The Logs
Reliable air conditioning, fridge operation, and water maker output depend on a clean flow of salt water. Trapping air in the plumbing, which leads to loss of flow, is a common problem due to suboptimal layout. This is the way it should be done. Read the rest »
Stan and Valerie Creighton have shepherded Buffalo Nickel over to Vanuatu this season, in part to lend a hand in the ongoing rescue efforts after the damage wreaked by Cyclone Pam. Read the rest »
Some of the hardest details to get right are alternator brackets. It is a question of drive belt, alignment, and structure. And these 7kW DC alternators – which can consume as much as 20 HP – are the most difficult of all. Read the rest »
We are starting to think about personal gear, art, tools, and spares for FPB 78-1. High on this list is camera gear. We thought you might enjoy seeing the results of a recent test. Read the rest »
Air conditioning, heating and ventilation are at the heart of all systems decisions. With the FPB 78 we are designing for the most efficient and comfortable environment yet. Read the rest »
We have been limited in sharing details of the FPB 97-1. In this post we will give you a quick overview of a few of the more interesting design and construction aspects. Read the rest »
A fresh breeze, smooth 12.5 to 13 knots, perfect light, and world class photographer Ivor Wilkins. Not much more you could ask for.
We learned a long time ago that the key to happy cruising is a smooth ride uphill. Careful weather routing and a good turn of speed reduces your exposure, but those inevitable rough upwind passages are what people remember Read the rest »
We have just returned from New Zealand and there is lots to share about the FPB world. We’ll start with an iPhone app for photography during additional trials aboard FPB 97-1. Read the rest »
Occasionally we hear from some of our Sundeer and Deerfoot owners. They let us know about cruising plans, meeting up with other Dashew designs, and racking up those ocean miles. Russ and Gwen Hobbs, who own Sundeer 60 A Train (pictured above anchored next to Sundeer 64 Touche M’Dear) recently wrote in to give us the scoop. Read the rest »
With the publishing of the first batch of performance data from FPB 97-1 it is time to declare a winner in the prediction contest. Read the rest »
We have just finished a first look at the FPB 97-1 sea trials and two passages worth of data. What can be done on board this 110-foot 100 ton yacht, with just 600 HP Read the rest »
While awaiting the splash of our new FPB, we have acquired an enhanced photographic tool: a Toyota 4-Runner. To get a head start on the learning curve of what this beast is capable of and what we should avoid, we turned to off-road aficionados Mary and Scott Flanders. The Flanders are compulsive photographers, who circumnavigated aboard their Nordhavn 46, Egret. Read the rest »
What would you assume is the ocean-crossing yacht of choice for the editor of a preeminent megayacht magazine who’s seen it all? Read Stewart Campbell’s editor’s letter in the April 2015 edition of Boat International to find out. Read the rest »
It’s hard to believe that FPB 64-1 Avatar is five years old. In that relatively short period, she has traveled over 36,000 nautical miles and visited 17 countries. Read the rest »
Having previously entertained you with photos of the great room sole, we thought its support and isolation would be of interest, along with a few other tidbits. Read the rest »
It’s Friday, March Madness is upon us, and it is obvious that the FPB 78-1 has sole, and lots of it. This first photo is from the aft end of the galley looking forward. Read the rest »
Hi folks, Sarah here– I was just browsing the blogs and found this teaser for an upcoming feature in Boat International on innovative yacht designers. I thought it might be of interest to SetSailors: Swizzle Blog.
Speed is a critical component of long distance cruising, as is a structure that carries a high factor of safety. We also want lots of heeled stability and the ability to recover from a capsize. But there is a conflict between these elements, and it revolves around weight and center of gravity. Read the rest »
We are into flashlights, and those available today are simply amazing in what they can do using LED technology. This post is about three of the best we have found. Read the rest »
Insulation of the hull and deck is critical to comfortable and efficient cruising. It impacts noise levels from exterior and machinery, condensation in cold climates, and electric requirements for heating and air conditioning. With the FPB Series we take the insulation game to a new level. Read the rest »
FPB 64-1 Avatar is currently wending its way down through Central America. Owner Carol Parker, an avid photographer, has joined up to explore and document the adventures. Read the rest »
It is moving day for FPB 78-1. She is on passage to the fit out hall as welding has been completed, and this space is required for the third FPB 78 to begin its journey. Read the rest »
Tuesday morning finds us wending our way out to open water on Iceberg. A battery of tests are in store: everything from engine load and fuel burn, to optimizing stabilizer settings, checking roll periods, loading alternators, and pretty much anything you can think of in between. Read the rest »
Waiting is never easy, and when it is for the next big thing in your life – in our case what we think is our ultimate cruising machine – it is even harder.
