, 2014) | Comments (0)
FPB Passage Notes – It Is Ocean Crossing Time
Passaging season is upon us and the FPB fleet is on the move. While FPB 64-6 Grey Wolf nears the end of a quick 4000 NM hop, FPB 64-3 Iron Lady is on her way from Hawaii to British Columbia. The majority of the rest of the FPB feet is getting ready for or have recently completed their offshore passages.
Posted by Steve Dashew (May 17, 2014) | Comments (0)
FPB Construction Update: FPB 78 Taking Shape while FPB 64-10 and FPB 97-1 Draw Closer To Launch
FPB 78-1 is now framed, deck plating is on, and hull plating begins soon. Which is good because we are depressed with this enforced stay on land.
Posted by Steve Dashew (May 14, 2014) | Comments (0)
The Most Difficult of All Yachting Passages – 4000NM Eastbound From The Marquesas to Panama
Of all the passages you could dream up, the most difficult is the 4000NM eastbound run from the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia to Panama. Panama lies dead upwind, with a westerly setting current to make it more interesting. Read on to find out how FPB 64-6 Grey Wolf, Peter Watson, and crew have set out to do something no motor yacht has ever done.
Posted by Steve Dashew (May 5, 2014) | Comments (0)
Cruising in the Olden Days – Crossing the Indian Ocean – The Easy Part
The southern part of the Indian Ocean is one of the few places we have found where the trades blow as advertised… and then some. Here Intermezzo is departing Christmas Island for Cocos Keeling at the start of a long haul across this boisterous bit of ocean. Read the rest »
Posted by Steve Dashew (April 27, 2014) | Comments (0)
Is It Better In The Tropics Or High Latitudes?
We are torn between a love for the tropics and the adrenaline that comes as you venture closer to the poles.
Posted by Steve Dashew (April 15, 2014) | Comments (0)
Weather Forecasts And Routing In The Real World: Good But Not Perfect
We are looking at a barometric pressure trace from the FPB 64 Grey Wolf. This occurred at the edge of the tropics South of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. As you close with the equator slight pressure gradients create big winds. A change of as little as two mb can indicate the onset of a hurricane. The weather models – all the majors – missed this event.
Posted by Steve Dashew (April 11, 2014) | Comments (0)
Hobie Alter – Surfer Dude, Marketing Whiz, Savvy Businessman, and All Around Good Guy – Gone at 80.
We’ve just learned that Hobie Alter has caught the ultimate wave, and left his earthly friends and family behind. We were friends, competitors, and collaborators with this remarkable man, and thought a few anecdotes might be in order.
Posted by Steve Dashew (April 5, 2014) | Comments (0)
FPB 78-1 The Dream Machine Is Taking Shape
After all those thousands of design and engineering hours, innumerable three dimensional images, and years of noodling on this ltest FPB series design, you would think we’d be tired of it. But these photos represent the high point in terms of buzz factor, and it won’t be equaled again until we see this latest FPB sitting on her lines, afloat in the waters of New Zealand. Read the rest »
Posted by Steve Dashew (April 3, 2014) | Comments (0)
Get Ready To Rock-Making the Weather Work For Grey Wolf
It is cyclone season in the South Pacific, the weather is unstable, and Grey Wolf may win the weather lottery. The recent spate of tropical storms is creating the possibility of a very quick, relatively easy trip. Read the rest »
Posted by Steve Dashew (March 22, 2014) | Comments (0)
Spring Is In The Air
Spring is in the air and our southwestern backyard is filled with color, love songs, nest building, and competition for the attention of the fairer sex. It is the one time of year when we’d rather be ashore than afloat. Read the rest »
Posted by Steve Dashew (March 17, 2014) | Comments (0)
A Most Difficult Ocean Passage Coming Up – Playing The Weather Odds In Hurricane Season
The passage between New Zealand and French Polynesia is one of the more difficult ocean crossing endeavors. At 2200 miles along the great circle route, it can often be as long as 2600 or more nautical miles depending on weather routing. John and Amanda Neal bill this as a heavy weather passage in their sail training business, and for good reason. FPB 64-6 Grey Wolf is on standby, waiting for a weather scenario that offers decent odds. Read the rest »
Posted by Steve Dashew (March 14, 2014) | Comments (0)
Beowulf IV and the Early C-Cat Foil Development
It is a gray, overcast, depressing afternoon – something for which residence in the US Southwest does not prepare its citizens. Since we have received a request for info on Beowulf IV from a journalist doing a book for the next “Little America’s Cup”, the scanner has been warmed up and we thought we’d share something different.
Posted by Steve Dashew (March 10, 2014) | Comments (0)
Leaping Into The Future – FPB Progress In The Antipodes
Here in Arizona we’re excited, having received our weekly update of photos from New Zealand. Seeing progress starting to accelerate on the first of three FPB 78s now scheduled, we are leaping for joy. The assembly floor has been laid out, and the tank modules are being dropped into place.
Posted by Steve Dashew (March 7, 2014) | Comments (0)
Deerfoot ll – Time To Part With A Member Of The Family
Deerfoot II, a longtime member of our family, is ready for a new home. She was launched in 1985 in Denmark, sailed across the Atlantic, via the West Indies, and Panama, to Marina del Rey, where she has been based for these many years.
Posted by Steve Dashew (March 4, 2014) | Comments (0)
Cruising In The Olden Days – A Marquesan Tale
We’ve been talking for years about going through our boxes of photos and slides and scanning them before they disintegrate. Well, the process has started and we are having so much fun remembering that we thought we might share a few stories with SetSailors, starting with this crowded cockpit on our 50 foot yawl, Intermezzo, in early 1977.
Posted by Steve Dashew (February 26, 2014) | Comments (0)
Speed, Sex, Rules, & Dinghies: Size Does Matter
We want to talk about a subject often avoided: Size. It is important for comfort, for aesthetics, and for speed. This has been much on our mind of late as we reach the “hard point” in the build cycle for the FPB 78, after which changes are not allowed. If you study the renderings in this post you will note the Dream Machine has a different look.
Posted by Steve Dashew (January 31, 2014) | Comments (0)
FPB 78: Crew Quarters, The Laundry Room, And A Hallway
We have had a ton of feedback on the subject of crew quarters – both via SetSail and e-mail – and we’ve worked up what we think is as close to crew Nirvana as one can get on a small yacht. The process has also lead to several other enhancements in the FPB 78 layout. Our own thoughts have come full circle and we will tell you our decision for FPB 78-1 at the end of the post.
Posted by Steve Dashew (January 24, 2014) | Comments (0)
Report From Ground Zero
We are just back from a week at ground zero in the FPB world. We had the chance to take a couple of boat rides, hang out with three owners who are presently moored in the town basin, and review hundreds of details with the Circa team. Read the rest »
Posted by Steve Dashew (January 22, 2014) | Comments (0)
FPB Construction Update As Of December 18,2013
The parts pile grows larger for the first FPB 78.
Posted by Steve Dashew (January 3, 2014) | Comments (0)
Catamaran History – Early Days Updated
In the process of cleaning up the office, a few more photos from the early days of the multihull history on the West Coast have come to light.
Posted by Steve Dashew (December 31, 2013) | Comments (0)
Happy Holidays From The Crew At SetSail
Sue Henry just sent us this marvelous photo of FPB 64-2 Sarah Sarah anchored out on the longest night of the year. As big a thrill as this must be for Bill and Sue,
Posted by Steve Dashew (December 21, 2013) | Comments (0)
Crew Quarters – What Is The Best Layout – A Call For Input
We are in the process of designing crew quarters for our FPB 78. With no experience cruising and/or living with crew, we are working in a theoretical world rather than reality. If you are a professional crew, or an owner who has lived with crew, we’d love to hear from you. Read the rest »
Posted by Steve Dashew (December 10, 2013) | Comments (0)
Ultimate Dinghy Revisited: Is a Big RIB The Answer?
We have been rethinking the ultimate dinghy concept and are looking at a big custom designed RIB for our new FPB 78. Not having experience with properly designed deep V RIBS, we have a few questions and are hopeful the SetSail community can provide real world answers.
Posted by Steve Dashew (November 24, 2013) | Comments (0)
Steering Clear of Trouble – Tradeoffs in Rudder and Skeg Design
Skeg, rudder and canoe body integration play a large part in comfort on passage, heavy weather tactics, maneuvering in port, propulsion efficiency, and tolerance for operator error.
Posted by Steve Dashew (November 15, 2013) | Comments (0)
Speed Freaks – A Partial Antidote
With the 34th America’s Cup now concluded, sailors with the need for speed can be expected to go into depression. As a partial antidote we offer Read the rest »
Posted by Steve Dashew (November 8, 2013) | Comments (0)
Sometimes The Best Cruising Is Close To Home
Over the years we have learned that often mundane destinations close to home offer unexpected cruising rewards.
Posted by Steve Dashew (November 5, 2013) | Comments (0)
Rudder Angle Geometry
Rudder control steering geometry is one of those things which looks simple, but is actually quite difficult to get right. Loads can be high, space tight, and when you are shooting for maximum rudder deflection, it can be a challenge.