Thanks to the generosity of our family of FPB owners who, once again, freely provided many of the featured pictures, we are happy to offer you this 13-month (January-January) wall calendar. Read the rest »
Come aboard FPB 97-1 Iceberg for a quick ride from Waiheke Island to Whangarei. Read the rest »
Being very 21st century in all things to do with serious cruising, we have a demo of a pair of ultimate cruising tools.
Here is a very short video of FPB 97-1 on her third day of sea trials. Read the rest »
FPB 97-1 is working its way up the engine load chart. We shot some video last week aboard, from which this transom shot is extracted. Read the rest »
The ultimate survival storm tactic, jogging into breaking seas, has had its first (and hopefully last) FPB test. This took place recently off the Needles near the Isle of Wight in the UK’s Solent. Read the rest »
You are looking at what drives the FPB team, what our client (and we) have been waiting to see after 2.5 years of intense effort. A lovely clean flow release off the stern with minimal magnitude indicating a highly efficient cruising machine (this at 13.1 knots GPS averaged in two directions). A wicked wake indeed. Read the rest »
It is a perfect day for the first sea trial with FPB 97-1. Read the rest »
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 »
We thought a few photos of a stability check on the Wicked FPB 97-1 might be of interest. In case you want to do this yourself some day you will see it really isn’t that difficult.
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 »
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.
Photo Phuket NewsOur SetSail spies in Thailand have just made us aware of some interesting regulatory changes for those cruising in Thai waters. According to the Phuket News, all foreign-flagged vessels must now be equipped with AIS tracking devices. There is no vessel size limit on the requirement–all boats small and large have to comply. Read the rest »
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 »
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.
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 »
It is always a treat to check out our owners’ blogs and live vicariously through their cruising adventures. Read the rest »
In case you missed Sarah’s Broadway debut at 54 Below last week, we thought a few photos were in order. Read the rest »
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.
Of the ten FPBs currently afloat, nine are actively cruising, taking advantage of their seagoing speed, range, and comfort, actually doing it…right. We enjoy hearing from our family, keeping up with where they are and what is going on. This week, for example, Read the rest »
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 »
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.
Peter Watson and his intrepid crew aboard FPB 64-6 Grey Wolf are now just a few days’ from Panama. Keep up with their progress on Berthon’s web site. Of particular interest may be Peter’s comments after now having voyaged over 6,000 nm in the last two months.
FPB 64-6 Grey Wolf has finally hit her stride and is cruising along at 9.7 to 11 knots towards Panama along the fifth parallel.
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 »
We are torn between a love for the tropics and the adrenaline that comes as you venture closer to the poles.
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.
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.
“The new Dashew passagemaker draws much of its heritage from the high-performance sailboats for which the Dashews are well known…” –Bill Parlatore, Passagemaker Magazine
Of all the sailboats we’ve done over the years, Beowulf is our favorite. She was our ultimate couple’s cruiser, and the benchmark, against which we measured everything when we started down the FPB path. In seven years of cruising part time, see saw 40,000 nautical miles slip under her keel with just two on board. Read the rest »
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 »
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 »
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.
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.
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.
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 »
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.
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,
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.
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 »
Over the years we have learned that often mundane destinations close to home offer unexpected cruising rewards.
Recently, owner Sue Henry put together an “anniversary” video of photos, highlighting her and husband Bill’s first three years aboard FPB 64-2 Sarah Sarah. Read the rest »
Having arrived back to the Seattle office a couple weeks ago, I now have a little time to sort through 100s of photos and share a few with you from my recent adventures aboard FPB 64-3 Iron Lady… Read the rest »
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 »
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.