Posted by Steve Dashew (October 31, 2013) | Comments (0)
Best Window Coverings – What Is Your Experience?
Window coverings will play a more important role in the new FPB 78, given our goal of staying cool at anchor a majority of the time without a genset. This post is about the factors affecting the window covering decision, after which we’d love to have suggestions from SetSailors.
Posted by Steve Dashew (October 18, 2013) | Comments (0)
Time To Invoke The Devil Devil Stick – Posted by Sarah
With the America’s Cup coming down to a final winner-take-all tomorrow, we are bringing out the big guns, er, stick… Read the rest »
Posted by Sarah.Dashew (September 24, 2013) | Comments (0)
The Most Spectacular America’s Cup…Ever
This is the most competitive, compelling, and fastest America’s Cup ever. And if you have not been watching you are missing the spectacle of a lifetime.
Posted by Steve Dashew (September 20, 2013) | Comments (0)
America’s Cup – Finally – Unlike Anything You Have Ever Seen Before!
Tomorrow, Saturday September 7, marks the start of an amazing spectacle that you don’t want to miss. Whether on network TV or YouTube, we will be treated to heated competition between “yachts” traveling at 25 to 50 knots, with no love lost between the teams.
Posted by Steve Dashew (September 6, 2013) | Comments (0)
Crossing The North Pacific Hurricane Belt – The Tradeoffs
Crossing oceans often leads to compromise between weather, risk, comfort, and what might or mightn’t occur. An example of this was recently faced by the crew of FPB 64-3 Iron Lady. In this post we will look at issues involved, including hurricane avoidance tactics.
Posted by Steve Dashew (August 27, 2013) | Comments (0)
Progress On All Fronts In New Zealand – And Getting Comfortable in the Wicked Great Room
Although the furniture represents a small part of the total weight of the boat, we want it to be as light as practical, as you see here with the carcass for the FPB 97 great room settee. Read the rest »
Posted by Steve Dashew (August 20, 2013) | Comments (0)
America’s Cup Challenger Finals – Clearing the Fog, Or: What To Watch
The 2013 America’s Cup challenger finals begin Saturday. Here are a couple of things to watch in what is sure to be the most exciting sailing any of us have ever witnessed.
Posted by Steve Dashew (August 16, 2013) | Comments (0)
FPB 78 – Plating Thickness, Factors of Safety & Emotional Comfort
We hate to waste displacement on sloppy interior construction, poorly thought out systems, or excess structure up high, where it does nothing to help us. But from the deck edge down we want all the impact resistance and factors of safety we can get. Read the rest »
Posted by Steve Dashew (August 9, 2013) | Comments (0)
FPB Cruising Plans – Out There Doing It
Our thought has always been that the best indicator of success in the marine business is not units sold, or boat show pizzazz, but rather how your boats are being used. Are they sitting in marinas or out there racking up the miles, treating their owners to the world of new experiences that lay beyond the horizon?
Posted by Steve Dashew (August 5, 2013) | Comments (0)
Rocky Mountain High – Or, What To Do When You Really Want To Be Afloat
Your SetSail reporter is just back from a week in the mountains, learning about photography from two of the best, all in preparation for when FPB 78-1 goes in the water in 2015. Read the rest »
Posted by Steve Dashew (July 31, 2013) | Comments (0)
Wicked FPB 97 Tops Out
This is a wickedly cool series of photos, one which has given us a decided buzz.
Posted by Steve Dashew (July 25, 2013) | Comments (0)
The Monsoons Are Here
The summer monsoon has arrived in Arizona and we are being treated to some of Mother Nature’s finest work. Read the rest »
Posted by Steve Dashew (July 17, 2013) | Comments (0)
Let There Be Light, Skegging, & Other Wicked Subjects
A prison ship? No, just a few bars on the hull window inserts to make sure this FPB 97 stays wickedly fair.
Posted by Steve Dashew (July 15, 2013) | Comments (0)
Calculating Fuel Burn and Range Under Power – A Semi Scientific Approach
Calculating drag, fuel burn, and range for yachts under power is a complex process, one which often turns out wrong in the real world. We are not sure what other folks do, but we use a combination of science, model testing, real world results, and various software suites, mixed with a healthy dose of gut instinct. Read the rest »
Posted by Steve Dashew (July 11, 2013) | Comments (0)
Flying Toward The Future
We’ve had one of those rare life altering moments, a point in time after which you know nothing will be the same. Having started messing with multi-hulls in the really olden days Read the rest »
Posted by Steve Dashew (July 9, 2013) | Comments (0)
Wicked Weld Testing: Using X-Ray Images To Verify Welds On The FPB 97
A standard part of every hull construction sequence is a series of X-Ray checks, the location of which is dictated by the owner’s surveyor. Circa have just completed this process on FPB 97-1 and we thought this QC check process might be of interest.
Posted by Steve Dashew (July 8, 2013) | Comments (0)
FPB: Cruising Speed, Range Under Power, And The Real World
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 »
Posted by Steve Dashew (July 7, 2013) | Comments (0)
Concern For Missing Schooner Nina – Posted By Sarah
We have recently learned that the 85 year-old wooden Schooner Nina has gone missing at sea, after leaving New Zealand for Australia May 29. We are deeply concerned for all aboard. Read the rest »
Posted by admin (June 28, 2013) | Comments (0)
SetSail Has Dropped Anchor In Facebook Harbor! (Posted by Sarah)
We are excited to announce that we have joined the Social Media fray. SetSail can now be found happily anchored on Facebook and Twitter. Come find us, like us and follow us as we explore these new waters: Facebook.com and Twitter.com. We look forward to seeing you out there!
Posted by admin (June 24, 2013) | Comments (0)
FPB 78: Rudder Shaft Engineering – Steering The Right Course
If we had to pick one system above all else that must be 100% reliable we’d say steering. Which is why we fit two complete auto pilots, two independent hydraulic systems, and use intensely muscular structural elements. Most of this is easy, but establishing the engineering scenario for the rudder itself takes a bit of work. As we are just wrapping this up for the FPB 78, we thought you might find the logic of interest.
Posted by Steve Dashew (June 18, 2013) | Comments (0)
FPB 78: Dreaming Up A Better Way to Launch and Retrieve the Dinghy
We feel that the most dangerous operation on any motor yacht is dinghy launch and retrieval. This applies to our FPB as well, even though our approach, with the dink on the main deck, is much easier (and we think safer) to handle than most. The heavier the dink, the bigger the risk, and this new dink is considerably weightier than our old, trending towards 1200 pounds/550kg. So we have been fiddling away at a better handling system since the beginning of the design cycle. What follows has been adapted from the approach being considered for FPB 97-1, and represents what we think is a step forward from where we have been in the past.
The FPB 78 aft deck design has evolved from these renderings, but we expect the launching procedure logic to remain the same.
Posted by Steve Dashew (June 12, 2013) | Comments (0)
FPB 64-7 Buffalo Nickel, New Zealand to Fiji (Posted by Sarah)
I had the distinct pleasure of spending some time with Valerie and Stan Creighton as they became acquainted with their new baby back in March. Fast forward to June and they’ve just completed an adventurous passage from New Zealand to Fiji. Read the rest »
Posted by Sarah.Dashew (June 7, 2013) | Comments (0)
Report on the Capsize and Sinking of Motoryacht Yogi
Last year the new super yacht, Yogi, lost power while on passage, turned beam to the seas, capsized in moderate conditions, and eventually sank. There was all sorts of speculation at the time about causes. Now the official report is out. It makes interesting reading both for what it does and doesn’t say.
Posted by Steve Dashew (May 24, 2013) | Comments (0)
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, with a fourth now in the Islands. The SetSail contingent? Stuck in Arizona viewing from afar, and… Read the rest »
Posted by Steve Dashew (May 22, 2013) | Comments (0)
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 in Hawaii or California, we have been looking at the long range weather forecasts.
Posted by Steve Dashew (May 20, 2013) | Comments (0)
FPB 97-1 Plated Up
FPB 97-1 is well along now, with the main framing and plating of the hull almost complete.
Posted by Steve Dashew (May 17, 2013) | Comments (0)
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. Read the rest »
Posted by Sarah.Dashew (May 15, 2013) | Comments (0)
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 following is our adaptation of some of those, plus a few of our own, into a concept dinghy.
Posted by Steve Dashew (May 13, 2013) | Comments (0)
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 interest for the secrets it reveals.
Posted by Steve Dashew (May 8, 2013) | Comments (0)
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.
Posted by Steve Dashew (May 6, 2013) | Comments (0)
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. Read the rest »
Posted by admin (April 24, 2013) | Comments (0)
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, if we were starting from scratch. The comments that follow are based on the assumption that the dinghies will often be used in cruising areas off the beaten path. In this post we will share a few thoughts, and ask for yours.
Posted by Steve Dashew (April 21, 2013) | Comments (0)
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 this price. Read the rest »
Posted by Steve Dashew (April 13, 2013) | Comments (0)
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 fabric fading, there is little to differentiate this from the original appearance. Read on to learn the secret to longevity. Read the rest »
Posted by Steve Dashew (April 11, 2013) | Comments (0)
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. Read the rest »
Posted by Steve Dashew (April 8, 2013) | Comments (0)